Omincron snipers
Despite their wicked blue-and-white color scheme, some people have trouble fitting the Omnicron Snipers into their armies. As the most costly common ranged squad in the game, many players view the Omnicron Snipers as a rather expensive gamble. Let’s show them that with great risk comes a lot of sniped heroes.
First let’s take a closer look at their stats:
Analyzed Statistics
Cost - 100 - Bishop Class Unit
Size - Medium 5– Vulnerable / Semi-concealable
Range - 7 - Long Range
Attack - 1* – Weak
Defense - 3 – Average
*All skulls rolled are doubled
In-Depth Analysis
Each unit is complex, and must be well analyzed to be truly understood. For the Omnicron Snipers, let us begin with their cost. By cost, we refer mostly to their value in points, but also to their importance in your army. To simplify analysis, Agatagary has created several categories of cost, based off of chess, for comparison and nomenclature. For reference,
Pawn class (expendable, units that can be useful, but are not worth enormous trouble to protect)
Bishop class (more useful than a pawn, but still somewhat expendable)
Knight class (units that are interestingly powerful and can have a significant impact on the game in of themselves. It is advisable that they be kept alive, but if absolutely necessary they may be sacrificed)
Rook class (units that almost inevitably have a significant impact on the game, and whose death should be avoided as much as possible)
Queen class (devastatingly powerful or important units that should be protected at all costs)
Class:
The Omnicron Snipers are a Bishop Class unit, as such, they are somewhat expendable, but you shouldn’t go tossing them around like Pawns such as Arrow Gruts, or the Venoc Vipers. Due to their cost and Common status, Omnicron Snipers are a Bishop class unit. While Deadly Shot is potentially an extremely powerful ability, it lacks the finesse, luck, and game-turning potential that we'd normally associate with units such as Morsbane or Grimnak.
To examine Omnicron Sniper’s core stats, we will break them up into two categories – offensive ability and survivability. We will start with their offense.
Offense:
Like most of the ranged robotic death machines, the Omnicron Snipers' personality type is Precise--they shoot to kill. While they might only have an Attack value of 1, when you do roll skulls with them, they have a good chance of killing squad members with 3 or 4 defense, or scoring at least one wound on a hero with a similar score. Their threat range of 12 (5 Movement + 7 Range) puts the Omnicron Snipers in company with other excellent long ranged units such as Aubrien Archers, Marro Warriors, and Airborne Elite.
Deadly Shot essentially takes a normal attack and turns it into an all or nothing attack. Omnicron Snipers have a higher chance of rolling no skulls than a lot of ranged squads, but when they do score a hit, it is almost always a killing shot.
With no bonuses, they have a 50% chance of scoring 2 hits, and a 50% chance of causing 0. With a single bonus die, such as height, they have a 25% chance of 0, a 50% chance of 2, and a 25% chance of scoring 4, far superior odds than if you were rolling four dice (only 6%). And it gets better: with two bonuses, such as height advantage and a Glyph, they have a 12.5% chance of scoring 0, a 37.5% chance of scoring 2, a 37.5% chance of scoring 4, and a 12.5% chance of scoring 6. This means that when they have 3 attack dice, they have a 50% chance of scoring at least 4 hits. Units without deadly attack would need far higher attack values (6 and above, or 4 + 2 bonuses) to have the same chance of scoring 4 or more hits, and would have roughly a 1.5% chance of scoring 6 hits.
Survivability:
With just 3 defense and a cost of over 30 points per figure, the Snipers must be treated carefully. They’re not meant to go toe-to-toe with Krug.
Nevertheless, 3 defense isn’t all that bad for a common ranged squad. It sets them equal to the Tagawa Samurai Archers, Marro Stingers and the 4th. Massachusetts Line in a full Valiant army. They’ve got more defense than their popular gray cousins, the Blastatrons. Since you will often try to put them on height, even moreso than other ranged units, their defense will effectively be 4 much of the time.
As soulborgs, they are also immune to a few different abilities, including Cyprien Esenwein's Chilling Touch, Kee-Mo-Shi's Toxic Skin, and the Marrden Hound’s Marro Plague, though their medium size does leave them vulnerable to certain abilities such as Chomp and Maul.
Strategy:
Deadly Shot combined with a 7 range is what defines the Omnicron Snipers. As a modification to their normal attack (and not a special attack), Deadly Shot receives benefits from anything that increases attack values: namely height advantage, Taelord’s Attack Aura, as well as the Astrid and Crevcor glyphs. Let’s discuss each of these possibilities in turn.
When defending a castle and height is given for free, the Omnicron Snipers are an obvious choice. If there’s ever an opportunity to start out on height with the Omnicron Snipers, take it. But alas, that’s not always possible.
With a height and movement of 5, they can climb walls 4 high in a single turn. On many small maps, this is an adequate amount of climbing ability. In a few turns, you could be well on your way to some of the highest spots on the map. Sometimes, their own legs aren't quite enough however.
If you want to get high, you can get by with a little help from your friends: Brunak and Theracus! With a movement of 6 and height of 8, Brunak can Carry one of your Snipers faster than he could walk on his own, as well as set the Omnicron Sniper down on a perch as high as 7 spaces above where Brunak is. Brunak can also double as a great protector of your Snipers, dealing with pesky low-defense units. Theracus offers a nice 40 point alternative, especially if the map contains some extreme heights. Saylind can also fill a similar role, but she is more expensive than Theracus and the success of her Spear of Summoning is not guaranteed. However, as a single-based figure, she can squeeze into tigher spots than Theracus or Brunak.
A very important point to remember when using the Omnicron Snipers is that you don't necessarily have to climb the highest points on the map. You only need to be one hex higher than your target to confer a height advantage: take free shots at enemies in water at your leisure, and punish anyone running along the plains. Sometimes hopping on one little mound in the ground will pay off in a big way. If you must shoot at an opponent that is higher than all of your Snipers, use whichever Sniper is lowest, and use your higher ones to shoot at the figures that are below them
Dünd
Dünd is famous for being one of “the most useless units in the game.” There is a general consensus that he is overpriced, too weak be useful, and suited only for countering horde strategies, a use for which many think that he is not even good at. But is Dünd truly such a bad unit? Perhaps not. In this article, we shall first dissect the facts about this seldom-used doggin, and then formulate some ideas about how to use him effectively. For all of you who just cannot seem to get any use out of this unit, read on.
We shall start with a careful dissection of his statistics, or “stats.” With this information, we will figure out his niche in the game.
Analyzed Statistics
Cost – 110 – Knight Class Unit
Size – Large – Safe
Life – 4 – Below Average
Move – 6 – Fast
Range – 1 – Close Range
Attack – 3 – Average Strength
Defense – 5 – Tough
Crippling Gaze 15 Probability – 30% – Subreliant
In-Depth Analysis
Each unit is complex, and must be well analyzed to be truly understood. For Dünd, let us begin with his cost. By cost, I refer mostly to his value in points, but also to his importance in your army. To simplify analysis, I have created several categories of cost, based off of chess, for comparison and nomenclature. For reference,
Pawn class (expendable, units that can be useful, but are not worth enormous trouble to protect)
Bishop class (more useful than a pawn, but still somewhat expendable)
Knight class (units that are interestingly powerful and can have a significant impact on the game in of themselves. It is advisable that they be kept alive, but if absolutely necessary they may be sacrificed)
Rook class (units that almost inevitably have a significant impact on the game, and whose death should be avoided as much as possible)
Queen class (devastatingly powerful or important units that should be protected at all costs)
It may surprise you to find Dünd in the Knight class. This is mostly due to his point value. However, other factors must be taken into account...
Let us next examine the impact of Dünd's size. As a large unit, Dünd is immune to many devastating abilities, such as Chomp (Grimnak), Poison Acid Breath (Braxas), or Throw (Jotun). Additionally, his status as a two-spaced unit allows him to cross narrow rivers quickly, although it has the unfortunate side effect of limiting his placement options on rugged terrain. All in all, though, his size is very much a benefit to him.
To examine Dünd's core stats, we will break them up into two categories – offensive ability and survivability. We shall now examine Dünd's offensive ability.
