A Deck For Every Warband: Shadespire Breakdown

By Travis Perkins | May 7th, 2018 | Categories: Age of Sigmar, Shadespire, Tactics

Today we have part one of a two-part breakdown featuring a deck for every warband in Shadespire, using the cards out thus far. These first four decks certainly pack a punch!

My goal for Shadespire is to always have a deck ready for each warband. That way, if someone doesn’t own the game but wants to play, they can! This makes it a lot easier to just pick up dice and have some fun.

However, it does force you to limit yourself based on the cards you have. I limit myself to using each card only once, or twice if it’s from the core set to reflect the physical limitations of the game. (So, I spread out a lot of the “best” cards that are usable in any deck.)

*All decks contain 12 objective cards, 10 ploy cards, and 10 upgrade cards*

Garrek’s Reavers: In true Khorne fashion this warband is all about charging forward and overwhelming opponents. However, they are a little bit pillow fisted, so this list adds some upgrades that can really dish out some damage. Your main goal is to score some immediate glory points so you can upgrade your warriors with the better weapons. With those equipped even your weaker models can do some serious damage to opponents. Combine that with their already high movement and you have a mobile glass cannon army.

Objectives:

Annihilation (5 Glory): Score in end phase if all enemy fighters are out of action.
Blood for the Blood God (1 Glory): Score immediately if three or more fighters made a charge action this phase.
Brawl (2 Glory): Score this in an end phase if all friendly fighters (at least three) are adjacent to enemy fighters.
Conquest (2 Glory): Score in third end phase if all your surviving fighters are in opponent’s territory.
Draw the Gaze of Khorne (1 Glory): Score this immediately if your warband takes out two or more enemy fighters in this phase.
Escalation (2 Glory): Score this in an end phase if three or more upgrade cards were played in the preceding action phase.
Heroes All (1 Glory): Score this in an end phase if all of your surviving fighters (at least 3) are Inspired.
It Begins (1 Glory): Score in end phase if one fighter from each warband it out of action.
Khorne Cares Not (2 Glory): Score in end phase if five or more fighters are out of action.
Let the Blood Flow (2 Glory): Score this immediately if three or more of your fighters made a successful attack action this phase.
Ploymaster (1 Glory): Score this in an end phase if you played three or more ploys in the proceeding action phase.
Pure Carnage (3 Glory): Score this in the third end phase if 7 or more fighters are out of action.

Ploys:

Blood Offering: A friendly fighter suffers one damage, but on their next attack they get two bonus attack dice.
Blood Rain: All attacks in the next action use the duel swords characteristic.
Boon of Khorne (Reaction): When a friendly fighter kills an enemy unit, remove all wounds from a friendly fighter.
Fueled By Slaughter (Reaction): When a friendly fighter is taken out of action, you can take an attack action with a friendly model.
Insensate: First friendly fighter to suffer any damage in the next activation only suffers one wound.
Khorne Calls: Roll one extra dice on your next attack action.
Lethal Strike: If the first Attack action in the next activation is a critical hit, double its Damage characteristic for that Attack action.
Ready for Action (Reaction): Play this after you upgrade a fighter in an action phase. They can make a move or attack action.
Skulls for the Skull Throne (Reaction): When a friendly fighter kills another fighter, draw two power cards.
Trap (Reaction): Play this during a friendly fighter’s attack action that drives an enemy fighter back. The enemy fighter suffers one damage.

Upgrades:

Berserk Charge (Saek): Duel Swords and Hammers are successes on charge attacks.
Bloodslick: +1 Defense.
Ethereal Shield: This fighter’s Defense characteristic changes to “shield”.
Frenzy: Roll an extra attack dice when this fighter charges.
Heroslayer: Range 1, 1 Dice (Hammer), 4 Damage.
Incredible Strength: +1 Damage to all Attack actions with a Range 1 or 2.
Shadeglass Dagger: Range 1, 3 Dice (Duel Swords), 3 damage. When this attack action is successful, discard this upgrade. One a critical hit. This Attack action has +1 Damage.
Shadeglass Hammer: Range 1, 2 dice (Hammers), 3 damage. When this attack action is successful, discard this upgrade. One a critical hit. This Attack action has +1 Damage.
Shadeglass Sword: Range 1, 3 Dice (Hammers), 2 Damage. When this attack action is successful, discard this upgrade. One a critical hit. This Attack action has +1 Damage.
Whirlwind of Death (Karsus): +1 Damage to all attack actions.

