str00dles1 wrote:
The reasoning for the covering up of the chest is they are trying to market the game to more people. Kids play the game, a good amount (with their parents) actually from facebook so they are moving to no more nudity.

The Basics of the Brood Faction Starter

October 11, 2017 Cards



In just over 48 hours we will be releasing the brand new 2017 Brood Faction Starter Box full of gorgeous models re-sculpted by the amazing Thierry Masson, so we thought we’d take a few moments out of your day and discuss the basics on how to make use out of them!

As with our other Faction Starter Boxes, this $59.99 purchase gives someone all they need to field a full 500 point, event-legal force using the sinister Brood Swarm! The box comes with two Sawblades, two Broodhounds, two Grists, and two Ratchets. Together they form a competent starting point for any Brood player to work with.

Let’s look at what makes each piece of the Faction Starter special on the battlefield…

Ratchets – The basic workhorses on the front lines

Costing only 50 points each for a model with the ability to knock opponents prone as well as deliver numerous Toxic Counters equally well, Ratchets are good basic soldiers capable of hindering foes in ways that make them far easier to handle. They are not any faster than a normal model, moving three times for 3” each, nor are they particularly well-armored at AR14. They do have a slightly above-average PS score of 12, making them adequate at dealing with certain Objectives, but their real subtle strength comes in their ability to Regenerate. Despite only having a single HP, each Ratchet will take a little extra effort to finish off – otherwise they will be back, up, and around on their next activation. This does leave them particularly vulnerable to anything capable of inflicted extra damage to them, as that a 2 HP loss suffered will instantly pull them from the table.



Grists – Sets ‘em Up and Knocks ‘em Down!

Probably the most fragile of Brood units found in the Faction Starter, Grists are easy to hit, easy to hurt, and only have their one HP for keeping them on their feet before having to Regenerate. Like Ratchets they are 50 points, and have a basic command of their PS score for Objective fulfillment and shrugging off the occasional Panic Counter and the like, but their somewhat light AR score of 14 makes most common weaponry a serious threat. These factors can be somewhat mitigated by trying to keep Grists in Cover as much as possible, using their range to their advantage.

Also one of the rare Brood units capable of causing a malfunction with their weapon, their players should always remember what happens when a Blast weapon rolls a malfunction – and keep their friends at least two inches away at all times. The danger of misfire notwithstanding, the Grists’ Bio-Repulsor is a fantastic tool for synergy with other Brood. A Blast(2) with a decent 8” range, the weapon doesn’t hit terribly hard (PW4), but the slippery digestive payload can knock any target capable of getting slammed over prone 50% of the time. With only a rate of fire of once per round, decisive Aimed shots are quite useful but the real potential is the large area that can be covered by a Grist going On Hold. Targets that try to run past their line of fire can suddenly find themselves falling on their face and in the open; a terrible place to be with the rest of a Brood force bearing down on them!



Broodhounds – Fast, Vicious, and Ready from the Word GO!

Another 50 point unit, the Broodhound is probably one of the best “early game” aggressors the Brood has to offer. Their mediocre PS of 10 makes them a gamble when it comes to getting Objectives done, but their Infiltrate and Vault special abilities mixed with MV 4 allows them to get into the thick of combat in the first few rounds of the game with ease. They can leap over the kinds of terrain that keep them safe from harm and then charge quickly into combat with the enemy, hopefully tearing a piece out of them before getting overwhelmed by superior forces.

Defensively, a Broodhound really only has its mobility to rely on. Its meagre DF 4 and thin AR 12 make them an easy target to deal damage to, and even with Regeneration, their single HP does not last terribly long under fire. One of the best places for a Broodhound to be is behind cover or in combat with a foe with a low AS in melee. Or, alternatively, nearby a bigger Brood threat to draw fire. Offensively speaking, Broodhounds are little shredders. Their low AS on their twin claw strikes is offset by their mobility and Vault to ensure a charge and get big bonuses to attack. Against easier-to-hit targets, their ability to gain free, automatically hitting, Bite attacks can be all it takes to bring a behemoth to its knees – especially if they can manage to get those claws to hit home on their first AP.



