Emberstone Sentinels - Deck Review
The Emberstone Sentinel
Playstyle: Take and Hold
Plot Card: No
The Objectives
The Objective deck is made up of 12 cards, 6 Surges and 6 End Phase for a total of 16 Glory.
1. Hold Treasure Token 1 or 2 - End Phase - 1 Glory - Score if a friendly fighter holds Treasure Token 1 or 2. A simple card to score, with the added bonus of the option of Treasure token 1 or 2. This card synergises with the Take and Hold game plan and also could be scored while completing the conditions for other Objectives, such as Supremacy. One Glory for one Treasure token. Overall, 3 out of 5
2. Hold Treasure Token 3 or 4 - End Phase - 1 Glory - Score if a friendly fighter holds Treasure token 3 or 4. Everything that applies to Hold Treasure token 1 and 2 applies to this card. Overall, 3 out of 5.
3. Hold Treasure Token 5 - End Phase - 1 Glory - Score if a friendly fighter holds Treasure token 5. Everything that applies to Hold Treasure token 1 and 2 applies to this card, except there is only one Treasure token available, making it that much harder to score. Overall, 2 out of 5.
4. Step by Step - Surge - 1 Glory - After opponents Action step a friendly fighter with a Move token (if Underdog have any Charge tokens) holds a Treasure token. This Surge is almost an autoscore if you can hold a Treasure Token in your own territory. Overall, 3 out 5.
5. Unassailable - Surge - 1 Glory - Score after an enemy fighter's attack targets a friendly fighter who is holding a Treasure token. A great card because the enemy is going to be attacking your fighters, especially if they are holding Treasure tokens. The main drawback with this card is that it is dice dependent. It relies upon the friendly fighter both surviving the attack and not being Driven Back. Overall, a nice card, but it relies upon luck, 3 out 5.
6. Aggressive Defender - Surge - 1 Glory - Score after a friendly fighter attacks an enemy fighter on a Treasure token. Opponents can attempt to prevent you scoring your deck by occupying Treasure tokens. As such, you will be attacking enemy fighters on Treasure tokens and scoring this card. Of course, opponents may counter this card by not occupying Treasure tokens, but that will allow you to score the rest of your deck. Overall, 4 out 5.
7. Careful Advance - Surge - 1 Glory - Score after a friendly fighter Moves if 2 or more fighters that have Move tokens are in enemy territory. This is a relatively easy card to score, but it does mean 2 or more fighters are not charging during the turn. Additionally, these fighters are now in enemy territory, and therefore, are in harm's way. Overall, 2 out 5.
8. Sally Forth - Surge - 1 Glory - Score after an opponent's Action step if a friendly fighter with a Charge token holds a Treasure token in enemy territory. This is an easy to score objective, especially if you have a fighter with a ranged fighter. Additionally, if you are playing this card, you can place a Treasure token in just inside enemy territory, again increasing the easy of scoring the card. The problem with the card is that it is scored after an opponent's Action step. Overall, 4 out of 5.
9. Slow Advance - End Phase - Glory 2 - Score if you hold any treasure tokens in both neutral and enemy territory. The main issue with this objective is that you need a minimum of two fighters, one for a treasure token in both neutral and enemy territory. Additionally, with this deck it is worth ensuring there are two treasure tokens in both neutral and enemy territory. This will make it harder for an enemy warband to counter play this objective by occupying the treasure tokens. This card is worth taking as it is worth 2 Glory. Overall, 3 out of 5.
10. Stand Firm - Surge - Glory 1 - Score after an opponent's action step if a friendly fighter with any stagger tokens holds a treasure token in enemy territory. Having a friendly fighter with a Stagger token in enemy territory on a treasure is reasonably easy to achieve (remember there are stagger hexes on the board). the problem is staying on them until after an opponent's action step. Overall, 3 out of 5.
