I had the pleasure of interviewing a good friend of mine, Gammie, as he heads into Australian Age of Sigmar Masters 2017. I'll post his list for context and then move straight into the interview. Enjoy :)
Maniak Weirdnob
Maniak Weirdnob
Savage Big Boss
Wurrgog Prophet
10 Savage Boarboy Maniaks
10 Savage Boarboy Maniaks
30 Savage Orruk Arrowboys
10 Savage Orruk Arrowboys
4 Savage Big Stabbas
Kunnin' Rukk
Gabe: Well, thanks for taking time out of your evening to chat, mate! So, I'll kick things off by asking what your position was in the final rankings? 19th?
Matt: So I finished in twentieth place. Another guy beat me just before rankings finished.
G: Pipped you to the post? Spewing. So what armies got you to masters. Was there a particular event or allegiance that really got you to where you are today?
M: I'd definitely say that Bonesplitters got me there. So, I registered four ranked events, umm, and of those four, three of them were Bonesplitters and one were with Wanderers, but Splitters were my highest placings. I got third in a tournament in Toowoomba a couple of months ago, and came in at number twelve at Briscon. I also took them to Redland City GT, so they definitely got me in there.
G: Righto.Was that the influence between taking Splitters over Wanderers to Masters?
M: Oh, definitely! I had a couple of practice games with the Wanderers with all of their Allegiance Abilities, and they just don't have the staying power against those higher-powered lists at the moment, as they are very nuke-heavy, and theres a lot of anti-"horde-meta" ways of mortal wounding, particularly with armies like Tzeentch. I've got no saves against mortal wounds with Wanderers, so they dissolve pretty quickly.
G: Was there a minute there, when they got the new Allegiance Abilities that you thought you might make the jump?
M: Definitely! Definitely! They actually were the only army that I've played consistently in the new General's Handbook. I've only played one game with Splitters since the handbook dropped. The Bonesplitters have changed a little bit with their points adjustments, so you can't fit as much as what you used to.
G: Is that mostly to do with Battalions?
M: Yep, so I used to run the Icebone Warclan with the Kunnin' Rukk, and I used to be able to fit everything quite comfortably into 2000 points, but now I can only really fit one or the other.
G: Ah ok, and Kunnin' Rukk is naturally the go-to out of the two of them.
M: Definitely. I actually think people are starting to gradually move away from Kunnin' Rukk these days. People know how to deal with it if the person isn't a very good general and can't hide their war boss well enough.
G: Fair point. Alright, well, do you want to quickly go through your artefacts and spells then?
M: So, I'll go through the Artefacts and then the spells, as it will make a heap of sense regarding the combos. What I run is the Dok Juice on the Savage Orruk Warboss. So what that is, is you roll a dice in the hero phase, and you can drink it. On a 1, you suffer a mortal wound, on a 2-5 you heal D3 wounds, and on a 6, you heal D6 wounds. And he can do that every hero phase.
G: And that's purely to keep him alive for the Rukk?
M: Yep, absolutely. Then, because I have a Battalion, my second artefact is the Mystic Waaagh Paint which goes on the Wurrgog Prophet, which basically means he can unbind two spells a turn.
G: And is the Wurrgog Prophet your general?
M: No, so the Warboss is the general so that I can run his ability to generate extra attacks.
G: Ah, gotcha. I thought you might have gone for the double pile in command ability.
M: Yeah, I've actually looked at running that in another list with the Icebone Warclan, because you can charge the Boarboys in the Hero phase, and also do the Wurrgog's pile in.
G: Ah, that's pretty cool!
M: It can take out some key sort of things, and get a few more pile ins. So, that's another list that I've been playing around with. So, with the spells that I'm running, both Maniak Weirdnobs actually have Hand of Gork on them, only because they've got their signature spells, which is re-roll ones, but it's handy being able to chop and change as I need them. Then I've got the Brutal Beast Spirit on the Wurrgog, which buffs really nicely with the Savage Boarboys!
G: Now, I'm assuming that the big Arrow Boy unit puts in most of the work, but do you put a fair bit of stock in the lifting power of the Maniaks?
M: Yeah, definitely. I actually think that the boars with the same buffs as the Arrowboys will do more damage than the Arrowboys will. They have four attacks with each model, so that's forty attacks from a unit of ten. You're hitting on 3's with the +1 to hit on them, re-rolling ones to hit as well, if you're in range of one of the Weirdnobs, and then generating extra attacks on 5's which is the riders as well as the boys. Plus they get the double pile in, so they can get up to 80 attacks in a turn, and then generate another 1/3 of their attacks from the triggers. Plus you can Hand of Gork them and fly over stuff, which makes them a bit more of a threat than Arrowboys. I think Arrowboys are a bit restrictive with how they play.
G: Hand of Gork would be your cheeky little movement trick in the bag for this army then?
M: Correct. Because it is a pretty slow moving army on the table. My fastest unit is the boars at 9", and while the army gets across the board, I'd rather have something that can fly up and do a bit of damage first as the horde moves up.
G: Sort of calling the shots on where and how you start interacting with your opponent's army, then.
M: Yep, and I definitely think that the boars create a nice screen for the arrow boys as well. A lot of people tend to avoid the boars.
G: And you've also got that little ten man unit of Arror Boys?
M: Yeah, so they fill the other requirement of the Kunnin' Rukk, but an extra ten Arrow Boys never hurt anyone. So, typically they will either sit on objectives, or act as a screen to protect a more valuable unit. But I like them because they can sit on an objective and still have an impact on the game. In another list I was toying with, I dropped the Big Stabbas and ran a unit of twenty Savages, but they just don't have the staying power and Bravery, and they just kind of disappear too quickly.
