This past weekend, we were blessed with the release of the last two warbands of the Nightvault season. As one can imagine, I was brimming with excitement to try these factions out, especially Thundrik's Profiteers. Luckily enough, there was a tournament at Ettin Games & Hobbies the same day of the release and they were allowing the new warbands. What better way to play to learn how to play a warband than in a competitive environment, right? Trial by fire indeed!
As you can see, things went pretty well for me. I was able to rely on my understanding of the game, and a bit of luck, to lead me to the coveted prize - the Shadeglass trophy.
In this article you will find a deck breakdown, summary of games, and my final thoughts on the event.
Note: If you are looking for my thoughts on the warband as a whole and a deeper dive into their fighter cards, check out one of my previous articles here.
Deck:
So I had a vague idea on how I wanted to run the deck but I wasn't set on the exact build. Unfortunately, after picking up my warband, I got stuck in traffic on my way to the event and was a bit late. Thankfully, the store owner allowed me to 10 minutes to build a deck. I was able to piece the following deck while frantically flipping through the new cards and my binder. The deck isn't optimal but it served the purpose I had intended it for.
Shoutout to my friend, Steven, for building my warband as I was building my deck.
As you can see, the deck is designed around fully capitalizing on the Profiteer's ranged superiority and counter charge potential.
The objectives revolve around eliminating enemy fighters at a safe distance. Essentially, you control the board while blasting away. Naturally, the deck relies heavily on making successful attack actions; I figured it was better to go all in so that when I did hit, I hopefully was scoring more than one card. When in doubt, go aggro!
Furthermore, I slapped in a bunch of tick damage so that I could continually mount pressure on my opponent and force them to be the aggressor, thus solidifying my ranged game plan.
Lastly, the upgrades in the deck give my fighters some accuracy and wound buffs which allowed them to perform better and for, hopefully, longer.
Objectives:
Escalation is one of the best cards in the game and rewards you on upgrades played during the game, whether you or your opponent played them. Victory After Victory and Combination Strike are included as force multipliers. Because there are eight score immediate objectives in the deck, these cards are scored fairly easily. Plus, due to the high cycle nature of the deck, drawing into these cards is fantastic and can really push you ahead of your opponent.
Finish Them and The Bigger They Are are two cards that are pretty much the same. Because three out of your five fighters have a range attack action that deals one damage, they can be pretty easy to score. Fired Up is just a great card and because eight of your cards are instant scores, you promote fighters quickly and often.
Get Thee Hence and What Armour? are in the deck because you have access to cleave and knockback off the bat. Martyred is included because two of your fighters start off with two health and one of them, Garodd Alensen, doesn't really do much for your warband, at least offensively. Setting him up as bait is a great way to score this card.
Calculated Risk is a one of the best cards coming out of the two new sets. It's just so easy to score and very controllable because you can just pick a board with lethal hexes. This is good anyways as you are hopefully driving enemy fighters onto them after taking potshots. Headshot relies on you rolling a crit with a ranged attack - something that is bound to happen due to the high volume of ranged attacks you are going to make. Death From Afar feels like it was designed for this warband. Eliminating a fighter at range is just something these duardin do naturally.
Gambits:
Distraction is here for a multitude of reasons. You can push a fighter into a lethal hex, push them out of charge range, or push the closer so you can shoot them. Fueled by Fury essentially gives you a re-do on an attack action should you really need it to land. Ready for Action is the best card in the game and gives you an extra activation, usually a lethal one.
Rebound is a card that further aids in protecting your fighters from aggressive/powerful actions. It has a 33% to succeed but when it does, it pretty much wins you games. Shattering Terrain is neat because not only can you deter your opponent from moving or charging, you can also combo it with a ranged attack which allows you to deal an extra damage should you be eligible to drive an opposing fighter back. Trap falls into the chip damage strategy and works well especially with ranged attacks.
All three of these cards cause chip damage towards your opponent's fighters which is key in order to effectively eliminate them at range. The latter, Toxic Gases, is really neat in that it gives your opponent a two choices that they don't want to make. Regardless of which one they choose, you can use it to your advantage.
Stand and Shoot is great in general. Most fighters in the game use melee weapons so when they charge, you get a free shot at them. If you plan it right, you can take them out before they even swing which not only nets you an elimination, it also wastes one of your opponent's activations. Seek the Skyvessel is very strong. You can move two fighters even if they have a movement or charge token on them. That's perfect for getting your fighters into more favorable positions, offensively or defensively.