Offense:
Dünd has an attack of three and a range of one, making him a close-range fighter. His move of six helps greatly, allowing him to dart in and out of combat with ease, but his average attack value makes it difficult for him to be a powerful fighter. His high move value and average attack value make him best suited to be a scavenger/scout, a unit that preys on the isolated and weakened, making him ideal for finishing off weakened heroes or scattered squads. Interestingly, this fits in very well with the doggin style of life – Dünd appears to be a very thematic unit, and we will see this even more later. For now, however, just remember that his stats are best suited to be used to pick off weakened targets, as a “clean up” unit. This may seem unsatisfactory (Almost any unit can be used as a clean up unit), but Dünd has some other qualities that are important too.
Survivability:
Let us then examine the survivability of Dünd. With four life, Dünd can take a few hits, but ultimately cannot sustain prolonged combat. His defense of five helps greatly, though, acting as a very tough shield against many attacks. Five defense can survive against most squad units, and against some heroes as well. Even in the even that it is breached (Dünd's size, fortunately, prevents against abilities that remove defense, such as Maul (Deathstalkers) or Whip 12 (James Murphy)) Dünd's four life should serve as an excellent insurance policy. To sum it up, Dünd's survivability stats allow him to survive well in short battle scenarios, and especially well against squad units, but make him vulnerable in prolonged combat.
This has, however, a very important implication. Since Dünd is not good at surviving in a prolonged fight, it is not necessarily a wise idea to use him as an anti-horde unit. Horde units tend to move in large groups, and large groups generally take a long time to kill. Dünd, as we have seen, is best used to assassinate isolated units. He is a hunter, not a brawler. Try to avoid getting Dünd into a situation in which he is greatly outnumbered (slightly outnumbered is not always bad, depending on who he is facing).
Finally, we should look to Dünd's special ability: Crippling Gaze 15. With a 30% probability of working, Crippling Gaze 15 is a useful ability, though perhaps not as reliable as more “core” special abilities, such as Whip 12 (James Murphy) or Vanish 9 (Isamu). Crippling Gaze 15 is in the gray zone between reliable special abilities and superfluous special abilities. However, let us not examine only the probability, but the ability itself. At first glance, Crippling Gaze 15 appears to be fairly straightforward; with a range of five spaces, you may destroy every order marker on an army card three times out of ten. There are, however, some subtleties that must be take into account to realize the true potential of this ability. By far the most important subtlety is the fact that Crippling Gaze 15 must be used prior to moving. Many people look at this and complain, wishing that it would be used after moving, so that they could rush in and cripple a unit with no prior warning. However, the phase in which this ability is used should be seen not as a disadvantage to the ability, but rather, as an excellent bonus! Consider; if Dünd used Crippling Gaze 15 after moving and before attacking, then what would he do if it failed? Having used his move, he would be forced to remain to endure whatever punishment the vengeful victim decided to inflict on him. But Dünd is not that kind of doggin. As his personality indicates, he is a tricky doggin. Because he can move after using Crippling Gaze 15, he can base his decisions on the result of his baleful stare. If the target has been paralyzed with fear, and incapacitated, then Dünd can move in to finish it off, safe from retaliation (unless, of course, the target is a samurai). If, however, his gaze does not work, then he can scamper off, using his move of six. As an added advantage, he may be able to reach a different unit without any order markers on it, preying on it until the next round.
The type of strategy that Dünd's stats suggest is incredibly thematic; he is designed to play like a wolf. He lies in wait for an enemy to come within five spaces of him, then he attacks, not to kill but to cripple. If his intended prey is not affected, then he darts away, to set another ambush or prey on a weaker unit, but when he incapacitates his victim, he can safely move in for the kill.
So what does this mean for any sensible strategy using Dünd? The most important thing to remember is that Dünd should be used at the very, very end of the battle, with your very last wave of attackers. Keep him in the starting zone until the endgame – it is then that the glory of Dünd shall truly be seen. With both armies decimated, Dünd should easily clean up the field. There will be few cards, so the enemy's order marker placement will be predictable – a disaster for them, when Dünd is on the field. Armies by the end game are almost invariably scattered around the board, so Dünd will be able to use his strategy of picking lone targets, crippling them, and finishing them off easily, without other units being able to come in and rescue the targeted unit.
Dünd's greatest strength lies in that, if played right, his target should not be able to fight back. This does not necessarily mean that he has to cripple his target to be successful; as long as his target cannot fight back, he can destroy it. He is an ambush predator, not an attacker of any sort, and I believe that this is where most people see him being weak. In Heroscape, we are not used to ambush units. Units cannot be hidden from the other player, so the concept does not enter our minds. Dünd has a range of one, therefore he must be intended to charge in, just like any other melee unit, and cause havoc, yes?
It is my belief, upon examining Dünd, that Heroscape is far more subtly complex than we could ever imagine. If the creators can design a unit like Dünd to be an ambusher, what other secrets lie hidden in less used units, waiting to be discovered? Also, the sheer thematic value of Dünd when played as I have illustrated above is breathtaking; one truly feels that he is a wolf-like predator, attacking where he is least expected and killing his enemies by removing their ability to fight back.
I very much hope that this article has been helpful. It is not just intended as an interesting strategy article; what I want is for each and every one of you to try out the strategy outlined above in your next game. Draft Dünd (and astonish your opponent). Then keep Dünd until the end game, and see if he shines. I would then greatly appreciate feedback. This analysis has been very enlightening for me, in any case. Depending on how accurate my findings were, I may try analyzing another ill-used and undervalued unit.
My hope is that after enough people try this, Dünd may find more use than he currently does
Charos
. The first King. The most expensive unit before Raknar's Vision. Although originally from Icaria, the Valiant Dragon has become King of the Ullar forest. His 9 Lives and quick reflexes speak to a deep feline nature; but he has more akin to the great tiger than to the fleet ocelot or even the social lion. As a tiger, Charos can inflict great damage and sustain great wounds. Like a tiger, however, a single well-placed bullet from a sniper such as Dead-eye Dan can end his reign, and a pack of determined dogs such as the Marrden Hounds can take him down with sheer weight of numbers. We will show how to make the most of the tremendous investment of points for this mightiest of Kings.
Analyzed Statistics
Cost - 210 - Rook Class Unit
Size - Huge 9 - Highly Visible
Life - 9 - Gargantuan
Move - 5 - Average*
Range - 1- Melee
Attack - 5 - Dangerous
Defense - 5– Tough*
Tournament Readiness - High
Counterstrike- Against normal adjacent attacks, all excess shields count as unblockable hits- tactical advantage low
Flying - tactical advantage high
In-Depth Analysis
To simplify analysis, Agatagary has created several categories of cost, based off of chess, for comparison and nomenclature. For reference,
Pawn class (expendable, units that can be useful, but are not worth enormous trouble to protect)
Bishop class (more useful than a pawn, but still somewhat expendable)
Knight class (units that are interestingly powerful and can have a significant impact on the game in of themselves. It is advisable that they be kept alive, but if absolutely necessary they may be sacrificed)
Rook class (units that almost inevitably have a significant impact on the game, and whose death should be avoided as much as possible)
Queen class (devastatingly powerful or important units that should be protected at all costs)
Class:
Charos is a Rook Class unit. He would be a queen for his power, but his more independent nature in your strategy demands Rook status. Firstly, as we will see, he can largely handle himself. He will need some protection from swarms of cheap units, but he does not himself synergize with many other units. Assuming he does not survive until the very end, you can rest assured that he will have done his work, and that your remaining units will be able to happily clean up without him.
To examine Charos' core stats, we will break them up into two categories – offensive ability and survivability.
Offense:
Charos' offense is not the strongest in the game. Considering his cost, he pales next to Sgt. Drake Alexander and Agent Carr when it comes to dealing damage. With just one moderately powerful melee attack, you must ensure that you choose his targets wisely. Charos is best offensively against expensive heroes that can succumb to a single attacker. You won't be using him excessively to attack squads.
