Winning with Class

I may ask you the question, 'how many ways are there to win a game of Warlord?'

'Just one,' you could well answer, unless the smartarse in you really considers Negotiated Surrender or A Prophecy Fulfilled viable means of conquering your foes, adding 'and that is to slay the opposing warlord,' if you thought that my question was anything but rhetorical.

Yes, there is one end result to aim for, but so many different paths to take to get there. Each one, in its own way, could be considered to be a different victory condition, ranging from the simple difference between 'my warlord slays mine opponent's 'pon the field of battle' to 'my warlord hangs back and lets his peons carry the day'.

The biggest differences are cut up between the classes, as no self-respecting wizard warlord is going to resort to cracking skulls, and fighters aren't spending their time healing their fellows. That makes for four disparate routes to victory already, but when you factor in the subtle nuances between even decks of the same class - shooty rogue and stabby rogue, etc. - it multiplies up. And each faction has differences as well. And then what of the multiclassers? Or subclasses? Or...

Basically, I intend to run through the general 'archetypes' of decks (and I really am air-quoting as I type) over my next few posts. It follows on logically from the idea of deckbuilding, and should require enough seperate articles as to not require me to devise any fresh ideas for a good long while. As I trawl through each class and its divisions, I'll note play styles and card inclusions that are worth it, whether because they are tried-and-tested or because they are really off-the-wall.

Where (and indeed when) I begin I shall leave a mystery for now, but them's the basics.