Mage Knight 2.0 Graphical Battle Report – Army Building Part 1
By Kevin Goddard

This week Brook and I are going to take a different approach to the Graphical Battle Reports. Instead of using armies provided by WizKid’s Warlords, we are going to crack open one starter and four boosters each, and build the best army possible. This week we will delve into the boosters, looking at each warrior, and detail our thoughts as we build our armies. Next week, those armies will face off!

While seasoned players may get nuggets of information from this series, new players will gain the most, as they can see how a 2.0 army is built from the ground up, and what they can expect from a minimal purchase. Certainly adding more boosters would open up more possibilities.

First, we will look at the contents of my starter and boosters. Check back in a couple of day’s for Brook’s report. Brook and I are writing these separately and only have a glancing knowledge of what each other pulled out of our starters and boosters.

In this type of environment, where I don’t have a ton of warriors on hand, I tend to look at pieces that will serve multiple purposes. At the same time, specialists are a strong feature in 2.0, so I want to make sure to take advantage of those as well. I’m going to be looking at special abilities, attack bonuses and damage. Faction and sub-faction will also factor in a bit. Formations are handy, especially ranged formations with bow attack type warriors, which allows the primary attacker to either add +2 to his attack for each warrior in the formation, or +1 to his damage.

See next post for the rest of this article.

Starter:
Kierin Starsdawn
** Gulthak Orc
** Shocktrooper
** Mortar Altem (should be Mortar, unless figure name states otherwise)
* Rock Griffin
* Magestone Golem
** Khamsin Trooper
*** Deathsinger
* Atlantean Swordmage
Galeshi Sunsword – R002
Rain and Mud – D003

Kierin Starsdawn is available in every starter. An Elven Lord archer, he is a Unique which will give every player a possible warrior to equip with a relic. As each starter contains a relic as well, starters are actually a good deal! However, the relic is random, and may not work with Kierin.

Looking at Kierin’s stats, he’s all about ranged combat. With Bound on his first two clicks, and tons of Arcing Fire (throughout the dial? Put something like that here) means that Kierin wants to move out fast, then take advantage of his 10 inch range. He’s a good piece at 77 points, but he will need an offensive wall to block for him. His sub-faction ability is Gallant Defense, which allows him to share his defense.

The standard Gulthak Orc is a good cheap ranged unit. 26 points would get me a ranged combat warrior with a 6 inch range and 2 damage. Toss in the Lurk sub-faction ability and he gets a dose of toughness and a bonus in concealing terrain.

The standard Shocktrooper is similar to the Gulthak Orc, but is 10 points cheaper. The tradeoff is the two final clicks of the Demoralized on the Shocktrooper. The Shocktrooper also has a longer range at 8, though one less ranged damage of 1.

Next out of the box is the standard Mortar Altem. He has that pesky Bombardment Special Ability, which certainly is attractive. His 14 inch range with 2 damage makes him another good ranged unit, but 37 points is a bit expensive.

Soaring units are always useful, due to the fact that they can get pretty much anywhere on the field. The weak Rock Griffin is a good close combat warrior, considering it has Quickness, which is one of my favorite abilities. Having the option to move a warrior without using an action is always useful, and on a Soaring warrior, it’s even better. The Rock Griffin is a pure close combat warrior, with a strong 3 damage on his first three clicks. Its defense is a bit low at 16; however he might work well as a bodyguard for Kierin if I decide to use him.

The Weak Magestone Golem is a good multi-purpose unit. While primarily a close combat warrior with Thunderblow and 3 damage, he also has a 10 inch ranged attack with 2 damage. Forty-eight points would also buy me a healthy dose of toughness, which should help the Magestone Golem last longer. So far I have 3 Atlantean Empire units, 2 Elven Lords and 1 Orc, so I am keeping an eye out for more Atlanteans.

The weak Khamsin Trooper fits in between the Gulthak Orc and Shocktrooper on the power scale. Only 2 more points than the Shocktrooper, the Khamsin Tooper has a longer ranged attack, but an almost identical dial as the Shocktrooper. The Khamsin Trooper, however, does have a better ranged damage of 2.

