TOW First tournament at 2000 - 5 matches

[Kalisto]

First tournament, 5 matches, no limits except those from the books.

1) Played against an ogre with diverse monsters (stonehorn), caster level 4 och flera ogres samt scout. HE had nothing left.
2)Second game against an ogre-goblins with orc on wyvern and dragon slayer blade, 1 night goblins with 3 fanatics, 2 orc units, some orc savage skirmish, giant, 3d6 random squig chariot and 2 catapults. Won 14-6
3)Third game against Chaos lord on dragon with great weapon ward save and regeneration 5+ as well as 2 Tzeentch casters (level 4 and 2) with +1 spell each och +2 casting due skull and tzeentch unit. 6 ogres and 4 dragonogres. Due scenario started without the slann that was in reserve. Lost 17-3... i still thank i did 3 points..
4) Fourth match against double strigoi lord (ogre blade one and dragonslayer the other) both on terrorgheist. 120 skeletons/zombie, 2 caster level 2 and some bath as well 6 knights with 2 wounds each.
Had LOT of unlucky agaisnt terrorgheist even with flame attacks, dragon slayer killed carnosaur directly (had to charge since had no much other choices). Lost 16-4
5) Fifth match against Dark Elf with chaos lord on dragon with sword that wound at 2 +, caster level 4, 25 pikemen, 20 black guard, 7+1 cold ones with BSB 20 crossbowmen, not a good list except the lord and inexperienced player, I killed everything and he did zero points... 20-0 (carnosaur left with 1 wound against the dragon)

I played with this list:

++ Characters [911 pts]
++ Slann Mage-Priest [390 pts] - Hand weapon - Battle Standard Bearer - Lore Familiar - Becalming Cogitation - Elementalism

Skink Chief [114 pts] - Cavalry spear (if appropriately mounted) - Light armour (Calloused hide) - Terradon - Charmed Shield - Ruby Ring of Ruin

Saurus Oldblood [407 pts] - Hand weapon - Heavy armour (Scaly skin) - Shield - Carnosaur - Blade Of Revered Tzunki - Talisman of Protection

++ Core Units [603 pts] ++

14 Saurus Warrior [210 pts] - Hand weapons - Shields - Heavy armour (Scaly skin) - Spawn Leader (champion) - Standard bearer

10 Skink Skirmishers [50 pts] - Hand weapons - Javelins - Shields - Light armour (Calloused hides)

10 Skink Skirmishers [50 pts] - Hand weapons - Javelins - Shields - Light armour (Calloused hides)

17 Temple Guard [293 pts] - Hand weapons - Halberds - Shields - Heavy armour (Scaly skin) - Revered Guardian (champion) - Standard bearer - Musician

++ Special Units [230 pts] ++

1 Bastiladon [175 pts] - thunderous bludgeon and Solar Engine - Skink Crew (x3) with hand weapons and Javelins (required)

5 Chameleon Skinks [55 pts] - Blowpipes - Hand weapons - Light armour (Calloused hides)

++ Rare Units [255 pts] ++
1 Ancient Stegadon [255 pts] - Great horns and Engine of the Gods - Skink Crew (x5) with hand weapons and Javelins (required) ---

Consideration now:

Carnosaur did like nothing, never had the chance to do multiple wounds except once, too many ward saves/reg saves or hard hitting) Fury was a problem only once since he cant restrain and reform as everyone else on dragon do!

Slann was good but not exceptional, it+s good to have 18" range for leadership and BSB, lore familiar with elementalism too. Becalming cogitaton was GREAT (not for the reroll that was just effective twice but thank the 27" dispel range). Ethereal would have help once in the third game ut nothing more than so.

Skink on terradon with ruby of ring...on a flank, really grade S. Amazing! Not so strong as i believed in hand to combat although, i'll probably change his lance to an extra hand weapon OR a javelin, shot at 2/3 + always with S4 isn't so bad. Charged just twice (a catapult half dead and a flank of cvrossbowmen)

14 saurus, i gave them no chance, they were amazing, 2 rankes of 7. Killed a orc unit and a dark elf unit, stopped terrorgheist for 2 full rounds.

17 Temple guards, lot of points but did their job blocking as much as possible dragons.

Skinks with javelin, simply amazing, still i missed one unit with blowpipe to multiple shot in the back. If i only had 60 points more...

Bastiladon, the casting missile is really good, negating also regeneration, i could play 80% of time out of dispel range. He had enough defence to don't die in melee except once against a dragon.

