In my third article of this series, I will be discussing the current state of the meta, including the top decks and cards being used. I will also share a tier list displaying the power level of the 36 currently available warbands.
For those of you unfamiliar, the idea of these articles are to highlight the current state of the Warhammer Underworlds meta. I use data to supplement my understanding of the current state of the game but at the end of the day, this is an opinion based article.
You can find the previous articles below:
- State of the Hexes 1 – June 2020
- State of the Hexes 2 – January 2021
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Current Meta State: Post Elathain’s Soulraid
6 months after the release of the Direchasm game set and 10 warbands later, we are now in the end game of the 4th season of Warhammer Underworlds. With the Hunter, Quarry, Primacy, and Hunger mechanics fully realized we are now starting to see the dust settle as the meta is starting to take shape. Many of the factions and archetypes that are doing well right now are tried and true but there are also some newcomers, and older warbands, who are rapidly rising through the ranks.
Interestingly, the meta feels very rock-papers-scissors in that there is no clear strategy that seems to out perform the others without having a strong counter to it. If we break the three strategies down in Underworlds, it looks something like this:
So before we break this down, let’s define on what these categories entail. Let’s start with the the part of the triumvirate that everyone loves to hate, ‘big boys.’ Strategies in this category generally focus around a high wound fighter, or a group of them, that can take a bunch of punishment but can also dish it out as well. Generally these decks score via eliminations and by keeping their tanky fighter alive throughout the course of the game. You’ll also see Avatar, and Lost pages when applicable, builds often. Warbands that are using this particular strategy right now are Mollog’s Mob, Hrothgorn’s Mantrappers, Morgok’s Krushas, and Kainan’s Reapers.
Now because these warbands have become so dominant, there has been a rise of strategies that revolve around tech’ing for these matchups by selecting cards that can potentially lock down enemy fighters; like Lost in Reflection or Soultooth Net. Most of the time the warbands that employ these strategies tend to be larger, generally we’re looking at 5 or more fighters. This ensures there are plenty of fighters available to deploy these tech cards while still ensuring that the warband fulfills its other objectives, whether it be hold objectives, aggro, or control. More often than not, these decks are resorting to holding objectives as scoring off the same board state multiple times is still quite powerful. There is also a strong Quarry presence in these decks due to some excellent recent releases. Warbands that use this particular strategy are the Grymwatch, Thorns of the Briar Queen, Sepulchral Guard, Godsworn Hunt, Grashrak’s Despoilers, and Starblood Stalkers – to name a few.
Lastly we have the rest of the field. These decks generally focus on their chosen strategy – usually a hybrid style between aggro, control and objective based game plans. The warbands and decks that utilize this strategy are the most numerous and diverse. Almost any warband can sit in this category and their success can be just as varied. Many decks in this category are also packing a bunch of pushes and move support as they are attempting to score off being in enemy territory.
The interesting conundrum this meta displays is that you can’t really build a deck that can take down everything. Sure you can build a deck that has a good chance into everything but often you’ll run into a hard counter that can potentially wreck your game plan.
The best way to demonstrate this is imagine you are taking Mollog to an event. You’ve probably got a great chance into everything. But, you might run into a Grymwatch player running 3 nets or a combo strategy that can lock your big boy down. Since your opponent has tech’d for your warband specifically, they have a high change of shutting you down while scoring enough to take the win. After that, the rest of your games match into a bunch of players who are just trying to do their own thing – you’ve got a great chance into beating them. Conversely, if you are the Thorns player then you might struggle if you don’t play against big boys because you’ve tech’d too much into beating something else. This leads to inefficiencies in your deck when fighting against the rest of the field. If you are still with me, you can see that the meta is full of diversity and hard counters. This means, when playing in tournaments, who you get randomly matched up against plays a big part on how well you do on the day. While this has always been a factor, I feel like it is more important now more than it ever has been.