Sawblades – The Pillars of the Brood Starter

The elite foot soldiers of the Brood Faction Starter, and one of the toughest 100 point units in the entire force, Sawblades are no-nonsense melee fighters and difficult for foes to deal with. Their above average PS of 14 makes them excellent at completing many Objectives, an average DF to avoid getting shot while running around the battlefield – or truthfully where they want to be… engaged with the enemy.

Sawblades live to be in close with their foes. While their sword is not terribly fancy or hard-hitting, it bears a high AS (for a 100 point model to boot!) of 8 with no chance of malfunction, and makes it pretty likely to use their defensive Parry ability. Even if an attack gets past their parrying sword, their high AR of 18 can take the brunt of most incoming blows. In the case where something gets past their Parry and through their armor – they get a little bit of revenge in the form of their Bio-Gen, Acid Blood. Free hits upon the enemy killing you (or sending you into Regeneration) is a great “take that!” moment, but players will want to be careful not to get in base contact with their friendly models – the spraying acid does not know the difference! A Sawblade’s 2 HP plus Regeneration, especially when shielded by their other statistics and abilities, makes it an extremely tenacious choice for a force… even outside of the Faction Starter!



Oh… and don’t forget all of these models are units of the Brood Swarm, meaning you as their player get to choose at the beginning of Deployment what sort of bonus they get to draw from during the game as a Broodspawn benefit.

A while back we did a closer look at how the Broodspawn Benefits work and why, so if you are interested in looking into it… pop over to that article and have a good read about them! You can find them here.

Play something dangerous!

October is the month where all the scary things come out of the darkness and swamps to feast on the living. And this month’s Dark Age releases certainly fit into that theme. We’ve got a host of new Shadow Caste box sets for you. So that covers the darkness. There’s also the new Brood Faction Starter available. And that covers the swamp. Let’s take a look at what all these new macabre releases consist of.




Starting out, we’ve got the Shadow Caste Specialist Box. These Shadow Caste agents are brutal killers, each in their own way. Hood has been living two lives, one as a professional assassin for the Warden of Chains Barrow and the other as an infiltrator for his mistress Amabilia. The Goliaths are Dragyri monsters created to feast on fear and death, slaughtering anything that gets too close. One is a surgical scalpel and the other is a chainsaw, but both are unquestioningly lethal!




Taking a slightly more elegant approach to murdering the Caste’s enemies are the figures in the Keeper/Strega Unit Box. Within the Shadow Caste there are elite orders that uphold their schemes, and the Keepers and Strega are devotees that do their part. The Keepers and their envenomed, barbed chains live to serve the needs of the Huntress in the Caste’s name while the Strega watch over the Caste’s connection to the darkness below – both powerful servants of shadow and death.




The dance of death is well-known to the figures in the Gatherer/Havik Unit Box, the steps practiced on a regular basis. Shadow Caste warriors often rely on speed and armament to bring their enemies to their knees. The Gatherers leap from foe to foe, slashing at them with razor-sharp scythes, and Haviks shred the enemy to ribbons on poisoned, bladed gauntlets. The battlefield is the ballroom for both of these fighters to perform their horrific, bloody waltz.




The Shadow Caste has no shortage of tools in their arsenal when it comes to taking out the enemy. That includes the Naedrae/Vespa Unit Box. There are several different ways for the Shadow Caste to bring death to its enemies, but brutal assassinations are some of their favorites. The spiked katars of the Naedrae tear and rip up their targets as they glide out of the darkness to strike, bringing a long and painful death. Vespa are just as deadly, but prefer the slash of their blade or the cut of their gauntlet. Either way, their purpose is death.




While the Shadow Caste has only relatively recently started making their way out of the shadows of their caves and tunnels, the Brood have long been spreading their own form of chaos across the tabletops of Dark Age. Longtime players looking to start a new faction, or new joiners to the game can take advantage of the new Brood Faction Starter to get a good core force with a single purchase. The Brood are biological weapons that have been released into the wild to do the bidding of their greater collective intelligence, the Broodmere and the instincts in their genetic memories. The savage Broodhounds scout for prey, Grist bio-repulsors bring foes to their knees, and tenacious Ratchets finish off stragglers while towering Sawblades tirelessly carve into the enemy.

And there you have it. This month’s releases certainly bring some new options to your tabletops. The Shadow Caste gets a big boost and the Brood gets a new entry-point for players. It’s no trick. This month’s releases are a treat for all.

