Man o War Vs. Uncharted Seas: The Gauntlet Thrown

Gamers looking to get into fantasy naval games don’t have much of a choice these days being limited to the highly praised, but long out of print Man o War (MoW) from Games Workshop (GW) and the new kid on the block Uncharted Seas (US) from Spartan Games (SG). US recently launched and feedback has been greater than anticipated from the publishers for many a good reason and much to be expected US is being judged by the bar which MoW set. The question is though: Does US raise the bar, or fall below it.

I will admit that I am an avid MoW player and for those of you who follow my postings I recently ranked it as my top GW game. Today I’m going to try to put that bias aside and look at various mechanics and mechanisms comparing the two games because with such limited selection in fantasy naval gaming, it was bound to happen.

PRICE:
US wins this one hands down for obvious reasons. Being out of print for more than ten years, MOW is very pricey to get into. Base sets of just rules, counters and templates needed to play go on eBay (just about the only source for the game) in the range of $60-100 and this doesn’t include a full fleet (just some ’sample’ ships). Compared to the $30 rulebook needed to obtain all the materials needed to play US there isn’t much of a comparison. Obtaining a fully functioning fleet in MoW will run between $60-200 depending on the fleet and how much flexibility you want. And then let’s not forget to mention the two expansion sets for MoW which will add another $50-90. US will set you back $30 for the rule book and a starter fleet which is enough to get you going will run between $30-60 where just getting into MoW will run a few hundred dollars to get what you need for two fleets and game pieces.
POINT - US

COMPONENT QUALITY:
This one is a tough one to call but again I have to give the point to Uncharted Seas. MoW was released with paper rulebooks which are black and white thru-and-thru, well outside of the hand oils which have accumulated over the years along the spine giving the cover a brown tint. It is also a matter of time before the first pages will break free from the staples holding the book together which was typical of GW releases back during this period. The US book is full glossy color front to back and has a glued spine. The ship quality also goes to US. The ships for US are just stunning. Being about twice the size of the typical MoW ship they look beautiful on the table with detail able to be picked out from a distance. The metal sails also do wonders for the game compared to the paper sales that MoW was published with. MoW does offer a wide range of variety with their ships with many of the fleets posessing their own characteristics, but judged by today’s standard they do look a little archaic.
POINT - US

VARIETY:
Here we finally have a point which goes to my beloved MoW, though at this point it is a little unfair since the only things available at this time form the foundation and backbone to US. As it currently stands, MoW averages about four or five choices per fleet and ten fleets to choose from. US only offers three ships to choose from with four fleets currently available. Seeing what SG has planned though the various fleets for US will soon have more choices than any fleet in MoW. So at this point the point is awarded to MoW, but with US being a supported game with many fleets still in the production stage this point will swing to US given time.
POINT: MoW (for the time being)

GAMEPLAY:
So up until this point there really isn’t much to dislike with US, is there? US is cheaper, it has better looking ships and will quickly surpass MoW in variety. But it really doesn’t amount to a hill of beans until you look at game play. Since there isn’t much in the way of variety when it comes to Age of Sail naval games (move, shoot, magic and boarding) it really wasn’t a surprise that both games are structured very similar. So I will break game play down to those components and compare the games on those merits.

MOVEMENT:
Both games utilize a turning template which represents a ships inability to turn on a dime and the lumbering nature of large ships on the water. MoW uses one template for every ship and basically the rules break down to, if a ship wants to turn, it is able to do so but for every turn it must move two inches and can turn up to 45 degrees. US does something that I really enjoy though and utilizes different turning templates for different size ships so the smaller frigates are able to turn much tighter radius compared to a larger battleship. These look like a half circle with the sides cut flat to one inch increments. Smaller ships use the smallest “circle” and larger ships use the largest “circle” to perform turning maneuvers. This allows frigates to dart around the sea and are more agile than their MoW counterparts. One major difference between the two games though is the other movement options available for MoW ships. With many fleets in MoW utilizing paddle wheels or oars as ways of propulsion, ships in MoW are able to turn in place, back up or sit still. On one hand I really like the different turning radiuses that US uses but the movement modes in MoW add other tactical layers and options to players.
POINT: MoW