Now I wouldn’t take this as gospel right because there are always exceptions. Ironically, sometimes the ‘anti-big boy’ decks still lose to the ‘big boys’ and sometimes ‘everyone else’ beats some ‘big boy’ decks. Anything can happen in Warhammer Underworlds, we all know that too well. We’ve seen that same Mollog deck beat the Grymwatch deck that tech’d against them many times. We’ve also see that Grymwatch deck beat other matchups it didn’t tech for, too.
Ultimately, luck in all forms will be a factor but hopefully it is the pilot that is the determining factor. As I’ve always preached, good players can do well with any warband given they put in the time, effort, and energy. However sometimes some bad rolls, or more importantly a bad matchup, can lead to your strategy falling apart. But usually, the “better” player should win.
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Tier List:
So now that we understand the way the meta is currently functioning, let’s take a look at how the warbands are doing across the diverse and wide meta we are all currently “enjoying.”
The good news is, there are currently a lot of warbands that can see play – in fact the meta is quite varied at this time despite the significant balance issues (we haven’t had a FaR since December and it’s been over a year since we had an FAQ). If we use January as a point of reference, we see Krushas, Harrows, and Creepers join the top tier. All 4 of these warbands, the ‘Elite 4’ as I call them, are capable of doing some pretty nasty things on the board.
Mollog’s Mob tops the list because if Mollog hits early attacks, there isn’t much your opponent can do. He’s an interesting beast as he definitely can be beaten but it’s the x-factor that keeps him up top. Lady Harrow’s Mournflight have always been good and I can’t really remember a time in the meta where they were not hanging about the higher tiers thanks to their excellent surges and uncanny defensive stats. Morgok’s Krushas have made good use of the healing and damage reduction available to them. They’ll hold objectives while advancing up the board and then take you down thanks to their high damage. In particular, Morgok’s action can be fantastic early game should you get a Waaagh! counter early. Drepur’s Wraithcreepers have especially made a splash in that, despite being a starter warband, they’ve quickly risen to the top of the totem poll. This is largely in part of the Patrician’s push reaction ability and Drepur’s nutty attack profile.
Rank A has seen some major shifts as well. Namely, we see Thorns of the Briar Queen make a revival as they’ve catapulted to the top of the rank. Despite so many anti-objective options available right now, they’ve still got a penchant to score quite well given Varclav’s push action. Players are also taking more aggressive cards in order to combat the myriad number of threats lurking in the meta. Kainan’s Reapers, while being newer, aren’t surprising anyone by being rated so high. The warband can be played aggressively or cautiously, and Kainan is a huge threat on the board. While not as potent as Mollog, he’s going to be dishing out some pain. Rippa’s Snarlfangs are another warband that hangs out around the top due to their ability, similarly to Mollog, in that if they roll hot – they can be very tough to battle against. The Starblood Stalkers and Crimson Court have also found their stride as community members have found more consistency in their strategy of choice. The Stalkers are still focusing on the hold objective strategy but Quarry synergies (thanks to Otapatl) have helped them give the glory generation they needed. The Vampires have been extremely popular as of late (they’ve got gorgeous miniatures) and we’ve seen a bunch of builds ranging from diving into enemy territory to stacking hunger. I’ve found the most successful ones to flex into Lost Pages but there are a lot of ways you can rock this warband. Grymwatch and Hrothgorn’s Mantrappers have maintained their positions thanks to their awesome faction specific cards, namely their surge objectives. Also, Hrothgorn is a big boy and they are enjoying many perks at the moment. Furthermore, he’s got quite the monopoly in regards to the Hunter/Quarry mechanic. Rounding out the tier are Myari’s Purifiers. Honestly, this warband continues to surprise me despite having a lower wound pool. They are just so survivable and a skilled pilot can do great things with them. They’re the definition of a flex warband and Bahnnar is nuts once you start stacking upgrades on him.
Unlike other tier lists, I like to break up the B tier warbands into two separate sections. For me, most warbands should sit in the B tier as that means they’ve got a healthy mix of strong faction cards but not too strong to where they can’t rely on the universal card pool. The ebb and flow of these rankings are always mercurial and each release has the potential to dramatically shuffle them about.
