tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82292458605615859422024-03-12T20:49:38.835-07:00HERO's Gaming BlogA webway to better gaming.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger673125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-66526244605575668762021-03-21T09:42:00.000-07:002021-03-21T09:42:50.149-07:00Part 3: Tzeentch's Eternal Conflagration<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HJK5nWeBh2w/YE2RdsVHz3I/AAAAAAAAK_U/L4TZY97F3mUNo7nqr6jaQ4NUPFYXKdLNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1505/DSC03893.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1505" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HJK5nWeBh2w/YE2RdsVHz3I/AAAAAAAAK_U/L4TZY97F3mUNo7nqr6jaQ4NUPFYXKdLNwCLcBGAsYHQ/w638-h640/DSC03893.jpg" width="638" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Kairos Fateweaver, Oracle of Tzeentch</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Now that you guys have been following my posts about my recent <a href="https://lkhero.blogspot.com/2021/02/part-2-commission-details-and-army.html"><b><i>army commission</i></b></a>, let me take you through how I plan on using the army in Age of Sigmar. I decided to split my tactics articles into two parts; one for AOS and the other for 40K, otherwise it would be insanely long.</div><div><br /></div><div>Part of the reason why I chose Tzeentch as my army is because I love the look of Flamers. I think they're one of the coolest models ever put out by GW and it's one of the units that symbolizes the chaotic nature of Tzeentch himself. Their pulsating, multi-colored tendrils capable of spewing pure daemonic fire is something that all units fear in Age of Sigmar and rightfully so. That is why when I was designing my list and choosing which models to be commissioned, I wanted to make sure I could squeeze in a few Flamer units for both my AOS and 40K lists.</div><div><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>Truth be told, before I even ordered any of the models to be built and commissioned, I made sure to build the army list first. Some models I chose out of pure rule of cool, but others I chose because they were highly points effective and potent on the table. That's why I eventually decided on fielding an Eternal Conflagration Coven with the Changehost Battalion. This fit my exact playstyle and the units I wanted to play in Tzeentch, as well as being one of the best combos that competitive Tzeentch players can field.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Eternal Conflagration's Twisters of Materiality improves the Rend of my Warpflame (Flamers), Billowing Warpflame (Exalted Flamers) and Magical Flames (Horrors) missiles by 1. This is the main reason why you take the Coven and it's the most one of the reasons why its so lethal. Most things in AOS don't have a very high armor save and this can basically translate into removing models from the table. Infernos of Mutation is an interesting command ability that can reduce the Bravery characteristic of a unit getting shot by 2, but for a CP, it has to be for a very specific use case. Coruscating Flames on my Lord of Change as the default command trait offers a 12" bubble of wholly within -1 to hit against enemy missile fire. This can be useful when fighting other shooty armies like the Seraphon, Khadron Overlords, Lumineth (Top 3 armies in AOS), but more commonly Stormcast variants i.e. Sigmarines. Lastly, we have Shroud of Warpflame, which does a mortal wound on a roll of 3+ each time I allocate a wound or mortal wound to the bearer. It's pretty decent.</div><div><br /></div><div>For Changehost, I am able to get the entire army down on the table in two drops, mainly because one one of my units is not a Horror Hero. In case you fellas didn't know, with Changehost, in the Hero phase, as long as the Lord of Change is on the battlefield, you can remove a unit (except Fatemaster in this list) from the battlefield and set it up more than 9" away from enemy units. This allows you to do all kinds of shenanigans like reposition Horror units as roadblocks, teleport to scoring positions, set up firing solutions with Flamers, or just get one of your units out of danger if needs be. The possibilities are near endless, just as Tzeentch intended.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Without further ado, let's go over the army list..</div><div><div><br /></div><div><b>Allegiance: Tzeentch</b></div><div><b>- Change Coven: Eternal Conflagration</b></div><div>Mortal Realm: Chamon</div><div>Lord of Change (380)</div><div>- General</div><div>- Command Trait: Coruscating Flames</div><div>- Artefact: Aura of Mutability</div><div>- Lore of Change: Tzeentch's Firestorm</div><div>The Blue Scribes (120)</div><div>- Lore of Change: Fold Reality</div><div>Fatemaster (120)</div><div>- Artefact: Shroud of Warpflame</div><div>10 x Pink Horrors of Tzeentch (220)</div><div>10 x Pink Horrors of Tzeentch (220)</div><div>6 x Flamers of Tzeentch (280)</div><div>6 x Flamers of Tzeentch (280)</div><div>1 x Exalted Flamers of Tzeentch (100)</div><div>1 x Exalted Flamers of Tzeentch (100)</div><div>Changehost (180)</div><div><br /></div><div>Total: 2000 / 2000</div><div>Extra Command Points: 1</div><div>Allies: 0 / 400</div><div>Wounds: 77</div></div><div><br /></div><div>---</div><div><br /></div><div>What you see here could be interrupted by some as maximum Tzeentch filth. It's definitely capable of taking tournaments (once COVID clears) and it's one of the reasons why Tzeentch is considered one of the more powerful armies in Age of Sigmar. Sure, these days the Top 3 previously mentioned can give it a run for its money, but this list can still be considered one of the more shooty lists that can annihilate most armies if they're not prepared for. Let me break it down.</div></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-METbD-C4flY/YE2Qk-hy-mI/AAAAAAAAK-w/-f-7ruCqGbkFVAd3Z3c0AF48SUzrxBeLACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DSC03889.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1549" data-original-width="1600" height="620" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-METbD-C4flY/YE2Qk-hy-mI/AAAAAAAAK-w/-f-7ruCqGbkFVAd3Z3c0AF48SUzrxBeLACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h620/DSC03889.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The Radiant Lord is ready to lead the Changehost.</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>We start with the Radiant Lord, Bright Lord, or the Flaming Chicken King. His role in this list is to simply be a buff bubble and blast things away with Infernal Gateway and Tzeentch's Firestorm. Being the lynchpin of the entire group, Aura of Mutability provides everything wholly within 9" of him +1 to wound rolls for attacks. When I'm placing my Flamers, I make sure that they're close enough to the Chicken-Lord to benefit from this insane ability. This drastically increases the damage your Flamers can put out a single shooting phase.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NvLN1dF6Ucc/YE2QvTFN_ZI/AAAAAAAAK-0/DDVLYGXpAPcn9L1oD1LTcAUTgiZiun4oQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/DSC03923.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1200" height="488" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NvLN1dF6Ucc/YE2QvTFN_ZI/AAAAAAAAK-0/DDVLYGXpAPcn9L1oD1LTcAUTgiZiun4oQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h488/DSC03923.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Who is that third Scribe? Well, that's me! 3x3=9 times the fun!</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Next, we look at the other heroes, starting with The Blue Scribes. On the surface, the Scribes might look a bit silly and out of place, but he's actually one of the better characters in the book. First, he can copy spells on a 4+ and he can start with copying some of the spells that your Lord of Change casts early on. This allows him to get off the more difficult spells to cast later on a 2+ with his Scrolls of Sorcery, stating that instead of rolling, it is automatically cast and cannot be unbound. This is really important in later parts of the game when I can still use him to Fold Reality to get models back or get off bigger casts when I need it most. Otherwise, he just sits back and drops Boon of Tzeentch on the army which gives me the ability to re-roll casting rolls. With the LoC's Mastery of Magic, there's a good chance I'll be able to get my spells off. Oh, this is totally a conversion piece. I insisted on helping out as an extra scribe role-playing on the disc.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SdKOy6_KpFQ/YE2Qz7KjHxI/AAAAAAAAK-4/TpES4BomNm0nYruyOr6UHESzP3vYII5vQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1300/DSC03911.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1110" data-original-width="1300" height="546" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SdKOy6_KpFQ/YE2Qz7KjHxI/AAAAAAAAK-4/TpES4BomNm0nYruyOr6UHESzP3vYII5vQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h546/DSC03911.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The Fatemaster looks kind of different these days.</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>At first, the Fatemaster might look a bit out of place given that he's the only Mortal Hero and he doesn't quite fit in the Changehost, but he's there for a good reason. Let me first warn you that I'm choosing to use Ahriman's model for this because I think he looks super cool and I can always swap him if needs be. I just hate the static pose that the Fatemaster model comes in. Regardless, Fatemaster's role in the army is quite simple: Use his Lord of Fate Command Ability to provide a bubble of re-roll hits for all Tzeentch models wholly within 9" of this model. This means that you take this guy and run him close to your Lord of Change and stack the damage through the roof. Your shooting units are now re-rolling to hit with +1 on damage rolls. Don't worry, it gets better (for you).</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Syi-BRGXJWE/YE2Q5Xj2RyI/AAAAAAAAK-8/47iBkJ2ynKUrH19cXKStUGRFOTCfseKFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/DSC03924.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Syi-BRGXJWE/YE2Q5Xj2RyI/AAAAAAAAK-8/47iBkJ2ynKUrH19cXKStUGRFOTCfseKFgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/DSC03924.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Ready to annoy and annihilate.</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>To hold the line, we have our beloved Pink Horrors. Everyone in the game knows what these guys do and at first, you might be wondering why they cost 220 points. Well, in short, these guys could be one of the most annoying units in the entire game. Due to Split and Split Again, each of these guys is actually 5 wounds, and that's if they don't get negated by their Ectoplasmic Elasticity 6+ save. When a Pink is killed, it splits into two Blues, then each Blue splits into a Brimstone. While their damage potential is acceptable, what makes them standout is that they're extremely flexible in purpose. They're not really chaff per se, but they can be excellent in acting as a speed-bump that can tie up for a round, just to be teleported away by Changehost's Deceive and Dismay ability, and leave the unit to be lit up again by your Flamers. Very tricksy indeed.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cHDMy2VS_n4/YE2Q_aLd2uI/AAAAAAAAK_A/fH5oDPBJUnIuGzQ71UqOvRN9ZbwHRdNdACLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/DSC03929.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="849" data-original-width="1200" height="452" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cHDMy2VS_n4/YE2Q_aLd2uI/AAAAAAAAK_A/fH5oDPBJUnIuGzQ71UqOvRN9ZbwHRdNdACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h452/DSC03929.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Hot! Hot! Hot!</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Now, we get to the juiciest part of the list: The Flamers and Exalted Flamers. The reason why Tzeentch is so hated is not only because of the Horrors, but it's also the ridiculous shooting that Flamers can put out. Each unit of 6 shoots out 19 shots at 18", 4+ to hit and 3+ to wound, -1 Rend because of Eternal Conflagration (Exalted has -2), and D3 damage a piece. If shooting at unit of 10 or more models, you add +1 to hit, and if shooting at 20, you add +2 to hit. Most of the time when shooting at units, you'll be hitting on 3s. The reason for two units of Flamers and two Exalted Flamers is because if you have the Exalted Flamers within 9" of the Flamers, you get another +1 to hit. That means each Flamer unit will have 3s to hit (2s in most cases), re-rolling to hit because of Fatemaster's Lord of Fate Command ability, wounding on 2s because of KFC's Aura of Mutability aura's +1 to wound . Yes, it's absolute fiery filth, and I love it. The Exalted Flamers don't benefit themselves because of Tzeentch reasons, but they more than make up for it by being little buff beacons and each of them shoots 6 attacks with one additional Rend than the basic Flamer.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qNxyz15ie9c/YE2REAONmWI/AAAAAAAAK_I/eJAHrT_NYOQqIpvv44oJKiWkFI9CvEYfQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/DSC03919.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="877" data-original-width="1200" height="468" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qNxyz15ie9c/YE2REAONmWI/AAAAAAAAK_I/eJAHrT_NYOQqIpvv44oJKiWkFI9CvEYfQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h468/DSC03919.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Behold! The flames of mutation are upon us!</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The reason I chose to bring 2 squads of 6 Flamers is because I want to be able to maximize Fold Reality that's on my Blue Scribes. This can be cast on a 7+ normally but you can pop scrolls for a 2+ auto-cast with no unbind for the ability to resurrect some of the Flamers in the squad. On a D6 roll of a 1, your unit goes poof, but on a 2+, you bring back that many models depending on the roll. This is one of the more "fun" spells in the Tzeentch arsenal that can't be Destiny Diced, but can also make your opponents' nose bleed if you manage to bring an entire squad back to full, just to light them on fire again next shooting phase.</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, what do you guys think? Aside from looking absolutely diesel, these daemons are going to ruin anyone's day on the table. I can't wait for the pandemic to be over so I can get these guys on the table. Stay tuned for some battle reports once that happens!</div><div><br /></div><div>For more updates of Teemu's work, his tutorials, or for any commission questions, please follow him on: <i><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/grave.hammer/">Instagram</a> & <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gravehammerminiatures">Facebook</a>.</b></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-25356552302772901412021-02-05T19:55:00.002-08:002021-02-05T19:55:53.857-08:00Part 2: Commission Details and Army Reveal!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RtMoDj0wqnk/YA-SP1vuj1I/AAAAAAAAK7s/-EtN4xla3NoBOzi-wpfceBxTQVzoBjO3gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/DSC03067.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="1000" height="442" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RtMoDj0wqnk/YA-SP1vuj1I/AAAAAAAAK7s/-EtN4xla3NoBOzi-wpfceBxTQVzoBjO3gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h442/DSC03067.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://www.instagram.com/grave.hammer/">Putrid Blightkings</a><br /></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>Hey guys, HERO again with an update on how my army commission is going so far. When we left off last time, I talked about how I ended up meeting the artist, Teemu Sihvonen, and hinted at what army I ended up going with. Before I dive into the army and preview some of the pieces, I want to talk to you about how we got started on the business end.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>The first thing you have to tell yourself is that you're not just paying for a service, you're paying for art. When it comes to a commission, it's important that the artist has a portfolio. While what you're looking for is really dependent on your tastes, what I recommend is looking at a range of different miniatures to assess the artist's skill. When I looked through Gravehammer Miniatures' <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/grave.hammer/">Instagram</a></b>, I focused on different pieces that are thematically different. For example, when comparing something he has done for Nurgle compared to something like Necrons or even Nighthaunt, I'm looking for how he handles different themes. Specifically, I'm looking at his color choices with respect to the setting, OSL techniques (fire, reflection) and detailing (blood, bone, rust) he uses for fantasy vs. Sci-Fi, how he handles cloths vs. metal, and how consistent the work is over time, paying special attention to the earlier examples compared to something more recent.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Js8hS9z1RSk/YA-RoFZFvHI/AAAAAAAAK7M/1OBApCQYQ9oV5MVv44uidLe2WYs9mQNCACLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/DSC03196.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1570" data-original-width="2000" height="502" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Js8hS9z1RSk/YA-RoFZFvHI/AAAAAAAAK7M/1OBApCQYQ9oV5MVv44uidLe2WYs9mQNCACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h502/DSC03196.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://www.instagram.com/grave.hammer/">Lady Olyander, Mortarch of Grief</a></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Once you pick the artist or studio, the next thing you want to look into is pricing. As a general approach, most painting studios you find online have different grades so it's important to reach out or browse their store like you would a menu. The range typically goes from the basic tournament 3-color package designed to get your army on the table the fastest, to something more mid-range that's Tabletop Standard where there's more colors, techniques and highlights being utilized. Some studios specialize in a particular painting grade; such as mass producing armies for clients during the tournament season. On the polar opposite, you have artists who might be former Golden Daemon winners who takes commissions but only produces Masterclass or Display quality miniatures. For an artist like Teemu who is currently running a one-man shop, it's easier to just reach out to him through Instagram or Facebook to talk about what you might be interested in.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-46KCEk-ZUH0/YA-RvO2eCzI/AAAAAAAAK7Q/t9HejD2yWAI7ZPyouFAz3-bD1fEN_YcoACLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/DSC03106.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1626" data-original-width="2000" height="520" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-46KCEk-ZUH0/YA-RvO2eCzI/AAAAAAAAK7Q/t9HejD2yWAI7ZPyouFAz3-bD1fEN_YcoACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h520/DSC03106.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://www.instagram.com/grave.hammer/">Szarekh, The Silent King</a></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The best way to describe how this process goes can be best described with choosing what to eat for lunch. Depending on the art style i.e. Grimdark, this would be selecting which genre of food you're looking for like Chinese, Thai or Italian. Once you pull up that list, sort by price range with the cheapest first and you have the Tournament ($) quality to Masterclass ($$$$) being the most expensive. Then, once you get to the restaurant aka website and look at the menu, that's where you'll get full list of what's offered. Bad analogies aside, most commission studios these days provide services in a way that you can mix and match quality. This meaning that you can have basic foot soldiers run cheaper via 3-color Tournament so you can spend a bit more on centerpieces at higher quality grades. If you need the models to be built or based, it's going to cost extra. Once you go back and forth with your artist or paint studio, they'll typically send over a contract that seals the deal. Often times, there's a deposit involved to reserve a slot in the artist's queue. Just remember that when it comes to pricing, sometimes the price is negotiable, but be respectful. After all, you are paying for skilled labor and that takes time, energy and dedication from the person painting your army. Depending on the workload, single models can take a few days whereas an entire army can take weeks or even months.</p><p>With all the boring stuff out of the way.. it's time for the <b><i>BIG REVEAL!</i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lNI7Kwutl74" width="320" youtube-src-id="lNI7Kwutl74"></iframe></div><p>The army that I commissioned was Tzeentch Daemons for Warhammer 40K and Age of Sigmar. After seeing the amazing work that Teemu did for Tzeentch, I could not let it go. I just loved his interpretation of the Great Sorcerer and needed to have that army in my life one way or the other. On the gaming side, I chose Tzeentch Daemons because they're one of the armies that have always been close to my heart, but I was always afraid of owning due to all the painting challenges. There is just something mystical and intriguing about Tzeetnch, and their playstyle of mystical fire, devious trickery and magical supremacy is something that appeals to me greatly. Not to mention that Daemons of Chaos can be used in both 40K and AOS game systems so there is a significant price savings there. This allows me to optimize on my purchases for competitive play.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--LlS-P3v8sk/YA-R5wsXb2I/AAAAAAAAK7c/Cx5hQaRFrzsvk2tqo4tNWKioHc_UkGO6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2032/DSC03556.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2032" data-original-width="2000" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--LlS-P3v8sk/YA-R5wsXb2I/AAAAAAAAK7c/Cx5hQaRFrzsvk2tqo4tNWKioHc_UkGO6wCLcBGAsYHQ/w630-h640/DSC03556.jpg" width="630" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://www.instagram.com/grave.hammer/">Gaunt Summoner</a></i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Now that the cat is out of the bag, Teemu has made some great progress on the army since the New Year. He has released a couple of vidoes and guides on how to achieve the look of the army, as well as a bunch of pics on his Instagram. This has been extremely helpful for both a customer and fellow hobbyist to learn on how he achieves the look overall. Not that I can ever hope to duplicate this, but it's still useful for at least simple repairs if they're ever needed. It also gives me great joy when I can see actual progress being made. That has been essential for trust and confidence.</p><p>Below is a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc9CLYsNF64"><b>tutorial video</b></a> on how he paints Pink Horrors and the recipe book in his own words:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gQEpYOWdsjU/YA4JSBi36WI/AAAAAAAAK6k/hY_pps4H-HcRM3htMMDQanYzWTapzqNSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1695/Screenshot%2B2021-01-23%2B11.52.56.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="1695" height="406" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gQEpYOWdsjU/YA4JSBi36WI/AAAAAAAAK6k/hY_pps4H-HcRM3htMMDQanYzWTapzqNSwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h406/Screenshot%2B2021-01-23%2B11.52.56.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><i>Liber Daemonica: Daemon Skin and OSL</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote><p><br />The monochromatic palette for Tzeentch Daemons Miniatures are primed black. We process starts with zenithal approach with Administratum Grey, followed by mixing in white ink to increase the brightness but also to highlight the skin layers from higher angle. This will give the model a lot of deep shadows but also give room for working brighter skin layers.</p><p>Metallic parts are worked with cold, desaturated theme. Uses of Castellax Bronze, Sycorax Bronze and Runelord Brass, accompanied with edge highlights of Canoptek Alloy work perfect for the theme.</p><p>Model is then washes with first enamel wash, that will act as a color filter and also work in with the pink magic effects. Green is the opposite color of red, and the greyish green wash will work to emphasize the pink glow effect we paint later on.</p><p>Adding deeper shadows and skin tone gradient, the next wash is Black oil diluted in a mixing cup. This and the previous layer are then worked over with white spirits and q-tip or a brush.</p><p>Skin color highlights are implemented by using Abteilung 502 Faded White and Dust oil paints. They are stippled and smudged with a damp brush, and unified with a drybrushing method. This can have multitude of layers to work the gradient to perfection.</p><p>Once the skin effect is completed, the OSL is worked with Hastur Purple and Baal Crimson. First the Hastur Purple is focused on the hands creating the base for the magical flame, and we can also bring reverse zenithal towards the shadows with this color. The 2nd layer is with Baal Crimson, keeping this one light.</p><p>Mixing white ink to Baal Crimson, the color is bent towards pink. This layer should be rather bright, and focused on the hands. For unifying the color theme and to bring saturated layers over the theme, the magic glow is finished with first layering thinned down white ink on the hand and then airbrushed fluorescent magenta over. Keeping the magenta really thin, it will mainly tint the hand area while keeping the brightness intact.</p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v5UC0GegYMg" width="320" youtube-src-id="v5UC0GegYMg"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p><b><i>Next up</i></b>, I will be taking a break from the commission details to talk a bit more about the army itself, what units I selected and what strategy and tactics I have planned. I will do this for both 40K and AOS as the army composition varies quite a bit. No matter what, the army is going to look Hot! Hot! Hot! Flamer noises.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-74212853119102824082021-01-01T13:30:00.001-08:002021-01-01T13:30:08.713-08:00Part 1: A Journey into a Commission<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4kNw07jvzE8/X9qnnIPWT9I/AAAAAAAAK4k/N8Ge_EnimGkdzocCTz3AnMcAUo9KKPBBwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/DSC03033.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="833" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4kNw07jvzE8/X9qnnIPWT9I/AAAAAAAAK4k/N8Ge_EnimGkdzocCTz3AnMcAUo9KKPBBwCLcBGAsYHQ/w534-h640/DSC03033.jpg" width="534" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Behold, the power of directional lighting. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/grave.hammer/">Gravehammer Miniatures</a>.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>This has been a long, hard year for many people. Not just our hobby, but for millions of people around the world experiencing the effects of the pandemic. While some of you might know me for my writing of strategy articles, I want to bring you something slightly different from my usual and into something a bit more personal. This will be the start of the 4-part series of my journey through getting an entire army commissioned.</p><p>I am one of the lucky ones that was not as adversely affected by the pandemic that affected many others. Since I was able to work from home, I was not only lucky enough to keep my job, but save throughout the year to buy myself in the hopes of buying a new computer. My gaming computer has needed an upgrade for quite some time now and I committed myself at the start of the year to save up and buy a new one. However, just as new-gen offerings were coming online, the global stock for some of these items have been completed wiped out. With most of the parts from my computer unavailable, I knew my chances for getting a new gaming rig was slim.</p><p>Gaming, and more specifically Tabletop has been a very important thing to me growing up. It is a chance for me to get together with friends, socialize and enjoy a fantasy world where I can think of other things outside of school, work and general hardship. While I can go on about the mental effects of quarantine and prolonged social distancing, it is still one of our best defenses against a global pandemic. However, this meant that I haven't been able to play a single game of 9th Ed. 40K as most of the launch parties in my areas were canceled, and most of my friends share the same mindset of staying at home to protect their families. Most of the tabletop clubs in my areas have been closed for months now with little signs of reopening. While some players have tried going online with Tabletop Simulator, I can tell you right now that it's just not the same. Nothing beats interacting in-person and talking smack with your best mates over beer and pretzels.