Turnierbericht vom 4. Badisch Conquest Spiel 1 Sorcerer Kings gegen City States

Übersicht:
Spiel 1
Spiel 2
Spiel 3

Moin zusammen,

machdem Krankheiten und Unfälle im letzten Monat mein Spielen beeinträchtigt hatten, freute ich mich sehr auf das anstehende Turnier am 06.07.2024 in March bei Freiburg. Endlich wieder drei Spiele am Stück, auch wenn knapp acht Stunden Fahrt anstrengend sind. Aber es stand eine offene Herausforderung gegen meine Sorcerer Kings durch Carsten (Redfreak im Discord) im Raum und ein Essen beim Hirsch – das klang gut. So machten wir uns am Freitagmorgen auf den Weg, um Konrad und die anderen im Süden zu besuchen. Die Reise nach March bei Freiburg war lang, aber die Aussicht auf das bevorstehende Essen, äh... Turnier, und das Wiedersehen mit Freunden ließ die Stunden wie im Flug vergehen.

Eigentlich wollte ich eine komplette Feuerliste spielen, aber meine Motivation, bei der Hitze Dinge zu bemalen, war eher gering. Daher nahm ich einfach das, was ich schon bemalt hatte. Ich wollte das Auge gegen Jadoo tauschen, aber ein perfider Plan brachte mich dazu, das nicht zu machen. Alternativ kann es natürlich auch möglich sein, dass ich das einfach nur vergessen hatte. Letzten Endes war das egal, da ich mich als nette Casual-Spielerin von nebenan nicht auf mein spielerisches Können oder die Fraktion verlasse, sondern nur auf die Gunst meines Schutzpatrons.

Meine Liste:

 Sorcerer Kings [2000/2000]

- Raj [160]: Shu'laat, Bound to the Elements
  - Efreet Sword Dancers (5) [270]
  - Ghols (3) [110]
  - Steelheart Djinn (3) [190]
  - Steelheart Djinn (3) [190]

- (Warlord) Maharajah [120]: Court of Fire
  - Rajakur (3) [120]

- Sorcerer [130]: Eye of the Blazing Tempest, Court of Fire
  - Efreet Flamecasters (3) [160]
  - Efreet Sword Dancers (3) [170]
  - Rajakur (3) [120]
  - Rakshasa Bakasura (1) [260]

Redfreaks Liste:

[1990/2000]
== (Warlord) Aristarch [120]: Atalanta's Spear
 * Selinoi (3) [130]: 
 * Hoplites (5) [245]: Dorilates, Minotaur Haspist Auxiliary
 * Satyroi (3) [200]: 
 * War Chariots (Skorpios) (2) [260]: Skorpios

== Polemarch [175]: Blades of Eakides, Inscription of Lighter Alloys, Disorienting Strikes
 * Hoplites (5) [245]: Dorilates, Minotaur Haspist Auxiliary
 * Agema (4) [245]: Andromachos
 * Minotaur Thyreans (3) [190]:
* Minotaur Haspists (3) [180]:

City States mit Streitwagen, zwei dicken Hoplitenblöcken und extra Stuff. Soweit nichts Ungewöhnliches und diese Listenvariante, gegen eine ähnliche musste ich auch in Spiel 3, ist aktuell recht beliebt. Persönlich spiele ich lieber gegen diese als gegen die Vanguard-Armee, da es mich stört, wenn mir Thorakites/Agema mit Polemarchen ins Gesicht springen. Redfreak ging auf dem Turnier mit der Liste 2:1 und zuerst spielten wir das Szenario "Grind them Down", was ich die letzten Tage öfter mit den Sorcerer Kings geübt hatte.

Runde 1 haben wir beide unsere einsame Light auf das Feld gestellt und in Runde zwei kamen bei mir alle drei Magier dazu. Redfreak bekam nur die Assassinen Satyroi und seinen Streitwagen, was ich gut fand. Ich war etwas verwirrt, warum er die Satyroi als erstes wählte, und als diese dann plötzlich wirklich an meiner Seite auftauchten, noch etwas mehr. Das war lästig, auch wenn ich mich so stellte, dass sie mir hoffentlich keinen ernsthaften Schaden zufügen konnten. Aber sie würden mein Spiel für die Folgerunden verlangsamen. Immerhin punktete ich so alleine auf 4:0 hoch.

