FFG: Runewars – The Daqan Lords Preview
FFG takes a look at the Protectors of the Realm – Check out the armies of the Daqan Lords in Runewars!
Runewars the Miniatures Game is on the way and we’re looking forward to it. We’ve gotten a look at some of the mechanics of the game and we like what we see so far – now Fantasy Flight Games is showing off some of the units and the lore of Runewars. Today, we’re looking at the Daqan Lords.
Spearman
Spearmen form the core of the army. They are the standard infantry unit. Trained to fight as one, they are used to working in lockstep as a bristling bulwark of shields and spears. They are deadly to charge and are capable of keeping their enemies at arm’s length.
Looking at the command dials you can see how the unit works. They can raise their defenses as they advance(blue) or as they when they need to reform (green). That means it’s going to be pretty hard for your opponent to catch this unit with it’s shields down!
Looking at their cards, you can see just how these spearmen will scale with more trays. Combined with the different movement and attack options, these Spearmen are going to be a versatile addition to many Daqan armies.
Calvary
A solid core of spearmen is great – but you’re going to need something that will be able to go on the offense in your army. That’s when you can call in the Oathsworn Cavalry! These hard hitting knights are heavily armored and are mounted on the finest steads.
These knights are pretty quick as you can see from their dial. They have a march action for every speed and for various initiatives to ensure you get them where you need them. You can even attack earlier in the round at initiative 3 or wait until initiative 7 for a stronger swing – but no matter when you do that, you’ll want to get that charge off. When they initiate the contact their Impact 1 ability triggers causing the recipient of their charge to receive a panic token.
The Cavalry is pretty tough to kill once it’s dug in as well. With a base defense of 2 and the option to add an additional defense (white action) weaker units will struggle to do damage to these brave knights. They can be quite costly to get a big block of them however.
Rune Golem
Okay, let’s be honest for a moment – this is the unit we’ve all been waiting to hear more about, right?! Rune Golems are massive magical constructs and are one of the units I’m personally most excited for. When one of these Golems takes the field you know something interesting is going to happen!
Golems are heavily impacted by the magic in Terrinoth. This magic is represented in Runewars by 5 energy tokens that are cast onto the battlefield at the start of every round. These “runes” will determine how many of the magical effects happen and also impact how the Golem will be able to perform it’s own actions.
The Rune Golem doesn’t have any fancy maneuvers. In fact, it pretty much has to move in straight lines. Fortunately it has a white reform modifier which means it can reform at the end of any action. On top of that, it’s march is dependent on the number of unstable runes that pop-up. That can swing wildly from turn-to-turn. It’s defensive bonus is also bound to the number of Stable runes that appear. That will also heavily impact the amount of damage he can take in a turn.
With a defense of 4 to start, the Golem is as tough as…rock! You can also add more Golems to form some pretty crazy units. If one Golem is good, I’d be terrified to see what a Brick of them can do!
The Hero
Kari Wraithstalker is the hero of the Daqan units. She is well known for her hatred of the undead and her fighting prowess.
As a hero you can embed Kari into one of your units (probably spearmen) but, you may want to consider running her as a solo. She’s quite fast in terms of initiative. On top of that, she’s got the ability to strike from range which could come in handy for an army so melee focused.
Looking at her card you can tell that even as a solo unit she’s got the skills to pay the bills! With Brutal 1 Kari’s damage potential gets a boost and with Precise 1 she can re-roll your dice and hopefully get the best results possible. And looking at her cards we can also see a hint at more units on the way…Latari Elves!
If you want to learn more about Runewars and the Daqan units be sure to read FFG’s article about them HERE. There is a ton of great info about each unit to available in the core set for the Daqan Lords.
Runewars Miniatures Game $99.95
RuneWars: The Miniatures Game is a two-player miniatures game of battles between the great powers of Terrinoth. In each game, you and your opponent will gather armies of miniatures and lead them into battle—blocks of infantry will maneuver for position, cavalry wings will wheel and slam into a weakened flank, and monstrous rune golems or carrion lancers will smash through formations of lesser warriors. Innovative command tools, two distinct factions, and countless ways to customize your experience combine to offer an unparalleled miniatures gaming experience in RuneWars. Finally, with forty-eight beautifully sculpted, unpainted figures, you’ll be able to paint and customize your armies to bring an entirely unique touch to your games and enter the hobby of miniatures painting!
The sounds of war are in the distance. The march of the undead is coming next…
