Windless Wastes

[Bastille]

With the new shattered grounds league starting in a couple of days perhaps we should begin preparing. Who plans to use Thornfall/ Blindwater? and who shall we have prepare the orders?

[Ssilmath]

I'll be using both Blindwater and Thornfall, but will be favoring Blindwater.

[ozmo]

Do they count as two factions are all minion matches counting towards the same goal?

[TinRobot]

From what was said at my LGS is that Mercs and Minions are regarded as 1 faction.

I'll be running Blindwater the entire time.

Anyone know whats at stake for the league, is it release schedule thing again?

[Halfhoot]

Sadly even though enough are ordered they haven't come in yet and I don't have enough models to fully make 50 points. I will soon... but by soon I mean I ordered some of the stuff in November and don't have it yet so soon is very relative. Next league though I'll probably run Minions for fun and variety.

[HoldTheLine]

Same as Halfhoot, I don't have nearly enough stuff for my Gators.

Besides, gatormen are coldblooded. I think they'll thank me for not bringing them to a league set that far north. :P

[Cleveland]

I'll be using Thornfall, Carver specifically. I am starting to collect a Blindwater, but I won't have it done until the summer sometime.

[Lord Carver BMMD Esq. III]

Anyone know whats at stake for the league, is it release schedule thing again?

I haven't heard of anything at stake other than pride.

Looking at the territory bonuses, I think Wildlife (Each of the controlling faction’s players’ warlocks gain +1 warbeast point or reduce the point cost of Lesser Warlock models by 1 point each.) Would be one of the most advantageous for Minions.
Three areas have Wildlife, Uldenfrost (Fuel Depot, Wildlife), IcebrandLakes (Wildlife), Northern Scarsfell (Timber, Wildlife). Out of these, I think Uldenfrost would be the greatest gain because we would be denying the Fuel Depot bonus (+1 Warjack point) to Warmachine Players.

Blindwater players might want to watch out for any areas that are Frozen Wastes as the controlling player can choose to freeze all water terrain (including the small areas you get from the pact) making them Difficult Terrain rather than water. It doesn't affect Barnabas' swamp pits though.
Nyereck, Winterborn and Ulden Point are Frozen Wastes.

Looking over the Stratagems, number 3 Control Maneuver looks very promising for use with Rorsh and Brine and maybe Wrong Eye and Snapjaw because of their limited control areas. (Control Maneuver –Once per game during your Control Phase, select one friendly warjack or warbeast. A selected warjack can be allocated focus this turn even if it is outside its battlegroup commander’s control area. A selected warbeast can be forced this turn even if it is outside its battlegroup commander’s control area.)

Stratagem 6, Misdirection Ruse, looks promising for Blindwater players using Bog Trogs. You can easily get a rear charge off on something. (Misdirection Ruse – Once per game during your Control Phase, select one enemy non-warcaster, non-warlock model/unit in your warcaster/warlock’s control area. That model/unit turns to directly face the left or right board edge.)

[Bastille]

While Wildlife is obviously the strongest bonus for minions, I don't know if its feasible for us to get it. The main hordes factions will also have their eyes on those zones and I don't think we have the number of players to contest them for it.

Pirate cove is next in line for useful bonuses for both Blindwater and Thornfall and its one that I forsee little conflict over. I'd like to see our primary in a Pirate Cove zone with our secondary in a wildlife zone. Ideally at the end of the campaign we will have a presence on the map this way and, if we are doing quite well, we can challenge for one of the more important zones.

[Halfhoot]

Misdirection Ruse – Once per game during your Control Phase, select one enemy non-warcaster, non-warlock model/unit in your warcaster/warlock’s control area. That model/unit turns to directly face the left or right board edge.

This could be awesome with Calaban!! Make a model on the side of his army face the other side... then make it a meat node! Now you have LOS with the meat node to most of his army... excellent.