AoS 1500 pts for Tournament

[Nart]

Here it comes.

Allegiance: Seraphon
Mortal Realm: Aqshy

Leaders
Slann Starmaster
- General
- Trait: Great Rememberer
- Artefact: Ignax's Scales
Saurus Astrolith Bearer
Skink Starpriest
Saurus Scar-Veteran on Carnosaur
- War Spear
- Artefact: Thermalrider Cloak

Battleline
10 x Skinks
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers
10 x Skinks
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers
10 x Skinks
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers

Units
6 x Ripperdactyl Riders

Battalions
Shadowstrike Starhost

Endless Spells
Balewind Vortex
Chronomantic Cogs

Total: 1480 / 1500
Extra Command Points: 1
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 77


The missions will be battle for the pass, arcane places of power and scorched earth.

Only 5 drops is ok to me, looks like I have high chances to choose who goes first. I'm going to get first turn whenever I can, unless heavy shooting is against me.

Slann with GR will sit deep in my deployment doing what he does best - generate CCP and summon scary stuff, screened by skinks. Ignax will save him against mortal wounds, because I already can get up to -2 in shooting phase and screen him against close combat with skinks.

Astrolith not only will give me more points, but serve as summoning beacon, bringing forces closer to the lines. Not having to plant astrolith is a huge boost. His bonuses to casting also vital for bringing both cogs and vortex turn 1. I will try to get him near Carno, if the latter engages something. Despite being costly, his loss won't be as critical for me as in TQ list.

Priest for shadowstrike, casting cogs and APoP. Summon starlight will help carno survive a little longer or give additional layer of defence to slann.

Carno maybe an odd choice. I don't have oldblood - probably it couldbe a better one. Anyway, scarvet is for APoP mission. He could easily grab objective turn one due to up to 20 movement with TRC (10+4+6 for command ability). His ability to fly will also make enemy army backlines more vulnerable - especially for fragile heroes. If he manages to eat something and survie, his 20+2d6 charge move makes him even more dangerous. He still lack survivability, however, and his damage output is low.

Skinks here for objectives and screening as always. I'm going to bring another 10 turn 1, if my roll for Astro is OK. With shadowstrike bonus movement, they will grab objectives turn 1, if it is my turn 1. I plan to constantly recycle them with slann and place at unconvinitent places for my opponent with Astrolith.

Ripperdactyls are there to kill or weaken single scaries thing on the table or another key unit. They can also score some points both at BftP and SE missions by taking/burning objectives in enemy zone. They also could kill enemy wizards/artefact bearers at APoP.

Balewind - no comments.

Cogs not only give me +3 CCP, but may help to get summoned units where they needed and turn 9+ charge to 7+. Carno will move up to 22 inches, which raising threat level even higher. Slann with 2+/3+ rerollable is also very nice too.

Summoning:

Skinks, Rippers and Bastiladons. No need for comments either.

Options:

Note that I don't own EotG (I can borrow one, probably) or razors/sallies.

1) Replace Carno with bastiladon, ditching cogs.

This was the first version of my list, but I don't see a point at bringing him at the table. He won't contribute to any mission, his shooting is mediocre and clever opponents can just ignore it or tie with chaff. This is still an option, however, because bastiladon can shoot and still tough. The point is if I need to bring it with summoning or straight into a list.

2) Ditch cogs, bring another starpriest/priest.

This can be nice, because realm magic will be used. He also grants ability to cast Summon Starlight from turn 1 and give additional casting for the rest of the game. Another unbind is also nice. It could be helpful in APoP too.

Priest is also an option, but 4+ is too random and no magic.

Also, I have 20 points left. I can leave them for triumph chance or take blades/chains endless spells to fill them.

The list look very mobile to me and can bring lots of VP turn 1. Main weakness is low damage output outside ripperdactyls. There will be bonus points for unit killing too, but I hope summoning more rippers will compensate it to certaint extent.

Looking forward for critics and advice. Maybe, there are holes in my logic? Anything will do and thank you beforehand!

 

[LizardWizard]

Your list looks well tuned. I think the endless spells are better than any of the triumphs.

Best of luck!

P.S Razordons

 

[Nart]

Thank you!