</p><p>With tabletop taking a backseat in my life, it was out of complete chance that I stumbled upon an army being sold on Facebook. My jaw dropped. Not just a little, but to the floor.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MaXWrWW_UvY/X9cI9-OHliI/AAAAAAAAK3o/DdFvZdN60hQht-5499kG29aQCl2VA854wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/DSC02720.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="1000" height="438" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MaXWrWW_UvY/X9cI9-OHliI/AAAAAAAAK3o/DdFvZdN60hQht-5499kG29aQCl2VA854wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h438/DSC02720.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Magnificence of Tzeentch. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/grave.hammer/">Gravehammer Miniatures</a>.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Even without looking at the price, I couldn't help but notice that this wasn't your regular Tzeentch army. There was no vibrant blues or outlandish greens, no crazy saturation of colors or shocking hues. Instead, this army was painted in a way that I've never seen Tzeentch interpreted before. It was painted with dark grey with subtle shades of other colors that are dull at first, if not for the burning representation of Tzeentch's sacred pink fire. However, on closer inspection, even the fire looked.. different. These weren't just layers of paint that have been masterfully airbrushed, but rather the representation of fire and flame given life through directional lighting. The colors themselves demonstrated that light and temperature shared a mutual respect, not that Tzeentch cares about such mortal constraints. This wasn't just a beautifully painted army, this was artistic expression and to have such signature colors work in contrast with the darker vision of what Tzeentch is was nothing less than sublime. <b>Forget </b>(a harsher word was used) <b>the gaming computer</b> I thought to myself, I needed this piece of history in my life. In the 20 years that I've been in this hobby, I don't think I've ever acted this hastily.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j9ceBRD3JIM/X9cYuCXJGUI/AAAAAAAAK4M/6_QE2TqWyUU67n7EvxqlVM8J_Bss3SaEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/gauuunt.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="1200" height="528" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j9ceBRD3JIM/X9cYuCXJGUI/AAAAAAAAK4M/6_QE2TqWyUU67n7EvxqlVM8J_Bss3SaEwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h528/gauuunt.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gaunt Summoner on Disc. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/grave.hammer/">Gravehammer Miniatures</a>.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I immediately contacted the artist and asked about the army. Unfortunately for me, I was not the first and I can only imagine the bid the army eventually went for. Part of me was insanely jealous imagining the delight of person who won it, but another part of me was happy that the army went to a happy home. However, I was unsatisfied at the outcome and loss and was thirsty to know more about the artist. I <b>needed </b>to ask about his other works and other opportunities if there were any. To my surprise, the artist was quick to respond and after some friendly banter, was able to talk to me more about the Tzeentch army he just sold and what techniques he used to achieve such magnificent results. When talking with the artist, he defines the technique he employs as the "Grimdark style" of painting Warhammer. While we all know "Grimdark" to be the tagline of Warhammer's lore and universe, I never thought it was captured in the painting in terms of both look and atmosphere. The artist describes the method as <b><i>"Dark realism with fantastical elements."</i></b> When expressed artistically, it is in the form of darker greys with vigorous displays of color that accents each model's significance. Emotionally, it is the sound of eerie silence playing harmoniously with Viking Death Metal . That is truly something I can get behind.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--gTiE3BETG0/X9cYdqKJLsI/AAAAAAAAK4A/zFLB9Ov9e0QmnBYxiT_pG_hrLPlJwhA-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/DSC03061.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--gTiE3BETG0/X9cYdqKJLsI/AAAAAAAAK4A/zFLB9Ov9e0QmnBYxiT_pG_hrLPlJwhA-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h640/DSC03061.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Necron Doomstalker. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/grave.hammer/">Gravehammer Miniatures</a>.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>After a few nights of back and forth conversation, I discovered more and more about the artist. I found out that the artist sold the army to help fund his new commission paint studio lovingly called <a href="https://www.instagram.com/grave.hammer/"><b>Gravehammer Miniatures</b></a> to represent his style of painting. His name is Teemu Sihvonen and he wanted to turn his hobby into a new career. I also found out that Teemu wanted this change after working on the frontlines as a nurse in Finland when COVID hit. He was one the first to respond and care for sick like many of the first responders around the world. After months of mentally and physically exhausting work; treating those dying of the disease with minimal PPE while having a scarcity of supplies, it started to wear on him. He wanted to work on something that was more uplifting, and what was a great hobby of his. While I greatly admire this man's dedication and devotion to the heathcare of many, I'm also wondering if this grim experience in life is what gives him so much power and emotion behind his painted miniatures. After all, art is just another expression of one's self.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sxUvOr28W9o/X9cWcsTmweI/AAAAAAAAK30/oWNCSxELtxEGNOIcKVd1lrGy-WpgTVyLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/130766995_205448024459435_1035107710689583467_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sxUvOr28W9o/X9cWcsTmweI/AAAAAAAAK30/oWNCSxELtxEGNOIcKVd1lrGy-WpgTVyLQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/130766995_205448024459435_1035107710689583467_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Teemu Sihvonen, Owner of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/grave.hammer/?fbclid=IwAR3Ojk3l8upQqmEmFnujyrZKgHkxSB3Nk2fPap2RHH5vpeeCEy7QE5CFvKs">Gravehammer Miniatures</a><br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>This year, like I said when I opened has been difficult for many. However, Teemu has remained positive throughout all that he experienced and started building an online portfolio based on his love to paint as a form of escape. It helped him de-stress with work, just like I have with gaming, and like many of you who share in this great hobby together. He set goals, and every day, he painted something just to improve on his technique and mastery over the grimdark style of painting, as well as OSL (Object Source Lighting), color dissonance, and other advanced skills. Over time, this gave him the confidence to take on a few commissions and even managed to win Best Painted at his local shop for his Nurgle army before the pandemic got too real. If you guys want a peek at what pestilence really looks like, just check out his Great Unclean One <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CIkrejGnuCa/"><b>here on his Instagram</b></a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_eMm3in97ZE/X9cYlBS03oI/AAAAAAAAK4E/3il9nnF5MAcJn3HYQfXw5QiZ4VXY6N3YwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/DSC02948.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1098" data-original-width="1200" height="586" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_eMm3in97ZE/X9cYlBS03oI/AAAAAAAAK4E/3il9nnF5MAcJn3HYQfXw5QiZ4VXY6N3YwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h586/DSC02948.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Chaos Lord on Karkadrak. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/grave.hammer/?fbclid=IwAR3Ojk3l8upQqmEmFnujyrZKgHkxSB3Nk2fPap2RHH5vpeeCEy7QE5CFvKs">Gravehammer Miniatures</a>.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Needless to say, hard work does pay off. After I browsed through more of his work, and after I wiped off the drool from my mouth, I was sold. We talked for a few more nights (well, for me in California vs. his morning in Finland) and I decided that the gaming computer can wait indefinitely. I wanted to personally work with Teemu on creating an army that would take advantage of my strategic mind and list building prowess, and have him bring it to life with his grimdark style of masterful painting. We struck up a deal and in my next article, we will dive into the army that I have chosen, the details behind the commission itself (painting grades..etc) and some tutorial videos from Teemu himself on how to paint in the Grimdark style.</p><p>We would be thrilled for you all to join us in this adventure together. <b>Until next time!</b><br /><br />For more updates of Teemu's work, his tutorials or for any commission questions, please follow him on:<br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/grave.hammer/">Gravehammer Instagram</a></b></i></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/gravehammerminiatures">Gravehammer Facebook</a></b></i></div><b></b></i><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-16535870819135472192020-07-13T21:10:00.004-07:002020-07-15T22:36:10.456-07:00New points are here! Time to boogy<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WWKTsBUhEr0/Xw0sr8qAjuI/AAAAAAAAKyY/EH1JDY1gEr4ZKyU_2o8ENxjT_BNSfxeTQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/warhammer_40k_conquest___archonsterror_by_corbella-d8su2jl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="948" height="355" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WWKTsBUhEr0/Xw0sr8qAjuI/AAAAAAAAKyY/EH1JDY1gEr4ZKyU_2o8ENxjT_BNSfxeTQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/warhammer_40k_conquest___archonsterror_by_corbella-d8su2jl.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Don't waste your time looking back, you're not going that way.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Here we go folks, we got points for days. I hope you guys all took my lead and started making your 1750 point armies with 8th Ed. points ahead of this points drop, otherwise, you are sure to be disappointed. To sum up before I go into anything else, both CWE and DE took a big points hit in some critical areas, but the one Eldar that made it out alive was Harlequins. You see, when I went through and <a href="https://lkhero.blogspot.com/2020/06/9th-ed-40k-and-how-it-affects-all-eldar.html"><b>reviewed the upcoming 9th Ed. changes</b></a> a few posts ago, I specifically mentioned the one saving grace for Harlequins in 9th and that was its point changes. If points were good, Harlequins would be viable. Not top-tier, but playable for sure. Out of all three Eldar races, Harlequins definitely had the last laugh.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now, let's dive into the <a href="https://lkhero.blogspot.com/2020/06/theorycrafting-some-9th-ed-eldar-lists.html"><b>previous lists</b></a> that I tried to build. I'll start with my first love first, Dark Eldar, and then get into CWE, before finally touching on what I would with Harlequins.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1750, using old points:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>2x Archons with BPs and PGL</li>
<li>2x10 Warriors with 2x Blaster, Dark Lance in Dissie Raider</li>
<li>4x5 Warriors with Blaster in Dissie Raider</li>
<li>2x Razorwings with Dissies</li>
<li>3x Ravagers with Dissies</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Total firepower coming from the list I built before we saw the points was:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>19 Dissies</li>
<li>8 Blasters</li>
<li>2 Dark Lances</li>
<li>And a healthy amount of Poison shots</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
With the new points, here's what my 2K list looks like:</div>
<div>
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<i><b>2000 Flayed Skull // 12 CP</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div>
+++BATTALION+++</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
HQ:</div>
<div>
Archon, Huskblade, BPistol, PGL = <b>75 (was 69 in same config)</b></div>
<div>
<i>Warlord: Hatred Eternal, Djin Blade</i><br />
<br />
Archon, Huskblade, BPistol = 70</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
TROOP:</div>
<div>
10x Warriors, 2 Blaster, BPistol, Lance = <b>235 (was 199)</b></div>
<div>
Raider, Dissies</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
5x Warriors, Blaster, BPistol = <b>160 (was 137)</b></div>
<div>
Raider, Dissies</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
5x Warriors, Blaster, BPistol = 160</div>
<div>
Raider, Dissies</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
5x Warriors, Blaster, BPistol = 160</div>
<div>
Raider, Dissies</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
5x Warriors, Blaster, BPistol = 160</div>
<div>
Raider, Dissies</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
5x Warriors, Blaster, BPistol = 160</div>
<div>
Raider, Dissies</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
FLYER:</div>
<div>
Razorwing, Dissies = <b>170 (was 145)</b></div>
<div>
Razorwing, Dissies = 170</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
HEAVY:</div>
<div>
Ravager, Dissies = <b>160 (was 140)</b></div>
<div>
Ravager, Dissies = 160</div>
<div>
Ravager, Dissies = 160</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Total: 2000 in 9th vs. 1726 using 8th points (+274 point diff or +13.7%)</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
Before we get into anything else, let's look at the firepower in the new list:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>19 Dissies</li>
<li>7 Blasters</li>
<li>8 Blast Pistols</li>
<li>1 Dark Lance</li>
<li>Some number of Poison shots again</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<div>
We are still sporting the same 6 Raiders, 3 Ravagers and 2 Aircraft, we're just missing some Warriors. The reason why this is so is because GW decided that universally, your basic bitch troop choice needed a points increase. This means that some armies with cheaper troop options like Cultists all took a significant increase, and so did the Eldar. This is even worse on the CWE side, but for a Mechdar list like mine that's been relatively unchanged since 3rd, we're now seeing our basic <b>Warrior going from 6 to 9 points</b>. While that sucks, our <b>Blasters went down to 15 from 17</b>, <b>Blast Pistol went down to 5 from 10</b>, which is huge for a weapon with so much damage potential, and <b>Huskblade now costs the same as a Venom Blade</b>. I'm not kidding about that last part, for some reason, GW decided that the two should cost the same which is actually insane.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Another few things to look at is the <b>Disintegrator Cannons. They are now 25 per on vehicles while Dark Lances are 20</b>. This is pretty much the same with other armies in the game, just a sign that GW still doesn't know how to properly separate good faction design vs. streamlining. I guess that's OK, but its going to take them a few more tries before they start getting good at it. I guess for guess for completeness, lances are the same across all the Eldar factions and twin-whatever is simply 2 of the same weapon in terms of cost as well.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now, something that's very, very important to keep in mind are expectations. A lot of players out there are flipping out and crying the end of the world before they really have the time to process what's going on. The game: As in when you play with another human, pitting one list against another in a competitive setting, is not determined on points. It depends on player skill, their ability to play objectives, their ability to adapt to the meta, and some good generalship to help ease the RNG portions of the game. When I predicted that DE will be viable regardless of some anticipated points increases (across the board to all armies), I really meant it. As you can clearly see from the before and after lists above, the playing field is essentially 1750 points because I'm literally taking the same units. Very little has changed and the firepower spread is pretty much the same. The only big difference is slightly few Poison shots and shorter range Blast Pistols. However, you will see that this might actually be pretty decent because their a dirt cheap way to put out S8 AP-4 D6 wounds, and technically giving your crappy champ a power fist in CC.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I believe with some good play, the list above can be very good in this new edition. I predicted tanks, monsters and MEQ+ (Primaris/Custodes) and I think we should be building lists that can play against those armies. As a thought exercise, I strong encourage you to start resetting your brain from how you played 8th and focus on missions and meta. Know what players are going to be playing around you and start thinking with tanks/monsters/MEQ+ in mind. You'd be happy to know that the list above, when played correctly, is an absolute terror vs. all of my currently predicted meta choices. While not the strongest in terms of sitting on and holding objectives due to its frailty, it's very powerful when it comes to killy secondary objectives and moving around the battlefield with +3" movement from Flayed Skull. The Ignore Cover will be huge against some of the beefier MEQ+ we'll be sure to see, especially when your entire army packs the tools required to kill those targets cost-effectively.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>TLDR</b>: When building new lists, forget what you know about 8th and focus on 9th Ed. missions and meta. Like Ragnar Lothbrok said on Vikings: <i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O485yazCwes">Don't waste your time looking back, you're not going that way.</a></b></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eRqsRTK89Ks/Xw0sjx8cL2I/AAAAAAAAKyU/Q0HdR1wGj88ANDjnvYeGZus6RYdijUIMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Eldrad_Ulthruan.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="504" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eRqsRTK89Ks/Xw0sjx8cL2I/AAAAAAAAKyU/Q0HdR1wGj88ANDjnvYeGZus6RYdijUIMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Eldrad_Ulthruan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My list barely changed, how about yours?</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br />
Next, let's take a look at CWE. Since the list I wanted to play was Mechdar anyway, let's look at what I wanted to bring vs. what I can bring now. In short, the Wave Serpent and Aircraft list that I wanted to take pretty much stayed the same.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<b><i>2000 Custom CWE // 10 CP</i></b></div>
<div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
+++PATROL+++</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
HQ:</div>
<div>
Farseer Skyrunner, Spear = <b>140 (was 137)</b></div>
<div>
<i>Warlord: Seer of the Shifting Vector, Phoenix Gem, Doom, Executioner</i><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
TROOP:</div>
<div>
5x Dire Avengers (Bladestorm, Twin ASC for all DA) = <b>235 (was 214)</b></div>
<div>
Wave Serpent, Twin Stars, Stones</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
5x Dire Avengers = 235</div>
<div>
Wave Serpent, Twin Stars, Stones</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
5x Dire Avengers = 235</div>
<div>
Wave Serpent, Twin Stars, Stones</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
5x Dire Avengers = 235</div>
<div>
Wave Serpent, Twin Stars, Stones</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
FLYER:</div>
<div>
Nightwing = <b>160 (was 133)</b></div>
<div>
Nightwing = 160</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
+++PATROL+++</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
HQ:</div>
<div>
Warlock Skyrunner, Spear = <b>70 (was 67)</b></div>
<div>
<i>Protect/Jinx, Focus Will</i><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
TROOP:</div>
<div>
5x Dire Avengers =<b> 65 (was 58)</b></div>
<div>
5x Dire Avengers = 65</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
FLYER:</div>
<div>
Crimson Hunter Exarch, Stars = <b>200 (was 176)</b></div>
<div>
<i>Evade</i><br />
<br />
Crimson Hunter Exarch, Stars = 200<br />
<i>Evade</i></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Total: 2000 in 9th vs. 1794 using 8th points (+206 point diff or +10.3%)</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As you can see, I'm still piloting a good amount of anti-infantry dakka, anti-tank and taking 4 CWE flyers that I think are still the best in the game. I won't go over this in too much detail, but I did want to mention that the points changes here are very much expected. In fact, call me a Farseer, but this is almost exactly what I had in my list earlier with an added Wave Serpent at a loss of 1 unit of Dire Avengers. Eventually, I decided to go with Spirit Stones on all my Wave Serpents because they're still one of the best vehicles in the game for negating damage and SS just makes that stronger. With my Doomseer, I'll be able to turn key targets into Starcannon food for the rest of the army. This particular choice is interchangeable with Aeldari Missile Launchers or Twin Bright Lances in case your meta sees the need for more anti-tank. All you have to do is drop the stones for that extra firepower. Otherwise, this will be the list I try first once the new book drops.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Before I forget, I just want to give a special shoutout for GW changing Crystal Targeting Matrix. It now does the same thing as the Drukhari vehicles; which is to turn a Heavy weapon into Assault when you Advance. This plays extra nicely with CWE vehicles that have other upgrades like Star Engines or Vectored Engines because you can either advance +2D6 or advance and be -1 to hit from shooting while still being able to fire your weapons. If you drop a Dire Avengers unit, you can buy this CTM+Star/Vectored Engines upgrade package to each Wave Serpent for +15 ppm. Something to think about.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><i>Quick Blurb:</i></b></div>
<div>
For awhile now, I've kept a small unit of Harlequins to play with as an add-on to my other 2 Eldar armies. The real reason is because all they really had was Bike-spam. As much as I wanted to, I kept my impulses in check and didn't want to go out there and buy a billion bikes just because they were the meta things to play. With 9th and the new points changes, well, I don't think that's going to change for the elven space clowns. They are still going to be spamming 18 bikes a game and that's pretty much the lamest thing you can play, especially on the competitive level. All you need to know is that instead of costing <b>276 for a unit of 6 with Zephyrglaives and Haywires, you're going to be paying 330</b>. Meanwhile, the rest of the army is pretty much unchanged from 8th when it comes to points.<br />
<br />
<b>TLDR again</b>: Yes, points did go up for CWE and DE, but on which units specifically and ask yourself if it really matters. Not every unit in the codex will be fit to fight the upcoming meta so you must adapt appropriately.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Alright, I'm done. I'm excited about playing with 9th and seeing what my Mechdar can do in the new arena. Out of the two lists presented above, I really don't know which list will do better vs. a vehicle/monster/MEQ+ heavy meta. I think the first list certainly has the firepower, but the second list has the durability and psychic shenanigans that I can use to play missions as well. Really tough choice. I guess we're just going to find out which list is better in the next few weeks!</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-23067981026087198762020-06-30T23:59:00.002-07:002020-07-06T22:27:49.417-07:00Theorycrafting some 9th Ed. Eldar lists<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wBnpIBzfdp0/Xvw0jzAQ0YI/AAAAAAAAKwc/KcxH2knon4454yroCRmJ2_jh_d9N6tvsACK4BGAsYHg/s800/dark_eldar__commorragh_2_by_beckjann-d5glbi2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="800" height="280" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wBnpIBzfdp0/Xvw0jzAQ0YI/AAAAAAAAKwc/KcxH2knon4454yroCRmJ2_jh_d9N6tvsACK4BGAsYHg/w400-h280/dark_eldar__commorragh_2_by_beckjann-d5glbi2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Drafting up some lists again.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
With 9th Ed. hot on our heels and with a good amount of information out there already, I figured I'd get down and dirty with some list building and theorycrafting. As most of you already know, I'm a huge fan of Mechdar and that's pretty much all I play when it comes to my Eldar armies. Every single one of my armies is filled to the rim with vehicles and flyers and I've become increasingly proficient with this playstyle over the years. With the return of Obscuring terrain that block LoS, this means that good positioning and focus fire will indeed bring the pain again. The only thing that truly sucks is that now if you Fall Back, you can no longer shoot anything.<br />
<br />
Great, so with that said, let's talk about some lists. Out of curiosity, I've started building lists with -250 points from my 2K lists to prepare for that eventual points hike. That means every list I'm going to show you here is 1750 points, mainly because I'm taking a guess that we're going to see ~12.5% increase on average. Like I said before, points are the biggest unknown out of this entire thing. I have no idea exactly where they're going to bump the points, but I don't think they're going to alter CWE or DE too badly. GW has a tendency to target over-performing units that utterly shake up the meta, but they already took a stab at that pre-9th in the last CA. With both Crimson Hunter Exarchs and Ravagers nerfed with points, I don't expect GW to go after them again. If they do, well, then I get sad and we'll have to adjust the list some.<br />
<br />
Either way, here's the first of the two lists I've been working on. You'll see a very familiar sight in the form of my mechanized Dark Eldar list.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bbMqFLNJlNw/XvwywvVtRlI/AAAAAAAAKwA/xzfeUJzqtm8fWqJ2mdVY43WtxnA8Nz_6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/whk10_preview.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="590" height="168" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bbMqFLNJlNw/XvwywvVtRlI/AAAAAAAAKwA/xzfeUJzqtm8fWqJ2mdVY43WtxnA8Nz_6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/whk10_preview.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pew Pew noises.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>1750 Black Heart // 12 CP (TEMP)</b><br />
<br />
BATTALION:<br />
<br />
HQ:<br />
Archon, Blaster, PGL = 77<br />
Archon, Blaster, PGL = 77<br />
<br />
TROOP:<br />
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, Lance = 189<br />
Raider, Dissies<br />
<br />
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, Lance = 189<br />
Raider, Dissies<br />
<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 127<br />
Raider, Dissies<br />
<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 127<br />
Raider, Dissies<br />
<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 127<br />
Raider, Dissies<br />
<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 127<br />
Raider, Dissies<br />
<br />
FLYER:<br />
Razorwing, Dissies = 145<br />
Razorwing, Dissies = 145<br />
<br />
HEAVY:<br />
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 140<br />
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 140<br />
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 140<br />
<br />
+++<br />
<br />
Honestly, this thing here is a thing of beauty. You see me making the same lists that I made 2 years ago from the beginning of 8th to now. Needless to say, I've had countless games with these list variants and I don't think I'm going to change much considering where the meta is going.<br />