G: While we're on that, I did want to talk about the unit of four Big Stabbas. That is… some would say unconventional? Can you explain a bit of your thought process behind the inclusion of such a big unit of them?
M: Yeah, well, I've been listening to a fair few of the podcasts from England at the moment, and one of them was saying that Big Stabbas seem to be the hidden gem of the Bonesplitters at the moment, and I tend to agree with them. But a lot of people kind of ignore them, because they ask what they do, you tell them, and they just see them as a little damage output unit. I've been talking to Dave (Kerr) a bit, because he wants to start Bonesplitters, and we wrote up a list with eight.
G: A single unit of eight?
M: Yeah, a single unit. We looked into it, because he's got some spare Big Stabbas as well, but decided to go with the Maniaks in my Masters list, because it's the list I have been running, and I feel much more comfortable using them.
G: So the unit of Big Stabbas, are they pretty much just going to be running at the biggest thing they can find?
M: I'm looking at pointing them in the direction of things that won't die to Arrow Boys. The biggest issue with Bonesplitters is their lack of high rend and mortal wound output, unless you're running the Big Wurrgog Mask, but then you have a potential of wounding yourself and dying. So, for me, the Big Stabbas kind of provide that high rend source of damage. At Rend -2, they provide an answer to a lot of things. And Damage 3 per attack means that they're gonna be putting out some hurt. I've even thought about buffing the Big Stabbas instead of the Boarboys unit, and throwing them into something.
G: See, I was always under the impression that you kind of buy Big Stabbas because of the mortal wounds they kick out when they go down, but looking at them, the attack profile is actually pretty scary!
M: Yeah. When you're facing down against stuff like Stardrakes, which you're almost guaranteed to see at Masters, I think they're the threat to those kinds of terrifying models. Im not adverse to putting them behind a unit of Arrow Boys or boars, and sacrificing the screen unit to get the charge, because they do an extra D3 damage with each of their attacks against monsters. They're my answer to those super units. And you know, I think with the new GHB, you're going to see a lot more monsters on the table, because they're cheaper and you can ally them in much easier.
G: Yeah, thats one thing I've really enjoyed about the Allies system, is it brings in units that you'd otherwise never see! Like Giants; you never saw Giants, whereas now they're a plug & play unit!
M: Well, funny you should say that. I've got a list at the moment with a hundred and twenty Morboys in it, and a Giant allied in. And basically, their special rule is that when a Monster dies on the board, they all get +1 to hit,
G: Oh, so you sacrifice the Giant?
M: Yeah, so you just throw the giant in, and let him die! It's a bit of a funny list that functions differently, but it's a lot of fun.
G: Now, with allies, I know that you were play testing with a unit of six Gore-Gruntas for a variety of reasons, being less susceptible to Battleshock and such. Is there a reason that you decided against taking them?
M: I play tested them a little bit, and they're not as reliable as you would think a unit like that would be in regards to damage output. They're more of a defensive unit with a big footprint. Giving them a 3+ save with thirty wounds is nice, but they don't get the buffs from any of the spells. Bonesplitters do really well at just buffing other Splitters, so I actually found that ten boar boys was far more comfortable, because I know their limitations. I think I overestimated the staying power of Gore Gruntas a bit. They were still dying in droves, and I didn't really want to take a half cooked list to Masters. It's not really the environment to take an untempered list over a well oiled one.
G: Running a horde army, do you have concerns about the clock? Having played Bonesplitters enough, is it one of those things that you can compensate for now with good head knowledge and familiarity of the army?
M: Yeah, when GHB first came out, I started using Kunnin' Rukk and learning how to play it without "cheating", if that makes sense. A lot of times, you're rolling such a huge number of dice, that your opponent can lose track of what you're doing and what can be re-rolled and so on and so forth, so I've gotten into the habit of explaining every batch of dice as I roll it, so that there's no confusion and my opponent can't be mistaken into thinking that I'm bending any rules. So, I count out all my dice, roll them, re-rol the ones, pick out the misses… there's a system there, similar to your Nurgle Rat-Bros. It's about working through a set of steps. A lot of people complained about Kunnin' Rukk for a long time with two units of forty Arrow Boys, and it was slow and it was not fun to play against. Even now, you can still come up against double Kunnin' Rukk, but you're just not gonna have fun with that kind of list. I think the age of the Kunnin' Rukk is dying. I think people have realised that if they go balls to the wall into a unit of thirty Arrow Boys, they'll remove it. It doesn't have the staying power. A lot of people overestimate how good big units of Arrow Boys are in combat, which sometimes works to my favour, but I think that once people realise how quickly they crumble, it stops being as scary.
G: Do you think that there is an Achilles Heel match up for you? Any allegiance or list that you really think will be an up-hill battle?
M: Stormcast, definitely. I played against Tim (McDivett) at RCGT, and I kind of played the game in mind of "Let's fight for a draw" instead of going for a win, and I made a silly mistake which gave his Stardrake enough room to get into an objective. But yeah, Stormcast are definitely the ones that I'm most worried about. Tzeentch has a great amount of mortal wound output against large units, but I get a save against mortal wounds and I can make a big unit immune to Battleshock, but against a Mirror Shield Stardrake, my Arrow Boys are useless. Even if I buff them, they can hit on 6's without generating extra attacks, and then what often happens is that the Stardrake will heal more wounds than I inflict.
G: Looking at the GHB17 scenarios, do you feel that there is a best and worst scenario for your army?
M: I think the ones that sit really well for Bonesplitters is Duality of Death and Battle for the Pass, where you've got objectives in the middle of the table, whereas Knife to the Heart and Scorched Earth are probably a little bit trickier. I think in Scorched Earth, Splitters have to burn objectives as they go, because if they sit and try and hold, anything that hits them back is just going to kill them.
