The Jaws of Iztl - Warband Review

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Introduction


The Jaws of Itzl have descended into the mines of Embergard to prevent the plans of their Slann masters from being disrupted. The aggression of these cold-blood warriors has been peaked by the emotion-riven heat of the Emberstone from deep in the mines.

The Jaws of Itzl are made up of Kro-Jax [1], So-Kar [2], Ro-Tak [3] and the Venomites [4]

Fighter Characteristics

Each of the three Saurus warriors that make up this warband, Kro-Jax, So-Kar and Ro-Tak, have the same uninspired set of fighter characteristics. A Move of 3, a Save of 1 Block, and 5 Health. 

Kro-Jax, the leader, has Bounty of 3 and is armed with a melee weapon (a mace) which is Range 1, 2 Hammers for a mighty 3 Damage. When inspired, his Save improves to 2 Block and his melee weapon improves to 4 Swords, significantly increasing his accuracy.

Kro-Jax

So-Kar has a Bounty of 2 and is armed with a melee weapon (a club) which is Range 1, 3 Swords for 2 Damage. When inspired... (this is unknown at present but i expect an increase to his Save and his accuracy).

So-Kar

The final saurus is Ro-Tak, The Guardian, who has a Bounty of 2 and is armed with a melee weapon (a spear) with two profiles. The first is Range 1, 2 Hammers for 2 Damage, the second is Range 2, 2 Hammers for 1 Damage. Upon inspiration, Ro-Tak's two melee attacks are exchange for a single improved attack, which is Range 2, 4 Swords and 2 Damage. This is very reliable attack profile.

Ro-Tak

All three of the Saurus Warriors are capable fighters and will be able to both deal and survive significant punishment before they are slain. The main issue, I can foresee, with these warriors is their lack of speed, with a Move of 3 hexes.

The final 'warrior' of the Jaws of Itzl is the swarm of Venomites. These have a Move of 3, a good Save of 2 Dodge, 1 Health and provide 0 Bounty. They have a melee attack, which is Range 1, 2 Swords for 1 Damage. Upon inspiration the ... (unknown at present, but I expect either improved accuracy or damage).

This little swarm of reptilian minions appear to be present to help provide supports for the attacks of your saurus warriors, or perhaps to grab Treasure tokens. Their biggest downside is that when they are alive, they can potentially stop your warband from accessing the Charged-Out condition. 

How does the warband inspire?

After inflicting damage on an enemy fighter in your opponent's Power step or Action step, pick a friendly fighter. Inspire that fighter. When combined with the Predatory Fighters ability (see below) and some favorable Power cards this should be relatively easy to achieve for your key fighters.


All ratings out of 5 (What do the stats mean?)

Warscroll Abilities

Predatory Fighters. Use this immediately after an enemy fighter's failed attack, if the target was a friendly saurus and the Save roll contained any blocks. Inflict 1 damage on that enemy fighter.  

This a great little ability. As each saurus has a Save of 1 Block, there is a 33% chance that this will work. You will need to remember to make the Save roll even if the enemy fighter had no successes in their attack roll. 

This is an important ability for the warband because if it is successful, it will inspire a friendly fighter, as it damages an enemy fighter. Therefore, any upgrade that increases the chance of rolling a Block in the defence roll is worth taking, whether this be extra dice or a reroll. Finally, this ability can be used multiple times in a battle and may even cause vulnerable enemy fighters to avoid attacking. Overall, 5 out 5.

One-Use Abilities

Obstinate. Use this during the power step. Pick a friendly Saurus. That fighter cannot be driven back until the end of the battle round. You can only use this ability once per game.

Get one of your saurus, particularly Ro-Tak, on a Treasure token and use this ability to stymie your opponent. The high Health value of your saurus should allow you to weather the enemy fighters' attacks and prevent them taking a, potentially, much needed Treasure token. Equally, your saurus could also be used to stand toe-to-toe with a foe. Whilst this is not a game changing ability, it has its uses and there is no downside. Be aware, the saurus can still be pushed but not driven back. Overall, 3 out 5.

Savage Mauling - Use this in a Power Step. Pick an enemy fighter adjacent to a damaged saurus that has no Charge token. Roll an attack dice for each damage token that friendly fighter has. For each Sword or Crit rolled, inflict 1 damage on the enemy fighter. You can only use this ability once per game. Each time an enemy fighter slain by this ability; you can use this ability once more in the game.

Ideally, you need to use this ability in your opponent's Power step to target a vulnerable fighter with a saurus that has suffered at least 3 if not 4 wounds. Although, this scenario is unlikely to occur in most games. There is an order of factors to determine whether to use the ability.  Primarily, you want to use it with a saurus who has lost 3 or 4 wounds. Why, because you have a 70% chance or success with 3 dice and an 80% chance with 4 dice. Secondly, try to use this ability in your opponent's Power Step, because if successful it will inspire a friendly fighter. Finally, if you can target a vulnerable fighter do so, you might get to use the ability again. Overall, a nice ability, but dice dependent, 3 out 5.

Multiple Use abilities 

Instinctual Control. Use immediately after you pick a target as part of an attack action made by a friendly saurus. Pick a minion with no Move or Charge tokens. That fighter can move. 

This ability is useful for flanking an opponent's fighter whilst they are being attacked by a saurus warrior. Additionally,  the free Move could be used to Take and Hold a Treasure token ready to score Objectives in your opponent's Power step. The main problem is the Venomites end up with a Move token, which could easily prevent the warband from being charged out. Overall, used wisely these little reptiles can become quite annoying for your opponent, but managing the Charge and Move tokens on the warband will be key to success with this ability. Overall, 4 out 5.

Possible Playstyle Pairings

Main Playstyle: Strike

The Seraphon of this warband are clearly well suited to pairing with a Strike deck. The aggressive nature of Strike decks synergises well, with the brute savagery of the saurus warriors. Any card that improves the accuracy of these warriors is worth taking as is any bonus to their Save rolls. These seraphon will be looking to attack as frequently as possible, so pushes and Move boosts will help them to reach their opponents. Strike decks will regularly form the core of Nemesis decks for this warband.

This warband would pair well with Countdown to Cataclysm (CtC). The CtC deck contains three ploys that allow the Seraphon to inflict damage on enemy fighters during the Power step. If you choose to use these cards in your opponent's Power Step, this will increase your chance of inspiration, which improves the accuracy of your fighters. Equally, the Seraphon will be able to make use of the more aggressive Objective cards, like Too Close for Comfort and The Perfect Cut.

Take and Hold decks, like the Emberstone Sentinel, might be a poor pairing with these lizards. The small elite nature of this warband combined with their Move of 3 could prevent them reaching the Treasure tokens they need to hold. In addition, when chasing Treasure token, they may not be in range to attack enemy fighters. Having state this Objective such an Aggressive Defender and Careful Advance, form the Emberstone Sentinel, would be easy Surges to score. There are also some good, but expensive, upgrades especially to boost Save rolls in the form of Agile and Sharp Reflexes. So, maybe the Emberstone Sentinel could be a useful pairing.

What are your thoughts on this warband? Will you be picking them up?

I intend to paint my Seraphon in my usual green scheme. How I Paint Seraphon

Checkout my Warhammer Underworlds for more articles.


Thanks for reading and I hope to see you soon in the Underworlds.


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