<br />
If we were to break down what this army packs in terms of firepower; it's currently holding 19 Disintegrators, 10 Lance-type attacks in the form of Blasters and Dark Lances (from the 2x10 Warrior squads), and a decent amount of Poison shots as well. This list right here might be something that's going to be really effective against the predicted meta of bulky MSU and monsters. If you think about it, Dark Eldar has all the tools to deal with a vehicle/monster/Primaris meta when you look at their firepower spread. They got the Dissies/Lances to chew through Primaris and vehicles alike, monsters outright fear the Poison shots and all the concentrated firepower combined with the speed of their vehicles take real advantage of the new terrain rules. An army like this played really well should be very good. We just need to watch out about those melee attacks that'll prevent the gunboats from shooting. One puzzle that's currently missing is exactly how open-top vehicles will behave. Hopefully, it won't be to our detriment too much.<br />
<br />
It's also important to note that 10-man Warrior squads might have a use now, not only to carry the extra heavy weaponry, but also to act as effective screens when the need calls for it. You still want to keep these guys alive and just have them shooting, but the option exists if you need to be creative with how you place them. A fun alteration you can make to the list would be to take Drazhar if you feel the need that you need more of a melee presence in the army. I would start by cutting out some of the 10-man units and just using the points for Drazhar instead.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--OHQ86wQGmA/Xvw0RFWxzII/AAAAAAAAKwM/q1SXSyoyERgenO_tBmm749q-spCvRZ2dACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Eldar_by_billybobs.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--OHQ86wQGmA/Xvw0RFWxzII/AAAAAAAAKwM/q1SXSyoyERgenO_tBmm749q-spCvRZ2dACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/Eldar_by_billybobs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>What's up with all the infantry?</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>1661 Custom // 10 CP (TEMP)</b><br />
<b>Expert Crafters, Masters of Concealment</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
PATROL:<br />
<br />
HQ:<br />
Farseer Skyrunner = 132<br />
<br />
TROOP:<br />
5 Dire Avengers, Bladestorm = 225<br />
Wave Serpent, Twin Missiles, Stones<br />
<br />
5 Dire Avengers, Bladestorm = 225<br />
Wave Serpent, Twin Missiles, Stones<br />
<br />
5 Dire Avengers, Bladestorm = 225<br />
Wave Serpent, Twin Missiles, Stones<br />
<br />
FLYER:<br />
Crimson Hunter Ex, 2x SC = 176<br />
Crimson Hunter Ex, 2x SC = 176<br />
<br />
+++<br />
<br />
PATROL:<br />
<br />
HQ:<br />
Warlock Skyrunner = 62<br />
<br />
TROOP:<br />
5 Dire Avengers, Bladestorm = 58<br />
5 Dire Avengers, Bladestorm = 58<br />
5 Dire Avengers, Bladestorm = 58<br />
<br />
FLYER:<br />
Nightwing = 133<br />
Nightwing = 133<br />
<div>
<br />
+++<br />
<br />
<b>!Fluff Warning!</b> Instead of Masters of Concealment, I want my Expert Crafters CWE to be even more.. technologically advanced. How about <i>Reactive Wraithbone</i>? It'll still have the same effect, but I like the idea of the Wraithbone becoming more durable because it's sentient and can react to incoming fire by psychically hardening. Now that sounds much more bad ass!<br />
<br />
I've been playing Custom CWE for a while now because at the end of the day, I'm still a huge fan of Craftworld flyers specifically. While I like the Razorwing and Voidraven for different reasons, I still think the CWE dominate the skies. When Alaitoic ran the show for Eldar with their -2 To Hit shenanigans, that was great and all, but not the most effective when dealing with all the positive hit mods + re-rolls that Space Marines were putting out. What I found to be more effective towards the end of 8th was Masters of Concealment on Nightwings and Crimson Hunter Exarchs with Evade (paying the additional CP) being much more durable vs. Marine firepower. Effectively, as long as you're 12" away, all of your planes are flying Terminators sporting 2+/5++. This became absolutely infuriating for a lot of players trying to shoot down the flyers with heavy weapons. Against autocannons, you were saving on 4s, against AP-4 Lascannons, you still had your 5++ to save them. Call this sick tech if you want to, but you really needed it if you wanted to play any kind of planes in a meta where Marines were the new "Leafblower".<br />
<br />
So yeah, enter 9th Ed. and I'm still spamming planes to the point where I'm spending 2 CP on them to take Patrols. Both the Nightwing and Crimson Hunters got improvements going into 9th. The most obvious one is that both are vehicles and ignore Heavy on their weapons. This means that Crimson Hunters hit on 2s and Nightwings now hit on 3s with their Bright Lances. You now no longer need to spend the CP on the Crimson Hunters either since you received free Hawkeye, so you can just comfortably shift over and take Evade for that beautiful 5++. With Wings of Khaine, you can now do all the movement block shenanigans that I showed you in my last article and continue dominating from the board edge while your Wave Serpents with Twin Missile Launchers do some work. Since you can now move and shoot with them with no penalty either, you can config them to deal anti-infantry damage at range or switch over for anti-vehicle roles as well. With 30 Dire Avengers arranged in 6x5, each with their own Exarch with Dual Shurikens and Bladestorm for the squads, you'll be doing a lot of infantry-shredding.<br />
<br />
Alterations to this list can see Jain Zar join the mix for some melee support. You can also take out some of the Dire Avengers for a big ol' fat squad of Guardians with their standard weapon platforms to be used as ablative wounds and 3+ save barriers. If that's the case, consider taking Guide on the Farseer for some extra punching power. Webway Assault for 1 CP will still probably be the most effective way to deploy them.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-8764481596806759142020-06-26T19:35:00.002-07:002020-06-26T19:44:38.958-07:00A closer look at Raiding Force and aircraft engagement<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fndQ8yGKN24/XvavNJYzUUI/AAAAAAAAKuc/VXfiuqQfVgooVpd1dZL_p88nRsA_AIuGgCK4BGAsYHg/s600/z4P1qG7gBTj8iB71.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="600" height="249" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fndQ8yGKN24/XvavNJYzUUI/AAAAAAAAKuc/VXfiuqQfVgooVpd1dZL_p88nRsA_AIuGgCK4BGAsYHg/w400-h249/z4P1qG7gBTj8iB71.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Let the list building begin!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Dark Eldar got previewed today and there's some good stuff here. Raiding Force rules got shown and this is pretty good because it allows us to mix detachments without taking a hit in CP. You get a +4 CP bonus when taking 3 Patrols in the army, so if each Patrol costs 2 and you get a +2 CP bonus from having your Warlord in one of the Patrols, this means you'll still get 12 CP if you're playing a 2K game. Sure, you have to take 3 HQs in total, but look at how much flexibility you get in terms of unit choices. I can for sure see an army with 2 Kabal:1 Coven Patrol ratio.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9mg076eIpWI/XvavDKlDtqI/AAAAAAAAKt8/oa7W2pB5BgwOWDoclPQXDmkrvI6acFTPgCK4BGAsYHg/s1000/1Qu7nV5zC3DnCy2n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1000" height="184" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9mg076eIpWI/XvavDKlDtqI/AAAAAAAAKt8/oa7W2pB5BgwOWDoclPQXDmkrvI6acFTPgCK4BGAsYHg/w400-h184/1Qu7nV5zC3DnCy2n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our first look at Patrol.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In my article yesterday, I talked about how the DE book is actually 3 armies in one. When it comes to the 9th Ed. meta, I seriously think that DE armies with Meat Mountains will be really impactful for the metagame. There's not a lot of things in the game that can deal with tons of Grots and Talos, both of which are expected to be really good in the new edition. If you can easily take a large unit of Grots, some Talos with Haywires and fill the rest with vehicles/Ravagers. The Meat Mountain can act as your mid-field control and literal meat-shield for your Ravagers in the back.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0dSzyHTsEC8/Xvau8WbNgiI/AAAAAAAAKtw/nPXmSeQ_3OAJbPWDIDGvfuQIrYV9CHenwCK4BGAsYHg/s829/2aR6gYe0I2sEZ6kE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0dSzyHTsEC8/Xvau8WbNgiI/AAAAAAAAKtw/nPXmSeQ_3OAJbPWDIDGvfuQIrYV9CHenwCK4BGAsYHg/w290-h400/2aR6gYe0I2sEZ6kE.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Get ready for shenanigans.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br />
<div>
<div>
Another good rule for us is confirmation that you'll be able to disrupt enemy movement with your flyers still. The line to pay attention to is: ".. but it <b>cannot end the move on top of another model (or its base)</b>, and it <b>cannot end the movement within Engagement Range (1")</b> of any enemy aircraft." Imagine this for a second: Let's say that you're fighting against Genestealers who can Advance and Charge and moves 8" on average. This is an average of 12" of move, so you measure 12" out from the lead gene and then plop your plane down sideways in front of them. Check out this awful Paint drawing, but you will get the point easily.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-99o5t4XsjVs/Xvat5NK_5iI/AAAAAAAAKtY/qPNY5DH5zqY5Ov16acIgPp5H-eDk89m7gCK4BGAsYHg/s505/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="451" height="256" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-99o5t4XsjVs/Xvat5NK_5iI/AAAAAAAAKtY/qPNY5DH5zqY5Ov16acIgPp5H-eDk89m7gCK4BGAsYHg/w229-h256/Untitled.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Check. Your move.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In this diagram, you plop your plane down around where the opponent's units' max distance will be. The larger the unit, the more you can disrupt them because they are <i style="font-weight: bold;">forced</i> to go around the base since they cannot end their movement on top of your base. This means that the larger the unit, the less chances they have to go directly through your base with all their models and end up completely clearing the 1" engagement bubble around the aircraft. Congrats, you basically extended your opponent's charge range substantially. This will make them auto-fail most, if not all of their charges as long as you execute correctly. Needless to say, Eldar aircraft with Wings of Khaine makes this much easier.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Cool, today was a good day overall. Raiding Parties increases our list building capabilities and makes splashing Meat with vehicles quite easy. The aircraft shenanigans means that with good execution, you can make charges a nightmare for the opponent, thus making all-vehicle lists all the more powerful. GG.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-44767006031014515002020-06-26T00:22:00.002-07:002020-06-26T19:39:36.251-07:009th Ed. 40K and how it affects all Eldar<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-brhv7G9Jvcs/XvWamnv2ODI/AAAAAAAAKqs/-CkNxhWdaEwx1H-VXLQaSSk9ZGek6kcJgCK4BGAsYHg/s1000/pixel_black_heart_raiders_by_steeljoe-dbg1hhr.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-brhv7G9Jvcs/XvWamnv2ODI/AAAAAAAAKqs/-CkNxhWdaEwx1H-VXLQaSSk9ZGek6kcJgCK4BGAsYHg/w500-h300/pixel_black_heart_raiders_by_steeljoe-dbg1hhr.gif" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Bring on 9th Edition.</b></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
It's about that time folks. If you guys have been following 40K news in the last couple of weeks, you'll know that 9th Ed. is right around the corner. For a quick recap of everything that's been going on, I suggest you go to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PLaZFMB1z0">Auspex Tactics</a> and catch up. Yes, I'm plugging that dude's channel because he's insanely active and posts updates literally minutes after articles themselves get released. I'd rank him among the top dudes I watch on YouTube.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Without too much mumbo-jumbo, let's get right into it. I'll lay it out the best I can in the only way I know how: As real as it gets. I will warn you ahead of time though, I think Eldar (all races) are not going to do too hot come 9th. There's a lot of rules here that'll take away from the Eldar identity and give it to the other races and are generally harmful to the playstyle of the army. Now, before you get super triggered and go off on me saying that the book's not out yet and we don't see all the rules, I promise you: I don't need to see all the rules to see where this is going. We have a lot of information in front of us already and I've been playing this game for over 20 years now. While the Eldar will get some noticeable benefits, they will be challenged heavily with some pretty stark negatives. Just a head's up, I don't plan on covering Ynnari as I don't consider them a full army yet with just WD rules.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><u>Overview of the Eldar races</u></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Before we go too deep in the pond of negativity, I think its important that we frame the discussion. First, we have to understand what the Eldar is and what they offer. I'll start with Craftworld Eldar (CWE) and then go into Dark Eldar (DE), before talking about Harlequins (Harlies). When it comes to CWE, they are a lot more durable compared to the other Eldar races. They are also much more specialized and depend a lot on psychic abilities to maximize their damage output. When it comes to their specializations, what I mean by this is that they have specific units in the form of Aspect Warriors and Exarchs that do a very specific job. For example, Dire Avengers kill infantry, Fire Prisms kill vehicles, Crimson Hunters kill Aircraft, and there's generally a bit of a blend when you mix in different weapon types. Another gimmick that the Craftworlders have is their Wraithbone constructs. They're beefy, have high toughness, multiple wounds, and have good armor saves. When complimented with psychic abilities, you take this to the next level. My closing statement is: Specialized, durable, psychic.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Next on the list is the Dark Eldar, better known as the Drukhari now for the newer players. They're pretty fast, generally faster than CWE but a lot more fragile. A lot of their units have below-bar toughness from their infantry to their tanks, but they do have beefy elements in the army like Wracks for Troops and Talos for monsters. When you take them with Prophets, you can build yourself a wonderful Meat Mountain to pulverize your opponents. These guys have no psychic abilities, but generally bring a lot of high AP, high-damaging shots like Dark Lances and Disintegrators to eat through enemy armor and kill high-value targets like Primaris. The Dark Kin are actually 3 different army books in one, each representing a unique fighting/play style of the army. The Kabal brings a lot of firepower and vehicles traditionally (how I play), the Wych Cults bring fast, paper-thin close combat and hit and run tactics, while the Haemoculi Covens bring the meat via durable troops, monsters and a lot of FNP. My closing statement here is: Fast, squishy (unless Covens), a lot of firepower.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Lastly, we have the Harlequins. They're like a mix of CWE and DE, but have their own gimmicks. They're very fast, hit very hard, but die to a soft breeze, even more so than the Dark Eldar. Sure, they have 4++ saves and a bunch of negative hit mods, but their Troupes are still T3 models with 1W. Their biggest strength is in their bikes and their heroes, especially since their latest WD drop made their heroes sing even louder. When you get charged by these guys, you most certaintly feel it. There is a lot of damage potential from this army, but their biggest weakness for sure is their fragility, and the fact they rely so heavily on not being hit and rolling invulnerable saves. Closing statement from me is: Close combat, hit mods and invul saves, hero-focused.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><u>Changes coming to 9th</u></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now that that's been said, I'll start off by listing a lot of the changes we know about the core mechanics of the game:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In no order whatsoever:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>The game boards will be shorter; changing from a 48"x78" table to 44"x60".</li>
<li>Detachments cost command points; promoting single-detachment armies and 12 CP at 2000 points.</li>
<li>Points are going up across the board. We have seen 18 to 20 point Intercessors (+10%) and 4 to 6 point Cultists (+50%).</li>
<li>Command Phase means CP is gained per turn. 1 CP per turn, unknown how generators will work.</li>
<li>Strategic Reserves means you can reserve unit(s) by Power Level to be brought in from flanking positions or Deep Strike starting from T2.</li>
<li>Blast weapons coming back to fight against hordes.</li>
<li>Characters and Look Out Sir! changing so you have to have the character nearby something.</li>
<li>Non-infantry move and fire Heavy weapons without penalty i.e. Monsters and vehicles.</li>
<li>Vehicles and monsters fire non-blast Heavy weapons in close combat.</li>
<li>Modifiers can never get more than +1/-1, rolls of 6s always hit.</li>
<li>Obscuring terrain blocks LOS minus titanic units, things above 18 wounds or aircraft. There's also different terrain keywords that do different things.</li>
<li>Overwatch is now a strategem for everyone except for Tau.</li>
<li>Multi-charge has changed so if you don't make all your declared charges, you fail to charge.</li>
<li>Morale system changed so you can't kill off huge units by doing a crap ton of damage to them.</li>
<li>Units with Fly can no longer shoot after Falling Back.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Keep in mind that this is not all the changes, but just the changes that I think will have the most impact for Eldar. Without going into the different Eldar races quite yet, I think we can pretty much compartmentalize these changes into a few buckets. These buckets, based on the changes we see so far, can really paint a clear picture where the game is going in terms of meta, effective unit choices and what the future of 40K holds. Yes, I wholly understand that the one of the biggest unknowns right now is unit prices, but GW has had a balance trend in multiple CAs to buff crappy units instead of nerfing good units. They do, however, go after the good units when they start taking over the meta. Unfortunately, they always seem to be late to the party on the latter.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RDflS0pZqOw/XvWb-fp_PMI/AAAAAAAAKr4/fGpzLp12OaAwuU_jHPKRXbL9jZukx62FwCK4BGAsYHg/s1201/xenos_bashing_by_majesticchicken-d3iuw37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RDflS0pZqOw/XvWb-fp_PMI/AAAAAAAAKr4/fGpzLp12OaAwuU_jHPKRXbL9jZukx62FwCK4BGAsYHg/w266-h400/xenos_bashing_by_majesticchicken-d3iuw37.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Yes, this might happen in the very-near future.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><u>Scoping out the meta</u></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
OK, so back to buckets to paint the meta with:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Melee edition:</i></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Smaller board sizes means shorter distance to get your opponents in melee. This also means opponents have less room to maneuver aka hit and run so melee can catch them.</li>
<li>Strategic reserves coming in from board edges and essentially anywhere. Plus, you can put anything into reserve by paying CP according to Power Level.</li>
<li>Overwatch is now a strategem means you'll be able to force out one OW before you go in there and tear them limb from limb. You can also bait them out with a Rhino.</li>
<li>Morale system means that if your opponent means that if you kill off a huge group of units, the rest of your guys won't all run away.</li>
<li>Obscuring terrain means you can now officially, without ITC rules, hide your more vulnerable melee units behind things instead of horrifically dying from being shot off the board.</li>
<li>Units with Fly can no longer shoot after Falling Back is huge for melee armies. Once you tag a flying unit, you pretty much disable them unless they want to stay in there with you.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<i>Vehicle/monster edition:</i></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>All vehicles/monsters being able to fire heavies on the move without penalty. This immediately increases the damage potential of all vehicles/monsters in the game.</li>
<li>Vehicles and monsters can also fire weapons out of combat while engaged. This means that a Grot can't tag your Leman Russ any more. This means your biggest guns can always fire.</li>
<li>Obscuring terrain also benefits monsters because most of the vehicles/monsters in the game are <18 wounds. This means you can now hide effectively from being shot off the board on the first turn.</li>
<li>A lot of heavy weapons will have Blast rules, so certain heavy weapons will be much more effective killing infantry while you can move around.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<i>Quality of Life changes</i>:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Mono armies are back because detachments cost CP now. This gives mono-armies like Custodes a huge boon and severely punishes detachments for trait/CP benefits heavily.</li>
<li>CP is gained every game round automatically. If you want to maximize on CP, you will most likely take a generator on top of this automatic gain, and a single Battalion or even a Brigade.</li>
<li>Strategic Reserves for everyone is just good. It increases the diversity of list building and breathes life into units that might not see play.</li>
<li>Characters and LOS! rules is just clean. No more not being able to shoot a character out in the open just because some unit is closer.</li>
<li>Modifiers being capped at +1/-1 means that you will never see a -2 To Hit flyer again. You can still use traits or strategems to mitigate your opponent's advantage, but you're still capped.</li>
<li>I'll say this again: Obscuring terrain is the single biggest change to hit this edition as it's applicable everywhere. It's one of the best rules for ITC and I'm glad its here to stay.</li>
<li>Units with Fly can no longer shoot after Falling Back.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<i>Not so sure changes:</i></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Points are going up across the board. Just for practice, I've been building all of my lists at 1500 points just to see how much I can retain. Using the Intercessor and Cultist example with a range of +10-50% increase, who knows what we'll see? This will make some units either really cost effective or straight trash.</li>
<li>Not sure about multi-charges failing the entire charge, but we'll see how it plays out. I guess you just have to be much more selective of what you charge so you can't play charge/tag shennigans.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<b><u>General Meta Predictions</u></b></div>
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div>
Now that that's done, let's quickly sum up what we think the meta is going to be: <b>Melee, vehicle, monsters Edition</b>. That is my prediction.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
More specifically, I think the meta will swing towards small (MSU-style), durable, multi-wound melee units that are not as vulnerable to Blast (since it only starts kicking in at 6+ models). Do we know any armies like that? Custodes, GK Paladins, Tyranid Warriors, smaller units can also hide behind obscuring terrain better. Fast units like Smash Captains will still have a place as long as they're next to other units and hug obscuring cover. Monsters that can melee and shoot instantly got better as well. If you use the chart I laid out above, the more benefits you have combined, the better your unit just got. That means things like Wraithlords and Dreadnoughts who can both melee and shoot instantly went up in value.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OYPHFJVc7xU/XvWbi-BnhYI/AAAAAAAAKrc/f-3wl5uluD8TrXrMIkihTI-JKOGaenJjwCK4BGAsYHg/s750/alaitoc_farseer_babe_by_kunkka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OYPHFJVc7xU/XvWbi-BnhYI/AAAAAAAAKrc/f-3wl5uluD8TrXrMIkihTI-JKOGaenJjwCK4BGAsYHg/s320/alaitoc_farseer_babe_by_kunkka.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Divining the future of the Eldar.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<u><br /></u></b></div>
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div>
<b><u>Eldar Ramblings</u></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now that we provided as much background, context and predictions into the greater meta, why is this necessarily bad for Eldar? All the races of Eldar have some pretty solid vehicles and melee right? We even have Wraithlords and Talos who can melee and shoot from combat! Yes, yes, that is true, but let's get right into it again and I'll provide some reasoning. This time, I'll list out the most dramatic things to happen to us in order of importance with some reasoning.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In order of importance (most dramatic effect):</div>
<div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Obscuring terrain blocks LOS minus titanic units, things above 18 wounds or aircraft. There's also different terrain keywords that do different things.</li>
<ul>
<li>This is the single biggest change, in a <b>positive </b>way for all <b>Eldar</b>. Virtually none of our units have 18+ wounds (except for the damn useless Wraithknight) and are extremely fast to take advantage of area terrain the prevents you from being shot while still coming to a firing solution. It prevents your more delicate models from being shot from DE/Harlequins, gives you a place to hide artillery units like Nightspinners and allows you to decimate armies through firepower with Kabal vehicles. I have entire articles written about how to take advantage of cover and terrain.</li>
</ul>
<li>Units with Fly can no longer shoot after Falling Back. Still no word on how this is going to work with Open-top units want to shoot from inside.</li>
<ul>
<li>This is the single biggest change, in a <b>negative </b>way for all <b>Eldar</b>. Not being able to hit and run if you get tagged without a stratagem is straight trash. It doesn't even make sense, especially when it comes to the Eldar playstyle. Sure, you can sit still in combat and shoot away, but that's something that I can see for Imperials. I don't like this at all from a thematic perspective nor a gameplay perspective. Not being able to effectively hit and run on a smaller board just screams short-sightedness when it comes to game design. Hell, even Eldar bikes get hosed. Boo-hiss!</li>
</ul>
<li>The game boards will be shorter; changing from a 48"x78" table to 44"x60".</li>
<ul>
<li>This is the single biggest change, in a <b>negative </b>way for all <b>Eldar</b>. Less room to kite, generally worse for Eldar outside of specific playstyles. The improvements with melee and strategic reserves means that there's just less places to fly, more ways to get ambushed and fewer chances to score last minute objectives. Smaller boards means that effective 24" firepower is more important and controlling the middle of the board will be pivotal. Eldar generally wants to be a non-attrition army (meaning they suck at it), having less room to maneuver for a race that really depends on it can force the races into limited playstyles i.e. Meat Mountains.</li>
</ul>
<li>Modifiers can never get more than +1/-1, rolls of 6s always hit. This translates to Lightning Fast Reflexes being not cost-effective most of the time, and you going from "can't be hit" to get hit, and get hit more.</li>
<ul>