Ironskull’s Boyz: To me, orcs are all about dishing out damage to whoever is closest and then outlasting your opponent. That’s why there are quite a few heal cards in this deck, along with a lot of cards that can deal damage to everyone on the board. It also happens that your warband becomes inspired once they take a wound, so it’s a win-win.

Objectives:

Annihilation (5 Glory): Score in end phase if all enemy fighters are out of action.
Assassinate (1 Glory): Score this in an end phase if your Warband took an enemy leader out of action in the preceding action phase.
Biggest An’ Da Best (1 Glory): Score this in an end phase if your leader took an enemy fighter out of action in the preceding action phase.
Blooded (1 Glory): Score this in an end phase if all your surviving fighters (at least 3) have at least 1 wound token.
Butchery (2 Glory): Score this in an end phase if your warband took three or more enemy fighters out of action in the preceding action phase.
Call of the WAAAGH! (1 Glory): Score this immediately if three or more of your fighters made a charge action this phase.
Contained (3 Glory): Score this in the third end phase if all surviving enemy fighters are in their territory.
Dead Kunnin (1 Glory): Score this immediately if a friendly fighter has two or more supporting fighters then their target when making an attack action.
Get Da Boss (1 Glory): Score this in an end phase in your warband took an enemy leader out of action in the preceding action phase.
Good Scrap (2 Glory): Score this in an end phase if three or more fighters were taken out of action in the preceding action phase.
Multiple Fronts (1 Glory): Score this in an end phase if your warband dealt damage to three or more enemy fighters in the preceding action phase.
Scent of Victory (1 Glory): Score this in an end phase if all surviving enemy fighters (at least three) have at least one wound token.

Ploys:

Deafening Bellow: Choose an enemy fighter adjacent to one of your fighters. Push that fighter one hex.
Earthquake: Push all fighters one hex. You must push them all in the same direction. Any that cannot be pushed this way are not pushed.
Gorkamorka’s Blessing: The first Attack action with Range of 1 or 2 in the next activation has +1 damage.
Healing Potion: A friendly fighter rolls a defense die and on shield or critical heals two wounds, otherwise only heals one.
Kunnin’ But Brutal Reaction: Play this after a friendly fighter’s Move action. That fighter can make an Attack action. You cannot play this during a Charge action.
Reflected Injury: Choose a friendly fighter with at least one wound token and an adjacent enemy fighter. The enemy fighter suffers 1 damage.
Second Wind: Choose a friendly fighter that made a Charge action this phase. In the next activation, they can be activated as if they had Moved rather than Charged.
Shardgale: All fighters suffer 1 damage.
Shattering Terrain: Any fighters that make a Move action, are pushed or are driven back in the next activation suffer 1 damage.
Tainted Vitality: Remove one wound token from each fighter who has at least one wound token.

Upgrades:

‘Eadbutt (Gurzag): Range 1, 2 hammer attack dice, for 2 damage. If this attack succeeds, the target cannot be activated for the rest of the phase
Brutal Frenzy (Hakka, Basha): Roll an extra attack dice when this fighter makes a Charge action.
Daemonic Weapon: Range 1 2 hammer attack dice for 3 damage. Each time this fighter makes an attack action they first suffer 1 damage
Great Strength: +1 Damage to all attack actions
Helpful Whispers: If this fighter has no adjacent friendly fighters, rolls of half circle are a success when they make an Attack action.
Legendary Swiftness: +1 Move
Regeneration: At the beginning of each action phase, remove up to one wound token from this fighter.
Unkillable (Gurzag) Reaction: During an Attack action or ploy that takes this fighter out of action, roll a defense dice. If you roll a shield or critical they suffer no damage and are not taken out of action, you then discard this upgrade.
Vampiric Weapon: When this fighter takes an enemy fighter out of action, remove one wound token from this fighter.
WAAGH!: This fighter’s attack actions with Range 1 or 2 have +1 damage in a phase in which they make a charge action.

