Seizing Zones in Conquest: Last Argument of Kings

Hey everyone, General Cross here to talk about a pretty important aspect of Conquest: Last Argument of Kings. It’s something that every faction has to consider and is pretty integral to getting the most from your games…

Winning the game by scoring points.

Whilst watching your opponent slowly remove their war-dollies as yours do a victory dance on the table is satisfying, most wargames measure success by other objectives than destroying enemy forces. In Conquest this takes several forms, such as destroying objectives and taking out the enemy Warlord, but the most common is by the tried and true mechanic of “stand in a circle longer than your opponent can.”

Objective Zones

In official Conquest Tournament Scenarios each scenario will have between two and six Objective Zones, either 6” or 9” diameter, that you will score Victory Points for seizing. These are scored at the end of every round starting from Round 2 (except Maelstorm, which specifically says you can score Round 1) and are generally the highest scoring element over the game with normally at least two VPs per turn. These do change so make sure you read over carefully with your opponent how the scenario is scored, particularly for the ones where the scoring changes depending on the round time.

In order to score an Objective Zone, Regiments must ‘Seize Objective Zones’ by having stands at latest partially within the Zone. Count the number of Friendly and number of Enemy stands within the Zone. Whoever has the highest number will score the zone at the end of the round, and if its tied then nobody scores. Simple right?

The pack then lists a number of additional considerations:

• Light Class units cannot Seize Objective Zones, but they do count towards the total number of friendly Stands in the Zone. In other words, they can’t score Zones but they will stop the enemy scoring if they have the same or more stands in the Zone. There’s no official term for this, but to make this easier to explain later I’m going to call this ‘contesting’ instead of ‘seizing’.
• Monster stands count for three stands in the zones. Makes sense as they’re bigger right? Characters attached to Regiments take on their weight class, and do count towards Seizing Objective Zones if their parent unit does too. Its worth noting that if you have a ridden monster like a Dweghom Tempered Sorcerer on Helldrake, the attached Character does still count as an extra Stand bringing the total up to 4 stands usually. 
• Some effects will add to the number of stands a unit counts as for the purposes of contesting, such as the Memories of Old effect for Old Dominion Legionnaires. Three stands of Legionnaires with the Memories of Old in effect will count as five stands for Seizing Objective Zones.
  • This has been ruled to allow Light units to score as long as the effect is an addition (0+2=2 for example) and is worth paying attention to. 
• Some effects prevent a unit from Seizing Objective Zones such as the Dissonance spell from the W’adrhun Scion of Conquest. In these cases, the Regiment cannot Seize Objective Zones, but will still ‘contest’ them in the same manner as Light units.
• Finally, following the universal rule of ‘Always trumps Never’, a Regiment that always Seizes a zone does so regardless of the number of enemy stands in the Zone.

Objective Zones in Practice

What this means is that, generally speaking, Objective Zones will not be scored until Round 2 or 3 depending on how quickly the Medium units can arrive from the back board. We’ll talk about how you can improve that with each faction at the end, but for now lets look at how far your scoring Regiment needs to be able to move to score a Zone when they arrive.

In almost all scenarios, objectives that you can score (i.e. neutral or enemy ones, not friendly ones) are either 18” or 24” from your Reinforcement Zone, and either 6” or 9” wide depending. A few scenarios have objective zones closer than this to the side which if you can push your reinforcement line up may make them scorable. If you want to move onto the table from Reinforcements and be able to score a zone, the below table indicates how far you need to be able to move with that unit.

All armies can achieve the 18” deployed zones with some thought and investment, but it’s the 24” deployed zones that generally require some careful list design. The advantage you can gain by scoring early in Rounds 2 or 3 can cascade quickly so it’s worth thinking how your list can put scoring elements onto zones the same turn they arrive.

There are some general considerations to consider, the main one being that you cannot trigger Draw Events if you didn’t start the Round on the Board. This prevents things like Burnout, Double Time and other draw events being used to sling units up the board, so be careful your plan doesn’t rely on an effect that needs to be triggered whilst starting on the board.  With all that being said, lets look at how each faction can put scoring Regiments onto zones by at least Round 2.

