Yes! Melee can beat the feared Firestorm.

[Matthias Maccabeus]

Ever since the third week’s preview of the Fury of the Primordials expansion pack, there’s been much talk about how the Fire Elementals plus Kurrok will dominate all melee builds. We aren’t given the exact stats of Kurrok, but we are given at least 2 of his special powers –
SUMMON ELEMENTAL
After moving and before attacking with Kurrok the Elementalist, you may roll the 20-sided die. If you roll an 11 or higher, you may, if possible, place one of your previously destroyed small or medium Elementals on an empty space within 3 clear sight spaces of Kurrok the Elementalist.

MASTER OF THE ELEMENTS
After revealing an order marker on Kurrok the Elementalist, instead of taking that turn with Kurrok, you may take a turn with up to three small or medium Elementals you control that are within 8 clear sight spaces of Kurrok the Elementalist

Obviously Kurrok was designed to have an interesting elemental army at his disposal with various elementals performing various tasks depending on what their opponent fielded as an army or on what his opponent was doing in the battle. The nice thing about being able to move and attack with 3 different units in one turn is that you can “counter” what your opponent is doing with different powers and abilities at your disposal.

The first thing that jumped into many tournament-minded folks was the Kurrok + all Fire Elementals. With being able to roll for Searing Intensity 3 times for each unit engaged per turn, the word “broken” was being whispered and eventually become louder and louder. Here’s a link for the Fire Elemental’s card –
http://www.heroscapers.com/community/gallery/files/2/fire_elemental_card_original.jpg

Those of us that have had fun rolling for plague with the marrden hounds, all of a sudden thought that maybe rolling for plague 3 times per turn, with a 14+ instead of 16+ and against all units including soulborgs could possibly be broken. Of course than units like the 4th Mass, Stingers, or mass range in general reminded us how easy it was for them to keep their distance and keep the Fire Elementals in check. Of course there are those of us that think range is for girls, and thought that perhaps this is the end to melee armies as we know it. There’s been posters on the boards with what seems to be very powerful data to support this. But to all melee enthusiasts such as myself, I say wait, there is hope!

How do you beat Kurrok and his fire elementals?

I’ve been playing melee for many years and it’s been awesome to see the community slowly but surely embrace melee a little more time and time again. We’ve all been taught or understood that the way melee wins battles is by swarming and overpowering. There’s a little more to it than that, like hugging bonuses, using terrain to your advantage, the critical first strike, etc, but for the most part it’s been swarm and overpower! That’s exactly what Kurrok and the FEs want you to try and do against them. They want you to engage as many as you can and get as close as possible, so they can engage as many as they can. Remember that the FEs have the magical 4 defense dice. They’re not as easy to take down as many of the common squads in heroScape are with only 3 defense. If you engage as many as possible you will lose! Searing Intensity will get the best of you (unless of course you’re Brunak). You need to go against almost everything you’ve been taught to do with melee.

So then what do I do?
1. You limit the number of engagements the FEs can achieve. If they can’t engage more than one or two units at a time, they can’t kill more than one or two units at a time.

2. You bring the fight to them (sparingly). Many times when playing melee you slow roll and wait for the fight to get to you if possible. Here you want to rush a unit or two forward and keep choke points locked up. Just remember to send figures up in limited numbers. DO NOT RUSH WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!!!

3. Be weary of the Sear and advance technique. The FEs have the ability to perhaps kill one of your units in a choke point with their first activation and then advance with the FE on the next turn that was engaged previously. Keep in mind the FEs 5 move. Try to position your units just outside their threat range.

4. Win the battle of attrition. FE’s are 35 points each. Knights, Heavies, Dwarves, Romans, SB, are all at least half that price. They have to kill at least 2 of your units for every one that you kill of theirs.

5. Go for Kurrok if possible. Grimnak has to roll a 16 on the FEs so skip those fools and head straight for Kurrok. If you take an engagement strike here and there so what. Alastair with an overextend can get some good hits on Kurrok. Cyprien of course can make Kurrok very nervous.

6. High life heroes make good “cyberclaws”. Tying up 2 or 3 FEs with a high life hero (especially if they bond like Gilbert, Migol, Venoc Warlord, Marcus, etc) allows you to move your other units around fairly well.