Survivability:
Charos is a flying tank. With 9 lives, immunities due to his Huge size, a solid Defense score of 5, and Counterstrike, Charos is so difficult to kill that most players will avoid attacking him entirely until they have to. The real key to playing Charos is to somehow force your opponent to face him, preferably in melee. Even Cyprien Esenwein can take away at most 2/3 of Charos' Life. That said, swarms of expendable units can lower his survivability, as we will soon see.
Tournament Readiness:
Charos potentially bonds with the Greenscale Warriors, who come only three to a squad. Since Charos by himself costs 210 points, and that cost only goes up with the addition of a few Greenscale squads, you are in little danger of running out of start zone space when you draft him.
Strategy:
The use of Charos is not terribly subtle, but a few crucial points bear mentioning. We must state plainly what his drawbacks are, before we can realistically devise a strategy that will make him shine.
Charos must avoid getting bogged down by squads, particularly common squads, and especially cheap common squads. While your opponent will not want to risk Counter Strike with more expensive units and heroes, he will gladly suicide several squads of Marro Drones against Charos' flank for the chance to inflict a few wounds. Charos can only munch on one enemy at a time, since he has no triple attack like Braxas or Nilfheim, and this will tie him down even if he does not succumb to the stinging enemies around him. Should you desire to move Charos to a better position, swarms of squads will get too many leaving engagement strikes on him for comfort, despite his high Life.
If you are going to be beset by swarms, it helps to have Realin the Kyrie Warrior (either version) or Thorgrim the Viking Champion to boost Charos' Counter Strike. Thorgrim can be placed on Charos when he dies. If the swarming units have an Attack of 2 or less they are unlikely to do Charos much harm before Counter Strike gets them, but they are still capable of tying him down with the threat of leaving engagement attacks. When it comes to choosing among the two Raelins, assuming cost isn't an issue, you have two points to consider. First, the original Raelin offers a better Defense bonus. However, the Swarm of the Marro Raelin can engage several encroaching swarm figures at once with her Whirlwind Strike. This makes her a good hybrid defensive/offensive swarm counter to protect Charos.
A more offensive way to deal with swarms is to have friends that can get rid of several cheap figures in one turn. Zelrig's Majestic Fires is made to clear Charos' flank of enemies. Target Charos, relying on his Defense of 5 and high Life to resist damage. The common units around Charos will burn away, letting the Dragon get back to the business of killing. You can target Charos with Grenade Lob from the Airborne Elite as well. The low number of attack dice will probably not harm Charos, and all four grenades directed at him will clear away many cheaper units in a single turn. The AE can also simply shoot at enemies, especially from higher ground. Finally, allies such as Deathwalker 8000, Laglor and Syvarris can handle several enemies at once from range.
If your taste in protectors runs more toward melee, the Shaolin Monks can leap over Charos to protect him at any point and use Shaolin Assault to take out several swarming figures. Master Win Chiu Woo can do the same, but since he is only one figure, save him for swarm units with a Defense of 4 or higher. His higher Attack will let him deal with Knights of Weston, etc., better. He also boosts any Shaolin Monks in your army, so if you want to invest the 220 points to buy a squad of Monks plus Master Woo, you can have a formidable combination with Charos at 430 points. This doesn't leave room for much in a tournament, but you can consider adding a ranged unit such as the Aubrien Archers or the 4th Massachusetts Line for ranged support. Don't forget that a Fen Hydra can really help out here as well.
With the advent of Wave D1, the Greenscale Warriors are now an excellent and fast-moving choice for protectors of Charos. Close by him, they become Attack 3 / Defense 4; equivalent to the Knights of Weston, with the Move of Blade Gruts. As you move Charos toward his preferred target of High Cost heroes and squad figures such as the Marrden Hounds and Deathstalkers (Dragon Snacks), you can send a wave of Greenscales ahead, like the wake at the prow of a ship. These units can deal with the swarmers coming for Charos, being something of a formidable swarm themselves. They can be the speed bump slowing down anything coming for their beloved Lizard King - who can then fly directly over them to engage a juicier target on the far side the scrimmage.
Charos' other perceived weakness is his average Move. Don't be afraid of this, however, as Charos can easily close the gap with a ranged attacker, even if the range is more than 6, in at most two turns. Only Blastatrons backed by Laglor, Deathwalker 9000 and the Glyph of Ivor can muster a great enough range to make him move thrice to reach them. As long as ranged units don't have too much map with which to retreat, he can get to almost anybody in two turns. If you use the Greenscale Warriors to tie your opponent's figures down, Charos will have that much easier of a time traversing the battlefield without getting engaged and needing to take leaving engagement attacks from swarms in order to make progress.
His high Life means that he needn't fear leaving engagement attacks, except as noted above. A lone hero or two squad figures won't make him afriad to fly away to chomp somebody who appears to be a greater delicacy. All the same, you should use Charos primarily to kill expensive heroes.
Huge units are your first focus. Your enemy will be using Jotun, Brunak, the other dragons, and so on with their squad-killing powers to wreak havoc like King Kong in Tokyo. Charos is their Godzilla. Without special attacks that can hurt him too much, all of those huge units will need to rely upon their normal Attack scores if they wish to wound the nine-lived Charos hard enough to win a toe-to-toe match, and then they risk Counter Strike. Wild Swing just won't do it before Charos' Attack of 5 gets through Jotun's Defense and Life score. Other huge units are similarly bested by Charos' higher stats.
The Fen Hydra is an interesting case. Counter Strike will likely reduce its offensive potential, but it's high Attack may get in a few wounds on Charos. Charos can take a few wounds, though. And if you have swarm units yourself, they will fear the Hydra and Charos is the pefect choice to tie it down. Its lower cost means that if the Hydra does damage to Charos, your opponent is getting his money's worth - but tying down a lawn mower can be worth a great deal if you have 4th Massachusetts Line or similar "Hydra Snack" units that are being given a reprieve due to Charos' engaging the Hydra. Greenscales near the Lizard King are good units to helping to take that Hydra out, as their Defense will be good at resisting at least some attacks, and their Attack can eventually get through the Hydra's high Defense. Remember, even a single wound on the Fen Hydra is devastating. On the flip side, if you have a Fen Hydra fighting alongside Charos, then your lawn mower can help clear away swarm units that are engaging him. One word of caution about facing a Fen Hydra - if it can strike at Charos at Range 2, it can easily hurt Charos with no fear of Counter Strike (special thanks to I Love Justin Bieber).
Some huge units require special handling, however. Brunak is not really that much of a challenge; just be aware that his Blood Hungry Special Attack is no less effective than his normal Attack, barring advantages such as those from height. Sujoah's intant kill power is a longshot, but it is there, and his ability to multiply wound reliably can be unsettling. Take him on only if you can get the drop on him or when he is weak. Be careful of wounding Krug too much without killing him; if your opponent has drafted him, he has probably also drafted the Arrow Gruts, and therefore probably has the Bonding option to take turns with the Troll as needed. Krug can put a hurt on you if he is near death! Su-Bak-Na can do some damage but is probably worth killing - try to attack him first if you can. Don't let the Nagrubs tie you down! The same can be said for Tor-Kul-Na who is likely to best Charos if the Nagrubs are in town. Try to bring a few friends along to get rid of these pesky anklebiters - Zelrig, with his Majestic Fires, is the bane of Hivelords. Use the other swarm clearing tactics mention above to get rid of Nagrubs around either Charos or an enemy Hivelord.
If you can go after expensive squad figures, do it - but do it sparingly. The reason for this is that while they are expensive squad figures it is due to the fact that while expensive, they are not worth taking out one at a time all game if you have ranged units or squad killers who can do it. An occasional order marker on Charos for the purpose of taking out a mounted Knight is fine - otherwise, let Charos deal with the expensive heroes and let your squad killers take out the squads.