You can find them at your LGS or in the CMON Webshop.

ELEMENTALS, ROBOTS, AND CONSTRUCTS, OH MY! – THE POWER OF THE NON-LIVING ABILITY

November 8, 2017

In Dark Age, the vast majority of units that see the tabletop battlefields are biological organisms that eat, drink, breathe, and live. This means that the vast majority of miniatures in Dark Age are considered to possess the Living special ability. That is, to say, they are normal, living models. Living models basically play by all the normal rules, and will sometimes trigger specific effects based on the fact they are alive.



If there is a distinction for Living models, than surely something is different for NON-LIVING models. Unsurprisingly, these models possess the Non-Living special ability.

NON-LIVING: This model may never gain Panic Counters. This model’s PS may never be modified by enemy effects.

This ability – possessed by robots/constructs, animated dead things, and elemental beings summoned of energy – is so much more than just its description describes. Looking at this special ability and the various units that possess it a little deeper, this article shows us the finer points about Non-Living units in Dark Age.

Panic

The primary reason why Non-Living models stand apart from Living ones is the obvious one – they don’t fear death, because they aren’t truly alive. The ability to utterly avoid Panic Counters and PS stat penalties (only from enemy effects) is amongst the largest benefits being Non-Living has to offer. This immediately means that enemy models that have weapon abilities like Horrible Death or Victimize figured into their design cannot count on them, which is often a large handicap. This is even more noticeable due to so many special abilities that key off a model having a Panic Counter on them like Nightmare Aura and Sadistic. Non-Living models do not need to worry about these enemy abilities at all, something that can figure into counter-tactics quite easily.

There is one sub-faction of Dark Age that takes this immunity and utterly ignores it, however – the Slavers of Chains Barrow (Outcast Sub-Faction). The Slavers’ unique ability, We Have Our Ways, allow them through the application of narrative inventions and sciences, to ignore ANY model’s ability to ignore Panic Counters… even the supreme benefits of being Non-Living!

Bleed

The Bleed weapon ability is a terrifying way to get around enemies with high armor values or make the most out of the few connections made on a difficult-to-hit target. At the end of every turn there is a single die rolled to determine if a model simply takes damage; no armor check, no defensive rolls, nothing. There is nothing quite like having your lifeblood pour out of a small wound that might not even have cut deep to ruin your day. Non-Living models do not have to worry about having their precious fluids spill out like this – especially when they don’t have any to lose! It means that a player using Non-Living models does not have to think about that part of the round, the Lingering Effects Phase, as a possible threat to their units. It means that Non-Living Units can be used in a straightforward fight, ignoring everything else except that which is currently attacking them.

Like with the immunity to Panic, there is one sub-faction that comes with a workaround for the Non-Livings’ immunity to Bleed; unsurprisingly it comes from the Skarrd Blood Cult. Through their mystical and chemical practices the members of the Blood Cult know how to siphon off whatever internal energies or substances that keeps these beings functioning. Players who use Non-Living models cannot forget that the Blood Cult can make them play by their rules, and that can be jarring when you aren’t used to it.

Medic

Living models can die; it is the final condition of the situation known as life. Non-Living models can be “killed” or destroyed, but they can’t rely upon traditional first aid to keep them functioning a little while longer. For Living models, this comes in the form of the Medic special ability. This ability, oddly enough, does not allow the ability to heal damage on a model (that would be Restoration, which works just fine on Non-Living models), but it does allow friendly models that have been gravely injured to remain on the battlefield to be possibly later healed, attract enemies to spend actions to kill them, or other uses.

While there aren’t a lot of instances where Non-Living models can be parts of forces that have Medics, it is important to remember that a Non-Living model is NOT kept alive by a nearby model with the Medic ability. This is one of those instances where it would be more helpful to be alive, but it also means that common force-building habits of ensuring a Medic is on hand is far less important to a player that puts good use of Non-Living models.

Rot

Whether it is from some kind of acidic substance, radiation-soaked munitions, or some other nefarious affliction, the Rot weapon ability is a temporary condition that weakens the body to the point of not being able to defend itself from impacts. Rot is a deadly serious effect that doesn’t actually injure a target, but makes it easier for future attacks to do damage by reducing its armor – and it can stack up for greater penalties! Depending on dice rolls during the Lingering Effects Phase, Rot Counters might fall off en masse or they could stick around to cause trouble in future rounds.