The Deathsinger is a great close combat piece at 38 points. The Deathsingers really demonstrate the forethought put into the warriors in this set. Her first click has good stats, but no special abilities. Getting her into her second click is where the fun starts. Surging her off of that first click and into her Thunderblow is great. Vampirism as a sub-faction ability is also handy.

The last warrior out of the starter is the Atlantean Swordmage. We will be learning more about him soon.

Finally I take a look at the relic and domain that come with the starter. These are random across the starters. The Galeshi Sunsword relic comes in at an even 40 points, though it requires a sword attack type. Kierin won’t be using this. I would like to use it, however, as it prevents the wielder from being a target of a ranged combat attack, and ups a warrior’s speed by 1 and attack by 2. If I pull a unique that can use it, I probably will build with it. The Rain and Mud domain is familiar to me. Slowing everything down to 8 might be useful, depending on what else I pull, but not being able to Surge is not something I like. If I pull some Charge units, I might reconsider.

Booster 1:
* Vampiric Skeleton
* Dark Crusader
* Crusader Priest
* Gulthak Orc
CT-011 – Living Archers Shield

Three Dark Crusader warriors in one booster? Sweet! However, all four units are weak versions. Nevertheless, there may be some potential here.

The Vampiric Skeleton is exactly what its name says — a skeleton with Vampirism on its dial. Its first click has a 4 damage on it, which is nice for a 24 point warrior. It drops to 3 on its second click, where its Vampirism starts. So I can Surge with it, take a click, and then, upon a successful close combat attack, heal back to full health. Not a bad piece, especially if I have some Necromancy somewhere.

The Dark Crusader is pure melee. Parry on her first two clicks is represented by her big shield. She might be a good companion for the Vampiric Skeleton.

Crusader Priest has some interesting possibilities. Necromancy on his dial is one thing I was looking for. A Wand Attack with a plus 2 damage is great, especially with his 2 damage at 8 inches. If he takes some damage, he gets Ghostform, which makes him impossible to hit with ranged attacks.

The weak Gulthak Orc is a bit cheaper then the standard one at 21 points. A 6 inch range with 2 damage is not bad, especially with the Lurk sub-faction ability.

Speaking of the Lurk sub-faction ability, the Living Archers Shield is a great piece of concealing terrain that I can put one of the Gulthak Orcs behind to provide the concealing terrain needed for the defensive bonus. It can also be moved across the field, though slowly.

Booster 2:
Horned Hunter
** Vampire Archer
** High Elven Warrior
** Khamsin Trooper
CT-018B – Wooden Watchtower

Ahh, the Horned Hunter. My foe from a previous battle might be the centerpiece for my army. Here is a warrior who can take advantage of the Galeshi Sunsword relic. Forty points on top of his 65 would be a third of my army, but he would be tough to pull down. I still have two boosters to go through, but I have several options at this point.

The standard Vampire Archer is a great Winged Speed Type ranged combatant. Fast, with 10 speed and a 7 attack with a +2 bonus on ranged attacks is not too shabby. Arcing Fire lets him shoot over whomever he wants and a 12 inch range is nothing to turn down. He also has Ghostform further down his dial, providing some protection.

The standard High Elven Warrior is another inexpensive solid melee piece. He does have the Forced March sub-faction ability, which might come in handy, though his speed is only 8. A consistent 2 damage is not too bad. Not a piece I would field on its own, but with the right support, it might be worth considering.

The second standard Khamsin trooper is just like the previous one. A third might make a great ranged combat formation.

The Wooden Watchtower piece is one of three, so right now it’s not going to do me any good. I’d love to get the other pieces though; the “hot dog stand” is great for a long ranged warrior.

Booster 3:
** Gulthak Orc
*** Deathsinger
*** Steam Knight
* Steam Mauler
Blaster Lands – D013

A third Gulthak Orc doth a ranged formation make! All three have Lurk, and all three are similar, inexpensive units.