That said, the various Kyrie squads don't really want to risk Counter Strike - they are too costly for such foolhardiness. Since they will probably be staying away from Charos, you can probably catch them one at a time. The same is probably true of the Templar Cavalry and the Grok riders. The only problem with these figures is that they have special powers that can put major wounds into Charos, at least with a head start (Templar) or with a Marro Warlord nearby (Groks). Try to limit the chances that the Templars have to charge, and try to take out Ne-Gok-Sa first in the case of a Marro invasion, reducing the Grok Riders to a mere Attack of 3. Charos' Attack of 5 should be adequate to take out any of these figures, even the Sentinels of Jandar.If you want to avoid getting targeted by units that need line of sight, hiding behind the castle wall is a good idea. Charos can zoom through the open doorway. He can also fly onto or over castle walls. Large trees and high terrain can also be used as cover, though ruins cannot. However, ruins and difficult terrain can stop the mad chargings of the Templar Cavalry, and they can keep double-spaced figures like the Marrden Hounds or Tornak with his Orc Warriors from attacking Charos directly. Charos can hide behind such obstacles and then easily fly over them when he needs to enter battle, on his own terms.
Finally, we have a few ways to get Charos out to the battle more quickly. Saylind is a popular choice and can also Summon other units to the battlefront. If you are running an Elf army anyway, and you happen to already have Acolarh, then feel free to send Charos ahead with Ullar's Amulet - but don't draft the Flagbearer just to give Charos a movement boost. It isn't worth it.
Remember, you have a really expensive with unit a high Life, a high Attack and a high Defense. As long as you choose your targets wisely and watch his back, you will be able to get the most out of this King of the Forest Primeval
deathwalker 9000
Ever since the glory days of the first release of Rise of the Valkyrie, Deathwalker 9000 has tromped threateningly across the battlefields of Valhalla. In spite of its Life of 1, players have feared its almost insurmountable Defense of 9 and its deadly Explosion Special Attack. The castle set has only made it more formidable, increasing its defense to god-like levels and raising its normal attack of 4 to new heights.
In spite of this, people are still somewhat leary of using it, especially with so many other units from which to choose. This guide will explore the usefulness of Deathwalker 9000 in today's Heroscaping environment.
We will begin with its stats.
Vital Statistics
Cost – 140 – Knight Class Unit
Size – Medium – Large / Visible
Life – 1 – Fragile
Move – 5 – Average
Range – 7 – Long
Attack – 4 – Good
Defense – 9 – Tough as nails
Explosion Special Attack – 3 Attack dice; also hits figures adjacent to target. High tactical advantage.
Range Enhancement – Adjacent Soulborg Guards add 2 to their range. Medium tactical advantage.
In-Depth Analysis
We shall now look carefully at Deathwalker 9000’s statistics, and draw strategies from our conclusions. Let us start with cost. Below is an explanation of Agatagary's cost classification:
Pawn class (expendable, units that can be useful, but are not worth enormous trouble to protect)
Bishop class (more useful than a pawn, but still somewhat expendable)
Knight class (units that are interestingly powerful and can have a significant impact on the game in of themselves. It is advisable that they be kept alive, but if absolutely necessary they may be sacrificed)
Rook class (units that almost inevitably have a significant impact on the game, and whose death should be avoided as much as possible)
Queen class (devastatingly powerful or important units that should be protected at all costs)
Class:
Let us begin with an analysis of Deathwalker 9000’s size and cost. As a 140 point figure, he is clearly a Knight. You don’t want to expend him too easily. He should take out his points worth and be used to scare the enemy into keeping a respectful distance. He is a large unit, which gives him certain immunities, and he is a single-spaced figure which allows him access to terrain that double-spaced large figures cannot access.
To examine Deathwalker 9000’s core stats, we will break them up into two categories—offensive ability and survivability.
Offense:
Deathwalker 9000 has a nice attack of 4 and range of 7, but Explosion is where it can really shine, under the right circumstances. Its threat range, the distance a unit can move over flat terrain plus its range, is a whopping 12! If you can catch opponents clustered together, especially those with a defense of 3 or lower, you can take out a whole gaggle of enemy figures. But don’t underestimate the usefulness of an attack of 4 a range of 7! We will consider the merits of using both Explosion and its normal attack in general strategy. Then, we will consider using Deathwalker 9000 in conjunction with soulborg guards.
Survivability:
Ah. Now here’s the rub. With only 1 Life, Deathwalker 9000 must always fear things that cause only one unblockable wound, such as leaving engagement attacks, falling from height 7 or more, or Deathwalker 7000’s Self-Destruct power at a roll of 4 or higher. On the other hand, he is immune to certain automatic destruction powers based on his size and he has 9 defense dice, by far the most in the game! Plus, he is a soulborg, which gives him immunity to certain other powers. Let us list the abilities that can’t hurt him, and put them into two main categories with subcategories:
Category 1 – Immunities due to Large size
Abilities that Lower Defense: Maul, Net Trip 14, Throw 14, Paralyzing Stare, Ullar Enhanced Rifle Special Attack, Whip 12
Automatic Destruction Abilities: Poisonous Acid Breath, Chomp, Lethal Sting*
Other Abilities: Cyberclaw, Giant Killer, Zombies Rise Again
*While Lethal Sting also denies the defender any defense dice, that is a moot point since the figure is destroyed.
Category 2 – Immunities from being a Soulborg
Proximity or Damaging Powers: Chilling Touch, Marro Plague, Toxic Skin
Scenario Powers: Deadly water in the Road to the Forgotten Forest scenario (soulborgs don’t take wounds when they enter the stream; other units do). This is admittedly only useful in that scenario, but for those who only have Rise of the Valkyrie and Road to the Forgotten Forest, it is a significant point, especially considering that Deathwalker 9000 has only 1 Life.
General Strategy:
Overarching everything is the following advice: use Deathwalker 9000 early, and use it often. Your mighty defense is difficult to penetrate – but a lucky roll will take Deathwalker 9000 out of the fight. Be offensive, even if you have to wait until opponents get within 12 spaces (your movement of 5 plus your range of 7) before you send the feared soulborg on the warpath.
That said, let us start with Explosion. Many figures have a lower movement rate than the Deathwalker 9000’s range of 7. Also, many of these slow moving units cluster together with bonding for synergy benefits. Specifically, this list includes: Roman Legionnaires with Marcus Decimus Gallus for Soldier Attack Enhancement, Sacred Band with Parmenio for Death Defy 15, Knights of Weston or MacDirk Warriors with Finn or Thorgrim for Attack Aura or Defense Aura, respectively, Arrow Gruts with Swog Riders for Orc Archer Enhancement, and Blade Gruts or Heavy Gruts with Grimnak for Orc Warrior Enhancement. These all make excellent targets for Explosion, especially since they cannot reach you before your attack can target them.
Some units, like the Roman Archers, do not bond, but they tend to stay together to benefit from the Arrow Volley Special Attack all the same. Similarly, the 4th Massachussets Line will sometimes cluster defensively around Marcus Decimus Gallus on a castle wall or hilltop to gain the benefit of his Soldier Attack Enhancement. All of these clusters are potential sitting ducks for the Deathwalker 9000.
A relatively new situation involves the various elf wizards that synergize when close. Some of these elves, such as Arkmer and Emirroon, benefit from the adjacency of other elves, and many of the elf heroes are relatively costly units. This makes them prime targets for Explosion Special Attack, well worth the risk of having them take shots at Deathwalker 9000.
Other situations are a little more complicated. Sometimes units from one army will cluster around another for special attacks or for swarming purposes. If the unit being swarmed is your own, you must decide whether to risk your own figure to get at several others. These combinations include: Soulborgs who follow Vydar (who are giving Blastatrons more attack dice), Zombies of Morandin, Ashigaru Yari, and inexpensive swarm units such as the Deathreavers or Venoc Vipers. If the unit being swarmed belongs to a third player, so much the better.
Now we get to the units who usually snicker at ranged attackers. The Dzu-Teh, cowering as they do by the glaciers, are not immune to Explosion. You needn’t catch more than one of them to use the power, so use it! Sgt. Drake Alexander is also cocky about ranged opponents. If you see him coming, try to stay a few steps ahead of him. With a move equal to his, you can outpace him -- until you run out of battlefield -- and your superior range of 7 and Special Attack of 3 dice against his defense of 3 should mean he is taken out in a few turns. Of course, don’t let him get close, as his attack of 6 can even the odds against your god-like defense.
