Conquest: Yoroni Cohort One Player Starter Set

^{review by Sergio Almonte}

Upon the blooded culmination of Conquest’s victory over Destruction, we were outcast into the elemental domain, where we might dissolve into nothingness.

     Chi. Earth. Solidity. The capacity to shape one’s body to withstand the howling winds, and to feel one’s belly fill with enlightenment.

And we did dissolve, and we did suffer, and we did toil away at meaningless tasks so that we might take our minds off of the nothingness that awaited us all.

     Fu. Wind. Agility. The speed to step upon the lightest cloud as if it were steel, and to spread one’s wings wide to encompass both paths.

The only ones to withstand the suffering found their names and kept them close to the chest, close to the burning heart of destruction from which we were all born.

     Ka. Fire. Rage. The need to bask under the hottest sun until the soul boils, and to cherish merriment wherever it is found.

The named knew they could not escape their torment. So we embraced torment, we embraced suffering as penance for what we had done. We would find ourselves among the roiling seas and temper our names in the endless depths. 

     Sui. Water. Fluidity. The flexibility to swim among many streams, and to adapt to whatever paths now await us.

We built our great pagoda one level at a time, from the echoes of the faintest faith. We could walk up each stair, but never breach into the promised world above. 

     Mu. Void. Nothingness. The want to seek more, and to be sought completely.

And then we heard them. And then we walked the path. 

     Konnichiwa! Greetings one and all, for the great daimyo Sergio calls you into his demesne for merrymaking and war. This is my review of the Yoroni One Player Cohort for the Conquest: Last Argument of Kings tabletop wargame. This review will summarize the lore of the Yoroni, the models included in the box and a gameplay overview of the faction. No more tarrying, let the world shake beneath our charge!

Lore

     In a somewhat pleasant surprise, the lore of the Yoroni is somewhat distant from the operating, Game of Thrones–esque political schemes and machinations responsible for the creation of the other factions in Conquest. Simply put, the Yoroni are demons who believe that Eä is a promised heaven and seek to indulge or temper themselves in this new prime domain!

     The Yoroni tie their origins back to the apocalyptic war in heaven that spawned the world of Eä itself. When the First Incarnate Soul of Creation known as Conquest ultimately defeated the Horseman of Destruction, the footsoldiers drafted into that conflict were imprisoned within the elemental domains, a realm of roiling cosmic energy where it was hoped that they would dissolve entirely. This formless domain was like a hell to these spirits, an eternal prison where they could never hope to escape from. However, rather than despair, some of these spirits formed a sort of commune where they could ruminate on their wrongdoings and create their own identities, something that was denied to them before. It was no reprieve from their torment, but it was enlightenment, of a kind.

     After millenia in this prison, a strange noise began to be heard in the elemental domain. A human culture whose name is entirely lost to history had embraced a set of core elemental principles, but what set them apart from all those religions and faiths that came before and after was their recognition of a fifth element acting in harmony with the other four: Mu. Or, in other words, the Void. The echoes of this worship were cast down into the elemental domains where the Yoroni heard them, and began to move. It was still a mere imitation of the world above, but the Yoroni set about organizing a feudal society following the tenets of this strange human religion, with daimyo’s and laborers who could slowly ascend up an infinite pagoda by finding spiritual balance and enlightenment.

     Then the Theist church broke open the barrier separating the worlds, and the Yoroni were finally able to step into their promised heaven. Of course, this has come as quite the shock to the humans, Dweghom, Exiles and more who live and fight over the world of Eä, but what the true intentions of the Yoroni are, or what they plan to do with this promised heaven once they are able to raise their pagoda over its surface, remains to be seen…

Contents

The First Blood box includes the following…

• 11 miniatures for the Yoroni including…
  • 1x Kitsune (Can be built as an Omoyoji or a Bakufu)
  • 2x Tengu Bushi
  • 2x Oni Ayakashi
  • 3x Kami Ayakashi
  • 3x Kappa Bushi
• Command Cards
• TLAOK Quick Start Guide
• Assembly Instructions and Bases

     This group of large brute models builds out a strong core regiment to any Yoroni force, with the models themselves being some of Para Bellum’s best yet. Their details are large and easy to access without being overly cartoonish or goofy, with strong edges for highlighting and interesting textures such as the Tengu’s feathers or the Oni’s grotesque belly-mouths. What’s more is that due to the unique mechanics of the Yoroni, this one player starter can be used interchangeably between The Last Argument of Kings and the First Blood game modes. A very well done set of models for any enterprising collector or tabletop wargamer!

Gameplay Style

     The Yoroni embody adaptability and fluidity to its fullest. Their activation cards are wholly unlike other factions, since any card can activate any unit in a Yoroni army. What makes a Yoroni list truly effective is the management of their disciplines, five elemental keywords that can buff certain units if they activate with the right card. You can activate a unit of Tengu to harass the enemies flank, but if you activate them with a Fu card, then they will move farther on their first march action. Beyond their flexibility on the board, they also possess a unique listbuilding ability called Modular Regiments. In a first for Conquest, two different kinds of Yoroni models can exist in the same unit, just as long as one type has a majority over the other. This opens up all kinds of abilities, from Characters shielded by strong blocks of Kami or Oni to Kappa providing a strong melee punch to an otherwise vulnerable unit of Tengu archers. The possibilities are endless, and a lot of combinations can be made from the contents of the Cohort box itself!

Conclusion

     The Yoroni One Player Cohort makes for a wonderful box for anyone interested in the unique visual style or gameplay mechanics of these wistful demons! Pick up your copy and indulge in your greatest desires, for the world is your promised reward after an eternity of penance!

The Yoroni Cohort is available now from our webstore.