The event that introduced Iron Hands to Horus Heresy: Legions features my favorite deck so far. OK, maybe not the best deck in the entire game – who cares about shit like that – but it’s the best deck as far as the current event goes. Sorrgol Clan is the best Iron Hands sealed deck!
When the event started, I spent 4 or more tickets… and only got four victories. I got crushed every time, everywhere. It was terrible. Rivulets of engine oil rand down my cheeks (playing Iron Hands, after all). But then I chanced on the Sorrgol Clan, the second deck for Shadrak Meduson.
I Will Raise The Storm
Now, Shadrak is kind of a dope. He looks a little like Michael Shannon, sure, but his ability to give stealth strikes to his troops isn’t really something you can use that much in the early game. Specifically for Sorrgol Clan, many of your early troops aren’t that power full, but cheap. You’re always caught between the need to field to field more bodies and maybe giving them that strike. The 4/1 Iron Hand jetpack dudes might be the sole exception, since they need that strike to survive.
But the rest of the deck is pretty damn cool. It focuses of bringing in a lot of cheap troops, fast, and then supports them with those powerful characters. Almost everyone has Relentless – that’s the Iron Hands mechanic that lets troops automatically do something at the start of your turn. This increases their damage potential and makes every last one of them a potent fire magnet. Units that don’t have Relentless usually have some other useful skills. There’s even a cool Frontline dude!
So if you play your cards right (hur hur), you’re constantly putting pressure on the enemy. And you’re getting free benefits from their relentless abilities, which is sweet. Sorrgol Clan also includes some Epsilon Rho, the favored Mechanicum Frontline troop and even a Bunker, for five squads that do nothing else prevent your useful other dudes from dying.
Laying Siege To The Enemy Isn’t Really Out Way, Is It, Shadrak?
Now, this deck has its weaknesses. It doesn’t really have natural heavy hitters (that is, ones that don’t need Relentless boosts) outside of the heroes and the last tank. The low toughness of early units makes it very susceptible to Defense Satellites or that one Iron Hands card that draws a card from the deck and deals it’s value in damage to your every card. Meanwhile, you don’t have such abilities save for Ferrum (a 6-power tactics that deals 5 to target and 2 to cards beside him).
In the event, the deck is somewhat weak against Santar and maybe that dickhead Lucius. Santar is the bronze Iron Hans character, and he spends 2 power to deal 3 damage to infantry or 2 to everything else. This allows him to easily remove many of your non-hero cards. He also has a deck that makes removal kinda easy. Meanwhile, Lucius, can boost himself to 3 attack and just jump around killing your dudes with his Battle Honor allowing to attack again after a kill.
What an ass!
Once I get enough cards, I’ll probably be recreating this deck with Santar and maybe even Ferrus Manus himself. All in all, I like Iron Hands a lot as their cards look really cool and they fuck with the opponent’s head.