The second Deathsinger is also important. I am really leaning towards a Dark Crusader/Orc Khan army, with the Horned Hunter as a beat stick. However I have one booster left, and 2 big golems to look at first.

The Steam Knight is primarily a close combat golem, though he does have an 8 inch ranged attack with 3 damage. Crushing Blow and Toughness are hard to ignore on this guy, but 67 points is a lot of my build total. Still, that +2 to his close combat attack might come in handy.

The weak Steam Mauler has Bombardment. Defiantly a ranged combat specialist with a +2 attack on his bow attack. Once he loses Bombardment, he gains Arcing Fire, which is an interesting switch. Ten inches at 3 damage is not too bad either. This is the kind of warrior that I would hold far back and rain damage from afar. If I were building a permanent army, I would consider the Steam Mauler. In this case, I wouldn’t use it, simply because I don’t expect Brook to sit back — he’s much more aggressive.

The Blasted Lands Domain is an interesting one, though I’m not sure if I would use it. Clearing the field of terrain isn’t bad, but causing one damage to every unit as it’s placed might force me to change my strategy a bit. Still, it might work well, so I keep it in mind.

Booster 4:
** Orc Warbeast
* Guild Enhanancer
* Orc Hunter
** Dark Crusader
CT-018C – Wooden Watchtower

The Standard Orc Warbeast is a great close combat beat stick. Thunder Blow is great, and he has plenty of damage and attack to back it up. I’m seeing lots of Orcs so far, so he might come in handy.

The weak Guild Enhancer isn’t bad, though I am not sure on his place in my army. Wand Attack at 10 inches and 2 damage is not bad, and Magic Confusion can be useful, given the right circumstances. At 25 points, he goes into the “consider” pile.

More Orcs! The Orc Hunter has Arcing Fire. So I’m starting to think of a ranged formation, with the Gulthak Orcs as a front line, and the Orc Hunter behind them. The Gulthak Orcs have a slightly shorter range, but can formation attack. The Orc Hunter can sit behind them and fire away. With other units with Arcing Fire, I might not use the Hunter, but it would be handy to move them in formation.

The standard Dark Crusader has Stealth, instead of the Parry that shows up on the weak version. Considering that my Orc warriors gain from concealing terrain, this Dark Crusader may be useful as well.

The second piece of the Wooden Watchtower is nice, but it’s not going to build the constructed terrain. I’ll just have to go out and buy more boosters to complete it later.

Putting It All Together

Well, I really want to start with the Horned Hunter, armed with the Galeshi Sunsword. That ties up just over a third of my build total, at 105 points combined. That is a ton of points, so I might reconsider that later.

First, I split the remaining warriors into factions. Dark Crusade has the most with 7 warriors. Atlantean Empire and Orc Khans are tied at 5. Black Powder Revolutionaries are next at 4, and I only have 3 Elven Lords.

I then organize them first by point cost, then by damage. Lots of ways to look at these warriors, lots of different options. My playing style tends to favor a lot of warriors on the field, with a fairly aggressive approach to attacking and damage. However, in 2.0, covering objectives is important as well.

In the long run I spend a long time running numbers. I really want to keep the Horned Hunter with the Galeshi Sunsword, but he’s 105 points, and that’s a third of my force, no matter how I cut it. So I really have to consider what he’s going to bring to the table, and at the same time, what I’m going to give up. With the relic, he’s moving at 11 inches, and has a 12 attack, and 3 damage. He can’t be targeted by ranged combat, either, which means that Brook will have to come to him. Uniques in 2.0 are also great due to the fact that their bases cover the token. I could put the Horned Hunter on the center objective, and force Brook to deal with him.

That being said, there are a lot of close combat warriors in Mage Knight, and Brook is sure to field some. Since I don’t know what he is bringing, I can’t worry about it. Instead I decide to focus on what I would bring to any game.

