Conquest Store Championships 22/02 @ Dark Sphere

So after finishing a 13 hour Night Shift yesterday morning I decided to go to London for a Conquest Store Championship.  Not going to offer it as an excuse, but I was absolutely shattered.

I took the trusty Space Marines,  was tempted by Dark Eldar since they are so dominant against Space Marines but they can also fall apart quite easily and I was in no position to make good tactical decisions.

Worth noting I had no free time last week, and only picked up Gift of the Ethereals I think Tuesday.  So armed with a can of Relentless I added some new cards on the train journey down there.  Possibly a bad idea there.

My deck List was

Captain Cato Sicarius

Sicarius's Chosen x4
Tactical Squad Cardinis x3
Blood Angel Veterans x3
10th Company Scout x2
Honored Libarian x3
Eager Recruit x3
Veteran Brother Maxos x2
White Scars Bikers x2
Land Raider x2
Vash'ya Trailblazer x3
Void Pirate x2
Rogue Trader x2

Cato's Stronghold
Holy Sepulchre

The Fury of Sicarius x2
Drop Pod Assault x3
Indomitable x3
Crushing blow x2
Exterminatus

Tallassarian Tempest Blade
Iron Halo x2
Ion Rifle x2
Godwyn Pattern Bolter

I think this may have been substantially less optimal than what I've ran in the past, but whatever onto how it went,

I believe there was 16 people based on a headcount before we started, maybe 15 participants.

My first match was vs Adam Harvey running Zarathur.
Could of been quite quite close.  There was some misplays on both our parts.  As it turns out I was able to winning 4 of the first 5 planets for the win.  Whilst Zaruthar does bring a lot of pain, I was able to keep enough units around to win planets which is kinda what you need to do.  At one point I had a Land Raider with 1 hp left and a Hale Sicarius with 1 hp left.  He had one last attack to kill one of them before I won that planet.  He chose the Land Raider.  Probably a bad play, the heal a unit planet was available for 3 more turns  so my next play was to go there which netted him his only first planet win of the match.  Win

2nd Game was vs Sam Pigden running Kith.
This was so very bad.  I had a mediocre opening hand.  Which saw me only playing 2 units turn one.  A drop pod assault whiffed and it all went down hill from there.  My last turn before I conceded saw me with a bloodied Sicarius, no units in play and only 2 land raiders and Maxos in hand to work with in front of an army of Mandrakes, Slyth mercs and Khymeras. Loss

3rd game was vs Paul Harlow running Kith
This was a very slight massacre.  I was dominant throughout.  At one point he played 3 Kiths Khymera masters at planet one.  I sent Sicarius there, and lucked into a drop pod assaulted Tactical squad killing the 3 tokens he had got from that turn.  Was harsh.  Win

4th Game was vs Pehjmon, running Eldorath.
I was very lucky this game.  The planet drop was horrendous.  We had 4 0/x planets.  Necessitating a choice between resources and cards.  He was very tricksy, but unanswered indomitables saved my guys from the numerous super attachment buffed units and got me a win.  Funniest play was maybe first turn nobody went to planet one.  So he foresighted his warlord there.  I drop Pod assaulted and got a White Scars Bikers.  Eldorath could not risk staying in front of that much fire power.  Win

So 3 wins, 1 loss put me joint 2nd with 3 others.  Didn't have time for a top cut, so Strength of Schedule saw me with 4th place.  As it turns out, 2 of the other top 5 already had a playmat so would of prob got one even if I had been 5th.  Dark Spheres tournament kit did not include the promo cards. So my loot was the top 4Playmat, top 8 Deckbox and what would of been probably 2 Leman Russ Battle Tanks Promo Cards.  Should get the cards at a later date.

Conquest, Wargames Workshop MK 31/01

I used Captain Cato Sicarius

Deck looked a lot like the one I posted here with some of the alterations I listed.

So a breif rundown

Game 1 was vs Zarathur with Ork Allies.  I had an amazing opening hand of 2 Vash'ya Trailbalzers, 10th company scout and a tactical squad.  I was able to dominate the Command Struggle and it all went extremely well from there on.
Game 2 was vs Dark Eldar with Eldar Allies.
This went fairly down to the wire.  I had to burn a lot of cards to keep my marines alive.  But was able to keep the DE swarm in check from it, and secured a Warlod kill on the 5th Turn.
Game 3 was vs Ragnar Blackmane
Once again my command units saw me with resources and cards to keep on top of things.  It was a tad brutal.

So 3 wins in swiss, and onto the final.