G: Going into Masters, you're obviously pretty stoked with having made it from outside the top sixteen ranked players in the country. Do you have any personal goals leading into the event? Where would you like to finish, a win-loss ratio, and so on?
M: With the five games, I would not mind having more wins than losses. I'd love to get three wins. I know that in Masters, thats probably not going to happen, because theres some really solid players bringing some really scary lists, but who knows. I don't want to finish last, but if it happens it happens. I'm currently in last place if you look at the ranks, so anything above 16th place would be great.
G: And if you had to predict a winner (and you can't pick yourself), who do you think is going to take out AOS Masters 2017?
M: I reckon Tim McDivett is in with a chance with it. He's got a really well-oiled Stormcast list that he's been playing for a long time, and he plays the game really well. It'd be really nice to see him win it. I think Luke Taylor is probably the overall favourite, but it's Masters. You're looking at the best players in the country, and at the end of the day, someone has to win and someone has to lose. I'm genuinely not even sure who could take it out. It's anyone's game. Everyone I've talked to is bringing rock-solid lists, and I think the victor will be whoever makes the least mistakes on the day and has a little bit of good luck from the dice!
G: Well, mate. That pretty much wraps it up! Thanks for taking time out of your evening to chat, and I wish you the best at Masters!
M: Thanks.
Sunday, 26 November 2017
Sunday, 19 November 2017
#109: In the shadows of the Temple… My 2018 army plans.
As I work my way through the Masters player pre-event interviews, one question that I've been asking each person (although in some cases, it just naturally came up in conversation) is whether or not they'll be taking on a new army heading into the new calendar year, and in most cases, it's a resounding yes. For the most part, each player is taking on an army that is quite different to the army they played for the 2017 tournament circuit. In my mind, this is fantastic. It shows that the scene is constantly evolving and diversifying.
Having asked the question to some of the best players in the country, however, had gotten me thinking about what my 2018 main project would be. This year has been pretty much split down the middle. The start of the year saw me wrapping up my Khorne Bloodbound army, while the second half of the year was dedicated to crushing out my Pestilens army, a project I originally started because it was a fairly low-cost army, and I already had two boxes of Plague Monks from my existing Skaven army. A huge incentive was that the whole range (excluding Plague Censor Bearers) were plastic kits, and all were pretty affordable. I didn't really take into account the time investment required to paint the army to a standard that I was happy with, but I took it on, and am predicting completion of the project to happen over the Christmas break. Only forty five infantry to go…
But with the end in sight, and my weak-willed resistance to impulse purchases, I began to plan my next army. Clan Pestilens will be my tournament army for the first half of the year while I begin work on the next army, but I needed something to redirect my energy after the rats were complete.
With an open mind, and GHB17 as my canvas, I began to ponder and plan what army I could sink my teeth into. For once, I was completely open to any Allegiance, any Grand Alliance, anything. My goal with the army was to plan and build a force that would not only be competitive and threatening (for some) on the table, but also have a strong theme, and enable me to paint an army that would perhaps be a contender for Best Painted at any event that I happened to go along to. Not saying that I would necessarily win any, because I'm the first to admit that my painting is not Golden-Daemon-worthy by any stretch, but I wanted an army that would catch the eye and stand out from the crowd.
I also wanted an army that didn't require me to paint 100+ models *shudders*…
So, with the mindset of artistic potential, competitive ability and low model count, I began scribbling down a shortlist. Soulblight and Ironjawz were both realistic options, as were Stormcast, but all were currently in-progress armies of good mates of mine. So, I continued searching until I read through a certain set of war scrolls that I'd previously written off.
Beastclaw Raiders.
They weren't uncommon on the table by any stretch, but typically they would be an element within a Grand Alliance Destruction army; it was extremely rare to see a Beastclaw Allegiance army. Simply put, Grand Alliance was just straight up stronger. It compensated for the low model count by giving players access to Grots and Bonesplitters, and gave them a considerable buff in the form of things such as Battle Brew. There was little-to-no motivation to restrict yourself to just Beastclaw.
But that's all changed. While Grand Alliance Destruction has been made slightly less attractive, the inclusion of the Allies system has neatly offset the model count problem that Beastclaw seemed to have. All of a sudden, they had a new lease on life!
My mind was made up.
So, how did I go about planning my list? From a competitive standpoint, one of the scariest things that BCR has access to is Thundertusks. Being able to hand out massive chunks of mortal damage from a safe distance was very, very scary. They're capable of just deleting characters, or crippling larger units, with only luck to stop them in most cases. Ok, so there was my focus. Ice Lasers!
Thundertusks do diminish in strength as they take damage, and for them to remain a viable threat, I needed them feeling tip-top. This naturally led toward including some healing mechanics in the army to keep damage output at its possible highest. A Frostlord on Thundertusk with the Pelt of Charngar (each friendly hero phase, roll a D6; 1-3 heals a wound, 4-6 heals D3), and two Huskards of Thundertusks (each triggering their healing abilities on a 2+ while all three characters are alive) meant that I had three solid, regenerating fire-bases to build my army around. Not that there was too much left to play with after purchasing these three juggernauts.
Next up was Battleline slots. Taking a Frostlord on Thundertusk conveniently unlocks Yhetees as Battleline, and they have some pretty cheeky Pile In shenanigans in their box of tricks, as well as being a little bit scary for smaller units. So I picked up two units of three to cause mayhem. All three characters and the Yhetees have negatives to hit them in close combat, so I'm hoping that keeps them all alive just that bit longer. My last Battleline choice was a unit of four Mournfang. While I don't think they are quite the wrecking ball they were in 8th Edition, there's no debating that twenty-four wounds over four models is nothing to cry about, and they aren't too shabby in combat either. I wouldn't put money on them to drop Archaon, but they can punch on with most equivalent units pretty reliably.