Magore’s Fiends: This warband has a good defense, solid attacks, and enough wounds to where they can take a shot or two. Becoming inspired when they successfully make an attack action makes me think this warband is like a slow-moving tank pushing forward against your opponent. To make up for the low movement there are plenty of movement boosting ploys. But, don’t get too crazy, as these guys can usually win one-on-one. If they get outnumbered you’re in trouble.

Objectives:

Advancing Strike (1 Glory): Score this immediately when your warband takes an enemy fighter standing in enemy territory out of action.
All the Better to Slay Them (1 Glory): Score this immediately if all friendly fighters (at least three) are adjacent to a different enemy fighter.
Bloody Annihilation (3 Glory): Score this in an end phase if all enemy fighters have been taken out of action.
Cover Ground (1 Glory): Score this immediately if a friendly fighter makes a Move action of six or more hexes.
Denial (3 Glory): Score this in the third end phase if there are no enemy fighters in your territory.
Flawless Strategy (1 Glory): Score this in an end phase if you scored two or more other objective cards in this phase.
Khorne Sees Us (1 Glory): Score this immediately if your warband takes two or more enemy fighters out of action in a phase.
Kill! Kill Again! (1 Glory): Score this in an end phase if at least two fighters from each warband are out of action.
No Escape (1 Glory): Score this immediately if three or more of your fighters made a Charge action this phase.
No Remorse (1 Glory): Score this immediately if one of your fighters takes an enemy out of action with an Attack action with a Damage characteristic greater than the targets wound characteristic.
Show of Strength (1 Glory): Score this immediately if your leader takes an enemy fighter out of action.
Superior Tactician (3 Glory): Score this in the third end phase if you have scored six or more other objective cards.

Ploys:

Bloodslick Ground: In the next activation, enemy fighters have -2 Move.
Daemonic Resilience: The first friendly fighter who suffers any amount of damage in the next activation only suffers 1 damage.
Flickering Step: Roll eight dice. Choose a friendly fighter and push them up to a number of hexes equal to the number of “critical” rolled.
Furious Inspiration: Choose a friendly fighter. They become Inspired.
Glory to Khorne: Roll one extra attack dice for the first Attack action made by a friendly fighter in the next activation.
Horrifying Howl: Choose an enemy fighter that is adjacent to a friendly fighter and push them up to two hexes.
Quick Thinker (Reaction): Play this after an enemy fighter’s Move action. Make a Move action with a friendly fighter who has not already made a Move action this phase.
Spectral Wings: The next fighter to make a Move action in the next activation has +2 Move
Sprint: Double the Move characteristic of the first friendly model in the next activation. They may not charge or make another activation this phase.
To the Victor, the Spoils (Reaction): Play this after a friendly fighter’s Attack action takes an enemy fighter with a Wounds characteristic of 3 or more out of action. Draw three power cards.

Upgrades:

Acrobatic: This this fighter has a “dodge” Defense characteristic or has a “shield” defense characteristic but is on Guard, roll an extra defense dice when they are the target of an Attack action.
Brutal Charge (Magore, Ghartok, Zharkus): Roll an extra attack dice when this fighter makes a Charge action.
Daemonic Maw (Magore): Range 1, 2 Dice “Duel Swords”, 3 damage. If this Attack action succeeds, remove one wound token from this fighter.
Furious Charge (Zharkus): When this fighter makes a Charge action both “Hammer” and “Duel Swords” are successes.
Great Speed: +1 Move.
Great Strength: +1 Damage to all attack actions.
Predatory Leap (Riptooth): When this makes a Charge action they can move through other fighters, but their move must end in an empty hex.
Rage-fuelled Attacks (Zharkus): This fighter’s Attack actions with a Range of 1 or 2 have +1 Damage.
Trohey Hunter (Magore): When this fighter takes an enemy fighter out of action, gain 1 additional glory point.
Wrathful Blows (Ghartok): All this fighter’s Attack actions have +1 Dice.

