Trying to pick my characters for a 3-way game in December. Originally I wanted 2 priests and a cheap Oldblood. But now I'm undecided between A) 1 priest (beasts), a bsb and an Oldblood, B) cowboy and priest only, or my original for more magic.. I'm playing 2 blocks of Saurus with supporting fire, so I wanted Wyssan's wildform. But a lvl 2 heavens would be great support.. BSB helps my whole line not run though. Probably between a 1k and 1.5 game. Any strategies?
Why not cowboy, beast priest, and bastiladon? Priest and bastiladon can both buff saurus, and use the solar engine for an additional damage dealing spell that can't miscast?
Hmm.. So take my words any way ypu want since I'm not as experienced as some of the other guys on the board, but here's how I see it: (All) Saurus models come with Ld8. If you want it to hold out as long as possible take 25 saurus with 5 in each rank and sword/shield. Why? Because your opponents will have to utterly destroy you if he want you to run. Cold blooded is almost pure hax from my experience - usually I fail my Ld test if I've been smacked in the face, hard, otherwise they stay put. So what I mean is that you aren't as reliable of a BSB as some other armies might be. I mean the BSB IS nice, especially on a slann with the discipline banner (Ld 10), but since you can't take a slann now it'll probalby not be worth having a BSB. I mean rererolling to get below 4 or something like that in a break test isn't exactly sexeh. So uhm yeah.. If I were to make an army list i would probably be something like: - Oldblood with GW and stegadon helmet on CO: you now have a WS6, S7, T6, AS+1, W3 model that can take a beating and dish some out. lvl 1 beast priest with scroll: so you obviously don't rely on your own magic phase to win the game, but can still save you against the odd Dwellers Below at this point range (once). - 2 x 24 saurus with sword/shield. 4 ranks of 6. IF you go just the slightest up from 1000pts (say 1100pts) take more units (25 will be fine) and banner/musician. - 5 COR without spear, banner or musician. That'll leave you at 984 pts, so you can now either decide to ditch the scroll and go for a lvl 2 priest, give your oldblood something else (change steg helmet to armour of destiny) or have a single banner somewhere and use the remaining 6(5) pts on.. something, most likely on your oldblood. OR, ditch the scroll and go for spears on the COR, but uhm yeah.. I'm not too sure on that. A bit of a risk IMO and I'm personally against leaving home without a scroll. This'll leave you with 2 defensive blocks and 2 heavy hitting units (at this point range). I would put infantry in the middle, cavalry on the flanks and priest behind the infantry. So obvioulsly you didn't ask for all of this lol, but on the other hand I've reasoned why I would do as I would. You can obviously always decide not to have COR and instead have a cheap AS+1 scar vet + banners for your saurus warriors. It would then be 10 WS4/S4 + 10 (20) WS3/S4 hits vs 4WS5/S7 + 2 WS3/S4 (6) hits (scar vet vs COR). I enjoy skinks as much as the next guy, but at this point range I'd probably go with something hard hitting. OR, if you prefer, a tar pit of 30 skinks instead of the COR and use one of your other saurus blocks with spears.. I don't know.. Personally I'd go with what I've written and not have 2 characters on cold ones. For 1000pts I'd go defensive magic (lvl 1 mage w/ scroll).The reason is that unless your opponents goes with a lvl 4 mages chances aren't that high for him to get Dwellers Below or something like that. Also getting a +2 casting value instead of +1 when casting wyssans wildform isn't exactly crazy, although Wyssans Wildform + Amber Spear is nice. Buttom line is that you can definately use those 35pts an extra wizard level costs on something. So again, that's my experience is rather limited. I haven'y played at 1000pts, but our T4, AS4+ core units tend to be rather resilient compared to most other factions core units so I'd definitely take 2 of those blocks. Should you get Wyssans wildform off on them they'll have a fun lol. At any rate I'd probably keep the Oldblood. He's probably nearly unkillable at 1000pts and can you somehow afford a dawnstone on him along with the steg helmet he'll slaughter anything he gets close to without taking wounds. *EDIT* now that I think about it at 1000pts a scar vet with armour of destiny will be will save you 60pts. This'll give you enough pts to get a lvl 2 beast priest along with banners 3 banners and a musician somewhere (if you go by the list I supplied). That might actually be the better deal overall.
So you would buff our I1 units to.. I2? I mean he isn't exactly getting Hand of Glory off The Bast if alright, but I'd go with COR since they'll have more WS, one less T, but more Armour and hits with a lot more attacks, at the same strenght. *EDIT* Also COR are more reliable than the solar engine bound spell, at least in my opinion.