<li><b>Harlies </b>- This is the biggest negative change that they have. My reasoning behind this is that the majority of the points factored into Harlequins, their psychic abilities, their strategems, and therefore, the durability of Harlequins has always been around stacking hit mods and improving their invul saves. With hit modifiers being capped, Harlequins just lost a HUGE chunk of their survival rate. I would go as far as saying that if the army goes up even a medium range of points, they're entirely dead in the water. The Harlequin army was designed AND priced at being able to modify hit mods and improve invul. Otherwise, no amount of damage is going to offset their squishy nature.</li>
<li><b>CWE </b>- This only really affects Alaitoic CW stacked with Flyers. Towards the end of the Psychic Awakening/Marine meta, most competitive CW players was moving away from Alaitoic anyway to take advantage of Expert Crafters + something like Masters of Concealment (i.e. my Yme-loc CWE). However, this firmly sunsets the days of Alaitoic due to the fact that you can no longer mix detachments without paying CP.</li>
<li><b>DE </b>- Not really concerned overall, minus the fact that it's not really worth paying Lightning Fast Reflexes (applies to all other Eldar too) for 2 CP on most targets. You certainty wouldn't bother casting it on your planes now either considering capped hit mods and the fact you already have a base 5++.</li>
</ul>
<li>Points are going up across the board. The only reason I'm not ranking this at the very top is because it's also the largest unknown.</li>
<ul>
<li><b>Harlies </b>- Like I said, if the points go up too much, the army is effectively dead. The fact that you can no longer really splash them without taking a CP hit is a considerable weaknesses. While their bikes are still considered amazing units, I don't really don't know about this army. Even with the buffs to melee and reserves, taking a Patrol of them with a fat-stack of Troupe with a Troupe Master/Shadowseer is questionable.</li>
<li><b>DE </b>- I'm worried for the DE when it comes to points. I am hoping that they won't get points increases across the board because realistically, they stopped being highly relevant for a while now. Since Knights, DE have struggled and with Marines coming online, it's only gotten worse. Psychic Awakening didn't really give much benefits to DE as well and the same Kabals/Covens are still being played (Black Heart and Prophets).</li>
<li><b>CWE </b>- I think this is actually tied with DE. A lot of the changes that made vehicles and monsters good benefits this race a lot, but a lot of it depends on how much the units will cost. I am hoping that GW realizes that they've way over-indexed on imperial effectiveness the last couple of months, supplements and CAs. It doesn't really help Eldar if the good units go up in cost substantially out of purchasing range, and GW has a problem nerfing units that they consider too good when the meta has already past them i.e. Crimson Hunters Exarchs or lol Ravagers.</li>
</ul>
<li>Non-infantry move and fire Heavy weapons without penalty i.e. Monsters and vehicles.</li>
<ul>
<li><b>CWE </b>- Being able to move and shoot with heavy weapons without penalty certainly has the biggest impact on Craftworlds. A ton of their units like the Wave Serpents, Falcons, Nightwings, Vypers, War Walkers, Wraithlords..etc all benefit from this. Even Crimson Hunters received virtually free Hawkeye on top of PA Exarch abilities which is really huge. What can I say? This is a really huge boon for Eldar, especially when most of those vehicles can take Crystal Targeting Matrix.</li>
<li><b>DE </b>- This is where I'm a little salty, namely because they took one of the biggest faction identity traits of the DE and gave them to everyone else. The ability to move and fire heavy weapons on the move was something that DE was known for. In fact, it reads: "Change this weapon’s Type from Heavy to Assault if it is equipped on a VEHICLE". This change literally does nothing for DE except for taking away their faction identity and give it to everyone else in the game. I really hope they give DE something to compensate for this technology theft.</li>
<li><b>Harlies</b> - Nothing, I got nothing.</li>
</ul>
<li>Vehicles and monsters fire non-blast Heavy weapons in close combat.</li>
<ul>
<li><b>DE </b>- Talos are going to be really freaking good man, that's all I have to say. They've already been good for multiple years now with Prophets as the best Coven, but being able to continue to shoot Haywires in a soon-to-be vehicle-heavy meta is going to be amazing.</li>
<li><b>CWE </b>- Wraithlords will get some new life, being able to cleave things in melee while shooting two Eldar heavy weapons.</li>
<li><b>Harlies </b>- Nope, still nothing.</li>
</ul>
</ol>
<div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u17FB8M3FCw/XvWjP6O9yWI/AAAAAAAAKsU/e2FDQH3Q4Qo9bRAcjoMaVZ98WqTKKNTqACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/_unexpected_aid__by_luches-d8g97uu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1247" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u17FB8M3FCw/XvWjP6O9yWI/AAAAAAAAKsU/e2FDQH3Q4Qo9bRAcjoMaVZ98WqTKKNTqACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/_unexpected_aid__by_luches-d8g97uu.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Meat's back on the menu boys!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div>
Things that have a lesser effect listed here. I won't say as much here but will leave a blurb or two:</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Detachments cost command points; promoting single-detachment armies and 12 CP at 2000 points.</li>
<ul>
<li>Less room to customize your army to min-max your detachments. For example, I could take extra range + durability by mixing Obsidian Rose troops inside Black Heart Raiders aka my Black Rose, but that's no longer a thing. Same could be said about min-maxing Alaitoc Flyers with Expert Crafter Nightspinners. However, this is not a clear disadvantage to everyone in the game because everyone suffers from this.</li>
<li>To note, I am really interested to see what they do with DE's Raiding Force rule. I really hope they don't forget about it.</li>
</ul>
<li>Strategic Reserves means you can reserve unit(s) by Power Level to be brought in from flanking positions or Deep Strike starting from T2.</li>
<ul>
<li>A lot of Eldar units are expensive to ambush in via CP by a PL basis. Maybe that's why we have the Webway strategem? Overall, I wouldn't say there's a clear plus or minus just yet as I can see some practical use out of the new reserve rules, especially when it comes to flexibility of what you can actually reserve.</li>
</ul>
<li>Characters and Look Out Sir! changing so you have to have the character nearby something.</li>
<ul>
<li>Those hidden Rangers really helped shield those Skyrunners when you needed them to.</li>
</ul>
<li>Command Phase means CP is gained per turn. 1 CP per turn, unknown how generators will work.</li>
<ul>
<li>Good for me, good for you. All three Eldar factions have ways to generate CP outside of the standard 1 per Command Phase.</li>
</ul>
<li>Morale system changed so you can't kill off huge units by doing a crap ton of damage to them.</li>
<ul>
<li>This might actually be OK for Eldar against specific high-value armies like Marines. CWE has things like the Hemlock, DE has Phantasmal Grenade Launchers (PGL), while Harlequins are just loaded with leadership-shocking abilities. Since failing morale instantly nabs a model now, this might be OK for armies that have these abilities. However, the weakness comes in the fact that if we shoot up a lot of hordes, we won't be able to kill nearly as much.</li>
</ul>
<li>Blast weapons coming back to fight against hordes.</li>
<ul>
<li>Until we see weapon profiles, we're not sure enough just how many things get Blast. We know from a preview that Nighspinners are still good, but we don't know nearly enough about everyone else. I would think that you can guess which weapons can be Blast based on previous editions. Just remember which ones had blast templates and use your imagination.</li>
</ul>
<li>Overwatch is now a strategem for everyone except for Tau.</li>
<ul>
<li>Good for melee, further pushing the notion that Meat Mountains are going to make a comeback (as if they ever left?). A lot of Eldar armies in the current and previous metas were much more focused on shooting with a central melee unit like Shining Spears. This doesn't really change anything for those armies.</li>
</ul>
<li>Multi-charge has changed so if you don't make all your declared charges, you fail to charge.</li>
<ul>
<li>This is bad for Shining Spears or things like Wraithblades that might make an appearance, but is a boon for not getting your flying vehicles combo-charged.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<div>
<b><i>Conclusion</i></b>:</div>
<div>
If there's anything to take away from this analysis is the fact that Harlequins get almost nothing when it comes to firing heavy weapons or vehicles/monsters. In fact, I would one of the biggest problems they'll run into is not being able to survive through any kind of game. I'm seriously hoping that we'll see some buffs or cost benefits come their way, otherwise, they're in some serious trouble. Otherwise, I firmly expect to see CWE/DE players trying out their more shooting-effective vehicles, but this is offset with their inability to fall back and fire now. This points the finger at a possible Talos/Wraithlord meta possibly, but that will all depend on the price you pay. In fact, the price hikes that are sure to follow will firmly determine the future of the Eldar race. I just hope they give <i>something</i> to Harlequins because they are not looking good at all.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><u>Eldar Meta Predictions</u></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With the meta swinging into smaller, MSU, more elite-type units in both durable, melee-focused infantry, or vehicles/monsters, I think Eldar will need to adapt to win. I do not foresee most Eldar armies to play an infantry-based or melee-based route, but more towards the vehicle and monsters. With a shorter-board to play on, I think the value of mid-game, mid-board control will be heavily emphasized in each game regardless of mission. Therefore, you need units that can stay alive in the center of the board to better play the objective game. I also think that because melee will be so strong that there will be a heavier emphasis in being able to effectively screen as you don't want your vehicles to get tagged.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Breaking it down a bit, I foresee 2 key archetypes to come out of the Eldar meta.</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>First, do not play Harlequins. Until I see a dramatic reversal of the fates, they're dead to me.</li>
<li>Second, I am seeing the return of durability and <b>Meat Mountain</b>-style lists. This means Wraithblades with psychic powers to make them near unkillable, Wraithlords that can shoot and melee, supported by some Eldar tanks now that you have an effective meat wall riding up the middle for board control. For DE, expect to see Wracks, Grots and Talos with Prophets with Urien in the middle. This style of list really wants to run some supporting firepower like Ravagers, so I'm expecting them to play with a few CP down just to take the extra firepower. I don't believe CWE needs to worry about splitting detachments too much.</li>
<li>Third, I am seeing both <b>vehicle-heavy</b> mechdar lists from DE and Eldar to be effective. They won't be as effective as the MM or MM/hybrid list with vehicles, but they'll still have a place. Why? Because I think they'll be anti-meta. While everyone and their mother wants to shove elite and durable melee or vehicle units in your face, as a DE player you'll have 21 Disintegrators or a crap-ton of Poison shots for the monsters that they'll bring. Eldar can play this game as well, especially with their newly buffed vehicles/Heavy weapon rules. I just don't think they'll be able to play the game as well as their Dark Kin.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Phew, you made it through. With that said, I'll probably continue my spiritual journey playing games with the mechdar-style lists. I just don't get excited about playing meat mountains regardless of how effective they might be. <b>What do you predict we'll see in the new meta? Do you agree with any of my predictions? What do you plan on playing? </b>I know I'm going to be spending the next couple of days building 1500 point lists in preparation for the new price hikes. It's better to start lower to avoid disappointment in the future.</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-71380358864247040412020-06-23T21:30:00.000-07:002020-06-24T12:24:49.750-07:00First post in a long time<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dpxor6FtwgM/XvLWrCKjlAI/AAAAAAAAKo0/MUTt5_xk8wAjx9CNsDJHgdUsvKDpNx5fQCK4BGAsYHg/s1000/AeronauticaBattles-Aug30-EldritchBeast4sb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="1000" height="230" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dpxor6FtwgM/XvLWrCKjlAI/AAAAAAAAKo0/MUTt5_xk8wAjx9CNsDJHgdUsvKDpNx5fQCK4BGAsYHg/w400-h230/AeronauticaBattles-Aug30-EldritchBeast4sb.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Can't wait for Eldar to come to AI!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Well, what can I say? I've been gone a long time. The last time I posted on the blog was over a year ago, covering ASOIAF. Since then, a lot has changed: Work got busy, got a kid on the way, COVID, and the craziness that is 2020 keeps on coming.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm not even sure who even follows the blog anymore so I'll try and keep this brief, just to test the waters. To keep everyone honest, there's a lot of content out there that talks about 40K these days. I stopped writing and started listening more to podcasts, watching others play games on YouTube and reading other blogs out there that are really informative and interesting. While I still play the game, I just haven't been writing as much because well, there's not that much need to.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The games I still play are:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Warhammer 40K (yup, still playing.. since 3rd lol)</li>
<ul>
<li>All Eldar - DE primary, then E, then Harlequins</li>
</ul>
<li>Age of Sigmar (fairly recent)</li>
<ul>
<li>Hedonites of Slaanesh</li>
</ul>
<li>Aeronautical Imperialis (just built my Tau, waiting on Eldar, still haven't played a game)</li>
<ul>
<li>Tau, until Eldar come</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Games that I have currently retired:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>X-Wing (sold all of it after FFG rebooted/destroyed it)</li>
<li>Armada (packed up and sitting in the garage, just got boring with no new content)</li>
<li>ASOIAF (packed up as well, just couldn't find any interest nearby or in my immediate playgroup)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Since I promised to keep this brief, I'm just going to leave it at that. If anyone is still following, let me know if you want to see some content on 40K, AoS or AI. I know with 9th Ed. coming up, there's going to be plenty for me to write about. I also don't see a lot of content out there for Aeronautica for some reason, maybe that can be something I can get into.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Stay safe everyone :)</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-33948833275521150792019-02-24T11:19:00.001-08:002019-02-24T11:19:14.999-08:00ASOIAF: Deployment and Activations<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eoGJnyxrBS0/XHJdJCodaYI/AAAAAAAAKWQ/JtyP9m_NLY4CT0vqrvD8280JaKYH5mcygCLcBGAs/s1600/21936.2c4c0887.630x354o.a9b293423979.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="630" height="223" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eoGJnyxrBS0/XHJdJCodaYI/AAAAAAAAKWQ/JtyP9m_NLY4CT0vqrvD8280JaKYH5mcygCLcBGAs/s400/21936.2c4c0887.630x354o.a9b293423979.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Get ready for some hard lessons.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
One of the best things about this game how in-depth alternate deployment and activations work. All of this is outlined really well in the main rulebook, but I want to take a moment to stress the importance of how greatly this affects overall gameplay. A lot of this harks all the way back to my WHFB days where "drops" and chaff really meant something when it comes to deployment. Having more drops than the opponent allows you to see where their most crucial units get placed so you can better deploy against them. Keep in mind that when it comes to "drops", this is strictly limited to combat units. It doesn't matter how many NCUs you have when it comes to deployment, but this will matter when it comes to overall activations. Activation order and the number of total activations matter because the more you have, the more you can "force" your opponents to activate their units so you can better counter them.<br />
<br />
Alright, so let's dive into deployment first. Going forward, I'm just going to call these drops because I'm an old-school WHFB player and you're just going to have to deal with it. I'll start by using my Robb Stark list vs. the previously posted Ramsay list.<br />
<br />
<b>Faction: House Stark</b><br />
<b>Commander: Robb Stark – The Wolf Lord</b><br />
<b>Points: 40 (4 Neutral)</b><br />
<br />
Combat Units:<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">• House Umber Greataxes (7)</span><br />
with Robb Stark – The Wolf Lord (0)<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">• Grey Wind (0)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">• Stark Sworn Swords (5)</span><br />
with Bran and Hodor – Protector and Ward (3)<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">• Summer (0)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">• House Umber Berserkers (7)</span><br />
with Sworn Sword Captain (1)<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">• Stark Outriders (7)</span><br />
with Brynden Tully – Vanguard Infiltrator (3)<br />
<br />
Non-Combat Units:<br />
• Sansa Stark – Little Bird (3)<br />
• Lord Varys – The Spider (4)<br />
<br />
Made with <b><a href="http://asoiafbuilder.com/">ASOIAFBuilder.com</a></b><br />
<br />
<b><i>vs.</i></b><br />
<br />
<b>Faction: House Lannister</b><br />
<b>Commander: Ramsay Snow – The Bastard of Bolton</b><br />
<b>Points: 40 (20 Neutral)</b><br />
<br />
Combat Units:<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">• House Clegane Mountain Men (6)</span><br />
with Ramsay Snow – The Bastard of Bolton (0)<br />
and Theon Greyjoy – Reek (0)<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">• House Clegane Mountain Men (6)</span><br />
with Dreadfort Captain (1)<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">• Bolton Cutthroats (5)</span><br />
with Assault Veteran (1)<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">• The Flayed Men (10)</span><br />
with Gregor Clegane – Mounted Behemoth (3)<br />
<br />
Non-Combat Units:<br />
• Tywin Lannister – The Great Lion (4)<br />
• Lord Varys – The Spider (4)<br />
<br />
Made with <b><a href="http://asoiafbuilder.com/">ASOIAFBuilder.com</a></b><br />
<br />
Before we talk about anything else, keep in mind that after the battlefield is set up, you roll a die with your opponent and you see who gets to pick their deployment zone (winner chooses or passes). The player who <b>does not</b> choose their Deployment Zone will the First Player. The player who chooses the deployment zone puts down their first combat unit.<br />
<br />
As you can see in the example lists above, Robb's army has a total of <b>6 drops</b> compared to Ramsay's <b>4 drops</b>. This is one of the best things about the Stark Dire Wolves and that's because it comes with good 0-point chaff that are combat units.<br />
<br />
If you choose Deployment and therefore starts deploying first, it would look like:<br />
<ol>
<li>You put a wolf down</li>
<li>They put down a combat unit</li>
<li>You put another wolf down</li>
<li>They have to put another combat unit</li>
<li>You put down some Stark Swords</li>
<li>They put down another combat unit</li>
<li>You put down some Berserkers</li>
<li>They <i>have to </i>put down their Flayed Men with Ser G</li>
<li>Now you counter-deploy your Greataxes to meet his knights</li>
<li>...and you can put your Outriders somewhere that best suits your needs</li>
</ol>
<br />
Hell, if you count his drops ahead of time, you can even choose to Outflank with your Outriders because you know the drop advantage is yours. Always count the number of drops your opponent has and take note of any units of significance.<br />
<br />
Do you see the power of having more drops than the opponent? This is actually one of Stark's most powerful tools and that's the free Dire Wolves with Robb and Brann. Once Shaggydog gets up in here, it's going to be a hoot. Even having one drop over the opponent can mean a big difference because it allows you to better set up your slower moving speed-4 Greataxes somewhere that's going to scare those Flayed Men. If you end up tieing with your opponent when it comes to drops, consider letting them choose deployment so they drop first.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-chcDul-LUZ8/XHJc-mnoVAI/AAAAAAAAKWM/uhOeRjpboWAJne6dkXaPz2Bv4puBf2SzACLcBGAs/s1600/cool-mini-or-not-a-song-of-ice-fire-bolton-flayed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="639" height="201" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-chcDul-LUZ8/XHJc-mnoVAI/AAAAAAAAKWM/uhOeRjpboWAJne6dkXaPz2Bv4puBf2SzACLcBGAs/s400/cool-mini-or-not-a-song-of-ice-fire-bolton-flayed.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Activating in the most optimal order is key.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Next, let's talk a little bit about activations. For the most part, I'll try and keep things as generic as possible. Knowing the when and why you activate your units will mean the difference between victory and defeat. This is where most of the complexity of the game comes from. By understanding that your NCUs count towards total activations and directly interact with the game through the tactics board, this greatly enhances how you play the game. While most units interact directly with tactics cards, there's also a ton of ways to cheat out free actions. To explain all of this is going to be really complex because it's simply impossible to predict any and all events that are going to happen in a game. No worries though, I'll try and give out some hints based on the games I've had so far. Keep in mind that who is First Player also matters greatly.<br />
<br />
Here are some helpful tips:<br />
<ul>
<li>NCUs tend to activate first to either stifle the opponent's zones or take advantages for themselves. For example, as First Player, taking the Tactics zone can be super useful, or robbing the Stark player of free maneuvers can also be strong, especially when there are plentiful objectives on the board.</li>
<li>Whenever you interact with the tactics board, you should first consider if you're planning to give a direct benefit to yourself or to disrupt the opponents' plans. Every decision you make should be deliberate and has a significant impact on the game.</li>
<li>When units are already engaged, claiming the Combat zone is very strong and should be claimed if you have First Player. This is essentially a free combat action, which is just incredible. Anything that gives free anything is highly-sought after.</li>
<li>Activating your Dire Wolves first before your main combat units allow you to better move units in response to what the opponent is going to do. They have to activate their units and cannot choose to just pass. They can, however, put an activation token on the unit and just not do anything.</li>
<li>Always look for low-risk activations first if you want to bait your opponent into doing something so you can counterplay it. However, you need to prioritize high-value activations if you absolutely need something to go in your favor. This is how tempo is set by the player: If everything you're doing gives you an advantage some way or another, you will always be ahead. An example of this could be deciding to put an NCU down first to disrupt the opponent or to activate a unit. You want to choose the one that will put you ahead while leaving the opponent unable to respond. The best type of activation is getting to do something that gives you advantage while the opponent gains nothing.</li>
<li>As the game progresses, this is where the true chess element of the game comes in: Choosing the wrong activation order can literally mean victory or defeat. Everything is a risk because both you and your opponent has a hidden hand of tactics cards, and with NCUs being different every game, there's always going to be calculated risk. This is why Varys is one of the strongest NCUs in the game currently: He has 4 tries to foil your opponents' plans with the tactics board or their NCUs.</li>
<li>Once combat is joined, the focus of the game shifts a bit from NCUs to actually fighting the battle. Otherwise, you risk skipping pivotal combat and your opponent might just tactics your unit into the ground before you get a chance to swing. If you see the opportunity to inflict damage, it's almost always worth it to take it unless you have the appropriate counter. Look for unit activations that will give you the battlefield advantage. NCUs are not the ones fighting over objectives.</li>
<li>Typically when you're a couple of turns in and the battle is joined, you should look for opportunities for free actions first, then combat, then NCUs in that order. There are many factors that will change this order around, but that's completely up to you to analyze the opportunity cost. Since there are a lot of things to keep track of once battle is joined so it's important for you to get comfortable with your units, your commander, your NCUs, and your tactics cards. Else, you risk missing vital opportunities or triggers that can win the game for you.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Alright, that's pretty much all I have to say about activations. There are just a billion examples and each one of them is unique. However, I think mastering your activations is the most difficult, most complex, and most rewarding part of the game. It's probably the biggest factor in identifying player skill and experience, so it's definitely worth practicing. Good luck!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-77011125805058989812019-02-23T23:46:00.000-08:002019-02-23T23:46:26.343-08:00ASOIAF: 40pt Boltons with Ramsay<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wiHK235YaPc/XHDbWW4X1CI/AAAAAAAAKT4/gtZip-RSuawV3l07SgHlU_P0yJo_uMbLwCLcBGAs/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wiHK235YaPc/XHDbWW4X1CI/AAAAAAAAKT4/gtZip-RSuawV3l07SgHlU_P0yJo_uMbLwCLcBGAs/s400/maxresdefault.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You know it's real when everyone else is in armor and you're naked.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I've been dying to write this piece. Beknownst to some, while Tywin is my favorite character of all time, I also really like Roose Bolton. I think of him as the Tywin of the North because they're so alike in a lot of ways. In fact, when you dig down a little deeper into the origins of House Bolton, you will find many disturbing and interesting things about them. Mechanically, I think they play very close to their book representation and that means a lot of death and terror. For now, I think Boltons' are the strongest when paired with House Lannister because of a lot of their tactics cards and toolkits synergizes with Lannister control elements.<br />
<br />
Let's jump straight into a list that I've been messing with lately. Since I'm going to turn this into a 2-part show, let me start with something that I've had quite a bit of success with. To say it's pretty freaking brutal is an understatement.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lx3jeG25ApY/XHDRGDcQBTI/AAAAAAAAKTU/gnTdRwZXZrY95W4T6dmuIz-dnC4M5ydpACLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="351" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lx3jeG25ApY/XHDRGDcQBTI/AAAAAAAAKTU/gnTdRwZXZrY95W4T6dmuIz-dnC4M5ydpACLcBGAs/s320/Untitled2.png" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I mean, lol, look at this guy.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Faction: House Lannister</b><br />
<b>Commander: Ramsay Snow – The Bastard of Bolton</b><br />
<b>Points: 40 (20 Neutral)</b><br />
<br />
Combat Units:<br />
• House Clegane Mountain Men (6)<br />
with Ramsay Snow – The Bastard of Bolton (0)<br />
and Theon Greyjoy – Reek (0)<br />
• House Clegane Mountain Men (6)<br />
