I just wanted to create a thread for other empire fans to unite and talk empire tech and what not.

What do you guys think of the new derricksburg cards? I've been doing a couple mock games since I got it, and I love it.

We used to do this thing in the AGOT forums where we would rate each card in the new set for our favorite factions, I want to try to do this here for fun.

If you get a chance, post your own thoughts, or ratings. It would be fun to see what everyone says, or how everyone's opinions will change as the cards get played more.

Rating Key:

[*---] Coaster
[**--] Limited Useability
[***-] Solid, but not auto-include
[****] Made from the coat tassels of Sigmar himself

Knights of the Blazing Sun
[***-]
Just solid, that's it. This is one of those units that I feel doesn't look amazing on paper, but as you actually play with it will do well. It goes without saying that he will do well against the corruption effects of destruction, but I think even against order, his cost is justified, for a few reasons:

-He gets around Warpstone Excavation: If you have a prone kingdom or quest with WE already in it, this guy can pop in and save the day.

-He is a non-janky 2 cost Empire card that has 2 HP: For the love of god, finally.

Gryphon Legionnaire
[***-]
Surprise! This is one hell of a jumper. The only thing, is that Empire's 3 cost options are so good I probably wont run him in every deck.

Derricksburg Forge
[****]
I really don't throw this around lightly, but wow.
This is a great opening drop for your kingdom. I've been replacing Contested Village with this recently. This enables some fun first turn setups:

DF + Errant Wolf (I love this, especially since I can move Errant Wolf to the battlefield later with Temple of Shallya)
DF + Bright Wizard Apprentice (I feel a little less hesitant about this card clogging up my opening hand with DF around to offset it.)
DF + Golden Wizard Acolyte (Easy way to get the ball rolling if I'm going second)

I'm always getting at least a WE or so on top of these too, so I've been pleased with my opening hands so far.

Gryphon Standard
[**--]
Not horrible, though the use seems limited at first glance. I doubt this doing much but being a development until turn 3 or 4, especially with the battlefield restriction.

Empire seem kind of zergey, so it does fit. They need a little bit of a push to finish off their opponent, and this may get the job done.

The only thing is, to get the maximum use out of this card, you need Temple of Shallya. I can put this on a Golden Wizard Initiate, deal some damage, then send him back to quest, barf cards back into my hand, and put him back next turn. The idea of Johannes Broheim with this going around spreading his prosperity to every zone also sounds pretty funny.

Order in Chaos
[**--]
**** good, though limited. Technically it isn't an Empire card, this card seems as if it could add a lot of strength to Verena decks. Recycled Will of the Elector can be a scary thing to behold. If you can get 2 in your hand at once, you can keep it going infinitely, ouch.

The obvious advantage to this, is that it gives 50 card decks a little more endurance, especially with Empire, because with their move effects, they have greater control over their draw. I'm using this setup in my verena deck.

Verena 3
Will of the Electors 3
Demolition 3
Vigilant Elector 3
Order in Chaos 3

With Order in Chaos, I can focus on whatever the current issue I'm having in game is, and target it directly. I have Will of the Electors to set up Verena, Demolition to deal with support like Contested Stronghold (or destroy a development for verena in a pinch), and Vigilant Elector to deal with problem units like Vile Sorceress.

Once again, post your own thoughts. I'd like to know the opinion of other Empire players.

I would rate them but unfortunately I couldn't get to my FLGS yesturday, I will be getting it in a few days so I will rate them then.

This pack does sound really good. It seems to help get Empire the little push they needed in order to win a few more games, I often found that, when playing Empire I would be really, REALLY close to loosing but in the end I would occasionally pull the fast one and win. this might make winning a slighty more definate thing and not a struggle to survive every turn (even though those games are intense, but I need to have some games where I clearly win, not barely winning or absalutely getting the crap kicked out of me =)

BTW nice profile pick, OP.

It helps, but i'm just concerned over some of the minute power and play differences in some of the power house archetypes...

vermillian said:

Charge partition......

Derricksburg Forge is something I want to see in every opening hand when I'm playing Empire!

Hey, how about I double post?.....

Thanks Vermillian! Long time fan. I was the kid they kicked off of the SFII machine back in 91 and spent my childhood playing MVS.