So, I'd completed my character plan and ticked all my Battleline requirements… And was left standing with 220 points. With only thirteen models in the list, I desperately needed some bodies. And I found them in Gutbuster allies, bringing in two units of twenty Gnoblars. Fantastic! I mean, sure, Gnoblars aren't going to kill anything, and they tend to die if they fart too hard, but they filled several valuable roles that perfectly plug (PLUG!) the weaknesses of BCR. I had two large units that I could leave in my backfield to deny deployment tricks and control the board, or plonk them on an objective and not stress about leaving martial strength away from the main brawl, or (probably most commonly) use them as screening units to absorb charges and prevent scary combat beasts from charging unimpeded into my crucial characters, hopefully giving me time to either counter charge them or blast their faces off with beams of ice magic.
One other thing of note about the list is that I took Blood Vultures on both of my Huskards. The reason for this is, where the Chaintrap and Harpoon Launcher roll dice to hit and wound, offer a save and inflict different degrees of damage, the Vulture is guaranteed to do a mortal wound every turn, with a massive 30" range. It might not always hit where I want it to, but that angry bin-chicken is going to gouge out the eyes of some poor fool no matter what. I think Vultures are by far the best ranged option for any of the riders that have a shooting option.
Now, I am very aware that this army still has glaring weaknesses, and I'm not expecting to be winning GT's left right and centre with it, but I think it has real potential to cause some headaches. I think if I invest time and practice in, I can become quite adept with the army.
So that's model count and the competitive side of things sorted. That leaves only one aspect; creative potential.
It goes without saying that Beastclaw Raiders in winter themes on snow bases has been done. That is their lore after all. It makes sense. But it's been done to death. Snow-themed BCR armies look good, but I needed something that would leap out and catch the eye; something different and unique. The decision to go in the complete opposite direction was an easy one. My "alternative colour scheme" armies have been a bit hit and miss over the years (my blue Grey Knights being an obvious and self-explanatory example), but I'm really satisfied with the pallet that I've settled on.
My ogres will wear deep red robes broken up by leopard skin pelts. They would ride natural-toned monsters based off real-life animals from our own world (you may have already seen my Jackal-inspired dogs that I'm using as Frost Sabres in a different list to this), and the basing would be crumbling ruins in the desert, using the fantastic Shattered Dominion large basing kit. As easy as that was to sum up, it's actually quite a challenge for me, as my style of painting naturally lends itself toward cartoony details and bright pops of colour. But I think it will be a good learning experience, and you don't learn if you don't push yourself. So, there it is. I'll post the list below, and hopefully you enjoyed the breakdown. Do you like it? Do you think it's trash? And are you starting a new army for the new year? Hit the comments and we'll have a chat!
Thanks for reading,
Gabe
Frostlord on Thundertusk (General, Everwinter's Master, The Pelt of Charngar)
Huskard on Thundertusk (Blood Vulture)
Huskard on Thundertusk (Blood Vulture)
3 Icefall Yhetees
3 Icefall Yhetees
4 Mournfang (Gargant Hackers)
20 Grots (Gutbuster Allies)
20 Grots (Gutbuster Allies)
1980 points
Having asked the question to some of the best players in the country, however, had gotten me thinking about what my 2018 main project would be. This year has been pretty much split down the middle. The start of the year saw me wrapping up my Khorne Bloodbound army, while the second half of the year was dedicated to crushing out my Pestilens army, a project I originally started because it was a fairly low-cost army, and I already had two boxes of Plague Monks from my existing Skaven army. A huge incentive was that the whole range (excluding Plague Censor Bearers) were plastic kits, and all were pretty affordable. I didn't really take into account the time investment required to paint the army to a standard that I was happy with, but I took it on, and am predicting completion of the project to happen over the Christmas break. Only forty five infantry to go…
But with the end in sight, and my weak-willed resistance to impulse purchases, I began to plan my next army. Clan Pestilens will be my tournament army for the first half of the year while I begin work on the next army, but I needed something to redirect my energy after the rats were complete.
With an open mind, and GHB17 as my canvas, I began to ponder and plan what army I could sink my teeth into. For once, I was completely open to any Allegiance, any Grand Alliance, anything. My goal with the army was to plan and build a force that would not only be competitive and threatening (for some) on the table, but also have a strong theme, and enable me to paint an army that would perhaps be a contender for Best Painted at any event that I happened to go along to. Not saying that I would necessarily win any, because I'm the first to admit that my painting is not Golden-Daemon-worthy by any stretch, but I wanted an army that would catch the eye and stand out from the crowd.
I also wanted an army that didn't require me to paint 100+ models *shudders*…
So, with the mindset of artistic potential, competitive ability and low model count, I began scribbling down a shortlist. Soulblight and Ironjawz were both realistic options, as were Stormcast, but all were currently in-progress armies of good mates of mine. So, I continued searching until I read through a certain set of war scrolls that I'd previously written off.
Beastclaw Raiders.
They weren't uncommon on the table by any stretch, but typically they would be an element within a Grand Alliance Destruction army; it was extremely rare to see a Beastclaw Allegiance army. Simply put, Grand Alliance was just straight up stronger. It compensated for the low model count by giving players access to Grots and Bonesplitters, and gave them a considerable buff in the form of things such as Battle Brew. There was little-to-no motivation to restrict yourself to just Beastclaw.
But that's all changed. While Grand Alliance Destruction has been made slightly less attractive, the inclusion of the Allies system has neatly offset the model count problem that Beastclaw seemed to have. All of a sudden, they had a new lease on life!
