Seems appropriate to start a thread on the most used upgrades as a counterpoint to the least used upgrades. I'm curious to hear what your most used upgrades are as well as hear your feedback on any surprises in my list. For the record, I play Waiqar and play against almost only other Waiqar and Daqan players, so I'm sure that the experience that Latari players are having. So here you go, in no particular order:

Combat Ingenuity: I don't leave home without it because I love blight from reanimate archers and using master crafted weapons on a big block of lancers. It makes me a bit crazy that this upgrade is only in one of the boxes. I proxy for copies, but I suppose I'll have to figure out what to do for official tournaments unless I feel like spending another $25 just for a card in the archer box.

Marching Drummer: There's two ways I tend to run reanimates: either as a block for my Deathcaller, or as a support block with Dispatch Runner to support my Carrion Lancers. Either way, I find the marching drummer adds tremendous flexibility, allowing them to march and wheel and still use the special action which is the reason I'm bringing the block in the first place. It also lets them keep up with the faster units in my army because I can wheel the reanimates without losing speed, or perform a wheeling charge with losing speed, which often happens in the end game.

Frontline Rune Golem: In my area it seems like all the Daqan players run the 9 block of spearmen and don't leave home without the Frontline Rune Golem. I don't know if I've ever played a 200 point game against Daqan army that didn't include it.

Citadel Weapons Master: You know who looks good next a Frontline Rune Golem? This bald crazy man. I don't know what the Citadel is, or how much training it takes to become a weapons master, but I can tell you they sure are cranking these dudes out. The Citadel must graduate a platoon a week.

Dispatch Runner: I bring dispatch runner whenever I run Carrion Lancers, which lately is most of my games. My main Daqan opponent always puts a Dispatch Runner in a 4 block of Latari Archers to support his 9 tray Spearmen unit. So one way or another, Dispatch Runner finds it's way into most of my games.

Rank Discipline: Oh so good! I got away from this one for a little while when I was playing around with some other cards in the training spot, namely combat ingenuity and moment of inspiration, but I've come back to Rank Discipline in a big way lately.

Master Crafted Weapons: It goes on the Lancers, but I often see folks putting it on Oathsworn. I've also run it on Reanimate Archers with Combat Ingenuity as well. .. Ignore this last part... I'm a dope

Fortuna's Dice: I don't always bring heroes, but when I do, they always have Fortuna's Dice. It increases both the flexibility and reliability of the unit to an amazing degree. I'm also looking forward to trying it out on Death Knights.

Wind Rune: I don't really use this myself, but it makes an appearance in most of my opponent's lists, whether on a big block of Reanimates, or on Deepwood Archers.

Rallying Cornicen: This guy blows. Seriously, he blows that horn constantly. He's badder than Miles Davis. He's everywhere. I hear him in my sleep.

Shield of Margath: It seems like Hawthorne can't leave home without it, but I've seen it on Ardus as well and it might find a home in a Death Knight unit soon too.

Obcasium's Guantlet: The main thing preventing my Death Knights from taking the Shield of Margath. I'm happy with my current list, but I'm sure I'll switch this up a bit and try some other artifacts on them. Still, this could be an interesting upgrade to go with a Fallen Hero or possibly on Ardus... I think this one will be a regular fixture no matter what.

Tempered Steel: Thanks to @TallGiraffe for pointing out its absence. This card easily fits onto any unit that can take equipment, which is most of them. Especially good on units or in armies that have tricks for refreshing exhausted cards.

Honorable Mentions: Cards that I see often and are great, but will show up depending on what someone is trying to get their army to do: Support Carrion Lancer, Death Caller, Blighted Vellixium, Simultaneous Orders, Raven Tabards, Raven Pennon Bearer, Eagle Banner Bearer, Violent Forces, Ancient Technique, Might of Daqan, Aggressive Cornicen, Marching Cornicen, Lancecorporal, Shieldwall.

How can you NOT include Tempered Steel?!?!?!!!

Just now, TallGiraffe said:

How can you NOT include Tempered Steel?!?!?!!!

Oh, shoot... I just missed it... adding it now.

Vicious roots? The bain of my existence!

I've used mainly the upgrades you listed a lot. So in my current list making I took those out of the binder before making a Daqan list and a Waiqar list. This way I forced myself to use other cards for a change.

26 minutes ago, TheWiseGuy said:

Vicious roots? The bain of my existence!

Maniacal laugh, maniacal laugh.

@Elliphino First, the Citadel is another name for the capital city of Archaut. As I understand it, it is the main training ground and garrison for the Daqan warriors. Second, Master Crafted Weapons doesn't actually work well on archers, does it? It's only for melee attacks.

Ranked Discipline is definitely at the top of my list with my collection. I have 2 copies, but wish I had 4. I think if I had access to bigger units, it wouldn't feel quite as necessary.

34 minutes ago, Budgernaut said:

@Elliphino Master Crafted Weapons doesn't actually work well on archers, does it? It's only for melee attacks.

