Star Wars the Card Game - not dead yet

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/1/10/promise-of-power-1/

This recent article on the Fantasy Flight Games site said that Promise of Power is the final release for the Star Wars card game.

"Promise of Power is the final Force Pack of the Alliances cycle, marking the climactic conclusion of the cycle. With ten new objective sets (two copies each of five distinct sets), this Force Pack continues to reward players for melding affiliations together in a single deck. Promise of Power also introduces plenty of characters from Star Wars Rebels, bringing a new version of Ezra Bridger, Cikatro Vizago, and more Inquisitors into the game.
In addition to being the final Force Pack of the Alliances cycle, Promise of Power marks the completion of Star Wars: The Card Game. Over the past five years, Star Wars: The Card Game has seen five deluxe expansions and six cycles of Force Packs, ranging from the Battle of Hoth, through the pilots of the Rogue Squadron cycle, the forest battles of the Endor cycle, and the most recent changes of the Opposition and Alliances cycle. With the conclusion of the Alliances cycle, the game will be complete, and the Star Wars World Championships in May will be the final Organized Play World Championship for the game"

There isn't much I want to say on the end of the game, as I feel this video from the Fully Operational YouTube channel says it better (hosted by the 2017 UK Nationals runner-up)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V80euCwSWc8

However, as long as we have a player base in Plymouth, I intend on continuing to run events. Now it's a "complete" game, there won't be surprise swings in the card pool. It exists as a game that hadn't reached a consensus best deck. I feel this is due to a combination of having to build/play both a Light Side and a Dark Side deck, and also to the unique Pod building system which stops you just making your deck 100% the best cards. I hope we get much more play, especially as players finish off their sets.

So, with that being said, our most recent event was this past Saturday. I'm going to talk about the decks I played.

The Dark Side - Death Star Assembly

Let's start with the weaker deck.

• Imperial Navy affiliation
• 2 x Technological Terror
• 2 x Death and Despayre
• 2 x Deploy the Fleet
• 2 x Victory or Death
• 1 x Repair and Refurbish
• 1 x Moon Blockade

I consider it weaker simply as there some sub-optimal choices in the deck. This is due to me currently having several decks built, and the pods I'd potentially want being in other decks. It's built to a simple theme. Construct the Death Star and smash the Rebellion from the galaxy.

Objectives - Four of my sets produce 2 resources, and a further two can be damaged to reduce the cost of Capital Ships. Repair and Refurbish helps mitigate that damage and slow down the enemy assault. Victory or Death keeps opposing units from controlling the Force, as this deck wants to be the aggressor. Finally, Moon Blockade brings us the Executor.

Units - Thirty of the cards are Units, of which eleven are Resource generators. We want the heavy hitters coming down as soon as possible, although we risk flooding on resources occasionally. There is a fair spread of Edge enabled icons amongst them, mostly Tactics, for when they are forced to join the fight. The Death Star Engineer is crucial, as it's action helps me stop the opponent from locking down my ships with their Tactics.
Five of the units are Officers. They are mostly chuds, although sometimes I have the spare Resources for the Imperial Officer to speed up the Dial, and Chiraneau's ability to shut down the text on opposing Objectives can come up clutch.
Twelve Star Destroyers. No Tactics here, just plenty of Blast and Gun to smash through the opponent's defences and Objectives. Thuderflare does contribute some healing to my side while moving that damage over to the opponent, and the Devastator helps increase the Dial. The Executor can finish off a damaged Objective, which is usually a surprise to the opponent.
Finally, two copies of the Death Star itself. If that manages to hit the table, it's usually game over during that turn or the next.

Enhancements - Eleven Enhancements, eight of which generate Resources. Six Control Rooms can lead to problems if they start clogging up the hand, but they can always be used to bluff in Edge battles.

Events - Three Events. One Jamming Protocol, which can stop a key Event, and two Admiral's Orders. Reducing the cost of a Capital Ship by 2 often lets me deploy two in a turn, and start the offence.

Fate  - Six Fate cards. None of them are particularly spectacular but included because they are in the Pods. Heat of Battle is always a nice surprise though, and Echoes is always solid.


The deck itself attempts to play in a similar fashion to a Ramp strategy in Magic. Make cards that generate Resources, to make large attackers, to smash the opponent's Objectives. You want to commit something to the Force in the first turn, to make the opponent work for it, but otherwise, you want to be on the attack as much as possible. Accelerating the turning of the Dial via Objective destruction, plus the reaction of the Devastator and Imperial Officer close the game out quickly.

It can start to falter if the opponent seizes the initiative as it lacks most, if not all, of the traditional control elements you see from Imperial Navy. You also lose if you draw all the Resources and none of the Star Destroyers, as that gives your opponent time to put you on the back foot. It's a blast to play though, and nothing quite feels like counting out 12 Resources to deploy the Death Star, and then reading it's text to your opponent.

On the day, across the three rounds, it flooded in the first round against Jedi, pulled off a close win against a Smugglers deck featuring Blockade Runner rush and finally managed to keep a Jedi deck on the back foot long enough to deploy the Death Star as a finisher.