7. Keep your crowd guarded. Every once in awhile an FE will make it to your crowd and engage a few of your units. You want to be able to keep that door closed if possible. Having a high attacking (especially bonding) unit available to “lay the smack down” is a huge advantage. I’ve found Alastair and Darrak have done this exceptionally well when I’ve used Dwarves and Knights.

Here are some armies that I’ve found that work against FE builds –
Knights x 4 / Alastair / Gilbert – Alastair lays the smack down while Gilbert can tie up FEs for awhile. Dispatch helps keep the sear and advance away also.

Dwarves x 4 / Migol / Darrak / MW – Migol is a big hitter at times and can last quite awhile when engaged. Darrak lays the smack down and the MWs can lay down some fire before the FEs get to you.

Marcus / Romans x5 / NGS / MBS – Marcus and NGS both make great choke point holders. Paralyzing stare keeps the FE player thinking twice. That many Romans is just s lot to kill even if you keep them apart for fear of Searing Intensity.

For those of you who are planning on buying 345 fire elementals for tournament purposes, good luck! Range will dominate these guys and us melee enthusiasts will be waiting to lay the smack down on you!!


I hope that helps some of you that are thinking twice about bringing melee to tournaments when the FEs and Kurrok are released. Will you win every time? No, but even orcs can beat trons from time to time I hear.

[ellak96]

You are so right, we can throw off the shackles of ranged oppression .

Also, Fave army: Dwarves x 4 / Migol / Darrak / MW

[lonewolf]

Great read....I think that I learn something every time I read one of your battle reports or a strategy post like this one.

(You must spread some reputation around!)

[killercactus]

I must spread some Reputation around before giving it to the Lord of Melee Maccabeus again.

[Killometer]

Originally Posted by Matthias Maccabeus

For those of you who are planning on buying 345 fire elementals for tournament purposes, good luck! Range will dominate these guys and us melee enthusiasts will be waiting to lay the smack down on you!!

Fortunately I'll be bringing 346 FEs to every tourney, so I'm guaranteed to win.

Thanks for this great melee vs. Firestorm breakdown, MM. Your clear explanations of several strategies and army builds punch large holes in the idea of "Firestorm ends melee". Hopefully this reminds people that tactics are just as important as numbers.

[Grungebob]

Very good strategy article MM.

[Dignan]

Yep, as one of the original "doomsayers" of firestorm, I stand corrected. Matthias has come up with a great strategy to deal with this new threat to melee. Nice work!

[Grim]

Great article.

What do you do if the Firestorm slow rolls toward you? (or did you test it this way, I can't tell).

Seems like that might be the best way to play Firestorm against melee. A couple early skirmishes and then BOOM a bunch of FE's hit the front together - 6 in two turns or maybe 9 in three.

The obvious drawback for Kurrok using the slow roll is if he makes himself more vulnerable. It depends on if he can grab a good high spot in the middle of the map.

[Matthias Maccabeus]

Originally Posted by Grim

Great article.

What do you do if the Firestorm slow rolls toward you? (or did you test it this way, I can't tell).

Seems like that might be the best way to play Firestorm against melee. A couple early skirmishes and then BOOM a bunch of FE's hit the front together - 6 in two turns or maybe 9 in three.

The obvious drawback for Kurrok using the slow roll is if he makes himself more vulnerable. It depends on if he can grab a good high spot in the middle of the map.

Keep them tied up best you can, slowing them down in choke points if possible. Yes they may get multiple sear rolls on the units your tying up with but your establishing board control while they're fighting through your 1/2 as expensive units.

[jschild]

Originally Posted by Matthias Maccabeus

Keep them tied up best you can, slowing them down in choke points if possible. Yes they may get multiple sear rolls on the units your tying up with but your establishing board control while they're fighting through your 1/2 as expensive units.

Quoted for truth. Remember, slow roll = giving complete control of the board to your opponent. While he barely moves with a slow roll, you better be taking height, or water, or choke points as Matthias Maccabeus said. Plus, you give any fast units a much better shot at the elementalist.

[Toad Rocket]

What if your playing Heat of Battle format?

I can see how to deal with him in normal type games, not sure about this one yet.

[jschild]

Have more cards than him so you can be assured of placing them near the elementalist?