COMBAT:
Here is where the games greatly differ. US utilizes a system where a handful of dice are rolled and successes tallied then the number of successes are compared to the armor and critial ratings on the target ship. This amounts to a one roll system. Damage affects the ship as a whole and is very clean overall with minimal book keeping. The effects on the ship are very simple and the amount of damage, in game terms, equates to a number of dice modification on attacking or ramming/collisions. My one complaint about the system is how smaller ships have little to no chance of damaging larger and more heavily armored ships. MoW utilizes a two roll system as well as ship templates which damage specific portions of the ship causing variable results (loss of speed, loss of weapons…etc.). The first roll combines the success of the shot (if it hits the target or not) and if it hits the location that the ship is hit. The target ship is then allowed a saving throw to see if the shot does damage. The result of the MoW system is a lot of book keeping which does bog the game down. What it does add though is a more detailed narrative. Different parts of the ship can be damaged which can impact the ship in many different ways and towards the end of the game, individual ships in a squadron could have damage causing them to act very differently from one another. So on one hand there is a very clean and simplified system and on the other there is more book keeping and more narrative. I personally prefer the narrative aspect, but this topic really does boil down to personal preference therefore:
POINT - MoW

BOARDING ACTIONS:
Again here US uses mechanics which creates a very clean system. Boarding actions are worked out very much like combat with successes and failures working out in the same method as combat and the number of dice rolled determined by how much crew the ship has. MoW uses a system where one d6 is rolled and modified by the number of crew as well as grapeshot from the ship being boarded. The main difference between the two is US is a fight to the death with neither side able to pull away until one crew is dead and could also result in both crews being eliminated (that outcome is possible in MoW but unlikely). Here I am again in favor of the more narrative feature of MoW. I like that one side, if winning, has the chance to go back to their ship, cut the lines and push off. I do not like US and the fight to the death mechanic.
POINT - MoW

MAGIC/ADD-ONS:
This aspect is my largest gripe with MoW. There is such a discrepancy with how magic is handled between the fleets, with the original fleets having a system which detracts from much of the character of the game. All the fleets from the base MoW box (exception Dwarves who have no magic) use the same magic deck and work in the same way. This creates a very bland system. More character is added with the Plague Fleet MoW expansion by offering different magic mechanics for the fleets introduced in that expansion but it makes the original system seem even blander. US has the upper hand here because it was created all at once. With the way the fleet decks work (yes granted technically not everything is considered “magic” but it sure feels that way) there is much more variability and character added to US, in fact this is what adds a large portion to the character to the fleets. The US system is clean, very fun and well balanced between the races.
POINT: US

As I was driving home from work last night I realized that while putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard if you will) I forgot one of the categories that I thought while driving to work, so here it is:

BALANCE
MoW has balance issues. Some fleets have little chance against others: I.e. Norse vs. Slaanesh. There are also a slight power creep, as mentioned above with the magic introduced in Plague Fleet, as well as the fleets in Plague Fleet containing lots of special and “fun” rules added whereas the fleets from the base game are pretty clean and minimal when it comes to special rules. Not to mention the flyer rules introduced in Sea of Blood are often a waste of points when compared to adding another squadron to the fleet. Overall, with MoW it feels like the parts of the whole MoW game, Plague Fleet, Sea of Blood and the base game, have a disconnected feel. When all three parts are added together they end bringing the whole package down. With US I’m having a very difficult time deciding exactly which fleet I want to play on a regular basis. It seems like every time I turn around one of the other fleets appeals to me from what I thought was “locked down”. Perhaps I won’t be happy until I own them all, but truth be told I’m the same way with MoW. Now I’ll admit that haven’t played all the fleets in either game, but from what I’ve seen I am confident in saying:
POINT: US

So for those of you keeping score, it comes to a 4 to 4 tie. But with me holding the tiebreaker, writing the article and all, I maintain MoW as the better game but only by the smallest of margins. And with it being so close, if you were to say US is better, I really couldn’t argue with you.

Overall the games really do offer two different experiences. US is a very clean and streamlined game but when boiled down it really lacks the character which I’ve come to love in MoW and other games. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference. I personally can deal with more book keeping (and 1/3rd of the table covered in record sheets) and more fiddly rules for the addition of character and narrative, so MoW is still the top fantasy naval game in my book, but I will admit that US does come in a very close second (and much closer than I anticipated) because the cleaner rules and more streamlined nature of the game which creates a tighter tactical experience. That said though with MoW being as difficult as it is to get into, US does offer a very satisfying fantasy naval gaming experience and it looks like it only can go up from here. So US hasn’t reached the bar that MoW had set, for me at least, but everything points to that bar being raised by US. In due time there will be two fantasy naval games which at worst will be able to stand side by side on their own merits.