The Light Side - Ewok Swarm

This deck has been both fun, and surprisingly strong.

• Jedi Affiliation
• 2 x Sacrifice at Endor
• 2 x Native Blessings
• 1 x Lost in the Forest
• 2 x Warriors of the Forest
• 1 x Tribe of the Trees
• 1 x Courage of the Tribes
• 1 x Tribal Support

I built it originally as a joke because one of the local players HATES Ewoks. Then it started winning games in record time, the joke became serious. The recent release of Native Blessings has solidified the deck in my opinion.

Objectives - All were chosen to maximise the amount of Ewoks in the deck. However, Tribe of the Trees shuts down popular cards like Force Choke. The number of times I had to remind opponents that they couldn't target the Ewoks was quite funny. The real star is Warriors of the Forest though, as the additional Edge enabled Blast icons helps the swarm tear through Objectives.

Units - Twenty-six units. One C-3PO and the rest are Ewoks. Ambushers are cheap. Hunters draw cards. Allys help win Edge battles. Scouts are the key though, stopping the opponents best defender from joining the Engagement. Especially good in the early turns. Very key to taking out an Objective on the first turn. Hordes provide muscle, and the named Ewoks give various utility.

Enhancements - Seven Enhancements. Most are simply Edge fodder, as if Warriors of the Forest is out, you want to have those Icons active. Forest Awareness can give a key Ewok Elite though, and Bright Tree Village makes spare Ewoks better in the Edge stack.

Events - Ten Events. All have their uses, although again you shouldn't be afraid to just pitch them to win Edge battles. Feast of Honor is the STAR card though. It lets you flood the board with Ewoks in one turn. If the opponent makes one Main character to defend in their first turn, and you have Warriors of the Forest out, you can use this to deploy 4 Ewoks in your first turn. If one of them is a Scout, then your opponent can't defend and you destroy the Objective of your choice turn one. It's very easy to follow this up with a Horde on the second turn too.

Missions - Two Missions. Its two copies of Repel the Invaders, which is situational. I rarely want to play this as a mission, as there are rarely good targets for its Reaction, assuming you can get through, although it doesn't generate any Resources. So, like many of the non-Ewok cards, it's home is the Edge Stack.

Fate - Five Fate cards. Two copies of Secret Objective,  to keep the opponent on their toes. I can see a scenario where the ability is good, but mostly it has 3 Force pips. Three copies of Battle of Endor should be 4 Force pip cards, as all the Objectives have the Endor trait.

It's a swarm deck. Fill the board with Ewoks, send them all at one Objective, hopefully denying some defence, destroy it and repeat until 3 are destroyed. It plays fast, doesn't care about defending and doesn't care about the Force. It can, with the right cards, destroy 1 Objective a turn across its first three turns leading to a very fast win.

If your opponent gets a good amount of defenders out quickly, or you stumble, then the game can become unwinnable just as quickly. Force Storm is not your friend. Play smart and you can recover from the board wipe though. It's a struggle, but always play it out. You never know how you might overwhelm them, as Force Storm isn't cheap to use.

On the day, in the first round I managed the 3 turn kill, in the second round I faltered and the opponent managed to stabilise before I could get the third Objective. In the third round, the quick kill happened again. 4 Ewoks and a Feast of Honor is the best possible start.

It was a four-player event, and I came second due to tiebreakers. Everyone had fun, and we will keep playing. It's love of Star Wars that unites us as players, and since the game is good we will play long past the official end of its lifespan.

My Current Asuryani Force

I've had the opportunity to play a few games with my current 2000 points Iyanden force. Here are my thoughts on how I've put it together, and how it's been doing so far.

Iyanden Brigade Detachment 1993 points, 110 power level, 12 command points

• Autarch, Warlord - Enduring Resolve
• Farseer, Guide, Doom, Faolchu's Wing
• Spiritseer, Enhance/Drain
• 4 Dire Avengers, Exarch, 2 Shuriken Catapults
• 4 Dire Avengers, Exarch, Diresword
• 10 Guardian Defenders, Aeldari Missile Launcher platform
• 10 Guardian Defenders, Aeldari Missile Launcher platform
• 10 Guardian Defenders, Shuriken Cannon platform
• 10 Guardian Defenders, Shurkien Cannon platform
• 5 Fire Dragons, Exarch, Firepike
• 4 Howling Banshees, Exarch, Mirrorswords
• 5 Striking Scorpions, Exarch, Scorpion's Claw
• 5 Swooping Hawks, Exarch, Hawk's Talon
• 4 Warp Spiders, Exarch, 2 Death Spinners
• 3 Windriders, 3 Scatter Lasers
• 4 Dark Reapers, Exarch
• Fire Prism, Crystal Targeting Matrix, Shuriken Cannon, Spirit Stones
• Wraithlord, 2 Flamers, 2 Shuriken Cannons
• Hemlock Wraithfighter, Protect/Jinx, Spirit Stones

I've listed the Warlord traits, Relics and Psychic Powers I've been using. The army was built to maximise Command Points and get decent use of Stratagems while testing a variety of missions. That's how I ended up making a Brigade. Unfortunately, I was unable to fit any Wraithguard/Wraithblades into the Elites slots. They are very expensive, and points ran out fast when filling the mandatory slots.