Ancient stegadon with engine....sincerely? Good for melee even if you have no AP to impact hits, quite bad for missile. He is always inside dispel range, has no AP. Idk if 25 point extra are worth it, probably, but would like to try the bolt thrower as well.

Chameleon not exceptionally but did their job, scouting and distracting. I believe they are worth it. To be only 5 to scout instead 10 is a big difference in imho. Would be interesting to scout with 10 skinks with javelin but they would probably often fail marching test with leadership 5, so not sure they would be worth it.

 

[Kalisto]

Some info on tournament with different lists here https://ecksen.com/tournament/2311

 

[discomute]

Nice write up. I like the list although I'd probably lose the cham skinks for slightly more Saurus. Probably the engine too. Did you ever wish you had a slightly larger block or Saurus or was 14 good?

Interesting comment about the carnosaur. I only realised he's the only monster without stubborn.

 

[Kalisto]

I felt that I had already too much infantry. Just 14 saurus can make much more thank just 10 so those 60 points are probably worth (I sacrificed 10 skinks with blowpipes, that I missed too)

I don’t think that 2 big blocks of infantry is the way. Too many monsters cavalry and so on.
5 chameleons cost as 10 skink explorer more or less, and you need one unit, nearly always. As well you need at least 2 units skirmisher.

About the engine idk really… it shots quite a lot but didn’t a lot. Now all infantry have nearly 4+ armour save. And you can’t shoot on cavalry within 15” without reasonable risk to get a charge against. It may work… but even no. Giant now is not bad… but is just one model at 5+. Lot of experience against ogres and dragonogres… it helps but don’t kills. Engine of gods may at least damage more kind of units in a 360 degree. And flaming attack may be good against regeneration

 

[airjamy]

First tournament, 5 matches, no limits except those from the books.

1) Played against an ogre with diverse monsters (stonehorn), caster level 4 och flera ogres samt scout. HE had nothing left.
2)Second game against an ogre-goblins with orc on wyvern and dragon slayer blade, 1 night goblins with 3 fanatics, 2 orc units, some orc savage skirmish, giant, 3d6 random squig chariot and 2 catapults. Won 14-6
3)Third game against Chaos lord on dragon with great weapon ward save and regeneration 5+ as well as 2 Tzeentch casters (level 4 and 2) with +1 spell each och +2 casting due skull and tzeentch unit. 6 ogres and 4 dragonogres. Due scenario started without the slann that was in reserve. Lost 17-3... i still thank i did 3 points..
4) Fourth match against double strigoi lord (ogre blade one and dragonslayer the other) both on terrorgheist. 120 skeletons/zombie, 2 caster level 2 and some bath as well 6 knights with 2 wounds each.
Had LOT of unlucky agaisnt terrorgheist even with flame attacks, dragon slayer killed carnosaur directly (had to charge since had no much other choices). Lost 16-4
5) Fifth match against Dark Elf with chaos lord on dragon with sword that wound at 2 +, caster level 4, 25 pikemen, 20 black guard, 7+1 cold ones with BSB 20 crossbowmen, not a good list except the lord and inexperienced player, I killed everything and he did zero points... 20-0 (carnosaur left with 1 wound against the dragon)

I played with this list:

++ Characters [911 pts]
++ Slann Mage-Priest [390 pts] - Hand weapon - Battle Standard Bearer - Lore Familiar - Becalming Cogitation - Elementalism

Skink Chief [114 pts] - Cavalry spear (if appropriately mounted) - Light armour (Calloused hide) - Terradon - Charmed Shield - Ruby Ring of Ruin

Saurus Oldblood [407 pts] - Hand weapon - Heavy armour (Scaly skin) - Shield - Carnosaur - Blade Of Revered Tzunki - Talisman of Protection

++ Core Units [603 pts] ++

14 Saurus Warrior [210 pts] - Hand weapons - Shields - Heavy armour (Scaly skin) - Spawn Leader (champion) - Standard bearer

10 Skink Skirmishers [50 pts] - Hand weapons - Javelins - Shields - Light armour (Calloused hides)

10 Skink Skirmishers [50 pts] - Hand weapons - Javelins - Shields - Light armour (Calloused hides)

17 Temple Guard [293 pts] - Hand weapons - Halberds - Shields - Heavy armour (Scaly skin) - Revered Guardian (champion) - Standard bearer - Musician

++ Special Units [230 pts] ++

1 Bastiladon [175 pts] - thunderous bludgeon and Solar Engine - Skink Crew (x3) with hand weapons and Javelins (required)

5 Chameleon Skinks [55 pts] - Blowpipes - Hand weapons - Light armour (Calloused hides)

++ Rare Units [255 pts] ++
1 Ancient Stegadon [255 pts] - Great horns and Engine of the Gods - Skink Crew (x5) with hand weapons and Javelins (required) ---

Consideration now:

Carnosaur did like nothing, never had the chance to do multiple wounds except once, too many ward saves/reg saves or hard hitting) Fury was a problem only once since he cant restrain and reform as everyone else on dragon do!

