Unmatched
Yennenga
Overview
Yennenga is an African princess and the daughter of the King of Gambaga. Her history originates primarily from oral traditions, describing Yennenga as a brave warrior who can challenge any man in the King’s army, eventually becoming a warrior chieftain. She excelled in horse riding, and her weapons of choice were the spear, javelin, and bow. As her accomplishments in battle grew, Yennenga became feared by all her enemies. In Unmatched, Yennenga commands her soldiers and demonstrates her fearsome skills, deflecting any damage thrown at her.
Yennenga is included in Unmatched: Battle of Legends Vol. 2
Hero Stats
Health: 15 /Â Attack: Ranged /Â Movement: 2
Special Ability
If Yennenga would take damage, you may assign any amount of that damage to one or more Archers in her zone instead. (You may not assign more damage to an Archer than their remaining health.)
Sidekick: Archers
Health: 2 / Attack: Ranged / x2
Strategies and Tips
Yennenga is a versatile hero who relies on strategic positioning to make strong offensive and defensive plays. Her ability to deflect damage to the archers allows her to take more risks where other ranged fighters cannot. Yennenga is strong, but commanding her Archers correctly is what leads to her success.
Primary Strengths
Good attack options
Reliable defenses
Primary Weaknesses
Attacks that hit all fighters in a zone
Has no way to cancel opponent’s card effects
Tip #1: Archer Positioning
Yennenga’s victory conditions are dependent on her Archers and her ability to deflect damage to them. Her Archers have 2 health points which is the highest health pool of any multiple set of sidekicks. While they are still easy to kill, the second health point gives her archers enough defense to support Yennenga. She can deflect all damage from any source to the archers. A hero’s special ability, card effect, schemes, you name it.Â
The ideal strategy is to keep them at a safe distance from opposing enemy fighters. When facing melee fighters, you will want to position your archers behind Yennenga; just remember to keep them within her zone. Knowing exactly how to deflect damage is the hard part. We find it more valuable to make sure they each survive with 1 health point. At this point you can use them as a defensive wall to stand between Yennenga and your opponent. With that said, do not haphazardly sacrifice your archers.Â
One With the Land is a scheme that allows you to move 2 spaces and heal each of your fighters for 1 health, allowing you to reset your archer’s health. Remember, your archers are an extension of Yennenga and her health, so this card lets you heal for 3 points of health. This card is best used when both Archers are down to 1 hp for this reason.Â
If you do lose an Archer, all is not lost. Yennenga’s deck has two cards that can revive them once defeated:
Surprise Volley is an attack card with a value of 3 that any of your fighters can use. This ability immediately allows you to return a defeated Archer to a space in the opposing fighter’s zone. If you do, that Archer is now the attacker, and if you do not then you gain 1 action. As a ranged fighter, if you are attacking an opponent then you are already in their zone, so returning your Archer in your opponent’s zone isn’t the worst outcome. It does leave them vulnerable to attack, so if Yennenga is already going to be in your opponent’s zone, try to position her so you can place your Archer in the least amount of danger. I would only recommend going the route of gaining an action if you can defeat your opponent on that action. Do not let our opponent Feint this card.
Shield Formation is a Yennenga defense card with a value of 3 that immediately forces your opponent to discard a card. If they do not, then you can return a defeated Archer to a space in Yennenga’s zone. This isn’t as reliable of a way to return defeated Archers to the battle since your opponent has a choice, but either way your opponent is at the disadvantage.
Tip #2: Offensive Positioning
Great leaders do not hide behind their soldiers, they instead lead the charge. Unlike most ranged heroes, you want Yennenga to be on the front lines. This does not mean being reckless and leaving yourself open to attack, but instead approaching in such a way that both you and your Archers are in the correct zones to attack your opponents while simultaneously being far enough away so that they must maneuver to attack you.Â
Rain of Arrows is an attack with a value of 3 that triggers a bonus attack after combat, which also has a value of 3. The beauty of this attack is the ability to force your opponent to block one of your cards with two of theirs, if they want to avoid taking damage that is. If your opponent does block both attacks, then it leaves your opponent’s defenses weakened.Â
Determining the best position for attack also depends on the positioning of your opponent. Ranged fighters will often want to find the space on the board that contains the most zones. If your opponent is on that space, you can use it to your advantage:
Jaws of the Beast is a versatile card with a value of 3 that is increased by +1 during combat for each zone the opposing fighter is in. Ranged fighters will often want to stay in spaces containing multiple zones. If you want to move in on such an opponent and force them out, attacking with this card is the perfect way to punish their positioning. This card can easily become a value of 5 or 6 depending on their positioning.Â
Your Archers are also capable fighters:
Pin the Prey is an Archer versatile card with a value of 1 that allows you to move the opposing fighter up to 4 spaces after combat, then your opponent must discard 1 card. This is a great way to disrupt your opponent’s positioning and hand, and if this card is defended with a Feint that just means they have one less to use against stronger cards.
To avoid being too predictable, try attacking with other cards like Skirmish and Momentous Shift as the Archers.
Finally, Master of the Hunt is a scheme that gains you 2 actions. Don’t use this card carelessly. After this card is played you will have 3 actions, meaning you can attack 3 times in a single turn if your opponent is within range. If you have the right cards in hand, playing this card can even secure your victory.
Tip #3: Defensive Positioning
Yennenga only has a movement of 2 so for her to position herself strategically she will need to rely on card effects.
Stallion Charge is a versatile card with a value of 3 that allows you to move Yennenga up to 5 spaces after combat. She may also move through opposing fighters and deal 1 damage to each opposing fighter she moves through. The ideal use of this card is on defense. 3 is a decent value to block with, and you will usually take a point or 2 of damage from any attack which you can deflect to your Archers. The effect is where this card truly shines defensively. The ability to reposition when it isn’t your turn is invaluable no matter the situation you are in, and dealing damage on top of that is just insane. This card can easily wipe out most, if not all, 1 hp sidekicks on the board depending on their positioning as well.
While ranged opponents will likely keep their distance from you, melee heroes will seek to engage Yennenga and her Archers frequently and up close:
Skirmish is a versatile card with a value of 4 that allows you to move one of the fighters up to 2 spaces after combat if you win the combat. This is a solid value for defense and it helps you create more distance.
Point Blank is a versatile card with a value of 2 that lets you deal 2 damage to your opponent after combat if they are adjacent to Yennenga. This card is risky. On the one hand, dealing 2 damage to your opponent on defense is always a good thing. On the other hand, if your opponent is adjacent to you, then they are likely a melee fighter and melee fighters usually hit hard. There is a good chance you will take more damage from this attack than you will deal back. Only use this card defensively if you are ahead. Otherwise, use it to attack at your opponent from a distance.
Divide and Conquer is an Archer versatile card with a value of 2 that becomes a 4 during combat if your fighter is not in Yennenga’s zone. There is no way to guarantee that your Archers will always be able to stay in Yennenga’s zone, and depending on the opponent they may be capable of singling out your archers. In these situations, it is a good idea to position your Archers so that they can defend with this card and get the full value out of it. If your opponent attacks one of your archers with a value of 6 or higher, consider that a victory since they were unable to use it against Yennenga.
Final Thoughts
When playing Yennenga, the game plays similarly to a game of chess, where positioning matters and sometimes sacrificial plays have to be made for victory in the long term. Her solid attack and defensive options make for engaging gameplay, and she has many card effects that can turn the tide of battle in her favor in an instant. Her mechanics are not difficult to grasp, but it may take some practice to optimally strategize with her Archers. No matter who plays her, Yennenga and her Archers are a strong choice against any opponent.
