The Stag Rides to Battle
House Baratheon’s tendency towards heavy armor can be seen throughout their forces but it is uniquely exemplified in the Champions of the Stag. Entrusted with some of the heaviest armor of any unit in Westeros and astride House Baratheon’s thundering destriers, they truly show the power behind their words “Ours is the Fury.” Soon, House Baratheon players in the A Song of Ice and Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game will be able to add these mounted juggernauts to their forces with the release of the Champions of the Stag unit box. Before we hear the thundering of their hooves on tabletops, let’s take a look at what they can do.
The Champions of the Stag are one of the most expensive units to field, costing 10 points for a single unit. However, they easily return the investment with their numerous offensive and defensive capabilities. Like all cavalry, the Champions have 3 wounds apiece as well as being able to make a free Maneuver action at the start of their activation. And while all that armor weighs them down to only Speed 4, having the extra Maneuver action does mean they can still make headway across the battlefield with some speed. The Champions also come with a Morale value of 5+, showing that they trust in their orders from the House and will fight on against heavy odds. When paired with the unit’s 2+ Defense Save, the Champions certainly have resiliency on their side. However, these are not the only defensive capabilities of these mighty knights. Thanks to their Parry ability, whenever attackers roll a 1 against them in Melee, the attacker suffers 1 automatic Wound. Being a Wound and not simply a Hit, it is quite possible that a bad set of rolls can leave an attacker losing more models than the defending Champions.
Offensively, the Champions aren’t lacking in power, rolling 8 attack dice at full ranks and hitting on 3+. They certainly have practiced well with those hammers they wield. Their Champion’s Wrath ability gives them two bonuses. The first is that they have Critical Blow, so any of those attack dice that roll a 6 turns into 2 Hits, magnifying their offensive power. When defending against their Hits, if the defender rolls any 1s, the unit becomes Weakened. This plays nicely with the Parry ability, as the Baratheon player can turn what might have been a great attack roll into a truly devastating one by forcing their opponent to reroll their dice.
While the Champions of the Stag are an expensive unit, they boast plenty of offensive and defensive capabilities to make them well worth the cost. Not bound by loyalty to a single lord, they will happily ride into battle for either Stannis or Renly. The Champions of the Stag will certainly make an impact on whatever battlefield they ride onto.
The Champions of the Stag will be available on November 13th. Be sure to check with your FLGS and make sure they have some on pre-order for you so you can add this new unit to your forces as soon as they’re available.
You can read more about the Champions of the Stag here.