Oh, s**t... someone's been cheating, haven't they?

For waiqar: lingering dead will forever be awesome. Combat ingenuity is always good, though I generally use it to lower the duskblades steep surge cost more than on archers. Deathmist banners are a new favorite of mine.

The very best waiqar card though...is embedded maro!

For Latari: Column tactics, metered march and raven taberds is my go to leonx build. Simultaneous orders gets crazy with derpwood archers and meagans added sorceress slot. CQT gets an honorable mention because it lets your archers keep shooting other targets even if a unit slams into you in the early game.

I don't play the other factions but I'd have to say lance corporal might be one of the best cards in the entire game.

I always take Raven-Standard Bearer and stick that on my 3X2 Reanimate Archers with Combat Ingenuity.

To be able to attack early on in the round with that unit is such a great feeling.

2 minutes ago, Zaaik said:

I always take Raven-Standard Bearer and stick that on my 3X2 Reanimate Archers with Combat Ingenuity.

To be able to attack early on in the round with that unit is such a great feeling.

I was literally just writing this!

Attacking at 4 and putting blight out is awesome

Edit: I also like reaping blade on death knights and haven't written a list without it for a while

3 hours ago, Evil Doctor T said:

I was literally just writing this!

Attacking at 4 and putting blight out is awesome

Edit: I also like reaping blade on death knights and haven't written a list without it for a while

Hah! I was wondering when someone else would mention it.

I have not tried Reaping Blade on the Death Knights. I usually run the 2x3 with Column Tactics and Obcasium's Gauntlet, starting to really like that card.

I got wrecked in one combat by Reaping Blade in a match recently which has made me think about trying to include it.

As undead, my “almost always” upgrades are:

Master Crafted Weapons

Combat Ingenuity

Oncasium’s Gauntlet

As Uthuk:

Not yet sure on the long term “must use” cards, but Warsprinter, Aggressive Shrieker, and Dead Sprint have been in most lists.

9 hours ago, Jukey said:

For waiqar: lingering dead will forever be awesome. Combat ingenuity is always good, though I generally use it to lower the duskblades steep surge cost more than on archers. Deathmist banners are a new favorite of mine.

The very best waiqar card though...is embedded maro!

These are some really interesting thoughts... I've never considered the Duskblade much because I'm never really up against high-armor units, and those that I do face usually come in fairly low numbers, such as oathsworn, who I think could easily avoid the block of reanimates that had Dusk Blade + Combat Ingenuity. That unit is also super pricey for what it does: 44 points just for a block of 4 with Fallen Hero+ Combat Ingenuity + Duskblade, and that's not including any banners I'm sure you'd want, nor including Ardus to give you Feast of Crows to allow the champ in the smaller unit.Can you tell me what your experience has been and what you've been facing that makes this combo valuable for you?

Same question for the Maro upgrade. I just don't find Reanimates useful for anything beyond being a support unit and it seems a pretty steep point cost to have a block of reanimates to house Maro just to raise a few trays of maybe archers. Can you tell me more about your experience here?

I used Maro as an upgrade in a smaller block of Reanimates once so far and feel it was really worth it. He was bringing back trays to the larger Reanimate block as well as archers.

13 hours ago, darkjawa103 said:

I've used mainly the upgrades you listed a lot. So in my current list making I took those out of the binder before making a Daqan list and a Waiqar list. This way I forced myself to use other cards for a change.

I too have a binder. I got the idea from @Vineheart01

12 hours ago, Budgernaut said:

@Elliphino Master Crafted Weapons doesn't actually work well on archers, does it? It's only for melee attacks.

12 hours ago, Elliphino said:

Oh, s**t... someone's been cheating, haven't they?

@Wraithist did similar cheating using MOI on a 3x2 of Deepwood Archers against me once. They hung out next to the Latari Totem and were able to use it EVERY turn. Needless to say, I lost.

52 minutes ago, Elliphino said:

These are some really interesting thoughts... I've never considered the Duskblade much because I'm never really up against high-armor units, and those that I do face usually come in fairly low numbers, such as oathsworn, who I think could easily avoid the block of reanimates that had Dusk Blade + Combat Ingenuity. That unit is also super pricey for what it does: 44 points just for a block of 4 with Fallen Hero+ Combat Ingenuity + Duskblade, and that's not including any banners I'm sure you'd want, nor including Ardus to give you Feast of Crows to allow the champ in the smaller unit.Can you tell me what your experience has been and what you've been facing that makes this combo valuable for you?

Same question for the Maro upgrade. I just don't find Reanimates useful for anything beyond being a support unit and it seems a pretty steep point cost to have a block of reanimates to house Maro just to raise a few trays of maybe archers. Can you tell me more about your experience here?

