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.