Upgrades:
All three of these cards give your fighters an extra wound. That's quite useful as it can lead to your fighters becoming quite tanky - this naturally allows them to survive longer into the game, hopefully.
Potion of Rage provides is a nice accuracy boost that exponentially increases the likelihood of a key attack going through. Gloryseeker allows you to punish high health fighters and is great for ranged attacks as there is no range limit. Great Strength can give Khazgan, or even Alensen, just enough damage to one-shot enemy fighters.
Blessing of Hydragos and Duelist's Speed allow you to charge, shoot, and then get out of most threat ranges. This is awesome for a warband designed to take down opponents at a distance. Archer's Focus provides your warband with some greater consistency which is important and key to the game plan.
Fated Blade is a bit of a fun card. It can give you the ability to one-shot or at the very least, severely hurt an opposing fighter, on average. Since it hits on the same characteristics as some of your ranged weapons, it's not sacrificing much. Rapid Reload is busted on Ironhail. He can shoot twice the first time you use his ranged attack each round. This is great for trying to finish of an opposing enemy fighter or even controlling the board and pushing enemies out of their threat ranges.
Ettin Games & Hobbies Event:
Ettin Games & Hobbies is nice store located in the Kingwood/Humble area. The store owner, David, is a big fan of Underworlds and is really making an effort to push the scene there. This time around, we had 6 players show up - not bad.
The warbands represented there were two Thundrik's Profiteers, Stormsire's Cursebreakers, Sepulchral Guard, Steelheart's Champions, and Garrek's Reavers.
We followed the "standard" tournament rules. Each round was a best two out of three and had a time limit of an hour and half.
Games:
Due to the positive feedback I received from my previous article, I'll be using the bullet system. If you guys aren't fans, do let me know and I will revert back to the previous format.
Round 1: Thundrik's Profiteers
Game 1:
Round 1 started off with a mirror match. Oh boy. My opponent was Adam who had picked the models up at the midnight release. He had not only built a powerful deck, he had also gotten his base coats down on his models!
Note: Picture was taken during the middle of the game. I forgot to take one at the beginning.
Board Roll: Adam
Deployment Roll: Adam
Initiative Roll: Adam
Phase 1:
Am1: Drew a power card.
Ad1: Garodd went on guard.
Am2: Drew a power card.
Ad2: Garodd charged Ironhail, dealt a damage, and drove him back. Adam scored Headshot and promoted Khazgan. I played Distraction on Garodd, bringing him closer to me onto objective 1.
Am3: Ironhail fired at Garodd and missed.
Ad3: Dead-Eye moved up.
Am4: Ironhail fired again at Garodd but it was critically blocked. I played Seek the Skyvessel and moved Khazgan and Bjorgen into more favorable positions. Adam played the same card and moved his own Khazgan and Bjorgen up.
Ad4: Khazgan shot at my Garodd but missed. Adam played Rethink Strategy and tossed Alone in the Darkness.
Am: Scored nothing.
Ad: Scored Fired Up and Keep Them Guessing. Both Bjorgen and Ironhail were promoted. Blessing of Hydragos was played on Khazgan.
Phase 2:
Am1: Ironhail shot at Garodd and I drove him back, played Trap, and drove him back a hex further which scored me Get Thee Hence. I promoted Ironhail. Adam played Awakened Weapon on his Khazgan. I put Blessing of Hydragos on Ironhail.
Ad1: Khazgan went on guard. Adam then played Quiet Contemplation and tossed Death From Afar.
Am2: Drew a power card.
Ad2: Khazgan charged Ironhail, eliminated him and scored Change of Tactics. Adam promoted his own Ironhail and played Improvisation.
Am3: I tossed Death From Afar. Adam played Aetheric Augmentation on Bjorn.
Ad3: Dead-Eye shot at Garodd and eliminated him and he played Rapid Reload on his Ironhail. I played Potion of Rage on Khazgan.
Am4: Khazgan charged Dead-Eye and did two damage. Adam put Great Strength on his Khazgan.
Ad4: Bjorgen charged my Khazgan but missed.
Am: Fired Up. Promoted Khazgan and put Ancestral Fortitude on Khazgan.
