Heya, if my name wasn't a big enough hint I've decided to play Waiqar for my army and I've been playing against my friend using just the units in the battle box. We've played three or four games so far and I've been stomped every time, but we also have just been playing a no terrain whoever kills more units slugfest. Is there some sort of strategy for Waiqar that I'm not getting? I've been trying to spread corruption with the archers onto the rune golem and the Daqan commander, but it seems so easy to get rid of corruption for how hard it is to get on. What sort of strategies should I be using as Waiqar in starter box games, and what should I buy as I build my army?

31 minutes ago, FanOfUndead said:

Heya, if my name wasn't a big enough hint I've decided to play Waiqar for my army and I've been playing against my friend using just the units in the battle box. We've played three or four games so far and I've been stomped every time, but we also have just been playing a no terrain whoever kills more units slugfest. Is there some sort of strategy for Waiqar that I'm not getting? I've been trying to spread corruption with the archers onto the rune golem and the Daqan commander, but it seems so easy to get rid of corruption for how hard it is to get on. What sort of strategies should I be using as Waiqar in starter box games, and what should I buy as I build my army?

A second starter box for one. Maro is a great option and the command pack is nearly essential. Other than that playing around with different set ups i like Maro. I think at 100 points the armies aren't quite even. Their cavalry are tough at that range. Dont worry about bkight at that point cost either. Use Carrion to block charges and try to flank. Use archers to just pepper damage. If you get an opportunity blight if nothing else to get rid of the many inspiration tokens the daqan can add.

Firstly, play with the objective cards. It's so much better!

There are some key upgrade cards for the undead that don't come in the core box. I'd recommend proxying them for now. If you want to spread blight with your archers, you're going to want this card from the reanimate archers expansion:

Also, this card from the reanimates expansion is amazing:

And because of how good those two upgrades are, I would suggest holding off on a second Core Set until you get those expansions. Even at small skirmishes, those cards are game changers for Waiqar. I've been playing with just a single Core Set, and one of each Waiqar expansion pack, and things have been going well for me. But to be totally honest, I'm probably going to pick up a second core set eventually because it's such a great value, and I'm also collecting Daqan Lords for my skeletons to beat up when I can't make it to the shop for games with other Rune Warriors.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm in a place where it's pretty tough to get out to the game shop to play so I'll probably be playing with friends at my house. Any advice for a few filler Daqan Lord's units so I can have an even 125-150 point game?

1 hour ago, FanOfUndead said:

Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm in a place where it's pretty tough to get out to the game shop to play so I'll probably be playing with friends at my house. Any advice for a few filler Daqan Lord's units so I can have an even 125-150 point game?

A 2nd core will get you 175 in basic unit, much needed dice, and extra everything. A Infantry command pack is great and Haththorne is dynamite.

Play with the objectives and terrain it's a real game changer.

As a side question what is the appropriate use for the reanimate infantry? I usually try and slam them into the Daqar infantry, and put Ardus and the Carrion Lancer up against the Daqar commander/rune golem while trying to get the rune golem blighted by the archers. With this strat I always have trouble breaking the armor of the golem and the Daqar commander always seems to kick my ***. Any tips and tricks?

33 minutes ago, FanOfUndead said:

As a side question what is the appropriate use for the reanimate infantry? I usually try and slam them into the Daqar infantry, and put Ardus and the Carrion Lancer up against the Daqar commander/rune golem while trying to get the rune golem blighted by the archers. With this strat I always have trouble breaking the armor of the golem and the Daqar commander always seems to kick my ***. Any tips and tricks?

Personally I try to keep the Spearmen busy with my CL while my death star goes for my opponent's heroes. Hopefully my CL stays alive long enough to kill a hero. Then I engage on the spearmen. My archers are usually plugging away at the spearmen for dropping dice or their heroes to try to allow my flcl if I'm using him to hurt the heroes more with blight.