Rounding out the top half of the meta, we’ve got 6 warbands who have either maintained their consistency or upped their game given the full card pool has released. The Dread Pageant are one of those warbands who have stayed consistent since their release. They’re definitely a great warband, especially in the hands of a skilled pilot, but I have found them to be less reliable than Myari’s Purifiers for example. This is partly because they’ve got a difficult inspire condition and can quickly crumble if Glissette goes down early. 2 wounds is just sometimes not enough, despite having an excellent defence profile. Skaeth’s Wild Hunt are racing right behind due to their fast and hard hitting approach. Running into enemy territory and dealing as much damage as they can tends to work often. Their decks tend to be a bit draw dependent though in that you need your speed package cards to line up as well as your ping damage to come out early. Spiteclaw’s Swarm has made a pseudo-comeback as well. Like the Wurmspat, they tend to do better when they have access to many powerful universal cards. Carnivore’s All has also made it trivial to inspire the warband as the card allows you to choose al of your fighters. Getting that early, holding objectives, and counter-attacking with Skritch have turned out to work quite well in this meta. Stacking upgrades on the little guys, like the Hungering Skaven, is always a nice touch as well. Zarbag’s Gitz, due to the re-release of Pure Carnage, have stepped back into the arena. The hold objective strategies are great for them, as well as stacking on a bunch of attack action upgrades on your diminutive fighters. Flinging git after git into your enemy turns out to be a great strategy after all. Who would have thought! In a similar vein, the Sepulchral Guard have seen a bit of reanimation (teehee) due the plethora of pushes and movement gambits gracing the meta. Eternal Chase has particularly been great as it overcome their biggest weakness – a movement of 2. Lastly, we have Thundrik’s Profiteers. Since the introduction of the 6/6 rule, they’ve struggled to get going as they can’t inspire their warband as rapidly as they used to. Still they’ve got solid stats, great faction cards, and a bunch of range 3 attack actions. For a while, people were playing them defensively and holding objectives. Now, given the pushes and speed available, I believe you can play them quite aggressively and score consistently.
The rest of the warbands, 18 of them to be exact, are all in a fairly average place. They aren’t in the bottom half because they are bad. Rather it is because they either lack consistency compared to the top half, or are particularly difficult to pilot. Some warbands like Eyes of the Nine and Wurmspat still compete at top levels but that is often because their pilot has put in the practice to make them function optimally. Hedkrakka’s Madmob are sitting in the B tier because they are functionally confusing to play given the inconsistencies and lack of clarity surrounding the Primacy token. There is no clear window and as such, it is often up to the player’s interpretation on how these mechanics work. As such, many players are avoiding them until further clarification can be provided. Elathain’s Soulraid are the freshman on the block and have performed above the community expectations. Many people thought they were under-statted, had bad cards, and were difficult to play. As someone who was rooting for their success, it was nice to see them place 7th in the latest online clash. They remind me of Eyes and Wurmspat in that they are a true finesse warband. Also the Spinefish is so good.
Aside from that, it is unfortunate to see Khagra’s Ravagers performing below average. The Desecration mechanic ended up being inefficient as it was easily countered. Furthermore, due to said mechanic, half the fighters in the warband can’t even hold objectives which makes it harder for their glory generation. Finally, the inspiration is difficult and often not possible. Also, the Storm of Celestus are another warband that are having trouble getting off the ground. Shooting once per turn, even for 2 damage, isn’t optimal unfortunately. In fact, many of the stormcast warbands are languishing in the bottom half. Turns out 3 fighter warbands with 4 wounds just can’t hang right now. I blame Punching Up. Well that and the other million ways it is possible to inflict damage this season. I have seen a Steelheart’s Champions build that does work decently well though.