Ad: Master of War and Solid Gains. Everyone was now inspired on Adam's side.
Phase 3:
Am1: Khazgan charged the opposing Khazgan, hit for three and I played Pit Trap. I then played Toxic Gases on Dead-Eye and Adam chose to be pushed twice. He then reacted with Dual of Wits. Deathly Fortitude and Paymaster were played on the opposing Bjorgen. Fighter's Ferocity was put on the opposing Ironhail.
Ad1: Ironhail charged Khazgan and I critically blocked. He ended up dealing two damage via Rapid Reload.
Am2: Dead-Eye shot at his Dead-Eye, and I dealt a single damage. I scored What Armour? and promoted Bjorgen. Adam played Second Wind on his Ironhail.
Ad2: Ironhail fired at Khazgan but it was blocked. I put Great Strength on Bjorgen.
Am3: Bjorgen charged at the opposing Dead-Eye through a lethal hex and Adam rolled a critical block. I scored Calculated Risk.
Ad3: Bjorgen shot Khazgan and missed.
Am4: I tossed an objective and drew another one.
Ad4: Bjorgen shot at Khazgan again but I blocked it.
Am: Combination Strike and Victory After Victory.
Ad: Nothing.
End: 10-10. It was a tie, phew!
Game 2:
Board Roll: Adam
Deployment Roll: Adam
Initiative Roll: Aman
Note: Adam tossed his power cards - five upgrades.
Phase 1:
Ad1: Bjorgen moved up next to his Garodd.
Am1: Drew a power card.
Ad2: Discarded Focus Fire and drew an objective.
Am2: Drew a power card.
Ad3: Garodd on guard.
Am3: Drew a power card.
Ad4: Garodd charged my Garodd and missed. Adam did score Change of Tactics and promoted Bjorgen. He played Rethink Strategy and tossed Headshot. I played Toxic Gases on his Garodd and pushed him two hexes towards me but still adjacent to my Garodd. Adam reacted with Dual of Wits. I played Fueled by Fury. Adam played Invisible Walls. I played Distraction on Garodd to push him one hex to the left.
Am4: Dead-Eye hit Garodd for one damage. I scored What Armour? and promoted Bjorgen. I put Potion of Rage on Dead-Eye, played Ready for Action, and eliminated the opposing Garodd. I scored Death From Afar and promoted Khazgan. Adam put Awakened Weapon on his Bjorgen.
End Phase:
Ad: Ploymaster, Fired Up, and Solid Gains. Everyone on his side was inspired. Fighter's Ferocity went on Ironhail.
Am: Fired Up and Combination Strike. I promoted Dead-Eye and Ironhail. I put Duelist's Speed on Garodd and Gloryseeker on Dead-Eye Lund.
Phase 2:
Ad1: Bjorgen went on guard. Paymaster went on his Bjorgen and I played Rapid Reload on my Ironhail. Adam played Quiet Contemplation and I played Encroaching Shadow on his Ironhail.
Am1: Drew a power card. Adam played Seek the Skyvessel and moved his Bjorgen and Khazgan up.
Ad2: Bjorgen charged my Garodd and eliminated him. I scored Martyred. I put Archer's Focus on Dead-Eye and played Shattering Terrain.
Am2: Dead-Eye charged at his Bjorgen, took a damage, and then dealt three. I pushed him back, which dealt a damage, and I reacted with Trap which eliminated the enemy commander.
Ad3: Ironhail moved via a lethal hex which scored Adam Calculated Risk.
Am3: My Ironhail charged his Khazgan and dealt a single damage. Rapid Reload allowed to fire again and deal another point of damage.
Ad4: Dead-Eye charged Ironhail and hit for two. He put Ancestral Might on his Khazgan.
Am4: Bjorgen charged his Dead-Eye, hit for two, and scored me Headshot.
End Phase:
Ad: Master of War and Keep Them Guessing.
Am: Nothing.
Phase 3:
Ad1: Khazgan charged my Bjorgen and hit four four. He put Trusted Defender on his Khazgan while I put Great Strength on my Khazgan. I also played Tome of Vitality and Ancestral Fortitude on Bjorgen.
Am1: Ironhail fired at Dead-Eye and dealt a damage. Rapid Reload gave me another shot which also dealt a single damage. Adam played Second Wind on Khazgan.