So you would buff our I1 units to.. I2? I mean he isn't exactly getting Hand of Glory off The Bast if alright, but I'd go with COR since they'll have more WS, one less T, but more Armour and hits with a lot more attacks, at the same strenght. *EDIT* Also COR are more reliable than the solar engine bound spell, at least in my opinion.[/quote] Haha, well it's not a marvelous buff, true enough. But it is a monster, which is something to be reckoned with. And yeah, I'd agree that a unit of COR would probably be more cost-effective. Though at 1k points I'd probably take both. Definitely at 1500 points. Also, at that size game you should run a good group of chamo skinks (my favorite unit) to hunt down wizards, war machines, and monsters.
I would never leave home without a BSB. Just because the Slann is the best BSB doesn't mean a Scar Veteran BSB is a waste.
This In fact a Slann BSB is more neglible than a Saurus BSB - why?, ld10 will need a reroll more rarely than ld 8. Otherwise, and if you wanna save some points consider a Terradon mounted Skink BSB. A scarvet BSB goes at 105 points nekkid. A skink chief BSB on terradon goes at 100 sharp. - his save is 1 worse, and you don't nessecarily need or want him to fight, but he can be anywhere you need him. At 1000 points if you give him LA and an enchanted shield (7 pts), he has a 2+ save - 3 str 4 attacks, 2 wounds and a stomp to follow. I find it weird that the little guy is being neglected, especially after he got cut down to 20 slaves a man
I love the Skink chief on Rippa. I usually stand within the general bubble in first turns so I dont have the problems with frenzy. The main difference between the chief in bird and a cowboy is that you cannot threat armoured units/heroes and is more focused in light chaff/warmachines/mages. And those thing could already be done by chameleons/terradons/rippas. If you need something good, take a cowboy.
If this in semi response to my post - it makes little sense. i suggested a BSB skink on terradon for a mobile BSB, i dit not suggest a warmachine hunter or the likes. There's still plenty of option to buy an OB on CO as the general and get both worlds, but really the BSB i suggested is not meant a a combat monster, but simply a supporting role which can if needed still be applied to pressure points where he might sway the battle in ones own favor.
Wow! Some great replies. Thanks guys! Some thoughts: No Batille thanks. Too worried about cannons and other WMs in this particular game. Going to try and squeeze a cheap Oldblood, with a BSB defensive scar-vet for one of my blocks, as well as a priest. Now I just gotta sort out the points Wish me luck!
An oldblood on CO will cost you 60pts more than a scar vet on CO, naked. If points are tight you can save some there.
I have played quite a few battle royal games so here's a few things to keep in mind: - points come from killing other generals and controlling the objectives - so protect your general!, and make sure there's don't survive - don't take valuables - I've found that if you are the one in the middle, it's better not to let your expensive units/monsters to to waste. Also if you deploy in the centre on the objective, others will want it! - prepare for setting up in the middle - you will rerget having on of your unit charged in the flank/rear because you set up in a circle formation, because you don't know were your opponents are deploying - be prepared to be charge by a lot of enemies- with the above point, if you find yourself to be in the middle, it not too easy to hold against a heap of charging units, so if you're using saurus take a lot of them (for wounds and steadfst!). I find that lots of skinks to good with shooting and moving around, but have taken 30 saurus (least) and have pulled through - I have found that skinks are quick at getting the heck out of the middle. This is helpful especially when a comet or vortex might come flying through the middle (I know I like to take Heavens for this exact reason ) So: - even if it's low points, take an Oldblood and buff him up with 2+ and 4++ and other things. Your opponents will be suprised if they haven't done the same things - take a few skink priests --> and try to get the Comet, maybe 1 or 2 with beasts for Wyssan's - either heaps of saurus or heaps of skinks (do you want combat or lots of shooting?) If you are in the middle, you will die quickly but doesn't mean you can still hunt some generals, to maybe couple of lone buffed up chiefs to issue some challenges Good Luck
Thanks for the reply! I had finally settled on my list, and now its in shambles again. Oldblood is coming back. BSB is staying, might swtich to lvl 2 heavens priest though. The core and special are pretty much sorted. How would you deploy in the middle if not in a circle? Only other option I can think of is to just load up on Bastillodons to form a perimeter just so I don't get flank charged.. But that has its own problems
Hmmm... How about a hedgehog defence ? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedgehog_defence (camping out in advantagous terrain)