My mind was made up.
So, how did I go about planning my list? From a competitive standpoint, one of the scariest things that BCR has access to is Thundertusks. Being able to hand out massive chunks of mortal damage from a safe distance was very, very scary. They're capable of just deleting characters, or crippling larger units, with only luck to stop them in most cases. Ok, so there was my focus. Ice Lasers!
Thundertusks do diminish in strength as they take damage, and for them to remain a viable threat, I needed them feeling tip-top. This naturally led toward including some healing mechanics in the army to keep damage output at its possible highest. A Frostlord on Thundertusk with the Pelt of Charngar (each friendly hero phase, roll a D6; 1-3 heals a wound, 4-6 heals D3), and two Huskards of Thundertusks (each triggering their healing abilities on a 2+ while all three characters are alive) meant that I had three solid, regenerating fire-bases to build my army around. Not that there was too much left to play with after purchasing these three juggernauts.
Next up was Battleline slots. Taking a Frostlord on Thundertusk conveniently unlocks Yhetees as Battleline, and they have some pretty cheeky Pile In shenanigans in their box of tricks, as well as being a little bit scary for smaller units. So I picked up two units of three to cause mayhem. All three characters and the Yhetees have negatives to hit them in close combat, so I'm hoping that keeps them all alive just that bit longer. My last Battleline choice was a unit of four Mournfang. While I don't think they are quite the wrecking ball they were in 8th Edition, there's no debating that twenty-four wounds over four models is nothing to cry about, and they aren't too shabby in combat either. I wouldn't put money on them to drop Archaon, but they can punch on with most equivalent units pretty reliably.
So, I'd completed my character plan and ticked all my Battleline requirements… And was left standing with 220 points. With only thirteen models in the list, I desperately needed some bodies. And I found them in Gutbuster allies, bringing in two units of twenty Gnoblars. Fantastic! I mean, sure, Gnoblars aren't going to kill anything, and they tend to die if they fart too hard, but they filled several valuable roles that perfectly plug (PLUG!) the weaknesses of BCR. I had two large units that I could leave in my backfield to deny deployment tricks and control the board, or plonk them on an objective and not stress about leaving martial strength away from the main brawl, or (probably most commonly) use them as screening units to absorb charges and prevent scary combat beasts from charging unimpeded into my crucial characters, hopefully giving me time to either counter charge them or blast their faces off with beams of ice magic.
One other thing of note about the list is that I took Blood Vultures on both of my Huskards. The reason for this is, where the Chaintrap and Harpoon Launcher roll dice to hit and wound, offer a save and inflict different degrees of damage, the Vulture is guaranteed to do a mortal wound every turn, with a massive 30" range. It might not always hit where I want it to, but that angry bin-chicken is going to gouge out the eyes of some poor fool no matter what. I think Vultures are by far the best ranged option for any of the riders that have a shooting option.
Now, I am very aware that this army still has glaring weaknesses, and I'm not expecting to be winning GT's left right and centre with it, but I think it has real potential to cause some headaches. I think if I invest time and practice in, I can become quite adept with the army.
So that's model count and the competitive side of things sorted. That leaves only one aspect; creative potential.
It goes without saying that Beastclaw Raiders in winter themes on snow bases has been done. That is their lore after all. It makes sense. But it's been done to death. Snow-themed BCR armies look good, but I needed something that would leap out and catch the eye; something different and unique. The decision to go in the complete opposite direction was an easy one. My "alternative colour scheme" armies have been a bit hit and miss over the years (my blue Grey Knights being an obvious and self-explanatory example), but I'm really satisfied with the pallet that I've settled on.
My ogres will wear deep red robes broken up by leopard skin pelts. They would ride natural-toned monsters based off real-life animals from our own world (you may have already seen my Jackal-inspired dogs that I'm using as Frost Sabres in a different list to this), and the basing would be crumbling ruins in the desert, using the fantastic Shattered Dominion large basing kit. As easy as that was to sum up, it's actually quite a challenge for me, as my style of painting naturally lends itself toward cartoony details and bright pops of colour. But I think it will be a good learning experience, and you don't learn if you don't push yourself. So, there it is. I'll post the list below, and hopefully you enjoyed the breakdown. Do you like it? Do you think it's trash? And are you starting a new army for the new year? Hit the comments and we'll have a chat!
Thanks for reading,
Gabe
Frostlord on Thundertusk (General, Everwinter's Master, The Pelt of Charngar)
Huskard on Thundertusk (Blood Vulture)
Huskard on Thundertusk (Blood Vulture)
3 Icefall Yhetees
3 Icefall Yhetees
4 Mournfang (Gargant Hackers)
20 Grots (Gutbuster Allies)
20 Grots (Gutbuster Allies)
1980 points
Sunday, 12 November 2017
#108: Hell Hath No Fury...
They say that Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned; and Daughters of Khaine are so far past scorned, that Bloodletters have nightmares about the acts of violence Witch Aelves carry out when they streak into battle!
Tonight, I wanted to focus on one of the most fleshed out, well supported and strategically versatile factions in the game never to get the Allegiance treatment. Although Nurgle is undeniably larger, with a better range, and with a far more passionate and vocal player base, its also strongly implied that Nurgle will be getting the Battletome treatment in the near future.
So, there are plenty of strong factions without allegiance abilities and so on, I hear you say. Moonclan Grots, Gutbusters, even Deathrattle get more table time than Daughters of Khaine.
And that is exactly my point! Why is that?