Ad2: Khazgan swung at Bjorgen but I blocked with a crit!
Am2: My Khazgan charged his Khazgan via a lethal hex which scored me Calculated Risk. I missed.
Ad3: Ironhail charged at my Ironhail and rolled four crits! My Ironhail was eliminated which scored Adam Death From Afar. I put Blessing of Hydragos on Bjorgen.
Am3: Bjorgen shot at Khazgan and took him out of action.
Ad4: Passed - he couldn't activate any fighter nor draw cards.
Am4: Bjorgen charged at Ironhail and eliminated him.
End Phase:
Ad: Nothing.
Am: Escalation.
I won game 2, 15-11.
Game 3:
Note: We played this game in 12 minutes.
Board: Adam
Deployment: Aman
Initiative: Aman
Phase 1:
Ad1: Dead-Eye moved up via a lethal hex which scored Adam Calculated Risk. Bjorgen was promoted. I played Toxic Gases on Dead-Eye and he. took the damage. Adam reacted with Dual of Wits.
Am1: Garodd charged Dead-Eye and eliminated him with his pistol. Rapid Reload went on my Ironhail while Great Strength went on the opposing Khazgan.
Ad2: Bjorgen charged my Garodd and eliminated him. Adam also scored Headshot and Death From Afar. Khazgan and Ironhail were promoted. Adam also played Quiet Contemplation.
Am2: Ironhail charged Khazgan, hit for one, and pushed/knocked him back. Adam put Ambitious Attack on his Khazgan.
Ad3: Khazgan charged Ironhail and eliminated him. Death Fortitude went on Khazgan. I used Distraction to push Khazgan into a lethal hex.
Am3: Tossed Combination Strike and went for another objective. Adam played Ancestral Might on his Khazgan.
Ad4: Ironhail moved up.
Am4: Bjorgen charged Khazgan and dealt two.
End Phase:
Adam: Solid Gains and Ploymaster.
Aman: Nothing.
Phase 2:
Ad1: Khazgan charged Bjorgen and eliminated him. I scored Martyred. Adam played Seeking Advancement and Trusted Defender on Khazgan.
Am1: Drew a power card. I played Shattering Terrain.
Ad2: Bjorgen went on guard.
Am2: Drew a power card. Adam played Second Wind on Khazgan and have him Awakened Weapon.
Ad3: Khazgan shot at my Khazgan, dealt a damage. He then played Seek the Skyvessel and moved Bjorgen and Ironhail up. The latter took a damage via a lethal hex.
Am3: My Khazgan charged and eliminated his Khazgan. I put Potion of Rage on my Khazgan and Tome of Vitality on my Ironhail. Blessing of Hydragos went on the opposing Bjorgen.
Ad4: Bjorgen charged at my Khazgan and missed.
Am4: Dead-Eye Lund fired at the opposing Ironhail and dealt a damage.
End Phase:
Adam: Keep Them Guessing, Master of War, and Fired Up.
Aman: Escalation.
Phase 3:
Am1: Dead-Eye fired at Ironhail and eliminated him. I scored Death From Afar and The Bigger They Are.
Ad1: Bjorgen fired at Khazgan but I blocked it. Fighter's Ferocity and Aetheric Augmentation went on his Bjorgen. I played Fueled by Fury.
Am2: Dead-Eye charged Bjorgen and hit for one. I scored What Armour? and Headshot. I then played Seek the Skyvessel on Dead-Eye and moved him via a lethal hex which scored me Calculated Risk.
Ad2: Bjorgen fired at Khazgan but I critically blocked. I put Blessing of Hydragos on Khazgan and followed up with Ready for Action. I missed.
Am3: Khazgan attacked Bjorgen but he blocked it.
Ad3: Bjorgen went on guard.
Am4: Khazgan swung again and missed.
Ad4: Bjorgen charged Dead-Eye and missed - scored Change of Tactics.
End Phase:
Aman: Victory After Victory.
Adam: Nothing.
Game tied at 13-13. Wow, I win off the glory differential! A very well played to Adam!
Round 2: Stormsire's Cursebreakers
Game 1:
Round 2 was against Michael and his Cursebreakers. My opponent was a super friendly guy and I had some really good conversations with him in between games.
