The Tactical Squad

The 5th War Pack in the Deathworld cycle, Against The Enemy, should be hitting store shelves pretty soon. As the final pack in the cycle will contain the Chaos warlord Vha’shaelhur, Against The Enemy will be the last pack in the cycle with non-signature cards from the Chaos faction. Fantasy Flight Games was kind enough to give us an early preview of the three Chaos cards in the pack and they offer a little something for ever flavor of Chaos! The first card is the Purveyor of Hubris, a 4 cost army unit. The four cost army unit slot is in an interesting place right now when the game’s focus is on elite units. This cycle has seen a huge shift towards cards that empower Elite units, making them easier to get into play, protect them while in play and punish non-elite units. A four cost army unit must have some pretty good stats and abilities to be played instead of an elite unit. Maybe it’s just his sweet whispers but, I think the Purveyor of Hubris stats and abilities are good enough to warrant a place in a deck. The 2 command, 3 ATK and 4 HP are on par for a four cost unit and the ability, even though it can’t lock down a planet single-handedly, the purveyor can definitely help keep some support units away from the battle. Also if it happens to be at a non first planet, it is very unlikely to have your opponent try and take command away from it due to the cost penalty. Definitely might see some play depending on the meta and how prominent the elite decks are. One interesting trait about Purveyor of Hubris is that like [whc]Slaanesh’s Temptation[/whc] we’ve seen at least two Slaanesh cards now which are designed to tax an opponent’s unit deployment. While Slaanesh might be the prince of desire, he’s all about denial: because we all know that we want what we can’t have. In this case it’s little units, those sexy little things…   The second unit from the pack is the Sickening Hellbrute, an Elite Nurgle unit with a beefy health stat and a novel ability that really amps up the pain and suffering. Although Sickening Hellbrute has a pretty low ATK stat, the fact it has Brutal will mean it can definitely dish out what it can take. The interesting part of this unit is its ability, which affects both players and is a forced reaction. Having every unit take an extra damage when it’s attacked at a battle is definitely going to benefit players who are ready to do the math, with both players subject to the Hellbrute’s ability when their unit is declared as a defender. One consideration would be playing it with [whc]Zarathur, High Sorcerer[/whc] who would deal 2 damage when a unit is declared as a defender. This would also mean Zarathur taking an extra damage when he is attacked making it easier to assassinate that tricky wizard, something which is already a problem for Zarathur players. This unit might also be decent in a Necron deck as Necrons have the cards to mitigate some of the extra damage, plus they are able to take the Techmarine Aspirant can allow the unit to take advantage of the Brutal trait much faster. Some synergies for this card include the new Disciple of Excess to keep him put, and because the Sickening Hellbrute has the Nurgle trait his planet can be a target of Fetid Haze which can makes him even more fearsome against fewer, or already damaged units.   The final card, Cloud of Flies is an attachment with a pretty simple damage dealing ability that can only be granted to army units with the Nurgle trait. Similar to the Hellbrute, this card ability affects both players forcing them to assign 2 indirect damage among their units; similar to Fetid Haze, the cloud can only target non-nurgle units, so this ability generally favors Chaos players. Cloud of Flies seems like an especially terrifying ability if more than one copy enters play at a single planet, since it triggers every round. Two of these on a planet can easily lead to eight or six indirect damage over two turns if their #blessed units remain in play. However, this card might have some drawbacks: even if you play mostly N_urgle_ units or run big health units that can easily brush off the damage,  so this card may not offer a lot of value. Like a lot of Nurgle cards this is going to reward players who are doing the math, or you play all N_urgle_ units and you come out two damage ahead. In both cases I think there are too many things to take into consideration to make this worth the costs when there are so many other better chaos attachments to play. The Tactical Squad would like thank FFG for allowing us to share these early spoilers with the community. Feel free to comment and let us know what you think of these cards and whether they will find their way into your decks.

In the 40k universe, the average human lives a pretty harsh life. Between the constant threats from alien races and the fact that most worlds are harsh, industrial crypts that are over populated, death is always lurking in the shadows. However, on some planets the dangers are closer to home; literally right outside the front door. On these planets the natural environment is so dangerous that human settlement on a planet-wide scale is almost impossible. These are known in the Imperium as Death Worlds. Most death worlds fall into two categories. The first being where the majority of the landscape is covered in carnivorous plants and animals that are large enough to prey on humans. The second are wastelands made up of volcanic landscapes, toxic atmospheres, terrible ion storms or, in some cases, a combination of all three. It is noted by Imperial Scholars that many of the deadly creatures found on these death worlds have similar traits to creatures found in Tyranid swarms. Based on these observations, there are many in the Imperium that believe these planets were once “harvested” by the Tyranids.  The creatures are what is left behind once the greater hive fleet has moved on. Being separated from the Hive Mind, these creatures revert to a feral state. Because of the above dangers, human settlement on a planet-wide scale is rarely attempted and most of these planets are left alone. However, some of these planets have significant value to the Imperium, either through strategic placement or valuable resources. In these cases, humans do try to carve out an harsh existence on those worlds. The humans who live in these settlements must be particularly hardy  to survive.  Their lives are a a series of regimented tasks, with each individual being a cog in a machine designed to keep the entire group going. No effort or action is wasted and each individual recognizes that duty to the group is greater than individual need. These traits tend to mean the humans from these settlements make great additions to the combat forces of the Astra Militarium and are some of the fiercest fighters. Catachan Warriors and the soldiers that make up the Death Korps Of Kreig are two prominent examples. In their minds, the humans on theses planets sacrifice for the betterment of all of the Imperium. Their sense of duty and sacrifice is fundamental to part they play in keeping the great machine of the Imperium working. I hope you have enjoyed this article from the Lore Librarium. In the next installment we will again delve deeper into some of the lore found in the Unforgiven warpack.