with Dreadfort Captain (1)<br />
• Bolton Cutthroats (5)<br />
with Assault Veteran (1)<br />
• The Flayed Men (10)<br />
with Gregor Clegane – Mounted Behemoth (3)<br />
<br />
Non-Combat Units:<br />
• Tywin Lannister – The Great Lion (4)<br />
• Lord Varys – The Spider (4)<br />
<br />
Made with <a href="http://asoiafbuilder.com/"><b>ASOIAFBuilder.com</b></a><br />
<br />
Just so you guys know, I absolutely hated Ramsay in the show. I still can't decide who I actually hated more, him or Joffrey, and that's an achievement in itself. To make things short and sweet, Ramsay's a battlefield commander through and through. He likes to get in there and chop people to bits to spread fear directly. When he pops his Order to Flay Them All! after a unit fails a Panic test, another unit within Long Range has to take a Panic test. This is a great mechanic to have in a unit of MM because of the Vicious inflicting a -2 modifier. The affiliation to House Bolton is something we will talk about once we take a look at his Tactics Cards. Before we forget, let's talk about poor Theon who Ramsay brings along with him. Having Theon dragged around with you basically allows Ramsay to auto-panic an opponents' unit every turn, but the downside there is that if you roll a 5+, Theon dies. Boohoo, I guess.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-76mEYOCCH2A/XHDSU-dinAI/AAAAAAAAKTg/LWQTM_o6X_427cBKUZ0XYfrqBV6B-1rTgCLcBGAs/s1600/n-ramsay-snow-tbob-t1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="1101" height="302" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-76mEYOCCH2A/XHDSU-dinAI/AAAAAAAAKTg/LWQTM_o6X_427cBKUZ0XYfrqBV6B-1rTgCLcBGAs/s640/n-ramsay-snow-tbob-t1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Everything is made for killing.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The biggest weakness to this list is the low activations and deploys, but outwitting the opponent isn't something I'm going after. I'm looking to get in there and murder the enemy in every way possible. When you look at cards like <b>Our Blades are Sharp</b>, you will see that's one of the most damaging tactics cards in the entire game. If you attack a Panicked enemy, your attack gains +1 to hit and +2 dice on the attack. If you're a House Bolton unit, the defender also becomes Vulnerable. This is why I have 2 real House Bolton units in the game and a MM with the House Bolton affiliation. Make no mistake: This one card absolutely sky-rockets your units ability to deal damage. With a plentiful amount of Critical Blows, Vicious, and 3s to hit across the entire army, you will have plenty of chances to inflict maximum hurt on the enemy. <b>Cruel Methods</b> is activation cheating, simple as that. You play this card at the start of the round, regardless of whose turn it is and you get an out-of-turn free attack action. Sure, there are downsides to this card if you don't manage to destroy the enemy unit, but with 3 House Bolton units on the field using max dice and re-rolling misses, you better do some work. An amazing target for this is your Bolton Cutthroats with Assault Veteran. If you pop this on them and that unit is already engaged with something, you will be rolling 10 dice, hitting on 2s with re-rolls, making the Vulnerable, and they have to test Panic with Vicious. If it's going to be your unit activation, you can just cap the Combat zone with Varys and go again if that unit is somehow still alive and your guys are still around. I'm telling you, it's bananas. Lastly, we have <b>Sadistic Games,</b> where at the start of a friendly turn, your opponent has to pick either to have 2 of his units to be Panicked or suffer D3+2 automatic hits. If he understands Ramsay at all, he'll go for the extra hits because at least he has a chance to save them. Having 2 units being Panicked just sets them up to be abused later by Our Blades are Sharp.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KdAUEjWXXkA/XHDZjBwEMbI/AAAAAAAAKTs/DyKlgh633lEJFmz_35MbUmy3eYInA4w5gCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="940" height="248" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KdAUEjWXXkA/XHDZjBwEMbI/AAAAAAAAKTs/DyKlgh633lEJFmz_35MbUmy3eYInA4w5gCLcBGAs/s640/Untitled3.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Madness. Madness and Stupidity.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Let's talk about the unit selection super quick: Mountain's Men should be pretty straight forward. You have Critical Blows and Vicious who works great with Ramsay's tactics cards. Bolton Cutthroats with Assault Veteran is a match made in heaven, and having a Dreadfort Captain on the MMs help spread Panic whenever the opponent fails their Panic test (which should be often due to Vicious). The giant elephant in the room is the fat-stack of The Mountain + Flayed Men. Let's get one thing straight here: <b>This is 32.5% of your army</b> and in most cases, can be considered a deathstar. Now, I normally don't like to do this kind of thing, but I think Ser G + Flayed Men are one of the strongest units in the entire game by far, especially when you have them in damage amplifying list like this one. For me, the best way to get value out of these guys is to take them in a list that will almost guarantee they make their points back. If you think about in terms of points: A 13-point unit better kill at least 13+ points to break even or be considered a unit well-spent. This is, after all, 2 more units of Mountain's Men or even close to 3 units of Cutthroats or Lannister Guardsman. It's a huge investment and I need people to realize that they do have weaknesses, that you can play around them quite easily, that mission objectives do matter, and there are plenty of tactics cards and combos out there that can stifle their damage or end them entirely. I do not consider them over-performing at all, but they are nasty.<br />
<br />
So why did I bring them? Well, for one, Gregor applies free Panic that unlocks Our Blades are Sharp automatically and also automatically deal D3 wounds. The fact that you can play Our Blades are Sharp on this unit is something out of this world, because now, on the charge you have 10 attack dice, hitting on 2s and re-rolling, Critical Blows + Vicious, Panic + Spread Fear, you make the unit Vulnerable, and you deal D3 extra wounds from The Mountain just because you can. If that doesn't roll over many people, it will reduce them to almost combat ineffectiveness status and they will then try to retaliate against a unit with 2+ save. If you wipe them out or start the round with Cruel Methods, you can then Overrun into another unit with a free Charge action to start the chaos all over again. I don't know what to say, this unit with Ramsay is absolutely absurd considering how many extra, free combat rounds you can get from it, all the while spreading Panic tokens around because of Spread Fear and Vicious.<br />
<br />
Yes, the unit above is ridiculously strong and I would say almost designed for Ramsay to take advantage of. However, it's hugely expensive and that's why a unit like that doesn't perform well in objective-based game modes. With only 4 combat units, one of which is a 13-point unit from hell, you can't possibly dedicate it to capturing points. What you need to do if you're piloting this list is to use that unit to smash everything in its way to smithereens. However, this will require you to have the right cards in hand which is something you should never build your strategy around. Before I forget, that unit, as mighty as it is, has one giant flaw that needs to be called out: It is hugely weak against anything that can blunt the initial assault. A lot of the damage comes from the Abilities that the unit has attached to it so if you take those abilities *cough, Martial Supremacy, cough*, it's pretty much a declawed cat. You can then trap the unit by engaging it from multiple sides (such as Grey Wind) and apply Greataxes to face.<br />
<br />
Finally, I'd like to mention that Tywin as an NCU is still amazing. In fact, I think he has one of the best once-a-game abilities in the game because it completely makes an enemy unit worthless for a round. Funny enough, Tywin is also probably one of the best counters to something like the Gregor Flayed Train of Death.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-32090670062539093782019-02-22T20:20:00.001-08:002019-02-22T20:20:31.796-08:00ASOIAF: Rodrik Cassel 40pt Army<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WBw6akiZTmo/XG9rDj2ZKwI/AAAAAAAAKTI/1Q0HUEeHiosDaF0pYYk_F2bAMH-9RRiwACLcBGAs/s1600/415e01Ij1vL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WBw6akiZTmo/XG9rDj2ZKwI/AAAAAAAAKTI/1Q0HUEeHiosDaF0pYYk_F2bAMH-9RRiwACLcBGAs/s320/415e01Ij1vL.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Let's get down to business.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Winter has come. While there are some people out there that prefer to go maneuver-heavy with Robb or face-smashy with Greatjon Umber, I like going Rodrik Cassel. The reason why is because his tactics cards are absolutely bonkers and making units Vulnerable just makes a smashy faction even smashier.<br />
<br />
First, let's take a look at Rodrik Cassel and see what he offers to our army:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mZDsBgWRXvg/XG9iih9IzII/AAAAAAAAKSo/z2u05xAGXFcCA5XBjiC1nH6v78UT4IrRQCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="340" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mZDsBgWRXvg/XG9iih9IzII/AAAAAAAAKSo/z2u05xAGXFcCA5XBjiC1nH6v78UT4IrRQCLcBGAs/s320/Untitled.png" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A true soldier.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As you can see, Rodrik is a soldier who has an Order to make the opponent's unit Vulnerable after Attack dice are rolled. The timing for this is exceptionally important because it's what Sworn Sword Captains have as well and it's considered one of the best 1-point attachments in the game. Vulnerable is huge for someone like Rodrik because it unlocks his Tactics cards and skyrockets the damage potential of all your units. Having Vulnerable on something after you charge it would mean you re-roll all hits and your opponent has to essentially re-roll all their successful saves. It pretty much means the Stark army will obliterate units that have low saves or punch through tougher targets that can normally deflect their blows. Peeling ranks off enemy units will also keep your units around longer as the enemies' damage potential will decrease.<br />
<br />
Let's take a look at Rodrik's tactics cards:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n3403Ny3M_g/XG9j4rzPkoI/AAAAAAAAKS0/MA69U8dZELUsqcIHkG7TaaW5lqndQMj8wCLcBGAs/s1600/hs-rodrik-cassel-maa-t1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="1101" height="302" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n3403Ny3M_g/XG9j4rzPkoI/AAAAAAAAKS0/MA69U8dZELUsqcIHkG7TaaW5lqndQMj8wCLcBGAs/s640/hs-rodrik-cassel-maa-t1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>All that martial goodness!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Martial Superiority</b> is one of the best defensive tactics cards in the game. It triggers off when the enemy unit attacks and that dice rolls less dice AND loses all abilities until the end of the turn. Now, it isn't as powerful as some of the silences we've been before where it lasts until the end of the round, but this card doesn't need any conditionals like expending condition tokens or anything else. You cast it, boom, and most of the opponent's plans are foiled. This card is amazing at stopping something like Gregor + Flayed Men from rolling a unit while you set up for a counter-attack. To make things even more interesting, if you're going after Rodrik's unit, good luck. Having Weakened on top of this card pretty much means Rodrik's units going to stay around. <b>Combat Prowess</b> is a great follow-up card when used with Rodrik's unit or with any unit under the influence of Vulnerable. What if your opponent rolls poorly and you don't need to spend the Vulnerable token? Guess like he's being silenced and unable to respond with any defensive tactics cards. It's really fierce when used on the charge as there are fewer things in the game that interacts with that timing window than when a friendly unit attacks. Lastly, we have <b>Press the Advantage</b>. This is another one of those cards that trigger off the attack so you can't use a Sworn Sword Captain's Orders and then play this card because it escapes the window. What this card does is kick your opponents when they're already down because of the Critical Blows on an already Vulnerable target. That's why I have taken a unit of Tully Sworn Shields with Rodrik because it makes them one of the tankiest units in the game while giving them the opportunity to do bigger damage than their stats suggest.<br />
<br />
Here's the list:<br />
<br />
<b>Faction: House Stark</b><br />
<b>Commander: Rodrik Cassel – Master–at–Arms</b><br />
<b>Points: 40 (4 Neutral)</b><br />
<br />
Combat Units:<br />
• Stark Sworn Swords (5)<br />
with Sworn Sword Captain (1)<br />
• House Umber Greataxes (7)<br />
with Robb Stark – The Young Wolf (3)<br />
• Grey Wind (0)<br />
• House Tully Sworn Shields (7)<br />
with Rodrik Cassel – Master–at–Arms (0)<br />
• Stark Outriders (7)<br />
with Brynden Tully – Vanguard Infiltrator (3)<br />
<br />
Non-Combat Units:<br />
• Sansa Stark – Little Bird (3)<br />
• Petyr Baelish – Littlefinger (4)<br />
<br />
Made with <a href="http://asoiafbuilder.com/"><b>ASOIAFBuilder.com</b></a><br />
<br />
Let me try and explain some of these choices super quick. The Stark Sword Swords are simply one of the best offensive units in the game for the cost. With Stark Fury and 8 dice on a 5-point unit and the ability to make someone Vulnerable, the damage potential for this unit is huge. Great Axes deal a huge amount of damage and can definitely wreck heavy cavalry if they're already engaged with them. Robb Stark as an attachment makes them regular infantry speed and gives you the ability to launch yourself out there on a Maneuver trigger on the tactics board. This makes two units that can do it in the army and that will surprise your opponents a lot! The fact that Robb (and Bran) come with their Dire Wolves is one of the best things about Starks. These free wolves not only come with great abilities, but they're a free activation and deploy to be used in battle. Grey Wind is especially good because he is able to apply Vulnerable onto a unit if already used, or apply it beforehand so it can be consumed using Rodrik's own ability or tactics cards.<br />
<br />
I already explained a little bit about the Tully Sworn Shields above, but with Rodrik's tactics cards, this unit becomes a very jack-of-all-trades unit. It's already super defensive with Shield Wall and 3+ save, but cards like Martial Superiority just takes it over the edge. While the defensive stats normally lower damage expectations, Press the Advantage and Vulnerable tokens in general greatly increases its damage potential. As for Stark Outriders, I think they're a great, solid unit at 7 points. With Brynden Tully however, they can be one of the most annoying units in the game thanks for their great flanking ability and healing on retreat. A lot of the Stark tactics cards play incredibly well with Outriders as well thanks to their unpredictable damage potential. Just remember that with 7-point units, you can also decide to trade out the Sworn Shields for a unit of Berserkers if you want some more face-smash.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7NznaX9zKL8/XG9qpH8pkZI/AAAAAAAAKTA/WntF_C0ZbfoqXGB4MfVMJGTfAYFkKnAAACLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="626" height="277" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7NznaX9zKL8/XG9qpH8pkZI/AAAAAAAAKTA/WntF_C0ZbfoqXGB4MfVMJGTfAYFkKnAAACLcBGAs/s400/Untitled2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"And yet you betrayed me.."</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As for NCUs, I really like Sansa Stark with Rodrik because of her ability to recycle or tutor for exactly what is needed right then and there. While we all try and anticipate everything that is going to happen in a game, Sansa offers us extra insurance that if an opponent rolls a 6 for a long ass charge you didn't anticipate and is rolling in with crazy Tactics cards in support, you always have a way to Martial Superiority him into the ground. For my next NCU, believe it or not, I think Littlefinger is a solid choice for the Starks. It's just comical that I'm taking both Sansa and Littlefinger in the same list, but his ability to claim Combat/Maneuver that unlocks the secondary capabilities for your Stark tactics cards while still reaping the benefit of other unclaimed zones is amazing.<br />
<br />
Try out the list and let me know how you fair!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-43957974172819420282019-02-21T19:28:00.000-08:002019-02-21T19:28:00.358-08:00ASOIAF: Tywin Lannister 40pt Army<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Qe8HVHtySc/XG5BmReO5jI/AAAAAAAAKSc/bPlDfni32DQThcbDdBJ-CGNW0h4zw3JiACLcBGAs/s1600/have-you-ever-lost-a-war-is-my-name-tylose-5311920.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Qe8HVHtySc/XG5BmReO5jI/AAAAAAAAKSc/bPlDfni32DQThcbDdBJ-CGNW0h4zw3JiACLcBGAs/s320/have-you-ever-lost-a-war-is-my-name-tylose-5311920.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My point exactly.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In my previous article, I gave you guys the rundown for how I go about building army lists. I always start with the Commander first and then try to take units that best take advantage of their tactics cards. Well, I decided to get the party started with my favorite character from GoT: <b>Tywin Lannister</b>. Lannisters, in general, have a ton of control elements and I think Tywin just adds to the flavor in a big way. He is a battlefield commander so that means you put him with your frontline troops in any one of the units that he can be taken in. Since he's considered an infantry character, you have to put him in one of your infantry units. I decided to put Tywin inside a unit of Mountain Men because they have a pretty respectable save of 4+. Besides, having two chances to apply Panic-based damage is great. More on this later.<br />
<br />
For now, let's take a look at Tywin himself and his Tactics cards to see what he offers us:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e-NEwkwIydM/XG44G3WTMDI/AAAAAAAAKSE/korZA1LqEOwRqUHfbCUzrgcKHGO3kELpQCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="260" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e-NEwkwIydM/XG44G3WTMDI/AAAAAAAAKSE/korZA1LqEOwRqUHfbCUzrgcKHGO3kELpQCLcBGAs/s320/Untitled.png" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Just look at this badass.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
From the get-go, you can see that Tywin is all about making your opponents' units Weakened and then exploiting those tokens and effects to your advantage. Immediately, you can see that Tywin's Commander card has built-in Lannister Supremacy and Fear of the Lion. Fear of the Lion combos really nicely with Tywin's tactics cards because it allows him to place a free Weaken token on any enemy unit within Long Range of his unit when he activates. I put him with Mountain Men because MMs already have built-in Vicious so on the offense, they can make opponents take Panic Tests with a -2 modifier. When they attack back, Tywin's Lannister Supremacy makes it so if I roll a 7+ on my Panic test, my opponent has to take another test at -2 again. This is some pretty silly free damage if my opponent rolls poorly and can also be a form of damage negation because the more models they lose to Panic checks, the less damage they will do because of the ranks lost. Throw Weaken on top of this from Tywin and it becomes a force multiplier.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fpdwBKSbT20/XG43nwhrZDI/AAAAAAAAKSA/ccuX-Ykln5wuomWcsIF6DOBQBWYJo_IpgCEwYBhgL/s1600/hl-tywin-lannister-locr-t1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="1100" height="302" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fpdwBKSbT20/XG43nwhrZDI/AAAAAAAAKSA/ccuX-Ykln5wuomWcsIF6DOBQBWYJo_IpgCEwYBhgL/s640/hl-tywin-lannister-locr-t1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Lion doesn't mess around.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The Tactics cards themselves are very nasty. <b>Exploit Weakness</b> is a perfect example of a card that kicks your opponent when they're down. If you spend the Weaken token, you can force your opponent re-roll all of their successful hits and any 1s to pop up will deal automatic wounds to their unit on top of whiffing on their attacks. This is extremely effective at taking down heavy cavalry because it essentially turns that units attack into wounds that bypass saves. <b>The Lion's Wrath</b> is a great card because it affects ALL enemy units on the board that has Weaken on them and it lasts until the end of the round. You will hear me say this a lot, but anything that lasts an entire round is super good. Players take alternating turns activating their units, but rounds last after all player turns are finished. This means that for the duration of the round, anything Weakened on the battlefield will be moving -1 movement AND suffering Disorderly Charge on a roll of 1-2. First, this card auto-applies a Weaken effect anywhere on the board, but Disorderly Charge is super frustrating when it happens. Another example of Lannisters kicking you while you're down, but Disorderly Charge robs you from your ability to re-roll hits on a Charge AND essentially silences you for the rest of that unit's turn. Players cannot play Tactics cards for the remainder of that unit's action, and if you miss the actual charge itself, that unit has to take a Panic test. Lastly, we have <b>Lannister Intimidation</b>. This is pretty much a hard silence on the enemy unit and all of its attachments until the end of the round. Again, end of the round here folks, Tywin doesn't F around. Almost everything he does is centered around making your opponents' units weaker while giving slightly leveraging your battlefield position.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFNE9ibGL48/XG49NeBioII/AAAAAAAAKSQ/55ii8igkw7EhX5CuH6mB22F1vSnwofQcgCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="620" height="277" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFNE9ibGL48/XG49NeBioII/AAAAAAAAKSQ/55ii8igkw7EhX5CuH6mB22F1vSnwofQcgCLcBGAs/s400/Untitled2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pycelle is an auto-include with Tywin.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As for unit selection, there are quite a few things you can do and I think Tywin is one of the more flexible commanders for how you want to build the list. To make things a little easier, let me first start off by saying that you should probably take Pycelle as your first NCU. Pycelle is incredible with Tywin because he puts Weaken tokens on your opponents when he claims a zone. This is exactly what Tywin needs when playing his Tactics cards and Pycelle on the Tactics zone after The Lion's Wrath will see 3 enemy units Weakend on a single turn. Now, Varys is pretty much one of the best NCUs in the game IMO. His ability is incredibly good even if you only have a limited amount of Order tokens. The ability to stop a crucial game-altering tactics board play or NCU ability from triggering when claiming a zone can be huge. Since Lannisters is a control-heavy faction in general, you will see me playing Varys a lot in my lists.<br />
<br />
Alright, enough talk, here's the list:<br />
<br />
<b>Faction: House Lannister</b><br />
<b>Commander: Tywin Lannister – Lord of Casterly Rock</b><br />
<b>Points: 40 (4 Neutral)</b><br />
<br />
Combat Units:<br />
• Lannister Guardsmen (5)<br />
with Assault Veteran (1)<br />
• House Clegane Mountain Men (6)<br />
with Tywin Lannister – Lord of Casterly Rock (0)<br />
• House Clegane Mountain Men (6)<br />
with Assault Veteran (1)<br />
• Lannister Crossbowmen (6)<br />
• Knights of Casterly Rock (8)<br />
<br />
Non-Combat Units:<br />
• Pycelle – Grand Maester (3)<br />
• Lord Varys – The Spider (4)<br />
<br />
Made with <a href="http://asoiafbuilder.com/"><b>ASOIAFBuilder.com</b></a><br />
<br />
As you can see, I have quite a bit of diversity in there with 7 total activations (5 combat and 2 NCUs). Combat activations matter for deployment, but total activations matter for how much control you have over the board state. That will be its own article at another time, but this isn't the first time I've played a minis game where <a href="http://lkhero.blogspot.com/2015/12/armada-activation-advantage.html"><b>activation and unit activation order</b></a> matters a lot. Anyways, let's take a look at the rest of the list I have here: You will see Guardsman with Assault Vet, Tywin in MM and another unit of MM because they're a rock-solid unit. Assault Veterans because I love the aggression and they are great with Tywin because Weaken basically ensures that there will be a second round of combat and your guys will attrition quite well. For the Guardsman, you can also choose to bring along a Guard Captain to auto-pass Panic and therefore guarantees Lannister Supremacy every time.<br />
<br />
When it comes to rounding out the rest of the army, Crossbowmen are there so they can pick off enemy units from range. From here, you can generally branch into any direction you want to bring for the meta. You can take another unit of Lannister Guards, another unit of MM, but for diversity and the ability to harass objectives, I decided to go with Xbows. If you think about it, if you're running a pretty aggressive infantry army, having 7 shots of Sundering from Long Range that hits on 3s is no joke. On top of that, I've decided to go wih a unit of Knights of Casterly Rock because they're a pretty decent unit to have for the points. Some people don't like them because you need to play them well and they're not push and win like the Flayed Men, but if you get them on the flank of a combat you need to win, you will like them a lot. They're designed to win on the charge so if you're not destroying units on the charge, think about saving them until you do or else you'll have to waste turns (or Manuever on the Tactics Board) to set them up again.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned for my next article where I cover one of my favorite Stark lists to play right now!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-88889336736879218922019-02-20T20:07:00.000-08:002019-02-20T22:19:57.896-08:00ASOIAF: Getting started with army building<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r_8xXOnG_T8/XGzXwDqiWAI/AAAAAAAAKQ4/HBoU7QPMVYsiWx1UF281DjQ64HYD0MW9wCLcBGAs/s1600/6ae18e7b6810818075de3eef7d1eb7a812a14026ea1288f3e686766029412a7cd471be861dfc1f6c_car_202x158.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="827" height="311" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r_8xXOnG_T8/XGzXwDqiWAI/AAAAAAAAKQ4/HBoU7QPMVYsiWx1UF281DjQ64HYD0MW9wCLcBGAs/s400/6ae18e7b6810818075de3eef7d1eb7a812a14026ea1288f3e686766029412a7cd471be861dfc1f6c_car_202x158.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>That Throne didn't build itself in a day.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