Board: Michael
Deployment: Aman
Initiative: Michael
Phase 1:
A1: Drew a power card.
M1: Ammis cast Empower.
A2: Drew a power card.
M2: Rastus failed to cast Empower.
A3: Drew a power card.
M3: Rast cast Empower.
A4: Drew a power card. Encroaching Shadow damaged Stormsire for one.
M4: Rastus moved to objective 1. Seek the Skyvessel moved Garodd and Dead-Eye Lund into more favorable positions. (Garodd was bait)
End Phase:
Aman: Nothing.
Michael: Magical Supremacy.
Phase 2:
M1: Drew a power card. Toxic Gases on Rastus which moved him two hexes towards me. Michael used Sidestep on Rastus to move him next to Garodd. I used Distraction to keep him next to Garrod but within range of my fighters.
A1: Ironhail fired at Rastus, knocked him back which scored me Get Thee Hence, I also played Trap to deal a damage. Ironhail was promoted.
M2: Rastus struck down Garodd and scored Measured Strike.
A2: Ironhail fired at Rastus, dealt a damage. I played Blessing of Hydragos on Ironhail and followed up with Ready for Action. Ironhail eliminated Rastus and I put Great Strength on Khazgan.
M3: Ammis moved up.
A3: Ironhail charged Ammis, dealt a single damage and then moved back two hexes due to Blessing of Hydragos.
M4: Stormsire advanced up.
A4: Dead-Eye charged Ammis and dealt a damage. Stunning Blow went on Ammis.
End Phase:
Michael: Nothing.
Aman: Fired Up, Escalation, and Victory after Victory. Great Fortitude went on Dead-Eye. Promoted Bjorgen, Dead-Eye, and Khazgan.
Phase 3:
A1: Dead-Eye shot at Ammis but missed.
M1: Ammis charged Dead-Eye and dealt three damage. I played Rapid Reload on Ironhail.
A2: Ironhail shot at Ammis, dealt a damage, fired again due to Rapid Reload, and then eliminated Ammis with another point of damage. I scored The Bigger They Are and put Gloryseeker and Tome of Vitality on Dead-Eye.
M2: Drew a power card.
A3: Bjorgen moved via a lethal hex to score me Calculated Risk.
M3: Discarded an objective and drew another one. Potion of Rage on Dead-Eye.
A4: Dead-Eye charged Stormsire and eliminated him due to help of the potion. Scored Death From Afar and Headshot.
M4: Discarded an objective and drew another one.
End Phase:
Aman: Combination Strike.
Michael: Denial.
I won, 15-6.
Game 2:
Board: Michael
Deployment: Aman
Initiative: Aman
Phase 1:
M1: Ammis failed to cast Empower. I played Toxic Gases and pushed Ammis towards me.
A1: Khazgan swung at Ammis and dealt two damage. I drove her back to place her next to Garodd.
M2: Ammis went for Empower again and got it, scoring my opponent Harness the Storm.
A2: Ironhail moved up. Michael played Sidestep on Ammis but I moved her right back with Distraction.
M3: Ammis charged Khazgan and eliminated him. I scored Martyred and promoted Dead-Eye.
A3: Dead-Eye shot and eliminated Ammis. I scored Death From Afar and promoted Ironhail.
M4: Rastus charged Garodd and eliminated him. Hurricane Step went on Rastus and I put both Rapid Reload and Gloryseeker on Ironhail.
A4: Ironhail took down Rastus due to his regular attack and Rapid Reload. I also scored Headshot on the second attack. I promoted Bjorgen.
End Phase:
Michael: Devastating Blow and Magical Supremacy.
Aman: Nothing. I put Duelist's Speed on Dead-Eye.
Phase 2:
A1: Drew a power card. Ancestral Fortitude and Blessing of Hydragos went on Ironhail. I played Shattering Terrain as well.
M1: Drew a power card.
A2: Drew a power card.
M2: Drew a. power card, Tempest's Might on Stormsire.
A3: Tossed Get Thee Hence and drew another objective.
M3: Drew a power card.
A4: Drew a power card.
M4: Drew a power card.
End Phase:
Aman: Escalation. Tome of Vitality on Dead-Eye.
Michael: Nothing.
Phase 3:
M1: Discarded objective and drew another one.
A1: Moved up Ironhail as bait.