Like Bleed, Non-Living models do not have to worry about Rot at all. They shrug off the weakening of their parts without trouble. Unlike Bleed however, there is not currently a way to ignore Non-Living model immunity to being given Rot Counters. Well… not yet anyway…

Non-Living models have a lot going for them, that is true, but keep in mind that most Non-Living models “pay” for that ability by having other weaknesses built in to them or their factions. Higher Malfunction rates, lower AR or PS stats, or even less tactical Assault Groups all pay that cost. Whether found on the C.O.R.E. mechanoid units, the various technomantic constructs of the Kukulkani, or even the summoned elementals of the Dragyri… players should be ready for Non-Living models to be used in their forces or in the forces put against them. We hope this helped work toward that end.

ALL SAINTS DAY – DARK AGE STYLE!

November 1, 2017

Hey Samarians!

All summer long we were giving out the infamous Dark Age Chronicles: Diary of a Toxic Man at conventions across the United States and many people had been asking about when we would be making that published narrative gaming product available in an electronic format. Now it is here! Head to the Downloads section of the website and go grab it so you can play this cool string of narrative scenarios.

But wait… there’s more!

In many places around the globe, today is called “All Saints Day.” Within the greater Dark Age team, we felt that it would just make sense to have a fun little addition to the Dark Age Chronicles series based on our somewhat unsung heroes – the Forsaken Saints! So, while you are downloading the Diary of a Toxic Man, go ahead and grab a brand new narrative arc called All Saints Day, too! Our esteemed Chronicles writer, Robert Allen, has put together a great narrative series for us, and we know you guys will enjoy it as much as we have!

Let’s go play some Dark Age!

http://dark-age.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/DAChronicles_Forsaken_AllSaints.pdf

IN SHADOWS AND DARK PLACES

October 30, 2017 Background

The world and history of Dark Age is a large and epic place, with tons of secrets hidden and tucked away in its shadowy corners. Whenever we get a chance to peel back one of these mysterious layers, we like to do so with some flair. Something interesting and unique is coming to Dark Age in early 2018, and today we want to give you just a preview of its arrival…
.
.
.
.
A Piece of Dark Age Fiction by Bryan Steele



“Did you hear that?” Unsria scanned the rocky landscape, the night as bright as day through the crystalline filter of her Raaf helm. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to her, but all of her senses were on fire nonetheless. Something was not right out here. “We are not alone.”

“Of course we are not,” Khasatta chided with a click of her tongue, tapping the ground with the butt of her bardiche, “there are still some Blood worshippers yet left in these hills. If it wasn’t one of them,” the Spirit Lord ran her slender fingertips across the wall of the ruin they were investigating. Deep violet traces of foci energy was visible for a moment on the stone before evaporating away like breath on a mirror. “Lady Amabilia claimed it could take years to cut out all of the Skarrd cancer from this valley.”

The two Shadow Caste veterans were part of that night’s excursion beyond the tunnels and the caves in the Talen Valley, half of a skilled Dragyri warrior quartet searching through one of the many Skarrd surface camps the Blood Cult left behind when they abandoned their homes to join Johann at Retribution. Engagements with stragglers were common in the first few weeks of scouring, but most of these later attempts have been fruitless.

“I hope you’re right,” the Raaf growled anticipatorily, “because every time I hear from our brothers and sisters deeper in the manlands about all the lives their blades are drinking up – I just want to kill something.”
“There will always be something else to kill, child,” Khasatta purred, her slightly pointed teeth clacking together hungrily, “the Lady Amabilia is unravelling the threads of their world even now. A great and murderous war is not far.”

“How can you say that?” Unsria’s voice was a displeased hiss, her tone almost as sharp as her spur blades. “The Grand Arbiter pushes for peace above glory, the Day of Darkness did not unleash the Umbral tide like we were promised, and now… the Arbiter of Purpose’s return? These are not small obstacles to overcome on the path to their apocalypse.”
“San’triahn is of the old ways,” the Spirit Lord reminded as they rounded a bend into some fresh half-standing constructions, “which might be more problematic for Yovanka’s new regime than she imagines. Purpose and Fate have been at odds since before Earth’s hibernation, and with the evolution of Luck’kit’kaii’s gifts from the Masters…” both of them paused to spit dramatically on the ground, “that rivalry will surely only grow. Hood is handling Rath’zhi, I am told as well.”

