So my job calmed down a bit, so I have the energy to write and play games again. It happens every summer.

In this edition of Building a Better Warband, I’m going to take a slightly different approach. In past editions, I configured every single member of warband. There are a lot more heroes available now, so in this edition, I have the warband split into the core group and the counter group. The core group will define the overall strategy of the warband, while the counter group changes heroes to deal with troublesome enemy heroes while still preserving the strategy.

The Silence! warband is built around the tactic Backlash. Backlash grants 20% bonus damage against a silenced target. Silence then becomes a damage steroid in addition to negating use of magic. The core of this group is Archivist, Conrad, and Drulg. Archivist would go Enjoy the Silence, Brute Force, and Backlash. Conrad would equip Inescapable Judgment. Drulg would equip Backlash. The other two mastery slots are player’s choice on Drulg and Conrad. I like Grim Pragmatism and Sneak Attacks on Drulg. I also like Sigmar’s Fury and Eternal Knowledge to round out Conrad.

This leaves 3 spots open. The group needs a tank, a second support, and a third damage dealer. This is the counter group for this warband. These heroes will change to counter enemy picks. For example, if Aessa or Korelei is picked by the enemy to counter Drulg, the tank could counter pick Albodi, the second support could counter pick Glowgob, or the third damage dealer could counter pick Nethys. (Korelei would also be a strong counter to Archivist.) The idea is that these heroes change to protect the strategy. Be creative with your counter picks and try to fool your opponents with it.

Granted, most players, including me, do not play at a level that requires this kind of strategic depth. However, the game can be played at this kind of level should the players desire to do so. I wonder how much longer or what kind of motivation would be required to get us to do so.