Death nights of valkrill
These warriors were once Knights of valor and honor, but have either been cursed by the dark powers or given themselves to the darkness and now exist as the Death Knights of Valkrill. They carry their very souls in their weapons, and their presence strikes fear into the hearts of even the most valiant. However, their imposing presence has yet to manifest itself into Valhalla. Perhaps this guide can help you to use these unholy warriors to strike fear into your opponents.
Analyzed Statistics:
Move: 5 – Average
Range: 1 – Melee
Attack: 2 – Poor*
Defense: 5 – Tough
*Soul Weapons Defending figure rolls 2 fewer defense dice - Medium tactical advantage.
Unholy Bonding Before taking a turn with the Death Knights of Valkrill, first take a turn with any non-Huge hero with the Relentless personality (Sir Hawthorne, Dumutef Guard, Air Elemental, Venoc Warlord, Khosumet the Darklord, Taelord the Kyrie Warrior) - High Tactical Advantage
In-Depth Analysis:
Of course, with all of these strategy articles, we use Agatagary’s guide to rate the figures, based on chess pieces.
Pawn Class: (expendable, units that can be useful, but are not worth enormous trouble to protect)
Bishop Class: (more useful than a pawn, but still somewhat expendable)
Knight Class: (units that are interestingly powerful and can have a significant impact on the game in of themselves. It is advisable that they be kept alive, but if absolutely necessary they may be sacrificed)
Rook Class: (units that almost inevitably have a significant impact on the game, and whose death should be avoided as much as possible)
Queen Class: (devastatingly powerful or important units that should be protected at all
costs)
Class: Bishop
The Death Knights are, contrary to what their name and class would suggest, Bishop class units. One of the fundamental mistakes I believe is made when playing the Death Knights is using them as a Bread and Butter type squad, which better suits the Pawn class. At 30 Points per figure, Death Knights are not expendable enough to recklessly attack an opponent. Care should be taken to put them in the best position to maximize their abilities, and they should only be sacrificed in times of desperation.
Threat Range:
5 Move + 1 Range = 6 spaces, which is average for a melee figure.
Survivability:
As far as squad figures go, Death Knights have solid survivability with a defense value of 5. They should be able to shrug off weaker ranged attacks while they make their advance, however attacks of 3 and 4 dice (from ranged units on high-ground, for instance) will find ways through their armor. Since only 2 Death Knights (and their bonded hero) can be activated per turn, it's difficult even with 5 defense dice for the Death Knights to survive a straight-on advance. Also, their Medium size means they are vulnerable to many special powers that cause wounds that bypass their defense dice, such as Poisonous Acid Breath, Fledging Acid Breath, Engagement Strike 15 and Ullar Enhanced Rifle Special Attack, amongst others.
It should also be noted that Death Knights are fairly small in stature, and also very sleek. This lends nicely to hiding behind trees and battlements, and even other figures (Dumutef Guards come to mind and being both large figures behind which to hide, and also Relentless heroes). When advancing with the Death Knights against a ranged force, take care to try and find these safe spots on the map.
Lastly, as Undead figures, they are immune to the Zombies Rise Again special power, which will help them survive longer in a fight against the Zombies of Morindan.
Offensive ability:
At first glance, the Death Knights' offensive ability seems meager, with only an attack value of 2. However, these creatures of death have a surprise in store for their adversaries, as their Soul Weapons can pass through a foe's armor easily. Soul Weapons causes defending figures to roll 2 fewer defense dice when defending against a Death Knight, which can make their attacks much stronger.
You might believe that this makes Death Knights well-suited to take on high-defense squad figures and tough heroes, but you would be mistaken. When attacking a unit with say, 6 defense dice, Soul Weapons only reduces the enemy's defense by one-third, or 33.333%. That isn't bad at all, but an attack of 2 still only yields .296 wounds on average against a defense of 4; an increase of .142 average wounds. Compare that to a figure with a lower defense rating - say 4. Reducing the defense from 4 to 2 is a 50% reduction in defense, and yields .556 wounds on average; an increase of .26 wounds.
What this means in laymen's terms is that Death Knights get more bang for their buck when attacking lower-defense units - until that unit's defense falls below 2. They are also better suited to attack heroes rather than squads, as the reduction in defense dice increases the chance for a single attack to inflict multiple wounds. Lastly, it should be noted that one of their bonding heroes - Taelord - can increase their attack value to 3 while keeping close to them through their Unholy Bonding. This increase, when combined with Soul Weapons, can really turn the dice in favor of the Death Knights.
Tournament Readiness: Medium
The Death Knights are a squad with decent survivability, a defense-reducing power and the ability to bond, which puts them at a medium level of tournament readiness. However, remember that Death Knights are Bishop class units and not Pawns. They don't make up the backbone of an army, and probably shouldn't be your first wave of attack. Against most units in the current metagame, they will not be able to survive a direct assault.
Strategy:
The Death Knights are a unit that takes some thought and some cunning play to really get the most from. You can't play them in a straight-forward manner as you can with Marro Stingers, or turtle on high ground as you can with the 4th Massachusetts Line - they need to rely on clever play. As I mentioned in the last section, Death Knights are not an ideal first wave of attack. Because of their slow movement, lack of range, and ability to only activate 2 members per order marker (along with a bonded hero), they are ill-suited to survive a direct advance into enemy territory, especially if that enemy includes ranged figures or a tough screen. Also, they can't disengage without risking leaving engagement attacks and don't have the speed to flank their opponent, so they won't be good assassins (even though their Soul Weapons might make it seem so). They have strong defense, but are just too expensive and their numbers are too little to make an effective melee screen.
So, how should they be played? In general, Death Knights can function well as a second wave of attack, or in other words, as a mid-game unit. Pair them with other units that excel as a first wave of attack, and use your first wave to thin the ranks and disperse the enemy units, and also to cover the Death Knights' advance. There are many ways to do this and many figures that excel in the early game in different ways; some of which I've included in the Optional Strategies section. Some other examples would be Death Chasers of Thesk and one of their bonding heroes, Krav Maga Agents, Deathreavers, or other screening or ranged units that can work to gain control of the map or glyphs.
Other ways to consider units to include with the Death Knights in an army is to look for units that synergize well with their Unholy Bonding heroes. The Death Knights have one of the widest assortments of bonding heroes in regards to other units that synergize with them. Each hero really brings a unique element to the army and encourages a different style of play for a different situation. Here is an analysis of each hero that can take a turn with Unholy Bonding, situations in which they may be useful and some suggestions for other figures that synergize with them:
VENOM
“We are going to kill you, Parker, and we are going to keep on killing you until you beg us to stop!” So sibilates the mentally unstable Eddie Brock, a.k.a., Venom. In the Heroscape universe, there are some things scarier than even the crazed Symbiote, such as hordes of 4th Massachusetts Line or Braxas on a good d20 day. Nonetheless, when you mix Marvel and Classic Heroscape, Venom is a solid 150 point hero who can both survive and dish out damage. His great stats and powers plus reasonable point cost are only offset by the fact that plagues every unique hero with one attack – an inability to take out squads single-handedly. As long as you either back him up with squads or multiple shooters such as Major Q10, or restrict him to an all-hero Marvel-only game, this is no more of a hindrance than it is for drafting Sgt. Drake Alexander or any other powerful unique hero that doesn’t benefit from some sort of bonding. Nonetheless, like other heroes in his class such as Cyprien Esenwein, Venom needs to be used properly to make the most of what is essentially a third of your army point allowance.
We will begin with his stats.
Vital Statistics
Cost – 150 – Rook Class Unit
Size – Medium 5 – Vulnerable, concealable
Life – 5 – Average
Move – 6* – Average
Range – 1* – Melee
Attack – 6 – Deadly
Defense – 4 – Average
Spider-sense – When skulls are rolled against Venom, on a 14 or higher, he may use Swingline. Tactical advantage high.
