Raj - Sorcerer Kings Guide (english)

Raj

In the background, a Raj is highly respected by his followers and personally leads from the front lines, engaging his enemies directly with steel and magic. This translates well into the game.

Cost: At 100 points, the Raj is fairly priced and solid.

Strengths:

• Arcane Conduit: Every character stand of the Sorcerer Kings in a zone at the end of the round gives us a Ritual Marker.
• Wizard (7): Every character of the Sorcerer Kings, except the Sardar, rolls 7 dice for spells.
• Rituals: The character stand has access to the Elemental Rites action and rituals. I explained that here: Sorcerer Kings Rituale
• Arcane Derwish: When the Raj is our Warlord, all Elementals gain Terrifying 1 in zones. Besides the fact that there is a faction against which this is completely meaningless, it is also the worst Supremacy in the faction's game.
• Terrifying 1: Reduces the Resolve of enemy units, against Clash and Impact attacks of this regiment.
• Court of Flame and Court of Air: The Raj is a member of both courts, knows all spells of these courts, and the regiment he joins gains both the Born of Air and Born of Flame special rules.
• Born of Flame: When a friendly wizard casts a fire spell on the regiment, it immediately heals 2 wounds. Additionally, there are synergies with other faction abilities.
• Born of Air: When a friendly wizard casts a wind spell on the regiment, it immediately heals 2 wounds. Additionally, there are synergies with other faction abilities.
• Flexible Warband: All Wizard character stands of the Sorcerer Kings have the option to choose Rajakur, Dhanur, and Ghols as Mainstay and to use up to 5 regiments in the Warband. However, one of them must be Dhanur or Rajakur. Depending on the chosen Court, all fire models are Mainstay or restricted.
• Flurry: The Raj may reroll all hit rolls during a Clash or Duel action.

Weaknesses:

• Limited Mobility: With a movement range of 5, the Raj is not particularly fast and can slow down Dhanur or Elementals if he joins them.
• Moderate Defense: Nearly everything in the Sorcerer Kings has Defense and Resolve 3. This is not bad but far from good. Therefore, the Raj does not want to engage in a duel, but as soon as he is under Molten Blades, the opponents don't want to engage him either.
• Scaling: All good spells have Scaling.

The Power of Magical Courts:

The Raj knows the magic of both the Court of Fire and Court of Air.

Court of Fire:

• Molten Blades (Range: Self, Attunement: 3, Scaling): The target regiment gains the Cleave (1) and Deadly Blades special rules until the end of the round. This makes Rajakur nice and Sword Dancers very dangerous, especially when combined with the Sorcerer's Sandstorm, enemy regiments melt away.
• Cleave 1: In melee, with a Clash attack, reduce the enemy's armor by 1.
• Deadly Blades: Each armor roll of 6 is two instead of one damage on attacks with this special rule. If the enemy has no armor against the attacks, they still need to roll, and for every 6 they receive two damage.
• Wreathed in Fire (Range: Self, Attunement: 3, Scaling): The target regiment gains the Aura of Death (2) and the Dread special rules until the end of the round. The selling point here is clearly Dread, as the Aura of Death often comes too late or in a direct follow-up activation of the regiment and therefore leads to a Clash action. Then Molten Blades would simply make sense.

Aura of Death 2: Automatically causes 2 hits per stand with this special rule against enemy units in contact with the regiment when activated. Dread: Enemy units in contact with stands of this special rule cannot benefit from the effects of the "Inspired" special rule.

Court of Air:

• Storm's Wrath (Range: 12", Attunement: 3): The target regiment treats all terrain zones as Perilous. I have not yet had a meaningful opportunity to cast this spell.

Perilous: When a regiment moves across terrain with Perilous, roll one die for each stand that enters or goes through the terrain. For each roll of 4, 5, or 6, the regiment suffers 1 wound. Cavalry and chariot regiments suffer 2 wounds each. No defense rolls can be made against wounds caused by Perilous terrain. Additionally, no morale test is required.

• Wind Kissed Blades (Range: Self, Attunement: 4, Scaling): The target regiment gains the Counter-Attack and Parry special rules until the end of the round. Since the Parry change, I find this useless. At least Attunement 4.

Parry: Enemy stands cannot reroll dice when in contact with a regiment with this special rule. Counter-Attack: Each defense roll of 1 against Clash actions by the opponent inflicts a hit without special rules on them. Nice to have, nothing more.

Optional Patron's Gifts: The Sorcerer Kings have only a small selection of equipment, roughly one third of which is useful, and the Maharajah can choose up to two. I mention only those that I find useful:

Banners:

• Banner of Elemental Dominion (30 points): Regiments with the Elemental rule within 10" of this character stand gain the Unstoppable special rule. Ghols appreciate this a lot, but due to the limited range, it's rarely worth the 30 points.

Weapons:

• Dancing Scimitar (30 points): The character stand gains the Dancing Scimitar Draw Event. This allows inflicting 3 automatic hits with the Armor Piercing (2) special rule on an enemy regiment or target marker within 12", without triggering Resolve Tests. Very strong and not cheap. If you have the points, both the Scimitar and the Khanjar are solid options.
• Prijm Khanjar (30 points): The character stand gains the Prijm Khanjar Draw Event. This causes 5 hits on an enemy regiment in contact with this character stand, although these hits do not benefit from any special rules of the character stand, but morale tests must be made. Very strong and not cheap. If you have the points, the Khanjar on a Raj in Rajakur is my preferred choice if I do not choose Niyantran.
• Shu'laat (20 points): The character stand can always start rituals with two markers instead of one. A must-pick, ideally worn by the Maharajah Warlord. Additionally, the stand also gains Blessed, which only helps it in the Clash.

Arcane:

• Jadoo Kavach (30 points): When the wizard successfully casts a fire or wind spell, all regiments of the corresponding Courts reroll 6 on all attack dice. All. If we have a pure fire army, our entire army can simply reroll any sixes on attack rolls. Due to the difficulties with Scaling, the Raj should not wear this item and leave it to the Sorcerer or Maharajah.
• Eye of the Blazing Tempest (30 points): Heals all friendly regiments with the Elemental rule within 8" by 3 wounds after an Elemental Rites action. A bit expensive, but it provides a pulse healing. Overall, good.
• Niyantran (20 points): Grants Wizard (+1) and reduces the scaling for targets by 3 stands. A relief for the Scaling-plagued Raj. This way, the buffs are almost guaranteed to succeed.

Optional Masteries:

• Lord of Conflict (20 points): What does the Sorcerer Kings melee character want? Exactly +1 on Clash, attack, and wound characteristics. For 20 points, it's not cheap, but okay.
• Best Money Can Buy (30 points): The infantry regiment to which this character stand belongs gains the Hardened (+1) special rule. Rajakur go to Hardened 2 and Dhanur to Hardened 1. I find this very strong, but only if the infantry regiment condition is removed. So it's a "nice to have" when points are free, at least currently.
• Bound to the Elements (40 points): The character stand becomes a Brute and gains the Elemental special rule. If a member of the Court of Fire, it must join a regiment of Efreet Flamecasters or Efreet Sword Dancers. If Court of Wind, then Windborne Djinn or Steelheart Djinn. This is cool but too expensive. Additionally, the movement of the corresponding regiments is reduced.
• Elemental Feedback (35 points): Heals the attached regiment by 2 wounds for every 2 successes when casting spells. Not cumulative with Born of Air or Flame, but with Niyantran and Conflagration, there is already a lot of healing. Personally, I find this better on a Maharajah, but it is also often purchased for the Raj.

General Tactics:

The spells from the Court of Air are rather mediocre, even though Storm's Wrath looks very strong on paper. It should actually work well, but the limited range is depressing. So you usually stick with the two Court of Fire spells and use Wreathed in Fire for protection and Molten Blades for offense. He can fight quite well himself, and with Molten Blades, every regiment becomes dangerous for the opponent. Therefore, he is very often played in Rajakur, which however only have Clash 2 and therefore need support from Jadoo to bring enough hits to the opponent. The other option is to put him in Sword Dancer, but that costs 40 points, and the movement of the Sword Dancers is reduced to 5. In my opinion, it's not worth it, but I like to play it because it looks cool.

If he didn't have Scaling on the important spells and Bound to Elements wasn't so terribly expensive, he would probably be very popular. Currently, however, he clearly lags behind the Maharajah and the Sorcerer.

Maharajah - Sorcerer Kings Guide (english)

Maharajah

The grand leader of the mighty courts of magic himself.

Cost:

At 120 points, the Maharajah is not cheap but offers a solid overall package.

Strengths:

• Arcane Conduit: Each character stand of the Sorcerer Kings that ends the round in a zone grants us a Ritual Marker.
• Wizard (7): Every character of the Sorcerer Kings, except the Sardar, has 7 dice for spells. Even the Maharajah, reputedly the most powerful magician of the Sorcerer Kings, has only 7.
• Rituals: The character stand has access to Elemental Rites actions and rituals. I explained that here: Sorcerer Kings Rituale.
• Elemental Confluence: If the Maharajah is our Warlord, all character stands may place an additional marker on a different ritual during an Elemental Rites action.
• Court of Flame or Court of Air: The Maharajah can choose between the Courts of Fire and Air, enhancing versatility and adaptability. Accordingly, he and his regiment gain the special rules Born of Flame or Born of Air.
  • Born of Flame: When a friendly wizard casts a fire spell on the regiment, it immediately heals 2 wounds. Additionally, synergies with other faction abilities.
  • Born of Air: When a friendly wizard casts a wind spell on the regiment, it immediately heals 2 wounds. Additionally, synergies with other faction abilities.
• Flexible Warband: All Wizard character stands of the Sorcerer Kings have the option to choose Rajakur, Dhanur, and Ghols as Mainstay and utilize up to 5 regiments in the warband, provided one of them is Dhanur or Rajakur. Depending on the chosen Court, all fire models are either Mainstay or restricted. Additionally, the Maharajah may choose a Mahut as a restricted option.