In the bottom tier, I don’t think the warbands placed here will surprise anyone. These warbands are struggling and it is mainly due to their over reliance on universals and weak fighter stats/inspirations. The Farstriders seem to have the best chance to climb out of this tier given the addition of more ping damage. We’ll see how they fare in the coming months. I know there are some die-hard Chosen Axes fanatics out there but they just can’t hang right now, despite the abundance of movement and push gambits. For Ylthari’s Guardians, the shift in the way gambit spells have been designed has severely neutered their power level. Couple that with their fragility and you can see as to why they are struggling right now. Ironskull’s Boyz and Morgwaeth’s Blade-Coven just have terrible fighter stats despite having powerful leaders. It’s a shame because aesthetically they’re quite cool.
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Top 5 Decks:
1) Mollog’s Mob
As one would expect, Mollog is still lumbering through the meta smashing away most decks. This is largely in part of the heals in the game, namely Ferocious Resistance. There’s also a ton of accuracy right now which is helping him overcome the swingy nature of dice. Primacy has also become a big boon for him, especially since he can spend it to do some really cool things (think Primal Lunge). Aggressive strategies can certainly damage him as sometimes the best way to win the matchup is to just eliminate him. The problem is that not only does this inspire him, but because he has access to so many heals, sometimes it feels like you are wasting activations attacking him. It’s a bit unfortunate because, if you don’t tech for him, sometimes the only thing you can hope for is that he misses his attacks, or that he bottom-decks Ferocious Resistance (or other heals and +x wound upgrades). Furthermore, the motley crew of little critters following him around aren’t the easiest fighters to hit which can really hamper your day. Lately, there has been some better play against him but Mollog tops this list because if rolls average, or better, his opponent is in for a very rough time. Mollog’s Mob also did recently win the World Team Championship Singles Event, he was piloted by someone who goes by the name of ‘Nebul’ on Discord.
Check out the following deck:
- Nebul won the World Team Championship singles event with this deck.
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2) Lady Harrow’s Mournflight
Lady Harrow’s Mournflight have been floating about the upper echelons of the meta since their inception. This is namely in part to their excellent faction surge objectives such as Fleeting Memories and One Will. Coupled this with movement shenanigans and you’ve got a warband that cycles through their deck very quickly and scores big. One of the great things about this warband is while they tend to focus off objective scoring, they can flex into other strategies in order to give them a better chance against the meta. Furthermore, there are some boards that they can take advantage of, like the Shade-Cursed Lair, which stack the odds in their favor before the game even begins. Holding 2 objectives continues to pay dividends to these femme fatales. Be wary on the aggression, however as the moment you lose 2 of them you game plan starts falling apart.
If you are interested in trying them out:
- This deck won the St. Petersburg GT last month.
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3) Drepur’s Wraithcreepers
For a so called ‘starter’ warband, Drepur’s Wraithcreepers pack one hell of a punch. They’ve got some great surges in Ethereal Hunters and Massed Blades, a solid group of fighters, and a trivial inspiration mechanic due to the Patrician’s ability to push a friendly fighter after the opponent’s power step. Even when being long-boarded, these ghastly fighters will end up in opposing territory faster than you can draw a power card. The range 2 weapons across 3 of their fighters is already great but couple that with the fact they inspire by existing within 2 hexes of the opponent means they’re often hitting with their inspired profile. They’ve also got innate access to Cleave and Ensnare so you can tool up whichever fighter you need depending on the matchup. It’s also great for getting through Guard since that is literally everywhere right now. However, none of that compares to how powerful their leader is. Drepur is a terrifying fighter and sports the most accurate attack profile in the game when inspired – 3 smash with a re-roll. Give him Pall of Fear and some other defensive buffs and he can be quite literally impossible to hit. I’ve literally tabled 6 fighter warbands by the middle of the second round with them. That kind of maneuverability and accuracy is terrifying. I will say, they do share similar weaknesses to the Harrow’s in that they do rely on their leader to do most of the heavy lifting and that taking down 2 of them does severely hamper their efficiency. Also high damage warbands, or fast aggro with ping, can take them down quickly. If you pressure them in their own territory, it can also weaken the Patrician’s pushes in terms of efficiency.