11. Iron Grasp - End Phase - 2 Glory - Score if your warband holds all the Treasure tokens in friendly and/or enemy territory. A nice card, which could be scored by holding just a single Treasure token. It can, however, be countered if enemy fighters can hold the Treasure tokens for themselves. As an End Phase card, if it is not achieved straight way, it might be worth discarding to prevent it 'bricking' you hand. Overall, 3 out of 5.
Power Cards
Ploys
1. Switch Things Up - Ploy - Pick 2 treasure tokens and swap their positions. A great card if you, or your opponent is playing, with the Hold Treasure Tokens objective cards. This card will help to ensure your fighter is on the correct token at the right time. If you are not playing to the numbers on the Treasure tokens, this card is basically pointless. Overall, 3 out 5.
3. The Extra Mile - Surge Ploy- After a move, push this fighter 1 hex, they must end on a Treasure token. A nice push card, which allows fighters to Hold Treasure tokens. The restriction to the push location reduces its utility and it must follow a Move. Overall, in this deck, 3 out 5.
5. Healing Potion - Ploy - Heal the fighter 1 Health (if Underdog, roll a save dice on a Block or Crit regain a second Health). A nice little ploy, especially as it appears fighter Health is higher than the damage from most weapons. As such fighters are likely to be injured rather than slain from single attacks. Overall, not an auto-include but still good, 3 out of 5.
6. Hidden Paths - Ploy - Pick a friendly fighter in an edge. Remove the fighter from the battlefield and place them in an empty edge hex. Then give the fighter a Move token unless you are the underdog. A nice card to quickly get one of your fighters into enemy territory before they make a dash to an empty treasure token. This card will help to score a range of Objective cards. The main restrictions on using this card are that the fighter ends on an edge hex and has a Move token, so cannot charge during the round. Overall, 3 out 5
7. Confusion - Ploy - Choose two adjacent fighters, remove those fighters from the boards and then replace them each in the hex the other was removed from. A great little ploy for setting up an attack without charging or taking a Treasure token from an opponent. A nice versatile card with plenty of utility. Overall, 4 out of 5.
8. Hold the Line - Ploy - Fighters cannot be driven back. The effect persists until the end of the next Action Step. A useful card in this Take and Hold deck, but it does not prevent fighters being pushed by other means, for example Push cards. Overall, 3 out 5.
9. Shoulder Throw - Ploy - Use Immediately after a successful attack. Remove the target from the battlefield and place in an empty hex adjacent to the attacker. A useful card for removing fighters from Treasure tokens or moving them into position for another attack later in the round. Is it, however, better than other Power cards? I don't think so. Overall, 2 out of 5
10. By the Numbers - Ploy - Draw Power Cards equal to the number of Treasure Tokens held by your warband. 'Draw-tech' is always useful as it opens up more options for your warband. This card is particularly good as you can draw more cards for holding more Treasure tokens. Overall, 4 out of 5.
1. Sharp Reflexes - Upgrade [2] - This fighter has +1 Save, to a maximum of 2. A nice upgrade to give to a single Dodge or, especially, Block fighter. This card is particularly good on fighters with more Health and a greater Bounty value. Its use is limited by which fighters it can be applied to, due to the maximum Save of 2. Overall, a card I would take in most decks, 4 out 5.
2. Inviolate - Upgrade [1] - The fighter cannot be Flanked or Surrounded while they hold a Treasure token. A reasonably useful upgrade, which helps to protect a fighter from being overwhelmed but there are better upgrades out there. Overall, 2 out 5.
3. Great Speed - Upgrade [0] - The fighter has +1 Move. Movement is essential in Underworlds. A fighter can have the greatest attack profile in the game, but if you cannot reach the opponent's fighters then it is pointless. +1 move can make sure a fighter reaches an opponent. I would have preferred +2 Move, but then again, this upgrade is free! It can, therefore, be applied from the very first Power step of the game. A useful upgrade, I would always include in my deck. Overall, 4.5 out of 5.
