AoS Zultak Stormscales' Hunting Party (500-1000-1500)

Here are three fairly similar lists: rather speed-based, with a hard core of mounted Sauruses surrounded by a swarm of Skinks. The huge units of Skinks are there to whittle down the enemy, capture objectives, and disrupt movements to make sure my Sauruses charge first and don't get flanked too early.


500 points:

100 - Scar-Veteran on Cold One - Relic Blade, Reckless
100 - 5 Cold One Knights, blades
100 - 5 Cold One Knights, blades
200 - 40 Skinks, boltspitters, clubs

Notes: This is a fairly high model count for a 500-pt list, thanks to the bargain price on full-strength units of Skinks. I know there's something to be said about having two smaller units of Skinks instead of a big one, but they would lose their precious +2 bonus to hit; Old Ones know they need it.


1000 points:

260 - Scar-Veteran on Carnosaur - warblade (Relic Blade), Reckless
100 - 5 Cold One Knights, blades
100 - 5 Cold One Knights, blades
100 - 5 Cold One Knights, blades
200 - 40 Skinks, boltspitters, clubs
140 - 3 Ripperdactyls
80 - 2 Razordons

Notes: Not sure about the two Razordons at the end of the list; they're mostly a gap-filler for the remaining 100 points. I would prefer another unit of Cold One Knights, but I don't have the models. Would a Priest, Starpriest or 10-skink unit be a better choice than the Razors? I could also remove one Razor, replace the Scar-Vet on Carnie with a Scar-Vet on Cold One, and add an extra 40-skink unit.

My main concern with this list is that, with 7 separate units, I am unlikely to choose who gets first turn.


1500 points:

110 - Firelance Starhost

• 260 - Scar-Veteran on Carnosaur - warblade (Relic Blade), Reckless
  
• 100 - 5 Cold One Knights, blades
• 100 - 5 Cold One Knights, blades
• 100 - 5 Cold One Knights, blades

170 - Shadowstrike Starhost

• 80 - Skink Priest with priestly trappings
• 200 - 40 Skinks, boltspitters, clubs
• 200 - 40 Skinks, boltspitters, clubs
• 140 - 3 Ripperdactyls

40 - Razordon

Notes: Again with a Razordon as a gap-filler. Are starhosts still worth it despite the spike in their price? Without the starhosts I could save 280 points, the price of a Bastiladon. On the other hand, with only three things to put on the table, I have a pretty good chance to choose who goes first.

Though the Priest is part of the Shadowstrike Starhost, he'll stick closer to the Firelance Starhost.

 

Taking a Skink Starpriest instead of the regular priest would also be a good idea since he could buff the bite attacks of a unit in the firelance battalion. The double damage on the cold-one jaws and the carnosaur bite is pretty nice. The list is pretty awesome though! Also, adding a Slann allows you to quickly upgrade to the new Dracothian's Tail battalion (which i personally love).

 

Huh, for some reason I'd never even noticed the Serpent Staff ability on the warscroll. Pretty nifty. Would double damage on the Carnosaur's bite mean 2D3 damage, or D3 x2 damage?

Might consider a Slann in 2000 points, but I don't have the model yet.

 

Haha yeah it's a pretty great ability!! The answer to the true nature of doubling the damage is probably somewhere in the FAQ (which I have not read), though I feel as if it is D3 x2! I also don't have a Slann yet but that it is definitely going to be my next purchase.

 

Hello

I have a question regarding the Knights: What do you think about lance on them. Expecially on a firelance starhost, so any 6 deal 2 Mortal Wound ?

 

They're pretty good. It's tough to mathhammer what's better between blades and lances, since you have to estimate how many turns they'll be charging vs. continuing a fight already in progress. I mostly use the blades for appearance, simplicity, and ease of transportation. This, combined with the trouble of re-equiping painted models, means lances would have to be unquestionably better than blades for me to consider replacing my blades with lances.

I don't know about that. Seems like more trouble than it's worth, given they cannot charge on the turn they teleport.

 

They can't charge after being teleported out of combat? Does it count as a retreat??

 

Away from books at the moment, but IIRC, no unit can move or charge on the turn they get teleported (unless you roll a 6, in which case the unit can move but still cannot charge).

Even if I'm mistaken and they can charge after teleportation, you must still set them up more than 9 inches away from the enemy. A 9-inch charge means putting more faith in my dice than I'm comfortable with. The best case scenario would be to get two consecutive turns, but I wouldn't bank on that, either.

 

If I'm not mistaken, the teleportation ability says that the MOVEMENT phase gets used when teleporting, not the charging phase!

 

but they would still have to roll a 6 AND make the 9 inch charge? i guess it is pretty unlikely still

 

Reading the book, I see they can charge after being teleported, but may only move in the Movement phase if the Slann rolled a 6.

So on a 1: unit fails to teleport, and cannot move or charge.
On a 2-5: unit teleported, cannot move, can charge but must do so from 9 inches away.
On a 6: unit teleported, can move and charge.

So yeah, odds aren't favorable unless you have a Starseer and/or make your charge in proximity to the Saurus Scar-Vet from the Firelance Starhost to get that precious +3 inches.

Anyway, while Slanns are better than they used to be, I don't think I'll take one.

 

You really like Saurus Knights!

I don't know what models you have, but you could run a bloodclaw starhost and stack Cowboys to give all the Cold Ones 3 more attacks each (15) per squad.

I find that to work better than trying to roll 6's with the Lances for 2 mortal wounds. The only upside the Firelance has is the +3 to charge. Meanwhile the Bloodclaw also nets you the Saurus Oldbloods command ability which you can use for a 3" move or give a Saurus Cowboy more attacks.

 

You don't need all the different heroes. 3 Scar Vet Cold Ones satisfies it.

 

Wait, do those bonuses stack? I never knew that.

I'm not familiar with the Bloodclaw Starhost. I only have the Seraphon rulebook and both the old and the new General's Handbook.


@ Aginor: IMO your list's model count is too low for 2,000 points. Then again I don't know how it plays, I've been taken off-guard before by armies I vastly outnumbered.