“Maybe you’re right. I just despise all the waiting.” Unsria deftly climbed over some rubble. “We hid in darkness for so long. Now that we are out and able, I feel like I should always—”

The clatter of gravel falling from a higher level in the ruins ripped both of their attention away from the conversation. Trails of dust drifted down in the moonlight from where the stones fell, and their Dragyri predatory senses honed in on a human shape scrambling away from the lip of the ledge.

“—be killing something.” She grinned.

“Don’t you run, honorless tadpole!” Khasatta’s eyes went wide, the amber shine growing darker as if it were swallowing up the light around her face. She shot her hand out toward the ledge, her talons grasping at the air. Cold tendrils of blackness seeped out from within her sleeve, unfolding outward like ink running across the page until it swallowed up the entire area of the upper ledge. Once the ballooning orb of darkness encompassed everywhere the scurrying trespasser could have crawled, the Spirit Lord closed her fingers around the aether and twisted her fist in a circle, like winding an invisible rope around it. A few twists later and she yanked her arm backward, the darkness washing back toward her like a wave. The wave crashed against the ground and dissipated into wisps of smoke. In its place, trying to scramble to standing at Khasatta’s feet, remained a pale-skinned man covered in ritualistic scarring and tattoos.

“It… it’s too late,” the human looked up at his attackers defiantly, his bloodshot eyes peering out from carved holes in a mask made of cured flesh, each one flicking back and forth with excited anxiety. “… you have already let it out!” He held up his hands, and draped between them was a length of old rusted chain – the links at both ends shattered, twisted, and open. “You came here… you took the tunnels… and you took the vault! You took the vault and you didn’t even know! You… you… you let it out!”

Unsria and Khasatta looked to each other quizzically.

“Do you know what it is saying?” the Raaf asked, stepping closer.

“I only know enough hyoomahneese to tell if they are afraid of me,” the Spirit Lord laughed, ripping the chain out of the Skarrd’s hands, “but this thing’s mewling is nonsense.”

“I’m sure our Grand Arbiter would want us to learn more about our surface neighbors,” Unsria ran the edges of her spur blades against one another, sending a screeching tone echoing down the valley, “so let’s start peeling back some layers and learn something.”

The sound of something heavy landing in the gravel beyond the broken brick wall stole all of their attention in an instant.

“What was that?” Khasatta tossed the chain aside and scanned the darkness.

“It’s here!” the swiveled its head from side to side, “The Ghost is free!” He looked at his would-be killers and levelled a bony finger on both hands at them, “It comes for you now! You opened its cage! You! The Ghost now comes for YOU!”

“Enough!” Unsria lashed out with her blades, but the Skarrd warrior was nimble and ducked out of the way.
“Hold still, worm!” Khasatta’s weapon slashed down through the night air, but again he stepped to the side.
“You know not what you have done!” flaps of shorn flesh worn like leathers twirled around him as he fled toward the darkness beyond the edge of the ruin. Perhaps it was the frenzy of paranoia or just the familiar landscape, but somehow he was outpacing the Dragyri. “Reap what you have so—”

The world around him erupted in plumes of white, dazzling light. Explosions from several impacts tore the ground to craters, sending rocks and flaming debris in all directions.

Yet, when the smoke cleared and the spots vanished from the warriors’ eyes, the Skarrd was still somehow alive. Blood poured from dozens of shrapnel cuts, smoke curled from his molten hair, and black char clung to the edges of his man-leather clothing – but he was still alive. Alive, and laughing.

“What was that?” Unsria’s question was as much to the universe as it was her sister-in-arms.

“More hyoomahns?” Khasatta was just as confused, but her aetheric senses were already telling her different.
Then a growl – a stiff, echoing, mechanical growl – thrummed through the laughter. Followed by heavy, gravel-crunching footfalls.

“What is that?” the Raaf pointed the length of her blade at a large, hulking shape walking into view.

“Targets…” the booming, bass tone growl of a menacing speaker droned out from the somewhat humanoid shape, “… acquired. Assessing.”