FINAL SCORE:
PRICE (US) - No questions or debate on this
COMPONENT QUALITY (US) - This one is a little more subjective, but with the early product from SG looking as good as it does, they already are looking better than any MoW ship
VARIETY (MoW) - At the time US has a lot of catching up to do in terms of variety, but with everything that has been mentioned on the boards it is only a matter of time.
MOVEMENT (MoW) - Though the turning template adds a lot to US, it doesn’t add enough to outweigh all the different methods of movement in MoW
COMBAT (MoW) - This really is the swing vote and is really the point which people should consider when deciding what game is for them (assuming price is of little concern), for me the narrative feel is something that I love in games and that is why my point went here
BOARDING ACTIONS (MoW) - Grapeshot and being able to end combat (not a fight to the death) gives MoW the point
MAGIC/ADD-ONS (US) - US is nice, clean and balanced where MoW is boring and a mess at times
BALANCE (US) - GW was never a company that put balance high on the list and yes, historically most battles were not balanced, but in a game setting there needs to be balance so the players are confident that the better player won and currently US is balanced and looks to be balanced in the future

MoW: 4 / US: 4

‘Til Next Time - Happy Gaming
LvT

Project Descent Update 08-15-08

Greetings DD fans!

It’s been quite a while since I last mentioned project descent.  To recap - I’m making a 3d board set using the Hirst Arts Molds, as well as getting the figs all painted.  Well, I haven’t gotten to far on painting the figs - just a few Kobolds I’ll take some pics of in a little bit, but my board is well on the way.  It’s all cast and assembled, I’m right in the middle of painting it - so I’ll have completed shots soon.

I wont go into the process here - I basically just followed the tutorial to a T, so no need to rehash it all here.  I’ll tell yah though, it takes lots of time to do - especially if you don’t have that much to spare like me.  The only things I did a tad different from the tutorial are the layouts of the board sections - mine are all random, and I didn’t do any of the holes covered with planks of wood - that just seemed a bit dumb to me.  I also lightened up on the dry brush - I didn’t want mine to look too white.

In addition to painting the figs and making the board, there are a few models in the game that I loathe, and wished to replace with new figs - these are the Ogre, the Blood Ape (the worst IMO), and the Demon.

A few problems arise right off the bat, and the first one to me was how to make nice round bases for the figs that would look like all the others.  As it turns out, Gale Force Nine will cut custom round bases for yah - even ovals, made to order!  These things are perfect - they’re tough, laser cut from wood, and about 3mm thick.  This makes them just slightly thicker than the descent bases, but not noticeably so.  I ordered a batch of each size in descent:  25×25mm for the small rounds, 25×50mm for the small ovals, 50×50mm for the large round, and 50×75mm for the large dragon sized ovals.  Just glue or pin your replacement or custom monsters on there and it looks great.

As for the miniatures themselves, I chose the Yeti 2697 model from Reaper Miniatures to replace the Blood Apes - they are perfect, and fit onto the oval base really well.  They are out of print - so you probably wont find them at the local game store - check out miniature giant, they’re awesome for all things Reaper.

For the Ogre, which looks like anything but an Ogre, I chose another reaper fig - Braug the Ogre 14038.  This guy looks great.  Reaper has a good selection of really nice ogre figs though, just enter “Ogre” in the search field and see for yourself.  There’s a nasty looking two-headed one that would be awesome for a “boss” Ogre. 

Now the Demon model has been a pain in the ass to replace.  First, there’s really not a lot of good looking generic winged demons out there - surprising.  I really want to get a couple of the awesome female demons from Freebooter, but they are really expensive.  I almost got a pair from Eldritch Games - but that fiasco is another story.

Reaper has a couple of Demons, and so far the best one to fit the bill in my opinion is the Demon Prince of the Undead 2646 fig. 

Aside from the demon models, my replacement figs are taken care of - just got to mount them on their bases. 

For anyone out there looking to “Pimp their Descent”, be warned - it’s expensive as hell.

More updates soon!

-

DEACON

Retailer Review: Eldritch Games

Thinking of buying a few models online?  Better be careful.

There’s plenty of online mini stores out there, and some offer deals that are too good to be true.  Against my better judgement, I placed an order with Eldritch Games a site offering great prices and free world wide shipping - and one I’d never heard of before.  They have a selection of freebooter figs, and needing a couple I decided to order from them - their prices were the best I found. 