In the second article in our Deck Club series, we take a look at one of the new wave of Elite heavy decks and talk about how it is matching up against the meta. Travis Provick: Ok, the real reason we are writing this article is because of your “Old One Eye” deck.  I know we have more Elite tools - starting in Legions of Death - but I think you said this deck is now 15-0.  And that includes a Game Night Kit win. Victor Naqvi:  That’s right.

”Old One Eye” - The Unsquashable

“Old One Eye” (50 cards)

[table width=“250px”] Army (27)[attr colspan=“2”] 4x Lurking Hormagaunt 2x Ravenous Haruspex 3x Ripper Swarm 3x Scything Hormagaunts 3x Striking Ravener 3x Termagant Sentry 3x Toxic Venomthrope 3x Volatile Pyrovore 3x Ymgarl Genestealer [/table] [table width=“250px”] Support (3)[attr colspan=“2”] 1x Awakening Cavern 2x STC Fragment [/table]

[table width=“250px”] Attachment (9)[attr colspan=“2”] 1x Great Scything Talons 3x Heavy Venom Cannon 2x Regeneration 3x Ymgarl Factor[/table] [table width=“250px”] Event (11)[attr colspan=“2”] 3x Backlash 2x Biomass Sacrifice 3x Dark Cunning 2x Ferocious Strength 1x No Mercy [/table] [table width=“250px”] Synapse (1)[attr colspan=“2”] 1x Stalking Lictor [/table]

TP: So, are there any secrets to playing this deck? VN: Despite the big units, this is not a rush or bully deck. By all means, if planet 1 is Plannum (or Carnath with Plannum on the flop) and you have an Elite and some tricks, go for it. But generally you just want to take as much command as you can in the first turn to set yourself up well for the rest of the game. And often Old One Eye and a Volatile Pyrovore is enough to take planet 1 - unless your opponent is willing to use a lot of shield cards or other tools in opposition. TP: And then the big guns come out? VN: You want to get a Striking Ravener out with some supporting attachments. Save the Ymgarl Factor for him. With a few extra resources, the Ravener can take out a whole planet on its own. And with the ability to buff health as well, your opponent isn’t likely to be able to kill it, at least not so that it dies in the combat phase. Don’t forget that the Ymgarl Factor buff lasts until the end of the phase, so the extra ATK and HP can be used in multiple battles if you have a way to move it. TP: Oh, I’m well aware of that. *sigh* VN: The Ravenous Haruspex is often the Elite of last resort, but if you see the opportunity to earn a big pay day with him, don’t hesitate to take it. Basically win as much command as you can early and then star the Elite train. TP: There are also opportunities that your opponent might not be aware of. Ferocious Strength works on synapses, so in a pinch even your Stalking Lictor can wreck some face. You are still undefeated with this deck. What decks do you think are going to beat it? VN: Space Marines and Indomitable could be a challenge, as it can disrupt the multiple swings from the Ravener. Hopefully Dark Cunning or Awakening Cavern can get it going again, but that isn’t always possible. Heavy control/command Eldorath Starbane can be a problem with his strong command game choking you of the resources you need and Nullify shutting down your usual Backlash response to tricks targeting your Elites.

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We’d love to hear from our readers in the comments.  If you find any success - of failure - with Victor’s deck, let us know.  If you have your own great deck that you want to share with the world or have a deckbuilding trend that you’d like us to talk about in a future article, please drop us a line.

The first pack in the Death World Cycle, Jungles of Nectavus, introduced some new themes and mechanics to the game. Two of these new concepts have been the introduction of cheaper army units that provide a boost to Elite units at the same planet and cards with the Deep Strike mechanic. With the Unforgiven War Pack just around the corner, The Tactical Squad is very happy to warp in some spoilers and share two Eldar cards that continue with the concepts mentioned above. The first card is the Adherent Outcast. Its ability pretty much translate as elites will now be harder to kill through attacks at this planet. Most elites will in theory end up with 8 to 12 health while at a planet with this unit. However, unless this unit can be protected, most times it will probably be the first unit attacked and thus in practice the extra health will not be a factor over multiple attacks. This card with just a single Elite at a planet is not going to swing the battle in a big way, but if it is a close battle with either an Elite vs a swarm of army units or one Elite vs another, this card might be just enough to turn the balance in your favour or keep a damaged Elite unit alive long enough to get one more attack off before it dies. Some interesting units to play with this are the Fire Prism, with its ability to effectively cancel two attacks per round or the Sa’cae XV88 Broadside with the ability to gain Area Effect (2). You could even Gift Of Isha it in in a pinch to hopefully throw the math in your favour, although I think that is a pretty desperate play. Even more interesting is this card being used in a Necron deck with the [whc]Lynchguard Sentinel[whc], as they can protect this unit while they are ready. Overall, I am not completely sold on this card, I feel I would rather just take another 2 cost unit that hits harder and just hope my elites survive long enough to get their attacks off before they die.

