Deckbuilding 2014

By Killax, in Warhammer 40,000: Conquest - Strategy

Because the year is allready almost over and we allready had some really good times with our Core sets and now are experimenting with our first ever Warpack: The Howl of Blackmane I decided to put my "Tournament Competative" decks here.

Hope you like them, comments are always welcome as Im looking for improvement. I know I've made many mistakes in the past allready and still am uncertain at times considering rules and cards to include into my decks. Nontheless, here we go:

Captain Cato Sicarus:

Army (32)
  • 2x 10th Company Scout
  • 3x Blood Angels Veterans
  • 3x Daring Assault Squad
  • 3x Eager Recruit
  • 3x Earth Caste Technician
  • 3x Honored Librarian
  • 4x Sicarius's Chosen
  • 3x Tactical Squad Cardinis
  • 3x Vash'ya Trailblazer
  • 2x Veteran Brother Maxos
  • 3x Void Pirate
Attachment (9)
  • 3x Ion Rifle
  • 2x Iron Halo
  • 3x Promotion
  • 1x Tallassarian Tempest Blade
Event (8)
  • 3x Drop Pod Assault
  • 3x Indomitable
  • 2x The Fury of Sicarius

Support (1)
  • 1x Cato's Stronghold

This deck is build specific for the midgame and relies on card/resource advantage to win the game. So

far I can say this deck has never dissapointed me and is one of the most solid decks I currently play with. The number of Iron Halo, Ion Rifle, Exterminatus and Indomitable is the most likely to change overtime but again this has been a very worthy deck.

Commander Shadowsun:

Army (37)
  • 2x 10th Company Scout
  • 2x Daring Assault Squad
  • 3x Eager Recruit
  • 3x Earth Caste Technician
  • 3x Fire Warrior Elite
  • 2x Fireblade Kais'Vre
  • 3x Gun Drones
  • 3x Recon Drone
  • 4x Shadowsun's Stealth Cadre
  • 3x Tactical Squad Cardinis
  • 3x Vash'ya Trailblazer
  • 3x Vior'la Marksman
  • 3x Void Pirate
Attachment (10)
  • 1x Command-link Drone
  • 3x Ion Rifle
  • 3x Promotion
  • 3x Repulsor Impact Field
Event (2)
  • 2x Squadron Redeployment
Support (1)
  • 1x Communications Relay

Comparable to the Sicarus deck, this deck aims to win in card/resource advantage. The great thing about this deck is that it offers some great mobility and overtime card advantage.

Ragnar Blackmane:

Army (32)

  • 2x 10th Company Scout
  • 4x Blackmane Sentinel
  • 3x Blood Angels Veterans
  • 3x Daring Assault Squad
  • 3x Eager Recruit
  • 3x Earth Caste Technician
  • 3x Honored Librarian
  • 3x Tactical Squad Cardinis
  • 3x Vash'ya Trailblazer
  • 2x Veteran Brother Maxos
  • 3x Void Pirate
Attachment (9)
  • 1x Frostfang
  • 3x Ion Rifle
  • 2x Iron Halo
  • 3x Promotion
Event (8)
  • 2x Blackmane's Hunt
  • 3x Drop Pod Assault
  • 3x Indomitable
Support (1)
  • 1x Ragnar's Warcamp

This deck very much plays like a really nice mix of Cato and Shadowsun. The deck is more aggressive as the both of them but as a result can really be devastating in the lategame without relying on bigger units. The biggest difference between him and his Ultra Marine brother is how the midgame is played who in the case of Cato often plays a much bigger game.

Zarathur, High Sorcerer:

Army (28)

  • 2x Burna Boyz
  • 3x Chaos Fanatics
  • 2x Khorne Berzerker
  • 3x Ravenous Flesh Hounds
  • 3x Shoota Mob
  • 3x Splintered Path Acolyte
  • 3x Vicious Bloodletter
  • 3x Void Pirate
  • 2x Xavaes Split-Tongue
  • 4x Zarathur's Flamers
Attachment (4)
  • 3x Dire Mutation
  • 1x Mark of Chaos
Event (14)
  • 2x Infernal Gateway
  • 3x Promise of Glory
  • 3x Snotling Attack
  • 3x Tzeentch's Firestorm
  • 3x Warpstorm
Support (4)
  • 3x Ork Kannon
  • 1x Shrine of Warpflame

As oppossed to the Cato/Shadowsun and Ragnar decks this deck aims to be dominating the battles early on. So far this version of the Chaos faction deck has given me the most wins. The Burna Boyz are often switched for a single Soul Grinder and Fortress of Madness when facing Space Marines or Tau. Apart from that the deck is able to hit hard and hopefully keeps doing this until the game is won. I can only say newer players should give the Flesh Hounds a go over the Possessed.

