Hi, I've tried to play all factions and I've found Chaos the hardest to play (and win with it). Can you give me some advice (resource, draw, developments and so on)?

Keep in mind that I own 1 core set.

Thanks, D

Well... With 3 of each core set I've made a nice rushing deck that gives Orcs a run for their money. The trick is that Chaos can support its units in very nice ways. The various mutations are all very powerful.

Flames of Tzeentch and Blood for the Blood God are excellent cards: use them early on to disrupt your opponent's resources/card drawing, and later to destroy anything nasty that is pounding on you from the battlefield.

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Other than that I can't give you any help in regards to playing the vanilla boxed game.

With only one core set, your best option with Chaos is to play mixed Orc/Chaos. Try putting in all the great support cards both races can field, then throw in alot of low cost units and a few high cost units (Grimgor, Bloodthirster)

Unless you can get 2+ Power out there from your starting hand on your first turn (Savage Marauders FTW) to your KZ (maybe 1 to QZ), take a mulligan. You'll need resources.

Dam said:

In fact I noticed that both resource and draw are quite important for chaos. Is there a rule of thumb for building this to zones over the game?

If I'm lucky I can manage to reach 14/15 resource and 5/6 cards per turn. But it's useless against say Dwarf or Empire, 'cause they are already in control.

davide.mazzocchi said:

That's too much IMO. Need to kill the opponent earlier. Speaking from a 1x Core Set player POV.

My games hardly ever see above 7 resources and 3-4 card draws. Everything else is being played to the battlefield trying to smash the opponent.

I aim for 7-8 resources and 4-5 cards trying to get a bunch of cheap units in my hand to feed my blood thirster or one of the nice corruption combos going. If I have to slug it like an Orc deck and try and rush from the battlefield with ZChaos I'm in trouble.

With one core set I think your biggest problem is going to be handling the Orc rush deck. It is tough to build up before the game is over. i am still struggling with anti-rush strategies and card mixes. i am actually working on an intro to Chaos strategy article that I intend to post on BGG. All in my head right now but the exercise is helping me form my thoughts. Here are a couple of unpolished thoughts:

1. kingdom is critical. you have lots of cards that can be resource hogs so you want to get that resource engine running fast. I would say at least 7-8, maybe as high as 9-10. I actually hit 14 last night but that was partly due to the empire player force marching some of my units into Kingdom. Consider some developments their to fuel Armoury and/or Contested Stronghold. Shrine to Nurgle is probably a must with just one core set.

2. Developments in battlefield can be very useful. One weakness in the Chaos deck is the ability to destroy support cards. Look at the neutral card ":Burn It Down" and then think about having 4 developments in your battlefield. you also get the boost to your savage gores.

3. Most of your units that have quest zone special abilities are not good defenders but their abilities can be very powerful. Since you are not going to defend with them it does not matter if they are corrupted so this is a good place to warpstone excavation. A goal of 3-5 card draw by mid game could be a good target.

Put those three together and I say a beginning strategy is develop kingdom and battlefield and do not worry much about defending quest zone. If you have a shrine out, play Nurgle's pestilence during the Battlefield Phase (before assign attacker/defender) can be a game changer.

As another thought. The two expansion packs give you some additional options. In particular, Path of The Zealot (pack 2) has some GREAT Chaos cards and a nice inderect damage neutral card.

The key to Chaos is Corruption.

Keep in mind that your oppont can only uncorrupt 1 unit per turn.

Nurgle Shrines -> corrupt units that take damage

Nurgle Demons -> corrupt a unit in the corresponding zone when they enter play

There's also a tactic card that allows you to pick and corrupt a unit.

Play this right and you will usually have an open lane of attack in a sector.

Pay attention with the Bloodthirster against empire! They WILL move him quickly to your quest zone...

In my experience that works well.

Silverwings said:

Pay attention with the Bloodthirster against empire! They WILL move him quickly to your quest zone...

Yeah, Empire is way more evil than Chaos . Although, if you're worried about decking out with BT in QZ, "Culling the Weak" comes in handy.

Silverwings said:

Pay attention with the Bloodthirster against empire! They WILL move him quickly to your quest zone...

Bloodthirster isn't Lord of the Pit : you may sacrifice it for its own Forced. So no worries (but you lose your big guy to a 2-cost tactic...)

RexGator said:

Noob question, what is BGG?

BGG is www.boardgamegeek.com A database about board and cardgames.

Reading through this has given me some ideas on how to play Chaos. Using the corruption aspect is almost like a control type deck as if you corrupt alot of your opponents units he can only uncorrupt one a turn. Now to build a deck and try it out.

I've had little success with the "mass corruption" aspect of Chaos. But they are the best snipers in the world, (so far anyway). Look at the Dark Elf tactics cards. Splash those in. With Chosen or Nurgle Sorc in your quest zone you can spend 4 resources to do two damage to any unit. There is a tactics card that will destroy any damaged unit. We need your blood can kill off the little guys out there. Then you've got Chaos Knights and the Bloodsworn when you need heavy hitters, (Or the pus hero or Bloodthirster if you've got the resources). I'm like 9-1 with this deck against Dwarves, Empire and Chaos.

I am pretty close to posting my corruption deck. Still deciding if I want to stay at 50 cards or go to 60 so i can add a little versatility into the build. Still like the idea that I could have one 60 card deck to take on any comers.

Need more ways to corrupt units I am finding.

- How to play Chaos?

- Using fractals as units.

Toqtamish said:

Use 'Bule, Lord of Pus', from the Zealot BP. It corrupts a unit every turn.

I know, I have two of him in my deck, my favorite Chaos unit so far.

I've been building big kingdom and quest zones trying to get some big card draws (using a 65 card deck even though my Empire and Orc are strictly 50), and I've been fairly successful. I use the orc quest to blow away support, some sniping, and late game I pull out the heavies. It needs some tweaking, but it is very fun and has consistently won VS dwarfs and empire (but haven't played VS orcs yet). The Dark Elves help the deck immensely.