A Winner in a World of Eternal WarThe Hall of Heroes Celebrates The 2012 Warhammer: Invasion World Champion
As we look forward to the 2013 Warhammer: Invasion The Card Game Regional Championship season and its coming battles, it’s time to take a moment to appreciate the events of last November’s World Championship tournament and the dominant display by the 2012 Warhammer: Invasion World Champion, Jeremy Zwirn, who went undefeated through all rounds of play to claim the title.
Now is also a good time to reflect upon all the sacrifices the High Elves made in order to stave off the advances of Chaos and the destruction of all the Old World.
The Coming of Chaos
The 2012 Warhammer: Invasion World Championship tournament featured twenty-one of the world’s finest competitors, representing a truly global audience with National Champions from Germany, Poland, and Spain, as well as the reigning North American and World Champions.
While each of the game’s factions was represented, the minions of Chaos arrived in full force. Chaos decks had enjoyed strong performances throughout the 2012 Regional Championship season, as well as in several European National Championships and at the North American Championship. With cards like Call the Brayherd (Fiery Dawn, 114), Mounted Marauders (Rising Dawn, 12), and the ubiquitous Sorcerer of Tzeentch (The Twin Tailed Comet, 53), Chaos decks offered both aggressive rush strategies and devastating unit control.
Accordingly, more players represented Chaos than any of the other factions. German National Champion Christian Ehmann, Polish National Champion Michal Miszczuk, and North American Champion Adam Daulton all dedicated themselves to the Ruinous Powers, as did four other players.
The Spirit of Aenarion
For years, the High Elves had been falling behind the other factions of Warhammer: Invasion, torn between their indirect damage and Dragon strategies, and not strong enough in either to conquer the Old World.
However, during the 2012 World Championship tournament, the High Elves rose to stand against the tides of Chaos, just as they did during the Great Cataclysm. Whereas the High Elves rallied behind their leader, Aenarion, to turn back the first Chaos daemons, this time they were bolstered by the release of their new legend, Eltharion the Grim (Rising Dawn, 1). His presence, along with that of the other strong units, supports, and tactics from both The Capital Cycle and The Bloodquest Cycle, helped the High Elves cut their way across the battlefields of the 2012 World Championship.
The High Elves were the second most prominent faction at the tournament, played by six players total, and after the preliminary rounds had concluded, the semi-finals saw two High Elf decks pitted against two Chaos decks. In an all-American semi-final, Jeremy Zwirn’s High Elves defeated Adam Daulton’s Call the Brayherd deck. Meanwhile, the other semifinal was all-German, and Oliver Franke’s High Elves rose to victory over Christian Ehmann’s Chaos control deck that made good use of the new Invasion quest, Beastman Incursion (The Accursed Dead, 20).
Thus, the World Championship finals saw High Elf battle against High Elf while both Oliver and Jeremy raced to unleash the unlimited indirect damage made possible by the combination of Eltharion the Grim, Gathering the Winds (Rising Dawn, 10), and Arcane Power (The Accursed Dead, 17). Jeremy’s deck relied purely upon the strength and speed of this main combo, whereas Oliver’s deck included a number of cards that made it more versatile and resilient against a wide range of opposition, but they also made it slightly slower. In the end, the match was decided by speed, and Jeremy won, two games to one.
Jeremy Zwirn and Oliver Franke shuffle their decks at the beginning of the 2012 Warhammer: Invasion World Championship Finals
Jeremy Zwirn’s World Championship Deck
Capital: High Elf
Legends (3):
3x Eltharion the Grim
Units (6):
3x Envoy from Averlorn
3x Valorous Mage
Supports (20):
3x Citadel of Dusk
3x Gathering the Winds
3x Judgement of Loec
3x Temple of Vaul
2x Tor Elyr
3x Watchstone of Athel Tamarha
3x Warpstone Excavation (restricted card)
Tactics (18):
3x Arcane Power
3x Building Plans
3x Convocation of Eagles
3x Master Rune of Valaya
3x Scroll of Asur
3x Second Sight
Quests (3):
3x Planning for War
With his faith in the High Elves’ increasing prowess, his streamlined deck, his willingness to gamble on efficiency over versatility, and his innovative use of such uncommonly played cards as Building Plans (Karak-a-Karaz, 79), Jeremy Zwirn conquered the Old World.
The Hall of Heroes congratulates Jeremy Zwirn on his victory in the 2012 Warhammer: Invasion The Card Game World Championship!
Jeremy Zwirn with his 2012 Android: Netrunner and Warhammer: Invasion World Championship trophies
Already inducted for his victory in the 2012 Android: Netrunner The Card Game World Championship, Jeremy Zwirn is one of only two members of our Hall of Heroes to be recognized for excellence in two games. You can learn more about Jeremy by visiting his place of honor on FFG’s website.
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A Winner in a World of Eternal War