Eldorath Starbane:

Army (26)

  • 3x Altansar Rangers
  • 3x Biel-Tan Guardians
  • 3x Earth Caste Technician
  • 3x Iyanden Wraithguard
  • 4x Starbane's Council
  • 3x Vash'ya Trailblazer
  • 3x Void Pirate
  • 1x Wailing Wraithfighter
  • 3x Wildrider Squadron
Attachment (9)
  • 3x Banshee Power Sword
  • 3x Ion Rifle
  • 1x Mobility
  • 2x Promotion
Event (14)
  • 3x Doom
  • 2x Foresight
  • 3x Gift of Isha
  • 3x Nullify
  • 3x Superiority
Support (1)
  • 1x Alaitoc Shrine

Eldorath is the last deck I played and can call competative enough. It plays one of the best control games but is still quite vunerable to the almost perfect midgame deck Sicarius brings.

As soon as I've got comfortable with my Packmaster Kith build I'll be showing that one aswell. Both Nazdreg and Straken so far have not impressed me all to much. If people would want to see my builds for them nontheless, feel free to ask.

Cheers,

Killax

Edited by Killax

Thanks got my cards a few day ago and was looking for a few samples.

Thanks got my cards a few day ago and was looking for a few samples.

Your welcome mate, some more for Straken and Nazdreg :

4 (3)

Now I currently have to admit that this deck suprised me somewhat as Id signed it off after initial play. However the inclusion of the 2 Shield Bodyguard card and Interrogator Acolyte allow for some well beatings and suprising attrition options. For sure I will not say the deck is highly competative but with a multitude of cards it can allow for key battles to be won by simple Shield cards, Bunkers and hitting heavy. The downside is that it's not incredibly potent in winning command struggles, you do however get to set up for the lategame if the deck is played well which can really mean the simple cards become the most effective.

4 (5)

Nazdreg currently works well in combat but I fully believe that this is far from it's true potential. Dakka Dakka Dakka! Will boost his deck considerably and also the inclusion of Evil Sun Warbikerz and Pain Dok will really make the Ork faction much more interesting.

Edited by Killax

In my limited understanding of the game I feel that Starken dose not have all the tools he needs right now. He's not bad but I feel he can be better. With Nazdreg ive been looking to try with chaos and guard allies, both have strong points and i can wait to dry them. Another thing I cant see why they did not put Dakka Dakka Dakka! in the first set, its orc for christ sake.

I pretty much agree with you. Currently Straken has to little to work with within the AM faction and besides that it feels he always will like the allience with Orks and SM more than being a purist deck.

Fortunatly we do have Cotaez comming up and I feel he fully synergizes with any AM card, which in turn probably will mean Straken will be put in the shadows untill we will have enough Soldier/Warriors to work with or get more cards that like Soldier/Warriors like the EAT, who do suprisingly work really well with him.

Nazdreg can go with either Ally altough I do like Sanctioned Psyker with him a lot, he really can get the most out of that 4 health and the best set up means your opponent can't really ignore it or kill it with ease. The same goes for the well costed Valkerie who also can become quite the problem in the hands of Nazdreg.

I feel that Dakka Dakka Dakka! also should have been included in the core set, maby only once but for sure it would have made whole lot of sence. Much like Battle Cry (Waaaagh), Dakka Dakka Dakka! is a well known "tactic".

My best guess is that they deemed it to powerfull for the Core set, simply said, they didn't want Orks to be one of the more competative decks straight away because it really hoses a whole lot of important cards for learning the game. Almost no Tau early drop, Void Pirate or Rogue Trader would be save.

I think ill try the Guard option first then Chaos. I must have been blind, did not realize that Sanctioned Psyker was so good for the deck.

No worries, it's lack of ATK value often makes it seem worse as most people give it credit for. As with any game, you can lack something when your other abilities make up for it. In the case of the Sanctioned Psyker it has great Command for a two drop and also happens to have a great ammount of Health for a two drop. This combined make up for the fact it actually doesn't do anything in combat.

The Packmaster Kith deck will be up soon. Still not entirerly sure about the build.

I know for me I never felt right playing Dark Eldar, even when I would borrow an army for the table top game. But that might just be old feelings.

Yeah for me personally it's the synergy with Kith I feel currently is somewhat lacking. For sure he is among the most powerfull Warlord cards + signature cards but at the same time there isn't much that currently interacts really well with the impressive ammount of tokens he's able to generate.

This however does not mean that his deck does not contain other very powerfull cards. Because saying that would be wrong...

Anyway, this is what Ive been working with with reasonable succes.

0 (3)
4 (9)

Happy 2015 in advance everybody!

Edited by Killax