Warlord

[Nitz]

Have seen some posts on the Forcemaster, but nothing really on the Warlord.

Anybody have any insight or tactics they've liked with this guy so far?  I know it's early days, but I'm hoping to live vicariously through some of you.

[Paleblue]

Not sure why no one has replied, but I really like the Warlord so here are a few of my thoughts.

I think of the outposts a bit like mana crystals (well the first two anyway) because they add more channeling to the barracks. As such my opening move is generally to put down the rax and a tower.

Because of the towers you can do some fun stuff with walls. In a recent game I was able to capture my opponent with earth walls and had my Ludwig triple striking him over the wall with a tower. Some crazy ideas I've had include placing a sniper on a tower centrally and then walling him in on 2 sides as an opening.

I find that all the creatures are excellent, though I'm not that thrilled with the dwarf with sweeping. Nice cost spread in terms of really cheap Orcs and Gobos through to tough named characters. Its a nice perk with they get vet status too!

One question I have, I really like the retaliate enchantment, but I find it odd that it has no sub type, should it be a command?

[DarthDadaD20]

Walls+indirect=fun on a bun! I have yet to do it, but I (Just for fun) want to make a deck with; archers tower, with all ranged creatures, a barracks, and walling it all in with wall of stone, (Ill run four) Maybe using the longbow for the warlord. If I do, Ill post how its working out.

[DarthDadaD20]

Another thing I am planing is a Iron golem command deck. Walls to trap the opponent mage in and keep his creatures out in the late game. early game, using command spells on the golems ,battle fury, charge, ect. I was trying this with the wizard, but now the warlord seems like a much better option.

[MAXedOUT]

I have won 2 games out of the 4 that i have played with the warlord. I have defeated the Forcemaster and the Warlock, and lost to the Wizard (Fire build) and the Forcemaster.

The Fire Wizard has some great AOE and is good at dealing with the mobs I sent his way and ultimately just burnt me down. The Forcmaster got me good with some well times pulls and pushes. I didnt have much I could do after the beating I took from the wall of pikes (I learned a valuable lesson on positioning that game)

I got the Forcmaster the next game, it was close however. I just made sure to dispatch the Wall of Pikes ASAP and not get in too deep without some beef for protection. I was able to swarm the forcmaster after I dealt with his thoughspores and stalker. The game Vs the Warlock was quick, I decked myself out with equipment and we went toe to toe. He almost got me dead but i had a bit more support with the items I had equipped and great damage from a few ranged guys.

All in all I think he is great and I love the flavor he brings to the table and his is no slouch in combat!

[paradox22]

Walls+indirect=fun on a bun! I have yet to do it, but I (Just for fun) want to make a deck with; archers tower, with all ranged creatures, a barracks, and walling it all in with wall of stone, (Ill run four) Maybe using the longbow for the warlord. If I do, Ill post how its working out.

I've Been wanting to try something like this too.  Let us know how it goes!

[shapeshifter]

The expansion only entered The UK last week so a bit late on the playing but have been spellbook planning some cool ideas. Some ive tried, others not yet.

The triple cost of arcane magic is a big nuisance: His access to channel increase, Dispel and Nullify is limited, but feel he has the best ranged support and armour cards available. he can build a powerful fortress to shoot from.
One aggressive opening is to rush into centre with double move first turn, droping either a War-Machine or the watchtower outpost in warlord's zone during final quick cast step (depending on opponent's opening and mage). If i chose the watchtower, I can summon and rouse the beasts a powerful Turn2 shot from the deadshot sniper for 5+ dice. Then fortress up the location with Wall of Pikes, Quicksand, Mangler Caltrops, Fortified Position and add more shots with Goblin Slingers and Ivarium Longbow.

5 Cards i recommend for the Warlord becides the obvious (outposts + boulders):
Ivarium Longbow - Take distance and shoot, make them come to you through traps
Goblin Builder - saves a mage action to build fortress cards allows more bow shots
Fortified Position - Armour +2 to all friendly in the zone, scary Amoured Grunt horde
Regrowth Belt - Blocks and Nullify are hard to fit, but regenerate plus lots of armour is easier
Charge (on Helm of Command) - adds distance to a Thorg Strike and removes Slow on Iron Golem

I have had some mana problems with the warlord, but sometimes found that going the horde path mid-game can build up mana for me into the late-game. 2 grunts (one from barracks one from mage) does not exceed my channeling, so can build up mana while creating problems for my opponent.

