Garrek’s Reavers try and go for gold again.
Saturday, 2 weeks ago, saw me play at A Fistful of Dice in Portsmouth for their Warhammer Underworlds tournament. I would be using Garrek’s Reavers again to tick off of my “win Shadeglass with every warband” mission. They had already won a tournament before but as already covered the store pulled the trophy at the end of the tournament. Now I had spent 4 more tournaments trying to win with Garrek’s Reavers to no avail. I have 3 warbands left to win with but could I do it again with the Khorne Bloodreavers?
Decklist
Playstyle: Aggro
The main focus of this deck is aggro. Run at the opponent and hope they all die while also scoring all your objectives. As I’d been having problems winning again with the Reavers I turned to Tony of End Phase fame (which you should totally check out) in order to come up with a solid decklist. After sending him my original decklist and him sending me his version in response, the above is the combined final result.
Objectives are quite straightforward. Score everything to unlock Superior Tactician. The deck has 8 score immediately objectives so it’s all about momentum. Cover Ground is a really reliable objective that can be scored from an inspired Reaver with Great Speed, Spectral Wings at any time and also Faneway Crystal. Next is Blood for the Blood God. Make 3 charges, easy. What Armour? is straightforward too. Martyred as generally the Reavers die first. Change of Tactics and Precise Use of Force are restricted but really good objectives. The former is guaranteed glory while the latter helps with boosting glory from kills. Branching Fate was from Tony. Karsus can score this from the get go whereas Arnulf and Targor score this while inspired. I also took upgrades to help me score it. Combination Strike just complements all my score immediately objectives. It Begins is another reliable 1 glory card. Generally it’s quite easy for both warbands to have at least 1 fighter out of action each. Then Khorne Cares Not, the best comeback objective ever. 2 glory for any 5 fighters being out of action. Score this while winning or losing!
Blood Offering and Insensate are my only faction gambits. 1 wound for 2 extra attack dice and capping the damage your fighters take in the next activation to 1 are just amazing. Rebound and Last Chance are survivability cards. Lethal Strike is just hoping to win as well as countering Mollog. Hidden Paths and Spectral Wings are my mobility cards and the latter helps score Cover Ground. Fuelled By Fury makes my attacks more reliable. Ready for Action is the auto-include and I love Twist the Knife. Everyone has forgotten about it and helps getting sneaky 4 wound kills without glory.
No faction upgrades! Gasp! Dark Darts replaced Mutating Maul for several reasons: gives me more ranged threat, helps score Branching Fate, helps score What Armour? Great Speed boosts mobility and makes an inspired Reaver movement 6 to score Cover Ground. Great Strength and Gloryseeker are my extra damage upgrades. Challenge Seeker is just great, I love putting it on Saek for 3 smash 3 damage cleave attacks. Heroslayer because I can make it work with all my dice manipulation cards. Potion of Rage because RAAAAGE WHY DOES IT NEVER WORK and also Fated Blade which is my new favourite weapon. Then Tome of Offerings because it’s too good not to take.
With all that every card serves a purpose to score my objectives. I can kill but I really just need to be able to charge. Killing is a bonus. I can also make any fighter a threat which messes with target priority. Fated Blade doing 3 damage can kill a 4 wound fighter with Twist the Knife while Dark Darts will pick off anyone trying to escape.
Skulls for the skull combat key:
Round 1
The field contained of 2 Thundrik’s Profiteers players who I both wanted to avoid, Steelheart’s Champions, Sepulchral Guard and finally another Garrek’s Reavers. By a chance of fate (or Khorne) we had been paired together. Thus it was time to face Garrek’s Reavers played by Tippy. Winning the roll-off she placed the Katophrane’s Reliquary while I set the Arcane Nexus wide.
