Uthuk is the faction to beat at the moment, with fast and hardhitting units it is easy too see why. So how do we beat the ones that want to rush your list? A possible awnser may be the file leader upgrade supplimentet with ranged attacks. The Idea is an simple one, they need to engage too dammage you and file leader let you stand there with a melee attack and wait for the charge. If they move without charging you shuld be able to shoot them with a ranged unit. If they charge you get the alfastrike possibly reducing their threat. The neat thing is it works without exsausting the uppgrade card so its possible to repell charges from multiple units in the same round. Thoughts?

There are ways around this for a canny Uthuk player - the effect only activates on collisions during a charge and Uthuk have a lot of options for colliding out of activation: the Flesh Rippers pre-move (boosted by Dead Sprint), but also Scuttling Horror and Insatiable Hunger.

Plenty of games, Flesh Rippers have used their pre-move to collide and then had melee (plus modifiers) dialled in. File Leader will do nothing against that. But, File Leader could work when combined in the same activation with using Wind Rune to dodge out of the pre-move threat area - forcing the Uthuk to dial in a late, long charge.

Also consider Raven Tabards - then if the Uthuk get too close then your units can activate a charge at a better initiative (I play Daqan and Latari - most units can take heraldry).

For Waiqar, Raven Standard Bearer reduces the initiative of red actions by one, so the 12-tray Reanimates unit can attack at 3, getting an earlier reveal on the command tool to activate File Leader. Parakitor has used this a few times against me, but as tall thin climber mentioned, it's not too hard to play around by colliding without charges.

15 minutes ago, Budgernaut said:

For Waiqar, Raven Standard Bearer reduces the initiative of red actions by one, so the 12-tray Reanimates unit can attack at 3, getting an earlier reveal on the command tool to activate File Leader. Parakitor has used this a few times against me, but as tall thin climber mentioned, it's not too hard to play around by colliding without charges.

I would like to add that it basically has to be the 12 tray unit. The 9 and 6 trays don't have enough threat to reduce enemy threat in one swing, unless it's a 2x1 Flesh Rippers. If you can't drop the threat, you're basically just trading blows with a small head start. In my experience, that's not enough to win the day. I have some other ideas I'd like to test this week, but they're unconventional, so I'll put them forward only if they work for me.

Flesh ripper is something that can outplay the file leader, but they still need to outplay it. And with Raven tabards you can make it a guessing game. Moving in without attacking can be phunished too. With good settup that would put them in range of your ranged units that combined the unit taking file leader hopefuly would work.

File leader can also be conterd by a move - Dispatch runner combo i guess.

Im mainly a Daquan player but not before now did i realise how amasing file leader is on the 2x3 Oathsworn espessialy vs Uthuk ? . A three attack and armor up? Pretty sweet. Combine with Hawthornes reform ability and you get a good blocker/dammaging unit. Id like too try something like

Oathsworn Cavalry [46] 2x3
File Leader [6]
Wind Rune [6]
Raven Tabards [2]
Total Unit Cost: 60

5 hours ago, Datskor said:

Oathsworn Cavalry [46] 2x3
File Leader [6]
Wind Rune [6]
Raven Tabards [2]
Total Unit Cost: 60

Now THAT I can get behind. Raven Tabards and File Leader gives those demons something to think about when facing your Oathsworn Cavalry. I am curious how this works out.

Tried to make a list keeping in mind the potensial outplay. What do you think?

Oathsworn Cavalry [46] 2x3
File Leader [6]
Raven Tabards [2]
Know Your Enemy [2]
Total Unit Cost: 56

Spearmen [40] 3x2
Dispatch Runner [7]
Shield Wall [5]
Total Unit Cost: 52

Heavy Crossbowmen [27] 3x1
Tempered Steel [3]
Marching Cornicen [2]
Rank Discipline [4]
Total Unit Cost: 36

Lord Hawthorne [34] 1x1
Sweeping Strikes [5]
Total Unit Cost: 39

Rune Golems [17] 1x1
Total Unit Cost: 17

It is possible to change the shieldwall and sweepingstrikes for tanky hawthorne or bid. But with sweeping strikes it is possible to move 4 + 2 and dispatch-runn hawthorne for a seven range "charge" with one more hit at initiative two the next turn.

My 2x1 threshers will try to march into your cavalry without charging, then attack you and stun you so you can't get +1 defense on the next attack. If I xan get 2 of my 3 Spined Threshers engaged, I can tear it apart. Ravos would try to target Hawthorne, but he could also attack the cavalry. My Flesh Rippers would engage the Crossbows to keep them from sjooting the rest of my army. Once the horses are gone, my Spined Threshers will turn and rend the Spearmen.

That's my take on the list. Overly simplistic, I know, because there are always counter plays.

5 hours ago, Budgernaut said:

My 2x1 threshers will try to march into your cavalry without charging, then attack you and stun you so you can't get +1 defense on the next attack. If I xan get 2 of my 3 Spined Threshers engaged, I can tear it apart. Ravos would try to target Hawthorne, but he could also attack the cavalry. My Flesh Rippers would engage the Crossbows to keep them from sjooting the rest of my army. Once the horses are gone, my Spined Threshers will turn and rend the Spearmen.

That's my take on the list. Overly simplistic, I know, because there are always counter plays.

I would like to play vs your list sometime with this one too see how it plays out. (take it on vassal some time?)

Here is my counter argument too your prediction:

Well trying too march inn to them may be a trap. Firstly i may have dialed inn the late attack. The late and next round early skill dispach runner on the spearmen could still phunish the treshers. Lets say you get a modestly two hits (the awarage?) with the Oatsworn on all attack's, thats in theory 3 attacks after you walk inn to them before your attack. Two dispacth attacks (hoping the spearmen also have a inspiration banked to ready the upgrade) and one from the Oatsworn doing a approximatly 18 dammage or two dammage shy of a cuple of minced crabs I actually belive you are betther off charging them in this senario... If you charge you get an average og 1.5 hits with three threat, thats one or two figures. Depending on the board state the threshers may survive til next round...

The upgrade "know your ennemy" [unique surge get one inspiration] are on the Oathsworn hopefully generating a inspiration + inspiration from Hawthorne preventing stunns to be too trublesome unless delt at mass. Thats the plan at least ?‍♂️

The runegolems is blocking for the unit for the crossbows. Im not saying your fleshrippers can't reach them but there is a plan to try to deal with fast movers. Thats also a potensial jobb for Hawthorne.

now the spearmen won't stan idle and may try to halt Ravos while supporting Hawthorne, Runegolems or Oathsworn with late or fast dispach running.

Now if you dictate the battle and got multiple threshers engaged with the oathsworn at once that's a whole more terrifying senario to deal with.

8 hours ago, Datskor said:

The runegolems is blocking for the unit for the crossbows. Im not saying your fleshrippers can't reach them but there is a plan to try to deal with fast movers. Thats also a potensial jobb for Hawthorne.

Yeah, Rune Golems make exceptional blockers against Flesh Rippers.