The Blood of the Bull

Welcome to our rundown of The Blood of the Bull. Make sure you catch our podcast coverage of the release. For everything out with this release window, follow these links:

Thanks go to GW for providing a review copy to make this content possible.

Introduction

[D]AVY, [P]HIL, [B]RIAN, [S]KYLER & [Z]ACH

D: The long, long awaited Helsmith's make their debut in the Spitewood. Are they going to despoil and dominate, or just waddle around the woods getting lost?

 

WARSCROLl

D: Well that's pretty easy! Looking ahead, you start with one daemonforge dice, so you've got one guaranteed inspire in R1. Probably a second, since those early delves are pretty hard to deny. And Grisk will inspire incidentally while you're setting up the very tasty Hobgrot Cunning.

Spoiler alert: I don't think you care about Grisk inspiring at all.

Z: Very easy. You get to pick when and who gets the inspiration. I also like that later on, you'll have to decide between inspiring more fighters and using the dice for your inspired fighters

D: The meat and potatoes of this warscroll. These daemonforge dice are really, really great. On demand extra die that *also* inspires a fighter. And looking ahead, these are inspired profiles you *want* to have. I still need to see the collection process in practice, but initially, I like the setup. There's some counterplay available by delving contestable tokens early to make the condition tricky to pull off.

Z: Extra dice that you can keep gaining that also inspire you. We'll see how it is in practice, but it reads like it'll be really good. I'm guessing you'll average gaining about 2 dice in the early rounds if you want them, and then less as the game goes on.

 

D: Huh. Weird. Some strange interactions where you can't apply melee accuracy boosts to this, but also can rep two damage without getting punished by Jaws of Itzl if you miss.

Z: It is a little odd when you could just print a melee version of the ranged weapon that includes grievous. Good shout out on the anti-Jaws tech.

 

D: Whoa! I guess Grisk isn't expendable after all! That's a spicy accuracy boost!

Z: Super flanking from the little guy. Also worth noting that Brawler and the like won't turn this off.

 

FIGHTERS

Uninspired
D: Pretty right down the line leader stat profile. Crit stagger is a little weird on a two attack dice profile, especially when the runemark changes altogether on the inspire.

Z: If you consider the daemonforged die, he starts to look quite good, and the crit stagger doesn't seem so bad.

Inspired
D: Oh yes please. High priority inspire right here! Protect that four health with an extra block die, get nice and accurate, threaten more damage.

Z: Basically baking in the daemonforged dice into his stats compared to the uninspired side. Also, trades crit stagger for crit grievous, a serious upgrade

Uninspired
D: Is it a banner? Is it a spear? Doesn't matter. Perfectly serviceable attack profile, and I think range 2+ is very welcome in a warband that is incentivized to scramble on to features.

Z: Love the attack, range 2, 2 damage is great to see. Don't love 1 shield, 3 health, 2 bounty combo. I think I'd want to keep a daemon die in the back pocket so he doesn't get got early.

Inspired
D: Very accurate, range 2, straight stagger, an extra defensive die? I really like bopping this person up when you get the chance!

D: Once again, baking in the daemonforged dice into the attack and defense. As long as he gets here, he'll do work.

Uninspired
D: A little more run of the mill... but another person threatening two damage out of the gate allows redundancy. Range 1 is less helpful, but the extra die uninspired increases the chance of an overrun if you get the opportunity.

Z: Pretty standard for what I'd expect out of the third guy in the warband.

Inspired
D: And now, very interested in the overrun. *And* another one on two block. Wow. At only one bounty and a reduced threat range, probably a fighter you're willing to put in harm's way early.

Z: I think this is the most two block fighters we've seen in a warband, and that's not even factoring in daemonforge dice bumping it higher. Fully agree, run him up the gut and overrun some tokens.

Uninspired
D: Recall that this guy's warscroll ability also grants adjacent grievous on that gun. So that's another one that can lay two damage out right away.

Z: May as well ignore that melee profile. Either get up close with the gun or sit back and do the typical ranged fighter thing.

Inspired
D: And less, and less of a surprise, an extra defensive die arrives. The melee attack doesn't improve, but who cares!? The gun is accurate and lays out stagger. With all the stagger, accuracy, and daemonforge dice, this warband is gonna hit a lot of what it wants.

Z: Let's not forget he can add grievous to that 3 hammer attack if the enemy is adjacent. 3 hammers for 2 is what some elite warband leaders start on, and this is your ranged fighter.

Uninspired
D: Even the hobgrot threatens 2 damage?! And starts on two dodge. Grisk is going to be spicy for scooping early delves for deamonforge dice, and roaming around to provide even. more. accuracy.

Z: That crit grievous elevates him above purely being a support piece (which he will excel at). And he's got 2 defense to boot.

Inspired
D: Totally incidental inspire for this guy. Literally just gets a movement point. I'm not saying it's never going to be useful, but...

Z: Your reward for inspiring him is that you got to use Hobgrot Cunning.

 

Summary

P: Looks like the forges will be hard at work for these demonic disciples! They seem to have everything going for them, even more speed than some other dwarves… I look forward to seeing these smithy slayers in action on the tabletop soon.

The Mortal RealmsComment