So I set the Horned Hunter aside for a moment, keeping that 105 point cost in the back of my head. The ranged Orc formation is pretty decent, totaling 94 points for the three Gulthak Orcs and the Orc Hunter. However, the Gulthak’s range is 6, which is a bit short for my liking. The Orc Hunter’s range at 8 is better, and he can fire over them. I am concerned with their attack values of 7 (or 8 at range). I do plan on using them in formation, so I can beef that up. Combined with the Horned Hunter, the army would be 199 points.

Having both a ranged formation and a single close combat warrior, I decide that I need more close combat. The natural selections are the Dark Crusaders and Deathsingers. I actually like the weak Dark Crusader better, since Parry is pretty good. Stealth might be okay, if I need hindering, but I’m not sure the 5 points are worth it. Taking a closer look at the two Dark Crusaders, and the build total, I decide on the tough Dark Crusader. In the long run, it had to do with leaving 5 points of my army open, or filling them. The tough one is better then the weak version, and the difference for 5 points is worth it. I do want both tough Deathsingers, as they are capable of dishing out a good amount of damage. So the two tough Deathsingers and the tough Dark Crusader come in at 101 points. So that’s a round 300 points.

Well, that’s one way to look at it. However, a couple of things are bothering me about this. First, I still don’t like locking a third of my points in one warrior, and then another third in short range Orcs. So I go back and look at the other warriors.

I like the Dark Crusade formation, they balance out well, and have good damage potential. Losing the Orcs means I need some ranged, and losing the Horned Hunter means I need more damage. Four warriors stand out in those categories. The Rock Griffin can move fast, is good in close combat and can do 3 damage. I also like the idea of being able to soar around and tie up opposing warriors. Rolling for break away on a 1 is also useful as well.

Next, I take a look at the Vampire Archer. As with the Rock Griffin, he also has the Winged Speed Type. More suited to range, his 12 inch range with 2 damage is great, especially considering his Arcing Fire. Life Drain is also pretty good, because it gives him a chance to heal up as he causes damage.

The Magestone Golem would be another good addition. He has Thunder Blow, starting at 3 damage and Toughness. An additional ranged attack at 10 inches is helpful. Finally, I can add an Orc Warbeast into the mix. Adding all of this together, I end up at 279, 20 points short. I add in the weak Dark Crusader, bringing me up to 299 points.

So now I have two options, both solid armies. Here is how they break down:

Horned Hunter + Galeshi Sunsword - 105
*** Deathsinger – 38
*** Deathsinger – 38
** Dark Crusader – 25
* Gulthak Orc – 21
** Gulthak Orc – 26
** Gulthak Orc – 26
* Orc Hunter – 21
Total – 300 points

or

*** Deathsinger – 38
*** Deathsinger – 38
** Dark Crusader – 25
* Dark Crusader – 20
** Vampire Archer – 41
* Magestone Golem – 48
** Orc Warbeast – 47
* Rock Griffin – 42
Total – 299 points

After much agonizing, I settle on the second army. While the first has a good balance of ranged and close combat, I think it lacks in damage somewhat. I’m also concerned about that 6 inch range on the Gulthaks; that’s short for a game where a lot of double timing and surging goes on. I could use the Rain and Mud domain to slow Brook down, but in the long run, that army would want to be able to Surge. So instead I settled on the second army, as I think it moves fast, has high damage potential and is fairly robust. I can protect objectives if I need to; otherwise I can bring the battle to my opponent.

Finally I decide against a domain. Blasted Lands would remove terrain from the field, which I plan on using. I’ll bring the Living Archer Shield for the terrain pool, as well as some blocking and concealing.

Looking back over all the warriors as a collection, however, I see the opportunity for several more armies. The Crusader Priest would be a great back-up piece for almost any army, but combine him with the potent punch of the Vampire Skeleton, and those pieces could easily be used to start an army. The two pieces with Bombardment would give me excellent field coverage. With 1 starter and 4 boosters, I have more than just two armies. With some work and imagination, I could easily create several more.

Check back in a couple of days for Brook’s report, and next week for the results of our battle!