I'm a Warhammer Fantasy player, and fluff and theme are very important to me. I picked up Warhammer Invasion and am very interested in theme decks. I really don't know much about optimal Invasion deck builds or strategies. Trying to make heads or tails out of this forum makes my head hurt so I decided to just post some of my preliminary ideas to get some feedback. Feel free to tear me a new one! I need to learn the ins and outs of this game. Keep in mind I am limited to 1 Core Set, 2 Ulthuan, 1 March of the Damned, 2 of each Corruption Cycle, 1 of each Enemy Cycle. Thanks guys!

'ard Boyz Deck
T his Orc deck is based on hard hitters that get harder the more you bash 'em.

UNITS
- Squig Herders (3)
- Followers of Mork (2)
- Black Orc Squad (3)
- Boar Boyz (3)
- Urguck (1)
- Grimgor Ironhide (1)
- Big 'Uns (1)
- Savage Boyz (2)
- Arrer Boyz (2)
- Ugrok Beardburna (2)
- Iron Boyz (2)
- Githit Froatcutta (2)

TACTICS
- We'z Bigga! (2)
- Waagh!! (1)
- Spida Huntin' (3)
- Troll Vomit (1)
- Da Brainbursta! (2)
- Easy Pickin's (2)
- Rip Dere 'eads Off! (1)

SUPPORTS
- Contested Village (3)
- Choppa (2)
- Totem of Gork (1)
- Grimgor's Camp (1)
- Scrap Heap (2)
- Troll Den (3)
- War Paint (3)
- Grimgor's Spike (2)
- Basha's Bloodaxe (2)
- Thick-Skinned (2)
- Squig Pen (2)
- Too 'Ard To Die (3)

QUESTS
- Smash 'em, Bash 'em (2)

TOTAL CARDS = 63

Slayer Deck
As an avid reader of the Gotrek & Felix series, I absolutely love Slayers. In true slayer-fashion, these shaved & tattooed stunties will regain their honour... and die trying!

UNITS
- Defender of the Hold (3)
- Troll Slayers (3)
- Durgnar the Bold (1)
- Dwarf Ranger (2)
- Slayers of Karak Kadrin (3)
- Serpent Slayer (3)
- Long Drong's Pirates (3)
- Dragonslayer (3)
- Grudgebearer (3)
- Son of Grungi (3)

TACTICS
- Burying the Grudge (1)
- Stubborn Refusal (1)
- Striking the Grudge (2)
- Grudge Thrower Assault (1)
- Tough as Nails (3)
- Merciless Assault (3)
- Stand Your Ground (2)
- Blessing of Valaya (3)
- Hewn from the Mountain (3)
- Master Rune of Spite (3)
- Reclaiming the Fallen (3)

SUPPORTS
- Rune of Fortitude (1)
- Keystone Forge (3)
- Master Rune of Dismay (2)
- Grudge Thrower (2)
- Mountain Barracks (2)
- Oathstone (3)
- Great Book of Grudges (2)
- Ancestral Tomb (3)
- Rune of Resistance (3)
- Mining Tunnels (3)

QUEST
- A Glorious Death (2)

TOTAL CARDS = 78

The closer you get to 50 cards, the better your deck should work.

Also, for the slayer deck, It's not quite theme, but I suggest using Empire cards Shrine to Taal and Helblaster Volley Gun. You should experience favorable results.

So 50 is the magical deck number eh? Thanks. Is there any particular reason for this?

I couldn't add the Shrine to Taal to the list because dwarfs don't worship Taal. And the Helblaster Volley Gun doesn't fit a slayer's style, but I would think of adding it to a deck themed around the dwarfen penchant for warmachines and innovation.

The biggest problem you're going to have with these decks is being able to play cards. A lot of your stuff is expensive, and a lot of your inexpensive cards provide no power.. so no more resources. I'd get rid of a few cards of the Orc deck, namely Da Brainbursta, and Too 'Ard To Die. TATD is a bad card. All there is to it.

As far as 50 being the magic number; It's the minimum deck size. Make your decks whatever size you like. If you're just playing with friends and want a slower paced game, make 60 card decks(max). Just make sure the decks are able to play a good variety of cards early on to build up your available resources from turn to turn. I'll talk about the Dwarf deck later.

Edit. You may want to get rid of the pump cards, Merciless Assault, Tough as Nails, Striking the Grudge. Hewn From the Mountain can go, too. You're still going to have an issue with getting cards into play, but this should help a bit.

I love making themed decks, but to be honest, staying as true to theme as possible dioes cut into deck play strengh.

For example, if a themed skaven deck involves haveing as many skaven as avaiable in the deck, you have an ok deck, but one far inferiour to a skaven/ord deck for speed, or De or chaos for snipping/controll

My only point is themed decks are fun, I build for me and my brother to play with on my Island, but if I was to go to any event I would want to rip them apart and build better decks, to be on par in the meta game.

Some themed decks examples I have

- Dwarf Empire deck with as many gun unit and gun attachments as possible. He can hit very very hard, and is fun playing among my balanced decks, but is too attachment heavy and slow to be uber compeditive.

-Pure Skaven deck with diesis cards and father nurgles cards, after all they are rats. Only thing this deck has going for it is that between chittering hordes and nurgles call or whatever, you hardly need any build up in quest. Although a goblin allied deck would be much faster.

- Big ork deck with tons of self damaging/damage synergy guys.

- He pure indirect damage deck

etc etc.. lots of standard themes, but with all the good cards from my collection, especialy the neutral ones, spread among the decks.

After all I only have so many inovations and warpstone excavations to go arround, and I am not going to keep pulling decks apart to make the current one optimal.