Weaknesses:

• Limited Mobility: With a movement range of 5, the Maharajah is not particularly fast and can slow down Dhanur or Elementals if he should join them.
• Moderate Defense: Nearly everything in the Sorcerer Kings has Defense and Resolve 3. It's not bad, but far from great. Even the grand leader has Resolve 3, but at least 5 wounds to survive a duel.
• Highlander: Only one Maharajah per Court may be in the army.

The Power of the Magical Courts:

The Maharajah must choose a Court of Magic and knows all spells of the corresponding discipline, both of which are useful and good.

Court of Fire:

• Burn to Cinders (Range: 12", Attunement: 3): Causes a hit for each success and 3 additional hits if the target is in contact with a regiment with the Born of Flame special rule. It's the best attack spell of the Sorcerer Kings and the selling point for the Court of Fire.
• Scorching Scirocco: Prevents the target regiment from triggering a Draw Event until the end of the round. Limited practical use due to its range and attunement.
• Wreathed in Flames: Grants a friendly regiment within 12" the Aura of Death (2) special rule until the end of the round. Provides healing synergy with Born of Flame.

Court of Air:

• Lifting Winds: Increases the movement range of a friendly regiment by 2" for the first march action in the round. Useful with Elemental synergies.
• Lightning Bolt: Causes a hit for each success and additional hits based on the target's defense characteristic if in contact with a Born of Air regiment.
• Homing Winds: Allows a friendly regiment to reroll all failed attack rolls during a volley action until the end of the round.

Optional Patron's Gifts: The Sorcerer Kings have a small selection of equipment, about one-third of which is useful, and the Maharajah can choose up to two. I will mention only those I find useful:

Banners:

• Banner of Elemental Dominion (30 points): Regiments with the Elemental rule within 10" of this character stand gain the Unstoppable special rule. Since only Ghols have this by default, they benefit greatly, but the 30 points are rarely worth it due to the limited range.

Weapons:

• Dancing Scimitar (30 points): The character stand gains the Dancing Scimitar Draw Event. This allows it to inflict 3 automatic hits with the Armor Piercing (2) special rule on an enemy regiment or target marker within 12", without triggering Resolve tests. Very strong and not cheap. If you have the points to spare, both the Scimitar and the Khanjar are solid options.
• Prijm Khanjar (30 points): The character stand gains the Prijm Khanjar Draw Event. This causes 5 hits on an enemy regiment in contact with this character stand, without benefiting from any special rules of the character stand, but morale tests must be made. Very strong and not cheap. If you have the points to spare, both the Scimitar and the Khanjar are solid options.
• Shu'laat (20 points): The character stand can always start rituals with two markers instead of one. A must-pick, ideally carried by the Maharajah Warlord. Additionally, the stand also gains Blessed, which only helps it in Clash.

Arcane:

• Jadoo Kavach (30 points): If the sorcerer successfully casts a Fire or Wind spell, all regiments of the respective Court gain Reroll 6 on all attack dice. If you have a pure Fire army, your entire army can reroll every six on attack. Sounds good? It's better.
• Eye of the Blazing Tempest (30 points): Heals all friendly regiments with the Elemental rule within 8" by 3 wounds after an Elemental Rites action. A bit expensive, but it provides a pulse healing. Overall good.
• Niyantran (20 points): Grants Wizard (+1) and reduces the scaling for targets by 3 stands. This can be useful, but usually, you rarely have the points for it.

Optional Masteries:

• Lord of Conflict (30 points): +1 to Clash, Attack, and Wound characteristics. This would make the Maharajah almost good in close combat, but that's not where he wants to be.
• Best Money Can Buy (20 points): The infantry regiment this character stand belongs to gains the Hardened (+1) special rule. Rajakur go to Hardened 2 and Dhanur to Hardened 1. I find this very strong, but only if the infantry regiment requirement is removed. As it stands, it's a "nice to have" if points are available.
• Favored of Hormus (15 points, Maharajah only): The character stand gains the Rider special rule and must ride a Mahut. The Mahut regiment loses its Barrage (X) special rule and gains the Terrifying (1) special rule. An option if you want nice sightlines for the Maharajah, but since the Mahut has Movement 6 Heavy, I don't find it remotely interesting.
• Bound to the Elements (40 points): The character stand becomes a Brute and gains the Elemental special rule. If a member of the Court of Fire, it must join a regiment of Efreet Flamecasters or Efreet Sword Dancers. If Court of Wind, then Windborne Djinn or Steelheart Djinn. This is cool, but far too expensive. Additionally, it reduces the movement of the respective regiments.
• Elemental Feedback (35 points): Heals the attached regiment by 2 wounds for every 2 successes when casting. Not cumulative with Born of Air or Flame, but with Niyantran and Conflagration, a lot of healing can be achieved. Often used with the Court of Fire Maharajah in 6 Rajakur.
• Elemental Projection (30 points): Increases the range of all spells by 3". This is really good but also really expensive. Our dear Sorcerers and the Maharajah would want this if they belong to the Court of Fire, but for 30 points, you can also get Jadoo...

General Tactics:

The Maharajah is a versatile and powerful character and, with his Supremacy, the best choice as Warlord for the army. With the Court of Air, he strengthens the army in various ways, and with the Court of Fire, he burns his enemies to ashes. Currently, I would even recommend playing two Maharajahs, as the Court of Wind has the best combination of spells in the faction and Burn to Cinders is a statement in itself. For transport options, Wind naturally prefers Dhanur and Fire prefers Rajakur. With Burn to Cinders, we often find ourselves on the move, and the additional protection of Rajakur is welcomed. Additionally, the Maharajah of the Court of Fire tends to charge opponents to maximize Burn to Cinders.

Sorcerer - Sorcerer Kings Guide (english)

Sorcerer

The major supporter of the faction with buffs and debuffs that I've always wished for in the Hundred Kingdoms.

Cost:

• At 100 points, she is a bit pricey, but the spells are solid.

Strengths:

• Arcane Conduit: Every character of the Sorcerer Kings in a zone at the end of the round gives us a Ritual Marker.
• Wizard (7): Every character of the Sorcerer Kings, except the Sardar, rolls 7 dice for spells.
• Rituals: The character stand has access to the Elemental Rites action and rituals. I explained that here: Sorcerer Kings Rituale.
• Omnipotence: When the Sorcerer is Warlord, she can cast on any enemy regiment in contact with friendly regiments with the Born of Flame or Born of Air special rule, regardless of range or line of sight. Cool, but we need rituals and the Maharajah generates more markers.
• Court of Flame or Court of Air: The Sorcerer can choose between the Courts of Fire and Air, enhancing versatility and adaptability. Accordingly, she and her regiment gain the special rules Born of Flame or Born of Air.
• Born of Flame: When a friendly wizard casts a fire spell on the regiment, it immediately heals 2 wounds. Also synergizes with other faction abilities.
• Born of Air: When a friendly wizard casts a wind spell on the regiment, it immediately heals 2 wounds. Also synergizes with other faction abilities.
• Flexible Warband: All Wizard character stands of the Sorcerer Kings have the option to choose Rajakur, Dhanur, and Ghols as Mainstay and to use up to 5 regiments in the Warband. However, one of them must be Dhanur or Rajakur. Depending on the chosen Court, all fire models are Mainstay or restricted.
• Barrage 3 with Range 14: Rarely relevant and too short-ranged, but still Volley 3 and occasionally interesting.

Weaknesses:

• Limited Mobility: With a movement range of 5, the Sorcerer is not particularly fast and can slow down Dhanur or Elementals if she joins them.
• Weak Defense: With D2 R3 and W4, she is rather susceptible to everything. Evasion 2 helps a bit, but duels should be avoided with her.

The Power of Magical Courts:

The Sorcerer must choose a Court of Magic and knows all spells of the corresponding lore. Both are useful and good.

Court of Fire:

• Cauterize (Range: 12", Attunement: 3, Scaling): Prevents the target regiment from healing until the end of the round. Nice, but nothing more.
• Ignite (Range: 12", Attunement: 3): The target's command stand counts as +2 when contesting zones. Regiments with the Born of Flame special rule also gain Aura of Death (2) until the end of the round and naturally heal by two. Very strong and one of the options for scoring in round 2.
• Aura of Death 2: Automatically inflicts 2 hits per stand with this special rule against enemy units in contact with the regiment when activated.
• Searing Sandstorm (Range: 12", Attunement: 3): Reduces the defense of the target regiment by 1, to a minimum of 1. If the target is in contact with a friendly regiment with the Born of Air special rule, it also reduces Evasion by 1. The main reason to purchase her and a spell that I believe is crucial for the faction because otherwise, we simply do not deal enough damage.

Court of Air:

• Air Step (Range: 12", Attunement: 3, Scaling): Grants a friendly regiment an immediate free Reform action. If she is from the Court of Air, she naturally heals by two. Very strong and enables all Fluid Formation tricks with any regiment. Also a way to push a regiment into a zone in round 2.
• Tailwind (Range: 12", Attunement: 3, Scaling): Grants a friendly regiment the Unstoppable special rule or forces enemy regiments to reroll successful charge rolls until the end of the round. If the enemy is Unstoppable, the effects cancel each other out. Good, but often too slow compared to most buffs.
• Wildfire (Range: 12", Attunement: 3, Scaling): Inflicts one hit per success on a target regiment. Additionally, the target regiment cannot contest zones if it is in contact with a friendly regiment with the Born of Flame special rule. I've won more than one game with this spell. It requires setup, but it's not necessary for the Born of Flame unit to be in contact with the enemy when casting the spell.

