Faith, Steel, Orcs, and SpellsA Warhammer: Invasion Spotlight by Guest Writer Torsten Krämer
Five bold Battle Packs have propelled us deep into the blistering skirmishes of the Eternal War cycle for Warhammer: Invasion The Card Game. New legends have risen to lead the Old World’s races. New units have devised clever ambushes and conducted profitable raids. And the battlefields flow with blood.
The screams of the dying are drummed out by the war cries of the victorious, and the Eternal War cycle, in conjunction with the game’s latest FAQ, have driven Warhammer: Invasion players back to the deadly to-and-fro of the game’s lethal combats. You want to survive? Then you must win. You want to win? Then you must crush your foes on the field of battle.
Throughout the Eternal War cycle, each of the game’s six races have received a new legend, a cheap one-cost support, and a new Mission quest – all but one, that is, the Empire. Still, their time is coming. Their patron god, Sigmar, would never abandon them, and their faith keeps them true. It unites them. It gives them strength. In Faith and Steel, the Empire rallies around its legend, Balthasar Gelt (Faith and Steel, 101) and re-enters the fray, newly focused and re-energized!
Today, guest writer Torsten Krämer explores some of the exciting possibilities awaiting players with the release of Faith and Steel.
Torsten Krämer on Anything but the Empire
The upcoming Battle Pack, Faith and Steel, will give the Empire a major boost. They get their new legend, quest, cheap support statue, and an Ambush unit. In fact, there will be so much nice stuff for the Empire, one of the other factions will get jealous and steal its Experience mechanic! And what do Warhammer: Invasion guest writers do when the Empire is demanding so much serious attention? We ignore it. Of course.
Let's talk about the Orcs instead! They’re green, they like pigs, and in Warhammer: Invasion, they have always been about attacking. If the Orcs don't try to hit you fast and hard, they try to smash everything you own…and then hit you fast and hard. This aspect of their personality has been reinforced throughout the Eternal War cycle, demonstrated by their newfound methods of generating multiple battlefield phases.
In Faith and Steel, the Orcs get another unit that fits in nicely with their offensive endeavors, but they also–finally–get a card for defense. And I think it’s one of the very best cards yet for the Orcs, who have desperately wanted more good supports. The Orc Warning Post (Faith and Steel, 112) can keep any zone quite safe. Actually, because it’s not unique, using multiple copies of it can keep all of your zones quite safe, or keep one of them ridiculously safe.
Sure, all your opponent needs to do to blank its text box is sacrifice a development, but you know what Orcs are good at besides attacking? Getting rid of developments! With a Snotling Invasion (Fragments of Power, 18) underway, Grimgor Ironhide (Core Set, 63) cleaning up, or even just an old-fashioned Smash-Go-Boom! (Core Set, 74), you might be able to force your opponent into some dire troubles as he tries to blank the Warning Post's text box. This can give you the time you need to set up a devastating series of battlefield phases, or finally see your unit on Smash ‘Em All! (Core Set, 72) complete the quest.
What Next?
The final card in Faith and Steel, the one with the highest set number, has a name that aptly fits its place as the final card in the Eternal War cycle: End Times (Faith and Steel, 120).
This neutral Epic Spell has more to offer than a fitting name, though. It can be a powerful finisher and the basis for a risky, yet potentially devastating strategy. Think about it: How many big and powerful units with come-into-play effects can you fit into a deck trying to profit from End Times? It can be a risky gamble, turning out better for your opponent than for you, and it can be a nasty early surprise for an opponent trying to destroy your deck.
Will you try to use End Times? More importantly, how will you prepare for it showing up in your opponents' decks? An unpredictable, tricky powerhouse, End Times is just one of many cards in Faith and Steel that ensure the battlefields of Warhammer: Invasion continue to ring with the sounds of Eternal War!
Thanks, Torsten!
Much as the card, End Times, can be a powerful finisher, it shows how the battles of Warhammer: Invasion can rage eternal. New forces arrive to replace those who have fallen, ancient enmities between the races are rekindled, and the Old World trembles as their armies collide!
Look for End Times, Orc Warning Post, and the other cards from Faith and Steel to add more fuel to the fires of Warhammer: Invasion when this Battle Pack arrives at retailers next week. In the meantime, visit our website and forums for more news and discussion related to Warhammer: Invasion, including the announcement of the 2013 Warhammer: Invasion The Card Game European Championships!
...
Source:
Faith, Steel, Orcs, and Spells
