It was Wednesday…on Wednesday, which means it was Warcrow night once again as Warcrow March Madness continues!

I originally considered writing another detailed after-action report, much like my last article. But as I continue working on parts 2 (Miniatures) and 3 (Gameplay) of this review, I found myself less fixated on the play-by-play of my latest match and more enthralled by the bigger picture that is the miniature game Warcrow. Instead of diving into the nitty-gritty tactical breakdowns, I want to step back and reflect on what’s hitting for me in Warcrow—and what is not based on this last session.

The Miniatures

The deeper I go into Warcrow, the more admiration I gain for the miniatures. With each session, my appreciation for their craftsmanship and artistry grows. These aren’t just game pieces (obviously); they’re stunning, dynamic sculptures brimming with character and detail. To be expected from a miniature game, but not all miniature games make such a grand effort.

As my gaming group steadily brings their miniatures to life with paint, the battlefield is transforming before my eyes. Gone are the stark, gray figures of an unpainted army—now, vibrant colors and intricate details are emerging, adding a whole new dimension to the experience. It’s inspiring, to say the least. In fact, seeing the work of my fellow gamers has sparked an itch in me to finally dive into painting my own force.

I have to admit, I have been hesitant to start, partially intimidated by the level of detail of these miniatures, but perhaps also a bit undecided about the paint schemes and approach I want to take. It’s part of the process for me personally, but I find that the best way to get excited about painting is to play and Wednesday’s session I think was the push I needed.

I’ll be showcasing my personal painting progress in the next part of this review (which, fingers crossed, should be out next week). But before that, I have to take a moment to highlight the incredible work my friends have already done.

The First Chink In The Armor

For any miniatures game, the figures are tiny works of art that we meticulously build, paint, and cherish. Naturally, protecting them is a top priority. We treat these plastic warriors like priceless relics, handling them with care and storing them with caution. But no matter how careful you are, one universal truth remains: at some point, you’re going to drop one.

And that’s exactly what happened tonight. Almost as if fate had scripted it, this accidental drop led me straight to a crucial question I would have had to address in my review anyway: How durable are Warcrow miniatures? Unfortunately, the answer—spoiler alert—is not very durable at all.

I’ve handled my fair share of miniatures over the years so I have a basis for comparison, and I’ve dropped plenty in the process (curse these sausage fingers). But what I witnessed tonight was something else entirely. One of our orc miniatures took a minor tumble—barely a foot and some change of the ground, a distance that would unlikely result in damage in most plastics—and the results were rather distressing. The model didn’t just chip or crack; it nearly shattered. The sword flew in one direction, and the arm quite literally broke and flew off in another, leaving us scouring the floor for ten minutes to recover the pieces. These weren’t just connection point breaks, these were actual cracks in the plastic.

Now, I get it—miniatures are delicate. We’re used to gluing the occasional broken limb back on. But Warcrow minis seem to take fragility to a whole new level. In a word, Warcrow miniatures are about as fragile as glass. If you drop it, it’s going to break.

This lack of durability is a disappointing flaw in an otherwise gorgeous product. Miniatures in a wargame need to withstand at least the occasional mishap, and Warcrow’s plastic seems to have little room for error. If you plan on playing with these figures, consider extra precautions such as avoiding adding extra weight to the bases in hopes of slowing the acceleration towards terminal velocity and oblivion.

The War Of Tricks In Warcrow

With disaster averted (thanks to a well-timed intervention from the holy elixir of miniature wargaming—super glue), it was finally time to hit the table. I stuck with my tried-and-true list from last Wednesday: The Hegemony of Embersig, led by the indomitable Drago The Anvil. Why? Because familiarity breeds confidence—and let’s be real, Drago is an absolute badass and so far as Warcrow is concerned I am not.

This time, I faced off against the Scions of Yaldabaoth again, but with a vastly different list than my previous encounter. Gone were the regeneration-heavy swarms; instead, my opponent brought a more aggressive, tricksy force—one loaded with unpredictable mechanics. And that’s precisely what I want to talk about today.

“Trickiness” might not be an official term in wargaming, but it fits Warcrow like a glove. This isn’t a game where success boils down to raw numbers—where my unit’s attack power simply contends with yours. No, Warcrow is about clever positioning, debilitating effects, and outmaneuvering your opponent at every turn.

Every unit is unique, bringing more to the table than just stats and weaponry. Sure, there are more “standard” units like Bucklermen, but that’s not the norm. Most units come with distinct mechanics that demand strategic deployment. This means you’re not just lining up soldiers and rolling dice to see who wins—Warcrow is about using each unit’s quirks to maximum effect.

Holding objectives is a core element of Warcrow, but don’t expect a simple game of “park a unit and claim the point.” Objectives are hard to reach, harder to hold, and require some serious tactical footwork. I found in my match that I considered myself lucky when I scored points at all. When I outscored my opponent in a round, I knew I had truly outplayed them. It was not dice gods, but my brain working overtime that made it happen and I appreciate the game making this high-functioning idiot feel smart

I found that in our match the game naturally built toward a breaking point, which I think is going to turn out to be true about most games of Warcrow. At some stage towards the end of the match, one side inevitably wears down and outmaneuvers the other, with flanks collapsing, and the score diverging. Until then, the matches in Warcrow are tense, grinding battles of attrition—almost reminiscent of trench warfare, where every inch of the battlefield is fiercely contested. But again, less so because of actual melee’s and more like Jedi’s showing off their force powers in a display of fancy tricks on the field of battle.

This is something crucial to understand about Warcrow I think. Many of us dive into wargaming for the thrill of chucking handfuls of dice, unleashing devastation, and watching miniatures explode in a glorious spectacle of destruction (myself included). But Warcrow isn’t that kind of game. It’s deliberate, methodical, and deeply tactical—closer to chess than a war. I think it’s the general approach of modern game design.

In fact, rolling dice in Warcrow is often not about damage at all. Instead, dice rolls tend to more frequently be made to activate unique abilities, spells, or tactical effects that influence the battlefield in far more meaningful ways than simply punching an enemy model. Sure, charging into a fight and throwing hands is satisfying and certainly a part of Warcrow, but the true power of your army lies in leveraging debuffs, control effects, and positional advantages. The goal isn’t to kill so much as it is to position and score on objectives

In many miniature games, every unit is essentially an instrument of destruction. Warcrow flips that on its head. Here, your army is a finely tuned machine of unique and interesting effects, where victory isn’t dictated by who has the bigger gun, but by who makes the smarter play. I know I’m going to sound like the Monopoly guy, but it’s a more sophisticated miniature game for gentlemen and scholars.

Conclusion

This week’s game further opened my eyes to the possibilities within the design space of Warcrow. There is quite a bit to explore and I can see even now as I assess and think about the game, I still feel like a complete newbie. There are a lot of layers yet to peel back, but Warcrow Madness is not over yet. In fact, I fully suspect that Warcrow April Madness is going to be a thing.