I have high hopes for KOFXIII. It had better be awesome after KOFXII...

I agree about the problem -of paper-rock-scissors aspect of the top tier decks, but I think that Empire has the greatest shot out of any faction to play the all around game.

They have some great anti-rush cards in jumpers, protect the empire, counterstrike, etc. And Church of Sigmar, Verena, Electors and a great scout for the control aspects.

Now they have some speed with Derricksburg Forge too, I'm interested to see how it affects the metagame.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Charge Partition wont save you from Genei-Jin!

Battle standard is probably the BEST of the Empire cards, not the least. It's hugely powerful and useful in pushing Empire over the top. If anything, the other Empire cards are far less useful.

Wytefang said:

It is hugely powerful, but it's also fairly limited.

It's a dead card for the first few rounds, due to it's loyalty cost and it's battlefield restriction. At least you can still put the runefang on a weak character in the opening rounds of the game to get some use out of it.

Like you said, it's useful in pushing Empire over the top, so really, it's the icing on the cake.

I think Derricksburg Forge and Gryphon Legionnaires are much better cards because of their utility.

Definitely some cool stuff here in this pack.

The Standard is great in a jumping jack w/ greatswords...I always felt vulnerable that my mono Empire win condition was based off 3 Greatswords and/or a moving Shrine too Tall-enhanced unit...it still is with this BUT it gives more flexibility and lets anyone be a Greatsword in a sense - feeds off your efforts to pump up greatsword and then you create a secondary target for opponent for just 2...nice. but yeah devel til the end (Abandoned Mine)

Dburg Forge - much needed first turn speed - plus being a building, adds fuel for treasure vaults. how i justify it past first couple of turns at least .

Gryphon (Griffon? what's the difference?) Leg. - I liked the Nordland Halberdiers for their surprise, but too expensive to be practical. With Protect the Empire, Ulric's Fury & other CS units, this is great mid-game. Still need a cheaper CS unit though. Just like a 0 power, 1 health, 1 counterstrike, guy - should cost 2 right? hopefully we see that (and not with 3 loyalty either lol) unless cost of 1 w/ 3 loyalty...

What i was really hoping for is an attachment that gives counterstrike...still could come this cycle though, right?

I cannot say too much about the cards, since I still don't have the burning of Derrickburg - but I will.

@ Artemus Maximus: Just yesterday I thought about such an empire unit: cost: 2, loyality: 1/2, power: 0/1, hp: 1/2, ability: counterstrike 1

I think a: 2,1,0,1, counterstrike 1 would suffice and be awesome!

Deagal

Tomorrow I will get my hands on Burning of Derricksburg too. Even though Empire got some great new cards I'm personally excited because of Order in Chaos. My most successful dwarf deck which is similar to the dwarf midrange (I think it was Clamatius who posted it?) could get a lot of board control. Think about replaying Zaelot Hunter, Zuffbar Engineers, Slayers of Karak Kadrin with Grudge Thrower and Order in Chaos. It can basically act as another Stand your Ground that is a bit more expensive as you have to play the cards from your hand but with more flexibilty. I'm seeing a lot of combo potential with "beginning of your turn" stuff and you take advantage of "getting in/out play" effects.

My second deck idea will be empire. Derricksburg Forge, Gryphon Legionaire and Standard will really boost this faction and don't forget the almighty Pistoliers. The next days will be really fun as everybody wants to playtest the new cards.

Got my BP today and Order in Chaos is great. My empire deck got set up and then recycled Wake the Mountain, Surprise Assault, and Order in Chaos, with the help of a few Twin Tailed Comets. We were playing multiplayer and I had a final turn of torching one opponent 48 points of indirect dmg.

Got my pack yesturday, have not had anygames with it yet though so take what I say witha grain of salt.

Using the above rating system I would rate them as folows...

Grypgon Legionarres, **** I think this is a great card, and is useable in almost every deck, It is cheaper then the nordland halierders (I think) and offers counterstrike 2! what more can we ask for. It is a great card to play down during an attack and take out an enemy or two, potentially stopping 2+ damage, then he can absorb some of the damage also, letting a zone stay alive that much longer, though I would not needlssly waste this card by leting him get killed, but he could save a zone all by himself.