I don't know about you folks, but building army lists and theorycrafting is one of the biggest draws for me when it comes to a miniatures game. I just absolutely adore designing my own army with a theme that I appreciate and then playing them on the battlefield. If I was to timebox it, I would say that at least half the time I spend with the hobby is designing armies to play and the other half is actually playing them. Yes, that's correct. I spend almost all my time playing the game, writing about it, and building army lists. What about painting? Well... that's another story for another time!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The first tool you will need when designing armies for this game is the <a href="https://asoiafbuilder.com/"><b>ASOIAFBuilder</b></a>. The second tool you will want if you want to build army lists on your phone is <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cmon.asif&hl=en_US"><b>War Council</b></a>. Both of these army builders are super useful for you to get an army up quickly and start playing the game.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ah yes, so what do you do first when you want to build army list? Well, picking a faction will be a good start. If you read my previous article when I gave an overview of the Starks and the Lannisters, you'll know that the two factions are very different mechanically. You need to find the house that best cater to your personality and what kind of playstyle that best suits you on the battlefield. For a lot of fans of the show, you must have a favorite house by now right? What I think would be pretty safe is that if you have a favorite house that is not yet in the game, it might be worthwhile for you to explore similar traits associated with those different houses in the ones that do currently exist. For example, I would say that the Tyrells share many of the same traits as the Lannisters while Targaryens are more similar to the Starks. Might as well start prepping for the future because sooner or later, those houses will come out. If you're still hungering for those Dragons or upset the Greyjoys are not raiding the game yet, then I don't know what to tell ya, you're missing out on an otherwise great minis game.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E3S2pF0DJp4/XGzVJs8B4pI/AAAAAAAAKQc/whTQ58swKVU0q_ZqeK_MuOk56gdHZSsZACLcBGAs/s1600/hl-jaime-lannister-tk-t1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="1101" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E3S2pF0DJp4/XGzVJs8B4pI/AAAAAAAAKQc/whTQ58swKVU0q_ZqeK_MuOk56gdHZSsZACLcBGAs/s640/hl-jaime-lannister-tk-t1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Each Commander's Tactics Cards are different!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So back to business: Once you find a faction that you like, it's time to pick a Commander that suits your playstyle. There's a ton of Commanders in the game and all of them are free. Most of the Commanders in the game will want to lead units from the front, but there are also some Commanders who like to take command from the back lines or maybe even issue orders from Court. Yes, there are NCU Commanders and all of them are 0 points! You just need to find one that best suits your playstyle and what you want them to do. Each faction comes with 14 generic Faction Tactics cards (7x2) and each Commander adds 6 more to that, 3 of which are unique and will change the dynamics of your army. For example, if I was looking at Lannisters and I was to pick The Mountain for my Commander, I know that my army will be using tactics cards geared for bloodthirsty aggressive vs. someone like Tyrion Lannister, who will be more cunning with plenty of tricks up his sleeve. Just remember this, whoever you choose as a Commander will change the playstyle and layout of the rest of your army. This means that whoever you choose will likely influence your choices for NCUs, your units, and which game modes they will be most effective in. To get started, check out one of the army builders I linked above and look at the Tactics cards of the different Commanders your faction can take. Look at their tactics cards and read the special abilities on their card and see if that jives with what you want to run.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rc4wItXqSFg/XGzXLSj8LpI/AAAAAAAAKQw/tkprTevHswIF59ZDcI5O01KnM0HWTI7JQCLcBGAs/s1600/hl-jaime-lannister-tk.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="375" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rc4wItXqSFg/XGzXLSj8LpI/AAAAAAAAKQw/tkprTevHswIF59ZDcI5O01KnM0HWTI7JQCLcBGAs/s320/hl-jaime-lannister-tk.png" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Even Jamie as a Commander works wonders in a Guard unit!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With your Commander selected, the next thing you want to do is build a 40 point army list. This is the most commonly-played points range and a large portion of all competitive events and tournaments are ran at this. One of the things I advise players to do if they want to get serious with the game is getting very familiar with the points range that the meta, your LGS, and your tournament events play at. It's a very different game going from 30 points to 50 points for example, and you want to get familiar at the one that's most commonly played. Treat this as your 2K points of ITC and stay at this point range for your first couple of games. Each of the Core sets has just enough for you to get a taste of the game and that's well and good, but I don't think I've ever played a minis game that you can get full satisfaction from the game by just playing with what's in the starter box. I've been playing minis games for a long enough time that when I first started with this game, I did a ton of research into looking into the meta, and what I thought were some competitive options. Trust me, it will save you an epic ass ton of time and money if you do a little bit of research ahead of time and see what's currently out there and what looks fun and interesting to you. That's what the army builders are for, and that's for theorycrafting and proxying some of the units you already have before you go out there and buy them.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Alright, now with 40 points as your gold standard and a Commander to lead the army, you now have to add units. For the purposes of this article, I will briefly go over unit selection as well as NCUs (Non-Combat Unit) even though I feel that NCUs deserve their own article. There is a lot to cover for them, but I will say that from what I read/talked/seen being played is that at 40 points, you want 2 NCUs in your army. Most NCUs cost points and those points directly contend with your units on the battlefield so you really have to think carefully about how you want to spend your points. For example, a unit of Guardsman costs 5 points while someone like Tywin Lannister as an NCU costs 4 by himself. That's 1 point less than a unit that has actual battlefield performance vs. an NCU who has an amazing once-a-game ability but also has the ability to claim zones on the tactics board. Without getting too deep into the tactics board and NCUs, I will say that in some cases, the NCU might be better because they have better synergy with the rest of your army. Just realize that 1. NCUs cost points 2. They can sometimes contribute to your battleplan more than actual units and 3. Count as an activation.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XxGR_5qE_DE/XGzVp07tJVI/AAAAAAAAKQk/WJB9x_paQGAlLPaqPRgb1tqwd3Qade5awCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="629" height="232" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XxGR_5qE_DE/XGzVp07tJVI/AAAAAAAAKQk/WJB9x_paQGAlLPaqPRgb1tqwd3Qade5awCLcBGAs/s400/Untitled.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another great attachment option is the Guard Captain!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When it comes to units, you really want units that jive with your commander. You want to be able to amplify the Commanders' strengths rather than mitigate their weaknesses IMO. There's a couple of reasons for this but the biggest one is that there are units in the game that will play very nicely with your Commander's tactics cards and if you have units that don't utilize these tactics cards, you won't be able to use them as effectively. That's what I recommend doing first, and that's finding units that play well with your Commanders overall battleplan and takes advantage of their tactics cards. For example, if you take a unit like the Lannister Guards above who already have an excellent 3+ defense save and pair them up with Jaimie's tactics cards, not only will you have a unit that will be even more difficult to take down, but you will also get tactics cards that allows you to parry/riposte and make up for that lower damage curve (6/5/3).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Hell, there's just so much to talk about when it comes to this game that I haven't covered yet when it comes to army building. Tomorrow, I'll go through some Lannister and Stark list construction so you can take a look at some of the army lists I've been playing with. I'll talk more about unit selection specifically for the Lannister and Stark armies as well as unit attachments, NCU choices, activations, and other good synergies. Like I said, army building is one of my favorite aspects of the hobby and I can geek out for days about it.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-88876812870851205972019-02-19T19:13:00.000-08:002019-02-20T22:19:29.228-08:00ASOIAF: Starks and Lannisters Overview<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1zCLlfzVgL8/XGuEq-llD8I/AAAAAAAAKPs/8AiTYGyWYWEALauu5GCuD2UftkwfEvjOgCLcBGAs/s1600/e84c963208e54513786882cdeab4b04d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1500" height="281" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1zCLlfzVgL8/XGuEq-llD8I/AAAAAAAAKPs/8AiTYGyWYWEALauu5GCuD2UftkwfEvjOgCLcBGAs/s400/e84c963208e54513786882cdeab4b04d.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>So.. who's it going to be?</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
It's probably worth saying that I got into the game fairly easily because my favorite major house in the show is Lannister. My wife really digs Starks but she has yet to try the game because it looks too nerdy. Don't worry, it's just a matter of time because I see her eyeing the dinner table that I've fully converted into playing daily games. It's a good thing that I bought enough stuff to get some variety into the mix so the newer players I'm trying to get into the game can experiment and mix and match units. Even though I have my favorites, I have probably played at least 40% of my games with Starks because I feel that the best way to learn the game is by playing a lot.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Whenever someone starts with the game, no matter what minis game, I always tell them the same thing: Go with the aesthetics and look of the faction first above anything else. With this game, however, I don't think the same principle applies as much in this game because everyone is human (for the most part). When it comes down to picking a faction, I think one of the things everyone needs to do is examine a bit of their psyche and pick a faction that best aligns with their personality. It's like picking a color in MTG and understanding that each color represents a bit of your personality. If you want to go a little bit deeper, picking a faction in this game would be like picking a <a href="https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Ravnican_guild"><b>guild</b></a> from Ravnica, or even building a character in a D&D campaign. That is, unless you really really like dogs. Then I would say just pick Starks and never look back.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Alright, so back to the two starting factions from the Core set. Since you need this set to play the game and they're the factions with the largest amount of units choices right now, you need to decide if you want to go with <a href="https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/House_Lannister"><b>House Lannister</b></a> or <a href="https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/House_Stark"><b>House Stark</b></a>. Remember what I said about picking the right faction for you, as this will do you big favors because a lot of the game's mechanics are designed around how the houses behave in the books/show whatever. There's a big chance that if you don't like the houses' personality in the books that you will not like how they play in-game. It's actually one of my favorite things about the game so far and that's how on-point a lot of book to table translation has been.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qv2zmRlIVjI/XGuDz_E6dPI/AAAAAAAAKPg/zZCLHerJOQEKnvRbxbx1hIH9MMazYcHiACLcBGAs/s1600/House-Lannister-Main-Shield.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qv2zmRlIVjI/XGuDz_E6dPI/AAAAAAAAKPg/zZCLHerJOQEKnvRbxbx1hIH9MMazYcHiACLcBGAs/s200/House-Lannister-Main-Shield.png" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hear me roar!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Alright, let's begin with the Lannisters. In this game, the Lannisters are the faction that has a lot of panic shenanigans, morale tests, weakens, and counterplots. Their Tactics cards play heavily with the Crown and Wealth zones on the Tactics Board and controlling those will open up many secondary effects of your cards. Lannister Commanders come in many shapes and sizes from the destructive and brutal force of The Mountain to the cunning strategist that is Tyrion Lannister (yes, you can take him in combat!). My favorite Commander for the Lannisters is Tywin Lannister (also my favorite character in the show) because a lot of his Tactics cards and abilities intimidate and Weaken enemy units. Another Commander that I've tried is Jaimie Lannister because his abilities center around defense, parry, and riposte; turning the opponent's attacks and crappy rolls against them.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When it comes to NCUs or their Tactics cards, the Lannisters focus heavily on debuffing and control elements that limit the opponent's options. Pycelle's Weaken effect and Cersei's No Confidence are prime examples of debuffing the opponent or making them worse for morale tests, while tactics cards like Counterplot can outright stop an opponent tactics card from going off. I tried to get some examples of the kind of tactics the Lannisters can employ and I think this lot sums it up pretty nicely. For the Lannisters, they are all scheming masterminds with several abilities that kicks players while they're down.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AggtzLyuYUI/XGuSec2DrZI/AAAAAAAAKP4/fpuJE1XaDHsS6wn3j6KggXAUJmvLYttbgCLcBGAs/s1600/HouseLannister1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="1125" height="297" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AggtzLyuYUI/XGuSec2DrZI/AAAAAAAAKP4/fpuJE1XaDHsS6wn3j6KggXAUJmvLYttbgCLcBGAs/s640/HouseLannister1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kick 'em while they're down.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As for Lannister units, they are well-supplied and fairly diverse to take on a large breadth of enemies. The Mountain is its own unit just because he is, Lannister Guardsman are slow with lower attacks but has an excellent defense and a great ability (Lannister Supremacy) that only gets better with attachments, and Lannister Crossbowmen are no joke. I've recently started playing them and having a unit that just hits units with ranged attacks on a 3+ with Sundering from Long Range is incredible. Lannisters also have some interesting unique units like Pyromancers that can toss their Wildfire from ranged or in combat and it ignores defense saves while suffering -2 to the defender's Panic tests through Vicious.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
While the Lannisters have a solid lineup of units, I would say their strengths come from their debuffs and stopping your opponents from what they want to do more so than just strength of arms. For that, you want to get into House Stark. If you're looking for a faction that doesn't care about the subtleties and just wants to beat face, you've come to the right place.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l0ZJe9MxuhA/XGuWJd50RMI/AAAAAAAAKQE/qAaPxmYJrzMvG-pZwfHGBuQW8SuydrNegCLcBGAs/s1600/House-Stark-Main-Shield.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l0ZJe9MxuhA/XGuWJd50RMI/AAAAAAAAKQE/qAaPxmYJrzMvG-pZwfHGBuQW8SuydrNegCLcBGAs/s200/House-Stark-Main-Shield.png" width="165" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Winter is coming.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When it comes to striking hard and striking fast, Stark is the faction to do it. One of the many things I enjoy about the core set is that you have two factions that have radically different playstyles. Just like it is in the books, the Starks and the Lannisters are probably the two houses most different from one another. While the Lannisters rely on debuffs and abilities that stop your opponents from doing what they intend, Starks are all about battlefield combat and maneuver. They see an opening and go for the jugular just like the Dire Wolf, their house sigil and in doing so, deliver massive damage to the enemies and leave them reeling. With Commanders like Robb Stark who can take maneuver warfare to the next level, or Roddrick Cassel and his ability to exploit the Vulnerable enemies, the Starks are the faction you want if you want to destroy the opponent's army rather than play the more drawn-out game of politics and scheming.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Of course, this doesn't mean that the Stark units or playstyle are just centered around this niche. With both the Lannisters and the Starks, there will be Commanders and units that will change the regular composition from what you expect from the two factions and that's always a good thing. For example, on one side, you have the fast-moving and lightly-armored Umber Berserker that has built-in Sundering (-1 to defense saves) and their attacks increase when you lose ranks rather than decrease. You compare this to the rock-solid Tully Sworn Shields with the Shield Wall ability and good luck trying to break their 3+ defense saves from the front. This unit variety not only keeps different playstyles fresh and exciting but also gives units legroom to perform depending on the game mode that you play. Either way, when you think about Starks, their humble foot soldier in the form of Stark Sworn Swords move 5, have excellent morale and rolls 8 dice just because they can. When you pop Stark Fury on them, they gain +1 to hit and Critical Blows on their attacks (6s deal 2 hits) at the cost of D3 models to your own unit. If that's not a healthy representation of angry Northmen I don't know what is.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ijzstZ4k_3w/XGudQ2ul1tI/AAAAAAAAKQQ/DMJOyinQlngCBgfcBZbyEPPJbGRIvMx0wCLcBGAs/s1600/HouseStark2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="1125" height="299" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ijzstZ4k_3w/XGudQ2ul1tI/AAAAAAAAKQQ/DMJOyinQlngCBgfcBZbyEPPJbGRIvMx0wCLcBGAs/s640/HouseStark2.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Winter is seriously coming.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When it comes to Tactics cards and NCUs, Stark is pretty straight-forward: It's all about Combat and Maneuver and taking those zones will be extremely rewarding. Catelyn Stark can remove a condition from an afflicted unit while buffing them so they're attacking with max dice, and Sansa Stark can instant tutor for any tactics card you need, even if it's a previously discarded card. That is great tactical flexibility and I have her in almost every single one of my Stark lists.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Well, that's about it for the high-level overview of which armies you will get in the core box. With so many different commanders, tactics, NCUs, and units to cover, list building deserves its own article. I'll take you guys through the basics of list building and show you a couple of Lannister and Stark lists tomorrow so you can better grasp some of the things discussed today.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-32394666608981751842019-02-18T18:26:00.000-08:002019-02-18T23:02:22.947-08:00ASOIAF: A Song of Ice and Fire Intro<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pfV9DhaQniY/XGtldBNckgI/AAAAAAAAKPA/FupDmZiBD3s7iMIOf2SOVgYeQPZYKk-rwCLcBGAs/s1600/6e5a953a2c0f1491b5e415a71a96386f_original.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="700" height="281" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pfV9DhaQniY/XGtldBNckgI/AAAAAAAAKPA/FupDmZiBD3s7iMIOf2SOVgYeQPZYKk-rwCLcBGAs/s400/6e5a953a2c0f1491b5e415a71a96386f_original.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This is my new jam.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
A Song of Ice and Fire Miniatures game is one of the best table-top games that I've played in a long time. No, seriously, and I don't say this often and without good reason. At first, this game completely flew under my radar because I was wrapped up in other games. Recently, I have been gearing up by re-watching all the seasons of Game of Thrones to prep myself for the final season. One night, I remembered something: Game of Thrones actually has a miniatures game! After a quick jog down memory lane, I remembered that <b><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cmon/a-song-of-ice-and-fire-tabletop-miniatures-game">CMON created A Song of Ice and Fire Miniatures Game</a>.</b><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After a few weeks of hard research, reading over the free rules and looking at all the minis available to me, I started getting really interested. Now, I would say that I'm fairly frugal and really like to do my research before getting into a game and I took my damn sweet time with this one. As a competitive tournament player, I wanted a game that had enough depth to keep me engaged but at the same time, had super clean rules with longevity in both creative design space and strong game balance. The last thing I wanted to do is throw money at a game that won't play well. I was never the player who got in the game for the hobby side of things, it's all about the game and the rules. Besides, the game was designed by a familiar name being Eric M. Lang and while I didn't really know Michael Shinall, any designer who has his own tactics <a href="https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/michaelshinall"><b>podcast</b></a> gets a thumbs-up from me. I am a big fan of designers who play their own game competitively and actively teach the community to be better players.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Honestly, when I first took a look at the game, I was afraid that the game will not have enough options. I mean, the game came out with Starks vs. Lannisers in the middle of the War of Five Kings but when getting the core set, you pretty much only have these as your first two full-fledged armies. Now, that's not saying that there's not more available now, but having played games like Warhammer Fantasy and 40K growing up, I'm sure as hell spoiled for choices. So many factions and armies to choose from I felt like I had near unlimited options when it comes to choosing units out of a codex or army book. Now, this is completely different when it comes to competitive list building, but the general gist is that players that grew up with GW as an option are definitely spoiled for choices. Even with Privateer Press games, you knew you had a lot of factions to play if you liked variety because it suited a lot of different playstyles. This was my biggest worry jumping in the game but the more I studied, the more I realized that what they currently have in the game is more than enough to get started. In fact, seeing how there are only 2 factions in the game right now, an epic crap ton of design space and a billion other things not released yet, the game can only grow larger with more factions and greater complexity. That makes a competitive player like me very excited. They just came out with Night's Watch and Free Folk, and they will definitely shake up the meta and take gameplay to the next level.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-26uGXNa45WQ/XGtmBIzjJ_I/AAAAAAAAKPI/swLGVwibRoIZZ0Fke2QPjTz72_ZW-mbngCLcBGAs/s1600/51495593_355217138402382_7400194995644268544_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-26uGXNa45WQ/XGtmBIzjJ_I/AAAAAAAAKPI/swLGVwibRoIZZ0Fke2QPjTz72_ZW-mbngCLcBGAs/s400/51495593_355217138402382_7400194995644268544_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I might have gone pretty hard with my first purchase.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
To get you guys pumped, let me throw out some highlights that really got me into the game. I've been playing it pretty religiously, having played around 20 or so games since I got the game like 2 weeks ago. Yes, I've been going that hard. In fact, I would say one of the biggest draws in the games is that games take about 1 hour or 1.5 depending on the points size and experience of the players. Each of these talking points below will probably get their own article in due time, but these are the highlights that stand out for me.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here's what I fucking love about the game:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>I love the fact that the rules are some of the <a href="https://asoif.s3.amazonaws.com/pdf/pdf/pdf/36/SIF-RULEBOOK_v1.2.pdf"><b>cleanest rules</b></a> I have ever seen. It's almost like the game was designed with tournament play in mind in that there are very little questions I had out of the initial rules package. The game seems like a perfect blend of complexity and speed with tight-wording and streamlined mechanics seen from other minis games. The rules package itself is very lightweight and comes with all the nitty-gritty you need to get in and start playing.</li>
<li>Speaking of speed, I just love that the game puts movement trays back on the table and the units are ready to play. I can get a package from Amazon to actively playing with that unit on the table in 5 minutes. The minis are hard plastic, has great detail on them, and come with a movement tray for all the units to fit snuggly into.</li>
<li>The game uses alternate player activations with plenty of play and counterplay (via rules, tactics card, tactics board..etc) that allows for active engagement with the other player in all phases of the game. I absolutely love games that go back and forth because it not only keeps players focused, but it generally leads to more even games where choices feel more meaningful because you have a chance to respond next activation. It's not like you're just sitting there watching all your units get shot off the table.</li>
<li>The rules are light, but the game is very deep: Activation order matters, the amount of drops you have matter (deployment and activation), the commander you choose matters, the control of the tactics board matters, your tactics cards and the order you play them matters, your list composition matters, the game mode and mission objectives matters, everything matters. Part of what makes a good game great is how much the player influences the outcome of the game. Looking back at all the games played so far, I can zero in on particular situations where if I did something different, I would have won. This is important for me as a competitive player because less ambiguity means a more direct route to improving.</li>
<li>The tactics board by itself is a complete mini-game inside the existing game. This really deserves its own section, but let's just say that NCUs count as activations and how you interact with the tactics board influences the units on the board, the tactics cards in your hand, and how you play the game as a whole. It's absolutely awesome how it's so tightly integrated into the game mechanics while still making a ton of sense from a flavor and fluff perspective. When Cersei Lannister is playing her games at court, your units really feel that on the battlefield.</li>
<li>There is so growth potential in the game that I can't fully wrap my head around it right now. Right now, we have Lannisters, Starks, Neutral (with House Bolton units!), Free Folk, and Night's Watch. There's a good amount of unit variety already but that's without most of the other major Houses in there as well. Where is Baratheon, Tyrell or Greyjoys? What about Daenerys and her dragons? Can we even fit Dragons in a 40 point game? Is there going to be an epic game format or the possibility to ally different houses with another outside of faction + neutral units? The possibilities are near endless.</li>
<li>You can take 2 lists into a tournament event as long as they're from the same faction. This has got me super excited because you essentially have a backup list to play to a specific matchup or game mode to maximize your chances on winning.</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6mpe6AARrCA/XGtpHJgeudI/AAAAAAAAKPU/cTbvWo9GIiwNzCFtI-eZ-265ctC5B3HnwCLcBGAs/s1600/got.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="550" height="283" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6mpe6AARrCA/XGtpHJgeudI/AAAAAAAAKPU/cTbvWo9GIiwNzCFtI-eZ-265ctC5B3HnwCLcBGAs/s400/got.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>More armies to come!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