If you want to check these revenants out, try these decks:
- My World Team Championship Singles event deck where I made it to top 16.
- Tommy Conboy’s World Team Championship Singles event deck where he also made it to top 16.
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4) Morgok’s Krushas
Morgok’s Krushas have performed quite well in this season and that really shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone given how Primacy is played in almost every game nowadays. Having access to 3 fighters with 5 wounds each means that it take a significant investment from your opponent just to take a single fighter down. This becomes much harder once they start popping their heals and damage mitigation cards. The warband’s most successful and often played strategy revolves around steadily advancing up the board while holding objectives. Once they’ve scored Got it Boss, Now Wot, and Hidden Purpose they are able to start giving their fighters the accuracy they need to take down their foes. The lynchpin of the warband is Morgok due to his innate action which allows him to push 2 friendly fighters around the board. Sure you need a Waagh! counter to do it but there are plenty of ways to get them via gambit cards. Getting an Eager Advance in your opening hand can dramatically improve your win-rate. It’s actually absurd how swingy that card can be. In terms of weaknesses, disruption via pushes can hurt them a lot since they need to hold objectives to score reliably. Furthermore, they are all range 1 fighters so pushing them out of position can be detrimental to their game plan. Still, I think they’re a great warband and can hold their own in a bunch of matchups. They also happen to play well into other ‘big boy’ warbands.
If you wanna unleash the green energy on your foes, try this build out:
- Jimmy’s World Team Championship deck that got him into the top 8. It also got him 5th at the 7th online clash.
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5) Kainan’s Reapers
Though a relatively new warband, Kainan’s Reapers have already made their mark on the meta. They’ve actually proven to be quite interesting given the fact that there are so many ways to play them. Kainan himself is a monster of a fighter with 6 wounds and hits for 4 damage when inspired. He’s also got a nasty Scything attack as well that can take opponent unawares. While he does do a lot of the heavy lifting, it is the Morteks who really make the warband shine. Given their unique rules, players will generally gravitate towards an aggressive strategy as they can gang up on enemy fighters efficiently. They’ve also got the propensity to deal high damage fairly quickly given the universal gambits and their Nadirite rule. However, you can also play the warband in a ‘classic’ hold objective strategy as well. Kainan and Khenta can hold the front line while you score a bunch of glory. There’s also the Lost Pages route since Kainan is a wizard. Interestingly, being able to score for being a wizard is quite powerful with him. In terms of their weaknesses, they are slow – though this can be mitigated quite reliably though it is draw dependent. Additionally, 4 of the fighters only have 2 wounds so they can be farmed. Their inspire also isn’t the most efficient one we’ve seen either. It is certainly possible but I don’t see it come online as often as I’d like.
Nonetheless, if you want to claim the bone tithe for yourself, check out these decks:
- Kaptain Murder’s deck that placed 2nd in the 8th online clash.
- Tommy Conboy’s deck that he’s been having a lot of success with in general.
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Honorable Mentions:
While I won’t be breaking down the factions in detail here, I wanted to showcase some decks that have done quite well in the recent meta. The warbands here are all from the upper half of the tier list and all the decks were played at the most recent online clash – the 8th one.
- Thorns of the Briar Queen – Tommy Conboy has mastered this warband and he’s performed consistently at the top since Beastgrave. This is his 1st place deck – it’s a neat one given how much he tech’d into aggro.
- Eyes of the Nine – Erik has labored many hours into this warband and his hard work paid when he nabbed the 3rd spot.
- Hrothgorn’s Mantrappers – This deck was piloted by Shoobie and ended up getting 4th. It’s a classic aggro build that relies heavily on Hrothgorn smashing through his opponents.
- Elathain’s Soulraid – This is the deck mentioned above. It involves making clever use of the fish as you cram your warband into opposing territory. It placed 7th, piloted by Calabok.
- Spiteclaw’s Swarm – Jimmy ended up getting 8th with this deck as he continues to demonstrate that older warbands still got game.
