Today we will continue our Contender Series with another new player flowsheet. Regardless of what warband, deck, or playstyle you’re working with, you will be better served if you make sure to active ‘the right fighter’ each time. As long as you have two or more fighters able to activate in a given turn, you’re more likely to win if you pick the one that will serve your scoring goals or deny your opponents the most. As such, I have developed a new players’ cheat sheet flowchart to help guide who to activate next.

Is a Scoring Opportunity in danger of being lost in the next activation?​
Activate the Scoring Fighter Now​

Sometimes, you’re holding a surge that only one fighter can achieve, or at least is the best suited for it. If that fighter is about to get slain or the opportunity window is about to close, you have to seize that chance. Activating somebody else means you may never get to score the card, it clogs up your hand, and your efficiency/final score is greatly reduced. If they also can meet an end phase condition (such and such happened during the round) and nobody else can, that’s your guy.

Make that charge into enemy territory. Go flip that feature token. Whatever you need to do to score needs to be done before it’s too late. I also didn’t explicitly call it out, but this “highest priority activation’ also covers denial of enemy scoring; do it before you can’t stop them anymore.

I‘ll refer you again to the Counterplay Series – be mindful of what your opponent may be trying to score, and activate the fighter most likely to block that opportunity for them. You see a guy who just moved onto a treasure? If you have a fighter who can slay or displace them and they’re your only one who can pull it off, that’s who you need to activate or else you’ll be giving up lots of glory down the line.

Is an enemy fighter able to be slain prior to activating?​
Slay the enemy target​

If the opponent has a vulnerable or at risk fighter, it’s often smart for them to ‘use it before you lose it’. If you have the ability to kill something before it activates, then you prevent your opponent from getting to use that piece.

Is a vital friendly fighter at risk of being slain soon?​
Activate the endangered fighter before you lose your chance​

Hey, it’s the same thing I just said, but the inverse! Your opponent will probably try to finish you off if you have a near-death friend. Why not get one last charge out of them rather than letting them die and reduce your efficiency? If you have nothing better to do, getting one last attack out of your leader can be the difference maker.

Do you need another fighter to set up this activation first?​
Activate the Setup Fighter ​

You want to kill something with a special fighter but don’t want to risk them unnecessarily? Make sure they’re in kill range before you commit. Hit them with another attack, stagger them, whatever you need. Close the door with your vital fighter, not open the sequence – otherwise you risk their dying for longer and may not be able to kill the thing with your other fighters anyway.

Likewise if you need two fighters to meet some condition for scoring an objective, make sure your less important one has started the ball rolling so you aren’t risking your special guy too early.

Can this action be taken later with no repercussion?​
Leave for later and focus on what can’t wait​

Sure, you eventually need to go stand on that treasure token in your backfield, but it will still be available in activation 4. The one in neutral territory though? That one is going to be contested, and whoever gets there first has a better chance of keeping it. You want player that to be you.

They have a fighter who has charged and is now a sitting duck somewhere? You can kill them at any point until the enemy warband is charged out, so they’re not going anywhere. Come back to them when the un-activated threats are dealt with.

Do what will become impossible, dangerous, or inefficient if you wait​

On the flipside, delay what’s going to remain possible, would be dangerous to do now, or has similar efficiency across the round.

(especially delay things that will become MORE efficient next round, like our lord and savior Tik-Tik’s Kaboom)

Wrap

There you have it! Another flowsheet for your infographic needs. Whoever you decide to activate next, don’t forget to spend your glory in the power step!