Optional Patron's Gifts:

The Sorcerer Kings have a small selection of equipment, roughly one-third of which is useful. The Sorcerer can use one. I'll mention only those that I find meaningful:

• Banners:
  • Banner of Elemental Dominion (30 points): Regiments with the Elemental rule within 10" of this character stand gain the Unstoppable special rule. Ghols appreciate this, but due to the limited range, it's rarely worth the 30 points.
• Weapons:
  • Dancing Scimitar (30 points): The character stand gains the Dancing Scimitar Draw Event. This allows inflicting 3 automatic hits with Armor Piercing (2) special rule on an enemy regiment or target marker within 12", without triggering Resolve Tests. Very strong but expensive. If points allow, both the Scimitar and the Khanjar are solid options.
  • Prijm Khanjar (30 points): The character stand gains the Prijm Khanjar Draw Event. This causes 5 hits on an enemy regiment in contact with this character stand, though these hits do not benefit from any special rules of the character stand, but Moral tests must be made. Very strong but expensive. If points allow, both the Scimitar and the Khanjar are solid options.
  • Shu'laat (20 points): The character stand can always start rituals with two markers instead of one. A must-pick, ideally worn by the Maharajah Warlord. Additionally, the stand also gains Blessed, which only helps it in the Clash.
• Arcane:
  • Jadoo Kavach (30 points): When the wizard successfully casts a fire or wind spell, all regiments of the corresponding Courts reroll 6 on all attack dice. All. If we have a pure fire army, our entire army can simply reroll any sixes on attack rolls. Sounds good? It's better and optimal on a Court of Fire Sorcerer.
  • Eye of the Blazing Tempest (30 points): Heals all friendly regiments with the Elemental rule within 8" by 3 wounds after an Elemental Rites action. A bit expensive but provides a pulse heal. Overall, good.
  • Niyantran (20 points): Grants Wizard (+1) and reduces the scaling for targets by 3 stands. Can be useful, but points for this are rarely available.

Optional Masteries:

• Best Money Can Buy (30 points): The infantry regiment to which this character stand belongs gains the Hardened (+1) special rule. Rajakur become Hardened 2 and Dhanur become Hardened 1. Very strong, but only if the infantry regiment condition is met. Currently, it's a "nice to have" when points are available.
• Bound to the Elements (40 points): The character stand becomes a Brute and gains the Elemental special rule. If a member of the Court of Fire, it must join a regiment of Efreet Flamecasters or Efreet Sword Dancers. If Court of Wind, then Windborne Djinn or Steelheart Djinn. Cool, but too expensive. Also reduces the movement of the corresponding regiments.
• Elemental Projection (30 points): Increases the range of all spells by 3". Really good, but also really expensive. Our dear Sorcerer and the Maharajah would want this if they belong to the Court of Fire, but for 30 points, you could also get Jadoo...

General Tactics:

Before the latest update, a key aspect of her tactics was using the Supremacy ability "Omnipotence," which allows attacking enemy regiments in contact with units with the Born of Flame or Born of Air special rules. This could spread Sandstorm across the table. It's still good, but it sets us back significantly in rituals, which is why the Maharajah is currently by far the most popular Warlord.

Nevertheless, her support spells are very good. Except for Wildfire, we don't need line of sight for any of them, making the loss of Omnipotence bearable. Due to the current ritual selection, you mostly see a Court of Fire Sorcerer, as she is the perfect carrier for Jadoo. Early Sandstorm on an opponent is always desirable, whether through Conflagration or directly by the Sorcerer. Since regiments with the Born of Flame rule are currently in the majority, this is also a reasonable plan. There can be a debate on whether she is better suited in Rajakur or Dhanur, as she almost always wants an opponent within 12". Personally, I prefer Dhanur because the Sorcerer doesn't need line of sight for Sandstorm.

Sardar Sorcerer Kings Guide (english)

Sardar

As the only non-Wizard character in the army, the Sardar greatly supports the living troops of the Sorcerer Kings.

Strengths:

• Arcane Conduit: Each character stand of the Sorcerer Kings that ends the round in a zone grants us a Ritual Marker.
• Fear and Discipline: Friendly infantry without the Elemental rule count as two stands more for scoring zones while the Sardar is on the field.
• Word of the Voice: If a Ritual card was drawn at any point in this round, the regiment to which this character stand belongs gains the Unyielding special rule until the end of the round. This prevents enemy regiments from Target Holding or denying objectives touched by stands of this regiment. This rule is inactive if the regiment is currently broken.

Weaknesses:

• Not a Wizard: As a non-Wizard character stand, the Sardar cannot perform Elemental Rites actions.
• No Mortals: Currently, only Rajakur and Dhanur are affected by his rules.
• Poor Attack Values: The Sardar is as useless in melee as an Imperial Officer and is better considered a tactical character.
• Not a Warlord: The Sardar cannot be our Warlord.
• Small Warband: The Sardar has only Rajakur and Dhanur as Mainstay and Mahut as Restricted.

Optional Patron's Gifts:

• Banner of Elemental Dominion (30 points): Regiments with the Elemental rule within 10" of this character stand gain the Unstoppable special rule. However, due to its limited range, it is rarely worth the 30 points.
• Dancing Scimitar (30 points): The character stand gains the Dancing Scimitar Draw Event, allowing it to inflict 3 automatic hits with Armor Piercing (2) on an enemy regiment or objective marker within 12", without triggering Resolve Tests. Very powerful, but it competes with Word of Voice for utility and might be better suited on other characters.
• Prijm Khanjar (30 points): The character stand gains the Prijm Khanjar Draw Event, causing 5 hits on an enemy regiment in contact, bypassing the stand's special rules but requiring Morale Tests. Similar to the Scimitar, it's potent but faces similar drawbacks.

Optional Masteries:

• Lord of Conflict (20 points): The Sardar gains +1 to its Clash, Attack, and Wound properties. This would make him okay in melee but still not great. In my opinion, there's no compelling reason to choose this.
• Best Money Can Buy (30 points): The infantry regiment to which this character stand belongs gains the Hardened (+1) special rule. Rajakur would have Hardened 2 and Dhanur Hardened 1. Very strong, but mainly useful if the infantry regiment is a priority. Currently, it's a "nice to have" if points allow.

Tactics and Strategies:

The Sardar is a specialized support character, particularly useful for securing and defending zones. His abilities to support friendly regiments in zone control and prevent opponents from capturing those zones make him a valuable addition, especially if we acquire more living troops in the future. However, he's currently not very useful due to his inability to perform Elemental Rites actions, which limits his support for our strongest faction ability.

Windborne Djinn - Sorcerer Kings Guide (english)

Windborne Djinn

The Windborne Djinn are a long-range brute unit of the Wind element, known for their stylish appearance.

Cost: Priced at 190 points, with an additional 60 points per extra stand, they offer a lot for their cost. In fact, they cost more than anything else in the book other than themselves.

Strengths:

• High Range: With a 20" range on their bows and a movement of 7, they have an impressive threat range.
• Armor Piercing 1: Volley attacks from this regiment reduce the opponent's armor by one.
• Aetheric Marker: After a volley attack against an opponent, all friendly wind spells gain an additional success against the regiment. Only the action needs to be performed—hits or wounds are optional.
• Elemental: If the last card was a ritual, the Djinn gain an extra action, allowing them to rotate/move and aim simultaneously. Pretty cool.
• Born of Air: When a friendly wizard casts a wind spell on them, the regiment immediately heals 2 wounds, synergizing with other faction abilities.
• Height 2: Windborne Djinn can shoot over infantry.
• Medium: As a medium regiment, they can hold their own.

Weaknesses:

• Few Attacks: Barrage 3 with Volley 2 is rather low, especially given the points cost.
• Moderate Defense: Almost everything in the Sorcerer Kings has Defense and Resolve 3, which is decent but not great.

General Tactics: Apart from standard buffs like Jadoo and Homing Winds from the Wind Maharajah, they don't require much else. Ideally, field them in a relatively large regiment to fully benefit from buffs and aiming would be beneficial too. This approach has shown promise and effectiveness in Polish tournaments. However, I have yet to see in any playtest why I should spend so many points on what can be described at best as mediocre shooting. The cost-benefit ratio just isn't there, and for the points, within the faction, I believe there are always better options. Currently, I view them as the weakest choice in the army book, solely due to their cost.

Trinavarta - Sorcerer Kings Guide (english)

Trinavarta

Trinavarta is the monster of the Court of Air and primarily a medium regiment.

Cost: At 220 points, it is priced in the middle range.

Strengths:

• High Mobility: With Movement 7 and being medium-sized, Trinavarta can effectively flank and occupy zones.
• Deadshots: Trinavarta always benefits from the Aimed Shot special rule, effectively giving it Volley 4.
• Whirling Storm: When Trinavarta is within range of a target zone, instead of a normal Volley action, it can perform a Volley action against all enemy regiments in the same zone. This situation rarely occurs but is interesting.
• Eye of the Storm: If Trinavarta is destroyed in a zone, enemy regiments within range of that zone cannot benefit from the "Inspired" special rule until the end of the round. This is usually not relevant but better to have than not.
• Loose Formation: Ranged attacks and attack spells against Trinavarta have half dice or hits. Combined with Evasion 2, this makes it robust against magic and ranged attacks.
• Elemental: If the last card was a ritual, the Trinavarta gets an additional action. This makes Move, Move, Move, Volley or other absurd things possible. But it usually makes more sense on other regiments.
• Born of Air: Immediately heals the regiment by 2 wounds when a friendly sorcerer casts a Wind spell on it. It also synergizes with other faction abilities.
• Free Volley Action: Trinavarta can perform an additional Volley action during its activation and can even shoot in melee if in contact with an enemy regiment.
• Height 3: Trinavarta can shoot over most obstacles and regiments.
• Medium: Being a medium regiment allows it to score.

Weaknesses:

• Few Attacks: While 10 Clash attacks and 12 Volley shots sound like a lot, only the Clash attacks cause morale damage. Against opponents with Defense 3 and Resolve 3, Trinavarta only inflicts 7 damage with Volley and Clash during a Charge. Thus, it doesn't excel against other regiments in its price range.
• Moderate Defense: Almost all units of the Sorcerer Kings have Defense and Resolve 3. Therefore, prolonged melee engagements should be avoided despite its 16 hit points.

