I've played a few games with Ankaur Maro as a hero now and two of them I have been trounced, and one of them has been a narrow, VERY narrow defeat...(actually I may have lost handily that game as well but I don't remember). This has solely been as the support build Maro by the way.

1) Heartseeker is nice, but I played him FAR too defensively with it and (you'll see in my pitiful performance in the battle report coming up) he only was ever able to make one or two shots in the BR game, I think he killed a single horse.

2) He raised 4 trays, and with regenerative magic never actually healed a wound since I was too defensive to regularly attack and with that one attack I rolled no surges and didn't dial in one...so that was a waste.

3) He moves really far, but I never actually moved him more than twice...once again, I'm too defensive.

My list had 2 2x1's of archers, one I embedded in the stonghold terrain and kept them there for 4-5 turns. Where once again I was far to defensive and didn't shoot anything because nothing moved in range, and it wasn't until I had shifted them out of the terrain were they able to shoot things, when they did shoot they did their job well. My other archers became a tarpit for a 3x2 cavalry charge (Hawthorne's ability is scary...) so they were the recipients of Ankaur's special ability I added 4 trays, it made them hold up cav for 2 rounds.

I brought a 2x2 of Oathsworn, they hit hard killed some dudes, then died. It took several turns to get them into position and the charge didn't go as well as I had hoped. My opponent was better at predicting my movements than I was at predicting his. Something I really need to work on. The spearmen they hit, returned the hit on init 7 with an action to make hawthorne hit from dispatch runner. Hawthorne's damage isn't as terrible when he is only engaging one enemy.

The reanimates, with Lingering dead, they were a target that Kari ranged attack a lot but only ended up actually killing like 2-3 per turn, the downside of the Reanimates was that Kari on her first hit offed my necromancer...I still have not been able to use that guy...So Lingering dead is awesome, it really helps the survival of that unit...Once again though too defensive with this unit and they only got one attack and at that point they were only one tray...oh well...

So after a few games, I think I need try out violent forces Maro, I think for what I want Maro to do I would be better off have him as an upgrade... and play a lot more aggressively.

I'm kinda of torn on the whole business of heros, be it Maro or Hawthorne etc.

It's a lot of points you're putting into them that equates to a reasonably effective unit if spent elsewhere. Which is better?

Maro/Hawthorne sure bring interesting abilities, but if you don't exactly get to use them, did you really need them in favor of something else?

It's kinda funny as I mostly play Daqan, it wasn't until Hawthorne came out that I suddenly felt like 200pts wasn't enough.... Nothing like those darn FFG people to give me tough choices that can only be answered by playing a bunch of games. :-)

It does sorta feel to me like Maro might be better as his figure upgrade if all you want is to pump out lots of units. I've mostly just been experimenting with Hawthorne so far, so I don't really have Maro advice to offer. Thanks for the thoughts on him! I'll definitely be incorporating these when I do try him!

I've been finding that the main reason I want to run heros as stand alone figures is for the army building rules they bring with them rather then the raw stats.

I have a hard time not running Ardus because I like increased upgrade selection he offers and I think until there is a Unit that I want to include with Maro, the upgrade version will simply be better.

Not to mention maro kinda forces you to have more trays of your units than you'd normally have.

Embedded maro is awesome

1 hour ago, Jukey said:

Embedded maro is awesome

This is where I'm going with him next. I've played two games with him stand alone and I'm not sure he's work the 45-56 pts he needs to operate properly. In a small unit of reanimates with Adrus boosting the slots he makes a lot more sense. In a larger unit with simultaneous orders and something like support carrion lancer he could be interesting.

I think that if you are going to play solo with him you need a nearby unit with Profane Banner Bearer so the protector means he cant be targeted when he has low wound counts.

The issue with having him as a unit upgrade is he cant add to his own unit and you cant heal him anymore. Its potent, Ardus around lets you use a 2x2 of reanimates to have him hiding in behind a larger reanimate blob, but at that point hes just as expensive as his stand alone. Debatable if its still better though since Regenerate works against the self-damage, so he doesnt have to attack to heal.

23 minutes ago, Vineheart01 said:

The issue with having him as a unit upgrade is he cant add to his own unit and you cant heal him anymore. Its potent, Ardus around lets you use a 2x2 of reanimates to have him hiding in behind a larger reanimate blob, but at that point hes just as expensive as his stand alone. Debatable if its still better though since Regenerate works against the self-damage, so he doesnt have to attack to heal.

This last bit is the key. I've found it too hard to self heal him. Yes you loose the ranged attack but as a supporting counter charge unit or a flank protector a 2x2 unit of reanimates is quite useful.

When I tried embedding him in a 2x2 behind a 3x2 I used every spare tray I had and got it to a 3x4. Super nasty regen options.

I think I am going to try offensive Maro with VF out eventually but first I am going to try out the embedded version because the raise dead part of him is what I really like about him, though adding an out of faction unit is fun...

Played Maro last night, I equipped him with Heartseeker and Regenerative magic. He was awesome!

I was a little back behind my block of 2x2 Archers and 3x3 Reanimates, with Ardus, Support Lancer and Tactical drummer.

He kept the reanimates up a lot longer, added a tray of Archers so their threat was 3.

With 4 red runes I was chucking 4 white dice, and I shoot into the block of spearmen that was engage with my reanimates (Their undead I don't worry about moral).

Also when I add trays, can I add to Carrion lancers?

7 minutes ago, Sirdrasco said:

Played Maro last night, I equipped him with Heartseeker and Regenerative magic. He was awesome!

I was a little back behind my block of 2x2 Archers and 3x3 Reanimates, with Ardus, Support Lancer and Tactical drummer.

He kept the reanimates up a lot longer, added a tray of Archers so their threat was 3.

With 4 red runes I was chucking 4 white dice, and I shoot into the block of spearmen that was engage with my reanimates (Their undead I don't worry about moral).

Also when I add trays, can I add to Carrion lancers?

You cannot increase threat with Maro. He can only add behind the last full rank, and must stop once the unit has 4 full ranks.

Additionally, I'm pretty sure he can only add to infantry units, not cavalry or siege.

Yes he can only add to infantry.

Otherwise he would be automatically slapped into a heavy DK list once theyre out. They are tanky enough where unless they get hit HARD they could easily keep those trays around

Does anyone know the points rules for him. I played a game this week where the Maro side had more points than they started with. (He is ridiculous in a unit of reannimates)