Unit Review

The Autarch, J'me Iyandar

Expectation - Traditionally, I would have a Farseer as the Warlord, but Path of Command is too tempting. If it gets back even one command point in a game, it's worth it.
Obviously, the re-roll 1s aura is good, making him the keystone of my firebase.
The Warlord trait; Enduring Resolve, was chosen because it's the Iyanden one. None of the choices seems to give a better tactical option to the Autarch.

Reality - Wow, he's been amazing. While some games he's only gotten me one Command Point back, I have had a couple of games where I have effectively had 18 Command Points. Given how good some of the Strategems are, that's been exactly what I've needed.
The Warlord Trait has done nothing, however, I am running multiple Psykers in the list, so I'm not usually short of opportunities to deny Psychic powers. I'll have to look into a better choice, although it will probably end up being the Feel No Pain option.
He is the lynchpin of the firebase, kept near the Reapers, Prism and 1-2 units of Guardians with Missile Launchers to screen them. This is the long-range fire contingent, and the best units to benefit from his re-rolls.

Conclusion - The best choice for Warlord, and an amazing model, even though I have yet to roll any dice for him. His effect on the other units and my Stratagems is all I need.

The Farseer, Se'an Iyandar

Expectation  - My personal favourite, the Farseer. The key psychic support, with Doom and Guide being my two favourite powers. I'm trying out the Faolchu's Wing Relic to allow him the ability to be where he needs to be. I intend for him to often be with the Jetbikes, to use Guide to help with the penalty they get to their shooting when they move.

Reality - Doom! Doom is still my favourite Psychic Power. Cast it on something and even the lowliest of weapons can make it dead.
Guide is great too and has helped with either the Jetbikes or more often the Dragons.
The Relic has helped keep him mobile, without paying the price to put him on a Jetbike himself.
Runes of the Farseer keeps the powers flowing while helping stymie the Psykers I've faced.
I've also had great use from the Runes of Witnessing. Head him over to the firebase, pop that stratagem of and watch things die.

Conclusion - The other model that I wouldn't build a list without. I'm never unhappy with the Farseer.

The Spiritseer

Expectation - I needed a third HQ and wasn't happy with the survivability of a lone Warlock. I also wanted access to the Runes of Battle. Giving Spirit Mark support to the Wraithlord doesn't hurt either. I chose Enhance/Drain to give my force some close assault defence, as I don't have a lot of close assault offence.

Reality - Sometimes I cast Drain, but mostly she kicks out Smite. She run's around hoping to never be a priority target, Smiting things and supporting the Wraithlord. It probably doesn't help that Drain feels too situational. I may look at a different power to replace it.

Conclusion - I'm not unhappy with this unit, given the points I had available. I think she would perform a lot better if I had some Wraithguard or Wraithblades in the army, but you can't have everything.

The Dire Avengers

Expectation - Small, so easy to ignore for the opponent, but mobile anti-infantry firepower. The differences in Exarch equipment are due to the models available. One unit one each flank, advancing and supporting whatever is nearby.

Reality - Often killed due to proximity and low squad size. However, it usually takes firepower away from things that are more important. Their price point makes this acceptable, although any Aeldari loss is a tragedy.

Conclusion - They do the job at the right price.

The Guardian Defenders with Shuriken Cannons

Expectation - Mobile, massed anti-infantry firepower. They can advance and still shoot at full effectiveness due to Battle Focus. A decent size for holding Objectives in the midfield too.

Reality - Like the Troops in many armies, they do the job. Their size attracts attention, and their numbers soak up a fair amount of firepower.

Conclusion - A solid choice, as I needed 6 troops choices in the Brigade.

The Guardian Defenders with Aeldari Missile Launchers

Expectation - Static because of the heavy weapons, they are intended to be a screen for the firebase. Keeps it safer from opposing Reserves or assault units. The Missile Launcher lets them help deal with either Infantry or harder targets.

Reality - Not much to say here. The reality is they meet their expectations and do the job as intended. They also allow me to use the Starhawk Missile Stratagem, which helps finish off all sort of models with the Fly keyword, such as Bloat Drones and Winged Hive Tyrants.

Conclusion - The final of my troops, they have proven good at their job.

The Fire Dragons

Expectation - Put them in the Webway, deploy them next to something that needs to die and then watch it die. Simple.

Reality - It has proven to be as simple as that. I use the Webway Strike Stratagem to bring them on with a clear shot at whichever Vehicle or Monster in the opposing army needs to die. Sometimes this is done turn 1, other times I wait for the perfect shot.

Conclusion - They have yet to disappoint. Some games they have even managed to survive the subsequent turn and go on to kill other things.

The Howling Banshees

Expectation - They join the Fire Dragons in the Webway, and attempt to do the same job via assault.