General Tactics: Some describe Trinavarta as excessively strong or even overrated, usually by those who haven't tested it or played against it. In my opinion, it is overall overrated, and I don't find lists with 4 or more Trinavartas particularly effective. However, one or two Trinavartas can be useful as they can operate well alone and function without a ritual. Resist the temptation to trigger Whirling Storm recklessly; it's more sensible to target significantly weaker objectives and eliminate them strategically. Using Trinavarta solely as a shooting platform would be too costly; it needs to engage in melee to recoup its points. Ideally, it benefits from Jadoo and Sandstorm; many other buffs are often more useful on other regiments.

Steelheart Djinn - Sorcerer Kings Guide (english)

Steelheart Djinn

The Steelheart Djinn are a melee Brute unit of the Wind element, capable of impressing both in appearance and effectiveness on the battlefield.

Cost: 190 points: A bit expensive for what they achieve, but there are still synergy models missing for Wind.

Strengths:

• High Movement: With Movement 7, they can sensibly move into zones from the flank even without a ritual or spell.
• Cleave 2: In melee, they reduce the opponent's armor by 2 with a Clash attack.
• Aetheric Guidance: When the Steelheart Djinn are base-to-base with an opponent, all friendly Wind spells gain an additional success against the enemy regiment without further conditions.
• Elemental: If the last card was a ritual, the Steelheart Djinn gain an additional action, which they often gladly use.
• Born of Air: Heals the regiment immediately by 2 wounds when a friendly sorcerer casts a Wind spell on them. Additionally, synergizes with other faction abilities.
• Medium: As a medium regiment, the Steelheart Djinn can score.

Weaknesses:

• Few Attacks: Despite Clash 3, Attack 4 and Impact 2 are relatively low for a melee unit, even though they can inflict significant damage thanks to Cleave 2.
• Moderate Defense: Nearly all units of the Sorcerer Kings have Defense and Resolve 3. This is not bad, but not particularly good either. Since the characters themselves also do not have higher Resolve, they often suffer a lot of damage.

General Tactics: Personally, I use the Steelheart Djinn to eliminate already weakened regiments from the game. For this, I like to use a ritual to move 15 inches without rolling and still be allowed to perform a Clash action. There are situations where I also naturally need Cleave. If the Sandstorm of the sorcerer is laid down to target the regiment, the opposition will benefit from an additional reduction of the evasion through the Steelheart Djinn even in the face of elite opponents.

Currently, I cannot recommend placing a character in the unit, as none of them offer sufficient buffs that would justify the reduction in movement to 5, even remotely. Instead, they are currently most useful as MSU, in the formation with 3 Stands.

Rakshasa Ravanar - Sorcerer Kings Guide (english)

Rakshasa Ravanar

The Rakshasa Ravanar is one of the two monsters of the Court of Flame, specialized in hunting down monsters.

Cost: At 240 points, I consider the overall package to be 40-50 points too expensive.

Strengths:

• Aura of Death 5: Causes 5 automatic hits against enemy units in contact with the Rakshasa when the regiment's card is drawn.
• Cleave 2: Reduces the opponent's armor by 2 in melee with Clash attacks.
• Fiend Hunter: Allows the Ravanar to reroll all hit rolls of its Impact and Clash attacks against monster and brute regiments, compensating for its lower number of attacks.
• Elemental: If the last card was a ritual, the Ravanar gains an additional action.
• Born of Flame: Heals a regiment for 2 wounds when a friendly sorcerer casts a fire spell on it, and synergizes with other faction abilities.
• Last Word: Even in death, the Ravanar remains a threat, causing 8 automatic hits on an enemy regiment within 8" of a friendly character or regiment with the Wizard rule. These hits do not cause morale tests and always hit the target's flank, regardless of where the Ravanar dies, as long as the target is within 8".
• Hubris: Increases movement by +3 on any charge against a monster.

Weaknesses:

• High Cost: Rakshasas are very expensive and take up a large portion of the total army cost. It is often more beneficial to invest the points in Brutes or Rajakur.
• Moderate Defense: With Defense and Resolve 3, the Rakshasa Ravanar is not poorly protected, but not particularly well either. Its 16 hit points provide only limited protection.
• Heavy: The Rakshasa is Heavy, meaning it enters the battlefield at the earliest in turn 3. While it can score points, it might spend half the game off the battlefield if there are multiple heavy units.

General Tactics: Despite its few attacks and high cost, the Rakshasa Ravanar is effective. In direct comparison with other monsters of the faction, it could be more stable or have additional abilities. Currently, it is not used as frequently as other options. Although it handles battered brute and monster regiments well, this task could also be handled by a Bakasura, which is more flexible due to Arrogance.

Regarding Last Word: This rule is impressive, but it is often better to keep the Rakshasas alive. However, it can be worthwhile to deliberately sacrifice it to inflict crucial damage against an opponent when necessary.

Rakshasa Bakasura - Sorcerer Kings Guide (engish)

Rakshasa Bakasura

The Rakshasa Bakasura is one of the two monsters of the Court of Flame, specialized in hunting down characters.

Cost: At 260 points, the Rakshasa Bakasura is quite expensive, perhaps even a bit overpriced for this monster. On the other hand, it can become extremely fast.

Strengths:

• High Attack Power: With Clash 3, Attack 15, and Impact 5, the Rakshasa Bakasura can deal enormous melee damage against moderately armored opponents.
• Aura of Death 5: Causes 5 automatic hits against enemy units in contact with the Rakshasa Bakasura when the regiment's card is drawn.
• Cleave 1: Reduces the opponent's armor by 1 in melee with a Clash attack.
• Terrifying 1: Reduces the Resolve of enemy units against Clash and Impact attacks from this regiment.
• Elemental: If the last card was a ritual, the Bakasura gains an additional action, which is not necessary but always welcome.
• Born of Flame: Heals the regiment for 2 wounds when a friendly sorcerer casts a fire spell on it. Additionally, there are synergies with other abilities of the faction.
• Last Word: Even in death, the Bakasura remains a threat, causing 8 automatic hits on an enemy regiment within 8" of a friendly character or regiment with the Wizard rule. These hits do not cause morale tests and always hit the target's flank, regardless of where the Bakasura dies, as long as the target is within 8".
• Arrogance: Allows the Bakasura to perform a duel action, paid with its two actions. If the opponent declines, we gain the Flurry special rule until the end of the turn, allowing all Clash attack dice to be rerolled. Additionally, the opponent suffers the usual penalties for declining the duel. Arrogance also grants the Bakasura +3 Movement on any charge against a regiment with a character, bringing its charge to 10" and allowing it to reach most regiments without rolling.

Weaknesses:

• High Cost: Rakshasas are very expensive and take up a large portion of the total army cost. It is often more beneficial to invest the points in Brutes or Rajakur.
• Moderate Defense: With Defense and Resolve 3, the Rakshasa Bakasura is not poorly protected, but not particularly well either. Its 16 hit points provide only limited protection.
• Heavy: The Rakshasa is Heavy, meaning it enters the battlefield at the earliest in turn 3. While it can score points, it might spend half the game off the battlefield if there are multiple heavy units.

General Tactics: The offensive power of the Rakshasa Bakasura does not quite match its cost, but its ability to safely threaten regiments with characters at 11" and with a ritual even at 18" is remarkable. There are few characters who can survive a ritual with the Bakasura, making it a dangerous unit. The extra victory point is often satisfying, even if it rarely makes a significant difference. It is crucial to carefully consider which opponents to target with the Bakasura, as it often does not last long against truly robust regiments. Due to its speed, it is well-suited for attacking flanks or hunting down characters in the second row supporting the enemy army. It benefits greatly from buffs by the Wind Maharajah and the Wind Sorcerer, but also works well with a Sandstorm from the Fire Sorcerer.

A key tip: When executing Charge, Duel, and Clash, the duel action naturally benefits from Inspire. Duels without Inspire are sometimes less rewarding, as the opponent may accept to save the regiment and defeat the Bakasura.

Lastly, regarding Last Word: This rule is impressive, but often it is better to keep the Rakshasas alive until the end of the game. However, it can be worthwhile to sacrifice it deliberately to deal the final crucial damage to an opponent.

A Rakshasa can fit into almost any army, but playing multiple at the same time is not for everyone. Personally, I do not prefer it, but it can undoubtedly be effective.

Rajakur - Sorcerer Kings Guide (english)

Rajakur

The Rajakur are a medium infantry unit, ideally suited for occupying zones on the battlefield.

Cost: The unit costs a total of 120 points. Similar to Man-at-Arms, but for a slim 10 points more, they gain Hardened and +1 Resolve.

Strengths:

• Hardened 1: Opponents reduce their Brutal Impact, Cleave, or Armor Piercing by 1, down to a minimum of 0, when fighting against us.
• Shield: In the front, they gain D3 against attacks. With Resolve 3 and Hardened, they are surprisingly stable for their points cost.
• Standard Bearer: The standard is free and allows an additional movement action per round as well as a reroll of the charge roll.
• Medium: As a medium regiment, the Rajakur can be deployed flexibly.

Weaknesses:

• Low Attack Strength: With Clash 2 and Attack 4, their melee performance is limited.
• Limited Mobility: Movement 5 is standard for infantry, but not particularly high, especially without additional bonuses like Vanguard.

General Tactics: The Rajakur are solid medium infantry units that, thanks to their shield and Hardened 1, are well protected against light shooting and a few attacks. This makes them a good choice for holding zones or bringing a character safely onto the battlefield. They are also one of the few options for transporting characters, although their offensive potential is limited.

It is also a sensible option to buy additional standards for 40 points each. This makes such units significantly more stable through Dread or suddenly dangerous offensively through Molten Blades. If the character has the Mastery Elemental Feedback, the unit can also heal itself quite effectively. Personally, I would lean towards the Maharajah, as both Djinns and Efreet increase successes and thus healing when they shoot or are in melee. Note, however, that additional hits from Burn to Cinder and Lightning Bolt are not successes and therefore do not count.

Mahut - Sorcerer Kings Guide (english)

Mahut

The Mahut is a powerful statue in the form of an elephant, capable of engaging in both melee and ranged combat.