In-Depth Analysis
We shall now look carefully Venom’s statistics, and draw strategies from our conclusions. Let us start with cost. Below is an explanation of Agatagary's cost classification, based on the game of Chess:
Pawn class (expendable, units that can be useful, but are not worth enormous trouble to protect)
Bishop class (more useful than a pawn, but still somewhat expendable)
Knight class (units that are interestingly powerful and can have a significant impact on the game in and of themselves. It is advisable that they be kept alive, but if absolutely necessary they may be sacrificed)
Rook class (units that almost inevitably have a significant impact on the game, and whose death should be avoided as much as possible)
Queen class (devastatingly powerful or important units that should be protected at all costs)
Class:
Venom is a Rook Class unit. He costs 150 points; as much as Cyprien Esenwein and more than most figures in classic Heroscape. He is meant to go out and kill many enemies while daring them to catch him. His great Attack and Defense and his ability to attack at range make him a Rook Class unit.
To examine Venom’s core stats, we will break them up into two categories—offensive ability and survivability.
Offense:
With an Attack of 6, Venom is one of the most powerful offensive figures in the game. Only Abomination, Jotun and Su-Bak-Na have a higher normal attack, and only Incredible Hulk, Krug and the Anubian Wolves can get higher still (barring glyphs, height, etc.). His normal threat range of 7 is not special, but his ability to move up and down quickly and stealthily, combined with his debilitating special attack, make him a versatile unit that can take out or at least do his points in damage against any figure. As long as you don’t get bogged down using him to take out squad figure after squad figure, you should do well with him offensively – but even then, his survivability is helped by his Spider-sense, which can keep him alive in a prolonged fight against squad figures to have a chance even against the masses.
Survivability:
His Life and Defense are good, but they are augmented by Spider-sense 14. As long as you don’t get him Chomped or otherwise auto-killed (which Spider-Sense doesn’t help against), you have a 35% chance of ignoring any attack (normal or special). His survivability is good.
Strategy:
Venom is a unique hero. In Marvelscape, this puts him on a level playing field. We will discuss pure Marvel last, for the benefit of most readers who play either Classic or Mixed ‘Scape. Since we are putting him in Valhalla, remember that he will be facing squads.
Since he gets only one attack per turn and doesn’t bond, don’t waste him against cheap squads. Use him against heroes and expensive (preferably unique) squads such as the Krav Maga Agents. If your opponent drafts only one or two of an expensive common squad such as the Grok Riders or Templar Cavalry, these make fine targets as well. The key is to make sure that he takes out sufficient points per attack to justify his inclusion in your army. Since he hits as hard as Drake, use his normal attack whenever you can. The best times for using his special attack are 1) when he simply can’t reach the opponent 2) against powers like Defensive Agility and One Shield Defense. Perhaps surprisingly, don’t use it against an adjacent Sentinels of Jandar, since on average while his normal Attack vs. their unmodified Defense (with Shields of Valor) is a ratio of 3 skulls to 2 2/3 shields, Web Special Attack vs. a Defense of 3 (shields doubled) is a ratio of 1.5 skulls to 2 shields; no benefit gained there. If you are feeling lucky, however, and think the Sentinels might whiff, then go for it.
Venom needs allies against two main types of foes: cheap squads and instant destroy units that only affect medium or smaller units such as Braxas, Grimnak and the Rechets of Bogden. Both types of foes can be handled effectively by either squads of your own (especially A+ units in Spider Poison’s rankings such as the 4th Massachusetts Line and the Marro Stingers) or large-huge squad killer units that can also take on the big guys without fearing those instant destroy powers that affect only medium or small units Chomp, etc. For this type of ally, consider Major Q9, Major Q10 and Nilfheim. Squad allies can match enemy squads and tie them up while they can win a war of attrition against units like Braxas based on relative point cost alone. Doing so from range, especially against Grimnak, is preferable. The range also mitigates the fact that Venom is effectively a melee unit. The larger units can shoot multiple targets which lets them handle the squads. Their size and decent normal Attack of 4 or 5, depending on the unit, plus their respectable specials attacks, also allow them to handle the larger threats while being immune to their instant destroy powers.
Note that when dealing with other units that have instant destroy powers that ignore size, such as Morsbane and Sudema, the size of Major Q10, et. al., becomes irrelevant. Venom may just as easily attack these units, since his cost is comparable to his powerful allies – better still, save them for any common squads you may draft. Barring your opponent’s having those units, you should be fine with either the aforementioned squads or the Q10-type ally to handle enemy cheap swarms and enemy instant destroy vs. medium-small only units. This is not to say you can’t have both type of allies! Venom plus a big squad-killer hero runs anywhere from 300-335 points, leaving enough for 2 squads of 4th Mass or 10th Regiment of Foot, for example.
Now that we know which units Venom should leave to his allies, we shall both prioritize his enemies and discuss how to get him out there. His special powers and movement combine to give him significant mobility and a decent chance to avoid the worst of any attacks aimed at him while he is on the way to the front lines. Use him to hit hard against your opponent’s Rook and Queen units, such as his Orc Champions (barring Grimnak with his Chomp), Dragons, Hivelords, high-cost Soulborgs, Jotun, and other units that fear Attack 6 from a unit that can survive for a while. Anything that Drake would go after is good provender for this Symbiote, and his Spider-sense gives him a taste of the benefit of Thorian Speed that Sgt. Drake enjoys. The addition of the Pistol Special Attack to the new Drake, in combination with Grapple Arm, completes the parallel to Venom. These two units are similar in cost, and while there are subtle differences (such as the details of each special and Drake’s Valiant personality), you can pretty much use the advice here as a springboard for using Drake as well.
For getting him out to his enemies, Venom's specials make him highly mobile, even when defending against attacks. Like Isamu, he can "disappear" closer to the enemy. You will probably not have any real trouble getting him where he is going, for Swingline lets him avoid leaving engagement attacks. The real trick is when. If your opponent has hordes of squads, save Venom for when you can take care of those squads with your ally you've drafted specifically for that purpose - either a Major Q10 type, or a squad of shooters such as the 10th Regiment of Foot. You might think that since Venom can Swingline with stealth that you needn't fear getting bogged down with those units, but the other half of getting bogged down is that the enemy swarm units can chase Venom around when you are using him to attack his priority targets. Simply being immune to leaving engagement attacks isn't enough. You want to not be attacked by 4 Roman Legionnaires or 3 Marro Stingers while using Venom to take out Cyprien Esenwein, for example. So use your allied units to clear the field of swarmers, or at least use some swarmers of your own to tie them down.
If your opponent has mostly unique heroes and high-cost unique squads, or even common squads that cost a lot and he has only one or two of them, then Venom can be sent out right away, for these are his priority targets. Going one-on-one against a single, powerful enemy is where Venom shines, for he can deal a lot of damage, and he can avoid enough attacks to squeeze extra mileage out of his Life of 5 and Defense of 4.
venoc vipers
Every HeroScape veteran has a Venoc Vipers story. If the story is one of victory, it is related with great joy around an empty pizza box and while surrounded by admiring friends; if it is one of defeat the tale is told with haunted eyes and in a harsh croak after a few too many drinks to an uncaring bartender. Either way, this unpredictable squad tends to make or break small point skirmishes, and, once upon a time, was the undisputed master of seizing glyphs and tying up single attack heroes early on in a game. Other units have been released since then that do these things more effectively, but the Venoc Vipers are still a force to be reckoned with. Let’s see what that new role can be.