In Runde 3 erwürfelte ich meine gesamte Armee und freute mich, Redfreak zog nach und das Lachen meines Schutzpatrons hallte in meinem Kopf wider. Wie lästig, wenn auch irgendwo fair. Aufgrund der Assassinen, die sich quasi in meiner Armee befanden, wäre es nett gewesen, anzufangen, und dementsprechend legte ich die Ghols nach oben. Zwar hatte ich schon drei Rituale in Arbeit, aber der Raj sollte ein viertes nutzen und ich wollte zwei Magier in Zonen stellen. So hätte ich die Option auf zwei Rituale, die in der nächsten Runde in mein Deck wandern würden.

Ich fing nicht an, die Assassinen griffen die Rajakur an und machten nur eine Handvoll Treffer in der Front an D3 Hardened. Wie sehr ich Rajakur mag. Für ihre Punkte sind die gerade gegen sowas unverschämt stabil, außer man würfelt dann trotzdem zwei Mal vier Vieren. Immerhin konnte ich das mit dem Maharajah und der Sorcerer wieder ein bisschen hochheilen, da beide keine anderen Ziele hatten.

Ansonsten marschierten wir nur auf und ich schob meinen dicken Block mit Raj in die mittlere Zone. Das Bild hier zeigt das ganz schön und nur seine Kühe mit Zweihandwaffen sind links noch ganz am Rand auf der von mir aus rechten Flanke, aber vom Foto verschluckt.

Die City States hatten zwei Zonen mit Wunschzone und ich zwei ohne Wunschzone. Wichtiger noch, ich hatte zwei Rituale fertig, beides Conflagrations, und beide wanderten in mein Deck. 8:7

In Runde 4 entschied ich mich, meine Conflagrations vor meinen Bakasura und den Windmädchen zu legen. Beides ganz nach unten. Außerdem musste ein Mal Sword Dancer nach unten, damit er wenigstens dachte, dass ich mit dem Block einen Angriff versuchen könnte. Da ich jetzt 4 Karten mehr im Deck hatte, würde ihm auch das Strategiedeck hoffentlich nicht helfen, meinen Plan zu durchschauen. Bisher bin ich fast immer daran gescheitert, Hopliten in der Front töten zu wollen. Da die Sorcerer sehr weit weg waren, würde ich auch keinen Sandstorm platzieren können. Sollte das alles nicht klappen, würden die beiden Regimenter, also der Bakasura und die Windmädchen, einfach neben die Hopliten rennen. Irgendwas würde sich schon ergeben.