Reality - They are not great at the job. While the -3 save modifier does a great job of denying saves, their strength of 3 really limits what they can kill. I'm starting to think they would be better off starting on the table, where their speed can be used.
I suspect that the threat of his unit reaching combat will be more important than it actually reaching combat.

Conclusion - If they don't go into reserve, I can either put one of the Guardian Defender units with Shuriken Cannon in to deal with screening units, or I save 2 Command Points. I may also look at a different unit to fill this slot.

The Striking Scorpions

Expectation - Setting up in Ambush, they appear and take out a small unit of troops or artillery. Mandiblasters and the Scorpion's Claw putting in the work against tougher targets.

Reality - I think I've had better luck choosing the correct target with these guys over the Banshees. The mortal wounds from the Mandiblasters and Scorpion's  Claw help a lot with this, while the regular attacks can finish things off.

Conclusion - I've been happy with this unit. It also contributes to having enough units in Reserve to keep my opponent guessing.

The Swooping Hawks

Expectation - Coming down from the skies to deal with chaff units. Between their Grenades and their Lasblasters, no chaff unit is safe.

Reality - This unit is amazing. Assault 4 means that even this small unit kicks out a lot of shots. They put in work. The Grenades are hit or miss, but again help clear out screening units.

Conclusion - I am tempted by a second unit of these. Even at strength 3, they have been great. |While that sounds at odds with the Banshees, the Hawks have a much greater weight of dice advantage.

The Warp Spiders

Expectation - On paper, I'm not sure what this unit is for. I intend to use it as a harasser unit. Strength 6, assault 2 guns are ok, though short ranged. They are highly mobile, and again I set them up in reserve.

Reality - They have been good at both harassing and leaping onto unclaimed Objectives. The extra move from their Jump Generators is huge. And they are rarely a priority for the opponent to tackle.

Conclusion - I've been pleasantly surprised by this unit. They get ignored so often, I rarely need to Flickerjump too.

The Windriders with Scatter Lasers

Expectation - Some long range, but more mobile firepower. In the turns they need to move, the Farseer can provide Guide to help out.

Reality - They feel like they are suffering from their 7th edition reputation. They get targeted by possibly more than their fair share of opposing shots. Still, they bring a lot of high strength firepower to the army.

Conclusion - I feel like I haven't gotten much use out of these guys, but that's mostly been due to opponents firing priority.

The Dark Reapers

Expectation - Death at long range. With 2 choices of firing mode, they are good no matter the target.

Reality - Okay, so they aren't good against mass infantry. That's what the rest of the army is for. They are normally good at deleting whatever I point them at. There isn't much more to say.

Conclusion - I can see why people are taking multiple large units of Reapers. That gets very expensive, very fast though.

The Fire Prism

Expectation - The premier anti-everything weapon in the game. Firing modes for infantry, vehicles and titans, mobility and the Fly keyword to stop it being locked in combat.

Reality - It's been great. The flexibility of it's firing modes combined with the ability to fire twice is really strong. Spirit Stones have surprisingly helped keep it alive, and the Iyanden Craftworld trait means it ignores the effects of damage.

Conclusion - The Linked Fire Stratagem tempts me to get 2 more Fire Prisms, but there wouldn't be room for that in this force as points are tight enough. A solid choice for one of the few Vehicle units I field.

The Wraithlord

Expectation - Taken with a selection of weapons that not only keep the points down but allow it to advance and still shoot. Flamers should help keep hordes from tying him up.

Reality - He's been ok. He is a little weak in combat against vehicles but otherwise has been solid. Shuriken Cannons have been hit and miss, but the ability to advance and fire them has been key a few times.

Conclusion - Can't complain really, it's an ok unit and an Iyanden army with no Wraith would be stupid.

The Hemlock Wraithfighter

Expectation - Heavy D-Scythes to put a whole in vehicles, flying speed and psychic power. It's been really good in other lists.

Reality - Where to start? Its speed means I can usually put it exactly where I want it, even if it can't stay there the next turn. Mindshock pods have proven to have a brutal effect on Morale, finishing of stragglers in units.
I use it for two things. The first is casting Jinx on a key target that the rest of the army is going to shoot, then using the D-Scythes on whatever target seems best.
The other is when an opponent makes a mistake. They leave enough room next to a character, I fly the Hemlock over, stopping over an inch away. As the character should now be the closest enemy unit, I cast Smite and follow up with the D-Scythes. Only a decent Invulnerable Save helps stop this assassination attempt.
Most opponents also ignore it, as they find the Hard to Hit rule off-putting, when there are other things to kill.

Conclusion - It's really good at the jobs I use it for. At 210 points it needs to do a lot to earn its points, but some of its effects, like the Morale and extra Deny the Witch, are quite subtle. It's actually a key unit, that opponents need to respect more.

I've been happy with the list so far. I've gone 3-1 with it, and though I am tempted to make slight adjustments the points are very tight. I'll be playing this for several more games at least.

One last thing, if you want to see this army in action, or see what tournaments I'm running, could you give my Facebook Page a like;

https://www.facebook.com/baronadjutanttournaments/

Sorrow's Path - The Worst Card in Magic the Gathering?