M2: Stormsire charged Ironhail and did two damage. He inspired. Rebound failed. Chain Lightning was casted and Ironhail bit the dust.
A2: Moved Dead-Eye.
M3: Drew a power card. Potion of Rage on Dead-Eye.
A3: Dead-Eye shot at Stormsire and hit for two damage. I scored What Armour?.
M4: Drew a power card. I played Fueled by Fury.
A4: Bjorgen charged Stormsire via a lethal hex and scored me Calculated Risk. The attack was blocked.
End Phase:
Michael: Denial.
Aman: Fired Up, Combination Strike, and Victory After Victory.
I won 15-9.
Round 3: Garrek's Reavers
Game 1:
Made it to top table at the event and faced off against none other than the guy who rode with me to the event, Steven. He's a solid player. I figured this matchup would be really interesting and was looking forward to seeing how it would play out.
Board: Steven
Deployment: Aman
Initiative: Aman
Phase 1:
A1: Garodd shot at Arnulf and missed. I played Seek the Skyvessel and moved Dead-Eye to objective 3 and Bjorgen in between him and Khazgan.
S1: Saek charged Garodd and eliminated him. Steven scored Skulls for the Skull Throne and I played Toxic Gases which allowed me to push Saek towards me.
A2: Dead-Eye fired off at Saek and dealt a damage. I scored What Armour? and promoted Dead-Eye.
S2: Garrek moved up. Archer's Focus went on Dead-Eye. Insensate was played.
A3: Drew a power card.
S3: Karsus moved up.
A4: Dead-Eye attacked and eliminated Saek. Scored Death From Afar and promoted Bjorgen. Duelist's Speed and Great Fortitude went on Khazgan.
S4: Targor moved up.
End Phase:
Aman: Escalation and Victory After Victory. Promoted Khazgan and Ironhail.
Steven: Nothing. Gristly Trophy and Great Fortitude on Garrek.
Phase 2:
S1: Karsus charged Khazgan with his ranged attack and dealt a single damage. My fighter was driven back to the right. I put Potion of Rage on Khazgan.
A1: Khazgan charged Karsus via a lethal hex, scored me Calculated Risk, eliminated Karsus, and used Duelist's Speed to move one hex over to the right.
S2: Garrek charged Khazgan and eliminated my fighter, also Rebound failed. Fueled by Slaughter allowed Garrek to do three damage to Dead-Eye as well. Arnulf got upgraded with Potion of Rage.
A2: Ironhail moved into range.
S3: Arnulf charged Dead-Eye. I played Stand and Shoot (first time all day) and the attack was critically blocked... Dead-Eye went down and Steven scored Blood for the Blood God. I put Blessing of Hydragos on Ironhail. Gloryseeker went on Garrek.
A3: Ironhail shot at Targor, dealt one damage, and knocked him back which scored me Get Thee Hence. I also followed up with Pit Trap.
S4: Discarded Ploymaster and drew.
A4: Bjorgen fired at Arnulf and eliminated him.
End Phase:
Steven: Opening Gambit and Master of War. Tome of Offering and Great Strength on Garrek.
Aman: Fired Up.
Phase 3:
S1: Garrek charged Bjorgen but it was blocked.
A1: Bjorgen shot Garrek and dealt two. I played Encroaching Shadow to deal another point of damage.
S2: Drew a power card.
A2: Ironhail shot at Garrek, dealt a damage, and scored Headshot. Due to Rapid Reload, I fired again and dealt another point of damage which eliminated Garrek and scored me Finish Them.
S3: Cycle cards.
A3: Cycle cards.
S4: Cycle cards.
A4: Cycle cards.
End Phase:
Steven: It Begins.
Aman: Combination Strike.
I won the first game, 17-8.
Game 2:
Board: Aman
Deployment: Aman
Initiative: Aman
Note: Finally, I win board!
Phase 1:
S1: Targor moved to mid board.
A1: Drew a power card.
S2: Drew a power card.
A2: Drew a power card.
S3: Drew a power card.
A3: Tossed Combination Strike. Drew a power card and drew.
S4: Saek moved up. I played Fueled by Fury.
A4: Khazgan charged Saek, dealt two, drove him back, and played Trap. Steven scored Martyred. Great Fortitude went on Khazgan and I followed it up with Ready for Action. Khazgan swung at Targor and eliminated him as well. Rapid Reload went on Ironhail and Great Strength on Garrek.