The second spoiled card is Concealing Darkness and is a Deep Strike event that has no regular cost and thus can only be played through Deep Strike. For a cost of 1 resource, in addition to the 1 resource to put the card in reserve, you are now able to ambush in any Eldar units at that planet until the end of the phase. This can allow you to threaten a planet win with a lesser deployed force. If the enemy ends up sending their warlord to that planet or deploys a lot of units there you can easily counter, if they don’t you can hopefully win with the few units you have at the planet and save those units in your hand for the next planet. However, with the decent command that most Eldar units have, it is tough not to play them out during the deploy phase to take advantage. This is especially true of units with the Mobile keyword or the ability to jump to another planet. Where this event becomes really useful is for units that are usually first targets for any attacks. Some examples are the [whc]Iyanden Wraithguard[whc], [whc]Starbane’s Council[whc] or the [whc]Furious Wraithblade[whc]. Being able to bring these units in on your terms allows you to get the most of the damage they are dealing. We also can’t forget about the [whc]Mighty Wraithknight[whc], being able to exhaust every enemy unit along with Warlords is something that shouldn’t be taken likely. Note that you don’t have to Ambush in your units all at once, you can pull them in one at a time, only as necessary and only when it is your turn to swing. I think this card fits nicely with how the Eldar play, they already have lots of units with Mobile or Mobile-like abilities and this card just allows them to be more versatile in what planets their units decide to fight at. Hope you enjoyed the two spoilers from the Unforgiven warpack. The Tactical Squad would like thank Fantasy Flight Games for allowing us to share these with you. Until next time.

Welcome to the first article in what we hope will be a series dedicated to looking at deckbuilding strategy and sharing some of our deck ideas.  Since the release of Legions of Death, Victor and Travis have spent a lot of time talking about what makes an effective Necron deck and trying to come up with competitive decks for either warlord. Travis Provick: It can be a bit tough to know what to put in a Necron deck.  You have the whole card pool of common units to pull from and you can choose to add any number of different factions as allies.  All that choice is exciting, but it can also be a bit overwhelming. Victor Naqvi: Absolutely.  Figuring out the right angle of attack for a new Necron deck can be challenging.  You want to be careful about not going to crazy with the number of allied factions and consider whether your non-unit choices favour allied units or Necron cards more. TP: Anrakyr the Traveller seems like a more straightforward deck to build between the two warlords, but my first deck with him was relatively mediocre.  But I’ve been very impressed by a couple of the Anrakyr decks you’ve come up with.  They have been very strong.  

Anrakyr - Discard Toolbox

Anrakyr the Traveller (50 cards)

[table width=“250px”] Army (29)[attr colspan=“2”] 2x Death Korps Engineers 2x Decaying Warrior Squad 1x Elysian Assault Team 1x Freebooter Kaptain 2x Harbinger of Eternity 1x Praetorian Ancient 5x Pyrrhian Eternals 3x Rogue Trader 3x Sacaellum Shrine Guard 2x Sanctioned Psyker 2x Standard Bearer 2x Steel Legion Chimera 3x Tallarn Raiders [/table]

[table width=“250px”] Attachment (6)[attr colspan=“2”] 2x Promotion 1x Pyrrhian Warscythe 3x Resurrection Orb[/table] [table width=“250px”] Support (3)[attr colspan=“2”] 2x Eternity Gate 1x Slumbering Tomb[/table] [table width=“250px”] Event (12)[attr colspan=“2”] 1x Awake the Sleepers 3x Drudgery 3x Mechanical Enhancement 2x Reanimation Protocol 3x Recycle[/table]