Cost: For 240 points, I usually expect more from a regiment in this weight class.

Strengths:

• Oblivious: Taking only one damage for every two failed Resolve tests is good. Unfortunately, it's rounded up, but it remains very helpful.
• Hardened 1: Opponents reduce their Brutal Impact, Cleave, or Armor Piercing value by 1, to a minimum of 0, against us.
• Stable: Almost everything with the Sorcerer Kings has Defense and Resolve 3. This is not bad, but it’s not outstanding either. The Mahut additionally has Hardened 1, Oblivious, and 20 wounds, making it probably the most stable choice in the faction. It remains a rather average anvil, but it doesn’t get better than this for us.
• Cleave 1: In melee, we reduce the opponent’s armor by 1 with a Clash attack.
• Linebreaker: With Clash and Impacts, the Mahut ignores the opponent’s Bastion and Shield special rules. This does not apply to a character on the Mahut or to the shooters.
• Impact 5 & Brutal Impact 2: On the charge, if we get it, we have 5 impacts with minus two armor for the opponent. Sounds cool, except for Clash 2.
• Trample 5: At the end of the activation, an opponent in the front takes 5 auto-hits without special rules that require Resolve tests. That’s nice, nothing more.
• Free Volley Action: The Mahut can perform a free Volley action during its activation and can even shoot in melee when in contact with an enemy regiment.
• Barrage 10 with Range 20": Dhanur sit on its back, shooting just as decently as regular Dhanur.

Weaknesses:

• Low Hitting Power: For its points and weight class, we have a fair number of dice overall, but with only Clash 2 and Volley 2, we rarely get to take full advantage of them.
• Limited Mobility: As a “Heavy,” Movement 6 is not good. Since the Mahut also lacks Vanguard or similar abilities, it lags behind the already slow Sorcerer Kings army.

General Tactics: If the Mahut were a Medium Monster, I would consider it, but as it is, I personally don’t find it very good. While it brings something to the faction that it otherwise lacks (stability), the odd combination of melee and ranged options, which don’t benefit from each other, along with the low movement, make it very unattractive in my eyes.

There is the Favored of Hormus option, where a Maharajah can ride the Mahut. This causes the Mahut to lose its Volley value, which in most cases is a trap anyway, and gain Terrifying 1 instead. The advantage is that the Maharajah can almost always cast his attack spell with line of sight to the enemy. If he had more range, this would even be an option in my eyes. As it stands, I don’t personally like it, but some players find it very interesting.

Ghols - Sorcerer Kings Guide (english)

Ghols

Ghols are a fast, light infantry unit that stands out primarily for their mobility.

Cost: 110 points might seem cheap at first, but for their rule package, it’s 30 points too much.

Strengths:

• Elemental: If the last card was a Ritual, the Ghols gain a third action. However, there are much better targets for this. Almost every other Elemental unit benefits more from this.
• Unstoppable: Ghols are the only Elementals allowed to reroll their charge roll.
• Vanguard: This ability allows the Ghols to move further forward in the turn they enter the battlefield. This can effectively push the reinforcement line forward.
• Children of Ash: When writing the army list, you can choose whether they receive the special rule Born of Flame or Born of Air.
• Born of Flame/Air: When a friendly spellcaster casts a fire spell or a wind spell on the regiment, it heals 2 wounds immediately, depending on the chosen Born of... Additionally, there are synergies with other faction abilities.

Weaknesses:

• Low Defense: With Defense 2 and Resolve 2 and 4 wounds per stand, they are vulnerable to concentrated attacks and can quickly suffer losses.
• Low Attack Values: Despite their high number of 7 attacks, Ghols have only Clash 1. With three stands, that still means 7 hits, but overall it’s rather inadequate.
• No Character Support: Character stands are not allowed to join the Ghols. This reduces their flexibility and ability to receive buffs or additional abilities but, more importantly, means we can't start rituals in the first round.

General Tactics: Currently the least popular choice of the Sorcerer Kings and, in my opinion, the second worst in the book. If characters could join them, if they could score points inherently, and/or if they had Clash 2, they might be worth considering. As it stands, they are rarely present in most army lists. This is unfortunate, as regiments are included in both the current army box and the 2-player starter box. In my opinion, you can play a regiment with Born of Flame if you use a fire sorcerer with Ignite. This allows her to count a command stand as two scoring stands. This enables the Sorcerer Kings to score in round 2, which is otherwise not possible in many scenarios. Additionally, they can effectively push the reinforcement line forward, allowing you to reach a zone in round two for scenarios like Off Balance. Whether this is worth the 110 points is something everyone must decide for themselves.

Efreet Sword Dancers - Sorcerer Kings Guide (english)

Efreet Sword Dancers

The Efreet Sword Dancers are the brute melee unit of the Element Fire, impressive both in appearance and effectiveness on the battlefield.

Cost: 170 points might seem high at first, but their abilities and versatility justify the price. Additional stands cost only 50 points, which further enhances their attractiveness.

Strengths:

• High Attack Power: With Attack 6, Impact 3, and a Clash value of 3, they can deal significant damage to moderately armored enemies in close combat.
• Elemental: If the last card was a Ritual, the Sword Dancers gain a third action, often giving them the first strike.
• Born of Flame: When a friendly spellcaster casts a fire spell on the regiment, it heals 2 wounds immediately. Additionally, there are synergies with other faction abilities.
• Infernal Branding: When the Sword Dancers are base-to-base with an enemy, all friendly fire spellcasters gain an additional success against the targeted enemy regiment. This effect is straightforward and without further conditions.
• Medium: Being a medium unit allows them to score points.

Weaknesses:

• Moderate Defense: Almost everything with the Sorcerer Kings has Defense and Resolve 3. This is not bad, but it’s not great either. Since the characters themselves do not have higher Resolve, a lot of damage gets through to the models. The 5 wounds help, but they can’t endure prolonged engagements.
• Movement: Although Movement 6 is above average for infantry, it is rather normal for brutes. However, rituals can partially offset this weakness.

General Tactics: Initially, I wasn't very enthusiastic about them, but the paint job on the Para Bellum site is fantastic, and they perform quite well in-game. With a total of 9 dice on the charge, they excel against most regiments and can often flank with a ritual. However, it can be challenging to deal the desired damage against highly defensive units (D4 everywhere). If they have a fire sorcerer with Sandstorm backing them up or a Raj with Molten Blades has joined them, they can even take down such foes. It’s important to note that the Raj currently reduces the Sword Dancers' movement to 5. Additionally, with more than four stands in the regiment, the Raj has difficulty safely casting a spell, which can be mitigated by Niyantran. Overall, I find both MSU regiments and larger blocks playable and effective.

Efreet Flamecasters - Sorcerer Kings Guide (english)

Efreet Flamecasters

The Efreet Flamecasters are the brute ranged unit of the Element Fire, specializing in very short-range attacks.

Cost: At 160 points, they are expensive compared to the Dhanur Disciples. Compared to ranged units from other factions, such as Slingers, their position worsens further. Even the seemingly cheap 50 points for additional stands don’t help much.

Strengths:

• Torrential Fire: This ability allows for additional hits on successful rolls, significantly increasing their firepower within 7".
• Elemental: If the last card was a Ritual, the Flamecasters gain a third action, making them useful, though rituals are unfortunately rare.
• Born of Flame: When a friendly spellcaster casts a fire spell on the regiment, it heals 2 wounds immediately. Additionally, there are synergies with other faction abilities.
• Infernal Marker: After a Volley attack against an opponent, all friendly fire spellcasters gain an additional success against the targeted enemy regiment. It’s important to note that only the action needs to be performed—hits or wounds are optional.
• Medium: Being a medium unit allows them to score points.
• Brute: Flamecasters have a height of 2 and can shoot over infantry.

Weaknesses:

• Range: With a range of 14", they need to get close to the enemy, making them more vulnerable to counterattacks. For Torrential Fire, they need to be within 7", with only a Volley stat of 2.
• Close Combat: Despite having Impact 2, the Flamecasters have only Clash 2 and are not really suited for close combat. Sooner or later, they often end up in melee but usually die without support.

General Tactics: Despite their beautiful models, the Efreet Flamecasters often find a spot in my lists mainly because the Dhanur Disciples are simply more solid for their points. Flamecasters seem like weaker Slingers, heavily hindered by their short range of 14" and Volley 2. With Volley 3 or a range of 18", they would be acceptable, but as it stands, they are always dependent on a Ritual to be useful. Due to the lack of viable ranged units, they are still seen more often. If you have a Ritual available or can position them behind a unit, they are solid. Especially at 7", with aiming and Jadoo, many dice come together quickly. Additionally, they are surprisingly robust against shooting with D3 R3 W5.

Dhanur Disciples - Sorcerer Kings Guide (english)

Dhanur Disciples

The Dhanur Disciples are a useful medium infantry unit with decent ranged attacks.

Cost: At 140 points, they are reasonably priced for their offensive capabilities and durability. The additional stands for 40 points each are a worthwhile addition.

Strengths:

• Effective Ranged Attacks: Despite having a Volley stat of only 2, their Barrage value of 5 and a range of 20" allow the Dhanur Disciples to inflict consistent damage from a distance.
• Arcing Fire: This ability enables them to shoot over obstacles and units, increasing their tactical positioning options. However, this always costs the advantage of aiming.
• Movement: With a movement value of 6, the Dhanur Disciples are relatively mobile for an infantry unit.
• Medium: Being a medium unit allows them to score points.

Weaknesses:

• Close Combat: They are most effective from a distance and should avoid close combat whenever possible, given their Clash stat of 1.
• Moderate Durability: With 4 wounds and D2, they can withstand some damage before being taken out. However, they fall quickly under concentrated attacks.

General Tactics:

The Dhanur Disciples are a valuable addition to any army, offering solid and cost-effective ranged combat. Additionally, they are the second unit that characters can easily join. However, characters typically prefer to move into a zone to collect ritual markers or get within 12" of the enemy to use their spells. In contrast, the Dhanur Disciples prefer to remain stationary and shoot. This does not necessarily make them the best choice as bodyguards for every character, but it allows for effective regiment play without attached characters.