The Daughters of Khaine element of the Dark Elf army of old was the most recent section of the army to get a revamp pre-End Times, and if I'm honest, I was hoping that they would fall into the same course that Bonesplittaz did, forming their own fully sustained and very viable sub-faction in the Age of Sigmar. But it was not to be. Daughters of Khaine waited patiently as Clan Pestilens, Sylvaneth and a myriad of other factions incorporated old ranges of models into new and exciting armies.
The longer these stunning models sat on the shelves, the more and more unlikely it became that they were gonna get their own Battletome. New armies burst onto the scene, with the Kharadron Frigates sailing into the game atop a wave of hype and enthusiasm for new dwarves! Surely, elves would be on the horizon. With word hitting the internet that many sub factions would be getting the 'treatment', hopes were high. Once again, the ladies with serious rage issues were given an issue to rage about.
So, while they remain in the shadow, are they still a viable army in the current landscape of Age of Sigmar? Well, lets deep dive into the war scrolls and find out.
The Daughters of Khaine sub faction is actually very reminiscent of Clan Pestilens. They both are built upon the backs of masses of fragile infantry that kick out a horrific number of attacks, supported by towering constructs that emit saves and buffs to anyone nearby.
But Daughters have a few tricks up their sleeves. The first, and probably most important element to Daughters is Witchbrew. Cauldrons of Blood and Death Hags all have the option to carry Witchbrew, which is superior in my mind over the Death Sword, purely for the fact that you can use Witchbrew every turn regardless of whether you're in combat or not, and be able to hand out Battleshock immunity (as well as a cheeky re-roll) to just about every unit on the field. This is a massive deal for a horde army (because, lets face it, Witch Aelves weren't made to be taken in units less than thirty), and means that your opponent has to punch through each and every wound
The Bloodshield being emitted from the Cauldrons is also crucial, as it offers your berserk warriors a decent save against all wounds AND mortal wounds! Not only that, there is no trigger or ability that has to happen, meaning even if your opponent gets a drop on you, you don't miss out on the shield because you perhaps haven't had a hero phase yet. Cauldrons can also dispel enemy casts and kick out useful prayers in the same manner that Plague Priests.
Where Daughters veer more sharply away from the parallels with Pestilens is their inclusion of powerful wizards in the form of Doomfire Warlocks. There's nothing subtle about the warlocks. They're designed for one thing and that is melting faces off. Combined with the sheer mortal wound potential from the lithe Bloodwrack Medusae, and the athletic throat-slitting of Sisters of Slaughter, the allegiance actually has a great degree of flexibility and tools available to them.
I think there is a great deal of power in this list, even with the Grand Alliance Order artefacts and command abilities, with hordes of attack-heavy, re-roll-heavy infantry (with a 7" move no less), some very fast mortal damage dealers, and plenty of options in the Allies department. The double pile in from the Cauldron's command ability just accentuates the army more. The sheer number of bodies combined with the Bloodshield, the tons of re-rolls, modifiers and buffs, as well as a complete disregard for Battleshock or caring if their opponents finish the game with their entrails on the right side of their skin, is a huge boon for the army.
So, why does no one play this army? There are certainly more expensive armies, and I believe there are certainly less versatile ones, and so I can't figure out for the life of me why I'm yet to see a Daughters army in the flesh. The models are absolutely stunning; the elegance and dynamic model range just waiting for someone to do an exceptional paint job. As well as that, they are probably one of the most unique armies going around.
With this season of the game where powerful combinations are emerging from every dark corner of the game (Moonclan Grots winning Heat 3 at Warhammer World being a good example), I think that Daughters of Khaine is just waiting for their moment in the sun!
Why am I not doing the army myself, you may ask? Well, after Pestilens, I'm going to need a loooong break from hordes. Not only that, I already have a super secret project in the process of being bought and built…
But now I'm just getting ahead of myself.
Thanks for reading,
Gabe
Tonight, I wanted to focus on one of the most fleshed out, well supported and strategically versatile factions in the game never to get the Allegiance treatment. Although Nurgle is undeniably larger, with a better range, and with a far more passionate and vocal player base, its also strongly implied that Nurgle will be getting the Battletome treatment in the near future.
So, there are plenty of strong factions without allegiance abilities and so on, I hear you say. Moonclan Grots, Gutbusters, even Deathrattle get more table time than Daughters of Khaine.
And that is exactly my point! Why is that?
The Daughters of Khaine element of the Dark Elf army of old was the most recent section of the army to get a revamp pre-End Times, and if I'm honest, I was hoping that they would fall into the same course that Bonesplittaz did, forming their own fully sustained and very viable sub-faction in the Age of Sigmar. But it was not to be. Daughters of Khaine waited patiently as Clan Pestilens, Sylvaneth and a myriad of other factions incorporated old ranges of models into new and exciting armies.
The longer these stunning models sat on the shelves, the more and more unlikely it became that they were gonna get their own Battletome. New armies burst onto the scene, with the Kharadron Frigates sailing into the game atop a wave of hype and enthusiasm for new dwarves! Surely, elves would be on the horizon. With word hitting the internet that many sub factions would be getting the 'treatment', hopes were high. Once again, the ladies with serious rage issues were given an issue to rage about.
So, while they remain in the shadow, are they still a viable army in the current landscape of Age of Sigmar? Well, lets deep dive into the war scrolls and find out.
The Daughters of Khaine sub faction is actually very reminiscent of Clan Pestilens. They both are built upon the backs of masses of fragile infantry that kick out a horrific number of attacks, supported by towering constructs that emit saves and buffs to anyone nearby.