This went extremely badly.  Mostly I beleive to some very poor shuffling from my opponent.  Basically turn 1 saw me kill a unit which saw him play 3(!!) Elysian Assault Teams in response, bloody-ing my warlord turn 1 and basically destroying my ability to compete.  Not through being outplayed, but dumb luck (or crap shuffling).

So once again, no playmat for me.  And that was that.  Best game of the day was vs Dark Eldar.  It was so close.

The Scourge

Pack review, completely arbitary numbers inc

Ku'gath Plaguefather
This rather corpulent fellow comes with the nifty ability of moving damage from himself to another unit whenever he attacks.  Two things that make it great..healing is cool, and you cannot shield moved damage.  Will die to a dedicated warlord snipe, but he makes it almost impossible to just needle him to death.  Warlord/5

Ku'Gaths Nurglings
A standard 2/2/1.  Whenever someone moves to their planet, they do a damage.  Has the best effect against mobile of course.  But also can bring the pain if your opponent has a massive army coming in with his warlord. 4/5

Vile Laboratory
Exhaust this to move a unit from a target planet to an adjacent planet. Your opponent gets to choose who, and where they go.   A nuisance card, but has nifty synergy with the nurglings. 4/5

The Plaguefathers Banner
Duplicates Ku'Gaths reaction to any Nurgle unit.  If attached to Ku'gath himself he gets to move 2 damage from himself when he attacks.  That is pretty darn awesome. 5/5

Fetid Haze
Remove all damage from a Nurgle unit to make your opponent distribute it amongst his units.  Just in case you actually come close to killing Ku'Gath he can just say 'no' 5/5

Morkai Rune Priest
Is a Space Wolf, so benefits from Ragnars support card.  Aside from that he is fairly beefy and whenever a non space puppy retreats, he does them a damage.  interesting way of forcing damage on Warlords that like to just run away all the time (Eldar/Tau etc) 4/5

Fenrisan Wolf
Give a unit, uber ranged.  The unit basically attacks before absolutely everyone else.   But you can't hit warlords or tokens.   Works on Dreadnoughts, just saying.  4/5

Iron Guard Recruits
Not soldiers or warriors :(  But they do have 2 hammers.  They fill the same role as the Sanctioned Psyker, trading 2 hp for 1 atk.   Probably better than the psyker all told. 4/5

Dozer Blade
Give a vehicle +2hp.  IG vehicles need more attack honestly.  But it's free, and 2hp is what it is. Valkyries also somehow benefit from this, which makes them so very awesome. 4/5

Inquisitorial Fortress
One shot rout a unit, as an action.  So Archons Terror without the surprise factor.  Archons is combat only, this you can use at whatever action window you please.  Can be fished for with the Enginseer for what that worth.  5/5

Attack Squig Herd
4 resources for 4/6/0 is an efficient use of resources that's for sure.  A beat your opponent round the head unit, Much like the Goff Nob - who is one resource more for 2 more attack. 4/5

Dakka Dakka Dakka
I love this card so much.  If you ever intend to use it, basically precludes you from using Rogue Traders or Void Pirates.  But 1 damage to EVERYBODY.  Doesn't matter what they are doing, or where they are.  Do have to exhaust your warlord though which makes me sad.  5/5

Kustom field Generator.
The worst thing about Nazdreg is he doesn't give himself Brutal.  So more often than not you can just ignore his army, go for Nazdreg and get that annoying Brutal out of the way.  This lets you prevent all damage dealt to a unit and redistribute amongst your units, saving your warlord and turning on Brutal.  Lovely 5/5

Klaivex Warleader
4 cost to get a really good 3/3/2 unit with Ambush.  If he does Ambush he can kill a damaged unit.  Amazing little guy. 5/5

Blade Lotus Rifle
Gives a unit +1 atk, if they are Kabalite they get Ranged.  there are Two Kabalite units at the moment.  Sybarite Marksman and Kabalite Strike Force.  The former already have Ranged and the latter will get you a cute ranged Area Affect 1.  Not setting my world on fire. But will inevitably get better when he get more Kabalite units. 2/2

Soul Seizure.
5 cost event!!  And needs tortures in the discard to get anything good.  As with all the DE torture cards this cycle, this will get better as we get more Tortures. Urien Rakarth is going to love it when he appears in a few months.  3/5

Black Guardians
Eldar get cheap combat unit, and good for them. Nothing great, but cheap and with 2/4 stats. 3/5

