Here goes.
Unlike the Lore of Vampires, I feel that the Lore of Slaanesh (LoS), has a couple of "dud" spells, or more specifically, spells that are situational. However, what the lore has, are some of the very best spells in the game (but only if the general is savvy enough to unlock their potential).
Before I get into why I think the Lore of Slaanesh is extremely awesome, let me summarize what I feel are some of its shortfalls:
- poor lore attribute
- underwhelming signature spell (I would very rarely trade for it)
- a few situational spells
- requires a bit more strategy, foresight and skill to properly employ
Before we get to the really good stuff, lets look at what I feel are the 4 weaker spells of the lore:
Lash of Slaanesh (signature spell)➨ more often than not, I'd consider this to be the very weakest that the LoS has to offer. It requires exceptionally fortunate positioning in order to effect a large enough number of models to make it potentially worthwhile and even then, it's only inflicting S3 hits.
Pavane of Slaanesh➨ a sniper spell that is hampered by the fact that it only has the potential to inflict a single wound. If your opposition has mediocre leadership (especially when outside of the general and BSB bubbles) it has a very good chance of going through (as it ignores armour), but the single wound limitation really hurts it. A situational spell that will come in handy once in a while, but is nothing special.
Slicing Shards➨ this is LoS' version of LoN's "Rancid Visitations", only not nearly as good. The LoN offering is at S5 and involves a toughness test to continue dealing damage while Slicing Shards is only S4 (though armour piercing) and replaces the toughness test with a leadership test. This means that Slicing Shards is more or less limited to units outside of the general/BSB. That said, should you successfully land it on an isolated target with poor leadership, it can be very effective.
Phantasmagoria➨ a reverse cold blooded. Obviously not as good against certain armies (DoC, TK, VC), but even against these it has its uses as it couples nicely with Pavane of Slaanesh, Hysterical Frenzy (failed frenzy checks) and especially Slicing Shards. Against other armies, the effect on their leadership tests has all sorts of uses, including the panic tests caused by the Hellcannon (which are already at -1 leadership). A useful spell (sometimes VERY useful), but not what makes the LoS so good in my eyes.
Now we get to what makes the LoS really shine, which are its top 3 spells.
The game of Warhammer is won and lost in the movement phase!! All the other phases of the game rely directly on the movement phase; whether that be setting up advantageous close combats or moving into shooting/magic range (or moving to neutralize enemy shooting/magic threats). The movement phase ultimately dictates who will win and who will lose, so a spell lore that has not one, not two, but THREE ways to control enemy movement is extremely dangerous in the right hands. The LoS literally gives you the ability to seize control of your opponent's army from him/her. Without further ado,
Hysterical Frenzy➨ a RIP hex/augment that allows you to grant frenzy to one of your units or one of your opponents units (the affected unit also suffers D6 S3 hits at the end of each magic phase, but this is pretty inconsequential). This versatile spell has a lot to offer:
- cast it on your troops to increase their attack output (this is the most simplistic and obvious use). This also works on units that already have frenzy. The ideal target for the spell would be something like the Skullcrushers as it would grant +1 attack to both the rider and the Juggernaut mount. We know how good Skullcrushers are, now imagine them with 8 attacks per model!! Additionally, if you cast the spell on something that isn't Frenzied to start, you can avoid a potential forced pursue/overrun by ending the spell prior to having to make such a move (RIP spells can be ended at anytime by the controlling player).
- casting it on your troops to make them Immune to Psychology (due to Frenzy)
- casting it on an opponent in an attempt to have them fail their Frenzy check and force them into a poor charge [controlling enemy movement]
- casting it on an opponent to force them to overrun/pursue when it is disadvantageous for them to do so. Excellent in the chaff/redirection game [controlling enemy movement]
As good as Hysterical Frenzy is, the two best spells of the Lore are Acquiescence and Cacophonic Choir. Although Cacophonic Choir is usually the more feared of the two spells, Acquiescence in many people's eyes is just as good if not better than Cacophonic Choir due to its extremely modest casting cost and its increased range. Cacophonic Choir obviously has the added effect of damaging enemy units (even when engaged in CC) and can be bubbled. At the heart of both hex spells, they both impart ASL and Random Movement (D6). It is these effects I will discuss below:
Acquiescence and Cacophonic Choir➨ Straight away, ASL is amazing for neutralizing the ASF (and re-rolls to hit) that those pesky Elves enjoy. This is a huge bonus against the Elves, who account for some of the very strongest armies in the game. Additionally, against other armies, ASL can be very useful in giving WoC's less initiative-inclined units (Trolls, Ogres, etc.) a chance to strike before their enemies. Now onto the many uses of the Random Movement (D6) effect:
- neutralizing the greatest asset of quick moving units (fast cavalry, flyers, etc) by preventing them from being able to move into a position where they can do their work. A flyer for instance will have its 20" flying march move reduced to an average of 3.5".
- keeping out-of-position units from re-entering the game
- preventing an enemy unit from charging anything outside of 6" (as their charge distance will be limited to D6")
- all but assuring that a victorious enemy CC unit will be unable to successful catch and destroy your unit that broke from combat (the enemy will pursue D6")
- all but assuring that your victorious CC unit will successfully catch and destroy your opponent's unit that has broken from combat (they only flee D6")
- greatly increasing the chances of catching a fleeing enemy unit on the table when you declare a charge against it (they only flee D6")
- forcing "Move or Fire" units to move, and thereby preventing them from shooting (this is great against War Machines)
- forcing a unit to move that is under a spell (or terrain effect) that penalizes them for doing so
- setting up bottlenecks, where units behind the affected unit are now limited in how/where they can move
The possibilities are nearly endless. The effect on the game is catastrophic. Admittedly it is not as easy to implement as a lore that simply deals out a bunch of damage, but in the right hands it literally allows a player to remove his/her opponent's control of their army. It is a finesse lore that is a bit more subtle in its effects, but offers something that can't be found in any other lore. It is a tactician's delight.
If playing the lore of Slaanesh I
always recommend that it be fielded on a level 4 wizard with a Chaos Familiar. You really want to obtain the best three spells of the lore, and rolling for 5 spells greatly increases the odds.
Anyways, that's probably enough for now. Thoughts, comments?
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