But Daughters have a few tricks up their sleeves. The first, and probably most important element to Daughters is Witchbrew. Cauldrons of Blood and Death Hags all have the option to carry Witchbrew, which is superior in my mind over the Death Sword, purely for the fact that you can use Witchbrew every turn regardless of whether you're in combat or not, and be able to hand out Battleshock immunity (as well as a cheeky re-roll) to just about every unit on the field. This is a massive deal for a horde army (because, lets face it, Witch Aelves weren't made to be taken in units less than thirty), and means that your opponent has to punch through each and every wound
The Bloodshield being emitted from the Cauldrons is also crucial, as it offers your berserk warriors a decent save against all wounds AND mortal wounds! Not only that, there is no trigger or ability that has to happen, meaning even if your opponent gets a drop on you, you don't miss out on the shield because you perhaps haven't had a hero phase yet. Cauldrons can also dispel enemy casts and kick out useful prayers in the same manner that Plague Priests.
Where Daughters veer more sharply away from the parallels with Pestilens is their inclusion of powerful wizards in the form of Doomfire Warlocks. There's nothing subtle about the warlocks. They're designed for one thing and that is melting faces off. Combined with the sheer mortal wound potential from the lithe Bloodwrack Medusae, and the athletic throat-slitting of Sisters of Slaughter, the allegiance actually has a great degree of flexibility and tools available to them.
I think there is a great deal of power in this list, even with the Grand Alliance Order artefacts and command abilities, with hordes of attack-heavy, re-roll-heavy infantry (with a 7" move no less), some very fast mortal damage dealers, and plenty of options in the Allies department. The double pile in from the Cauldron's command ability just accentuates the army more. The sheer number of bodies combined with the Bloodshield, the tons of re-rolls, modifiers and buffs, as well as a complete disregard for Battleshock or caring if their opponents finish the game with their entrails on the right side of their skin, is a huge boon for the army.
So, why does no one play this army? There are certainly more expensive armies, and I believe there are certainly less versatile ones, and so I can't figure out for the life of me why I'm yet to see a Daughters army in the flesh. The models are absolutely stunning; the elegance and dynamic model range just waiting for someone to do an exceptional paint job. As well as that, they are probably one of the most unique armies going around.
With this season of the game where powerful combinations are emerging from every dark corner of the game (Moonclan Grots winning Heat 3 at Warhammer World being a good example), I think that Daughters of Khaine is just waiting for their moment in the sun!
Why am I not doing the army myself, you may ask? Well, after Pestilens, I'm going to need a loooong break from hordes. Not only that, I already have a super secret project in the process of being bought and built…
But now I'm just getting ahead of myself.
Thanks for reading,
Gabe
Sunday, 5 November 2017
#107: You got a friend in me… - Allies and where to find them.
In the General's Handbook 2017, army building changed dramatically. With an abundance of different Allegiances entering the fray, free of the constraints of having to wait for their own Battletome, and the addition of Allegiance-specific Battle-line choices, it has become obvious that Games Workshop is actively looking to guide the meta.
And I am totally ok with that…
It feels like the more we explore each faction, the more layers we are finding to the synergies and combos. And the more synergies and combos we find, the more attractive those minor factions become over the typical Grand Alliance armies of old (well, you know… a few months at least.).
One of the catalysts for this shift toward smaller faction Allegiances I think has a lot to do with the adjustments to certain artefacts (Battle Brew, I mean you!), and the introduction of Allies; and that's what I'd like to touch on today.
In the first iteration of the General's Handbook, choosing a specific Allegiance was quite restrictive. While it opened up a lot of fresh options and rules, you paid a high price by limiting yourself to a very small selection of units. Some armies were still very flexible, with generous options available to them, while others had a mere handful of units with which to cobble together an army. And naturally, the cost-versus-payoff was a decision each and every player had to make.
In time, several Allegiances proved themselves very capable of holding their own without help from outside their stable of units, while many players chose to dive headlong into the Grand Alliance mindset, cherry picking the cream of the crop and creating lethal combos brewed from a concoction of war scrolls and special rules. Eventually, the best combos rose to the surface, and we began to see the dreaded Sayl/Stormfiend/Bloodletter slingshot army, the Kunnin' Rukk/Stonehorn army, fifteen Kurnoth Bow-Hunters/Hurricanum… the list goes on.
In an effort to steer away from the prominence of Grand Alliance armies, the Allies mechanic has been introduced. In one swift motion, list building became much more flexible as well as having suitable constraints and boundaries. By giving each allegiance a list of allies, and a points limit, this now gives each player the room to stretch their legs and explore a whole new set of units and combos.
Now, in my opinion, Allies have one of three purposes. They are either a Sharpener, a Plug, or a Brick. Allow me to explain.
A Sharpener is an ally unit (or multiple units) that accentuates existing strengths already present in your army. A Loremaster is a perfect example of this, as his spell amplifies the killing potential of any model in your army (typically the biggest, angriest one!), and not restricted by any keywords, which is a huge deal. Sisters of the Thorn and Celestial Hurricanums are both exceptional Sharpeners, adding significant power to whatever force they join.
A Plug is a contingent of allies that poses a hard counter to a glaring weakness present in an army. For example, Beastclaw Raiders have always had a model count problem. They usually have very little in the way of expendable units, but in a new meta where scenarios can be influenced strongly by large units, the ability to purchase units such as Gnoblars gives Beastclaw armies access to cheap, numerous bodies to use as either objective campers, area denial units or screens; whichever is most needed. Alternatively, they can choose to invest a hefty sum in a Massive Regiment of Ogors, offering up a truly daunting slab of models. With 48 wounds spread across only twelve models, your opponent may struggle to get through the unit while also dedicating resources toward more aggressive threats (no one likes taking multiple Ice-Wreathed Spheres now, do they!). While this ally contingent is perhaps more expensive and less numerous than Gnoblars, it fills the same role with a little more tenacity; filling out your army with a large unit capable of claiming and holding objectives while taking acceptable losses. Dispossessed players may look to incorporate a Plug into their army in the form a Endrinriggers, giving them the speed and mobility that they so desperately need.