Winning priority, Arnulf charged into Karsus but rolled no hits. He was then charged by enemy Arnulf who also missed. Targor charged Arnulf and managed to do 1 damage via a single fury. Karsus charged himself but missed too. My Karsus then charged the enemy Arnulf. My Arnulf and Targor were fully supporting him so I attacked with Karsus’ ranged attack rolling a fury, a support and a smash. I immediately scored Branching Fate then Precise Use of Force and Blood for the Blood God! Tippy then played Encroaching Shadow on my Saek and charged into Targor with Saek, killing him with 2 smashes if I had not saved him with Last Chance! My Saek then charged his painted counterpart and missed with double fury. Garrek charged him but failed to hit as well although did score Blood for the Blood God! too. I managed to score Combination Strike in the end phase.
Winning priority, my Saek killed the other Saek with 2 smashes. Garrek then attacked my Saek and managed to kill him. I put Garrek on Guard then played Insensate. Tippy drew a card and I upgraded Garrek with Dark Darts then played Fuelled By Fury. I charged Karsus with Garrek and rolled 2 crits thanks to re-rolls to score What Armour? and Change of Tactics. Karsus then charged and killed Arnulf. Targor charged and killed enemy Targor with 2 fury. Garrek then charged but luckily missed my Targor.
Losing priority in phase 3, Garrek killed my Targor but that scored me Martyred. I then equipped Garek with Great Speed. He charged 6 hexes and killed Karsus to score Cover Ground and Calculated Risk. Enemy Garrek then killed my leader. I was wiped out but Tippy had discard Annihilation and Khorne Cares Not in her opening hand which allowed me to play recklessly. I then went on to score It Begins, Khorne Cares Not and Superior Tactician to win 18/9.
Game 2 had me lose boards but we both played the same ones with Tippy choosing the better orientation for herself. I chose to put no one on edge hexes due to Tippy’s Encroaching Shadow plus she was using Shardgale as well. I also suspected she had Annihilation in-hand as well.
Being chosen to go first I just charged Arnulf into painted Arnulf, somehow killing him with a crit to score Precise Use of Force. Enemy Targor charged him but missed once again. My Targor charged the other Targor but rolled 2 double support. Saek charged my Targor but I saved him once again thanks to Last Chance. I played Spectral Wings then charged Saek through a lethal hex to score Calculated Risk and Cover Ground then attacked enemy Saek but missed. Tippy then charged Saek with his ranged attack doing 1 damage with 3 fury. My Karsus charged forwards but missed. Her Garrek charged and killed Arnulf then she played Shardgale to kill Saek and score Draw the Gaze of Khorne. I did managed to score It Begins.
Winning priority I put Garrek on guard. Saek charged him but we both rolled crits so he was driven back into a lethal hex. Garrek charged with Dark Darts at the enemy Saek, rolling a crit, a fury and a smash to score What Armour? with Branching Fate then drove Sake into a lethal hex which killed the Khorne Bloodreaver. My Karsus was killed by Garrek so I got rid of Blood for the Blood God! Enemy Karsus then moved into range. Tippy then played Encroaching Shadow as I had charged my Garrek into an edge hex by accident (so much for avoiding Encroaching Shadow). I closed out the round by scoring Khonre Cares Not.
Losing priority Tippy charged her Garrek into mine. She rolled double smash. I left my chances to fate and rolled…a crit! Surviving on 1 wound I moved Garrek 5 hexes away then gave him Tome of Offerings, reacted with Ready for Action and moved 5 more hexes into the top left corner of the board so that I was 8 hexes away from Karsus and his threat range of 7. I ran away. For Khorne! Tippy then cycled cards and ditched Annihilation. I then managed to score only Superior Tactician and win 15/9.
If Garrek didn’t roll a crit, Tippy would have most likely won due to Annihilation. I could have risked Garrek trying to kill Karsus but Tippy ahd Rebound so I went with the safer and lower scroing route.
Round 2
Sepculchral Guard played by Karl would be my 2nd opponent. He was the TO who stepped up to play instead of having byes which is always great. Losing the roll-off I placed the Arcane Nexus while Karl set the Animus Forge wide.