The Disciples benefit greatly from the buffs provided by the Wind Maharajah or the Wind Sorcerer. Whether Homing Winds is always the best option is questionable, but rerolls always feel good. I find Air Step particularly useful for quick turns and being able to aim when the enemies weren't previously in sight. However, one should be cautious with buffs, as their hitting power, while high, diminishes significantly against well-armored enemies, whereas many other regiments benefit more from the buffs.

In my test games, I primarily used the Dhanur Disciples to weaken the enemy or deal the last two to three points of damage to finally destroy a regiment.

Sorcerer Kings Rituals (english)

The Sorcerer Kings are the eighth and newest faction in Conquest: Last Argument of Kings and, like all factions, have their own unique faction rule. This rule manifests in the form of rituals, which allow us to incorporate moderate effects as cards into our deck. Despite their moderate effects, these cards are useful because they enable certain regiments of the Sorcerer Kings to perform a third action.

How do rituals work?

1. A Sorcerer King Spellcaster character's card is drawn.
2. The model receives a free action to perform an Elemental Rite action.
3. With Elemental Rites, one can either start a new ritual with a marker or add a marker to an already started ritual.
4. At the end of each round, you must add a marker to a ritual already in preparation if a Sorcerer King character is in a zone. Each character can add one marker, and it is not necessary to score or even be able to score in that zone.
5. Once the required markers for a ritual are collected, you may (but do not have to) place it in your deck for the next round.
6. When you draw the ritual from the deck, the effects trigger automatically, and it is treated like a normal activation from the deck.
7. A non-character regiment that matches the element of the ritual can activate directly after the ritual if it is the next card in the deck.
8. After a ritual card is drawn, the next regiment card, not a Charakter card, with the Elemental special rule receives a free action according to the normal restrictions. This is not bound to the element type and can either be stacked with the chain activation or simply be the next drawn card. If the last card in the previous round was a ritual, the first card in the new round would benefit from this.
9. The ritual is removed from the deck and the game after it has been used.

This sounds simple, and of course, the faction has special rules to speed up the process.

The Rituals

It is important to note that the same ritual can be used multiple times. There are a total of three rituals that require five markers and many that need more. In my opinion, there is no reason to ever start a ritual that requires more than five markers, as the effects are all manageable. Therefore, I will start with the only two rituals that I always use:

Conflagration (available for the Maharajah and Raj)

• Ritual Threshold: 5
• A friendly Spellcaster regiment or character stand may immediately perform an additional spell action out of sequence. The caster counts as having achieved four successes in casting. Draw the next card; if it belongs to a regiment with the Born of Flame special rule, it may activate immediately. Otherwise, place the card on top of the deck.

In my opinion, this is the most sensible ritual. The element is fire, which currently affects the majority of choices, especially monsters. Additionally, the "Kings of Magic" often struggle to cast their spells successfully, and this ritual helps significantly. I would recommend preparing this four times during a game.

Intrusive Thoughts (available for the Maharajah and the Sorcerer)

• Ritual Threshold: 5
• An enemy regiment currently within 12" of a friendly Spellcaster character stand cannot capture zones until the end of the round. Draw the next card; if it belongs to a regiment with the Born of Flame special rule, it may activate immediately. Otherwise, place the card on top of the deck.

This ritual is useful and almost always worthwhile. The problem is that your spellcaster must be within 12" of the enemy, which involves certain risks. Nonetheless, it is often helpful.

Other Rituals

Incite Rage (available only for the Raj)

• Ritual Threshold: 5
• An enemy regiment within 12" of a friendly Spellcaster character stand is targeted. Friendly regiments attacking this regiment receive the Shock special rule until the end of the round. Draw the next card; if it belongs to a regiment with the Born of Flame special rule, it may activate immediately. Otherwise, place the card on top of the deck.

This ritual is also an option with only 5 tokens, but the character stand must be very close to the enemy, making it situational in my opinion.

Fiery Dominion (available only for the Maharajah)

• Ritual Threshold: 6
• The next two enemy regiments whose card is drawn this round cannot perform Draw Events. Draw the next card; if it belongs to a regiment with the Born of Flame special rule, it may activate immediately. Otherwise, place the card on top of the deck.

The effect is not good because it cannot be used strategically. Additionally, effects like Biomancies, Pheromancies, or Battle Plans are not affected.

Spiteful Winds (available for the Maharajah and Raj)

• Ritual Threshold: 6
• An enemy regiment within 12" of a friendly Spellcaster character stand has a reduced charge distance (march value + 2") until the end of the round. Draw the next card; if it belongs to a regiment with the Born of Air special rule, it may activate immediately. Otherwise, place the card on top of the deck.

If the spellcaster is so close to the enemy, they can still be attacked. If the range were longer or the effect better, it might be worth considering. As it is, it is unattractive.

Sayf (available for Raj and the Sorcerer)

• Ritual Threshold: 6
• The next two friendly regiments whose cards are drawn this round receive the Opportunists special rule until the end of the round. Draw the next card; if it belongs to a regiment with the Born of Air special rule, it may activate immediately. Otherwise, place the card on top of the deck.

The effect is fine, but it is unclear why six markers are required.

Far Sight (available only for the Sorcerer)

• Ritual Threshold: 7
• Draw the next three cards and place them back in any order. Then draw and activate the next card.

The effect is very good, but seven markers make it completely unattractive.

Planning the Rituals

We have no way to start a ritual in round 1, so we usually choose a regiment with a character that can perform a ritual action in round 2 so that it automatically appears on the battlefield. Usually, this is the character with the Shu'laat, which allows us to start a ritual with two markers instead of one. Even if I have multiple characters in round 2, they usually all start a ritual.

In the following two rounds, only the Shu'laat bearer usually starts rituals, while the others diligently place markers on the existing ones. I try to complete one or two rituals in rounds 4, 5, and 6 to use them in the subsequent rounds. This does not always succeed, as characters must be in zones for this. Otherwise, you simply lack the tokens.

The Maharajah's supremacy is also important for good ritual management, as it allows you to place a ritual marker on two different rituals with the Elemental Rite action. I rarely manage six or more rituals in a game, as my opponents are actively attacking my army, and a dead character stand is extremely painful for the ritual buildup.

Raj - Sorcerer Kings Guide

Raj

Im Hintergrund wird ein Rajvon seinen Anhängern hoch respektiert und führt persönlich an vorderster Front, indem er seine Feinde direkt mit Stahl und Zauberei bekämpft. Das ist gut ins Spiel übertragen.

Kosten:

• Mit 100 Punkten der der Raj fair bepreist und solide.
  

Stärken:

• Arcane Conduit: Jeder Charakterstand der Sorcerer Kings, der am Ende der Runde in einer Zone ist, gibt uns einen Ritual Marker.
• Wizard (7): Jeder Charakter der Sorcerer Kings, außer dem Sardar, hat 7 Würfel für Zauber.
• Rituale: der Charakter Stand hat Zugriff auf die Elemental Rites Aktion und Rituale. Das habe ich hier erklärt: Sorcerer Kings Rituale
  
• Arcane Derwish: Wenn der Rajunser Warlord ist, erhalten alle Elemtals Terrifying 1 in Zonen. Davon abgesehen dass es eine Fraktion gibt gegen die das völlig sinnfrei ist, ist es auch so die schelchteste Supremacy im Spiel der Fraktion.
  
  • Terrifying 1: Reduziert den Resolve feindlicher Einheiten, gegen Clash und Impactattacken dieses Regiments.
• Court of Flame und  Court of Air: Der Raj ist Mitglied bei beiden Höfen, kennt alle Zauber dieser und das Regiment dem er sich anschließt erhält sowohl die Born of Air als auch die Born of Flame Sonderregel.
  
  • Born of Flame: Wenn ein befreundeter Zauberer einen Feuerzauber auf das Regiment wirkt, heilt es sofort um 2 Wunden. Außerdem gibt es Synergien mit anderen Fähigkeiten der Fraktion.
  • Born of Air: Wenn ein befreundeter Zauberer einen Windzauber auf das Regiment wirkt, heilt es sofort um 2 Wunden. Außerdem gibt es Synergien mit anderen Fähigkeiten der Fraktion.
• Flexible Warband: Alle Wizard Charakter Stands der Sorcerer Kings haben die Option, Rajakur, Dhanur und Ghols als Mainstay zu wählen und bis zu 5 Regimenter in der Warband zu nutzen. Jedenfalls sofern eines davon Dhanur oder Rajakur ist. Ansonsten sind, je nach selbstgewähltem Court, alle Feuermodelle Mainstay oder restricted. 
• Flurry: der Raj darf alle Trefferwürfe bei einer Clash oder Duell Aktion wiederholen.
  

Schwächen:

• Begrenzte Mobilität: Mit einer Bewegungsreichweite von 5 ist der Raj nicht besonders schnell und kann so Dhanur oder Elementals verlangsamen, wenn er sich ihnen anschließen sollte.
• Moderate Verteidigung: Nahezu alles bei den Sorcerer Kings hat Defense und Resolve 3. Das ist nicht schlecht, aber auch alles andere als gut. Daher will der Raj nicht gerne in ein Duell, aber sobald er unter Molten Blades steht möchten auch die Gegner das nicht mehr gerne.
• Scaling: alle guten Zauber haben Scaling.

Die Macht der magischen Höfe:

Der Raj kennt die Magie vom Court of Fire und Court of Air.

