ok so while the damage nerf to mantel hurt, I think Sok has driven the theme towards one particularly strategy: damage mitigation. Not a detailed strategy, but one that has enough variability that multiple decks can be built. Sand is proving to be a mitigation deck type in a mitigation faction. What is everyone else's thoughts and views on this?
Just made 2 ranked games with sand, both won: i know two games are nothing, but the new mantle isn't bad at all! I'm playing just one mantle, thought for the second, great equip on bolters or most of all sandlord, with this new mantle is pretty unkillable from range, and with bolters stacking fury from behind getting kills is easy. Dunes manticore healing the tanks, working nice atm according to me
I thought about that combo with the lord. He becomes very hard to his from range and add in sandkip for even greater defense. with the feel of teh BG going towards damage mitigation particularly from range, I am considering putting in the legion standard to deal with intimidate, but there are other things I am trying first. Can you share the BG you used? I want to see what things you are using.
Of course, this is the BG i used, 6 games done 6 games won (one for disconnection lol). I'm playing 2x Sandmaster and 2x Tardigrade as main tank, just amazing runes. 2x Sandkip and Valdaci Guardian for font contest/beaters. Snogvie autoin, Doombringers cause it's a very solid mid range rune with magical damage, domain sand and violent, can't ask for more. 2x Dunes manticore autoin, best support rune for sand BG, and 1 dunewalker that is pretty good for grabbing long distance fonts with his grant tunnel sand, but i'm not sure about him, i was thinking replacing him with a Skeezick Herder. Finally our 5 range units: Renovator cause has got very high damage, 2x Bolters and 2x Needlewing just too good. Needlewing is a 68 nora unit with barrage, range 3-5, 12 base damage, put a rage band on him and see his damage go to the sky, and Bolters is just op with his kit with just 65 nora (playing him with provision makes him a lot better). Non-champs are quite standard, just put in the two rage band cause of 3 provision champs and a lot of sinergies with all this champs with the same race (6 Draksar, 11 Beast, 5 Construct).
According to me, at the moment the non-beast version is the best thanks to bolters and sandlords. The only thing i don't like in your BGs is Primordial Enigma: got 2x after his release and theu aren't good at all for me, i would put doombringers in order to have some Magic damage, or (better) a doomy and snogvie.
the enigmas have been a hard counter to many decks although after the range nerfs I shall see how good they end up being. I do not deploy them every game. I might take one out for another lord as the enigmas may not be quite so vital. I love them though.
Sand hunters have never been as good as other ranged options, unfortunately. I used to run them actually. I think they can make it in sand beasts, but in my deck they are pushed out too easily