Before getting into the game too much, let me just say that I'm planning a series of articles that go much more in-depth with list building, faction overviews, and competitive play. There is a lot to talk about for this game and I want to take the time to write my out my journey with you. I'll probably cover the Stark and Lannister overview next before going more into list construction. Stay tuned!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-23986765793146073192018-12-04T06:35:00.002-08:002019-06-22T01:22:56.787-07:00DE: Updated list and BFG:A2<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AV0sj5iU32c/XAaQd3IWlFI/AAAAAAAAKG4/hz68MuCM9DE84NtZsLlgVabxYFM0r6bYwCLcBGAs/s1600/1517956516384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="650" height="245" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AV0sj5iU32c/XAaQd3IWlFI/AAAAAAAAKG4/hz68MuCM9DE84NtZsLlgVabxYFM0r6bYwCLcBGAs/s320/1517956516384.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Still my favorite meme.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Hell, it has been a busy year for me. Still enjoying playing my Dark Eldar whenever I can, but too busy to attend any events which has been a big bummer for me. Well, where do we begin? Drukhari are still doing good, but dropped off the top tables once people knew how to to deal with them. Should this be a surprise to anyone? Not really. People just need time to adapt and even the Meat Mountain lists have been taking a backseat because Imperial Knights and other shenanigans have been setting the meta. This is what happens with every new book and that's that people will take time to adapt, figure out the counters and then actively employ them in mass depending on what the meta is. Either way, I've been getting in a few casual games with my local playgroup when I can but have been primarily out of the competitive circuit this year because of real life.<br />
<br />
Don't worry though, I'm still getting my fill of active competitive Dark Eldar players whispering all the good stuff in my ear. It's one thing to stay active in the meta and the other to keep updated. The only thing that dulls over time is experience, but active play can always pick that back up. If there's one piece of advice I can give you folks is to stay updated, even if you can't play so when you do jump back into the fray, you're not behind and know what to look out for.<br />
<br />
With that said, my other minor update is to let you guys know that I'll be playing our faction on Battlefleet Gothic Armada 2 and <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/lkhero">streaming it</a>! Yes, lol, I also stream. I was a big player back in the original BFGA1 days but balance kind of ruined it for me. Thankfully, balance will be a big focus in the second game (hell it better be, all 12 factions!) and the game looks primed for MP success. Well, success in the sense that it's still a pretty niche market, but it looks to be much more polished overall. I'll be playing all 3 Eldar factions but you guys know which one I'll be flexing first!<br />
<br />
Oh yes, and here's my pure Kabal list that's been doing well, even against some of the new Knights. I haven't really played against the new Orks though, and from what I hear, that might be rough.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Kabal of the Black Rose</i></b><br />
1999 // 14 CP<br />
<br />
<b><i>Obsidian Rose Bat +5</i></b><br />
<br />
HQ:<br />
Archon, Blaster, PGL = 92<br />
Archon, Blaster, PGL = 92<br />
<br />
TROOP:<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 47<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 47<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 47<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 47<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 47<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 47<br />
<br />
+++<br />
<br />
<b><i>Black Heart Bat +5</i></b><br />
<br />
HQ:<br />
Archon, Agonizer = 74<br />
Cunning, Living Muse<br />
<br />
Archon, Agonizer = 74<br />
<br />
TROOP:<br />
5x Warriors = 30<br />
5x Warriors = 30<br />
5x Warriors = 30<br />
<br />
HEAVY:<br />
Ravager, Dissies = 125<br />
Ravager, Dissies = 125<br />
Ravager, Dissies = 125<br />
<br />
PARTY BOATS:<br />
Raider, Dissies = 80<br />
Raider, Dissies = 80<br />
Raider, Dissies = 80<br />
Raider, Dissies = 80<br />
Venom = 65<br />
Venom = 65<br />
Venom = 65<br />
<br />
+++<br />
<br />
<b><i>Black Heart Wing +1</i></b><br />
<br />
FLYER:<br />
Razorwing, Dissies = 135<br />
Razorwing, Dissies = 135<br />
Razorwing, Dissies = 135<br />
<br />
>>><br />
<b>Firepower Analysis:</b><br />
19 Dissies at BS3+<br />
6 Blasters at BS3+<br />
2 Blasters at BS2+<br />
3 Razorwing Missiles at BS3+<br />
3 Splinter Cannons at BS3+<br />
51 Splinter Rifles at BS3+<br />
<br />
I was thinking of changing the Razorwings to Flayed Skull just to try them and so far they've been pretty decent. They normally fly as Black Heart, but I really like their Strategem and the Ignore Cover is pretty big. With the upcoming changes to Prepared Positions and rumors about more Cover systems, I'm going to be looking at Flayed Skull much more closely.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-58550008748515755322018-05-18T23:48:00.003-07:002018-05-19T00:13:53.468-07:00Harlequins: Making it work<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WIJiSsOSd1o/Wv_IsGsbqYI/AAAAAAAAJTE/eQwW7JnqOgoaQAhIH44LBY52IA0pbzNvgCLcBGAs/s1600/56293c861bfa598ca49f43f51011cf4d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="640" height="295" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WIJiSsOSd1o/Wv_IsGsbqYI/AAAAAAAAJTE/eQwW7JnqOgoaQAhIH44LBY52IA0pbzNvgCLcBGAs/s320/56293c861bfa598ca49f43f51011cf4d.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Chopping up yo faces.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So.. my last post about Harlequins <i>might</i> have been a little too negative. Don't worry though, just because I'm talking real sometimes doesn't mean I'm going to give up. You guys have to remember that even though I'm a competitive player, I'm not WAAC. Think about it: I've been playing pure Kabal Dark Eldar since 3rd. I have never owned a single Coven unit because I don't like the playstyle and I despise the fluff. So what does this mean? That means that I'm going to be playing boatloads of Harlequins and trying to get them to work on the table.<br />
<br />
I've been constructing a lot of lists in the last couple of days with the new book and I've had a lot of thought experiments. Here are some of the topics that I've thought about the most the last couple of days:<br />
<ul>
<li>How viable is Harlequins as a standalone army? They're so expensive and it's really difficult to get them to work from a raw points-effectiveness standpoint. The more Harlequins you take, the less other "good stuff" you can take from allies.</li>
<li>Speaking of allies: What makes a good ally for Harlequins? Do you take them with Eldar or do you take them with Dark Eldar? What about both? Do you even have enough points to take both?</li>
<li>There are a TON of Strategems that I think Harlequins generally depend on. Your model count is low, so you really need to spend CP on them every chance you get to make them worth it. I think Harlequins might be one of the most CP-heavy armies in the entire game from what I've seen.</li>
<li>For my playstyle, I'm going to keep the army mechanized because I need to be able to preserve the fragile assault units inside while delivering them across the table. However, I did think about big units of Troupes a few times because of all the overlapping and stacking buffs.</li>
<li>What is the best Form that I should take with my army? I'm mainly thinking about Soaring Spite right now because my forces are mostly mechanized, but I'm also eyeing Frozen Stars for damage, Midnight Sorrow for tieing things up, and Silent Shroud for practicality with Eldar shenanigans.</li>
<li>I'm still working on the best layout for my Troupes, mainly because I'm focusing on 3 key design principles: The Form matters, but cost-effective units matter more. The Troupe must be able to be a melee threat to all targets. The first Fusion Pistol is a must, the rest is luxury.</li>
</ul>
<br />
With that said, I got started working on some basic list principles:<br />
<ul>
<li>Build with as much CP as possible because you <i>should</i> be using Harlequin Stratagems at every chance to keep the army alive. This means double-Bat is a must-have.</li>
<li>Build with some kind of Black Heart so you can bring in Cunning and introduce Vect so you can repress enemy bull-shittery while having a CP-farm on your side.</li>
<li>Build as many threats as possible: Keeping your Troupes alive so they can make a cost-effective return means you have to introduce some serious threats on your side of the table.</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vjhHlU2m39g/Wv_IgsK6i8I/AAAAAAAAJS8/IZXOesbkiqwYSNIvgR_vzRi2IItQTyXKgCLcBGAs/s1600/1460033900365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vjhHlU2m39g/Wv_IgsK6i8I/AAAAAAAAJS8/IZXOesbkiqwYSNIvgR_vzRi2IItQTyXKgCLcBGAs/s320/1460033900365.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Should I take more Dark Eldar?</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Here is the first list I came up with after some tweaking:<br />
<br />
<i><b>Soaring Heart</b></i><br />
<b>2000 // 13 CP</b><br />
<b><br /></b> <b>Soaring Spite Bat +5</b><br />
<br />
HQ:<br />
Troupe Master, Caress, Fusion = 86<br />
Troupe Master, Caress, Fusion = 86<br />
<br />
TROOP:<br />
5x Troupe, 5x Caress, 2x Fusion = 118<br />
Starweaver = 99<br />
217<br />
<br />
5x Troupe, 5x Caress, 2x Fusion = 118<br />
Starweaver = 99<br />
217<br />
<br />
5x Troupe, 5x Caress, 2x Fusion = 118<br />
Starweaver = 99<br />
217<br />
<br />
ELITE:<br />
Solitaire = 98<br />
<br />
+++<br />
<br />
<b>Black Heart Bat +5</b><br />
<br />
HQ:<br />
Archon, Agonizer, Blaster = 91<br />
Cunning, Living Muse<br />
<br />
Archon, Agonizer, Blaster = 91<br />
<br />
TROOP:<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 47<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 47<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 47<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 47<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 47<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 47<br />
<br />
PARTY BOATS:<br />
Raider, Dissie = 80<br />
Raider, Dissie = 80<br />
Raider, Dissie = 80<br />
<br />
HEAVY:<br />
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125<br />
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125<br />
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125<br />
<br />
>>><br />
<br />
<b>Firepower:</b><br />
12 Disintegrators at BS3+<br />
24 Splinter Rifles at BS3+<br />
6 Blasters at BS3+<br />
2 Blasters at BS2+<br />
6 Shuriken Cannons at BS3+<br />
6 Fusion Pistols at BS3+<br />
2 Fusion Pistols at BS2+<br />
<br />
The list design here was really easy because I think all the right notes. I originally had Razorwings in the army because I really like having some kind of air, but I didn't have enough boots on the ground for me to be truly influential. When I first began army list construction, I noticed that I was hesitant to turn my Black Heart Spearhead into a Battalion. I kept finding that second Archon as a bit of tax, but then I remembered just how many times I'm going to use Harlequin Strategems throughout the game. While the firepower of the list looks pretty small, one can't remember the absolute monster that is Harlequins in melee once they get there. With all 5 Players in a Troupe having 4 S5 AP-2 attacks, things are going to get all kinds of disgusting once you actually get in there. To make things more exciting, I'm planning to make one of the Troupe Masters The Great Harlequin for that tasty re-roll 1s to Hit bubble.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Glp0ndjyFxU/Wv_IZO58u1I/AAAAAAAAJS0/i7slpX8glygRkt_rugWb3IF7s8XBAvaCgCLcBGAs/s1600/alaitoc_farseer_babe_by_kunkka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Glp0ndjyFxU/Wv_IZO58u1I/AAAAAAAAJS0/i7slpX8glygRkt_rugWb3IF7s8XBAvaCgCLcBGAs/s320/alaitoc_farseer_babe_by_kunkka.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Or should I take more Eldar?</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i><b>Alaitoc Soaring Heart</b></i><br />
<b>1999 // 14 CP</b><br />
<br />
<b>Soaring Spite Bat +5</b><br />
<br />
HQ:<br />
Troupe Master, Caress, Fusion = 86<br />
Troupe Master, Caress, Fusion = 86<br />
<br />
TROOP:<br />
5x Troupe, 5x Caress, Fusion = 109<br />
Starweaver = 99<br />
208<br />
<br />
5x Troupe, 5x Caress, Fusion = 109<br />
Starweaver = 99<br />
208<br />
<br />
5x Troupe, 5x Caress, Fusion = 109<br />
Starweaver = 99<br />
208<br />
<br />
+++<br />
<br />
<b>Alaitoc Bat +5</b><br />
<br />
HQ:<br />
Farseer Skyrunner = 135<br />
Doom, Mind War<br />
<br />
Warlock Skyrunner = 70<br />
Protect/Jinx<br />
<br />
TROOP:<br />
5x Rangers = 60<br />
5x Rangers = 60<br />
5x Rangers = 60<br />
<br />
FLYER:<br />
Crimson Hunter Ex, Lances = 175<br />
Crimson Hunter Ex, Lances = 175<br />
<br />
+++<br />
<br />
<b>Black Heart Spearhead +1</b><br />
<br />
HQ:<br />
Archon, Huskblade, Blaster = 93<br />
Cunning, Living Muse<br />
<br />
HEAVY:<br />
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125<br />
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125<br />
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125<br />
<br />
>>><br />
<br />
<b>Firepower:</b><br />
9 Disintegrators at BS3+<br />
4 Bright Lances at BS2+<br />
2 Pulse Laser at BS2+<br />
6 Shuriken Cannons at BS3+<br />
3 Fusion Pistols at BS3+<br />
2 Fusion Pistols at BS2+<br />
15 Ranger Long Rifle at BS3+<br />
<br />
This one is a bit different and I might be stretching myself too thin. I've already dropped the Solitaire (which hurts my heart greatly) to make room for some Eldar allies, while greatly decreasing the amount of DE I have in the army. The Black Heart detachment has been reduced to a small footprint just for the CP farm and fire support, but I've introduced fighters back into the mix with 2x Crimson Hunter Exarchs to give some heavy lances while the Doomseer and Jinxlock go do their thing. I still have Rangers to be backcap but otherwise, I find this list a bit light on boots on the ground. Missions might also be a problem, which is why I'm slightly in favor of the first list.<br />
<br />
Regardless of which list works out to be better, both lists have a sizeable Harlequin presence with a lot of melee pressure. The Caress' across the entire army really puts out some good threat, as well as the 22" moving and shooting Shuriken Cannons and Fusion Pistols without BS penalty. Hell, I even have a pet unit in the first list because I think the Solitaire is the coolest thing ever. With CP/Ravager farms in both lists, Warrior/Blasters in the first list, and Crimson Hunters in the second, which list do you guys like better?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-30931414823811748522018-05-16T23:22:00.003-07:002018-05-20T23:18:02.967-07:00Harlequins: Not sure if good<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7l-pCVrLSv8/Wv0cUs6uINI/AAAAAAAAJR0/d7QgpQMA6woE-nEEHmRTwBt-qBmn-4p1gCLcBGAs/s1600/GWPreview-May13-HarlequinsHeader0so.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1000" height="324" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7l-pCVrLSv8/Wv0cUs6uINI/AAAAAAAAJR0/d7QgpQMA6woE-nEEHmRTwBt-qBmn-4p1gCLcBGAs/s640/GWPreview-May13-HarlequinsHeader0so.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Harlequins are decent at best.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I'm just going to come out and say it: I don't think Harlequins are looking too good from a competitive standpoint. With the book firmly in hand now, I don't see quite as much value from them compared to Dark Eldar when the army first got teased.<br />
<br />
Before I completely put them aside, just note that I think there are a few things that Harlequins bring to the table. These are few, they're niche, and they're certainly conditional, but I think Harlequins can have some interesting options that no one else can really pull off. For example, when you look at some of the things that Soaring Spite can do with their Masque Form, you'll know that the army will be able to move 16"+6" and still shoot with 6" Fusion Pistols without penalty for 28" threat range. This awesomeness simply cannot be ignored. Similarly, if you take Faolchu's Talon for your Soaring Spite Warlord, you can move an additional 6" in your movement, and when you blow up, nothing happens. No explosion, no models dying, you just roll out of your drive-by mobile and find another joyride to blow people up in. This is great and all, but it's also very niche. Hell, even their big fancy Webway Gate wants me to drop multiple Talos or a fat unit of Grots out of them instead.<br />
<br />
So here's where I have problems with the army: They're melee Horrors. They're melee-based units that cost a ton but still have the same statline as those little pink dudes. You have an army of 1W T3 4++ melee Horrors that desperately want to be relevant in a meta filled with resilience and anti-alpha. Everyone and their mother knows that T3 and 4++ with a single wound just get absolutely murdered by almost any type of shooting and even below-average melee fillers that play much better in attrition simply because of the points. Harlequins are great if you think that killing MEQ with 3+ for almost 30 points is great. You know what else is 30 points? A Grot, and a Grot comes with so much more resilience because a single Grotesque can be T6 with 4 wounds and 4++ with FNP. Speaking of 4W, this is actually much bigger than people realize. It takes 2 D2 shots to kill, out of kill scope of D3 weapons, and makes D6 weapons very nervous. It's pretty much the sweetest spot for being infuriating at 30ppm. When it comes to bashing in a Marine's face, a Grot does just as much damage but can stay alive much longer vs. almost any kind of shooting and any kind of melee. In fact, Harlequin melee stopped being relevant ever since stronger alternatives came out: Genestealers, Grotesques, Dawneagle Shield-Captains, the list goes on and on. Hell, even Wyches are better for the points if you want a melee option. Marines are dead easy to kill with any competitive army worth their salt because single-wound that cost a lot are just not cost-effective in today's meta. Attrition matters and Harlequins play the game the worst out of all the units in the game. Every other army that wants to be in melee does it better for the cost. For me, since I play Dark Eldar in a very shooty manner, why bother being in melee if you can shoot them to death from far away? My T3 5+ AS with an FNP Warrior that cost 6 points is looking a lot more cost-effective next to a 28-point Harlequin with a Fusion Pistol and an Embrace. You are essentially paying a premium for a luxury that's not needed.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H0WDN5xb0NU/Wv0cI3tXawI/AAAAAAAAJRs/QuNT-JD6Sxs0psRwsZMA9xLr_LMwV5hTACLcBGAs/s1600/40kHarlequins-May14-Subheader2vt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="1000" height="202" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H0WDN5xb0NU/Wv0cI3tXawI/AAAAAAAAJRs/QuNT-JD6Sxs0psRwsZMA9xLr_LMwV5hTACLcBGAs/s640/40kHarlequins-May14-Subheader2vt.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Arguably the best Form in the book.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This brings me to match-up. In any given competitive setting, you're going to be looking at your local meta or even the greater meta (GTs or national events) and comparing yourself to all the other armies out there. You have to factor in the fact that Harlequins are not cheap, not in the slightest. Their unit choices are limited already, but what you pay for is a unit that's not very durable but has a ton of bad match-ups. If you run into a Tyranid list with a lot of Genestealers for example, you know for the points that you're going to fight an attrition battle that you're not going to like. If you're fighting a lot of Gaunts, forget about it because you already lost the points game here (anything with Fearless sucks). God forbid you to run into a unit of Wyches, or even worse, a unit of Grots. With Meat Mountain being so popular these days, just running into a unit that you're not going to be able to really hurt while still taking assloads of damage in return is going to suck. The worst part is when you start thinking about this from a points perspective. Having Harlequins killing cheap fodder units is a waste of time and it's only going to get you shot up afterward and killed. A canny opponent is just going to spread out his line so he sets up kill zones for your units afterward (why Midnight Sorrow might be pretty decent). IG carparks are going to be super annoying and so are most armies with cheap armor and plentiful shooting. I feel very confident with my pure Kabal army vs. any army that takes a decent amount of Harlequins for example. When you bleed expensive models, your firepower and melee threat goes down a ton. That's one of the reasons why I prayed to the dice gods that GW was going to give the army -1 To Hit all-around. Alas, this was not to be. Instead, you have to pay up the ass in CPs and bet on Psychic powers or other instances to keep your basic stuff alive long enough to be relevant.<br />
<br />
Harlequins are points-prohibitive. If you take them, you won't have a lot of anything else. If you want to run them in any meaningful way, you will take them as a Battalion. You will already need multiple HQs to get the most of your army like the Shadowseer and Troupe Master, and Troupes just naturally fill in the rest of the core choices. The difficult part here is getting into a points zone where you can still be relevant and be a threat to the enemy without costing an arm and a leg. It's not just the points that matter here, it's about being relevant and a threat to the enemy. What I mean by this is that you need to pack anti-tank in any competitive list as well as being a threat in melee because that's what you're taking Harlequins for. The army, in general, is bi-polar. If you want them to be a strong AT threat, you take Fusion Pistols. If you want them to be a big melee threat, you mix up Caress and Embrace. The problem is that they both go on the same model and when that model dies, he takes both of those upgrades with him. Some people argue saying that you can take them stock, or leave specials off them as extra wounds, but why the hell would you do that? If you're just looking at a few models that can do damage, Wyches can fill that role for much cheaper. Unfortunately, you have this current situation where both ranged and melee special weapons cost a good deal of points on an already expensive model to begin. This is why the attrition factor sucks so much for this army. It's not very durable and every model lost feels like chunks out of the army's total strength compared to other armies. Hell, most would agree with me when I say that Soaring Spite is arguably the best Form right now for Harlequins, but what people talk about but don't consider is how many points a boat filled with Fusion Pistol Troupes really are. If you want to decrease the cost by removing Fusion Pistols, you lose out on the Form's benefits. You cut the melee weapons and you're now a glorified Wych. Grats. More importantly, for how many points you're spending trying to make this clusterfuck work, you're also taking away points from allies who can possibly perform the same role better. Case in point, you can buy an entire Black Heart Spearhead for less than 500 points if you just want something to shoot.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iaRKxaivQt0/Wv0cQ4EvAxI/AAAAAAAAJRw/IFUWSJhyRpEyZw2Hecz3GrmFxrrVs5bOwCLcBGAs/s1600/40kHarlequins-May14-Header7jg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="1000" height="168" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iaRKxaivQt0/Wv0cQ4EvAxI/AAAAAAAAJRw/IFUWSJhyRpEyZw2Hecz3GrmFxrrVs5bOwCLcBGAs/s640/40kHarlequins-May14-Header7jg.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Too much, too little.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So what am I getting at here? It means that if you put a lot of points into Harlequins, you need them to be a decent standalone force. But if you need them to be standalone, in the fact that you need your points to also equate out to the ability to kill tanks and infantry, then you're simply increasing the cost of each Troupe unit. Taking a deeper dive: For 500 points, I can buy a Black Heart Spearhead with 3x Ravagers with Dissies on all of them. What do Dissies do? They can pretty much wreck anything because this buys the army 27 BS3+ S5 AP-3 D2 shots that can threaten GEQ, MEQ, multi-wound, single-wound, high-armor, whatever, you name it. This is just from shooting because you're not counting access to Agents of Vect, Living Muse, Cunning, or FNP on all your vehicles. You put 500 points into a Harlequin force and what do you get? You do the math and get back to me with exactly what firepower you have in shooting and in melee and see if the numbers pay off for you. First, you need to be a certain distance from the enemy to threaten them with AT Fusion Pistols, then you need to be in combat to get the most out of them. To get in, you have to brave the Overwatch, hope none of your 28 point models die, roll to get in, and then you can really shine. You have to play much cleaner, much more precise and pray for some good ol' dice rolls because there's a lot that can go wrong. With Grots, you just push models forward and results happen. With Ravagers, it's the same thing, but you don't need to commit because you're 36" away from your target. With Harlequins, it's all risk, and I hate risk. And so do most competitive players.<br />
<br />
You know what else is risky? Conditional effects. When you look at Harlequins, almost everything in the army requires you to be within 6", roll something to enable (Veiled Path), cast a psychic power, drop multiple Strategems across multiple phases, or something else. Most of these things can fail to bad luck, some can be outright countered (Vect, Denied), and others can be counter-played sufficiently to really take the wind out of your sails. The best counter to melee-oriented armies is proper spacing and understanding threat range and averages. A good player with solid understanding of melee threat range and bubble-wraps will be murderous to Harlequins. In general, the army is almost too much fluff and not enough consistency when it comes to a lot of their army mechanics and that is a huge risk to competitive players looking to win a GT. The variables are already great, with matchups and different strength of schedules and players, so you don't need more randomness. It's almost like you're playing Orks, but you're trying to build a competitive army so you took Eldar or Dark Eldar allies and they're all looking at you like WTF, you took up half of my army points? A common theme within competitive armies is that they're consistent in their performance. Just look at some of the discussions around Harlequins being a competitive threat. It always starts with: Oh first you take this, then you do this, then you cast this, then you play this Strategem, and then you shoot and lel you embark back in your transport! Yeah, that's nice, but I play Prophets of Flesh and my entire army has 4++. That's what consistency looks like and that's why it wins games. That's why Meat Mountain is doing so much work right now. That is until people figure out how to beat it.<br />
<br />
There is a mild saving grace for the army though, is that they're Battle Brothers with both Dark Eldar and Eldar. I would say that both of these armies are very competitive with a multitude of unit options. Eldar arguably has the best psykers (Doom, Jinx) in the game, Shining Spears, Dark Reapers, Wave Serpents, and both the Hemlock and Crimson Hunter Exarch are insane. Dark Eldar can run Meat Mountain down your throat and cost-effective Kabal units, Ravager Spearheads, Agents of Vect, and CP manipulation up the wazoo. There is a lot of good stuff in both of these armies, but ultimately it comes down to the points question all over again. Is Harlequins competitive enough to share the same points as these armies here if you're trying to build competitive? Only time will tell. Personally, I think the best Harlequin lists will be the ones mixed with either Eldar or Dark Eldar. Cegorach knows that I've been trying to make it work.<br />
<br />