100 Kingdoms

100 Kingdoms are pretty solid at scoring quickly thanks to easy access to Cavalry. Both Household Knights and the new order of the Sealed Temple can get to 15” from the back edge, with Sealed Temple being able to potentially reach 19.5” if they take 5 stands and use Fluid Formation to rotate at the end of their activation.

The other option is the Noble Lord who’s Supremacy hands out Vanguard to Infantry units, getting them up to 16” with a Standard Bearer. As an aside, watch out for Mounted Squires rushing down a flank to push the Reinforcement Line far up and get some aggressive scoring in Turns 3 onwards. 

The Spires

At first glance Spires don’t have many options for quick scoring. The Avatara and Leonine Avatara can get to both 18” zones using a Standard or Fluid Formation respectively, whilst Vanguard Clones fall just short of the farthest zones hitting 19” with a Standard Bearer. Most of their movement tricks are either Draw Events or Biomancies that require the target to be on the board, so can’t be employed to speed up the turns on arrival.

The exception to this is Directorate Sub-Faction, which gives Biomancers the ability to make a Light unit count as a Medium and therefore score zones. Suddenly those fast moving Stryx or the massive Force Grown Drone blob are taking zones much more aggressively than expected. Make sure to check which Sub-Faction your Spires opponent is in, and plan accordingly. 

Dweghom

Dwarves are slow, so it shouldn’t be too surprising to hear that Dweghom don’t excel at rapidly scoring. The faction has no access to Vanguard, so aside from the Hellbringer Drake their units can’t even score the closest Zones from arrival…or so you would think.

Dweghom benefits the most from the ’0+2 stands’ ruling, having multiple effects to increase the number of stands for the purposes of Seizing Objective Zones. The Ardent Kerawegh can hand out +2 to the number of Scoring stands with the spell Rancor as well as remove enemy stands ability to Seize Objective Zones too. The Hold Raegh’s Supremacy applies this effect to all stands in the Army all the time, and even lets his own Regiment always Seize Objectives regardless of enemy stands. 

The Flame Berzerkers are generally the best beneficiaries of this with their astonishing Move 6 arriving on Turn 1, though Hold Ballistae can do this too. 

Nords

As you would expect, the Nords are the kings of moving onto the board rapidly and scoring fast. The Shaman’s Supremacy hands out Vanguard to two non-monsters a turn, letting any of their infantry units get 16 – 19” up on the board easily. The Fenr Beastpack are the best example of this, who with their base Move 7 can reach all the way up to 21” before they use Fluid Formation, and they even get Flank too to guarantee they’re on!

If you weren’t happy with all that though, the Jarl’s Supremacy allows all Light Regiments with a character present to Seize Objective Zones, including things like Bow Chosen and Werewargs. Even without Vanguard, these units can access the central Objective Zones by Turn 2 while also applying serious board pressure to an opponent. He even brings his own unit on with Flank too just in case you thought he was sorry. 

W’adrhun

As usual, the Chant system really opens up what W’adrhun can do with their mobility and creates options almost anywhere. Any Medium Regiment with a Standard Bearer and chanting Conquest (remember you can still chant when you arrive from Reinforcements, you just don’t add your own token) can get 14” up to hit the first marker. Blooded with a Skirmisher and Warbred can reach 15” using the same mechanic, but unfortunately Fanatic Conquest infantry units cap out at 19” with a Standard. 

The only way to score a 24” objective on Turn 2 is Fanatic Conquest Blooded with a Skirmisher, who reach all the way up to 21”. Pretty impressive stuff.