Death From Above
1 resource for a mobile unit is great.  the fact they appear at the fifth planet is no biggy since they can just mobile themselves to somewhere useful in 2-3 turns.  5/5

Dome of Crystal Seers
Fairly weak at the moment.  Works with the Search planet (name eludes me), Swordwind Farseer and Earth Caste Technician.  of course if you like either of those in your Eldar deck, looking through more cards increases the odds of getting what you want. 3/5

Bork'an Recruits
2/2/1 for 2 is the standard unit load out.  These guys get +2atk when with a warlord.  Can be either yours, or your opponents which makes them fairly heavy hitters.  With an Ion Rifle they can one hit all the warlords currently available.  4.5/5

Kauyon Strike
Move any number of Ethereals.  There is only one at the mo, but we are getting an Ethereal Warlord soon.  Who comes with Ethereals  Could be Huge.  1/5 now, potentially 5/5

Blacksun Filter
Get a resource when a warlord commits to attached units planet.  Um ok.  2/5

X-wing

Team Covenant has posted one of the games from Worlds.  It has 2 falcons in it, with a gazillion upgrades that mean you just can't kill it.

A falcon list won worlds in the end btw.

A friend has posted that he make his falcon get 2 evade tokens and a focus. 

The game has become Attack Wings bigger brother with zero balance anymore.  May as well play Attack Wing,  Wizkids 'throw shit at the wall and see what sticks' hasn't done the game any good, but at least you get consistent badly produced releases.

Done with this game I think.  It hit it's peak in Wave 3, and since then Wave 4 bought two fun ships, a filler and a beyond broken ship.  Wave 5 is mostly meh, but did add broken combos.  Scum will not save for it for me.  Done and dusted.

40k Conquest Deck ideas

So played some Conquest today.  Had to go all the way to London for it, but hey,  Them the breaks.

Had a Dark Eldar deck built...and it was shit.  So moving on.  In a bit of downtime threw together (almost literally) a Space Marine deck, and a Chaos one as well.

Space Marines went something like this

Captain Cato ( I refuse to jump on the OMG NEW WARLORD bandwagon.  Cato is still a boss)

Units (32)
Sicarius Chosen x 4
10th Company Scout x 3
Eager Recruit x 3
Tactical Squad Cardinis x 2
Vash'ya Trailblazer x 3
Honored Librarian x 3
Blood Angel Veterans x 3
Veteran Brother Maxos x 2
Iron hands Techmarine x 1
Carnivore Pack x 2
Daring Assault Squad x 2
Deathwing Guard x 2
Void Pirate x 2

Supports (4)
Cato's Stronghold x 1
Holy Sepulchre x 2
Fortress Monastery x 1

Events (9)
Indomitable x 3
The Fury of Sicarius x 2
Drop Pod Assault x 3
Exterminatus x 1

Attachments (5)
Promotion x 2
Godwyn Pattern Bolter x 2
Tallassarian Tempest Blade x 1

Was just able to keep pressure on just about everything.  A bit light on shields.  Tempted to swap the Bolters for Iron Halos for warlod protection.  Carnivore pack is supreisingly useful.  Assuming I could keep Sicarius alive, I was able to generate an ungoldy amount of resources.  I have a new found respect for the techmarine.  I have now altered this thusly, although this may be too much command focus
-2 Carnivore Pack
-1 Godwyn Pattern Bolter
-1 Eager Recruit
+1 Ultramarines Dreadnaught
+1 Iron Halo
+1 Land Raider
+1 Iron Hands Techmarine

Chaos

Zarathur

Units (30)
Heretek Inventor x 3
Splintered Path Acolyte x 3
Chaos Fanatics x 2
Zarathur's Flamers x 4
Umbral Preacher x 1
Khorne Berzerker x 3
Xavaes Spilt-Tongue x 2
Burna Boyz x 2
Deathskull Lootas x 2
Virulent Plague Squad x 1
Possessed x 2
Vicious Bloodletter x 2
Soul Grinder x 2
Black Legion Heldrake x 1

Supports (7)
Murder Cogitator x 2
Fortress of Madness x 1
Shrine of Warpflame x 1
Ork Kannon x 3

Events (10)
Promise of Glory x 3
Infernal Gateway x 2
Warpstorm x 3
Squig Bombin' x 1
Tzeentch's Firestorm x 1

Attachments (3)
Mark of Chaos x 1
Dire Mutation x 1
Rokkit Launcha x 1

LET THE GALAXY BURN!!  I don't think this is a 'good' deck.  BUT, Chaos does bring the pain.  My first outing with it, I had two warpstorms in my opening hand.  I was just left to sit back and play out a coupel of units to win the odd resource from command struggle.  I then proceeded to absolutelty decimate my Guard opponent's army (including a Leman Russ, A Hellhound and 2 of strackens command squad) and bloody the warlord with two firestorms, two Ork Kannons and Zarathu's flamers with Rokkit Launcha all for the lowly cost of my hand, 4 damage on my warlord, and one deathskull loota.  Was a bargain.

