This one is pretty good.
This scenario is not unlike the one that took shape at the end of my previous tournament game.
Imagine that you are fielding Shayle, FInvarr, and Jeen. Your opponent has Rangosh, Mourneblade, and Titus.
I know, I know, my last one also involved Mourneblade. What can I say? I base these on my real games and I love to play as a Skeletor meme.
The scenario is Knowledge, and we are in a decisive round 5. It is your plot phase, and you are going second. Shayle has used his ultimate to re-arrange the board a bit on a previous turn, but that is the only ultimate you have used. Your opponent has used all of their ultimates. Boons and blights are displayed in the photo of the board state.
Because we are in Round 5 of Knowledge, banner advantage is everything. Because warband tokens are moved up to only four steps behind the center line on the battle ladder, if you have any banner advantage in the end phase, you win even if your opponent has a maximum lead coming out of the clash phase.
Here is the board state:
There is a way to essentially sew up this win before the clash phase starts. Do you see it?
Think carefully.
Spoilers below. Don't peek until you're ready!
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... Ready?
...Ok!
1. Finvarr runs over to the isolated hex, using his speed boon, and plants his banner.
2. Shrikes move, try to kill the Knightshade. Honestly, it does not matter if they succeed because if they fail, they just use Drive Back to move the nightshade north.
3. Jeen uses her speed boon to charge four hexes across the board. She then uses her ultimate to take out Mourneblade’s banner and to move Shayle onto Rangosh’s banner.
So it looks like this:
From here, you have already won. There is no way your opponent can get to Finvarr's banner. Rangosh can kill whoever he likes; it does not matter. All that matters here is that you have a banner and your opponent does not. It's literally game over. Seeing this play is extremely hard, I think, so if you figured it out, give yourself a pat on the back. My opponent in this game is clearly a top player, but he did not spot this move until it was too late. I didn't see it at all; he pointed it out to me after the game was over.
Take-away lessons:
Jeen is dope.
Speed boons are also dope.
See the WHOLE BOARD.
Thanks for reading! If you have a better solution, let me know!
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