“An aether lord?” Khasatta gasped, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, seeing the trace outline of green flame or some similar image scrawled upon its chassis, “No… something else…”

“Eliminating,” the mechanical voice reverberated, but the sound was nothing compared to the roar of its cannons…

WINNING IMMORTALITY: ICE CASTE

November 3, 2017 Community No comments

Dragyri_IceCaste-200x200
Aaron Bohm gives us his insight into what it takes to win Dark Age‘s greatest tournament: Immortals. With the prize being adding yourself to the game, players want to know any sort of edge they can. That starts with what faction they choose to play. In this article, Aaron checks out the Ice Caste, one of the oldest factions in the game, and gives his thoughts about how they could go all the way.

Can any faction win a Dark Age Tournament? The competitive aspect of the game has been growing, spurred not only by one of the best prizes in all of miniatures gaming – the prize of adding yourself into the game by winning the Immortals Tournament – but also by the dedication CMON has been giving the game recently. So, likewise, a growing question in the minds of players looking to purchase into a new faction is, “Does this army have what it takes to crush my opponents and take home the prize?”

One of the more recent recipients of CMON’s attention has been the Dragyri’s Ice Caste with a set of brilliant new sculpts. However, whether for newer players looking to start their first army or for veterans eager to pick up the flashy new models, there isn’t much being said on how the faction plays. Indeed, some may even suggest they are underpowered, although this ultimately results in them being underplayed. So who can say if their power has truly been tested? Either way, this article is to provide a building guide for how Ice Caste not only could win, but how, with the right choices and in the hands of the right player, absolutely should win a competitive Dark Age tournament.

Here’s how I would do it.



The Concept

One of the reasons Ice Caste is thought to be a bit on the weaker side is that they are extremely straightforward. A key attribute Tournament winner Bobby Limoggio ranks all Dark Age factions on is “Tricks,” or the special, extra abilities and mechanics unique to them that disrupt the ordinary flow of play. Not surprisingly, Ice Caste is on the bottom of the ranking in this category. So, conceptually, that is where I have to start, but maybe I can build that into a strength.

One “trick” that does intrigue me revolves around the Arbiter ability on Luck’Kit’Kaii, “Now is Our Time!” Any Ice Caste list is going to have to be a melee powerhouse, looking to engage the enemy as quickly and as often as possible. In Dark Age tournaments, two aspects that players can struggle with are the randomness of the Initiative roll and dealing with aggressive or “divey” players. Luck’Kit’Kaii gives a bit of an edge on both fronts, and it’s a sufficient enough place to start my list.

Models of Focus

Since point values have been standardized in Dark Age to a base 25 point system, 75 point models are usually where I start list building. At 75 points, there is a discount for the second HP – most models are 50 points per HP – as well as a bump up in power and special abilities from 50 point models.

The 75 point Ice Caste standout is the Blizzard. Duel-wielding models hit just as hard as Extreme Damage, but ED models are either slowly becoming extinct or costing more points, like the current version of the Frostbite. Blizzard’s Special Ability, Chilling Aura, is especially useful for an Ice strategy looking to engage enemy models as much as possible and Chilling Grasp helps here as well, as Blizzard can first pull enemy models into it and then blanket them inside a de-buff.



The ability Infiltrate is also very useful in general but with Ice Caste it is near-mandatory. Since most of the game they will be heading straight for the enemy, Infiltrate gives them a flank option – for either tactical or objective scoring purposes. Soul Searchers and Dah’vid are both strong selections for Infiltrate.

Last but not least for any Dragyri list are the Spirit Lords. Spirit Lords have the same benefits in terms of hit power and survivability as any other 150 point model but additionally are Psychogenic wielders. The Spirit Lord of Ice is a really good value – able to Parry and hits as hard as the Death’s Device – but as the Arbiter faction rule allows, both Fire and Shadow Spirit Lords would also work well here.

Adjusting for Strengths and Weaknesses

Lack of range attacks is the #1 thing Dragyri lists struggle with. The Soul Splitter is Ice Caste’s primary option for range and the Obscuring Fog Psychogenic helps cover for the bad defense stats but the model does little else so my preference is the Spirit Lord of Fire. Its ST weapon should provide just enough range threat to snipe opponent models and give your melee time to get in place. Even still, that we have to “Grand Arbiter-in” the Fire Spirit Lord makes him a prime candidate for sideboard substitutions, so we could place a Soul Splitter in reserve and/or a Whisper or two.