VN: Anrakyr’s biggest asset is his discard pile.  Every card in his signature squad cares about this resource.  To that end, I wanted to build a deck that was all about treating my discard pile as a toolbox from which I could pull cards I needed for whatever situation I was in. TP: That’s a great way to look at it. VN: This deck didn’t need to fill up my discard pile as quickly as possible, so the deck eschews dedicated mill cards like Weight of the Aeons and even Flayed Ones Pack.  Instead, the only card I included beyond Anrakyr’s sig squad was 3x Recycle.  Effects that allow me to discard from my hand allow me to pitch units that are far more useful in the discard pile from my hand; units such as Decaying Warrior Squad and the first 2-3 copies of Pyrrhian Eternals. I then needed to decide which faction was to be my enslaved faction for this deck.  I chose to stick with one faction to increase consistency, so I needed to have a faction that had a lot of utility in their units.  Enter the current golden child of Conquest, the Astra Militarium.  AM units are cheap to play out, have good command presence, and can function as either command cappers or combat units.  I also had access to some really good situational cards like support hate in the form of Death Korps Engineers, increased survivability with Steel Legion Chimera, and a nasty combat surprise with the new Standard Bearer.  All three units are excellent targets for Drudgery, so I have no hesitations in discarding them for use later. Harbinger of Eternity is almost what I would call a ‘secondary warlord’.  Once he hits the table, your discard toolbox expands even more.  Discarding an event to shield one of my units and still having the ability to fire off the event reduces decision pressure and. especially in the case of an event like Mechanical Enhancement, can result in a virtual +4HP to one of your units (2 shields + 2 HP).  Harbinger also gives my Recycles a second chance, allowing me to dig through my deck even more. TP: It’s tough to play against you when I don’t just have to worry about what you might have in your hand, but what you have in your discard pile. VN: Having all these tricks means I need more money than cards from the command struggle, so I included 3x Rogue Trader.  I don’t worry about having too many tiny bodies. If I’ve discarded my Praetorian Ancient I can use Anrakyr’s ability to get him back in the late game as a scary 5 ATK, Armorbane juggernaut.  And in a pinch, I can always rotate my enslavement dial to whatever my opponent is playing and pull the biggest guy from their discard pile. After playing this deck a few times, I’ve found that the deploy stall game is huge.  It’s not unusual for me to have turns where I will play Recycle, then play Eternity Gate, then activate my Slumbering Tomb, then use Reanimation Protocol to heal my warlord, then use my Eternity Gate - all before playing a single unit to a planet.  It’s not hard to outmaneuver my opponent on command this way.  

Nahumekh - Steel Wheels

Nahumekh (51 cards)

[table width=“250px”] Army (30)[attr colspan=“2”] 1x Assault Valkyrie 4x Destroyer Cultist 3x Doom Scythe Invader 1x Harbinger of Eternity 1x Leman Russ Conqueror 3x Piranha Hunter 3x Rogue Trader 3x Standard Bearer 3x Vash’ya Trailblazer 3x Warriors of Gidrim 2x Wildrider Squadron 2x Wildrider Vyper [/table]

[table width=“250px”] Attachment (5)[attr colspan=“2”] 2x Gauss Flayer 2x Promotion 1x The Staff of Command[/table] [table width=“250px”] Support (6)[attr colspan=“2”] 1x Obedience 2x Sautekh Complex 3x STC Fragment[/table] [table width=“250px”] Event (12)[attr colspan=“2”] 2x Backlash 2x Hate 2x Mechanical Enhancement 2x Reanimation Protocol 3x Recycle[/table]

TP: I started off with the goal of making a 3-ally Nahumekh deck to leverage his ability and the ability of his signature unit (Destroyer Cultist). To maximize that value, I wanted to be able to keep my units from non-Necron factions alive for multiple turns - something that Mobile facilitates really well.  I also wanted to try to get my Staff of Change in play as quickly as possible.  This led me to Earth Caste Technician and Vash’ya Trailblazer in Tau.  I already knew that resources in Necron decks could be an issue, so I also put in Sael’um Pioneers.  With two scouts in the beginning of the list, my first deck attempt went all in on a Scout/Tomb Blade Squadron strong command deck to see if the Tomb Blade’s ability was perhaps stronger than I originally believed. VN: And how did that go? TP: Not well, which was largely as expected.  After a few losses I went back to the drawing board with a better feel of how a Nahumekh deck plays in practice.  My next experiment was going to be an Elite deck, and I was curious about the power level of the Doom Scythe Invader.  Trailblazers would still be great, so Tau stayed.  Piranha Hunters would guarantee me card draw even in situations where my opponent would challenge me for command - a problem that my first deck had, and they would never die.  I’d really liked the impact Standard Bearers were having in other decks, and I thought being able to ready exhausted Elite units would only increase their contribution. AM also has great vehicle targets for Doom Scythe, so I chose them as my second ally. Wildrider Squadron seemed like one of the best targets for Doom Scythe in the game, and Wildrider Vyper are great Elite units that have the survivability via Mobile that I like to have in a Nahumekh deck, so Eldar rounded things out for allies VN: Yeah, I think you hit on a viable list with this one.  You were a bit light on resources at times, but it was a tough deck to deal with. Any advice for someone who brings this deck to a game night? TP:  It’s ok to let your opponent take the first planet or two as long as you are building some command presence and tools for later rounds.  Try to use Recycle to seed at least one target for Doom Scythe early.  Be careful how much damage you let Nahumekh take. You really want to be able to use his ability in critical fights and 6 health is not very much. Don’t forget that you can use Obedience to move units from HQ at the beginning of the command phase. I don’t think this deck is top tier, but it is a lot of fun to play and it can be pretty competitive.   Please let us know in the comments what you think of either of these decks.  Or tell us about the Necron decks that you’ve built.