Dusk Blade in my opinion doesn't always have to be against a high armor unit. Use it against Oathsworn and instead of taking our 4 with your 8 damage you can take out 8 with your 8 damage. That's 4 trays, that's a huge swing. You just doubled how many units you took out by using one surge.

12 minutes ago, darkjawa103 said:

I used Maro as an upgrade in a smaller block of Reanimates once so far and feel it was really worth it. He was bringing back trays to the larger Reanimate block as well as archers.

This is exactly the best way to run Waiqar. In my experience a big block of Reanimates (at least 3x2 with some kind of Carrion Lancer FL or Support is up to you) and then use the Maro to make it a 3x3 and hopefully a 3x4. This is huge. It's just going to take a lot to get rid of that unit.

4 hours ago, Elliphino said:

These are some really interesting thoughts... I've never considered the Duskblade much because I'm never really up against high-armor units, and those that I do face usually come in fairly low numbers, such as oathsworn, who I think could easily avoid the block of reanimates that had Dusk Blade + Combat Ingenuity. That unit is also super pricey for what it does: 44 points just for a block of 4 with Fallen Hero+ Combat Ingenuity + Duskblade, and that's not including any banners I'm sure you'd want, nor including Ardus to give you Feast of Crows to allow the champ in the smaller unit.Can you tell me what your experience has been and what you've been facing that makes this combo valuable for you?

Same question for the Maro upgrade. I just don't find Reanimates useful for anything beyond being a support unit and it seems a pretty steep point cost to have a block of reanimates to house Maro just to raise a few trays of maybe archers. Can you tell me more about your experience here?

Duskblade/CI on a full Death knight unit is really good, but gets even better when you run Ardus alongside them. One of my friends likes to play big block Daqan units, which is brutal when his spearstar armors up and is holding shield wall. Don't use it with reanimates though, you'll never get the surge.

Maro embedded, if played defensively, can be one of the most grotesque strategies. I've played games where I lose literally no points over the course of the game because the only trays lost are the ones I added. He's a bit trickier these days because uthuk are so damned fast. If you can keep his unit in a safe corner he will feed your army all game.

1 hour ago, Jukey said:

Duskblade/CI on a full Death knight unit is really good, but gets even better when you run Ardus alongside them. One of my friends likes to play big block Daqan units, which is brutal when his spearstar armors up and is holding shield wall. Don't use it with reanimates though, you'll never get the surge.

Maro embedded, if played defensively, can be one of the most grotesque strategies. I've played games where I lose literally no points over the course of the game because the only trays lost are the ones I added. He's a bit trickier these days because uthuk are so damned fast. If you can keep his unit in a safe corner he will feed your army all game.

OK, Duskblade on Death Knights makes way more sense. I totally overlooked that they get the training slot too.

As for Maro, I'll have to give it a try, but I may need some more models. In the meantime I'll take your word on it.

11 hours ago, Zaaik said:

Hah! I was wondering when someone else would mention it.

I have not tried Reaping Blade on the Death Knights. I usually run the 2x3 with Column Tactics and Obcasium's Gauntlet, starting to really like that card.

I got wrecked in one combat by Reaping Blade in a match recently which has made me think about trying to include it.

I have taken to running two lots of 2x1 recently. One unit gets reaping blade and rank discipline whilst the other gets Obcasium's Gauntlet. They are great for grabbing objectives and are very deadly when flanking. Can easily knock out most heroes on their own.

6 minutes ago, Elliphino said:

OK, Duskblade on Death Knights makes way more sense. I totally overlooked that they get the training slot too.

As for Maro, I'll have to give it a try, but I may need some more models. In the meantime I'll take your word on it.

My issue with the Duskbalde/CI combo is that it only works vs armour. At least with the reaping blade unit if the opponent is 1 defence you still get the benefit (More than willing to be proven wrong here but I'm just not sold on it)

21 minutes ago, Elliphino said:

As for Maro, I'll have to give it a try, but I may need some more models. In the meantime I'll take your word on it.

You're definitely gonna need more models. I have two cores and a box of Reanimates and it wasn't enough

6 hours ago, darkjawa103 said:

You're definitely gonna need more models. I have two cores and a box of Reanimates and it wasn't enough

In one game maro brought 16 trays for me once

6 hours ago, Evil Doctor T said:

I have taken to running two lots of 2x1 recently. One unit gets reaping blade and rank discipline whilst the other gets Obcasium's Gauntlet. They are great for grabbing objectives and are very deadly when flanking. Can easily knock out most heroes on their own.

My issue with the Duskbalde/CI combo is that it only works vs armour. At least with the reaping blade unit if the opponent is 1 defence you still get the benefit (More than willing to be proven wrong here but I'm just not sold on it)

Dont face your duskblade CI against infantry.

7 hours ago, Curlycross said:

Dont face your duskblade CI against infantry.

You say that but a large proportion of the units I face are 1 defense infantry

Maybe it would come in more useful if my opponents started stacking heavy units but I find the reaping blade + rank discipline combo more flexible