5. Stubborn to the End - Upgrade [1] - If this fighter is the target of an attack, the attacker cannot Overrun. An interesting upgrade, that prevents an enemy fighter from taking a Treasure token with an Overrun, allowing a friendly fighter to then return to the Treasure token. There are better upgrades, but this card does have its place in this Take and Hold deck. Overall, 2 out of 5.
6. Agile - Upgrade [2] - After a Saving roll you can immediately reroll a save dice in that roll. With the change to the importance of Crits in the game, Save rolls are all about the number of successes. Any upgrade which allows access to more successes is excellent. I would include this in every deck. Overall, 5 out of 5.
7. Duelist - Upgrade [1] - Immediately after this fighter has attacked, push the fighter 1 hex. Pushes are always useful in Underworlds and the more the fighter attacks the more this push can be used. Players can use this push to move away from enemies that have survived attacks or to follow up on to Treasure tokens. It can also be used by a fighter to move through a horde of lesser fighters without using a Charge action. Overall, a good upgrade, 3 out of 5.
8. Great Fortitude - Upgrade [2] - The fighter gains +1 Health. A fantastic upgrade, especially as there is less damage in the game, than in the previous edition. Overall, another auto-include 5 out 5.
9. Brute Momentum - Upgrade [1] - Fighter cannot be driven back while they have any Charge tokens. A useful upgrade in order to help score Objective cards, such as Supremacy, Sally Forth and Hold Treasure Tokens. The downside of this upgrade is that the fighter has to have a charge token. Additionally, the fighter can still be pushed. Overall, a potentially useful card, but there may be better upgrades, 3 out of 5.
10. Great Strength - Upgrade [2] - This fighter's melee weapons have Grevious. A nice card, which gives the fighter extra damage output, but note, it is only for melee weapons. However, this upgrade does not really play into the objectives of this Rivals deck, but it could be useful in a Nemesis format. Overall, 4 out 5.
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| Average rating of the cards for each subcategory |
The majority of Ploys and Upgrades work well with the Objectives and overall, I think this deck is well put together for Rivals. Although, you will need to keep an eye on the cost of upgrades as many are worth 2 Glory. Even though I have looked at this deck from a Rivals point of view most people will be playing a Nemesis format and this deck has plenty to offer. Cards like 'Supremacy' could easily make their way into a number of decks and playstyles, as a relatively easy 3 Glory is difficult to pass up.
Combined with a Strike deck, the Objectives 'Sally Forth' and 'Aggressive Defender' would work well with aggressive warbands. In addition, Ploys such as 'Sidestep' and 'Confusion' will help to ensure your fighters are in the correct position to attack. The deck also has some powerful attack upgrades, with ' Great Strength', 'Keen Eye' and 'Duelist'.
Combined with a Flex playstyle, a player can lean heavily into the Take and Hold cards this deck has to offer, with cards such as ' Hold Treasure Token 1 or 2' and 'Iron Grasp'. The Ploys provide draw-tech in the form of 'By the Numbers' and additional defence following an attack with 'Settle In'. The Upgrades give access to a range of improved Save rolls with 'Agile' and 'Sharp Reflexes'
Mastery playstyles have yet to be fully determined, but with the current Countdown to Cataclysm (CtC) there is clearly an element of controlling the state of the battlefield. Any cards which provide extra Movement (Great Speed) or push-tech (Sidestep) and draw-tech (By the Numbers) are of value. Additionally, the Objective 'Step by Step' could be taken as a useful insurance policy, to ensure that even if you are the Underdog, there is still a reliable way to keep the glory train rolling. Equally, I would swap out cards like 'Hold Treasure Token 5' for CtC's 'Spread Havoc', which is both easier to score and worth more Glory.
Overall, the Emberstone Sentinels appears to be a well thought out deck, which will provide cards for all play styles.
Do you think Take and Hold will be a valid playstyle for Embergard? Will you be using the Emberstone Sentinels?
Checkout my Warhammer Underworlds for more articles.
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