For the same reason, the slave pick that makes the most sense is the Sling Slave. Normally it might be too much to hope that a 750 point Ice Caste list exceeds 9 or 10 models but this list will be powerful enough to drop a traditional 75 point slot in favor for a few extra slaves and even a Taskmaster which, even for the extra points, also gives us a little something extra.

Luck’Kit’Kaii of course is a given, as the list strategy revolves around either the use or the bluff of using his Arbiter ability near round 3 or 4. But the Blizzard is equally important to split the opponent’s focus and lock down models into melee. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to double up and take two.

My List

1 Luck’Kit’Kaii
2 Blizzard
1 Dah’vid
1 Taskmaster
1 Spear Slave
3 Sling Slave
1 Spirit Lord of Fire

Sideboard
1 Whisper
1 Soul Splitter

Play Notes: One of the favorite opening moves I have seen is Luck’ moved his full 12” right into the center of the table. While it often doesn’t make sense to do this, given his bad defense stats, without at least some cover it nevertheless illustrates how this list is meant to be played.

For Luck’, the two Blizzards, and a well-placed Dah’vid, envision an imaginary line between them and the place on the board they need to go, or the model they need to kill. Then get there as fast as possible. The other models are there to provide flexibility and support; the sideboard to add adaptability. After round 1, Luck’ should be the last model to activate. This will limit the amount of retaliation he will get before the end of the round and will help set up a dual-activation whenever it works out best to choose, “Now is our Time!”

 Boss Salvage wrote:
But I mean good gods damn, look at those Brood. Impressed with how much they've dragged a pretty disparate faction into a stronger cohesive style.

Anyway, dredging this up to ask: Is CMON still the only place for me, the American consumer, to get Dark Age? And do they typically do a Black Friday thing? Got Air Caste to summon, wondering if there's sense in shopping around or waiting.

- Salvage

 Alpharius wrote:
That's the evil C.O.R.E. faction!



https://www.coolminiornot.com/shop/miniatures/dark-age-games/core

And if there's a lot of Dark Age stuff in clearance at your store (MM?), any chance you could PM a brother a list of what's available?!?

 OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
Potential UK players/collectors may want to note that Element Games has a whole load of Dark Age (and Wrath of Kings) listed as available (NOT IN STOCK) with a 20th November dispatch date

so maybe, just maybe, distribution in the UK is actually happening again

I'll try and report back and let folk know if the stuff does show up in stock then (because until it does i'm still more than a bit suspicious that they've been told they'll get a delivery then but nothing arrives)

 aku-chan wrote:

 OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
Potential UK players/collectors may want to note that Element Games has a whole load of Dark Age (and Wrath of Kings) listed as available (NOT IN STOCK) with a 20th November dispatch date

so maybe, just maybe, distribution in the UK is actually happening again

I'll try and report back and let folk know if the stuff does show up in stock then (because until it does i'm still more than a bit suspicious that they've been told they'll get a delivery then but nothing arrives)

Sadly, it's been like that for a while (since September I think), they keep pushing back the date every fortnight or so.

NOVEMBER RELEASES NOW AVAILABLE

November 17, 2017 New Releases



A cold wind is starting to blow across Samaria. The Ice Caste is marching to war. In this month’s releases for Dark Age, the Ice Caste, one of the oldest factions for the game, is getting the updated box treatment that has been sweeping through the line. So that’s the cold, but what about the wind? Well, the Air Caste is also getting an updated box set. Grab your snow boots and let’s take a look.