Two weeks later, no figs, no emails.  I wrote them inquiring about the order, and apparently they were out of stock.  Claiming that the manufacturers failed to keep them stocked with the figure but they would have some more soon, they offered a refund - or I could wait it out.  I decided to wait it out. 

After another 2 weeks with no progress I wrote again.  This time they told me that they did in fact have a single figure on hand that they would send it out - along with a 50% refund.  Once they got more, they’d send out the second.  Great!

Another month passes - no figs, no refund, no emails.  I finally had to write them and ask for all of my cash back - luckily, they obliged, so I guess it could have been worse if they decided to just stiff me on the deal.

What I could not forgive, is that they still list the item on their site for sale - meaning there’s likely plenty of other customers waiting for news on figures they will likely never get.

I pass on a warning to our readers - pass on Eldritch Games as a source for figs, especially if you’re looking for them in a timely manner without hassle.

-

DEACON

Blood Bowl Trollberg Raiders

Every now and then I want to play a basic all-round human team instead of all the teams that have special rules and tactics. The article below shows my recently finished human team, the Trollberg Raiders.

I was never really a fan of the basic plastics that came out with the 3rd Edition box and I also never really liked the metal teams that were/are available from GW (other than the old 2nd Ed metals). I really like the Landsknecht look of the Empire state troops. So the team is based on them.

The color scheme is maroon and yellow. I imagine that the team is made up of a bunch of Empire state troops that didn’t get paid for a while because they were fighting for a poorer Prince of the Ostermark. And so they decided to seek their fortune playing Blood Bowl instead, keeping their old colors and trading in some of the Pikes and Halberds for some shoulder pads. The models were painted with GW Citadel colors. The Maroon was painted with “Terracotta” as base color, the Yellow was “Golden Yellow”.

Most of the team was assembled using models out of two boxes of Empire state troops. I added the odd piece from the Empire Militia box as well. The Ogre was from the Ogre Kingdom Bulls box (which I got from a friend). The (Catcher) girls are from Bronze Age and the cheerleader is a 2nd Ed. BB human cheerleader.

I started by removing all the short swords, daggers and Katzbalgers the models had tucked into their belts. I also removed some of the skulls, bones and hourglasses. Even though I liked these as signs of death and fleeting time, I figured they would remove them before they would go onto a Blood Bowl pitch. I also wanted to stay as close as possible to the landsknecht look. So I tried to keep shoulder pads (made from green stuff) on the small side and tried to give them a medieval look (as opposed to a more exaggerated Blood Bowl look).

The problem with using the state troop models was to find a way to tell the different playing positions apart. In most of the official Blood Bowl models different body postures indicate a different player type - throwers are shown in a throwing motion with a ball, Blitzers tend to be running or charging and so on. The models from the Empire State Troops are posed for sword and pike fighting and are meant to line up tightly in rank and file as per Warhammer Fantasy Battle rules. So they are all modeled with similar stances and arm positions. That means I had to find another way to display player positions.

The throwers were done without helmets or hats. And I tried to give them a vaguely pointing or throwing stance, like they are team leaders directing the team’s offense. They have some parts (arms on one, head on the other) from the Militia sprue.

 

The Linemen were pretty much straight out of the box. There wasn’t much to do to individualize the models since they were the grunts of the team and they already came with many different heads and arm positions. I did a few extra in case I needed to add journeymen to the team at some stage.

The Blitzers were next on the list. I wanted to keep the overall look of the team mostly uniform, so I decided that to tell the Blitzers apart from the Linemen I would just paint their feathers slightly differently - I settled on a black and yellow pattern. Also to make the models look at least a little bit different I used some arms and a head from the Militia sprue. Two of the models came without feathers (or a different looking feather), so I used the spare ones from the Statetroops sprue.

I needed to be able to tell the Catchers apart from the rest of the team. They are the fastest, weakest and most lightly armored of the whole team. So I figured using girls would be a good way to tell them apart. Unfortunately GW doesn’t produce good looking females models suitable for what I wanted to do. So I decided to get generic 28mm females from Bronze Age instead. All I had to do was put on some clothes (well not too much), hair and padding. I also have to mention here that it is always a pleasure to order from Bronze Age. They are always helpful and usually answer very quickly to requests. My last order from them had a bit of a problem on the delivery (due to me not paying attention) and they were very fast in sorting it out and getting the order replaced.

The last miniature to be added to the team was the Ogre (seems that all human teams eventually get one). I didn’t like the armor plate he had in front of the belly, so that was replaced by a greenstuff belt. I cleaned up his face a bit and also added a shoulder pad (complete with dragon ornament) and straps to hold it in place.