Redfreak fing an, schoss mit den Streitwagen etwas auf mich und bewegte sich. Ich hatte Charaktere zum Heilen und Ritualmarker platzieren, und so dümpelten wir zahlreiche Aktivierungen vor uns hin. Irgendwann liefen seine Selinoi vor seine Hopliten, weil er da doch langsam Muffensausen bekam, dass der dicke Sword Dancer Block in die Hopliten kracht. Das nutzte ich aus und aktivierte als nächstes den dicken Sword Dancer Block statt den kleinen. Ich entschied mich, den einen Streitwagen mit Move Charge zu binden. Da das Ganze durch den Wald ging, machte ich zwar keine Impacts, aber die Hoffnung war, dass Redfreak sich dadurch ermutigt fühlte, die Hopliten mit Polemarch in die Zone zu stellen. Schließlich war ja nichts Bedrohliches mehr auf dem Feld und dass so ein Bakasura 18“ Move Charge Clash hat, wird gerne und schnell mal vergessen. Es dauerte dann noch ein paar Aktivierungen, aber irgendwann zog er den Hoplitenblock in die Zone. Ich weiß nicht mehr, ob er dafür Mobility verwendet hat, aber der verwundbare, gebundene Sword Dancer Block war ein zu leckerer Kuchen, als dass er ihn ignorieren konnte. Den Bakasura und die Reichweite hatte er vergessen und normalerweise springen Monster halt auch nicht 18“ über den Tisch. Zugegeben war ich mir auch nicht zu 100% sicher, dass das passen würde, wollte aber nicht messen, solange er noch agieren konnte. Daher habe ich das erst geprüft, als er komplett durch war, und meine anderen Aktivierungen weitergemacht, während Redfreak sich schon Schlimmstes ausmalte. Aber bevor der nette Bakasura in der Flanke der Hopliten guten Tag sagte, rannten erst einmal meine Windmädchen an den Kühen mit Schilden vorbei und in Auto-Charge-Reichweite für den anderen Hoplitenblock. Dann kam der Bakasura und er machte mit Resolve 20 Schaden. Da das nur ein „kleiner Block“ aus 5 Stands inkl. Kuh war, war davon danach nicht mehr viel übrig. Würden die nächste Runde aktivieren, sterben sie hoffentlich einfach am Aura of Death. Wir hatten wieder beide zwei Zonen, nur hatte ich dieses Mal meine Wunschzone und stand ziemlich gut. Es wanderte ein Ritual ins Deck und kurz hatte ich überlegt, darauf zu verzichten, aber vielleicht passierte komischer Kram und haben wäre besser als brauchen. 15:11

In Runde 5 und aufgrund seiner sich androhenden Supremacy-Doppelaktivierung entschied ich mich, mein Deck, wie fast immer, so zu bauen, als würde ich nicht anfangen. Er würde die Supremacy vermutlich nutzen, um auf der linken Flanke aufzuräumen. Auf der anderen Seite wäre es eine wahnsinnige Verschwendung, nicht die Mädchen nach oben zu legen, falls ich doch anfing. Also entschied ich mich für Windmädchen, vier oder sechs Alibi-Aktivierungen in Form der Rajakur, Ghols, des Rajs usw. Dann das Ritual mit Sword Dancern, den Bakasura usw. Natürlich fing ich nicht an, aber Redfreak war so sehr im Gedanken, eine weitere Zone zu holen und sich vor dem Charge der Windmädchen zu schützen, dass er sein Deck falsch baute. Statt zuerst mit den Minotauren mit Move Charge in die Flamecaster zu gehen und dann mit den Hopliten in meine Windmädchen zu gehen, bewegte er die Hopliten lieber etwas zurück und drehte den Mädchen die Front zu. Dann gingen die Minotauren an den Flamecastern vorbei in meine Zone und wir sprachen darüber, warum er das macht. Denn jetzt konnten meine kleinen Sword Dancer in die Flanke der Hopliten und die Mädchen einfach in die Front. Okay, beides eine Zwei, aber wenn mir das gelingt, sind beide Hoplitenblöcke weg. Natürlich klappte das und die anderen Hopliten starben am Aura of Death, damit der Bakasura die Selinoi noch fressen konnte. Als Redfreak dann durch war, erschlug der Raj den Streitwagen und ging dort in die Zone, damit ich für diese Runde drei Zonen hätte. Außerdem schossen die Flamecaster noch etwas den Schildkühen in den Rücken.

Runde 6 und ein deutlicher Karten- und Punktevorteil. Außer den Flamecastern kamen nach oben, weil ich den Minotauren gerne noch einmal in den Rücken schießen würde. Dann die Rituale mit den Windmädchen und dem Bakasura. Die Sword Dancer waren nicht so wichtig. Ich fing an und die Flamecaster erlösten die Kühe mit Schildern aus der Sklaverei der City States. Torrential Fire und Aminim machten 18 Treffer und die Kühe hielten ein oder zwei. Dann wollte er nicht so gerne mit den Agema nach vorne und meine Windmädchen erwischten die Kühe mit Zweihändern in der Flanke auf die 4+ mit Move Charge Clash. Die Kühe fielen und wir brachen das Spiel ab und schnacken über die Fehler usw.