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Top 5 Objectives:
It is not surprise that every single one of these cards is a Surge objective. These type of cards tend to be the most sought after as cycling through your deck not only keeps the glory train running but can give you the advantage as the game progresses.
Hidden Purpose nabs the top spot as it it is probably one of the easiest cards to score and can virtually be slotted into any deck. No wonder it is Restricted. Show of Force follows closely behind. While it can be harder to score in the early game, aggressive warband seeking to enter opposing territory can get it done. The strength of this card comes in its ability to be almost an auto-score in the later rounds of the event since everyone is stacking upgrades nowadays. I can see it getting restricted whenever a FaR list drops.
Surge of Aggression is another efficient card given how rampant Primacy is in the meta – it is quite literally everywhere and there are so many ways to obtain the token. Even if you don’t think you can gain the Primacy token, you can still score this as long as your fighter hits with a 4+ damage attack. Again this is trivial considering how easy it is to boost damage. Gathered Momentum has been a staple since the Beastgrave meta as charging 5 hexes away is fairly simple given how the average movement characteristic of most fighters in now 4. Even with the slower warbands it can be easy to score given how much movement is in the game. Don’t forget, you can score this by scoring two other Surges in the same action phase as long it was in your hand.
Everything to Prove caps this lost off despite just being released. It is effectively a new age Martyed as many horde warbands have 2 wound fighters who often get one-shotted. Since Primacy is everywhere, either you or your opponent will get it – especially since larger warbands tend to dip into the Quarry keyword more often than their smaller counterparts.
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Top 5 Gambits:
The introduction of the Essentials pack brought back a lot of old favorites to the game and they’ve been swiftly absorbed by the player base. However, there are still some older cards that are clinging on to the top spots because of their popularity. As one would suspect, we see plenty of disruption in the meta.
It is very rare to see a deck without either of these 2 cards. Distraction is perhaps the most powerful card in the game given how it takes away player agency from an opponent. Whether it is being used to line up charges, deny them, or frustrate objective based scoring – it will always find good use. My favorite is using it to finish an enemy fighter off via a lethal hex. Mischievous Spirits acts in a similar vein in that it can completely destroy end phase based objective scoring. Ironically, it can also be used to aid in the scoring of said objectives. Positioning is key in this meta and this card can help you win games regardless of your game plan. In a way, this helps keep the power level of hold objective play in check but sometimes I feel it does it a bit too well. As such, I wouldn’t mind it getting the restricted tag one day.
Punching up is the equalizer every low wound fighter has been dying for since this game released. The tables have turned as now weaker fighters have the ability to quite literally punch above their weight class. I believe this card singlehandedly helps keep the more elite warbands in check. Direchasm has introduced many 4 wound fighters and I can guarantee you that every single one of them has fallen to the might of this card. It’s so good, especially when combined with other accuracy and damage inducing effects. Spectral Wings is a familiar ally in these ever changing times. Not only is it integral to the ‘speed package’ but it is also a great initiator for offensive engagements. It also helps getting those hard to reach objectives as well as a great way to high-tail out of an ugly situation.
Since this card came out, I have yet to see a deck that does not run this card. Card advantage is often discussed in any game that has a card element. Gaining access to your resources faster than your opponent is a boon as you tend to be able to do more. It’s a simple card but one that augments any game plan as it just increases the chances you will see the cards you put in your deck. Plus the card art is ace.
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Top 5 Upgrades:
This section is perhaps the most hotly contested due to the fact that there are just so many good cards in this category. Picking 10 upgrades is such a tall order nowadays. Despite that, the cards below are seen very, very often. They’re just that good. I will say, compared to the last article in this series, we’ve seen Mortis Relics drop in popularity. They’re still great but not seen as much as we used to, thankfully. This is probably because the full Direchasm set is out now and the Essentials have so many good cards packed in there. Quarry cards are also quite common now due to some powerful end phase scoring.