I did not assemble any coaching staff other than the single cheerleader (which I had spare from an earlier project). Once league play will commence again, I might do some assistant coaches and an Apothecary. I might also do some more Catchers, just because they are fun to make.

When it comes to the starting line up for League play (1,000,000 gc) with LRB5 I prefer to go with 4 Blitzers, 4 Linemen, 1 Thrower and two Catchers (I rarely ever use more than two of them). That usually leaves enough for an Apothecary (to protect my skill players from the worst accidents) and three rerolls. I then start filling in more Linemen and after a couple of games the Ogre.

Until next time. Lamenter

Orcs in Warmaster

Ah Warmaster - such a great game.  And currently, I’m heaping all of my attention on my Orc and Goblin army.  Today I’d like to go over the units available to the Orc and Goblin General, and my personal thoughts on each.

Anyone looking at the Orc and Goblin army list will immediately notice that they have the largest list of all the armies.  They have ten units to choose from - five character choices, and two mount options.  Obviously, this list brings plenty of options. 

Orcs are an army of dishing out the pain, but they can’t take it very well.  Every unit in the list aside from the weedy Goblins and their war machines pack four or more attacks in combat.  However, on the flip side only 3 units - the black Orcs, Ogres, and Giants bring more than 3 hits to the table.  Couple that with the fact that the highest armor save in the army is a 5+, with the average being 6+ or nothing at all, and you can see what I’m getting at.

Orcs also suffer from a low leadership - the lowest in fact, with the general only bringing a command value of 8 - Orcs are tough to boss around!  However, the list does allow the Orc player to field a whopping 7 characters per one-thousand points, so you can have plenty of underlings to help push the green tide along - hopefully.  That being said - Let’s check out what the list has to offer, you can view the official Orc and Goblin army list here.

Orc Warriors- You can’t have an orc army without Orcs!  You are required to take 2 units of basic Orc warriors per one-thousand points in the army, and they pack a pretty nice stat line.  4 attacks, 3 hits, with a 6+ save for 60 points - not too shabby for a basic unit.

Goblins- Your second required basic unit - you’ve gottah take 2 units for every 1k.  Goblins basically suck - 2 attacks, 3 hits, with no armor save - yikes.  But they only cost 30 points per unit.  Coupled with the Orc Warriors requirement, the Orc general must take 4 units for every one-thousand points that total 180 pts. - this leaves plenty of points for all the other great units available to the Orcs - but watch how you spend, you don’t want your break point to be too low.  Speaking of which, goblins are an excellent choice for increasing your army’s break point - every 2 units boosts the break point by one for 60 points.  This is a great way to add staying power to your force. 

As you can see, you may have quite a few of these buggers running around - so keep them brigaded with more powerful units, and use them as a supporting force - but keep them to the edges of your brigades.  You don’t want them in the middle where concentrated enemy fire can wipe them out or confuse them, thus screwing up the entire group’s ability to be commanded.

Black Orcs- These guys are tough - packing 4 attacks, 4 hits, and an armor of 5+.  They’re as good as Ogres in combat, and make a fine hammer unit for any brigade.  You are limited to one unit per one-thousand points.  They cost 110 points, so yer basically paying close to double the cost of a standard Orc warrior unit for +1 hit and +1 armor save - but its worth it.

Ogres- Ogres and black Orcs have an identical stat line - but they cost 5 point less.  This is because they have a taste for human flesh - so when fighting a human army, they must use their initiative to charge.  This isn’t a problem at all if you’re facing armies without humans, so they are an awesome alternative to black Orcs in these cases.  You are limited to one unit per 1k, but with the black Orcs, you should be able to have one of these powerful units in each brigade of standard Orcs and goblins.

Trolls- Trolls are powerful units - 5 attacks, 3 hits, with a save of 5+.  They cost 110 points like black Orcs.  Basically, they get +1 attack at the cost of -1 hit.  They have an awesome ability to regenerate damage - basically they regenerate 1 hit after every round of combat - this is awesome.  However, they are as dumb as a bag of hammers, and this means that they are at -1 to command - this sucks.  Oddly enough, you can take up to three of these units per one-thousand points, so perhaps a brigade of these baddies would be a nice choice, where their command penalty would only effect them, and not an entire brigade.  Orcs have a hard enough time as it is commanding their troops!

