Checkout a great introduction to the 40k game that you can play when you don’t have time to break out models : 40k Conquest LCG!
Hello, readers! My name is Mitch, and I am “The Hive Tyrant.” As former tabletop 40k hobbyist and life-long strategy game enthusiast, it has become my passion to create a swath of video content for Warhammer 40,000: Conquest – a Living Card Game, by Fantasy Flight Games.
Images Courtesy of FFG:
Not only is it set within our favorite grimdark fictional setting, and steeped in that familiar, 40k theme, but it’s truly laudable for its rich, strategic depth. Similar to its tabletop counterpart, as an adversarial game, each of two players starts by selecting their favorite Warhammer faction (e.g. Space Marines, Tyranids, the Eldar, etc), picking a specific Warlord to lead their forces (like the Space Wolves chapter’s own Ragnar Blackmane, or the Tau Commander Shadowsun), and then, with the option of allying with one additional faction, instead of filling the table with miniatures, each player builds a 50 card, customized deck with which to contest the opposition.
The above layout illustrates a game of Warhammer 40,000: Conquest in progress.
During each, individual match, players draw cards, acquire resource tokens, and then use these commodities to deploy army units ranging from your bog standard Cadian guardsman, all the way to the almighty and nigh-insurmountable Black Legion Heldrake. You can affix attachments to your units (think Storm Bolters and Rokkit Launchas), and deploy game-changing events (an unexpected Drop Pod Assault, anyone? Or perhaps a devastating Warp Storm, or planet-scouring Exterminatus?).
All the while, during each game, players strive to juggle myriad strategic assets – for instance, they must strike a careful balance between trying not only to establish an overwhelming military force, but also, develop and maintain a strong economy with which to continue to fuel their relentless war machine. Still further, players must also pick when, and where, to fight the various battles which take place across not just one single arena, as one sees with tabletop 40k, but rather, combat occurs across a range of different planets, each with a unique, associated military or economic value – and though progression from planet to planet is not exactly linear (warlords allow players to select where they want to conduct battles), each single game will always have a different combination of a fixed number of planets to consider conquering.
Individual cards tend to have multiple uses, as well, which make the deck-building component and mid-game possibilities that occur within this LCG extraordinarily rich – for example, should you save your most powerful events for their intended, offensive effects, or might it be necessary to discard them for their built-in defensive benefits? When constructing a deck, are you versatile enough to attempt to take on all comers, or are you taking a risk by building to beat the established meta? There’s an element of bluffing involved in the game, and many aspects which involve out-guessing, out-thinking, and out-playing one’s opponent, with all of it relying on as little luck of the draw as one could ever hope to expect from a card game. I could lavish heaps of praise upon Conquest for paragraphs, but instead, why not just check out the video below?
As “The Hive Tyrant,” I make it my goal to cover as much Conquest LCG content as possible. I record and commentate games played live in person and filmed via camera, as well as those captured through use of the “OCTGN” virtual playing surface. I provide thorough Core set and expansion pack reviews, delve deep into the use and strategy behind individual and combinations of cards, and frequently have the opportunity to interview Regional, National, and even World champions alike – I’ve also had the pleasure of interviewing the game’s design team itself, and the future of Conquest could scarcely be brighter. If you love Collectible Card Games, but the notion of “chasing rares” makes your stomach turn, then consider also that in any “Living Card Game,” each new expansion you purchase will always provide you with a full playset of all available cards – with no need to open countless, random-distribution booster packs.
So, there’s no scouring the internet for “singles” required, and there’s by no means a new “flavor of the month” faction or warlord – each of the eight established factions (Necrons are coming soon!), are commendably well balanced, and all players have easy access to the same range of cards. Therefore, both tournaments and competitive play are a fantastic opportunity for someone to demonstrate they’re genuinely the stronger player – toss luck and “pay to win” out the window.
I can’t begin to encourage you enough to check out Warhammer 40,000: Conquest, and with it, my channel. It’s a spectacular game, and from one 40k hobbyist to another – it comes highly recommended. Check it out! Comments on my videos are always encouraged, and if you have any questions at all, by no means hesitate to get in touch with me through Facebook or on Twitter.
The Conquest community is one of the most welcoming and inviting gaming communities I’ve ever had the privilege and pleasure to be a part of, and I’d be honored were you to join. Take care!
More Games of 40k Conquest
How To Play 40k Conquest LCG – Tutorial Warhammer 40,000
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About the Author: Rob Baer