For a looooong time, this card has been considered the number one contender for the worst Magic Card ever printed.

It currently sits at 0.906/5 on Gatherer, where it's updated wording can be found;

"Choose two target blocking creatures an opponent controls. If each of those creatures could block all creatures that the other is blocking, remove both of them from combat. Each one then blocks all creatures the other was blocking.
Whenever Sorrow's Path becomes tapped, it deals 2 damage to you and each creature you control."

It also has these rulings;

2/1/2009	This has two abilities. The second ability triggers any time it becomes tapped, whether to pay for its ability or not.
10/1/2009	The first ability can target any two blocking creatures a single opponent controls. Whether those creatures could block all creatures the other is blocking isn’t determined until the ability resolves.
10/1/2009	A “blocking creature” is one that has been declared as a blocker this combat, or one that was put onto the battlefield blocking this combat. Unless that creature leaves combat, it continues to be a blocking creature through the end of combat step, even if the creature or creatures that it was blocking are no longer on the battlefield or have otherwise left combat by then.
10/1/2009	When Sorrow’s Path’s first ability is activated, its second ability triggers and goes on the stack on top of the first ability. The second ability resolves first, and may cause some of the attacking creatures to be dealt lethal damage.
10/1/2009	When determining whether a creature could block all creatures the other is blocking, take into account evasion abilities (like flying), protection abilities, and other blocking restrictions, as well as abilities that allow a creature to block multiple creatures or block as though a certain condition were true. Take into account whether those creatures are tapped, but not whether they have costs to block (since those apply only as blockers are declared).
10/1/2009	When the first ability resolves, if all the creatures that one of the targeted creatures was blocking have left combat, then the other targeted creature is considered to be able to block all creatures the first creature is blocking. If the ability has its full effect, the second creature will be removed from combat but not returned to combat; it doesn’t block anything.
10/1/2009	Abilities that trigger whenever one of the targeted creatures blocks will trigger when the first ability resolves, because those creatures will change from not blocking (since they’re removed from combat) to blocking. It doesn’t matter if those abilities triggered when those creatures blocked the first time. Abilities that trigger whenever one of the attacking creatures becomes blocked will not trigger again, because they never stopped being blocked creatures. Abilities that trigger whenever a creature blocks one of the attacking creatures will trigger again, though; those kinds of abilities trigger once for each creature that blocks.

TL, DR - It is a Land that doesn't produce any Mana. It has an ability that is highly situational and probably unwanted. Finally, if it becomes tapped for ANY reason, it deals 2 damage to you and all of your creatures.

Previous "Uses"

• A trading challenge, as it's been considered terrible for so long that it almost never appears in Trade Folders 
• Something to mock, it's long been the butt of jokes in publications such as Inquest
• Giving it to your opponent via cards such as Donate and then tapping it every turn with effects like Icy Manipulator
• Making somebody's blocks worse in a Multiplayer game, at the cost of 2 damage to you and your creatures 

"New and Improved"

I now present to you the case for elevating this card to the heights of playability;

Enrage, from Ixalan block.

Dinosaurs with this ability trigger when they take damage. Each one does something different, but as a whole start to build towards an insurmountable Dino-army. There are 16 of these Dinosaurs, so let's go through them.

Bellowing Aegisaur - puts a +1/+1 counter on all of your creatures. This not only makes the Dinosaurs better in combat but allows them to more easily survive Sorrow's Path activations.

Cacophodon - untaps a permanent. This can lead to multiple Sorrow's Path activations in a turn if you can tap it several times. Even allows you to use the land naturally in every opponent's turn, when the activation conditions are met.

Frilled Deathspitter - deals 2 damage to target opponent. Sorrow's Path damages you, might as well share the love to an opponent.

Imperial Ceratops - gains you 2 life. Take away the downside of Sorrow's Path entirely.

Needletooth Raptor - deals 5 damage to target opposing creature. Start removing opposing creatures. 5 damage is a pretty good amount.

Overgrown Armasaur - creates a 1/1 Saproling. Not so great, as they will die to subsequent Sorrow's  Path activations. Still, you could add a sacrifice engine to take advantage of these free creatures.

Polyraptor - creates a token that's a copy of Polyraptor. Every time you activate Sorrow's Path, you get a Polyraptor for each Polyraptor you already control. If your opponents can't deal with them, that will get out of hand pretty quick.


Ranging Raptors - searches your deck for a Basic Land and puts it into play tapped. Ramps you up to the mana for your bigger Dinosaurs and thins your deck.

Raptor Hatchling - creates a 3/3 Dinosaur with Trample. Make more Dinosaurs for your Dinosaur deck.

Ravenous Daggertooth - gains you 2 life. More lifegain, for redundancy in deck building, or actual positive life gain if you have this and Imperial Ceratops out.

Ripjaw Raptor - draws you a card. Card draw is always welcome.

Siegehorn Ceratops - gets two +1/+1 counters. Once it survives the initial activation, it just keeps getting bigger.