To begin, let’s analyze the Venoc Viper’s stats:
Analyzed Statistics
Cost - 40 - Pawn Class Unit
Size - Medium - Vulnerable/Concealable
Squad Size - 3 – Average
Move - 7 – Very Fast*
Range - 1 - Close Range
Attack - 3 - Average
Defense - 0 – Delicate
*Does not stop movement in water spaces
Frenzy Probability - 25% - Sub-reliant
In-Depth Analysis
Each unit is complex, and must be well analyzed to be truly understood. For the Venoc Vipers, let us begin with their cost. By cost, we refer mostly to their value in points, but also to their importance in your army. To simplify analysis, Agatagary has created several categories of cost, based off of chess, for comparison and nomenclature. For reference,
Pawn class (expendable, units that can be useful, but are not worth enormous trouble to protect)
Bishop class (more useful than a pawn, but still somewhat expendable)
Knight class (units that are interestingly powerful and can have a significant impact on the game in of themselves. It is advisable that they be kept alive, but if absolutely necessary they may be sacrificed)
Rook class (units that almost inevitably have a significant impact on the game, and whose death should be avoided as much as possible)
Queen class (devastatingly powerful or important units that should be protected at all costs)
Class:
The Venoc Vipers are the classic example of a squad of Pawn Class units. At a cost of 40 points for three members, the average cost of a Venoc Viper is only 13.33 points. As a common squad, it is possible—and recommended—to draft more than one set at a time. When one considers that they are the only unit to have a defense score of 0 the idea of attempting to protect them is laughable. With the introduction of newer units, this squad should be considered for one task and one task only: creating as much destruction and disorganization in the opponent’s forces as possible before they are killed.
To examine the Venoc Viper’s core stats, we will break them up into two categories – offensive ability and survivability. We will start with their survivability.
Survivability:
As mentioned above, with their defense of 0, the Venoc Vipers are the most easily butchered unit in the game. With no special ability to avoid attack, the best that they can hope for is to be within the range of Raelin’s Defensive Aura, on a defensive glyph, or at a height advantage over their attacker. At its heart, this means that under normal circumstances every unit in the game has a 50% or more chance to remove one of your Venoc Vipers from play. With some units this can be turned to your advantage, as will be detailed later, but for now the important thing to remember is that when a member of the squad goes down, it should go down fighting. Which brings us to…
Offense:
As a single based unit that can sprint across the battlefield at a rate of 7 hexes per activation and does not have to stop in water spaces, a Venoc Viper’s offensive role has always been that of the shock troop. With the addition of the squad’s natural leader, the Venoc Warlord, to your army, that movement rate jumps up to an astounding 9 hexes per activation; easily the fastest of any single base squad in the game. The squad’s attack rating of 3 is high enough to deal damage to other squads, and has a chance of damaging more resilient hero units as well. Of course, the most potent weapon at the Venoc Viper’s disposal—when it works—is his ability to Frenzy.
Strategy:
Traditionally, the Venoc Vipers have had three primary uses. The first was to grab and hold Glyphs. They’re great at the first part and lousy at the second. They can still be used this way, but there are a host of other units that can reach Glyphs almost as quickly and hold them much more effectively. Unless your strategy is such that you only need a quick boost to your army’s abilities, I strongly suggest drafting a different unit to gain control of any Glyphs.
The second use was to tie up enemy heroes. Since most heroes can only attack one enemy at a time, the idea was that these Pawns were sacrificed to hold the enemy in place for 2 or 3 rounds. If the squad was able to inflict wounds in the meantime, so much the better. This duty has also been taken from the Venoc Vipers, most notably by the Deathreavers. A Venoc Viper can still be used in this manner, if necessary, but that should be a secondary role.
Last, the squad has been used to shoot across the battleground, bringing the fight to the enemy, and causing as much carnage as possible before their inevitable destruction. This is still their primary purpose with some minor adjustments, and the secret to getting your point’s worth out of the Venoc Vipers is all about picking your targets.
Think of the Venoc Vipers as big game hunters, or assassins. For that matter, think of them as a squad of 13 point Isamu’s that don’t have the benefit of Phantom Walk or Vanish 9 but have the advantage of an unlimited number of close friends that are just as dangerous as they themselves are and the speed to close in quickly. Just like you probably wouldn’t send Isamu after Kaemon Awa due to his counter strike, you shouldn’t just pick any target and launch the Venoc Vipers. Instead, always ask yourself, if the squad is sacrificed, will I have done at least 40-60 draft points worth of damage? Always try to do more damage than the squad is worth…that’s part of choosing your mark wisely. If the answer is no, pick another target; with this squad you can probably reach them.
When I refer to draft points, I’m talking about the cost of the unit during the draft, modified by his importance to the enemy, and this value will change with every game. For example, if you were attempting to bag a Sir Gilbert, and the 50% of the enemy’s forces consisted of units that could benefit from his presence, I would estimate that his actual point value was closer to 140 or 150, rather than his cost of 105. In this case, killing Sir Gilbert would be well worth the loss of three squads of Venoc Vipers, especially if it were in the early game and would handicap the opponent for the rest of the battle.
Even if you only wounded Sir Gilbert it may be worth it, depending on how many deaths you incur. If in this game, as stated above, the knight is valued at around 150 points, inflicting two wounds with a single squad of Vipers is well worth their death (as always, depending upon the on field state of the battle). If focusing only on Sir Gilbert, each squad should try to do at least two points of damage, or the equivalent of a little more than their own draft cost.
On Marr the Venoc race was one of hunters. Treat them as such. Ambush single units in a pack, devastate them, and move on. This can work with squads or heroes—focus on a single unit, not a wide engagement. If a squad of Venoc Vipers survives the fight and can move on to another one then they are well on their way to earning their keep.
Also, never forget that this squad is one that has Slither, which allows you to continue your movement when entering a water tile. Most players relegate this ability to just meaning you don't have to stop during a full on charge, which is true. And, on some maps, this ability may be of no importance whatsoever; but on others it may be a pathway to enemies that are otherwise inaccessible or too dangerous to approach. In the right setting, these blue veins can be your best mode of transport around enemy lines into a soft underbelly teaming with prey.
This idea brings up another point: unless you are certain to bag an enemy well worth the draft points, don’t simply charge your Venoc Vipers across the battlefield to their doom, hoping for the best. Not only does this method seldom have any effect on the outcome of the game (epic Frenzying aside) it leaves the rest of your army far behind, unable to come to the squad’s aid. If you are performing a frontal assault, try to at least present the appearance of ranged support, even if you are not planning on providing it. The Aubrien Archers are useful in this regard, since they too can Frenzy. Few things make opponents sweat more than 6 squads of mixed range units that can Frenzy.
By this point, the reader may have noticed my lack of in-depth discussion about the Venoc Viper’s Frenzy ability. This is because the most common mistake an inexperienced player can make is to depend too heavily upon Frenzy. As noted in the Statistical Analysis, Frenzy only has a base 25% chance of working. While this might bump up to 30% if the Venoc Warlord is around, it still is not nearly high enough to be a sure thing. Play this squad as though you only get one move and one attack, and if you are fortunate enough to Frenzy, assume that it will be the last you receive. If you are lucky enough to chain together several Frenzies, well, that is where great battle stories come from.
As an aside, if you have eliminated a unit and activate Frenzy, you might want to consider charging into some low defense squad units within reach. If you have chosen your first target wisely, this additional slaughter will just be extra trophies on the wall. This type of attack also tends to break up the squad cohesion of the other player. Generally, however, I recommend targeting heroes.
A final use for the Venoc Vipers is one that may be useful, but goes against everything already written in this guide. If you are using vampires in your army, especially Cyprien Esenwein, the Venoc Vipers are the perfect sacrificial unit for the Life Drain of your vampires since it will succeed every single time. I personally believe this to be a waste of the unit, but it is a valid use for a 0 defense Pawn
kelda
this majestic Kyrie watches over her fellow heroes, tending the wounded and fallen. Given time, her Healing Touch can cure even the most grievous of injuries. She needs Turn Markers in order to fulfill her function, however, and it can be challenging to find the right moments to use her while in the heat of battle. It is for this reason that Kelda is usually upstaged by her more glamorous sister, Raelin, who provides a passive benefit without using any turns. This guide will attempt to give some tender love and attention to this younger and forgotten Kyrie sister, and show that if you're willing to turn to her, Kelda will reward you greatly for your faith.
Let’s take a look at Kelda's stats:
Analyzed Statistics
Cost - 80 - Bishop Class Unit
Size - Medium - Vulnerable/Concealable
Life - 5 – Average
Move - 6 - Fast*
Range - 1 - Melee
Attack - 2 - Below Average
Defense - 3 - Below Average
*Flying - Ignore elevations and obstacles. Tactical Advantage - High.