I began by charging Arnulf into a Petitioner then missed. Karl then played Spoils of Battle and gave Ancient Commander to the Warden. Oh. He then moved the Warden onto objective 5. Targor charged another petitioner but missed. Karl then played Spectral Wings and moved Petitioners onto objectives 3 and 1. Karsus charged the Petitioner adjacent to Saek but he rolled a crit although I did score Blood for the Blood God! He then played Sprint and moved the Champion onto objective 4. Saek charged him and missed. Sigh. Karl then moved up and scored Hold Objective 5, Hold Objective 2 with Tactical Supremacy 3 and 4.
Phase 2 went more of the same. Karl still didn’t attack me my making my Martyred and Last Chance useless. Arnulf charged though a lethal hex to score Calculated Risk but he missed. Karl then moved onto more objectives while I continued to miss. I gave Garek Dark Darts and he shot the Champion, pushing him into a lethal hex and scoring What Armour? Karl went on score Determined Defender and Supremacy putting him on 9 glory to my 3. I ditched Martyred and Khorne Cares Not.
Losing priority, the Warden attacked Arnulf but missed. Garrek shot and killed the Champion with Dark Darts to score Branching Fate and Precise Use of Force. Karl then brought back the Champion. I put Saek on guard. The Warden attacked Arnulf again but he was saved via Last Chance. Saek charged into a Petitioner on an objective and an adjacent Prince of Dust. Thanks to Blood Offering he killed the Petitioner to score Change of Tactics. I then equipped him with Tome of Offerings and reacted with Ready For Action to kill the Prince. The Warden charged again and missed allowing Karsus to kill another Petitioner on an objective. The game ended 15/9 to me thanks to Superior Tactician and scoring pretty much all my objectives in phase 3.
Game 2 had me lose boards again so setup remained the same. This time I put my 3 objectives as far back as possible to shutdown Karl’s hold objective play.
No Petitioners were in range so Saek went on guard. Karl then moved 2 Petitioners onto objectives 5 and 2. I moved Targor through a lethal hex to score Calculated Risk and ended his move action on objective 3 to block it off. The Champion charged Arnulf but I rrolleda crit to defend. Arnulf then charged the Harvester rolling 2 fury for 1 damage then driving him back into a lethal hex. The Warden then moved 2 more fighters up and Karsus charged the Champion, doing 1 damage via rolling 3 fury and scoring Change of Tactics.
Winning priority, Arnulf charged into a Petitioner and drove him off objective 5 with a single fury. A Petitioner then charged back but failed to hit. I then charged Karsus into the Prince and did 1 damage with 2 fury. The Warden moved up 2 fighters. Garrek was equipped with Dark Darts. He charged onto objective 4 scoring Branching Fate (smash, single support and double support) as well as Blood for the Blood God! He was then charged by the Prince who failed to roll any smashes.
Phase 3 began with Garrek shooting the Prince away with 2 fury to score What Armour? The Champion charged Karsus but missed. Karsus charged into Champion with Tome of Offerings. A crit and a fury meant the bone warrior died scoring me Precise Use of Force. The Prince charged Garrek but missed again. Saek killed the Petitioner on objective 5 while the Warden killed Arnulf. The game ended in a 15/7 win to me.
Round 3
Steelheart’s Champions played by Joe would be my final opponent. We we both the only winners left but I was the only undefeated player (no games lost). Still I had to win to claim victory. It was the classic showdown of Garrek’s Reavers vs Steelheart’s Champions. Who needs new warbands?
Losing boards and expecting a long configuration I set the Arcane Nexus while Joe set the Shattered Tower long. I made sure to place my first objective in his back line for Faneway Crystal.
Going first I put Karsus on guard. Joe then played Quick Advance to push up Brightshield and Obryn. Obryn then charged Saek and killed him to score Lightning Strikes. I charged Arnulf through a lethal hex into Obryn but missed with the following attack although Obryn did not inspire. Brightshield moved up and Garrek charged into Obryn. 2 smash beat his single block and I reacted to with Twist the Knife to do 3 damage. Steelheart moved up. I played Fueled by Fury and charged Karsus into Obryn. As Obryn was on an edge hex I had setup the attack with Karsus as the Stormcast was now trapped due to my range 2 attack. I rolled 2 crits (after re-rolls) with a support from Garrek. Obryn died to score me Change of Tactcis, Precise Use of Force and Blood for the Blood God! Joe drew a card and I closed off by scoring It Begins.
