Warhammer Underworlds - Playing Xandire's Truthseekers
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Xandire's Truthseekers are a formidable four-member warband of Stormcast, introduced in the treacherous labyrinth of Harrowdeep. Comprising three stalwart Stormcast warriors and a swift Aetherwing named Taros, they are led by Xandire, a fearsome warrior-wizard with untapped magical potential. While Xandire's magical abilities lie dormant in their battles, the warband is known for their aggressive playstyle, making them a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
Xandire - The Leader: Although Xandire possesses magical abilities, her role in this warband leans more towards close combat. She wields a fearsome three-smash, two-damage attack with the Cleave ability.
Dhoraz - The Big Hitter: Dhoraz is the warband's powerhouse, dealing devastating blows to enemy fighters. While his sacrifice may be necessary at times, his Scything attack (when inspired) can wreak havoc on multiple foes.
Stormrider - The Archer: Armed with a deadly bow and impressive range, Stormrider serves as the warband's main end-game fighter. Her precise shots can soften up targets for Xandire or Taros to finish off.
All three stormcast warriors have a move of 3, 4 wounds and start with a single Block defence, inspiring to a two dice Block.
Taros - The Fragile Speedster: Though fragile, Taros compensates with impressive speed. Positioned at the back of the territory, he can make swift moves and provide tactical support to the other members of the warband. Do not waste this end game fighter.
Deployment and Strategy
When deploying, the warband adopts a strategic formation. Taros, the fleet-winged Aetherwing, takes the rear of the territory. Stormrider positions herself a few hexes away from Taros but closer to the center. Xandire stands towards the front, within three hexes of a single enemy starting hex, preferably occupied. Meanwhile, Dhoraz assumes his position at the frontline, ready to charge at the start of the game.
The Truthseekers excel in aggression, charging Dhoraz straight into the opponent's territory early on, aiming to inflict significant damage or eliminate an enemy fighter outright. The focus then shifts to achieving objective cards while preserving their fighters' lives. As the battle progresses, the warband gains Glory, which is invested in defensive upgrades and attacking enhancements, primarily benefiting Xandire and Stormrider, who remain the primary offensive forces. Taros, being relatively fragile, doesn't receive as many upgrades but gains combat prowess when inspired.
The Inspiring Influence
The warband inspires when one of the Stormcast (not Taros) is taken out of action. Inspiration brings significant enhancements to the Truthseekers, boosting each member's capabilities. Xandire gains Cleave on her three-smash attack, dealing devastating damage. Dhoraz acquires a Scything attack, increasing his effectiveness against multiple foes. Taros gains an extra attack dice and the Grevious trait, making him more potent in combat. However, the key figure who gains the most from inspiration is Stormrider. She receives additional dice on her bow attack, increased range, and gains Cleave and Ensare, making her an even more formidable ranged fighter. Stormrider also gains an additional range 1 attack.
It's essential to protect Stormrider during the game since losing her will prevent Taros from inspiring, potentially affecting the warband's overall effectiveness. The warband should naturally lose a fighter through attrition to inspire, but players should aim to maintain their fighters' survival as much as possible to retain their combat strength. Avoid sacrificing a fighter just to inspire.
Strategic Objectives and Powerful Ploys
The Truthseekers' strategic objectives focus on securing Glory through movement and reactive gameplay. Cards such as "Banish the Dark," "Blazing Glory," and "Brave the Darkness" don't rely on dice rolls and can be achieved by strategic positioning and quick reactions.
As an aggressive warband, eliminating opponents is paramount, making objectives like "Sigmar's Chosen" and "Righteous Blows" perfect additions to the deck.
To bolster their defenses, the warband includes powerful ploys like "Drilled Efficiency" and "Sigmarite Wardens" to put fighters on guard, enhancing both their defense and resilience against being driven back after an attack. Additionally, offensive upgrades like "Blazing Arrow" and "Called Strike" improve their attacks, with "Called Strike" proving particularly useful for boosting Dhoraz's initial attack.
An interesting ploy is "Flawless Strike". This is a reaction, which can be used to score "Blazing Glory", but in of itself, provides an additional spent Glory, when an attack only contains successes. This ploy acts as an additional surge.
Just as the Stormcast forget their past with each reforging, players might occasionally forget specific rules and abilities during battles. Remember these key points:
- Dhoraz's attack possesses Stagger.
- Familiarize yourself with your fighters' reactions to maximize their potential.
- Upon Dhoraz's demise, you can push ANY fighter within 2 hexes up to 2 hexes, including enemy fighters.
- When Xandire falls in battle, choose a friendly fighter to heal (2).
- Stormrider can make an additional bow attack when eliminating an opponent with a range 3+ attack.
- If Stormrider is taken out of action, she can make her bow attack before being removed from play.
- When Stormrider moves, Taros can be pushed up to 3 hexes, finishing within 2 hexes of Stormrider.
- Stormrider supports Taros if she is within 2 hexes of him.
In Conclusion, embrace an aggressive playstyle with Xandire's Truthseekers, focusing on early kills and strategic objectives. Rely upon the natural attrition of fighters to inspire the warband, rather than a sacrifice. Use Glory to enhance your fighters, with particular attention to protecting Stormrider and maximizing Taros' inspired potential. Familiarize yourself with each fighter's reactions to unleash their true power on the battlefield.
If you have any questions or insights, feel free to share them in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you!
- Shadespire
- Nightvault
- Beastgrave
- Direchasm
- Harrowdeep
- Nethermaze
- Gnarlwood
- Wrydhollow
- Deathgorge
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