Slann was good but not exceptional, it+s good to have 18" range for leadership and BSB, lore familiar with elementalism too. Becalming cogitaton was GREAT (not for the reroll that was just effective twice but thank the 27" dispel range). Ethereal would have help once in the third game ut nothing more than so.

Skink on terradon with ruby of ring...on a flank, really grade S. Amazing! Not so strong as i believed in hand to combat although, i'll probably change his lance to an extra hand weapon OR a javelin, shot at 2/3 + always with S4 isn't so bad. Charged just twice (a catapult half dead and a flank of cvrossbowmen)

14 saurus, i gave them no chance, they were amazing, 2 rankes of 7. Killed a orc unit and a dark elf unit, stopped terrorgheist for 2 full rounds.

17 Temple guards, lot of points but did their job blocking as much as possible dragons.

Skinks with javelin, simply amazing, still i missed one unit with blowpipe to multiple shot in the back. If i only had 60 points more...

Bastiladon, the casting missile is really good, negating also regeneration, i could play 80% of time out of dispel range. He had enough defence to don't die in melee except once against a dragon.

Ancient stegadon with engine....sincerely? Good for melee even if you have no AP to impact hits, quite bad for missile. He is always inside dispel range, has no AP. Idk if 25 point extra are worth it, probably, but would like to try the bolt thrower as well.

Chameleon not exceptionally but did their job, scouting and distracting. I believe they are worth it. To be only 5 to scout instead 10 is a big difference in imho. Would be interesting to scout with 10 skinks with javelin but they would probably often fail marching test with leadership 5, so not sure they would be worth it.

Interesting, thanks for the writeup! Sounds like a pretty competitive field with so many turbo dragons. I would not have expected the Chief on Terradon being good with him being so easy to kill, cool that he did his job, makes me think about him differently and more eager to try him. I just find it really hard to fit him in, i personally really want to run 3 ridden behemoths in every 2K list. I personally have realy liked the bolt thrower, i think in your list with only 1 engine that was definitely better. I am also surprised you didnt like the Carno, was it that he was too small to actually kill enemy turbo dragons? I am testing them still, i do like it how he is very fast compared to our other monsters with Swiftstride.

 

[Kalisto]

Carnosaur failed two easy charges (7+) and has much less movement than a dragon. Due furious cannot restrain and reform as all other do and this is the big difference with TOW. 2 Stegadons would be nice but they don’t kill dragons and don’t stop them, same for cavalry since they have no swiftstride

 

[discomute]

Carnosaur failed two easy charges (7+) and has much less movement than a dragon. Due furious cannot restrain and reform as all other do and this is the big difference with TOW. 2 Stegadons would be nice but they don’t kill dragons and don’t stop them, same for cavalry since they have no swiftstride

Failing a 7+ twice in a row is really rough. Yeah frenzy can be brutal although keep in mind the rules quirk that allows you to reform if you catch them.

Overall I absolutely love my carnosaur. He seems to be the perfect blend of effectiveness and randomness. But of course I'm a causal player and we are talking about a tournament.

 

[airjamy]

Carnosaur failed two easy charges (7+) and has much less movement than a dragon. Due furious cannot restrain and reform as all other do and this is the big difference with TOW. 2 Stegadons would be nice but they don’t kill dragons and don’t stop them, same for cavalry since they have no swiftstride

I mean him failing some charges is some bad luck right, so that does not say much about the datasheet. Less movement than a dragon and not being able to restrain is annoying indeed, that is kinda bad. In my experience stegs do stop cav, it really matters if the cav in question is S6 or S5 though, S5 they generally deal with where, S6 is a breaking point.

Turbo dragons remain the main problem of course.

 

[Kalisto]

Failing a 7+ twice in a row is really rough. Yeah frenzy can be brutal although keep in mind the rules quirk that allows you to reform if you catch them.

Overall I absolutely love my carnosaur. He seems to be the perfect blend of effectiveness and randomness. But of course I'm a causal player and we are talking about a tournament.

Yeah but even if you do it are you often 6-7 inches more away and in that you place you will desire to be.