Silverclad Ferocidons - each opponent sacrifices a permanent. Start whittling their boards away, even through Indestructible.

Snapping Sailback - gets one +1/+1 counter. Doesn't grow as quickly as the Siegehorn Ceratops, but survives the initial Sorrow's Path activation without any outside help.

Sun-Crowned Hunters - deals 3 damage to target opponent. Combined with the Frilled Deathspitter and combat via large Dinosaurs, this can end the game at a reasonable pace.

Trapjaw Tyrant - exiles target opposing creature until the Tyrant leaves play. Between this, Silverclad Ferocidons and Needletooth Raptor; you have a better chance of getting your attackers through or limiting the ability to counterattack.

Special mention goes to Cherished Hatchling to allow you to flash Dinosaurs in when it dies to the Sorrow's Path and Temple Altisaur to reduce the damage dealt to your other Dinosaurs to 1.

Choose a suitable 3 colour Commander, either Zacama, Primal Calamity or Gishath, Sun's Avatar. Throw in the rest of the White/Red/Green Dinosaurs. Sprinkle with some Tribal support. Create a suitable mana base.

Finally put in Sorrow's Path, a couple of cards to Tutor it out of the deck and a couple of cards that help Tap it. You won't be disappointed. Just be wary of Wrath effects, as usual.

Bonus points if someone considers Sorrow's Path enough of a threat to target it with removal.

No Card is Truly Terrible

I feel I've put forth a convincing argument why Sorrow's Path is no longer a terrible card. It just goes to show you that as Magic the Gathering enters its 25th year, the card pool is getting so large that there is potentially a use for any card.

With that said, what do you belive now wears the crown of "Worst Magic Card"?

2017 - 2018

It's that time of year when the Roman God Janus encourages us to look back at the year we've just had and to look forward to the year ahead. Following this tradition, I shall be discussing what I have achieved over the past 12 months, and what I intend on doing over the next 12.

2017

I've had a quite a productive 12 months.

I committed to making one post a week on the blog, and while I didn't always manage that target date-wise I did reach the average of 52 posts. This was important to me, as there is little point in having a blog that you don't add content to. Personally, I prefer written content when I'm researching gaming views and advice, while the vogue at the moment is the production of YouTube videos. This blog is an attempt to produce the sort of content I enjoy. I've had a successful year with it, with people saying to me that they've enjoyed what they have read.

I started running more events, across more games systems. I also set up my own business page to centralise the events and make organising them easier. I wanted to get multiple regular events going, and so spent the summer experimenting with tournaments for several games, to see which had a player base available. Some were successes and some weren't but it's given me a good idea what to do heading forward. It's a shame to see some games lack a player-base, especially ones I enjoy. But it's good to get a friendly spirit of competition at an event.

I started a secondary job of working for Esdevium (now Asmodee UK). This has had me travelling to demo games and even had me Marshalling (Head Judging) the Star Wars LCG UK Nationals. It's giving me experience in both running larger tournaments, with higher rules enforcement, and also n demoing games. Learning to re-evaluate games through the eyes of someone who has never played before is an important skill set in gaming. It also allowed me to see what larger scale events are like behind the scenes.

I went to a Magic the Gathering Grand Prix. While I didn't play much there, it was nice to go to a big MTG event again. In smaller news, I did manage to win back-to-back Game Days for Amonkhet and Hour of Devastation. While I don't play Magic as much as I used to, it's good to see that I can still play to a reasonable standard. My current crop of decks aren't particularly up to scratch and could see some improvement.

While I've entered few actual tournaments myself, I feel like I haven't been taking the time to play games enough myself. This has improved a little towards the end of the year, but there are games I'd love to play that I still haven't had the chance to. Also, I have been playing the competitive games less so I could concentrate on the running of their events. This has lead to a feeling of not being on as the top of things as I could be. 40K has proved an exception to this, as 8th Edition caused a lot of buzz for the game.

2018

My plan for 2018 is more of the same; continuing to do the things I achieved, but improving upon them.


I want to continue posting here. I want to keep up the pace of posts so that my total at the end of the year is at least 52 posts again. More than that though, I want to improve the quality of what I'm posting. So I intend of experiment with different formats and ideas for content, while also trying to get better with the editing side of things. I have plenty of room to improve on here and hopefully will get plenty of feedback to help.

I'm going to get better with the local events I run. I've cut out the ones that weren't attracting players so I can focus my time and energy on the others. As the year goes on, I'll be attempting to grow the attendance while hopefully not losing the focus. The events need to cater to a range of players, and my worry is always inexperienced ones being put off. Finding the balance will be key to this goal.

I'm hoping to work more with Asmodee. It's a great opportunity to meet new people, try new games, travel and learn how to teach games. This year's Nationals is confirmed, and there are plenty of other dates coming up. The first ones are in February.

I'm going to play in my own events more. Previously, I would avoid playing or be the Bye. This has lead to me losing my edge. I got into a habit of playing less competitively because my results didn't matter. I can and should be playing better. Obviously, there are some events I can't play in as they require more attention on a judging.organising level like Store Championships. The only way I'll get better at those games though is to play them.