The 40k universe is full of interesting stories, legendary characters and expansive, exotic locations. These stories are one of the reasons I enjoy games set in the 40k universe and one of reasons the Conquest LCG drew my eye. It has been just over a week since Legions of Death hit the store shelves and the new deluxe expansion  introduces the Necrons as the last race to join the battle in the Traxis sector. I have always wanted to shed some light on the lore of Warhammer 40k and I think this new race is the perfect focus for the 1st edition of our Lore Librarium. So let’s look into how the Necrons became the cold, relentless force of enslavement that we all know and love … errr … I mean fear. The story of the Necron race begins countless ages ago, before even the birth of the Eldar race. This humanoid species lived harsh lives, full of death. As their race grew they spread out among the stars. Sometime during these travels the Necrotyr, as they were known as then, came across an even more ancient advanced race referred to as the Old Ones. These beings had the one thing that had eluded the Necrotyr, near immortality. The Old Ones were unwilling to share their secrets and over time the Necrotyr grew jealous. During this time the once united race began to fragment, with individuals pursuing their own goals, which lead to internal conflict. These two facts lead the ruling council of the Necrotyr to declare war against the Old Ones, as a way to reunite and focus the fracturing race. They succeeded at that goal, but the war was unwinnable and over time the entire race was nothing but a minor irritant to the Old Ones and in-fighting broke out once again. It was around this point that the C’Tan appear to the Necrotyr and, unlike the Old Ones, the C’Tan shared their advanced knowledge and were worshipped as gods by the younger race. Among these secrets was the ultimate gift; every Necrotyr would be granted immortality.  This gift of metal bodies was a curse. The Necrotyr would live forever, not as individual bodies of flesh, but as mechanical creatures devoid of a soul, the majority of the race were stripped of their individuality and will. All except for Szarekh and a few leaders, who now controlled the entire race. With their new gods by their sides and their hardened bodies the new Necrons attacked the Old Ones once again. To fight back the Old Ones created new races like the Eldar and Humans. However, in the end, even as these new races grew, the Old Ones were defeated. Szarekh, however, had come to realize that their “saviors” the C’Tan had fed off the souls of his entire race.  Even though the Necrons had won, they had been used. When the C’Tan were weak after defeating the Old Ones, Szarekh turned on them, imprisoning them and returning the destiny of the Necron race back into their own hands. But while the Necrons had taken heavy losses in the war, the other newer races had flourished. Szarekh knew his race couldn’t control the galaxy right now, but his race had all the time in the universe, a luxury the newer races did not enjoy.  So, practicing patience, he ordered the Necron race into a deep slumber, shutting down entire planets and systems to be woken up at a later date. For 60 million years the Necrons slept while the rest of the universe grew in strength and spread over vast areas.  But there was a problem when the Necrons were called to awake from their long dormancy. Many of the Necron tomb worlds have been destroyed over the eons.  Some worlds awoke early.  Some not at all. The long slumber has also negatively affected those few who were allowed to keep their individuality. Once ambitious and proud leaders, the passing of time have driven many of them to madness or obsession. Instead of a vast army awakening all at once as a unified force, the Necrons have awoken piece meal and splintered with different leaders vying for power. However, as more and more tomb worlds break their slumber, the newer races have come to realize that what they once thought were random occurrences represented a far greater threat. To the proper eyes, the pattern is visible. The Necron invasion is just starting. Right now they are fractured and can be kept at bay, however, its only a matter of time before they start to unify and than the rest of universe might just be crushed under the weight of countless metal feet.

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I hope you have enjoyed this brief history of the Necron race. There is certainly more to be told about the Necrons.  If all the above is new to you, I hope I have peaked your interest enough to find out more about them.  If you are already a fan of Necron lore, please share your favourite aspects of their history in the comments section. Also please let us know what you thought of the article and whether you would like see more visits to the Lore Librarium. Til’ next time, this is Jon Yeo closing the book and signing off.

Legions of Death is expected to be at your gaming store by the end of May. As the community eagerly wait for the soulless Necrons the Tactical Squad is happy to share two Necron cards from the latest upcoming deluxe expansion. The first spoiler is a four cost army unit.

Immortal Legion

This card has similarities to the Lone Wolf with slightly better stats at an increased cost and a slightly less limiting ability. These boosts do come with a negative though, as the action is limited by the enslavement dial. Due to that I think this unit works better in a deck that is all Necron units or has very few enslaved units as you will want to keep your enslavement dial on your opponent’s faction. However, if you are able to keep your enslavement dial matching your opponent’s faction you will be able to threaten their warlord no matter where they go. The fact that Space Marines are able to negate a lot of damage makes the Lone Wolf a dangerous unit for any opposing warlord to go against even if it won’t get a swing in during the first battle round. Similarly, he Immortal Legion with its 1 extra health and attack along with the Necron ability to heal damage makes this unit a dangerous risk for any warlord that thinks they can win a battle on their own.   The second spoiled card is a 2 cost support that definitely is a nice fit with Immortal Legion.  