End Phase:
Steven: Nothing.
Aman: Escalation. Promoted Bjorgen and put Archer's Focus on Dead-Eye.
Phase 2:
S1: Garrek charged Khazgan and dealt three damage. He drove him back and played Trap. This scored Steven Masterstroke and myself, Martyred. I promoted Ironhail. I played Seek the Skyvessel and moved Ironhail and Dead-Eye up.
A1: Ironhail fired at Garrek and dealt a damage while also scoring Headshot. I promoted Dead-Eye.
S2: Karsus charged Dead-Eye and hit for two. I put Duelist's Speed on Dead-Eye.
A2: Dead-Eye fired off at Karsus and did two damage. Karsus reacted with My Turn and swung at Ironhail, dealing two damage. Tome of Offering went on Arnulf.
S3: Arnulf charged Ironhail and missed.
A3: Ironhail fired off at Karsus and eliminated him. I scored Finish Them and The Bigger They Are. Steven reacted with Fueled by Slaughter and Arnulf eliminated Ironhail. He then reacted with Skulls for the Skull Throne.
S4: Drew a power card. Bloodslick and Great Strength on Garrek. Also, Insensate was played.
A4: Garodd charged Arnulf, hit for one damage and then pushed him into a lethal hex. Gristly Trophy on Garrek.
End Phase:
Steven: It Begins.
Aman: Fired Up and Victory After Victory.
Phase 3:
S1: Garrek charged Dead-Eye and it was critically blocked. Gloryseeker went on Garrek followed by Ready for Action. Garrek eliminated Dead-Eye, also Rebound failed. I played Potion of Rage on Bjorgen and then played Distraction to bring Garrek closer.
A1: Bjorgen fired at Garrek and hit for two. I scored What Armour?.
S2: Drew a power card.
A2: Garodd charged Garrek via a lethal hex to score me Calculated Risk. He hit for two and I played both Ancestral Fortitude and Tome of Vitality on Garodd.
S3: Drew a power card. Great Fortitude on Garrek. I played Shattering Terrain.
A3: Bjorgen shot at Garrek but it was blocked with a crit.
S4: Drew a power card.
A4: Bjorgen fired again and Garrek and missed.
End Phase:
Steven: Master of War.
Aman: Nothing.
I won 15-9.
Closing Thoughts:
Thundrik's Profiteers performed kind of exactly how I thought they would. They truly excel at ranged combat. I was pretty grateful for the mirror match as well because I got to see how the fighters performed as an opponent. It helped me learn their roles rather quickly which was important because I had literally just opened the box. Aside from Garrod, your warband is fairly good at doing what they are intended to do. and even then, if Garrod is your bait guy, he does that well too!
I played rather safely with Bjorgen which makes sense as he is your inspiration machine. I think moving forward, I'll be a bit more aggressive with him, especially in the late game.
Two special standouts are Ironhail and Dead-Eye. Those guys are monsters. Innate cleave and knockback off the bat is very nice. An inspired Dead-Eye can carve through blocking fighters while Ironhail essentially offers you all but a guaranteed hit. Steven complained about them the whole ride home! 😂
Also, Khazgan is your warband's version of Blooded Saek. You bide your time and wait for the opportune moment to strike. Adam, in round one, built a list that revolved around buffing Khazgan up into a close combat monster. Although the strategy was rather effective, I think it's better to charge in, eliminate your biggest threat, and then leave him there. If your opponent tries to take him out, that's fine because your other fighters are safe. If Khazgan manages to survive, charge him in again and eliminate another key target.
I'm happy to have knocked Profiteers of my list. However, I don't think I will be retiring them anytime soon. I really enjoyed playing this warband and I can't wait to keep playing them. Also, although generally happy with my deck, I think I might make a couple changes. Excited to try those out as well.
At the time of this writing, I have five warbands left to go on the Underworlds Challenge - Ironskull's Boyz, Spiteclaw's Swarm, The Chosen Axes, Eyes of the Nine, and Godsworn Hunt. The articles for my recent wins with Steelheart's Champions and Ylthari's Guardians should be up this week.
Hope you guys enjoyed the read! I am looking forward to seeing everyone's take on Thundrik's Profiteers.
Cheers,
Aman