[Tacullu64]

I played the warlord vs the forcemaster yesterday. I lost a close game. It came down to a final turn in which one of us was going to lose and it ended up being the warlord. I feel like the warlord is a fairly strong mage with a steeper learning curve than I initially thought he would have. I really liked his Barracks spawnpoint. With the goblins ranging in price from cheap to dirt cheap you can really churn out the creatures.

Those that take the time to learn how to properly play the warlord should be formidable opponents. It's going to take some practice to get the timing and positioning down when playing his outposts. It's also going to take a few more plays before I start to get a feel for how to play him properly.

[dexmark]

I studied the Warlord deck.

- Opening round should be the following:

Turn 1:
1: Tower
2: Barracks (2 mana)

Turn 2:
1: Mana Crystal
2: Tower

= At turn 3 you have 13 Mana channeling or more mana to afford any big hitters.
Lots of option here. You can deploy mid to big solider hitters during deployment phase and quick cast enchantment on them to help your Warlord.  From here most of the soldiers you sent can be afforded each turn.
= depending if your opponent is aggressive or not you may throw in some walls at turn 3 and set up your sniper on one of the wall tower. I am thinking of comboing wall and sniper on a tower.

= The Goblin Builder is a good card. Don't forget that he can cast conjuration (from what I can read from his card). I take this that it can build more walls or plant the catapult at a distance or plant more tower for more mana regen. The Goblin Builder is part of my deck spells. I normally would just make him run around the field while there are action going on a different part of the map for him to summon a conjuration (wall, catapult and outpost). He can be annoying when he tries to repair walls.

[Paleblue]

I studied the Warlord deck.

- Opening round should be the following:

Turn 1:
1: Tower
2: Barracks (2 mana)

Turn 2:
1: Mana Crystal
2: Tower

= At turn 3 you have 13 Mana channeling or more mana to afford any big hitters.
Lots of option here. You can deploy mid to big solider hitters during deployment phase and quick cast enchantment on them to help your Warlord.  From here most of the soldiers you sent can be afforded each turn.
= depending if your opponent is aggressive or not you may throw in some walls at turn 3 and set up your sniper on one of the wall tower. I am thinking of comboing wall and sniper on a tower.

= The Goblin Builder is a good card. Don't forget that he can cast conjuration (from what I can read from his card). I take this that it can build more walls or plant the catapult at a distance or plant more tower for more mana regen. The Goblin Builder is part of my deck spells. I normally would just make him run around the field while there are action going on a different part of the map for him to summon a conjuration (wall, catapult and outpost). He can be annoying when he tries to repair walls.

I actually have hand of bim shalla in my warlord deck. When I have spare mana I use the builder to create them while my warlord does important stuff. I guess you could even rush with the Warlord and have the goblin support you by creating forges / bim shalla etc.

[sIKE]

I've only played him once, but one of my conclusions was that you should plan where you wish to camp the Warlock and place the Barracks there. That way when you bring a critter out it would get the protection from the Fortified Position. The FM I played against just camped out at the Spawn Point and Slaughtered my goblins/dwarves/orcs as they came out . I sat in the corner armored to the teeth and lost via torment rules.

About the only difference I would recommend is on Round three cast Harmonize on Barracks and find your camping spot and cast Fortified Position  each round from there use Barracks to bring out a critter and then use you remaining actions to get you equipment out including the very powerful "command" ones. Once your army is built it would be time to get out there and let slip the dogs of war and cry havoc.

Pre-release there was a lot of comparisons between the FM's blade and the Warlords hammer. It is very powerful once buffed up. I was impressed. As always keep more creatures in the same zone as the IS and he becomes a Mana drain on the FM and will at some point be forced to use him and when he is visible you swarm is butt.