In the first spot, we’ve got a 4-way tie between Great Strength, Gloryseeker, Sting of the Ur-Grub, and Savage Strength. Honestly, they could all be considered the same card as they all effectively do the same thing – help you eliminate enemy fighters. Whether it is getting to that coveted 4 damage or gaining just a bit more to take down that bigger fighter, these cards are essential.
Deserved Confidence is just an amazing card given the VOLTRON meta we’ve been experiencing since the tail end of Beastgrave. Bigger fighters especially make great use out of this card as the return on investment is higher given their high activation consumption. Often it is utilized as the third objective, as it counts as one itself, to stop fighters from being driven back. That’s huge in a game where there are 2 player placed lethal hexes. The +1 wound is also nice and has pushed out previously untouchable cards like Great Fortitude. Vision of Glory is another card that is just extremely efficient. Being able to charge twice in the same round with the same fighter is extremely powerful and can be devastating when proc’d at the right time. Literally every aggro warband finds space for this card.
While a weaker version of Strength of Terror, Augmented Limbs has quickly become a mainstay in a lot of decks. While the number of range2+ fighters has increased significantly in this game since Shadespire, there are many warbands that like to fight their opponent in the classical manner – up close and personal. Abuse this card while you can as it will probably be restricted in the future, just like every other card we’ve seen like it. There’s also the added benefit of it making your fighter a Quarry which has many benefits in today’s game. Speaking of quarries, let’s talk about the OG Quarry card itself – Cryptic Companion. We’ve seen this card become a staple despite it’s restricted status. Not only is the potential of scoring an extra 3 glory amazing, it also pairs exceedingly well with Absolute Stillness. Enjoy that 5 glory, at least, my friends.
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Closing Thoughts:
Direchasm has turned out to be one of the most engaging and diverse metas Warhammer Underworlds has ever seen despite the apparent lack of balance. I do hope we see a FaR list soon, one that hits the obvious cards and warbands. However, with the full set now available, and with the help of the Essential Pack, we’re seeing a Golden Age of this game in terms of competitive viability. There are a lot of warbands that have game right now and we’re seeing that given how diverse the online tournament scene has been as of late.
Sure, there are some strategies that seem to be doing particularly well but it doesn’t mean other stuff won’t work. If Games Workshop can tone down the heals, restrict some of the easier Surge cards, and limit the abuse of pushes in this game, we’ll see an ever better meta – or at least one that demonstrates more balance.
As such, Mollog is still flying high. He’s the perfect candidate for VOLTRON play given his canny ways of abusing charge and movement tokens. Hrothgorn, Kainan, and the Krushas also benefit where he has as well. Big boys seem like the way to play this game right now but thankfully, there are options. Despite that, we are seeing hold objective strategies slowly rise up to combat their gargantuan foes. Quarry cards in particular have been great. Positioning fighters is the name of the game and as long as you can maintain control of the feature tokens on the board, players generally end up on the winning side of the game.
Despite all that, we still do live in the age of the rock-papers-scissor meta. With that being said, I wouldn’t worry to much on what opponents you might run into as that is simply one factor that is out of your control. Instead pick a warband, preferably in the B+ tier or higher, and just get a lot of reps in. As you win, and more importantly lose, you will tune the deck to handle the myriad threats now present in the Direchasm.
My biggest advice is to focus on the positioning aspect of this game. Right now, I feel as if that is the most important. Making sure your fighters are exactly where they need to be will help you win your games. More importantly, making sure you can disrupt your opponent’s positioning will perhaps be even more relevant when seeking a winning record.
You can’t control the outcome of the dice or the order of your cards drawn. As obvious as this advice might be, control what you can control. That’s really all we can hope for.
As always, I would love any and all feedback on this article. While it expressed my personal opinions on the game, I am always up for discussion and proper debate. Additionally, some of you may have noticed that I changed the format of this article when compared to my previous entries in the series. Let me know if you like the change and what I can do additionally in order to give you the content you want to consume.
Until next time. Best of luck on YOUR Path to Glory!
Aman