Standard. ***_ this card does seem like a great card in a certain of situations, like it has been stated, put it on a pistolier or the hero. It seems like it is sort of limited, depending on what is in you deck it could be next to useless, a good card non the less.

Knights of the Blazon Sun, **__ to **** Depending on what deck a person is playing, this card could be great or it could simply suck. I wouldnt use it against a mono orc deck.

Forge, **** Great opening card, Provides a power icon and gives the player a small boost to their first turn, this card will probably be run in almost every Empire deck for a while.

I'm with you guys actually. I would rate Griffon Standard higher, now that I've played with the cards. Definitely solid, but not an auto-include.

So....Wilhelm of the Osterknacht....possibly Empire's long-awaited facilitator of attacking early? More aggresive Empire decks soon to come I imagine...a 1-cost Empire unit or two is what we need. We have Peasant Militia & Flagellants, but no power only helps Greatswords & Griffon Standard bearer. Even so...that may be enough if Wilhelm comes out to play early enough...but risky.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to Wilhelm too, mainly because he can move Vile Sorceress the hell out of quest.

Since everyone is so bent on running 50 card decks (and for good reason) it may be worth it to start moving big guys to quest go for the deck out win. Forced March always seemed too limited for me to run, but getting the chance to do this every turn is well worth the cost.

â—Kefkaâ— said:

Speaking of winning by deck out, i was in a game a few weeks ago and by some good choice of tactics (forced march and stuff) I had my opponent drawing about 13-15 cards a turn and was only getting 4 resources.

I won.

Yeah, I had a similar experience. My friend forced marched my uber Boar Boyz to my quest and I had to troll vomit myself to stay alive. Definitely a solid tactic.

Well, The Greatswords and the Gryphon Standard ate my face the other day. I was playing my first HE effort, but...it was horrible. And a first turn Derricksburg Forge certainly didn't hurt my opponent.

Hey guys, I found a trick to use with Thyrus Gorman. Play Blessing of Valaya on him and you get an extra round of him + a point of targetted kill. Before I was playing it and using it to keep him alive 2 extra turns, but apparently effects that don't say "until the end of the turn" only last until the end of the turn per the FAQ right? Definitely makes it less useful, but worth mentioning in case more solid bounce effects come out in the future.

Seems like a small dwarf subtheme of something like: Mining Tunnels x3, Demolition x3, Blessing of Valaya x3 with Order in Chaos x3 works really well in empire.

Moveing all his units in the quest, and makes him draw that much would be good only if he doesnt have support for the realm. otherwise with a good draw and many resources he gonna win for sure.

so i guess were forced to put inside the deck demolition, order in chaos and burn it down.

â—Kefkaâ— said:

Timing of BoV effect ending vs Thyrus' Forced isn't all the clear. As per the FAQ "All instances of “after” in card text boxes
should read “when.", so Thyrus becomes "When your turn ends...". Is the turn over by the time TG does the damage to himself? If so, then BoV's effect has ceased.

Dam said:

If BoV's effect is considered to last until the end of turn (though the spirit of this card to me seems more like damage redirection as a response instead of a buffer), I think it might be feasible. I think end of turn action triggers should function the same as start of turn action triggers. However, since there is no action window at the end of turn, playing BoV as a response should have no effect. BoV really seems like it should be a response instead of prevention, though, IMO. Ol' Thyrus the Virus might be better suited in a HE deck which focuses on taking advantage of healing to do damage to opponents.

One of the things I used to do with Thyrus early on with just the core set was to have the elf mage that came in the core set heal him every turn. Until some other source of damage comes into play, Thyrus will stay on the table, while your mage heals him every turn.

Wow, it might not work at ALL? Ouch. As far as healing goes, that's also a great idea! I guess it's off topic for here, but last week I made a HE Heal deck for our tournament with Thyrus as well. He definitely does help the deck out. Since most people aren't complete idiots, it seems like the only healing you can really do comes from your own damage effects, but still, it seems like Thyrus + Loremaster + cards like Illyriel to recycle Loremaster aren't enough healing tech to go around.

Thyrus the Virus, lol.