Sevrin began by charging and killing Arnulf. Targor, who had Great Speed from end phase 1 was now inspired with movement 6, he charged through a lethal hex and into Brightshield, scoring Calculated Risk and Cover Ground. I attacked and missed so she reacted with Furious Parry and killed him. She then was given Great Strength and proceeded to kill Karsus. Garrek then got Dark Darts but missed Steelheart. I used Hidden Paths to move Garrek away from Sevrin but in range of Brightshield. Sevrin moved up. Garrek shot Brightshield to score Branching Fate and What Armour? then pushed her into an edge hex.
Winning priority for phase 3 I went first. Joe had no mobility cards and we were technically tied on glory at 10/10. I shot Sevrin but missed. I then equipped Garrek with Faneway Crystal and reacted with Ready for Action to move him onto objective 3 deep in Joe’s territory. He then used Hidden Paths to place Brightshield next to Garrek. Oops. She attacked with 3 crits. I reacted with Rebound and rolled…a crit. Brightshield then proceeded to die to her own attack. We cycled cards and I won 16/10 by scoring Khorne Cares Not and Superior Tactician.
Losing the roll-off again boards remained the same. I deployed Arnulf up front as bait so I could still get 3 charges in.
Going first I put Karsus on guard. Obryn then went on guard. Arnulf then had to charge Obryn to keep Garek in range so I charged him into Obryn and Brightshield. He missed against Brightshield but she only rolled a dodge to defend. I played Insensate so Jeo drew a card instead. Garrek charged into Obryn and rolled 2 smash for 2 damage but Obryn inspired with a block. Obryn them charged and killed Arnulf to score Change of Tactics and Lightning Strikes. Karsus charged Sevrun and rolled 3 different symbols while missing to score Branching Fate, Change of Tactics and Blood for the Blood God! Sevrin then moved away.
Losing priority Obryn charged into Garrek but missed. I moved Targor through a lethal hex to score Calculated Risk. Joe drew a card. I gave Karsus the Fated Blade and charged Brightshield. I rolled 2 smash to succeed with my attack then rolled 2 smash and a crit for 3 damage then reacted with Twist the Knife to do 4 damage, kill her and score Precise Use of Force. I closed out the phase by using Garrek with Spectral Wings and Dark Darts to charge Sevrin, missing but scoring Cover Ground.
Phase 3 began with me behind in glory now as I had only been scoring 1 glory cards generally. Sevrin went first and killed Garrek but scored me Martyred. Going for the greedy gamble, I gave Saek Gloryseeker and charged him into Sevrin and Obryn. I rolled a crit and a smash to kill Sevrin. Next I gave him Potion of Rage, Ready for Action and attacked Obryn. I rolled a single smash on 4 dice and then the Stormcast died. We cycled cards but to be safe I used Faneway Crystal to move Targor onto objective 4 in the top-right corner. In the end phase I scored Combination Strike, Khorne Cares Not and Superior Tactician to win 16/12.
Garrek’s Reavers win! Again, technically. After 3 tough rounds my Reavers had managed to pull it off without dropping a single game to boot. The deck worked really well and there’s nothing I’d change, with Branching Fate and Fated Blade being the MVPs. All my opponents were great to play with. If you’re in the area or want a good tournament to play at then A Fistfull of Dice is for you.
For the real message about winning check out my secret video to success:
As for my warband list…
14 down, 2 to go. I’ve completed Shadespire! Now I just have the challenges of Nightvault left to conquer. I could be doing it soon. My next tournament is the UKGE Grand Clash this coming Friday and it is tempting to use either of my last 2 warbands. Whatever my decision, it’s sure to involve a lot of crits.
Can You Roll A Crit? 
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