Healing Touch - Roll the 20-sided die to remove 1, 2, or all wound markers from an adjacent figure. Reliability: 95% - Very Reliable. (NOTE: rolling a "1" actually inflicts 2 wounds on the target)
In-Depth Analysis:
Below is an explanation of Agatagary's cost classification:
Pawn class (expendable, units that can be useful, but are not worth enormous trouble to protect)
Bishop class (more useful than a pawn, but still somewhat expendable)
Knight class (units that are interestingly powerful and can have a significant impact on the game in and of themselves. It is advisable that they be kept alive, but if absolutely necessary they may be sacrificed)
Rook class (units that almost inevitably have a significant impact on the game, and whose death should be avoided as much as possible)
Queen class (devastatingly powerful or important units that should be protected at all costs)
Class:
Kelda is a Bishop class unit. Her Healing Touch lends support to other heroes, but don't expect her to win any battles on her own. At a modest cost of 80 points, however, she can prove her worth fairly easily when used correctly.
Offense:
Having a single 2-die attack with a threat range of 7 (Move 6 + Range 1), Kelda's offensive ability is poor. Her purpose isn't to do any great damage to your opponents: rather, it is to extend the life of your heaviest hitters, so that they can win the battle for you.
Survivability:
Kelda is reasonably durable, with 5 life and 3 defense. This means that she will rarely be brought down in a single turn, but when facing concentrated fire over several turns, you can count on losing her. Keep in mind that Kelda cannot use Healing Touch on herself. As a Medium figure, Kelda is vulnerable to special abilities that target Medium figures, but due to her reasonably small hit zone, she can conceal herself behind cover fairly easily.
Strategy:
Kelda has three primary roles in any engagement, and which employment you give her will vary greatly from battle to battle. These roles are Non-Combat Healer, Combat Medic, and Martyr. We will now explore these roles in turn, and show how to use Kelda in each of these capacities.
The simplest role for Kelda, though perhaps not the most efficient, is the Non-Combat Healer. There are times in many battles when a hero finishes a skirmish, either against a squad or another hero, and has a few turns of "downtime" before the next wave of enemy figures arrive at the point of conflict. Kelda can use this time to activate Healing Touch and remove any wound markers that may have accrued from the initial skirmish. This assumes, of course, that your initial hero or heroes actually win the initial skirmish, and that your opponent is attacking in waves instead of using their entire army at once. This strategy works well if your lead hero is exceptionally fast or can fly, since it allows them to flee the enemy and return to the "healing zone." It also tends to work well if the map has important glyphs or other objectives several turns away from the enemy starting zone, since it is more likely that your opponent will charge those objectives with an isolated hero or squad, rather than moving their entire army together. However, if your opponent has enough cohesion in their army that reinforcements are less than a turn or two away, don't count on being able to use Kelda as a Non-Combat Healer.
A more dangerous yet more rewarding role for Kelda is the Combat Medic. In this role, you don't wait for downtime, but instead charge Kelda into the fray while metal is still flying. An important fact to remember about Kelda is that she can use both her Healing Touch and her normal attack in the same turn. While using a turn marker on Healing Touch alone might not be worth it, and using the same turn marker on a single attack of 2 dice may not be worth it, when you're pulling "double-duty" by doing both in the same turn, Kelda's turn markers take on a much greater value. For this reason, the best use of Kelda is to land her adjacent to one of your engaged heroes (preferably with height), apply Healing Touch, then roll for her normal attack. When faced with a choice of figures to attack, Kelda should focus on low-defense squad figures if they are nearby, and avoid attacking high-defense figures with Counterstrike.
The third and final role for Kelda is the Martyr. Once you've established the threat of using Kelda to heal your most fearsome heroes, your opponents may decide it is more important to take her out than risk letting her activate Healing Touch. In this scenario, you are best served putting all of your turn markers on your bruiser, keeping only the "X" on Kelda. While it may seem cruel to sacrifice Kelda in this way, keep in mind that every turn your opponent spends attacking Kelda is one more turn added to the lifespan of your other hero, and can be just as effective as taking turns to heal, if not more so. If that other hero is a dangerous figure like Nilfheim or Jotun, Kelda's sacrifice could very well win you the game.
In the heat of battle, especially when employing Kelda as a Combat Medic, you must carefully evaluate the worth of each turn marker before you place it on her card. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Who would have gotten the turn marker otherwise, and what are you giving up by putting it on Kelda instead? For example, if the Hero in question is Charos, you are giving up a single 5-die attack.
- How much damage per turn are your opponents doing, and how many turns of effort are you reversing each time you roll for a heal? Remember that Kelda has a 75% chance of healing 2 or more wounds, which in the case of an extremely high Defense figure like Ne-Gok-Sa or Major Q9, can represent several turns worth of effort.
- How much additional damage will you inflict as a result of Kelda's activation? This will include her normal attack, as well as damage that occurs because the hero will live longer. For example, heroes with Counterstrike like Charos and Kaemon Awa can continue scoring wounds even when it's not their turn.
- Will the diversion of Order Markers give your opponent the opportunity to grab an important glyph or strategic objective?
It is also worth noting that the ideal time to use Kelda is when a high-life hero has exactly 3 wounds left. The reason for this is the dreaded roll of "1" on the 20-sided die, which actually inflicts two wounds instead of healing them. If this happens while your hero is 3 wounds away from dying, then perhaps your luck will turn and you will be able to rescue that hero from death on later turns. However, if her patient is already within 2 wounds of death, rolling a "1" will seal their doom. Of course, holding the Glyph of Lodin (Lucky 20-Sider) will give you insurance against this possiblity, and improve the quality of her heals as well. If your map hosts this glyph, then capturing and holding it may very well be a priority. Consider bringing along some good glyph-grabbers like the Deathreavers for this purpose.
Kelda can also be an ideal figure in scenarios where stalling for time can win you the game. Assuming that Kelda can heal wounds as fast or faster than your enemy can inflict them, you can stall indefinitely until victory is yours. If your opponent chooses to focus on Kelda instead, however, be prepared to accept her sacrifice and use your heroes for their intended purpose: to kill enemy figures.
When drafting Kelda, you must always consider who might be benefiting from Healing Touch. Obviously, you will want to draft heroes, preferably powerful heroes with lots of life, so that you can plan Kelda's turn markers without worrying about whether or not her patient will die before she arrives on the scene. Charos is an excellent choice, of course, as well as Jotun, Braxas, Nilfheim, and Tor-Kul-Na. These figures have powerful attacks as well as the ability to take down entire squads at a time, so the ability to live longer should be an obvious benefit. Melee heroes work well, since Kelda is at her best when she can fight and heal at the same time. Sgt. Drake, Valguard, and Sir Gilbert are good examples of this. As mentioned earlier, heroes with Counterstrike gain the added benefit of being able to wound enemies even they are not taking turns. This includes Charos (again) and Kaemon Awa, as well as Gurei-Oni with his Evil Eye Defense, or even Captain America, if you are allowing Marvel Legends characters into the mix. It's also good to consider heroes with high Defense or who are otherwise hard to damage, as each wound healed undoes a greater amount of effort. Ne-Gok-Sa, Major Q9, and Crixus are good examples of this. These lists are not exhaustive, of course, but should give you ideas about who to bring with Kelda into battle.
If you have the points, consider drafting Kelda and Raelin together. Because Raelin will be lending bonus Defense dice to several of your figures, including Kelda, your opponent will be tempted to concentrate fire on your presumed weak link: Raelin herself. However, since you have Kelda's Healing Touch at your disposal, you can keep Raelin alive while other heroes fire safely from under her protective aura.
As a healer, Kelda the Kyrie Warrior may seem out of place on the battlefields of Valhalla, where aggressive and relentless assault usually carry the day. The philosophy behind Kelda is that no figure is disposable, and that with proper handling and care, even heroes that are surrounded and wounded can pull through to the end of the battle. Kelda was created to serve not herself, but others, and by choosing her, you make your strongest heroes even stronger. Don't be afraid to commit her to the battle, however; if you stand by her, she will stand by you, and even when it means laying down her life so that another hero can carry the day, Kelda will do so gladly, such is the reach of this Kyrie's love.