Boar Riders- Boar riders are Orc warriors with a cav classification.  This also has the added bonus of squeezing all those attacks onto the short side of the base which makes for a really hard hitting unit.  They ring in at 110 points.  Brigade them with other boar riders or wolf cav for a fast moving, effective flanking front.

Wolf Riders- Wolf riders are goblins with a cav classification - unlike goblins though, they enjoy an armor save of 6+.  Like goblins, they have short bows, allowing them to shoot 15cm.  This can make for an effective harassing unit against infantry - moving to the side and rear flanks, pelting with arrows, and then finally charging, where they can run away if they fail in combat - with infantry unable to pursue. 

Don’t make the mistake of using wolf riders like the boar riders - you can’t use them as a brute shock trooper cav unit.  Wolf riders only ring in at 60 points though - making for an exceptionally cheap cav option.

Wolf Chariots- Wolf chariots pack 3 attacks, 3 hits, and a save of 5+.  They only cost 80 points which is awesome for a unit that is just as powerful as boar riders when they manage to land the charge.  Used in tandem with cav units, wolf chariots can provide a devastating flank charger on the outskirts of the battlefield.

Rock Lobber- Rock lobbers provide the only shooting in the Orc and Goblin army outside the short bow fire that goblins can muster.  This makes them somewhat useless unless used in pairs.  Unfortunately, you can only take one per 1k, so these rarely show up in my armies.

Giant - Arguably one of the best big monsters in the game.  This bastard brings 8 attacks and 8 hits to the table, but with a 5+ save.  This means that on the charge this guy is rolling 10d6 attacks!  Be careful not to throw him out on his own though - if he takes 4 hits, his effectiveness if halved for the rest of the game.  Giants can’t be brigaded with non-giant units, so you have to reserve a command roll just for them, and when you’re dealing with low command characters, this can really suck - especially because failed orders can send a giant into an uncontrolled frenzy against friend and foe alike!  But for only 150 pts, how could you not take one!?

That concludes the units available to the Orc and Goblin army, but how do the characters measure up?

General- Everyone has to get one, unfortunately the Orc and Goblin general only has a command value of 8.  On the plus side, he only costs 95 points. 

Orc Hero- Fortunately, Orc heroes also have a command value of 8 for 80 pts.  You can take two of these guys for each 1k, so make sure you have one or two to support your general.  I like to keep a single hero touching my general - this basically forms a command base that is the equivalent of your command 8 general being allowed to fail and single command before the command phase ends.  Let the Hero issue orders like he’s the general - once he fails, let the general take command - its all the same command 8 roll.  The Orc Heroes are really what keeps the Orc and Goblin army going.

Orc Shaman- These are the wizards of the army.  Orc spells are pretty good, but don’t rely on these guys to lead anyone - they have a command of 7.  They should only command units as a desperation move.  If it’s magic yer after, go with the goblin shaman - he’s cheaper and just as good at casting spells.  If you want to go magic heavy, get both!  Orcs and Goblins can get 2 wizards per 1k, more than anyone else aside from the tomb kings.

Goblin heroes- Pretty worthless as commanders, goblin heroes only have a command of 7.  Unless you’re going goblin heavy for theme purposes, I don’t get the point.  They add +1 to any combat they’re in, so they can be used as a little 45 pt. buff to units in combat - but you’d be better off buying a good magic item and another unit of goblins for the same points.

Goblin Shaman- As mentioned before - if it’s a wizard yer after, get this guy first.  He’s affordable at 30 points - that’s cheap magic support.  He’s got a command of 6 though - no self respecting Orc is going to take orders from this weakling. 

Wyvern- A pretty nice dragon type mount.  It’s only 80 pts. which is cheap for this type of mount.  It’s cheaper because he grants +2 attacks rather than 3, and lacks a breath weapon.  It still flies and causes terror though.

Placing a goblin hero on a dragon is a nice idea.  Goblin heroes don’t command well - but on a dragon you get a flying character that grants +3 attacks to any combat he joins as well as effecting the enemy with terror.  This will ring in at 125pts. though, so make sure you have the points to spare.

Chariot - A chariot simply adds +1 attack to any character that’s in it.  Basically a 10 pt upgrade to any character. 

The Orc and Goblin army provides anyone who takes it up with lots of opportunity, and plenty of challenges to overcome.  They can be incredibly rewarding when things go right, or terribly frustrating after multiple failed commands - but in either case, the right player always finds the Orcs and their antics entertaining.

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DEACON