Court of Fire:

• Molten Blades (Range: Self, Attunement: 3, Scaling): Das Zielregiment erhält die Spezialregeln Cleave (1) und Deadly Blades bis zum Ende der Runde. Dadurch werden Rajakur nett und Sword Dancer sehr gefährlich. Gerade in Kombination mit dem Sandstorm der Sorcerer schmelzen gegnerische Regimenter dann förmlich dahin
  
  • Cleave 1: Im Nahkampf reduzieren wir mit einer Clash-Attacke die Rüstung des Gegners um 1
  • Deadly Blades: Jeder Rüstungswurf von 6 sind zwei statt ein Schaden bei Attacken mit dieser Sonderregeln. Wenn der Gegner keine Rüstung gegen dei Attacken hat, muss er trotzdem Würfeln und für jede 6 erhält er zwei Schaden.
    
• Wreathed in Fire  (Range: Self, Attunement: 3, Scaling): Das Zielregiment erhält die Aura of Death (2) und die Dread Spezialregel bis zum Ende der Runde. Der Sellingpoint hier ist ganz klar das Dread, da die Aura of Dead häufig zu spät kommt oder in einer direkten Folgeaktivierung des Regiments und daher einer Clashaktion führt. Dann wäre Molten Blades schlichtweg sinnvoller.
  
  • Aura of Death 2: Verursacht automatisch 2 Treffer pro Stand mit dieser Sonderregel gegen feindliche Einheiten die mit dem Regiment in Kontakt stehen, wenn diese aktiviert werden.
  • Dread: Feindliche Einheiten, die mit Ständen dieser Spezialregel in Kontakt stehen, können nicht von den Effekten der "Inspired" Spezialregel profitieren.
    

Court of Air:

• Storms Wrath (Range: 12", Attunement: 3): Das Zielregiment behandelt alle Geländezonen als Perlious. Habe bisher noch keine sinnvolle Gelegenheit gehabt das zu zaubern.
  • Perlious: Wenn ein Regiment über Gelände mit Perlious bewegt wird, wird für jede Stand, der das Gelände betritt oder hindurchgeht, ein Würfel geworfen. Für jede Würfelzahl von 4, 5 oder 6 erleidet das Regiment 1 Wunde. Kavallerie- und Streitwagenregimenter erleiden jeweils 2 Wunden. Gegen Wunden, die durch Perilous Terrain verursacht werden, können keine Verteidigungswürfe gemacht werden. Außerdem ist keine Moraltest erforderlich.
• Wind Kissed Blades (Range: Self, Attunement: 4, Scaling): Das Zielregiment erhält die Spezialregeln Counter-Attack und Parry bis zum Ende der Runde. Nach der Parry Änderung halte ich das für sinnlos.Immerhin Attunement 4.
  
  • Parry: Gegnerische Stands dürfen keine Würfel wiederholen, wenn sie in Kontakt mit einem Regiment dieser Sonderregel sind.
    
  • Counter-Attack: Jeder Schutzwurf von 1 gegen Clash Aktionen vom Gegner wirft einen Treffer ohne Sonderregeln auf diesen zurück. Nett zu haben, mehr nicht. 

Optionale Patron's Gifts: Die Sorcerer Kings haben nur eine kleine Auswahl an Ausrüstungen, davon ist grob 1/3 brauchbar und der Maharajah darf bis zu zwei wählen.Ich erwähne nur die die ich sinnvoll finde:

• Banners:
  • Banner of Elemental Dominion (30 Punkte): Regimente mit der Elemental-Regel innerhalb von 10" dieses Charakterstands erhalten die Unstoppable-Spezialregel. Da das von Haus aus nur Ghols haben, freuen die sich sehr darüber, aber die 30 Punkte sind es aufgrund der eingeschränkten Reichweite nur selten wert.
• Weapons:
  • Dancing Scimitar (30 Punkte): Der Charakterstand erhält das Dancing Scimitar Draw Event. Dies erlaubt es, einem feindlichen Regiment oder Zielmarker innerhalb von 12" 3 automatische Treffer mit der Armor Piercing (2) Spezialregel zuzufügen, ohne Resolve Tests auszulösen. Sehr stark und nicht günstig. Wenn man die Punkte über hat, sind der Scimitar oder das Khanjar beides solide Optionen.
  • Prijm Khanjar (30 Punkte): Der Charakterstand erhält das Prijm Khanjar Draw Event. Dies verursacht 5 Treffer auf ein feindliches Regiment im Kontakt mit diesem Charakterstand, ohne dass diese Treffer von irgendwelchen Spezialregeln des Charakterstands profitieren, aber Moraltests müssen gemacht werden. Sehr stark und nicht günstig. Wenn man die Punkte über hat ist das Khanjar auf einen Raj in Rajakur meine bevorzugte Wahl, wenn ich nicht Niyantran wähle.
    
  • Shu´laat (20 Punkte): Der Charakterstand darf Rituale immer mit zwei statt einem Marker starten. Pflichtpick, den optimalerweise der Maharajah Warlord trägt. Ganz nebenbei kriegt der Stand auch noch Blessed, was ihm nur im Clash hilft.
• Arcane:
  • Jadoo Kavach (30 Punkte): Wenn der Zauberer erfolgreich einen Feuer- oder Windzauber wirkt, erhalten alle Regimenter des entsprechenden Courts Reroll 6 auf alle Angriffswürfel. Alle. Haben wir eine reine Feuerarmee, darf unsere gesamte Armee jede Sechs im Angriff einfach wiederholen. Aufgrund der Schwierigkeiten mit Scaling sollte der Raj diesen Gegenstand nicht tragen und das lieber der Sorcerer oder dem Maharajah überöassen.
    
  • Eye of the Blazing Tempest (30 Punkte): Heilt alle befreundeten Regimenter mit der Elemental-Regel innerhalb von 8" um 3 Wunden nach einer Elemental Rites Aktion. Etwas teuer, aber dafür eine Pulsheilung. Insgesamt gut.
  • Niyantran (20 Punkte): Verleiht Wizard (+1) und reduziert das Scaling für Ziele 3 Stands. Für den durch Scaling geplagten Raj eine Erlösung. Damit kommen die Buffs fast sicher durch.
    

Optionale Masteries:

• Lord of Conflict (20 Punkte): Was möchte der Nahkampfcharkater der Sorcerer Kings? Genau +1 auf Clash-, Angriffs- und Wound-Eigenschaften. Für 20 Punkte ist das nicht günstig, aber okay.
• Best Money Can Buy (30 Punkte): Das Infanterieregiment, dem dieser Charakterstand angehört, erhält die Hardened (+1) Spezialregel. Rajakur gehen also auf Hardened 2 und Dhanur auf Hardened 1. Finde ich sehr stark, aber nur wenn man den Zusatz Infanterieregiment streichen würde. So ist das ein "nice to have," wenn Punkte frei sind, aktuell zumindest.
• Bound to the Elements (40 Punkte): Der Charakterstand wird zum Brute und erhält die Elemental-Spezialregel. Wenn er Mitglied des Court of Fire ist, muss er einem Regiment von Efreet Flamecasters oder Efreet Sword Dancers beitreten. Wenn Court of Wind, dann Windborne Djinn oder Steelheart Djinn. Das ist cool, aber viel zu teuer. Außerdem reduziert man das Movement der entsprechenden Regimenter.
• Elemental Feedback (35 Punkte): Heilt das angehängte Regiment um 2 Wunden für je 2 Erfolge beim Zaubern. Nicht kumulativ mit Born of Air oder Flame, aber mit Niyantran und Conflagration kommt da schon eine Menge Heilung zusammen.Persönlich finde ich das besser auf einen Maharajah, aber wird auch oft beim Raj gekauft.
  

Allgemeine Taktiken:

Die Sprüch vom Court of Air sind eher mässig, auch wenn Storm Wrath auf dem Papier sehr stark aussieht. Eigentlich müßte das gut funktionieren, aber die eingeschränkte Reichweite ist bedrückend. So bleibt man meistens bei den beiden Court of Fire Sprüchen und nutzt Wreathed in Fire zum Schutz und Molten Blades in der Offensive. Er kann selbst ganz brauchbar kämpfen und mit Molten Blades wird einfach jedes Regiment gefährlich für den Gegner. Daher wird er sehr gerne in Rajakur gespielt, die aber nur Clash 2 haben und daher Unterstützung durch Jadoo brauchen um auch halbwegs genug Treffer an den Gegner bringen zu können. Die andere Option ist ihn in Sword Dancer zu stecken, aber das kostet 40 Punkte und das Movement der Sword Dancer wird auf 5 reduziert. Meiner Meinung nach ist es das nicht wert, aber ich spiele das sehr gerne, weil es cool aussieht.

Wenn er nicht auf den wichtigen Sprüchen Scaling hätte und Bound to Elements so furchtbar teuer, dann wäre er vermutlich sehr beliebt. AKtuell hingt er aber deutlich dem Maharajah und der Sorcerer hinterher.

Sorcerer - Sorcerer Kings Guide

Sorcerer

Die große Supporterin der Fraktion mit Buffs und Debuffs, die ich mir bei den Hundred Kingdoms stets gewünscht habe.

Kosten:

• Für 100 Punkte ist sie ein wenig teuer, aber die Zauber sind solide.
  

Stärken:

• Arcane Conduit: Jeder Charakterstand der Sorcerer Kings, der am Ende der Runde in einer Zone ist, gibt uns einen Ritual Marker.
• Wizard (7): Jeder Charakter der Sorcerer Kings, außer dem Sardar, hat 7 Würfel für Zauber.
• Rituale: der Charakter Stand hat Zugriff auf die Elemental Rites Aktion und Rituale. Das habe ich hier erklärt: Sorcerer Kings Rituale
  
• Omnipotence: Wenn die Sorcerer Warlord ist, darf sie auf jedes feindliche Regiment zaubern, das in Kontakt mit befreundeten Regimentern mit der Born of Flame oder Born of Air Spezialregel steht, unabhängig von der Reichweite oder Sichtlinie. Das ist cool, leider brauchen wir Rituale und mehr Marker macht der Maharajah.
• Court of Flame oder Court of Air: Die Sorcerer kann zwischen den Höfen des Feuers und der Luft wählen, was seine Einsatzmöglichkeiten und Anpassungsfähigkeit erhöht. Entsprechend erhält er und sein Regiment die Spezialregeln Born of Flame oder Born of Air.
  • Born of Flame: Wenn ein befreundeter Zauberer einen Feuerzauber auf das Regiment wirkt, heilt es sofort um 2 Wunden. Außerdem gibt es Synergien mit anderen Fähigkeiten der Fraktion.
  • Born of Air: Wenn ein befreundeter Zauberer einen Windzauber auf das Regiment wirkt, heilt es sofort um 2 Wunden. Außerdem gibt es Synergien mit anderen Fähigkeiten der Fraktion.
• Flexible Warband: Alle Wizard Charakter Stands der Sorcerer Kings haben die Option, Rajakur, Dhanur und Ghols als Mainstay zu wählen und bis zu 5 Regimenter in der Warband zu nutzen. Jedenfalls sofern eines davon Dhanur oder Rajakur ist. Ansonsten sind, je nach selbstgewähltem Court, alle Feuermodelle Mainstay oder restricted. 
• Barrage 3 mit Range 14: Selten relevant und zu kurze Reichweite, aber immerhin Volley 3 und ab und zu interessant.

