Dreaded Dragon’s Domain: There’s Always a Bigger Threat
Most battles in Shroudfall are fought between two armies. But sometimes, there is a dragon.
Deep within the forgotten reaches of Astira, a magnificent Crystal Dragon guards its hoard. Two rival armies have entered its domain with the same prize in mind, but getting to it means dealing with both the enemy across the battlefield and the enormous creature standing between them.
With the new Dreaded Dragon’s Domain scenario element, one of Shroudfall’s most dangerous scenarios can now take its proper place on the tabletop.
Enter the Dreaded Dragon’s Domain
The Crystal Dragon is no passive objective.
Placed at the centre of the battlefield, the dragon is a fully fledged scenario element with DEF 5, ARM 6 and its own Dragon’s Breath attack. More importantly, both players separately track the damage their army inflicts upon it throughout each game round.
At the end of the round, the player who dealt more damage scores Victory Points equal to the difference between the two damage trackers (up to a maximum of 3 VP).
That creates a simple question: How much of your army are you willing to commit to fighting something that isn’t your opponent?
Hit the dragon hard and you might secure valuable Victory Points. Focus too much attention on it, however, and your opponent suddenly has plenty of opportunities to hit you instead.
And ignoring the dragon entirely isn't much better if your opponent is happily racking up damage.
Congratulations, You Angered It
Of course, repeatedly attacking an ancient Crystal Dragon tends to have consequences.
If a player scored VP from the scenario that round, the player who didn't score gets a little consolation prize: they get to make the dragon breathe fire.
Using the Crystal Dragon as the origin of the attack, they make a Dragon’s Breath attack and then reposition the dragon within 2" of its current location.
Suddenly, losing the race for scenario points can create an opportunity of its own.
Did your opponent cluster several models together while attacking the dragon? Are they standing somewhere particularly flammable? Perhaps losing those three Victory Points doesn't feel quite so bad anymore.
Models hit by Dragon's Breath also suffer the Burning condition, so one well-placed attack can continue causing problems long after the dragon has finished expressing its displeasure.
Choose Your Target Carefully
This is what makes Dreaded Dragon’s Domain such an unusual scenario.
You aren't simply fighting over an objective. You're constantly deciding where your attacks are worth the most.
Damage the dragon and you work towards Victory Points. Attack your opponent and you weaken their ability to contest the scenario. Push too aggressively for the dragon and you may hand your opponent the perfect opportunity to punish you.
Even positioning around the creature comes with risks. Ranged attacks suffer a hefty -4 RNG penalty when targeting the Crystal Dragon, encouraging armies to get dangerously close if they want to bring it down efficiently.
The result is a scenario where priorities can change very quickly. Sometimes the dragon is the most important target on the battlefield. Sometimes it's the enemy model currently stabbing you in the back while you're trying to kill it.
A Dragon Worth Fighting
Just like our previous models for scenario elements, the Crystal Dragon is designed to make the scenario itself a more spectacular part of your battlefield.
And this time, we wanted something considerably bigger. The Dreaded Dragon’s Domain scenario element brings the Crystal Dragon to life as an imposing miniature, towering above the warriors foolish enough to enter its lair.
It doesn't change the scenario or provide any gameplay advantage over using the regular scenario component.
It just makes fighting a dragon look a lot more like fighting a dragon.
The Dreaded Dragon’s Domain scenario element is available now!
So gather your army, enter the lair, and remember:
You don't necessarily have to outrun the dragon. You just have to run quicker than your opponent ...