I'd gladly include razors, but my drakespawn knights for conversions are still on the way. I doubt I will have time to convert and paint them.

And Carno only has its base coat while one pack of rippers not even assembled.

But they will be in my list for 2000 pts next time definitely.

 

[Killer Angel]

The list seems solid, and so the reasoning behind it.

Given that you are saving 20 pts, you really should use an oldblood on carno instead of the scarvet.
unless you're playing an official tournament with strict WYSIWYG, non one should object to it. It's a hero on Carno, and you have the model.

It's worth to check the thing before the tournament.

 

[Nart]

It is 100% WYSIWYG, so ScarVet is my only option. I wish I could go for Oldblood myself, but I cannot even borrow it. Still ScarVet has Stardrake Shield, which is also nice for what I want him to do.

I thought about cogs vs starpriest and decided, that another SP could be easily summoned, if I need him for PoAP. Slann can sacrifice his CCP generation in favor of spells if I really need them.

Thank you for your advice!

 

[Nart]

Okay, I had a test game today against LoN. My opponent is not hardcore competitive player, but there are no people in my town who is interested in AoS anyway. So he didn't bring most competitive list here - Arkhan, VLoZD, Necromancer, 40 skeletons, 2x10 zombies and Mortis Engine - Legion of Sacrament. Etherial Shield was on VL and Arkhan was general.

In short, I destroyed him 32-3 for in mission, but we had about a draw at kill points (tournament that I want go to has KP homerules which count summoned units too).

I told him, that rippers strikes from the skies, but he still understimated them. Mission was battle for the pass and I did exactly as I intended.

Nothing interesting on deplyment, he placed all his monsters/heroes together, zombies were in front of them and skelies at the graves. He placed 2 gravesites at central points and 2 in his deployment zone. I easily placed toad amidst his heroes, successfully cast all needed spells, set cogs at +2 charge/move and destoyed Arkhan. I teleported and charged Mortis Engine with Carno but did just a couple wounds. I also took 3 objectives with skinks and denied both central gravesites.

Since than the game was decided, as he could not place skeletons at good position or return them with general. During remaining turns his VL kept killing anything he charged, but got stuck at bastiladon I summoned turn 3. I summoned some more skinks and rippers. Former for better control, latter for killing zombies. Carno ultimately killed mortis engine, but ended up with a single wound - I had to teleport it turn 4 deep at my territory to save KP.

In the end, he didn't manage to score any points besides his homepoint, which I took by turn 4 with teleported skinks. He summoned skeletons turn 5 from the only free gravesite. If it was real tournament game, I think, I could deny him that site too, but I decided just have fun with trying to kill VL with Slann's realmspells (we played in Shyish, btw).

Conclusions:

Skinks awesome as always. 3d6+10 move for shadowstrike (including run and cogs) allowed me to grab both points turn 1.

Starpriest helped to cast cogs turn 1 and helped with Summon Starlight. Nothing special.

Astro helped with +1 for cast rolls (I had Sages staff too), making endless spells way more reliable. His role as summoning beacon paid off too. No point ever field a bastiladon without this guy too. "Wholly within 12" hurt a bit couple of times, but nothing critical. I could avoid it if I was more attentive.

Carno felt useless, tbh. He did very little damage because of poor to-hit and no rerolls nearby - it is really hard to keep astro near without compromising him. I need to play PoAP before deciding if I really need it or astrolith with artefact will do. It is not that survivable anyway. Bastiladon at least can kill something and tie up scary things.

Shadowstrike did even better than I expected. Just after beak attacks arkhan ended up with 4 wounds left, and I could put only 5 ripperdactyls at him.
But there are two weak points - even if your opponent opened his important monsters, you cannot always put all 6 models to the base and with very little screening alphastrike could be easily denied. On the other hand, I can give my opponent first turn and wait until he spreads up a bit. Even if he doesn't his movement will be tied.

I need some more testing before I can tall what I should bring.

 

[Nart]

Got another test against LoN. Now we played arcane places of power. This time a lesser victory for me (13-9). We tied at killpoints again, but more in my favor.

