Agent's Con - October 25 - Nemesis Tournament
On the 4th of October 2025, I loaded up the car early in the morning and set off at 6am for the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Market Harborough. For any Australian or American readers, that’s considered a fairly long journey here in the UK!
I arrived around 9am, got myself into the right frame of mind, and set up my custom board (for display purposes only). I knew the day was going to be tough. I’d chosen to bring Blackpowder's Buccaneers, a piratical Ogor Maneater roaming the realms in search of treasure, glory, and something suitably exotic to eat. From my practice games with Gorlock Blackpowder and his crew, I already knew what to expect: results that swung wildly between crushing wins and equally crushing losses. To make matters more challenging, I was aware that several World Championship qualifiers had also bought tickets for this event.
For this tournament, I paired the Buccaneers with Blazing Assault and Countdown to Cataclysm. My plan was to lean heavily into Gorlock himself, running a Voltron-style build where most of my activations wouldn’t involve the minions. The aim was to exploit the deck’s push-tech to keep Gorlock moving around the board, avoiding charges where possible, while making full use of his ranged attack and warscroll abilities to soften up targets before closing in.
All of my upgrades (and the majority of my ploys) were earmarked for Gorlock. I’ve also learned that it can be worthwhile throwing a minion forward, both to grab a swag token and to tempt an enemy fighter into overextending. Ultimately, my success would come down to how well I handled the Ogor himself. Would Gorlock plunder enough glory to make the day a triumph, or would the Buccaneers sink without so much as a single shiny?
Either way, I decided I would count the day as a great success if I managed to finish with a 3–2 record.
Game 1
My first game of the day was against Rob, who was running Da’ Kunnin’ Krew paired with Pillage and Plunder and Emberstone Sentinels.
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| My Kunnin' Krew |
The opening round started very well for me. I began by sending forth my minions to gather some Swag whilst at the same trying to bait Rob's fighters into my territory. Early on, Mange managed to charge and wound Torka, even managing to steal some Swag for my pile. Whilst Peggz and Kagey attacked but failed to cause any damage. For my fourth activation, Gorlock charged and killed Gikkit, scoring me Get Stuck In, Critical Effort, and gained me some extra Swag. In the final Power step of the round, I used Improvised Attack to trigger Swag Shrapnel, spending two swag counters in the process. By the end of Round 1, I was on 5 glory, and importantly, all my fighters were still alive and I Swag remaining in my pile.
Throughout that first round, Rob focused heavily on trying to eliminate my crew while keeping his fighters well clear of Gorlock, who loomed menacingly but untouched.
Round 2 continued in my favour. I finished off an injured Krookgrin with a Swag Mortar from Gorlock (without charging), which inspired my entire warband as I used my Third Swag counter. Prior to my second activation, I used Commanding Stride and Sidestep to push, my now upgraded, Gorlock adjacent to Torka, but Rob played Dirty Tricks, ensuring my attack missed. Rob then used a combination of Canny Sapper on Torka and Hidden Paths on Mannok, to flee from Gorlock (and his Accurate, Sharpened Points cutlass). The Orruks had retreated deep into Rob’s territory, both were safe from Gorlock, but were now too far away to contribute meaningly to the game. However, they had managed to kill Peggz and Kagey before their retreat. By the end of the second round, I was on 10 Glory having scored Hounds of War and Fields of Blood.
The third round saw me clean up the rest of the crew, using a combination of duelist and Lure of Battle along with my ranged attack to first take out Shank and then Torka. For my final activation, I cycled through my remaining objectives, using Focus, discarding Annihilation and Branching Fate, and drew into Spread Havoc and Loaded for Bear, both of which I scored in the third end phase along with Wrecker, finishing the game on 18 glory. Rob finihsed the game on 11 Glory, after scoring Strip the Realm.
Throughout the match, Gorlock was never in real danger. Once upgraded and inspired, he became a serious threat that Rob struggled to manage.
It was a decisive 18–11 victory for Blackpowder’s Buccaneers, a strong start to the tournament.
Games 2
My second game of the day was against Harry, who was running the Grymwatch.
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| My Grymwatch |
The match began well. I opened the first round by charging Gristlewell with Mange, knocking him off his starting hex and clearing it for a Commanding Stride later in the round. The attack also netted me Branching Fate and some Swag. Gristlewell immediately retaliated, charging Blackpowder, injuring him, and driving him back so that he could no longer reach the now-empty starting hex.
Next, Peggz charged the Duke’s Harriers (the bats) but missed. Valreek then moved onto a Treasure token in neutral territory and delved it, only to be blown to pieces moments later by a Swag Mortar from Blackpowder. The resilient ghoul quickly reappeared in my back line.
For my fourth activation, I attacked Gristlewell again, hoping to collect more Swag tokens and ensure Gorlock’s inspiration later in the round. In the fourth Power Step, I used Commanding Stride to move Blackpowder into Harry’s territory, blocking several of his fighters from being able to inspire.
