Ankaur Maro

By ArcusCalka, in Runewars List Building

Ankaur Maro...

Second hero for the undead army. Any ideas how to use him? With which unique? Offense or regenerating reanimates? He looks quite squishy.

Do you have any history with him?

If you're going to use him out, I'm a fan of regenerative magic, to heal easier. I usually regenerate reanimates, but if 4 unstable runes drop I take the 4 white die to try to decimate something.

I've lately preferred having him as a figure upgrade. With Ardus on the field he can be in a 2x2 of reanimates, without Ardus, a 3x2. Maro, lingering dead, and then just use him like a battery constantly adding trays. Keep that 2x2 back. I used this with this tactic:

Ardus

3x3 reanimates w/ front line carrion lancer, blighted vexillum, and necromancer

2x1 archers

2x1 archers

2x2 Reanimates w/ Ankaur Maro

Doing this, Ankaur was able to make my 3x3 a 3x4 and one of my 2x1 a 2x2 quite easily. Had the set up of our battle been a little different, and had I accounted for speed of 2x2 reanimates vs speed of 2x1 archers I would have added a lot more.

He can spit out a whole mess of damage with Violent Forces.

I like to use him with Fortuna's Dice and the Mortal Strike modifier to put wounds on figure upgrades like Kari, Hawthorne, or FL Rune Golems then follow up by removing that figure with Executioner.

Spearmen without their rune golem are almost hilariously outmatched by a big block of reanimates.

I do the same build as Tvayumat, but play him quite differently. I use him as an aggressive ranged damage dealer. Dealing an average of 8 damage per shot is very nice. I swap Fortunas Die for Heartseeker if I need to keep him more protected

@Oda204

Can you please post your list with Mari. I'm very interested in list ideas running Maro alone.

1 minute ago, Rhargar said:

@Oda204

Can you please post your list with Mari. I'm very interested in list ideas running Maro alone.

Sure! Remember he is incredibly fragile. If my opponemt has 0 ranged, i use the Carrion lancer to speedbump for him, if theres any ranged, he is never out of range of the "Biggs Banner"

4x3 Reanimates

File Leader

Front Line Carrion Lancer

Blighted Vexillum Bearer

Lingering Dead

3x2 Reanimates

Aggressive Drummer

Executioner

Profane Banner Bearer

Ankaur Maro

Violent Forces

Fortuna's Die

Carrion Lancer

@oda204

Very interesting list as you completely renounce to archers.

But how works the "speedbump", I have read about it several times before, but I have no idea, what this mean.

Just now, Rhargar said:

@oda204

Very interesting list as you completely renounce to archers.

But how works the "speedbump", I have read about it several times before, but I have no idea, what this mean.

Yep, i dont play archers. To me, blight batteries slow my opponent, but dont remove threats. Maro removes threats. Why blight something if it's dead?

Speedbump is simple. Its a cheap, mobile, piece that just gets in the way. Its entire job is to be a blocker, an annoyance

@oda204

OK, the speedbumper tactics is known to me, but in Germany we use another wording for, it is called "Umlenker" I don't know the exact word in english, perhaps speedbumper ?

2 hours ago, oda204 said:

Yep, i dont play archers. To me, blight batteries slow my opponent, but dont remove threats. Maro removes threats. Why blight something if it's dead?

Speedbump is simple. Its a cheap, mobile, piece that just gets in the way. Its entire job is to be a blocker, an annoyance

I've come to the same conclusion. Reanimate Archers are probably the most underwhelming unit in the game right now. I'm typically just running them as points filler and objective grabbers.

Im sure they will have a surge in projected power in the future as we get more ways to exploit blight tokens

@oda204

I have another question to the handling of your list, or in this case of Maro. How do you use him, will he raise reanimated the first turn? Or do you use him only as a distance damage dealer?

Nope, bybraising reanimates 1st turn, you leave Maro dangeously low on health. If you dial in a surge to regenerate a wound, you have to roll lucky, or use fortunas die, to get the other surge. That means your only doing 2 damage instead of 6-8. I only use his raise ability late game to "regain" points back. At 52 points, he is 1/4 of my list, and I must keep him protected.

On ‎8‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 1:05 PM, Rhargar said:

@oda204

OK, the speedbumper tactics is known to me, but in Germany we use another wording for, it is called "Umlenker" I don't know the exact word in english, perhaps speedbumper ?

To clarify @Rhargar , a speed bump in English is literally the bumps or raised parts in a road to slow vehicles. In games it's used as a unit to slow an enemy.

On 8/26/2017 at 2:05 PM, Rhargar said:

@oda204

OK, the speedbumper tactics is known to me, but in Germany we use another wording for, it is called "Umlenker" I don't know the exact word in english, perhaps speedbumper ?

Umlenker = reroute