Lastly, there is the Brick; a self-sustained, independent unit or collaboration of units that gives you the tactical flexibility, damage output or survivability that you feel you need. Whether it's a Runesmiter and some of his friends, a Mourngul or the sheer destructive potential of a Celestant Prime, the idea behind the Brick is that you don't need to babysit it for it to be able to perform at full potential. Support won't hurt a Brick, but without it, your opponent still needs to have concern.
I think there are two questions you need to ask when writing a list.
"Do I need Allies at all?"
"Will an allied Warscroll make my army more powerful?"
I think that no matter what army you play, or army composition you prefer, there is a degree of flexibility offered by the Allies mechanic. I don't think Allies should be taken for the sake of it, and if it doesn't serve a specific purpose, I'd question it's presence in the list, but I am overall very happy with how list-building is currently. There is so much variety in the scene at the moment, and it's extraordinarily refreshing!
I don't think that there is any calculation on what the "best-in-slot" ally is, as it depends so heavily upon the main list and its strengths and weaknesses, but its fascinating seeing different players take the same list and spin it in completely different directions by simply mixing up the allied portion.
What are your go-to Allies, and how do they fit into your army? I'd love to know your thoughts.
Thanks for reading,
Gabe
And I am totally ok with that…
It feels like the more we explore each faction, the more layers we are finding to the synergies and combos. And the more synergies and combos we find, the more attractive those minor factions become over the typical Grand Alliance armies of old (well, you know… a few months at least.).
One of the catalysts for this shift toward smaller faction Allegiances I think has a lot to do with the adjustments to certain artefacts (Battle Brew, I mean you!), and the introduction of Allies; and that's what I'd like to touch on today.
In the first iteration of the General's Handbook, choosing a specific Allegiance was quite restrictive. While it opened up a lot of fresh options and rules, you paid a high price by limiting yourself to a very small selection of units. Some armies were still very flexible, with generous options available to them, while others had a mere handful of units with which to cobble together an army. And naturally, the cost-versus-payoff was a decision each and every player had to make.
In time, several Allegiances proved themselves very capable of holding their own without help from outside their stable of units, while many players chose to dive headlong into the Grand Alliance mindset, cherry picking the cream of the crop and creating lethal combos brewed from a concoction of war scrolls and special rules. Eventually, the best combos rose to the surface, and we began to see the dreaded Sayl/Stormfiend/Bloodletter slingshot army, the Kunnin' Rukk/Stonehorn army, fifteen Kurnoth Bow-Hunters/Hurricanum… the list goes on.
In an effort to steer away from the prominence of Grand Alliance armies, the Allies mechanic has been introduced. In one swift motion, list building became much more flexible as well as having suitable constraints and boundaries. By giving each allegiance a list of allies, and a points limit, this now gives each player the room to stretch their legs and explore a whole new set of units and combos.
Now, in my opinion, Allies have one of three purposes. They are either a Sharpener, a Plug, or a Brick. Allow me to explain.
A Sharpener is an ally unit (or multiple units) that accentuates existing strengths already present in your army. A Loremaster is a perfect example of this, as his spell amplifies the killing potential of any model in your army (typically the biggest, angriest one!), and not restricted by any keywords, which is a huge deal. Sisters of the Thorn and Celestial Hurricanums are both exceptional Sharpeners, adding significant power to whatever force they join.
A Plug is a contingent of allies that poses a hard counter to a glaring weakness present in an army. For example, Beastclaw Raiders have always had a model count problem. They usually have very little in the way of expendable units, but in a new meta where scenarios can be influenced strongly by large units, the ability to purchase units such as Gnoblars gives Beastclaw armies access to cheap, numerous bodies to use as either objective campers, area denial units or screens; whichever is most needed. Alternatively, they can choose to invest a hefty sum in a Massive Regiment of Ogors, offering up a truly daunting slab of models. With 48 wounds spread across only twelve models, your opponent may struggle to get through the unit while also dedicating resources toward more aggressive threats (no one likes taking multiple Ice-Wreathed Spheres now, do they!). While this ally contingent is perhaps more expensive and less numerous than Gnoblars, it fills the same role with a little more tenacity; filling out your army with a large unit capable of claiming and holding objectives while taking acceptable losses. Dispossessed players may look to incorporate a Plug into their army in the form a Endrinriggers, giving them the speed and mobility that they so desperately need.
Lastly, there is the Brick; a self-sustained, independent unit or collaboration of units that gives you the tactical flexibility, damage output or survivability that you feel you need. Whether it's a Runesmiter and some of his friends, a Mourngul or the sheer destructive potential of a Celestant Prime, the idea behind the Brick is that you don't need to babysit it for it to be able to perform at full potential. Support won't hurt a Brick, but without it, your opponent still needs to have concern.
I think there are two questions you need to ask when writing a list.
"Do I need Allies at all?"
"Will an allied Warscroll make my army more powerful?"
I think that no matter what army you play, or army composition you prefer, there is a degree of flexibility offered by the Allies mechanic. I don't think Allies should be taken for the sake of it, and if it doesn't serve a specific purpose, I'd question it's presence in the list, but I am overall very happy with how list-building is currently. There is so much variety in the scene at the moment, and it's extraordinarily refreshing!
I don't think that there is any calculation on what the "best-in-slot" ally is, as it depends so heavily upon the main list and its strengths and weaknesses, but its fascinating seeing different players take the same list and spin it in completely different directions by simply mixing up the allied portion.
What are your go-to Allies, and how do they fit into your army? I'd love to know your thoughts.
Thanks for reading,
Gabe
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