Master Program

This support has a pretty decent cost but it does require another Drone card to be sacrificed. Presently, we have seen a few cards with the Drone trait and the number and play-ability of these cards will influence how often this card gets played. However, if you are able to get this out and a Drone card out without too much of a resource hit, the ability of this support cannot be understated. The ability means that an attack against a Necron unit that doesn’t kill that unit is pretty much negated. This can make Necrons units with higher health that much harder to destroy, let alone readying that unit. Triggering this after all enemy units have attacked can change the tide of a battle. Even, just having this out with a Drone card on the table should make an opponent think twice about sending their warlord to a battle on its own. Both of these cards seem like they will be able to fit nicely into decks commanded by any of the 3 Necrons warlords we have seen although with The Immortal Legion the deck might want to keep to mostly Necrons units. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the cards in the expansion will work with these and the other cards that have been spoiled. The battlefields of Warhammer 40,000: Conquest are going to be a wash of grey and green in the weeks to come and expect things to be very different once these soulless entities hit the table.  Again The Tactical Squad would like to thank Fantasy Flight Games for allowing us to share these cards with you the community. Let us know your opinion on these cards or the Necron faction in general, we always love to hear your comments and feedback. From the rest of The Tactical Squad I want to thank you for listening and supporting us. Until next time. Jon Yeo

While the Warhammer 40,000 universe is filled with grim grit and despair it has a distinct streak of humour, both goofy and morbid, running through it. No faction better embodies this humour than the Orks. Orks are hoards of boyz, ramshackle looted trukks, and various other strange sights, all held together solely by belief. In the Warhammer 40,000: Conquest Living Card Game these themes are carried through to create some hilarious and distinct game play. In my first Buying Guide - The Basics, I discussed the LCG format and made suggestions for initial purchases. In this article I’m going to delve into Conquest’s fungal green skinned hooligans, the Orks.

General

Orks are a motley crew to be sure. As a faction the green skins can focus on swarms of little runts or bully their opponent with giant nobz and ramshackle trukks. They focus on brutal and indirect damage, and to a lesser degree cost reduction, support manipulation, and readying. New players will enjoy Orks if they enjoy aggressive strategies, playing fast and loose, and don’t mind incuring a bit of collateral damage in the process.

The Threat Beyond (Warlord Cycle)

Orks get a lot of interesting tools in the core set but probably two of their ost important army units come in the Threat Beyond. Snakebite Thug and Evil Sunz Warbiker both provide powerful 2 cost units. They fill out the faction’s cost curve and are versatile options that can be used in any of the Ork warlords. You will also get Mork’s Great Heap which can really boost your deck depending on the strategy you’re using.

The Scourge (Warlord Cycle)

Almost every pack in the Warlord cycle included at least something decent for Orks but one of the best packs was definitely the Scourge. Starting out with Kustom Field Generator Orks get a tremendous support that works as an excellent defensive tool. The faction gains access to Attack Squig Herd and Iron Guard Recruits which are utilitarian units for combat and with Dakka Dakka Dakka! which helps players control swarms of opposing units in addition to being a double shield card.

Zogwort’s Curse (Warlord Cycle)

The last War Pack I would recommend a new player to consider grabbing for Orks in general is Zogwort’s Curse. Not only does this War Pack come with an Ork Warlord that opens up new play style opportunities but it comes with several great Astra Militarum cards you can supplement your decks with. Tallarn Raiders is another cheap but strong unit that can be used for both combat and command. Staging Ground provides a tool for mid combat tricks, being especially powerful with options like Snakebite Thugs and Evil Sunz Warbikers. Finally Steel Legion Chimera is a defensive unit that can be utilized to shield your boyz.

Nazdreg

Ork’s first Warlord, Nazdreg, is a strong Warlord that focussed on the Brutal mechanic and generally aggressive play styles. Nazdreg is likely one of the warlords that fairs best with only 2 core sets, especially once a few War Packs are added. Generally this warlord favours aggressive cards like Tellyporta Pad and works best with high health units.

Threat Beyond & The Scourge

Like for the faction in general these War Packs are filled with excellent tools for Nezdreg. Snakebite Thug’s self damage turns into extra Brutal fuel, and Kustom Field Generator allows players to spread damage out and more effectively benefit from Nazdreg’s ability.

Boundless Hate (Planetfall Cycle)

The third War Pack I would recommend to a new player unterested in using Nazdreg specifically is Boundless Hate. One of this warlord’s main weaknesses is being targeted directly, something that Front Line ‘Ard Boyz helps protect against. Additionally Rok Bombardment further allows Orks to control large groups of units while allowing Nazdreg’s units to sometimes gain the benefit of extra Brutal power. And finally Sacaellum Shrine Guard is another cheap unit to help fill out your cost curve.

Zogwort

The second warlord given to Orks is the Weirdboy Old Zogwort. A seemingly bizarre warlord at first glance, Zogwort is actually reasonably powerful due to his token creation ability. Because of his self contained ability Zogwort is a good starting point for a wide variety of strategies.

Zogwort’s Curse & The Threat Beyond

For a player interested in the old Weirdboy, Zogwort’s Curse is an easy sell since it is the War Pack he comes in. Along with Zogwort himself, both Zogwort’s Curse and The Threat Beyond come with all the great cards I’ve talked about this warlord benefitting from.

What Lurks Below (Planetfall Cycle)

The final War Pack I would recommend for a player interested in getting started with Old Zogwort is What Lurks Below. In this War Pack Zogwort can make use of Smasha Gun Battery by applying the damage to produce snotling tokens from Zogwort’s Runtherders or powering up other Ork units. Skrap Nabba is a command body that helps smooth resource gain but also can contribute to combat. Last but not least Orks get the very strong event Outflank’em, which arms Orks with the means to completely warp combat.

Gorzod

The third warlord for the Orks released during the Planetfall cycle, if Gorzod. This warlord changes the conventional deck construction rules letting you include common Astra Militarum and Space Marine Vehicle army units in your decks. To balance this Gorzod cannot include events, support, attachments, or non-Vehicle army units unless they are neutral or Ork.