Sepulchral Guard: This deck is all about using your superior numbers to hold objectives 3,4, and 5. (Hopefully all in your territory). The ploys included are there to help you push models around the battlefield so you can use your numbers to gain the support rolls needed to damage opponents. The upgrades are defensive in nature as well as there to help you score more points with the keys in the end phase. Overall your priority is to plant your skeletons on objectives while playing defensively to limit the amount of glory your opponent can get from killing the lesser troops.

Objectives:

Battle Without End (1 Glory): Score this in an end phase if two or more friendly fighters returned to the battlefield in the preceding action phase
Denial (3 Glory): Score this in the third end phase if there are no enemy fighter in your territory.
Determined Defender (1 Glory): Score this in an end phase if the same friendly fighter has held the same objective at the end of two consecutive phases.
Hold Objective 3 (1 Glory): Score in end phase if you hold objective 3
Hold Objective 4 (1 Glory): Score in end phase if you hold objective 4
Hold Objective 5 (1 Glory): Score in end phase if you hold objective 5
March of the Dead (2 Glory): Score this in an end phase if all your surviving fighters (at least five) made a Move action in the preceding action phase.
Our Only Way Out (2 Glory): Score this in an end phase if you hold three or more objectives.
Peerless General (3 Glory): Score this in the third end phase if you have four or more surviving fighters. And none are Inspired.
Supremacy (3 Glory): Score this in an end phase if you hold three or more objectives
Tactical Genius 3-5 (3 Glory): Score this in an end phase if you hold objectives three, four, and five.
Tactical Supremacy 3-4 (2 Glory): Score this in an end phase if you hold objectives 3-4

Ploys:

Confused Priorities: Switch two objectives that are currently being held.
Danse Macabre: Any friendly fighters that make a Move action in the next activation can move one additional hex.
Restless Dead: Place a friendly fighter that was taken out of action (other than the Sepulchral Warden) on a starting hex in your territory.
Rethink Strategy: Discard any number of objective cards and draw that number of objective cards.
Shifting Shards: Move an unheld objective one hex. You cannot move it into a hex that already contains an objective.
Sidestep: Push a friendly fighter one hex.
Swift Evasion: Choose one friendly fighter and push them up to two hexes. Their new position must be further away from all enemy fighters.
Tantalizing Prize: The first friendly fighter to take a move action in the next activation can move up to an additional two hexes if they end their move on an objective.
Terrifying Screams: Choose an enemy fighter and push them one hex.
The Necromancer Commands (Reaction): Play this after a friendly fighter’s Attack action that fails. Make the Attack action again.

Upgrades:

A Destiny to Meet: If this fighter is not out of action at the end of the third action phase, gain 1 additional glory point.
Frightening Speed (Harvester, Champion, Prince): +2 Move.
Remembered Shield (Warden, Prince, Petitioner): This fighters’ Defense characteristic changes to shield.
Shadeglass Axe: Either a range one attack, two dice (hammers), two damage or range three attack, two dice (hammers), two damage. On a successful hit discard the upgrade, and on a critical hit the attack has +1 damage.
Shardcaller: At the beginning of each action phase, you can switch an objective held by this fighter with any other objective.
The Blazing Key: If this fighter is holding objective 3 in the third end phase, score two glory points.
The Dazzling Key: If this fighter is holding objective 4 in the third end phase, score two glory points.
The Fractured Key: If the fighter is holding objective 5 in the end phase score 2 points.
Undying: +1 Wounds.
Zealous Defender: This fighter is considered to have an additional supporting fighter while they are holding an objective.

There you have it four of the eight current warband each with their own unique deck, next week we will cover the last four warbands. As always linked below is each warband that I have previously highlighted and my thoughts on the expansion individually.

Check out more in-depth information here!

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About the Author: Travis Perkins

An avid homebrewer and Detroit sports fan (yes even the Lions). I am new to the world of wargamming and very much enjoying the journey. If you have any suggestions or comments feel free to comment on the article or email me at perki116@msu.edu