From there, though, the game began to unravel. The ghouls swarmed forward and tore Blackpowder to pieces, leaving Shreek as my lone survivor. I gave him Keen Eye, and he did manage to kill the Duke’s Harriers, but there wasn’t much else he could do against the horde.
I still managed to score a few objectives: Get Stuck In, Critical Effort, Fields of Blood, and Spread Havoc, but Harry’s deck was firing on all cylinders.
In the end, the game slipped away early in Round 2, and I could do little to stop his scoring engine. The match ended 23–15, a solid win for Harry and my first loss of the day.
Games 3
My third game of the day was against Adam Pearson, who was running Grinkrak’s Looncourt paired with Blazing Assault and Raging Slayers.
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| My Looncourt |
The game began in a rather Kagey fashion. I sent Mange and Peggz forward to grab some early Swag, but both were swiftly cut down in Round 1. This left me as the Underdog — not ideal, but actually quite beneficial for Blackpowder, as it allows him to gain Swag counters faster.
Before my third activation, I used Commanding Stride to push Gorlock into Adam’s territory. I then fired Swag Shrapnel, spending two Swag counters and aiming at Grinkrak. The shot missed, but the blast wounded both Snark and Snorbo with the shrapnel. Unable to escape, Grinkrak charged Gorlock, dealing two wounds and pushing the Ogor back. In reply, I charged Grinkrak but missed again, and was forced to push him back due to the Raging Slayers’ Enraged token.
I won initiative going into Round 2, and chose to go first. I discarded my third Swag counter and fired a Swag Blast at Snorbo (since it only causes two damage, it wouldn’t have been enough to finish Grinkrak), but once more, I missed. However, this shot did inspire my fighters.
Sensing danger, Grinkrak charged into my territory to attack Shreek, but I played Counter-Charge, keeping the pressure on. Shreek managed to save the attack, but Grinkrak escaped again using Overrun, or so he thought. I played Lure of Battle, dragging the grot back in, and this time Gorlock slew him. Two activations for Gorlock, still no charge counter, and a dead enemy leader. With the glory gained, Gorlock upgraded, taking Duelist, to add to his existing Sharpened Points, and Deadly Aim, making him a truly fearsome presence.
Despite these successes, I struggled to score throughout the match, as four of my six Surge objectives (Perfect Strike, Perfect Cut, Critical Effort, and Collateral Damage) were sitting at the very bottom of my Objective deck.
In the third round, I finally found my rhythm. Using a mix of Gorlock’s ranged weapon, Duelist, and the occasional cutlass thrust, I spread enough damage across the Loonknights to score Wreckers, Loaded for Bear, and Keep Choppin’.
When the dust settled, I finished the game with a 12–9 victory, a hard-fought and scrappy win against a resilient opponent.Game 4
My fourth game of the day was against Thomas, who was running Mollog’s Mob paired with Realmstone Raiders and Raging Slayers.
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| My Mollog's Mob |
Round 1 began with Mange charging forward to attack the Bat Squig, landing a single point of damage and, more importantly, stealing some Swag. (I do wonder what could possibly be worth stealing from a squig!) This brave charge also had the side effect of blocking Mollog from reaching Blackpowder, though it did seal Mange’s fate as the troggoth promptly stomped him flat.
In response, Blackpowder charged Mollog, landing three damage and picking up his third and fourth Swag counters. I then used Improvised Attack to fire off Swag Shrapnel, spending two of those counters and wounding the Bat Squig in the blast.
At the start of Round 2, Mollog charged into Blackpowder, landing a 3-damage hit but choosing to stay adjacent to both the Ogor and the Bat Squig. Thomas then played Reckless Fury. In my next activation, I had to commit. Shreek charged the Bat Squig, but missed due to the Nasty Critters ability. I followed that with Commanding Stride, moving Blackpowder out of harm’s way. Unfortunately, with no support, the inspired Bat Squig struck back and took out Shreek.
However, the Ogor wasn’t done. Blackpowder reloaded and unleashed Swag Blast, dealing another two damage to Mollog and staggering him. The troggoth had now taken five wounds, while Blackpowder was inspired, and still hadn’t spent a charge token. I upgraded him with Sharpened Points and charged. The attack hit home, and Mollog fell. For my final activation of the round, I moved Kagey onto a Treasure token and delved it. I could have risked a charge into the wounded Bat Squig, but I suspected Thomas might be holding Unrelenting Massacre, so I played it safe.
At the start of Round 3, I had all three Squigs still to deal with. Being adjacent to Stalagsquig, that one went first, smashed to rubble in short order. The Bat Squig then charged and killed Kagey, leaving only Blackpowder on the board. I immediately countered: Gorlock charged and fired Swag Mortar, combining it with Deadly Aim to blow the injured Spiteshroom to pieces, before using Duelist to edge closer to the Bat Squig. For his final activation, Thomas moved the squig four hexes away, keeping it just out of reach.
