1 minute ago, Sherizaahd said:

I agree with this, I think the point of this ability is to add trays, rather than just to regenerate trays which have been removed. I also think that it's reasonable to expect him to be able to add units however you please, since the rule for having legal unit layouts is for army building. Indeed there is a line in the rule book which specifically addresses that units will change throughout play into illegal configurations, which in no way invalidates them during play.

RRG pg 3, Army Configuration During Play sidebar.

During a game, players do not need to continually check if their army is legal. As players lose figures, trays, and upgrades, their armies may become configured in ways that are counter to the army-building rules. This is okay— the army-building rules only apply when building an army, not while playing the game.

Now, none of that means they won't restrict it to either or both of the restrictions people have mentioned, but I don't see a reason in the RAW that makes any restrictions beyond the unit being Waiqar infantry clearly intended. Hopefully, if they have those restrictions in mind they will add the text to the ability on the card so it's clear from the time the card is in our cold and clammy skeletonized hands.

The problem with adding units in a free-form manner is how quickly you can ramp up threat. A 4x4 block of Reanimates could be boosted to 8 threat in a single round (Violent Forces and a max unstable rune result).

4 minutes ago, WWHSD said:

The problem with adding units in a free-form manner is how quickly you can ramp up threat. A 4x4 block of Reanimates could be boosted to 8 threat in a single round (Violent Forces and a max unstable rune result).

Yeah, that would be the first thing I would do, and it would be very difficult to clear out those trays because you have to remove units from the back ranks first. Perhaps they will add something in like Hawethorne's ability restriction which limits the ability to 4 wide or 4 trays deep.

1 minute ago, Sherizaahd said:

Yeah, that would be the first thing I would do, and it would be very difficult to clear out those trays because you have to remove units from the back ranks first. Perhaps they will add something in like Hawethorne's ability restriction which limits the ability to 4 wide or 4 trays deep.

I suspect that they will add some general rules around effects that add trays rather than any specific restrictions for Ankaur's ability.

My guess is you will have to fill ranks equally.

I'm a little bit confused, but it is correct that Ankaur can only use his shooting ability or he adds some trays to a unit.

But he can't use both abilities at the same time, correct?

So, for my understanding, he'll become a little bit tricky to master his ability at the right time.

@WWHSD to begin: I deeply apologize for my rude post. I see that you clearly read the rules and did a lot of reflexion and clearly explain your position.

I see the reason on your quotes and after rereading this:

an army of the matching faction

Thanks for the info, that one was tricky.

6 minutes ago, Rhargar said:

I'm a little bit confused, but it is correct that Ankaur can only use his shooting ability or he adds some trays to a unit.

But he can't use both abilities at the same time, correct?

So, for my understanding, he'll become a little bit tricky to master his ability at the right time.

His ranged attack and his skill are on the same dial. The only way that he could do both in the same round is with the assistance of an upgrade like Dispatch Runner (but that's only melee so doesn't quite work).

2 minutes ago, druchii7 said:

I deeply apologize for my rude post.

I didn't take it personally. It's easy to get frustrated when someone doesn't seem to be grasping the point you are trying to make. On the Internet that frustration can look like rudeness. I appreciate the apology but it wasn't needed.

7 minutes ago, druchii7 said:

Thanks for the info, that one was tricky.

That's the point of arguing about these things here. There's a lot of crap hidden in the rules. There's a lot of baggage and assumptions that we all bring in from other games.

1 hour ago, Rhargar said:

I'm a little bit confused, but it is correct that Ankaur can only use his shooting ability or he adds some trays to a unit.

But he can't use both abilities at the same time, correct?

So, for my understanding, he'll become a little bit tricky to master his ability at the right time.

Yup to add trays he has to dial up skill symbol. Then next turn dialup a legitimate ranged attack to heal himself. Makes him vulnerable, and exciting to play I am assuming.

OK, but then I think it could be a good way, if you use a unit of spearman with a mage to make sure that the runes work in your favour.

2 hours ago, Ywingscum said:

Makes him vulnerable, and exciting to play I am assuming.

This - soooo much this.

Very much looking forward to this character.

He seems like he will open up a more "traditional" undead playstyle of grinding attrition.

I even like the model!

Maybe I'm a bit slow but I've just noticed that Ankaur comes with 2 Waiqar only Champion Upgrades. Now obviously one of these will be an Infantry Figure Upgrade but it's really likely that the second will be a Cavalry Figure Upgrade. If so I wonder which of his abilities the upgrade will keep?

If Lord Hawthorne follows this pattern I may even loo at the full 9 block Oathsworm as an option!

35 minutes ago, stet2 said:

Maybe I'm a bit slow but I've just noticed that Ankaur comes with 2 Waiqar only Champion Upgrades. Now obviously one of these will be an Infantry Figure Upgrade but it's really likely that the second will be a Cavalry Figure Upgrade. If so I wonder which of his abilities the upgrade will keep?

If Lord Hawthorne follows this pattern I may even loo at the full 9 block Oathsworm as an option!

There's one on foot and one on $%&/%·$ weird cavalry thing, as you know. Then there are 2 possibilities:

1 champion upgrade for infantry and 1 for death knights

2 champion upgrades for infantry, but with different rules (the same way as carrion lancers and golems).

Infantry tile addition sounds unlikely, wound recovery on surge... not so unlikely... who knows?

51 minutes ago, druchii7 said:

There's one on foot and one on $%&/%·$ weird cavalry thing, as you know. Then there are 2 possibilities:

1 champion upgrade for infantry and 1 for death knights

2 champion upgrades for infantry, but with different rules (the same way as carrion lancers and golems).

Infantry tile addition sounds unlikely, wound recovery on surge... not so unlikely... who knows?

One of the champion upgrades is an infantry upgrade that looks like it adds his Skill ability. I'm betting that the other will also be infantry and it will add his surge ability to the unit.

http://www.edgeent.com/home/check_public_gallery/ffrwm11_gallery_02

I can overread the card after a big effort and it says (as far as I can read) the same as the unit card. You can add infantry trays, but not all the words are readable and some are hidden.

1 hour ago, Budgernaut said:

I'm betting that the other will also be infantry and it will add his surge ability to the unit.

Hmmm, I don't know about that. It makes sense for command characters (standard bearer, necromancer, etc.) to have multiple versions of them since they are not unique and you can have multiple copies of them in your army, BUT Ankaur is a unique character and I don't see how they can justify (thematically) offering two "versions" of it for an infantry champion upgrade. The same way that we don't have two versions of champion upgrades for Ardus and Kari. Why Ankaur would behave in two possible different ways from inside an infantry unit? Based on the kind of magic staff he brings to the battlefield that day? Not that I personally care for "thematic realism", I just don't expect FFG to go that way.

Therefore, as others suggested, my bet would be that its other champion upgrade card is for cavalry units, with slightly different bonuses or mechanics thematically justified by the fact that its mount has some kind of attack or special ability.

On 5/15/2017 at 4:01 PM, Sulfurious said:

Haha! Yea, all of the sudden FFG gave Waiqar players a reason to buy out of faction. Who da thunk it?

I called this.

Not only buying out of faction, but buying extra Reanimates and/or Reanimate Archers for those trays he'll be adding. Who knew Waiqar was filthy rich?

I would be filthy rich too if I didn't have to buy food all the time.

7 hours ago, King Cheesecake said:

I would be filthy rich too if I didn't have to buy food all the time.

You would be just plain filthy if you lived in a moldy, festering swamp with giant, flesh-eating maggots.