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

Warhammer 40,000 Conquest Card review type thing, Part 7

The boys in blue, the Tau

Jet packing right into

Warlord

Commander Shadowsun
Commander Shadowsun brings a very important ability the tau, recursion.  Getting your attachments out of discard is supremely good.  Fairly easy to keep Hale aswell, since there's no need to keep her in the battle after she commits. 5/5

Shadowsuns Stealth Cadre
Very mediocre. Nice that they can attach to units though.  More importantly they can be bought back into play with Shadowsun.  And that saves them.  4/5

Communications Relay
Saves a guy whos been buffed the gills with attachments. As with all the warlord supports, very nice to see...if you ever see it.  5/5

Squadron Redployment
Can move a unit, which is always good.  Exhausts it though, which makes it so very very weak  It can however move your opponents army units, if they have attachments which is a nifty usage. 2/5

Command Link Drone.
If you're loaded with resources, this could give your army +1atk for a battle.  In real terms better of using it as 3shields.  One of the few wargear cards that can actually go on the warlord.  But Shadowsun isn't really any good in a battle. 1/5

Loyal

Recon Drone
It's free!  And actually good.  2 command icons for nothing is deal of the century.  Limited for good reason 5/5

Crisis Battle Guard
The elite of the Tau, so lets see what you get.  For 5 resources, 3/5/3 and mobile.  Not a stellar unit by any means, but good enough to pack a mean punch.  Mobile is always welcome. 4/5

Gun Drones
What gets me about drones in the game, is they cannot go on vehicles.  Tau vehicles almost all have drones.  But anyway.  2/2/1 for 2.  or the much better effect of paying 2 and attaching them to unit for AoE2.  Give them a to a ranged unit for maximum lols. 4/5

Fireblade Kais'vre
Whenever use a tau card for shields at his planet, he adds a shield icon to that card.  Meh 2/5

Deception
Return a unit to it;s owners hand.  Only during the deploy step though, and it can't be elite.  Not eally worth a card slot, but never underestimate shenanigans.  2/5

Repulsor Impact Field
When attached unit takes damage, do 2 back.   Obvious synergy with fire warrior elites. 3/5

And the Rest

Vior'la Marksman
The basic tau troop has 1/2/1 stats and ranged.  Capable little guy. 4/5

Vash'ya Trailblazer
1/1/2 with mobile.  Could well be THE best unit for command struggles.   So hard to lock down and kill 5/5

Carnivore Pack
It's a 3/3 for 3 or effectively 0 since you get those 3 resources back when he dies.  And yet I just don't like them for some reason.  And I have no idea what that reason is.  I feel I should like them so here they get a 4/5

Fire Warrior Elite
Have 5 hp and can redirect attacks against friends to themselves.  Quite nice with the impact field.  3/5

Earth Caste Technician
Let you search the top 6 cards of your deck for an attachment or drone when he enters play.  Whenever I've played one of these guys, it has totally whiffed on finding a card.  C'est la vie.  3/5


Stingwing Swarm
3/3/1 and ranged.  for 4.  Ranged is very good in this game.  4/5

Experimental Devilfish
Don't know what makes it experimental.  But anyway it has 4atk.  All you need to know.  on a 2hp body though.  I have never ever used it's reaction of readying it when it commits. 3/5

Even the odds
Move an attachment from one unit to another controlled by the same player.  So very very situational.  2/5

Calculated Strike
Destroy a limited card.  From top of head this is whats limited.  Recon Drone, Promethium Mine, all of the racial discount supports.  So as you can see, very limited use.  Will get better as more Limited cards enter the game.  but for know..pass.  2/5

Ion Rifle
Gives a unit +3atk.  Win 5/5

Frontline Launch Bay
3/5

Ambush Platform
Makes all your attachments 1 recource cheaper.  It's real value is that you can exhaust the support to play an attachment during combat.  For that it's a must include. 5/5

Tau have a focus on attachments and have by far the best command struggle game, and the best ranged combat units.  Making them a very surgical strike army.  Fitting for their background.  Make good allies for space marines shoring up their weaknesses with early game command units.