The game ended 20–20 on glory, and since neither of us held a Treasure token, the result came down to Bounty on the battlefield — giving me the win. It was a hard-fought, tense match and Thomas was a great opponent and the battle between these two big guys was brilliant, plus the Ogor won. There will be Tall Tales to tell.
That said, I have to admit: I really don’t enjoy playing against the Realmstone Raiders plot card. There’s just too much bookkeeping, trying to track what’s been raided while managing my own objectives pulls focus from the fun. For me, that deck just saps a bit of the joy from an otherwise great game.
Games 5
My final game of the day was against Adam, who was running Khagra’s Ravagers paired with Blazing Assault and Emberstone Sentinels.
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| My Ravagers |
By this point, I had already won three games, so I’d hit my target. Sitting at Table 2, I was feeling confident. Adam’s warband relied on desecrating Treasure tokens to inspire, so my plan was straightforward, stop that from happening early, get Gorlock upgraded, and start dishing out the damage.
During setup, my five fighters forced Adam to place all his models before I deployed Gorlock. He was clearly wary of the Ogor and deployed quite defensively.
Adam won the initiative and went first, moving Razek onto the only Treasure token in his territory and immediately Desecrating it. For my first activation, I moved Kagey onto a Treasure token in my backfield. Adam then used Zarshia’s ranged attack to ping Gorlock for a wound and push him back. I responded by charging Cragan with Mange, landing a hit, driving him back, and stealing some Swag, which also meant Cragan couldn’t reach a Treasure token without power card help.
Next, Khagra charged onto a Treasure token, killed Peggz (scoring me Collateral Damage in the process), and then desecrated the token. However, Khagra’s position now left her within Gorlock’s threat range. Adam wisely used Commanding Stride to pull her back to safety.
For my third activation, I moved Shreek onto the desecrated Treasure token and delved it. Before Adam’s fourth, he used Sidestep on Cragan, pushing him forward and running past Mange onto a Treasure token in neutral territory, well within range of Gorlock’s charge, and desecrated it. He followed up with Power by Numbers, then drew and played Shields Up on Cragan.
For my fourth activation, Gorlock charged and killed Cragan, then used Overrun to move onto the Treasure token, delving it and removing the desecration counter. In the final Power Step of Round 1, I once again used Improvised Attack to fire off Swag Shrapnel, injuring all three of Adam’s remaining fighters. By the end of the round, all of them were within one good swing of death, and crucially, Khagra was still uninspired.
I won the initiative in Round 2, and Gorlock immediately used Swag Mortar to delete Razek from existence. The Pirate Captain and his crew inspired, and things quickly started to swing in my favour. I upgraded Gorlock with Sharpened Points and Accurate.
Zarshia then charged past Gorlock to attack Shreek, but I used Counter-Charge to push the Ogor into position. Zarshia drank a Healing Potion, bringing her back up to four wounds, but it only delayed the inevitable, two activations later, Gorlock hacked her apart. Meanwhile, Khagra had charged and killed Shreek, but it was too little, too late. By now, Gorlock was fully loaded with upgrades: Hidden Aid, Sharpened Points, Accurate, and Duelist.
As we entered Round 3, Khagra tried to cling to life with Great Fortitude, but to no avail — Gorlock finished her off with brutal efficiency. I spent my final activations cycling through my surges, eventually drawing Annihilation.
The game ended 24–8, comfortably my easiest win of the day.
Final thoughts and finishing position
I finished the day with four wins and a single loss, exceeding the target I had set myself before coming to the tournament. More than that, I had an absolute blast playing with the Buccaneers, this was easily the most enjoyable tournament I’ve ever taken part in, not just for Underworlds but across all the events I’ve attended.
I arrived that morning expecting to lose a fair few games; after all, I was running Blackpowder’s Buccaneers, a warband more famous for its personality than its win rate. But in the end, Gorlock was mighty. He’d proven to have the best Krew on the seas (and in the Mortal Realms), beaten up the other big guy, shown a gang of upstart grots who was boss, and even snacked on a couple of Chaos Warriors along the way.
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| My new swag |
When the dust (and gunpowder smoke) settled, I finished the day in second place, with Harry taking first, well done, matey! I’d managed to bag a fine haul of shiny swag, and more importantly, a day full of great games and good laughs.
As for my final thoughts on the Buccaneers: I’ve learned that Mange is vital early on for grabbing Swag, while Peggz works best as a distraction, or bait, depending on how brave you’re feeling. The key is using Gorlock’s impressive gun to generate action economy and inspire quickly. Once inspired and upgraded, Gorlock becomes a true menace, using his push tech to keep swinging, blasting, and bullying the board.
A great fun warband, though with the release of all the new Spitewood boards, cards, and warbands, I’m not sure if Blackpowder can keep pace in the new season. Still, I’ll keep fielding him whenever I can. If nothing else, he’s a great big Ogor with a gun, and that’s never not fun.
Thank You
I want to thank everyone, especially the Agents of Sigmar and Aaron from Willen Games, for organizing such a fantastic event.
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