Runewars: Preview – Scions of Nature
Fantasy Flight Games has a new preview for the Aymhelin Scions for the Latari Elves!
Party Treant, part Nature Elemental, the Aymhelin Scions are powerful allies of the Latari Elves. In this preview from FFG we are going to take a quick look at what these living embodiments of the forest bring to the tabletop!
“In war, Aymhelin Scions march alongside their Latari allies to protect their home. Their roots can feel the shifting of earth and stone, granting them an almost preternatural awareness of enemy movements. Cutting through enemy lines with their powerful limbs and withstanding blow after blow with their tough natural armor, these beings are powerful allies to the Elves as much as they are terrible foes to all others. As long as the Latari offer their songs in gratitude, the Aymhelin itself will move in alliance with the Elves. With the very might of nature as an ally, no foe can withstand the power of the Latari, who will stop at nothing to protect their sacred forest from destruction.”
Taking a look at the Aymhelin Scions stats, right off the bat there are a few things that are quite apparent. First, while they are tough in terms of wounds, they have a variable armor value. Much like the Rune Golem, these creatures are impacted by the ebb and flow of the magic phase. The next big thing to notice is that they have both a ranged AND a melee attack. Both of which are fairly decent in terms of dice.
Another thing to note is that for two surges you can stick your target with a stun token. (Stun tokens can be used to deny modifiers.) The last key thing is the Scion’s ability to immobilize then enemy whenever you collide. That works both ways, by the way! The Scions can be fielded in single tray of 1 or you can expand up to an entire unit of 6 for 62 points – they can also be fielded attached to other units (more on that later).
The Command dial looks fairly simple but it does have one very important march option. As mentioned the Scions are influenced by the magic of the game. Natural energy runes will cause their initiative 3 march option to be variable – but that can surprise your enemy. When you combine that with a charge action, you’ll be one of the fastest units on the draw! If the runes of magic are in your favor you could charge across the battlefield and catch an unit before they can react.
The Aymhelin Scions also have the option of being attached to your Latari Elves units. The Support Aymhelin Scion deploys to the back rank and adds a bit of maneuverability to your unit. You do have to be close to a piece of Overgrown Terrain – but as the Latari Elves player, you get to place those on the board. The Frontline Aymhelin Scion belongs in the heat of battle. You can exhaust this upgrade to stun a defender at ranged or melee. Then when you get a double surge you can ready this card.
Overall, this unit complements the Latari Elves army very well. It’s tough and mobile which helps to round out the initial army fairly well. The Scions will be included in both the Latari Elves expansion (you get one) and they will also get their own expansion upgrade box later on. So keep an eye out for these to hit shelves in Q3 of 2017!
Aymhelin Scion Unit Expansion $34.95
When the children of Latariana sound the horn for battle, the very forest answers their call. Roots erupt from the earth in a peal of thunder while limbs crack and sway as if in a gale. Moss, leaves, and flowers shift and fall and bloom again with the movements of living trees. What once appeared an old knot suddenly glows with living green light as the will of the forest awakens
The Aymhelin Scion Unit Expansion for Runewars Miniatures Game includes two Aymhelin Scion Plastic Figures, Two Plastic Siege Movement Trays and eight upgrade cards to enhance your army of Latari Elves!
Latari Elves Army Expansion $59.95
The Latari Elves Army Expansion ushers in a brand-new faction to the world of the Runewars Miniatures Game in the form of the Latari Elves. The expansion includes four new units, the Deepwood Archers, the Leonx Riders, the Aymhelin Scions and new hero Aliana of Summersong, enough to field an army of Latari Elves. The expansion also includes tokens, new mechanics and twelve upgrade cards for further customization.
When the trees march to war, you know it’s about to go down!