Deadly Salvage (Planetfall Cycle)

Like Most other warlord the most important purchase for Gorzod is the War Pack he comes in, Deadly Salvage. Unfortunately this War Pack doesn’t include any Space Marine or Astra Militarum cards that he can include.

The Scourge & The Threat Beyond

Gorzod is no exception among the Ork warlords and benefits greatly from the several staple cards that come in both The Scourge and in The Threat Beyond. Even though Snakebite Thug andEvil Sunz Warbiker are both not Vehicles but still fill vital positions. Among the other cards Kustom Field Generator also helps greatly, allowing you to further potect your already tough units.

We are now over half-way through the Planetfall Cycle and with most of the factions getting new warlords or interesting cards, it feels like the Eldar have flown under the radar. As we approach the end of the cycle we are starting to see how the Eldar cards in this cycle fit in with their upcoming warlord as well as bringing some interesting updates to the both Eldorath Starbane and Baharroth. The Tactical Squad is happy to share three previously unrevealed Eldar cards from the upcoming War Pack, so let’s jump right in.

Saim-Hann Kinsman

The first card is just the Eldar version of Sacaellum Shrine Guard. Whatever has been said about that pretty much goes for this as well. It’s a great command capper unit that can survive and defend itself at a green planets. It just makes the command game in both Eldar and Dark Eldar that much stronger. In Tau it will probably see less play but it still might have interesting interactions with Auxiliary Armor. It is unfortunate that it’s just an almost straight copy of a card from another faction, but since that is a card is considered by most to be quite a good card, one can’t really complain that much.

Eldritch Storm

The second card is an event that is also non-loyal. Its effect is like Cacophonic Choir or Dakka Dakka Dakka! in that it deals damage over multiple planets. Unlike those cards, Eldritch Storm only can affect units on planets with the Stronghold (green) icon. However, the damage it does deal at those planets will usually be more significant. It also doesn’t have the negative effect of exhausting your warlord. The card will definitely be harder to use, but when it is used it will most likely be more effective in killing the unit you want dead. The two damage is pretty good in killing off enemy command units, making the already strong Eldar command game even stronger. Like all the other planet type targeting cards, whether their limited use will be worth it will be the big question. There will be games where this card will put you in a position to win or strengthen your position and other games where it will do absolutely nothing.  In terms of use in the other factions it might see play in Dark Eldar, but probably not likely in Tau as they already have decent area effect abilities.

Shuriken Catapult

Finally, the last card spoiled is an attachment that is also non-loyal. This card is most likely to be immediately compared to the Ion Rifle. Resource cost wise, it’s the same as playing an Ambush Platform followed by an Ion Rifle. I had first considered this in an Aun’shi deck. Another surprise +3 ATK that doesn’t require an Ambush Platform would be pretty deadly. However, the Warrior limit means it’s only playable on Carnivore Pack and Sting Wing Swarm, both of which don’t see much play. So presently I don’t see this being played in a Tau deck. Compared to the Tau there are definitely more targets for this attachment in Eldar, so that is a plus right off the bat. On closer look the majority of these W__arrior units aren’t presently seen in most Eldar decks, but that might change once the new Warlord comes out. The two exceptions are the Biel-Tan Guardians and Baharroth’s Hawks, both which are great targets for this attachment. Being able to ambush this in can make it a dangerous for any warlord that might try and snipe command from these two units. So overall, its pretty great in Eldar and will probably get better once more of those Warrior units come into play. Where this card might see the most play is in Dark Eldar. Those evil twins of the Eldar have a whooping 16 units with the Warrior trait with a lot of them seeing play in many decks. Specifically, any player who has been using Saliane Morn will definitely want to try and find a space for this card. She can easily afford the 2 resource cost of the attachment and with the ability to ambush her signature squad or Klaivex Warleader the attachment can easily bring them within warlord killing range.

That wraps it up for the Eldar cards from The Wrath Of The Crusaders  War Pack. Overall, the cards won’t fundamentally change how you build an Eldar deck. They do provide some ways to tweak and improve your Eldar decks to maybe cover some weaknesses. Since all these are non-loyal they also will find some play in both allied factions, with Dark Eldar probably getting the better use out of the two factions. The Tactical Squad would like to thanks Fantasy Flight Games for giving us the opportunity to share these with the community. Let us know how you plan to use these new additions in the comment section. Also, tune in to the next episode of the podcast to hear the rest of the squad’s opinions on these cards. On behalf of the rest of the members I thank you for supporting and listening to The Tactical Squad. Until next time, Jon Yeo signing off.

In the Warhammer 40,000 universe the Space Marines represent the poster children of humanity but the true might of the Imperium of Man comes from the Astra Militarum. The countless soldiers of the Militarum are numerous and expendable, a theme that is carried over well into the Warhammer 40,000: Conquest Living Card Game. In my first article, Buying Guide - The Basics, I talked about the LCG format and how to get started in general, today I’m going to focus on getting started with Astra Militarum in particular.