I'm also going to try and play in more events run by other people. This will give me experience in how others do things while playing more games myself. There are some games, like Yu-Gi-Oh that I haven't played in a long time that I want to play more. This will help with both playing more and improving my own events.



That's my look back/look forward. 2017 was a good year for me gaming-wise and 2018 has the potential to be even better.

The Great Asuryani Review

Twelve blog entries and 15,220 words later and my Codex Craftworlds review is done. Here are links to the individual parts:-


 Part One; Esoterica

Part Two; Warlord Traits and Relics

Part Three; Psychic Powers, Tactical Objectives and Stratagems

Part Four: HQs

Part Five; Troops

Part Six; Elites

Part Seven; Fast Attack

Part Eight; Heavy Support

Part Nine; Dedicated Transports

Part Ten; Fliers

Part Eleven; Lords of War

Part Twelve;  Summary and Thoughts Going Forward

Like what you read? Disagree with something I've said? Feel free to comment, I'd love to get feedback and dialogue going on the Blog.

Asuryani Review - Part Twelve; Summary and Thoughts Going Forward

It's been a long journey, but I've finally reviewed every unit in the Codex. Now it's time to wrap things up with the Summary and Final Thoughts.

My previous entries may make it obvious, but I really like the codex. The Index was fine but felt somehow a little lacklustre. This tome returns the Asuryani to the glory that attracted me to them in the first place. I can see a use for most of the units in the book, which is fitting. The Path of the Eldar means that most units are tuned towards a specific purpose. If you can't work out the purpose, the unit can't find a place in your list, let alone on the battlefield.

Other sites have done the math, and apparently, units have dropped by an average of 20% in points from the Index. It seems to be a trend that the Indexes were over-pointed, possibly as an attempt to play it safe upon 8th Editions release. So the armies that already have Codexes have seen reductions and I assume the rest of the Codexes will do the same thing. The Aeldari need it, as classically they are an Elite heavy army and lack the cheaper fodder units of Imperial Guard or Tyranids.

Also gone are the days of 7th Edition, where Windrider spam supported by Wraithknights was the order of the day. Both units are reduced in effectiveness. The Windriders get some of theirs back in the Codex, especially if you play Saim-Hann. The Wraithknight on the other hand still seems points inefficient compared to similar options in other forces like the Imperial Knight. I'll have to get some games in with one to know for sure.

Highlights

Path of Command incentivises Autarchs in a way the Index didn't. Command Points are hard to come by for the Asuryani, compared to many other armies. The cheapest Brigade comes in at 996 points (For reference, Guard and Marines come in at 624 and 1008 points respectively). So any source of extra Command Points is good. Combined with the re-rolls to hits, and the Autarch as Warlord feels like a must-have.

The Avatar of Khaine feels worth the 250 points now. He makes a fantastic centrepiece for an Aspect Warrior assault and will tear Monsters, Vehicles and similar Characters apart on his own. He can't measure up to a Primarch, but they are at least double his points. I'm currently painting up my Forge World Avatar to put my words to the test.

Swooping Hawks have gone from Rapid Fire 2 to Assault 4. This gives them much more room to deploy from Reserve as a shooting unit, and not get close enough to be assaulted in return. I see people make this mistake with units like Inceptors. Just because you can deploy 10" away, doesn't mean that every unit should.

Shining Spears feel capable of their Monster hunting rule now. They may be just the ticket for dealing with the renewed Tyranid menace.

Wraith-units getting a Toughness increase. Toughness 5 Wraithguard wasn't too bad, but the Wraithlord being a 7 was terrible. Now they are back to the stats they should have.

The Craftworld Attributes give flavour to the Craftworlds and hint at guidelines for building the armies in ways that make sense. I was surprised to see that they were all good.

Finally, the Runes of Battle and Fate are fantastic. They make Warlocks and Farseers seem like auto-includes, much like the Autarch. The Supreme Command Detachment is your friend.

Lowlights

So many great HQ options. Your slots may be taxed making sure you get what you want in the army, let alone your points. It would have been nice to see Warlocks and maybe Spiritseers moved to Elites.

Warlock Conclaves are good for Ulthwe Seer Councils, but not much else. You have to take a lot of Warlocks in the unit to gain any benefits over a lone Warlock while losing the hard to targetability of a Character.

Autarchs lost options, but fear not. The FAQ allows you to take options from the Index. While I'm sure this will also be printed in Chapter Approved, it's a shame it took 2 weeks for this to be communicated to players. There will also be people with older models who may not be aware of this rule.

The Falcon is still outshined by the Wave Serpent. I'm not sure what can be done to fix this without either making the Dedicated Transport too expensive or the Falcon far too cheap. One measure I would have considered would be making the Cloudstrike Stratagem only apply to the Falcon, much like it's squadron benefit in 7th. This would allow players to use it like a better Drop Pod.