Old Dominion

Old Dominion has four ways it can score by Turn 2. The first is relatively obvious with the Medium Karaphraktoi being able to move 15” with a banner to get to any of the the 18” zones. The second sees the Legionnaires take the Optio officer for Vanguard, which combined with their Forced March gets them a very respectable 17” up the board. The others are a little less obvious however…

The third option is the Strategos who’s From the Front ability lets him bring on his own Regiment as if it were a Light unit. That Praetorian Guard block only moves 11”, but if brought on Turn 1 can travel a staggering 22” by Turn 2, scoring any type of zone as well as delivering an incredible anvil to the centre board. The last is the Fallen Divinity which has both Flank and counts its class as Light for Reinforcements, marching up potentially 20” by Turn 2 and scoring all but the most difficult zones by Turn 2. Make no mistake, Old Dominion are not the ‘slow’ army they appear to be.

City States

City States are competing with Nords for the best early scoring faction in the game. One of the biggest effectors is the Aristarch, who’s Supremacy ability adds +1 March to any unit activating from the Strategic Stack. This has some wild impact on where units can position themselves when you add it to the already respectable manoeuvrability of the scoring units. Agema get to 14” before applying Fluid Formation, Inquisitors and the Promethean reach 16” whilst Companion Cavalry reach an impressive 18”. The Minotaur Haspists are the clear winners though, using their native Vanguard to get an astonishing 21” up the board.

An already-impressive starting block can get heavily augmented by the Characters though. The Aristarch and Ipparchos may take the Mastery Expert Scounts granting all non-Phalanx infantry Vanguards. Whilst this normally only affects the Agema for scoring purposes, there are multiple ways City States can grant Light units the ability to Seize Objective Zones. The Mechanist may change a Regiment’s Class to Heavy with a spell, the Eidolon may take Alternate Soma to count as three stands for scoring purposes, and the Relic ‘Standard of Last Oration’ not only adds two to the number of scoring stands, but also causes you to score an Objective Zone that the Regiment was destroyed in whilst in range of. But wait; there’s more!

The Polemarch’s Battlefield Orders grants Unyielding to his Regiment, preventing the opponent from Seizing Objective Zones. The Ipparchos’s Supremacy applies this same effect permanently to all Cavalry and Chariots too as long, giving incredible board control capability. 

Finally, we have to mention the Selenoi. These sneaky goatmen may arrive from any board edge (aside from your opponent’s own edge) regardless of Reinforcement Lines or enemy stands. They even get built in Vanguard, giving them a potentially monstrous 21” scoring threat from any board edge. You need a plan for these guys, or they will steal objectives and threaten your backline in a way you were unprepared for. 

Sorcerer Kings

The new kid on the block, Sorcerer Kingdoms have a lot of scoring potential in their Ritual Cards. Unfortunately, most of them cannot affect units on the board, or take too long to set up to effect triple action on arrival by Turn 2. The Wind Elementals (Steelheart and Windborne Djinn) have 14” movement to get onto the closest zones, but the remainder can’t close any further distance by Turn 2. 

It must be acknowledged that Sorcerer Kings have a range of ways to impact enemy scoring however. The Intrusive Thoughts ritual prevents a Regiment from Seizing Objective Zones, as does the Sadar’s Draw Event to gain Unyielding if following a Ritual. The Sorcerous Patrons Masteries also offer the Warlord extra scoring effects, including gaining Unyielding or gaining an additional victory point if the unit is Seizing an Objective Zone. Not the fastest, but there are tricks to be conscious of.

Final Thoughts

At the moment, most wargames are won by standing in a circle first, and destroying enemy units second. An early game scoring advantage can quickly cascade as your opponent rushes to try and shut down your units whilst also managing your own threat ranges. Quick scoring applies pressure and forces an opponent to respond, adding to the list of things they need to do to stop you from your inevitably glorious victory.

A common tactic is to advance a scoring Regiment so that their front edge is just over the edge of the Zone, so if they are charged the opponent still isn’t in the Zone themselves. If you can pull this off with a durable scoring unit, you’re laughing as your opponent slowly whittles them down whilst you rake in Victory Points. It may even be that once they’ve cleared your unit out, they don’t have the extra Action to move up into the zone themselves giving you one more turn of denying them points.

Thanks for reading; please let us know if we missed any key combinations here!

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