Starting out, there’s the Ice Caste Starter Set. The Dragyri of the Ice Caste are a force to be reckoned with in any theater of battle, but they excel most when they are charging in to crush their foes with mystically enhanced close quarters combat. The Spirit Lord of the Ice Caste is a powerful fighter as well as a skilled user of shamanic Ice magic leading a pair of axe-wielding Blizzards in honorable battle. Always nearby, ready to serve under the cracking whip of their Taskmaster, are a trio of useful-yet-expendable Spear Slaves. This 500 point starter box of the Dragyri Ice Caste are here, ready to be assembled and crush the opposition!
https://www.coolminiornot.com/shop/dragyri-ice-caste-faction-starter.html



But a starter is just that, a starting place. Moving on, we have the Ice Caste Leadership Box. The Ice Caste are the most traditional on the Dragyri castes. The thirst for honor and the opportunity to display their martial prowess in fierce combat against worthy opponents. It is the role of leaders like the Spirit Lords of Ice and the caste’s Arbiter of Fate, Luck’kit’kaii, to uphold these traits, and to see them adhered to. The most common way is to lead by example – crushing, brutal example.
https://www.coolminiornot.com/shop/dragyri-ice-caste-leadership-box.html



Leaders need someone to lead, of course. Someone like those found in the Frostbite Unit Box. As an elite unit, membership in the Frostbites is coveted by any Ice Caste Trueborn seeking to cloak themselves in glory. Very few aspirants, however, make it through the grueling training and selection process. Armed with a massive crystalline axe and very refined psychogenic abilities, the Frostbites are martial strength and power personified.
https://www.coolminiornot.com/shop/dragyri-ice-caste-frostbite-unit-box.html



And you don’t want to just go stumbling into battle without intelligence. That’s why you should pick up a Soul Searcher unit box. In battle, Soul Searchers primarily serve as trackers and scouts until they are needed to serve as infantry. They use their Focus abilities to track their enemies with spirit energy, and can then appear where needed on the battlefield, causing great disruption amongst their surprised foes.
https://www.coolminiornot.com/shop/dragyri-ice-caste-soul-searcher-unit-box.html



While the Ice Caste prides itself on its melee prowess, it also knows that it’s best to soften up the enemy at range. Best to pick up a Soul Splitter unit box. For the Trueborn Dragyri of the Ice Caste, honor can be earned in the heat of close combat, with the swing of a sword or axe. When a warrior does something this brings dishonor, his melee weapon is taken away and replaced with a large crossbow, the arbalest, which he must carry in battle until he has redeemed himself. While the Soul Splitters are a reviled member of any warband, they are nonetheless very effective.
https://www.coolminiornot.com/shop/dragyri-ice-caste-soul-splitter-unit-box.html



The Ice Caste isn’t without its elementals of course. The smallest of which can be found in the Hail Kin unit box. Called into being as fragments of a terrible frozen storm given life, Hail Kin are erratic creatures that exist only to bring a bloody and chilling death to those who stand in the way of the Dragyri Ice Caste. They glide and shift across the battlefield, reaching out with their wickedly sharp appendages to slice their foes to ribbons.
https://www.coolminiornot.com/shop/dragyri-ice-caste-hail-kin-unit-box.html



But sometimes you need a bigger snowball. That’s where the Greater Ice Elemental box comes in. Made from the coldest otherworldly energies summoned up from the Dragyri of the Ice Caste, the Greater Ice Elemental is a tower of preternaturally dense ice. Capable of withstanding terrible blows while getting its claws into a target or unleashing a torrent of freezing wind, this deadly monstrosity is a walking reminder of the power hidden away within the Ice Caste’s ancient ways.
https://www.coolminiornot.com/shop/dragyri-ice-caste-ice-elemental.html



And as we mentioned at the top, the wind doth blow for the Air Caste as well. They are getting the Tempest Unit Box this month. Female Trueborn warriors of the Air Caste who have not manifested Focus abilities find themselves in high demand among a variety of groups. Those who wish to rage in battle and in life, enjoying the best of both worlds, find their way into the ranks of the Tempest order, where they can fight hard and play hard.

That’s what we have for you this month. Keep warm out there.

Dark Age

22 November at 23:16 ·
...

Hey everyone!

While not quite as much of a total "blanket sale" as we had last year, a TON of Dark Age products (and a ton of other CMON products as well) will be seeing a VERY deep Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale price!

So... watch that webstore and CMON's twitter account for when the sale goes live!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

now clarified via the WoK page as coming Cyber Monday not BF

 ImAGeek wrote:
http://www.leodisgames.com/product-category/dark-age/

 aku-chan wrote:

 ImAGeek wrote:
http://www.leodisgames.com/product-category/dark-age/

A UK-based source for Dark Age minis? Madness!

Once my wallet has recovered from Black Friday I'll have to pick some up.