Undead in the core box alone arent that amazing. While the Daqan are lacking some of the stuff (mainly Hawthorne) to become a real problem, they can still be an issue for waiqar if you are strictly core-box limited. Pretty much the only time they win is if the Blight-token applications work, which isnt easy to get with just the core and Daqan can usually shed a couple of them easily.

Undead with upgrades from the other boxes, however, oof they get dirty. Maro is annoying if used right, Lingering Dead + Necromancer can be just as annoying, Archers applying a blight for 1 surge can lead to double or even triple blighting from a single archer unit (combat ingenuity i think its called), and a big block of lancers is deadly.

Overall though Waiqar are the harder faction to play. Theyre shenanigan based, focusing around inter-unit synergies and blights/other forms of debuffs. Once you figure them out theyre brutal, until then they will feel lack luster.

Also, seriously use the objectives. Daqan can play the slaughterfest game easy with a 3x3 spearmen blob and frontline golem but if they do that they might not be very good at the objective game.

Hey. Thanks for all the advice. Next time I play I'll use the terrain and objectives and try and implement all your advice.

30 minutes ago, Vineheart01 said:

Undead in the core box alone arent that amazing. While the Daqan are lacking some of the stuff (mainly Hawthorne) to become a real problem, they can still be an issue for waiqar if you are strictly core-box limited. Pretty much the only time they win is if the Blight-token applications work, which isnt easy to get with just the core and Daqan can usually shed a couple of them easily.

Undead with upgrades from the other boxes, however, oof they get dirty. Maro is annoying if used right, Lingering Dead + Necromancer can be just as annoying, Archers applying a blight for 1 surge can lead to double or even triple blighting from a single archer unit (combat ingenuity i think its called), and a big block of lancers is deadly.

Overall though Waiqar are the harder faction to play. Theyre shenanigan based, focusing around inter-unit synergies and blights/other forms of debuffs. Once you figure them out theyre brutal, until then they will feel lack luster.

Also, seriously use the objectives. Daqan can play the slaughterfest game easy with a 3x3 spearmen blob and frontline golem but if they do that they might not be very good at the objective game.

Archer's ability to blight is not a surge plus so you can only send out one blight per turn regardless of how many surges you have.

Edit: the exception is like a runner that makes the unit attack again.

Incorrect.

You can resolve a surge as many times as you want unless it has the special surge icon (see latari battlecats or daqan crossbowmen)
Thats the reason for the special surge icon. it only happens once

See 80.1 second bullet point:
An ability can be resolved multiple times if the unit has the surge to spend

The surge+ is so the ability gets stronger rather than repeated. Kari not being a surge+ would be pretty pathetic since she would cause 1-4 separate "attacks" each at 2 damage, rather than 1 single "attack" at 2-8 damage.

1 hour ago, Vineheart01 said:

Incorrect.

You can resolve a surge as many times as you want unless it has the special surge icon (see latari battlecats or daqan crossbowmen)
Thats the reason for the special surge icon. it only happens once

See 80.1 second bullet point:
An ability can be resolved multiple times if the unit has the surge to spend

The surge+ is so the ability gets stronger rather than repeated. Kari not being a surge+ would be pretty pathetic since she would cause 1-4 separate "attacks" each at 2 damage, rather than 1 single "attack" at 2-8 damage.

Well expletive... that is some much needed news. We always took it as not being able to do multiple since surge+ was a thing, but your description makes complete sense. We took it as runner being really the only option that would make it different from special surge...

6 hours ago, Curlycross said:

Well expletiv... that is some much needed news. We always took it as not being able to do multiple since surge+ was a thing, but your description makes complete sense. We took it as runner being realy the only option that would make it different from special surge...

The difference between surge and surge plus is that surge plus allows multiple surges to be used in a single instance of the ability while normal surges require you to do multiple independent intances of that ability.

For example, if Kari's ability were not a surge plus ability, you could still spend 3 surges, but each set of 2 damage from each surge would have to be applied to enemy units before assigning the next two. That would mean she could never hit a Carrion Lancer because 2 damage could never overcome it's 3 defense. By having a surge plus ability, she can pool the 6 damage together and deal 2 wounds.