Spiel 1 gewonnen und gefühlt hatte auch jeder Nicht-Deutschsprechende auf dem Turnier Erfolg. Mit meinem bestenfalls gebrochenen Englisch hatte ich keine Lust, mich durch ein englischsprachiges Spiel zu quälen. Zwar hatte ich in letzter Zeit mit Duolingo geübt, aber die Jungs machten immer Witze darüber, daher war meine Motivation sich durch ein Spiel auf englisch zu quälen eher gering – um es sehr schmeichelhaft auszudrücken. In der Mittagspause lernte ich dann DonKihot aus der Schweiz kennen. Er war vor über 10 Jahren aus der Ukraine in die Schweiz gezogen und spielte nur auf Englisch, sprach aber perfektes Schweizerdeutsch. Er wäre als Übungspartner für Englisch ideal gewesen, da ich im Zweifelsfall Deutsch sprechen konnte. Dank meines geschätzten Schutzpatrons gab es jedoch für Runde 2 mit Christian (Atherakian) wieder einen deutschsprachigen Gegner, diesmal mit den Hundred Kingdoms. Hier geht es direkt zum zweiten Spielbericht <-- klick mich

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.

October Update: Movement is now the same as the regiment’s, including items.

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 4: Automatically causes 4 hits 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.
• 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 (10 points): What does the Sorcerer Kings melee character want? Exactly +1 on Clash, attack, and wound characteristics. For 10 points, it's very cheap and nice now.
  
• Best Money Can Buy (20 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 Wrath looks very strong on paper. It should actually work well, but the limited range is quite restrictive. As a result, players usually stick with the two Court of Fire spells, using Wreathed in Fire for protection and Molten Blades for offense. He can fight decently on his own, and with Molten Blades, any regiment becomes a serious threat to the opponent. That's why he's often played in Rajakur, although they only have Clash 2, meaning they need support from Jadoo to deal enough hits to the enemy.

Another option is to put him in Sword Dancer, but that costs 40 points. Now that he no longer drags down the movement of the regiments with the characters, this could become more interesting, though it’s still prohibitively expensive. One always has to keep in mind that the Raj's spells have scaling.

If his important spells didn’t have scaling and Bound to Elements wasn’t so terribly expensive, he would probably be much more popular. Right now, though, he is significantly trailing behind the Maharajah and Sorcerer.

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.

October Update: Movement is now the same as the regiment’s, including items.

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:

• 
  
• 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 (4) 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 4: Automatically inflicts 4 hits 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.
  • 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 (20 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.

Maharajah - Sorcerer Kings Guide (english)

Maharajah

The grand leader of the mighty courts of magic himself.

October Update: Movement is now the same as the regiment’s, including items.

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:

• 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 (4) 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.
• 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 (10 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) and Flank 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.

Update

More and more often, players ask me why the Favorit of Hormus never appears in my tournament reports. So, I'd like to share my thoughts on this topic.

The Fire Maharajah with the Mahut is highly regarded both internationally and in Germany, as it embodies one of the most durable models the faction has to offer with Eye of the Blazing Tempest. Additionally, the Mahut benefits from Linebreaker and Trample, which provide a significant advantage in difficult matchups, such as against the Praetorians. In my test games, I often sent the Mahut aggressively into a zone with Move, Move, Charge, overwhelming the opponent, since the Mahut with rider counts as four stands. Many regular regiments simply can't withstand such pressure or kill the Mahut quickly enough due to its healing.

However, despite its strengths, particularly the ability to generate two ritual tokens starting from round 4 and the fact that the opponent has to commit serious resources to eliminate it, I’m bothered by the high cost. For about 500 points, or roughly a quarter of my entire army, I get a regiment that simply doesn't offer enough in terms of offensive power and resilience. The Favorit of Hormus is by no means bad, but for me, the cost-to-benefit ratio, even with the new Flank and Terrifying rules, remains unbalanced.

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.