General

As a Faction the Astra Militarum rely on the many cheap units they have, bolstered by their excellent supports and powerful multi card combos, to wear down opponents. Many card abilities trigger when guardsmen leave play leading to great potential from the loss of a single unit. While AM aren’t the simplest to play, new players will likely enjoy the faction most if they have experience with other card games, enjoy attrition focussed play styles, or wantto have powerful multi-card combos.

Zogwort’s Curse (Warlord Cycle)

The thirs War Pack of the Warlord cycle, Zogwort’s Curse brings three excellent cards for any AM warlord to use. Steel Legion Chimera exemplifies the faction’s attrition warfare making all of your infantry last that much longer. Tallarn Raiders is one of the staple cheap units giving a great and efficient option for both combat and command. Finally Staging Ground adds an opportunity to deploy units only when needed to surprise your opponent.

Boundless Hate (Planetfall Cycle)

The second War Pack of the Planetfall cycle, comes with three more great options to include in your decks. The first, Sa’caellum Shrine Guard, is another staple cheap unit. Like the Tallarn Raiders this army gives a good combat and command option for minimal cost. Troop Transport is another support that allows for great mid combat utility. Lastly Front Line ‘Ard Boyz is a common Ork card that increases your defensive capability.

The Threat Beyond (Warlord Cycle)

The third War Pack I would suggest to purchase is The Threat Beyond. This War Pack comes with the second Astra Militarum warlord, Torquemada Coteaz. As a play style Coteaz exemplifies the AM combo play style, and leans toward more aggressive strategies. He is a somewhat difficult warlord to use though and I wouldn’t recommend new players bring him to competitive play with getting a good feel for the game and this warlord first. The pack also includes great ally options in the way of Snakebite Thug, Evil Sunz Warbiker, and Firedrake Terminators.

Colonel Straken

The Core Set warlord, Colonel Straken, was one of the least popular warlords released in the box. At this point Straken is still reasonably unplayed but he has a lot of possible combos waiting to be built into a great deck by an enterprising player. Style wise the Colonel focusses on buffing his troops and persistent attrition. Combining him with Space Marines opens up the damage prevention and attrition aspects of his signature squad, while using Orks leads to a much more aggressive builds.

Boundless Hate & Zogwort’s Curse

Like I discussed previously both Boundless Hate and Zogwort’s Curse provide a number of staple cards for Astra Militarum, this is no exception for Colonel Straken. His buff ability is most efficient when used on large numbers of low cost units and both the Tallarn Raiders and Sa’caellum Shrine Guard are great for this. Additionally the Steel Legion Chimera and Front Line ‘Ard Boyz are great defensive card that increase Straken’s ability to take a beating.

Deadly Salvage (Planetfall Cycle)

The third War Pack of the Planetfall cycle comes with several great options for your Straken deck. Deadly Salvage includes Death Korp Engineers and Vanguard Soldiers, both well costed units with good stat lines and strong abilities. Additionally the pack has Inspirational Fervor which allows aggressive Astra Militarum decks to carry their momentum through the game.

Torquemada Coteaz

The second warlord released for Astra Militarum is the Inquisitor Torquemada Coteaz. He is a far less straight forward warlord than most in the game and I would generally not recommend him to a player who is completely new to competitive card games. That said, in the correct hands he is a force to be reckoned with and an ambitious newbie shouldn’t shy away from him but needs to be ready for a steep learning curve. A player might find Coteaz interesting if they enjoy multi card combos and aggressive play styles.

The Threat Beyond

This War Pack is a bit of an obvious choice if a player is interested in Torquemada. Not only does it come with the warlord and his signature squad, but it also has Snakebite Thug and Evil Sunz Warbiker both cheep and very effective units.

Zogwort’s Curse

Much like for Straken and the faction in general, Zogwort’s Curse is excellent for Coteaz. Tallarn Raiders and Steel Legion Chimera are as good for Coteaz as they are for any other AM warlord, but Staging Ground has extra utility in his decks. Being able to hold units in hand and deploy them as needed in combat assists players in using this warlord to the fullest.

Gift of the Ethereals (Warlord Cycle)

Another excellent War Pack for Astra Militarum in general Gift of the Ethereals has several great tools to use with Coteaz. Mystic Warden a unit that has limited use in most decks is excellent for our inquisitor as a cheap target to sacrifice. The other notable AM card, To Arms!, is an excellent option for both the two shield icons and the powerful combo potential with cards like Catachan Outpost. The War Pack also comes with Ammo Depot, White Scars Bikers, and Crushing Blow, all great cards depending on your ally and battle plan.

Broderick Worr

The newest Militarum warlord, and quite possible the most competitive so far, Broderick Worr excels at decks using mostly or only Astra Militarum units. Worr is a very flexible about what AM units he uses and his play style in general, and as a result is probably the best AM warlord for a new player to use. Worr excels at buffing his own units, applying consistent pressure, and unit efficiency.

Decree of Ruin (Planetfall Cycle)

This War Pack is a must as it includes Broderick Worr himself along with his signature squad. Unfortunately because this warlord uses mainly AM units there really aren’t any additional cards worth using.

Boundless Hate & Zogwort’s Curse

I’ve covered both of these War Packs already and most of what I’ve said hold true for Worr also.