Howl of Blackmane first Impressions

I say first impressions as I've played exactly one  proper game of conquest since the pack came out.  Fuck this town seriously and it's lack of Gaming Variety.

Anyway

Ragnar Blackmane.
The new hotness, warlords are powerful and everyone loves to see new ones.  Ragnar brings the funky ability of really putting pressure on your opponent.  You do not want to send your warlord to the same planet as Ragnar, that 2 damage is a third of most warlords HP!  But sometimes you have to.  Stellar choice. 5/5

Blackmane Sentinel
A solid unit, 2/2/1 for 2 and they can move to wherever Ragnar is for free.  Ouchies.  Also they are space wolves, important for later. 5/5

Frostfang.
Fairly weak.  Mind you makes Ragnar a 4/9 beast but only when he is at the same planet as the opposing warlord.  Which is where he wants to be so yay 3/5

Ragnar's Warcamp
All space wolves do double damage to opposing warlords whilst with your own warlord.  Whilst it only currently works with Ragnar himself and the Blackmane sentinels, that is a world of hurt. 5/5

Blackmanes Hunt
Did your opponent not go to the planet you expected?  Ah well, try again!! 5/5

Interrogator Acolyte
A 2/2 soldier (important for Stracken's ability) for 3.  Also has a hammer, and nets you 2 cards when he leaves play.  Very very good.  A staple for IG at the moment.  5/5

Muster the Guard
Exhaust your warlord to reduce the cost of all IG units you deploy.  An exhausted warlord is a dead warlord as far as I can tell.  leave this in the binder 1/5

Noble Deed
Sacrifice a dude to do it's damage to an opposing dude.  Essentially lets you double strike with a unit. Obviously works better if you get something out the sac'd unit.  Ie Stracken's Command Squad, Interrogator Acolytes, erm Enginseers?  Also see Cadian Mortar Squad and Elysian Assault Team. 4/5

Deathskull Loota's
2 hammers on a 2/3 body.  but they have the amazing reaction of destroying supports when they damage a unit with an attack.  Supports tend to be very good.  These guys are amazing 5/5

Smash 'n Bash
Only works at a planet where your opponents warlord is not, but readying 3 units for another round of skull bashing  can win you battles.  But it won't tend to be the major battles.  Mind you if it comes down to an epic clash and you can bloody the warlord of the planet, this will be a major turn. 3/5

Death Guard Infantry
Strictly worse than the Khorne Bezerkers.  Same cost for the same stats but without Brutal.  Remains to be seen if that Nurgle trait becomes good.  We do get a Nurgle Chaos warlord this cycle so maybe.  But as it is, 2/5

Heretek Inventor
OK so for 1 cost, you get a 3/3 unit with a hammer.    Of course they have a downside, which is your opponent gets to choose where they go.  But for 1 cost, who the hell cares.  At some point this is going to be a headache for you opponent. 5/5

Uber Grotesque
I'd have to look at the number of tortures, but I think it just Power from Pain and the new Visions of Agony.  That fact weakness the grotesques slightly in the current meta.  But they are beefy.  3/5

Visions of Agony
Pricey, but it is a torture, and being able to look at your opponents hand obviously has it's own merits, as well as choosing what they discard.  It's very good. 5/5

Archon's Palace
Unique, which is sad, but then having two or three of these in play would be so OP.  But being able to cancel cards or resources from a command struggle is amusing as all hell.  An absolute staple for DE control 5/5

Vaulting Harlequin
has 2 hammers, and can fly if it gives up attacking for a round.  Seems ok. 3/5

Empower
Gives all your Eldar at a planet Steroids until the end of the battle.  Doesn't seem very Eldar-y  but hey.  +1atk and +1hp for all your guys is always nice.  4/5

StarCannon
Gives a vehicle Armorbane.  Armorbane is good.  Lets see what can have it.  Wildrider Squadron, Soaring Falcon, Wailing Wraithfighter.  I do like the idea of Wildriders with Armorbane.  Kill something and just fly away, giggle.  5/5

Piranha Hunter
Hmm, no command icons is a bit iffy.   Fairly pointless at planet 1, unless you never want to use that nice reaction.  The reaction (draw a card when it moves from one planet to another) is really good. everything else about it is a bit meh.  3/5

Aun'ui Prelate
So it is a 4/3 for 4.  no command,. and after it attacks it goes to HQ.  So it's a fairly safe bet for killing things.  The real juice is that is has Ambush and after it deploys all your other Tau units at the planet get +1atk.   You only get that reaction once (unless you find a way of returning to your hand)  but it's still fairly solid otherwise.  Going into a battle with 4 open resources does kinda telegraph your intent though. 3/5

Homing Beacon
After a unit goes to HQ,  can exhaust this support to draw a card, or gain 1 resource.  Well your warlord is going back to HQ EVERY SINGLE turn.  So that's a free card or resource EVERY turn.  And it only gets better when you get more in play.  5/5
This is apparently wrong.  Only the Aun'ui prelate moves to HQ currently.  Everything else I put above only returns.  Because of course you need to forget how English words work in games.  It's shit then, but may get better when we get the tau pack later this cycle. 1/5

Calamity
All army units with cost 2 or less go back to HQ.  Some important notes, doesn't affect tokens so DE and IG already love this.  Also getting those units with comes into or leaves play abilities back is absolutely delicious.  Your opponent is getting the same benefit, but without being able to plan around it.  Fun cards this works with Strackens Command Squad, Kiths Khymeramasters, Coliseum Fighters, Murder of Razorwings. Also can re-ambush your Eager Recruits  or exhaust something with those crappy harlequins.   2/5 for most armies, 4/5 for IG, 5/5 for DE.

So there you have it, Howl of Blackmane from a cursory glance at the cards