I changed nothing, my opponent replaced Arkhan with 6 Vargeists and gave VLoZD Lord of Nagashizzar trait. I used pretty much the same tactics - ignore dragon and go for VP, trying to kill everything else. Summoning bastiladon turn 2 is mandatory. Still dice was on my side with several lucky cast and charge rolls. Rolled good for bastiladon number of shots too. I placed starpriest turn 1 at one objective behind LoS and carnosaur to another, both close to edges, ignoring center. LoN tried to screen with zombies against ripperdactyl, but I still managed to charge pretty well, because 20 zombies simply not enough to secure everything. I managed to kill his necromancer and two vargeists, as well as some zombies. On his turn he slaughtered rippers and came to the central objective with VLoZD, where he stayed for 3 turns, before coming for lonley starpriest, but it was pretty much over by that time, because I already had 12 VP, while he had only 6 and only 1 unit to hold objectives. I killed mortis engine (why does he keep bringing it against LD 10 seraphon?) and vargeists (last two ran away after carnosaur bloodroar, such satisfying), and he pulled 40 skellies only turn 4, because I held all gravetides with skinks and resummoned rippers. Skellies killed carno and a pack of rippers, but that was it - I destroyed them with bastiladon and another ripper pack.

All was going just as I expected - I was holding two opposite objectives, while he had only single unit for effective scoring. I forced him to draw dragon away from other troops to deny bonuses like deathless minions. I also forced him to waste dragon breath and charges on skinks, because they held gravesites.

I'm still not sure about my deсision to strike screened units. Probably setting frog at central objective and wait for him to come was a better idea. But they killed one of his two heroes, who could hold objectives, which made me a game.

Conclusions

Yeah, I'm taking carno. He is our most resiliesnt hero. Eotg could be a better choice, if I had one, though.

Swords are a waste, I'd better take shackles.

 

[Aginor]

Good reports!

I assume you mean Quicksilver Swords?
Yeah, they might be nice to just add those one or two last mortal wounds on an enemy unit, but the Soulsnare Shackles - while cheap and often overlooked - are very good in a game like AoS in which efficient placement of models is important for damage.
They have won at least two games for me. Just because they were in the way.

As for the Mortis Engine: perhaps the player is just proud of the model and wants to play it. I can understand that, I like mine a lot.
And it can be quite useful in battle, especially against magic heavy lists, or to just buff casters. Against your list though...yeah, not that great I guess.

 

[Nart]

As for the Mortis Engine: perhaps the player is just proud of the model and wants to play it. I can understand that, I like mine a lot.
And it can be quite useful in battle, especially against magic heavy lists, or to just buff casters. Against your list though...yeah, not that great I guess.

Yes, that is probably the case.

Unfortunately, tournament got cancelled, and I'm looking for the next one in April. It will be 2000, and I want to expend my current list with some new stuff.

Allegiance: Order
Mortal Realm: Aqshy

Leaders
Slann Starmaster
- General
- Trait: Great Rememberer
- Artefact: Ignax's Scales
Saurus Astrolith Bearer
- Artefact: Thermalrider Cloak
Skink Starpriest

Battleline

Units
40 x Skinks (240)
- Boltspitters & Star Bucklers
10 x Skinks (60)
- Meteoric Javelins & Star Bucklers
10 x Skinks (60)
- Meteoric Javelins & Star Bucklers
6 x Ripperdactyl Riders
2 x Razordons

Behemoths
Bastiladon
Bastiladon

Battalions
Shadowstrike Starhost

Endless Spells
Balewind Vortex

Total: 2000 / 2000
Extra Command Points: 1
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 117

The ideas a basiacally the same. Skink horde will go for objectives and their shooting should be enough to clear small units. Bastiladons will give both firepower and scoring in missions where behemoths can take objectives. Razors are for more fire support. Astrolith with TRC not only can take objectives at missions like PoAP, but better at bringing his auras where needed.

I think about dropping BWV for 1 more razordon, since I'm not planning to summon big stuff. I can exchange one bastiladon for Scar Vet on carno and give TRQ to him instead of astro. This will bring me to 4 razordons, which is better for alphastrike. But in longer games, keeping BWV will give slann more defence and 2 more razordons in 4 turns.

What do you think?

 

[Aginor]

Should work I think.