The Wraithknight may be too expensive to use now. This may be an error on my part, analysing it in a vacuum. It could be that with the in-Codex synergies that it just requires the correct support army. Time will tell.

Stratagems. This isn't an issue with the Codex, but the Edition itself. People used to complain in 7th that units in Formations that were then in Detachments had to learn many special rules for each unit, and know when it applied. Stratagems replace this. With 27 new ones to learn, and remember, especially for ones that trigger due to certain events or can only be used at certain times. Obviously, players who can learn them well will gain an advantage. Knowing what tricks an opponent could pull with them could prove to be impossible, especially if you are at a Tournament and face a wide variety of armies.

Strategy Tips

So, you wanna play the Asuryani? 

Firstly, choose a Craftworld. This can be based on anything you like. Maybe you like the Attribute or one of the named Characters? Maybe you like the background or the colour scheme? Whatever attracts you to the Craftworld is what makes it right for you. It may even be that you wish to come up with your own Craftworld so you can use your own colours and fluff.

Then look at the Attribute for the Craftworld, or if it's your own choose one you like. Between this and the fluff, that should give you an idea of which units to prioritize putting into your army. Add the "essential" command elements of Autarch, Farseer and Warlock. Then with the remaining points for your build, take the units you like. It's pointing then at the correct targets on the battlefield that comes through play experience.

Alaitoc

The Attribute is good for any unit, whether it's protecting melee units as they close the gap or shooting units that keep the opponent at a distance. Rangers get an additional -1 to hit and are a key part of the Alaitoc background, so take them in the Troop slots. This gives you deployment options and a built-in way of dealing with opposing Characters. You want to look at units that can, therefore, deal with Vehicles and units of troops. Mobility to stay at 12"+ Range may be key.

Biel-Tan

The Attribute gives Aspect Warriors a Leadership buff, while also giving a re-roll to Shuriken weapons. This makes Dire Avengers better at shooting than Swooping Hawks. Don't forget that Howling Banshees and Striking Scorpions have Shuriken Pistols! Add the Avatar to the "command essentials", and take your favourite Aspects. Consider adding the Phoenix Lord of your choice.

Saim-Hann

The Attribute wants you to be charging into melee while shooting from Bikers. So look at the close combat units for the core of your force, and use Windriders and Vypers for you fire support. Obviously, make the "command essentials" Windriders too so they can keep pace.

Ulthwe

A one in six chance to ignore lost wounds is universally strong. Much like Alaitoc, this Craftworld asks you to look to the background for unit choices. Add more Farseers and Warlocks, potentially making a Warlock Conclave. Take large units of Guardians because of the Black Guardians Stratagem. Take Eldrad, because it's Eldrad.

Iyanden

The Attribute stops Morale killing off units too often, so don't worry about it. Their fluff says "the dead outnumber the living". While this may seem like an invitation to take an all-Wraith army, those units are expensive. At the least though, I would take a unit of Wraithguard/Wraithblades and a Wraithlord, equipped to suit whatever role you want. My current army mixes Wraithcannon-wielding Wraithguard for killing the harder targets, while the Wraithlord runs around with two Shuriken Cannons.

That's the starting points I would look at for the 5 major Craftworlds.

Example Synergy

Here are some Synergy ideas that will help you in your games. Some will be more competitive than others.

Swooping Hawks using Children of Baharroth can come into play, use their Grenade Packs and deal Mortal Wounds to an opposing unit. Have a Warlock cast Quicken on them to move again and cause more. Finally, after they shoot, use Fire and Fade to move them 7" and drop the grenades a third time that turn.

Mind War deals Mortal Wounds to a Character via a Leadership roll-off. Move a Wraithfighter near to the target first to have it's Mindshock Pod reduce the Leadership by 2. Then have a Warlock cast Horrify for an additional -1 to increase the damage.

Vaul's Might is great when targeting D-Cannon Support Weapons, as they will be wounding many targets on 1s anyway, so the re-roll is great.

Has your opponent charged your Dark Reapers to stop them shooting for a turn? Use Feigned Retreat to have your survivors leave combat and still be able to shoot normally.

Against armies with artillery or a gunline, take 2 units of Howling Banshees and use Webway Strike to charge them from Reserve. The Banshee Masks mean the opposing units won't be able to Overwatch, and even if you don't do any/enough damage your opponent won't be able to fire as they Fall Back. If you are feeling really spicy, replace one of the units of Banshees with Jain Zar.

Final Thoughts

In case the massive review wasn't enough of a clue, I'm excited to play the Asuryani. I've already had one game versus Death Guard, with a rematch due this Friday. Plus promise of the third Qa'tan campaign early next year, so I'm looking at getting more painting done. They have even announced an errata to the Ynnari, making them less obviously more powerful. It's a great time for Iyanden of either flavour.

One Post a Week

When I started posting this year, I was aiming on creating one post a week. Once this started slipping due to other commitments, I adjusted the goal to be an average, rather than tying it fully to the calender.

This is my 52nd post this year. Given how sparsely I've posted in previous years, this is quite the achievement. Hopefully I can keep up the rate of at least 52 posts a year going forward :)