Thorg, Chief Bodyguard

[MrSaucy]

I have put this guy in all of my Warlord spellbooks but I have never played him. The opportunity never seemed right. Now I am thinking he is not worth the steep price of 17 mana. I understand how his Taunt works, but to me it only sounds useful against an enemy with a lot of weak creatures (like another Warlord or a Beastmaster). Is he supposed to just be a punching bag to distract all the attention from your mage?

[Sausageman]

That's certainly one of his main uses I reckon, yes.  But he also has a 5 dice quick attack with 4 armour and 12 life, making him quite hard in his own right....

[MrSaucy]

But 12 life isn't really that much when you think about it. I'm thinking, if I want a creature in my Warlord's zone to absorb damage, why not use Earth Elemental instead? Yes, he doesn't have counterstrike, but that 35 life...

[reddawn]

He's used to deal with extremely powerful flying threats like the angel legends and Adramelech (his ability doesn't care about their flying), or some other very powerful singular beast.  He may not have the optimal life for his cost, but his massive 4 armor stops most threats cold, especially considering that very few big bads actually have piercing (Selesius has piercing +1 on her quick attack, I'll have to check the others).  And if you use his taunt ability correctly, he can swing for ten dice when you need him to.  

Again, I don't think the Warlord should just be throwing out threats randomly.  Everything he has is meant to counter what your opponent does; the key is knowing which threats are appropriate when.

[baronzaltor]

At 12 health and 4 armor, hes incredibly sturdy unless specifcially dealing with something that has a ton of pierce.  4 armor goes a really long way.  He is extra awesome with a veteran token for 6 damage and 5 armor.  Make him Vampiric and that 5-6 dice counterstrike will heal off most of the damage he takes from attacks.

The real advatnage to Thorg is that he creates mandatory actions, allowing you to control units. I usually dont have him on the same square as the Warlord even.  A taunted creature has to do everything in its power to move to his square and attack.  If its a "slow" creature (like a hydra or iron golem) it HAS to waste it action moving towards him.  If theres Mangler Caltrops in the zone, it HAS to step on those caltrops.  A thoughtspore armed with a non-attack spell, Huugin or Fellalia  are required to flutter over and possibly kill themselves on his 5 damage counter attack instead of casting spells to support their mage.

[dexmark]

When playing Forcemaster, I wait til my Warlord opponent brings him out then I mind control him so he is definitely useful

Actually in one game I played against a Forcemaster being the Warlord, the Forcemaster got me to 1 health left and he quickly move a zone away. He forgot my Thorg is a zone away from that zone. During my turn that 5 quick strike attack dice sealed my win with 1 life left = haha..

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[MrSaucy]

Alright. You guys have me convinced that Thorg is useful. I guess none of my opponents have ever put me on the defensive side before. Usually I am the one dictating play. I like the ideas of using Thorg to absorb damage from flyers and lure creatures into traps. Could you use Thorg's taunt to lure a creature (that can only attack with melee attacks, let us say) from the other side of a Wall of Pikes? Thus forcing them to walk through the wall and take additional damage?

Also, doesn't taunting flyers only absorb damage and not deal damage? Melee creatures can't target flying creatures. Is counterstrike an exception to this rule? Please explain.

[baronzaltor]

Alright. You guys have me convinced that Thorg is useful. I guess none of my opponents have ever put me on the defensive side before. Usually I am the one dictating play. I like the ideas of using Thorg to absorb damage from flyers and lure creatures into traps. Could you use Thorg's taunt to lure a creature (that can only attack with melee attacks, let us say) from the other side of a Wall of Pikes? Thus forcing them to walk through the wall and take additional damage?

Also, doesn't taunting flyers only absorb damage and not deal damage? Melee creatures can't target flying creatures. Is counterstrike an exception to this rule? Please explain.

Thorg's codex says they cant be forced through walls with an attack passage trait.. but they can be forced into caltrops, gas clouds, Hellfire Traps, Teleport Traps and so on.  

Thorg's taunt is kinda special.  As per the description, he spends a full round action and just puts the token on a target up to 1 zone away and a guard token on himself.  Flying or non flying doesnt factor in.   When that flyer activates, if it doesnt have a ranged attack option it then is required to move to and attack, since Thorg is on the ground it is loses flying during its attack and gets counter attacked (because Thorg's ability gives him a guard token)  So it generally plinks off of his 4 armor and then Thorg pops it upside the head for 5-6 dice (and heals himself if hes vampiric)

[baronzaltor]

When playing Forcemaster, I wait til my Warlord opponent brings him out then I mind control him so he is definitely useful

Actually in one game I played against a Forcemaster being the Warlord, the Forcemaster got me to 1 health left and he quickly move a zone away. He forgot my Thorg is a zone away from that zone. During my turn that 5 quick strike attack dice sealed my win with 1 life left = haha..

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Thorg is "warlord only" and thus cannot be mind controlled as per the FAQ.

[Sausageman]

Also, doesn't taunting flyers only absorb damage and not deal damage? Melee creatures can't target flying creatures. Is counterstrike an exception to this rule? Please explain.

Just to explain this, when a flying creature attacks a non-flying creature in melee, he loses the flying trait until the end of the attack.  An attack goes through (if memory serves) 6 steps of combat (might be 5, I'm getting old , the last step is 'Counterstrike', so Thorg or anyone guarding or with counterstrike gets to make that counterstrike before they take off again.

[dexmark]

When playing Forcemaster, I wait til my Warlord opponent brings him out then I mind control him so he is definitely useful

Actually in one game I played against a Forcemaster being the Warlord, the Forcemaster got me to 1 health left and he quickly move a zone away. He forgot my Thorg is a zone away from that zone. During my turn that 5 quick strike attack dice sealed my win with 1 life left = haha..

.

Thorg is "warlord only" and thus cannot be mind controlled as per the FAQ.

Didn't know that a "Warlord only" term will not make the Forcemaster able to mind control Thorg.

Gotta remember that..

[baronzaltor]

When playing Forcemaster, I wait til my Warlord opponent brings him out then I mind control him so he is definitely useful

Actually in one game I played against a Forcemaster being the Warlord, the Forcemaster got me to 1 health left and he quickly move a zone away. He forgot my Thorg is a zone away from that zone. During my turn that 5 quick strike attack dice sealed my win with 1 life left = haha..

.

Thorg is "warlord only" and thus cannot be mind controlled as per the FAQ.

Didn't know that a "Warlord only" term will not make the Forcemaster able to mind control Thorg.

Gotta remember that..

Yeah, i thought that too since Mind Control didnt specify that the way Steal Enchantment or Steal Equipment did but I was pointed to the FAQ on the same error myself.

[DarthDadaD20]

At first the rules were not clear, and had to be decided after release....so dont fell bad. The card or rules (At first) makes no specification against it.