Schwächen:

• Begrenzte Mobilität: Mit einer Bewegungsreichweite von 5 ist die Sorcerer nicht besonders schnell und kann so Dhanur oder Elementals verlangsamen, wenn sie sich ihnen anschließen sollte.
• magereVerteidigung: Mit D2 R3 und W4 ist sie eher anfällig für alles. Evasion 2 rettet das ein wenig, aber Duelle sollte man mit ihr meiden.

Die Macht der magischen Höfe:

Die Sorcerer muss einen Court of Magie wählen und kennt alle Sprüche der entsprechenden Lehre. Beide sind nützlich und gut.

Court of Fire:

• Cauterize (Range: 12", Attunement: 3, Scaling): Verhindert, dass das Ziel Regiment bis zum Ende der Runde geheilt wird. Nett, nicht mehr.
• Ignite (Range: 12", Attunement: 3): Das Kommandostand des Ziels zählt als +2 beim Einnehmen von Zonen. Regimente mit der Born of Flame Spezialregel erhalten zudem Aura of Death (2) bis zum Ende der Runde und heilen natürlich um zwei. Sehr stark und eine der Optionen wie wir in Runde 2 punkten können.
  • Aura of Death 2: Verursacht automatisch 2 Treffer pro Stand mit dieser Sonderregel gegen feindliche Einheiten die mit dem Regiment in Kontakt stehen, wenn diese aktiviert werden.
• Searing Sandstorm (Range: 12", Attunement: 3): Senkt die Verteidigung des Zielregiments um 1, bis zu einem Minimum von 1. Wenn das Ziel in Kontakt mit einem befreundeten Regiment mit der Born of Air Spezialregel steht, sinkt auch die Evasion um 1. Der Hauptgrund warum man sie kauft und ein Spruch der meiner Meinung nach Lebenswichtig für die Fraktion ist, weil man sonst schlichtweg nicht genug Schaden macht.

Court of Air:

• Air Step (Range: 12", Attunement: 3, Scaling): Ermöglicht einem befreundeten Regiment eine sofortige, freie Reform-Aktion. Wenn sie vom Court of Air ist heilt sie natürlich noch um zwei. Das ist sehr stark und ermöglicht die ganzen Fluid Formation Tricks mit jedem beliebigen Regiment. Außerdem eine Möglichkeit ein Regiment in Runde 2 in eine Zone zu schieben.
• Tailwind (Range: 12", Attunement: 3, Scaling): Gewährt einem befreundeten Regiment die Unstoppable Spezialregel oder feindliche Regimenter müssen erfolgreiche Charge Rolls bis zum Ende der Runde wiederholen. Hat der Feind Unstoppable, heben sich die beiden Effekte gegenseitig auf. Das ist gut, hat aber den Nachteil er meisten Buffs, dass es meist etwas zu langsam ist.
• Wildfire (Range: 12", Attunement: 3, Scaling): Verursacht pro Erfolg einen Treffer auf ein Zielregiment. Außerdem kann das Zielregiment keine Zielzonen einnehmen, wenn es in Kontakt mit einem befreundeten Regiment mit der Born of Flame Spezialregel steht. Damit habe ich schon mehr als ein Spiel gewonnen. Der Spruch braucht zwar Vorarbeit, aber es ist nicht nötig, dass die Born of Flame Einheit bereits beim Wirken des Spruchs in Kontakt mit dem Feind ist.

Optionale Patron's Gifts: Die Sorcerer Kings haben nur eine kleine Auswahl an Ausrüstungen, davon ist grob 1/3 brauchbar und die Sorcerer darf eine wählen.Ich erwähne nur die die ich sinnvoll finde:

• Banners:
  • Banner of Elemental Dominion (30 Punkte): Regimente mit der Elemental-Regel innerhalb von 10" dieses Charakterstands erhalten die Unstoppable-Spezialregel. Da das von Haus aus nur Ghols haben, freuen die sich sehr darüber, aber die 30 Punkte sind es aufgrund der eingeschränkten Reichweite nur selten wert.
• Weapons:
  • Dancing Scimitar (30 Punkte): Der Charakterstand erhält das Dancing Scimitar Draw Event. Dies erlaubt es, einem feindlichen Regiment oder Zielmarker innerhalb von 12" 3 automatische Treffer mit der Armor Piercing (2) Spezialregel zuzufügen, ohne Resolve Tests auszulösen. Sehr stark und nicht günstig. Wenn man die Punkte über hat, sind der Scimitar oder das Khanjar beides solide Optionen.
  • Prijm Khanjar (30 Punkte): Der Charakterstand erhält das Prijm Khanjar Draw Event. Dies verursacht 5 Treffer auf ein feindliches Regiment im Kontakt mit diesem Charakterstand, ohne dass diese Treffer von irgendwelchen Spezialregeln des Charakterstands profitieren, aber Moraltests müssen gemacht werden. Sehr stark und nicht günstig. Wenn man die Punkte über hat, sind der Scimitar oder das Khanjar beides solide Optionen.
  • Shu´laat (20 Punkte): Der Charakterstand darf Rituale immer mit zwei statt einem Marker starten. Pflichtpick, den optimalerweise der Maharajah Warlord trägt. Ganz nebenbei kriegt der Stand auch noch Blessed, was ihm nur im Clash hilft.
• Arcane:
  • Jadoo Kavach (30 Punkte): Wenn der Zauberer erfolgreich einen Feuer- oder Windzauber wirkt, erhalten alle Regimenter des entsprechenden Courts Reroll 6 auf alle Angriffswürfel. Alle. Haben wir eine reine Feuerarmee, darf unsere gesamte Armee jede Sechs im Angriff einfach wiederholen. Klingt gut? Ist besser und optimal auf einer Court of Fire Sorcerer.
    
  • Eye of the Blazing Tempest (30 Punkte): Heilt alle befreundeten Regimenter mit der Elemental-Regel innerhalb von 8" um 3 Wunden nach einer Elemental Rites Aktion. Etwas teuer, aber dafür eine Pulsheilung. Insgesamt gut.
  • Niyantran (20 Punkte): Verleiht Wizard (+1) und reduziert das Scaling für Ziele 3 Stands. Das kann nützlich sein, aber meist hat man dafür nur selten die Punkte frei.

Optionale Masteries:

• Best Money Can Buy (30 Punkte): Das Infanterieregiment, dem dieser Charakterstand angehört, erhält die Hardened (+1) Spezialregel. Rajakur gehen also auf Hardened 2 und Dhanur auf Hardened 1. Finde ich sehr stark, aber nur wenn man den Zusatz Infanterieregiment streichen würde. So ist das ein "nice to have," wenn Punkte frei sind, aktuell zumindest.
• Bound to the Elements (40 Punkte): Der Charakterstand wird zum Brute und erhält die Elemental-Spezialregel. Wenn er Mitglied des Court of Fire ist, muss er einem Regiment von Efreet Flamecasters oder Efreet Sword Dancers beitreten. Wenn Court of Wind, dann Windborne Djinn oder Steelheart Djinn. Das ist cool, aber viel zu teuer. Außerdem reduziert man das Movement der entsprechenden Regimenter.
• Elemental Projection (30 Punkte): Erhöht die Reichweite aller Zauber um 3". Das ist echt gut, aber auch echt teuer. Eigentlich wollen unsere lieben Sorcerer und der Maharajah das, wenn sie dem Court of Fire angehören, aber für 30 Punkte kriegt man auch Jadoo...

Allgemeine Taktiken:

Vor dem letzten Update war ein wesentlicher Aspekt ihrer Taktik die Verwendung der Supremacy-Fähigkeit "Omnipotence", die es ermöglicht, feindliche Regimenter anzugreifen, die mit Einheiten mit den Born of Flame oder Born of Air Spezialregeln in Kontakt sind werden. Dadurch konnte man Sandstorm über den ganzen Tisch sprechen. Das ist weiterhin gut, aber wirft uns auch bei den Ritualen stark zurück, weshalb der Maharajah aktuell der mit Abstand beliebteste Warlord ist.

Aber auch so sind Ihre Unterstützungszauber sehr gut. Und mit Ausnahme von Wildfire brauchen wir für keinen eine Sichtlinie was den Verlust von Omnipotence verkraftbar macht. Aufgrund der aktuellen Ritualauswahl sieht man auch meist nur eine Court of Fire Sorcerer, da diese die perfekte Trägerin für Jadoo ist. Man möchte sowieso früh Sandstorm auf einen Gegner sprechen. Sei es durch Conflagration oder direkt durch die Zauberin. Da die Regimenter mit der Born of Flame Regel aktuell in der Mehrheit sind ist das auch ein Vertretbarer Plan. Dabei kann man darüber streiten ob sie besser in Rajakur oder Dhanur stehen möchte, da sie eigentlich immer einen Gegner in 12" haben möchte und auch sinnvoll zaubern können. Persönlich bevorzuge ich Dhanur, weil die Sorcerer für Sandstorm keine Sichtlinie benötigt.