I really hope I made some solid points here. Don't get me wrong, I own a ton of the little fuckers and I love them to death, but they're definitely more of a fluffy choice than a competitive choice for me. There are just too many good unit choices out there that makes army building with them difficult. I know, I've been trying to design a good army list with Harlequins/DE and/or Eldar for the last couple of days and it's mind-boggling. When I have something good, I'll show it off.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-35945564551724867712018-05-02T21:49:00.002-07:002018-05-02T21:49:58.310-07:00X-Wing: Second Edition is on the way!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jxS3x02xwCU/WuqUfllds3I/AAAAAAAAJKE/m4zeZ5lHv4cw1LcquLpQReEasV8qaKoSwCLcBGAs/s1600/star%2Bwars%2Bbattlefront%2B2%2Bstarfighter%2Bassault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jxS3x02xwCU/WuqUfllds3I/AAAAAAAAJKE/m4zeZ5lHv4cw1LcquLpQReEasV8qaKoSwCLcBGAs/s400/star%2Bwars%2Bbattlefront%2B2%2Bstarfighter%2Bassault.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Feeling fresh.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Oh man, I'm excited. I haven't played X-Wing in a while because the competitive meta was just so stagnant with all the health regen, turrets,and bombs. Now that they rebooted the entire game, I'm really pumped to get back into it.<br />
<br />
The official announcement is here:<br />
<a href="https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/5/1/x-wing-second-edition/">https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/5/1/x-wing-second-edition/</a><br />
<br />
There's a thread on the FFG forums that has all the consolidated info:<br />
<a href="https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/274813-consolidated-x-wing-20-changes-thread/">https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/274813-consolidated-x-wing-20-changes-thread/</a><br />
<br />
Here's a quick run-down of what changed and what didn't..<br />
<br />
These things have not changed in 2.0:<br />
<ul>
<li>Models carry over (some models may be re-released with new sculpts/paint/features)</li>
<li>Dice are the same</li>
<li>Range ruler is the same</li>
<li>Range bonuses and obstructions work the same (except turrets)</li>
<li>Templates are the same size -- but have a line down the center for alignment on nubless bases</li>
<li>Basic game flow (but phases are renamed; some new phases)</li>
<li>Maneuver driven by hidden dials plus actions</li>
<li>Actions include: Focus, Target lock, evade, boost, barrel roll, cloak, reinforce, jam, coordinate, rotate arc (specific action mechanics may change)</li>
<li>Upgrade slots: EPT, modification, title, torpedo, astromech, bombs, missiles, crew, system, turret</li>
<li>Some upgrades will still take two slots</li>
<li>Tokens (some art changes, shape): focus, evade, target lock, cloak, stress, tractor beam, jam, shield, ion</li>
<li>Conditions are still a thing (Director Krennic)</li>
<li>Setup Phase is largely the same</li>
</ul>
<br />
These things have changed in 2.0:<br />
<ul>
<li>New phases/phase names ("Strategy Phase")</li>
<li>Medium ship bases (confirmed: U-wing, ARC-170, K-wing, G1A, Kimogila, Scurrg, Firespray, TIE Punisher, TIE Reaper, TBD)</li>
<li>The new templates have a centerline that aligns to hash marks on the base and assists with bumping.</li>
<li>Green maneuvers become blue </li>
<li>Red actions which gain a stress after taking</li>
<li>Push the Limit is gone; some ships may "link" a first action into a second and gain a stress (example: focus into target lock linked action)</li>
<li>New tokens: Force, charge</li>
<li>Force tokens which power force abilities for some pilots; they may also be used to change one Focus result</li>
<li>Charge/surge tokens which power some pilot abilities and ordnance</li>
<li>Token shape now indicates when removed: "End of Round" tokens are round; square tokens have other triggers to remove (e.g. ion, stress) </li>
<li>Evade tokens to not add evade results; they just change green dice to evades.</li>
<li>No costs on pilot cards or upgrades; these are in the squad builder app. Baseline is now 200 points.</li>
<li>Each ship base has a bullseye arc and quadrants marked</li>
<li>Turrets adopt mobile arc mechanics</li>
<li>Turrets also get ranged bonuses and penalties, Ordnance does not.</li>
<li>New upgrade cards are full sized, landscape</li>
<li>New upgrade slots: Force Abilities ("Instinctive Aim"), Configuration ("S-foils")</li>
<li>Resistance and First Order will now be separate factions</li>
<li>Firespray-31 is no longer Imperial; Scum only</li>
<li>New pilots</li>
<li>No upgrade bar; either use ship build cards from the core set or the squad builder app</li>
<li>Pilot skill is now called Initiative and goes from 1 to 6 [Wedge Antilles: 6]; no Veteran's Instincts or ability to change</li>
<li>Damage deck - new. Repairing damage is now a thing. New cards ("Fuel Leak", "Panicked Pilot", "Wounded Pilot"); only 5 Direct Hits in the deck now.</li>
<li>Regen exists, but is powered by charge tokens and nets a weapons disabled (R2 astromech)</li>
<li>Decimator gets Reinforce and a red Coordinate</li>
<li>Some ships have built-in abilities: Phantom (Stygium); TIE Advanced (Advanced Targeting Computer)</li>
<li>Ordnance appears not to spend target locks (e.g. Proton torps); </li>
<li>Ion tokens: 1 for small ship, 2 for medium ship, 3 for large ship</li>
<li>Bombs can blow up obstacles (and do damage in the process)</li>
<li>New abilities will affect the Setup Phase</li>
<li>They will introduce new obstacle types</li>
<li>Shield levels have been reduced on many ships</li>
<li>Barrel roll is not adjustable; they use the hash marks on the bases for alignment.Barrel Roll now only has 3 positions per side (6 total) – makes Barrel Roll more inline with Boost as you only have 6 total positions.If you declare and action and you can’t do it (ie Barrel Roll would land you on a rock), you just lose the action now</li>
<li>There is a "range 0" for own ship abilities.</li>
<li>Target Lock is now just Lock – and you can Lock on to objects as well as ships (friendly and enemy).</li>
<li>Certain ships have different attack values for different arcs now.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Took inventory last night. Looks like I'm going to have to do some massive trading when the game comes out.<br />
<br />
<b>Rebels:</b><br />
3 A-Wing (2 Aces)<br />
4 B-Wing (2 Aces)<br />
4 T-65 X-Wing (Core)<br />
2 Z-Wing<br />
1 HWK-290<br />
1 Y-Wing<br />
1 E-Wing<br />
1 K-Wing<br />
1 YT-1300 (Heroes)<br />
1 YT-1300<br />
1 YT-2400<br />
1 Sabine's TIE Fighter<br />
<br />
<b>Imps:</b><br />
3 TIE Interceptors<br />
2 TIE Advanced<br />
1 TIE Phantom<br />
7 TIE Fighters (Core)<br />
4 TIE Interceptors (Royal Guard)<br />
4 TIE Interceptors (181st)<br />
3 TIE Defender (Veterans)<br />
3 TIE Bomber (Veterans)<br />
1 TIE Advanced (Raider)<br />
1 TIE Advanced Proto<br />
1 TIE Aggressor<br />
1 VT-49 Decimator<br />
1 Lambda Shuttle<br />
<br />
<b>Scum:</b><br />
2 BroBots<br />
1 Slave I<br />
1 H-6 Bomber<br />
<br />
<b>Resistance:</b><br />
4 T-70 X-Wing (Core)<br />
1 T-70 X-Wing (Heroes)<br />
<br />
<b>First Order:</b><br />
7 TIE F/O (Core)<br />
1 TIE SilencerUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-40443667694965170992018-04-24T20:51:00.003-07:002018-04-26T20:34:02.814-07:00DE: Evolution of a competitive list<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dU_nP5y9xtg/Wt_5oOSrXkI/AAAAAAAAJEI/0VZJ9nZ212IqyZ1qfDCC7MKWTKs0JSuwwCLcBGAs/s1600/warhammer_40k_conquest___archonsterror_by_corbella-d8su2jl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="948" height="284" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dU_nP5y9xtg/Wt_5oOSrXkI/AAAAAAAAJEI/0VZJ9nZ212IqyZ1qfDCC7MKWTKs0JSuwwCLcBGAs/s320/warhammer_40k_conquest___archonsterror_by_corbella-d8su2jl.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Double-face Archon is the best Archon.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Man, I am freaking excited to write this article. There has been a lot of questions floating around lately that I want to address and the more I think about it, the more I can root cause it to this very topic. I want to talk about the evolution of a competitive list, the aftermath of several games after you've finalized your competitive list. This is essentially the Part 2 of my rather popular <a href="http://lkhero.blogspot.com/2018/04/de-dark-eldar-list-building-advice.html"><b><i>Army Building Guide</i></b></a>.<br />
<br />
Before I begin in the earnest, let's talk about what kind of questions have been asked in the last couple of days. Yes, I do get Email and comments both on here and on the Dark City forums. Some of the topics that have been talked about are:<br />
<ul>
<li>How many Dark Lances vs. Dissies?</li>
<li>Take me through your thought process after the Big FAQ?</li>
<li>General question asked to all: What does a competitive DE list look like?</li>
<li>Warriors or Wyches and why?</li>
</ul>
<br />
While all these questions might seem like they don't connect at first, I assure you they do. At least to the min-maxy type of player like me who likes to play in a competitive setting, all of these questions are completely valid. They are valid because I've put this list through a lot of thought, theory and practice questions against a variety of lists and opponents. Some opponents bring harder lists than others, some not so much. At the end of the day, a lot of these questions can be answered with "well, that depends" because every playing environment is different, and therefore, every meta is different. Regardless of whether or not you're playing in a local meta or in a GT, you must go into every environment with a gameplan. This means knowing the meta, predicting the meta, and taking your list through the gauntlet so you can answer what works best for you (in terms of playstyle) <i>and</i> what will be effective on the battlefield.<br />
<br />
So, now that you've read through that guide and have a general idea of how I like to min-max my army lists, let's take a trip down memory lane to the very first army list I posted.<br />
<br />
This was before the big FAQ:<br />
<br />
<b><i>1998 - 7 CP</i></b><br />
<b><i>Flayed Skull Battalion - 3 CP</i></b><br />
<br />
HQ:<br />
Archon, Agonizer, Blaster = 91<br />
Archon, Agonizer, Blaster = 91<br />
<br />
TROOP:<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 47<br />
Venom, 2x SC = 75<br />
122<br />
<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 47<br />
Venom, 2x SC = 75<br />
122<br />
<br />
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, Dark Lance = 114<br />
Raider, Splinter Racks, Dark Lance = 95<br />
209<br />
<br />
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, Dark Lance = 114<br />
Raider, Splinter Racks, Dark Lance = 95<br />
209<br />
<br />
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, Dark Lance = 114<br />
Raider, Splinter Racks, Dark Lance = 95<br />
209<br />
<br />
FLYER:<br />
Razorwing, 2x Dark Lances = 145<br />
Razorwing, 2x Dark Lances = 145<br />
<br />
+++<br />
<br />
<b><i>Black Heart Spearhead - 1 CP</i></b><br />
<br />
HQ:<br />
Archon, Agonizer, Blaster = 91<br />
Warlord: Labyrinthine Cunning<br />
Artifact: Writ of Living Muse<br />
<br />
TROOP:<br />
7x Warriors, Blaster = 59<br />
Raider, Dark Lance = 85<br />
144<br />
<br />
HEAVY:<br />
Ravager, 3x Dark Lances = 140<br />
Ravager, 3x Dark Lances = 140<br />
Ravager, 3x Dark Lances = 140<br />
<br />
>>><br />
<b><i>Firepower Analysis:</i></b><br />
20 Dark Lances at BS3+<br />
9 Blasters at BS3+<br />
3 Blasters at BS2+<br />
4 Splinter Cannons at BS3+<br />
21 Splinter Rifles at BS3+ with Flayed Skull + Splinter Racks<br />
19 Splinter Rifles at BS3+ elsewhere<br />
2 Razorwing Missiles at BS3+<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IWdLyzyk2wU/WuGDSzGgacI/AAAAAAAAJEw/xTp2W7h25Vc1wCZgPS9yMmUgkQCcoIumwCLcBGAs/s1600/pixel_black_heart_raiders_by_steeljoe-dbg1hhr.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IWdLyzyk2wU/WuGDSzGgacI/AAAAAAAAJEw/xTp2W7h25Vc1wCZgPS9yMmUgkQCcoIumwCLcBGAs/s400/pixel_black_heart_raiders_by_steeljoe-dbg1hhr.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Possibly the best DE gif to ever exist.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This is not a bad list, but let me take you through all the thought exercises I put myself through while playing with this list over 12 times now. Remember, when you take your list through a gauntlet, the objective here is to build knowledge and experience. <b>Knowledge </b>in the sense that you know what every unit in the list is designed to do and what you purchased it to do (very different things), and <b>experience </b>in the sense that in X matchup on Y battlefield in Z scenario, you know what to do with said units.<br />
<br />
Here are the thought exercises that I ran through in 12 games. There might be more, but these are the highlights. I will write a short blurb about each:<br />
<br />
<b><i>Balancing Dark Lances with Dissies</i></b><br />
I started off with a lot of Darklight, and most importantly, a lot of Dark Lances that have 36" range. This was because my meta is saturated with competitive builds of Imperials (double SR/Dante, Azrael Hellblaster Deathstars, Guard CP bats/Custodes, AdMech Robots/Guard CP, or just Guard CP Tank Park). While I thought the results were decent, I was finding myself less effective against MEQ out in the open. Shooting a Dark Lance at a Marine is always satisfying, but it's not the best use of points because it's typically overkill. It's pretty much just wasted on Guard and less effective vs. Shield-Captains on Dawneagles. Therefore, I needed to strike a balance between lances for longer engagements and Dissies for volume and more efficient killing those targets I just named. I can literally go on with this forever, but what you need to do is do a firepower analysis (or whatever your primary killing method is) and range band everything with respect to what units you're engaging. The targets depend completely on your meta and your predictions for the meta. More on this later. Just remember that lances are better vs. T6/7 3+ targets (so basically Rhinos/Robots) while Dissies are better vs. everything else.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Venoms vs. Raiders</i></b><br />
This one was an easier decision for me because I wanted more heavy weapons and transport space for Warriors. It was either more Dark Lance presence for AT or Dissies for general purpose. Either way, my meta called for less anti-infantry and more heavy weaponry which only the Raider can deliver. I also noticed that in my first couple of games, losing Venoms also dropped my SCs which was surprisingly frustrating. The next point will explain more.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Taking Dark Lances on Warriors</i></b><br />
This is just playtesting at work. I originally thought: Great! More lances the better right? Not really, because I noticed that I tend to move around a lot while engaging, and the new Strategems like Fire and Fade kept my army active at all times. Investing 20 points into a Dark Lance is good, but having it hit on 4+ after you move is not. This is pretty much a 50/50 and after several games, I wanted to commit to something more efficient. This is when I started weighing the importance of having a 10 point SC upgrade on my Warriors vs. 10 point Splinter Racks vs. Flayed Skull and the re-rolls. I found that the Splinter Racks are good, but math says SCs are point for point much better. It also stays there after you lose the Raider and further increases in damage with respect to range compared to racks. Boom, made the switch and I've been liking the results so far. In some ways, I would say that Warriors carrying SCs is more durable than Venoms because they're less of a fire magnet.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Converting from Flayed Skull to Black Heart</i></b><br />
You can find me writing a lot about this, but I wanted to bring more units under Black Heart simply because I can take advantage of the Archon's Living Muse on the Raiders themselves. The more I played with Black Heart, the more I saw an advantage in keeping my Raiders alive and thus, keeping the bulk of my firepower unharmed and alive as well. As long as my Warriors are inside and shooting, I felt less pressure on my presence on the board and greater pressure on my opponent once more of his things started dying. This is what I need because as Dark Eldar, you need to keep pressure and maintain momentum and tempo in a game. Keeping my units alive was more important to me in that sense, and the more heavy weapons I can put in-range of my Archon, the better results I was having. There's a follow-up to this below, and that's also because Black Heart transports work better for Obsidian Rose units.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Black Heart Air Wing to unlock AoV</i></b><br />
I feel like a genius for discovering this and blogging about it, but not really because it was pretty much a braindead choice. AoV is great and just having it in the army mindfucks your opponent every time he wants to use a Strategem. Remember again guys, the more you make your opponents think, the higher your chances are of winning.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Min-maxing different detachments to spread obsession bonuses (Black Rose)</i></b><br />
OK, this one I will take credit for because I think it's awesome. My Kabal of the Black Rose is simply the original pure Kabal list min-maxed as much as possible to suit my playstyle. Since I was already using Black Heart vehicles for their durability, AoV, re-rolls thanks to Living Muse and Cunning, I knew I needed to compliment that with an Obsession that would fit my particular playstyle. Flayed Skull was great, I've played it a few times, but it was too much of a glasshammer that encouraged overly aggressive plays. While I normally like that kind of play because I'm a highly aggressive player, my meta matchups needed something more flexible. I also noticed that the closer I got to Shield-Captains, the more I subjected myself to losing Raiders. This is more self-enlightenment more than anything else: I'm an aggressive player but I needed more threat without exposing myself to painful Space Marine assaults. I also needed something that I can poke and run because my meta have big scary melee units. Great, Obsidian Rose it is. Combine that with Black Heart and I have my Kabal of the Black Rose. Boom.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Trying min-squad vs. decent squad Wyches in Raiders</i></b><br />
This feels like the odd-man out here, but I needed to try Wyches because I have like 50 of them sitting in a bin. They're great, I love them and I think they definitely will see play, but maybe not in a list like mine because the only thing I'm doing is taking away from my firepower. This is the list schism that I was talking about in my previous articles on how to build lists, and that's if you start to branch off and try to do different things (especially polarizing things), you water down your ability to be effective. When I mean polarizing, I mean specifically mixing shooting and melee whereas if you take the Meat Mountain + Wyches, you might get better results because there's more of a particular form of pressure that can overwhelm your opponent if they're not ready for it. Either way, I see merits in both min-squads vs. the larger 8-9 man squads of Wyches in a Raider. I still think Raiders are their best method of delivery, especially when you have shenanigans like Enhanced Aethersails and Fire and Fade (with a Dissie-mounted Raider) on T1. If I wanted to play more casual, I'll mix up my lists some more, but if I wanted to just play the ranged game and shoot with my Black Rose, I will go for more shooting, period.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Switching to Dark Lances on my Razorwings</i></b><br />
After a bunch of games, I started noticing one thing: Once I converge with my Razorwings on that first initial high-five with my Living Muse Archon, they flew off to wherever I needed them to go. I never saw them within ass-slapping range of my Archon ever again so I knew something had to change. I knew I still needed Dissies, but just how many of them? This goes back to the question about balancing Dissies with Darklight, but after even more min-max testing, I decided that Ravagers were enough for now. Having 9 shots that are always in range of re-roll 1s to Hit and Wound was giving me the right results, whereas I've had more success moving Dark Lances to the Razorwings. The range threat was still the same, but the big difference for me there was that my lances need 3s to wound most things I wanted dead vs. the 5s that I would need with Dissies. Without the re-rolls, 3s are much better than 5s when dealing damage for sure. The other factor for me was that I found my previous firepower analysis was a bit biased towards Dissies: Having 15 Dissies and less 36" range lances. My first couple of turns in my meta is more probing and poking, and I definitely needed some added long-range weight before I pounce forward with my superior threat range. Notice how I'm using my experience in games to guide my decisions with what the list looks like in accordance to my meta and playstyle.<br />
<br />
<b><i>What my lists look like after the big FAQ</i></b><br />
Well, the good news is that not much really changed for DE. I min-maxed some shit here and there but overall, the Black Rose emerged pretty victorious after all the dust settled. My lists are not overly ridiculous with more Ravagers than a bag can hold, and I typically build for more balanced lists than something completely over the top. OK, the 20 36" lances were kinda hilarious though. What I need to pay attention to going forward is not how my lists adapt, but how my competitive meta evolves. I have initial predictions that I will see more Guard players because I think they came out pretty good with the CP boosts for Bats and Brigades. Armies that relied heavily on alpha-striking with CC and dropping in the first turn also got hit, which further strengthens the power of gunline-oriented armies. With that said, I need to think about which armies out there will take advantage of the FAQ the most and prepare my list accordingly. For now, I think my mix is pretty decent since I just converted more units to carry lances, but only time and more playtesting will tell.<br />
<br />
Well, there you have it folks. The first list I posted was on the last day of March. After all the experience and games, this is what I landed on today:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mc1IoJ7XpnA/Wt_6Mz5lJ_I/AAAAAAAAJEU/69WJnLKzpaw4HttV3sVIVYVnroR51jw5wCLcBGAs/s1600/iuhowff7suhmaxzkdljg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="880" height="296" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mc1IoJ7XpnA/Wt_6Mz5lJ_I/AAAAAAAAJEU/69WJnLKzpaw4HttV3sVIVYVnroR51jw5wCLcBGAs/s400/iuhowff7suhmaxzkdljg.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>An artistic expression for my contempt for bad lists.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><i>Kabal of the Black Rose</i></b><br />
<b>1999 // 10 CP</b><br />
<br />
<b><i>Obsidian Rose Bat +5 CP</i></b><br />
<br />
HQ:<br />
Archon, Agonizer, Blaster, PGL = 94<br />
Archon, Agonizer, Blaster, PGL = 94<br />
<br />
TROOP:<br />
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, SC = 104<br />
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, SC = 104<br />
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, SC = 104<br />
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, SC = 104<br />
<br />
+++<br />
<br />
<b><i>Black Heart Spear +1 CP</i></b><br />
<br />
HQ:<br />
Archon, Agonizer, Blaster = 91<br />
Warlord: Cunning, Living Muse<br />
<br />
TROOP:<br />
7x Warriors, Blaster, BP = 69<br />
<br />
PARTY BUS:<br />
Raider, Dark Lance = 85<br />
Raider, Dark Lance = 85<br />
Raider, Dark Lance = 85<br />
Raider, Dark Lance = 85<br />
Raider, Dark Lance = 85<br />
<br />
HEAVY:<br />
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125<br />
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125<br />
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125<br />
<br />
+++<br />
<br />
<b><i>Black Heart Wing +1 CP</i></b><br />
<br />
FLYER:<br />
Razorwing, 2x Dark Lance = 145<br />
Razorwing, 2x Dark Lance = 145<br />
Razorwing, 2x Dark Lance = 145<br />
<br />
>>><br />
<b><i>Firepower Analysis:</i></b><br />
11 Dark Lances at BS3+<br />
9 Dissies at BS3+<br />
9 Blasters at BS3+<br />
3 Blasters at BS2+<br />
3 Razorwing Missiles at BS3+<br />
4 Splinter Cannons at BS3+<br />
41 Splinter Rifles at BS3+<br />
<br />
Is this list perfect? Hell no. The big question up in the air right now is what the new competitive meta is going to look like. However, you bet your ass that I will be actively thinking about all the topics I went over today as we keep on murdering our opponents. Luckily, I've had enough games with the list above that I'm feeling pretty good, so I'm currently testing other lists to gauge which is more competitive. That's another story for another time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-67494137567133182892018-04-17T22:54:00.000-07:002018-04-17T22:56:03.826-07:00DE: Miserable Meat Mountain<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-preA_gp9eC0/Wta8KtT54uI/AAAAAAAAI-8/1Gk-b7s-58gHmpF6Za7sp9XQDm8zjPpAQCLcBGAs/s1600/dark_eldar_covens_by_agnidevi-d828cgg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="1024" height="291" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-preA_gp9eC0/Wta8KtT54uI/AAAAAAAAI-8/1Gk-b7s-58gHmpF6Za7sp9XQDm8zjPpAQCLcBGAs/s400/dark_eldar_covens_by_agnidevi-d828cgg.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Get. Cleaved. Hard.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Today is a special day. Why? Because I'm posting about a hypothetical competitive list that I've been working on that features Coven. The idea of this list came from friends of mine in the competitive 40K circuit that has been actively discussing the validity of Coven. Personally, I think that Prophets have some of the strongest units in all of the Dark Eldar book. The 4++ across the entire army is absolutely insane considering all the buffs you can stack.<br />
<br />
What you have here is a list that's capable of outputting a dramatic amount of firepower on top of having a huge amount of resilient, melee pressure that can move surprisingly quick across the battlefield. All Haemonculus units move 7" (Wyches move 8") across the battlefield where Talos can move a surprising 8". When you consider the fact that Talos can now Fly, you really to question all these massive, resilient meaty things are being thrown into your face in the most ridiculous way possible.<br />
<br />
Here's the list, I'll go into detail below:<br />
<br />
<b><i>Miserable Meat Mountain</i></b><br />
<b>1993 // 9-11 CP</b><br />
<br />
<b>Black Heart Bat +5 CP</b><br />
<br />
HQ:<br />
Archon, Agonizer, Blaster = 91<br />
Cunning, Living Muse<br />
<br />
Archon, Agonizer, Blaster = 91<br />
<br />
TROOP:<br />
5x Warriors, Blaster = 47<br />
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, SC = 104<br />
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, SC = 104<br />
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, SC = 104<br />
<br />
PARTY BOATS:<br />
Raider, Dark Lance = 85<br />
Raider, Dark Lance = 85<br />
Raider, Dark Lance = 85<br />
Raider, Dark Lance = 85<br />
<br />
HEAVY:<br />
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125<br />
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125<br />
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125<br />
<br />
+++<br />
<br />
<b>Prophets Spear +1 CP</b><br />
<br />
HQ:<br />
Urien = 90<br />
Diabolical Soothsayer<br />
<br />
ELITE:<br />
10x Grotesques = 350<br />
<br />
HEAVY:<br />
Talos, 2x Macro, 2x Haywire = 99<br />
Talos, 2x Macro, 2x Haywire = 99<br />
Talos, 2x Macro, 2x Haywire = 99<br />
<br />
>>><br />
<br />
So what you do here is take Alliance of Agony to enable the Diabolic Soothsayer on Urien. This automatically pays for itself and you can possibly get 2 more CP depending on what you roll. All in all, this makes your CP count 9-11 depending on hot your dice are on this roll.<br />
<br />
Urien himself is pretty amazing. For 90 points, which is 15 points or so more than a regular Haemonculus, you get +1S and Ld. on top of the +1T for all units within 6" of him. He's fast enough to keep up with the rest of your army, is T6 because his aura also works on himself, and is incredibly difficult to kill because he halves damage coming into him. However, what makes him work is the rest of the units he brings along with him as part of your army. With his +1S/T aura, he makes all the <b>Grotesques </b>shielding him <b>T6, 4++, 4W with FNP. Each of those beasts has 5 S6 AP-2 1D WS3+ attacks</b> and that's going to do some serious damage to whatever they touch. The <b>Talos </b>is even more deadly because they are now <b>T7, 4++, 7W with FNP with 6 S8 AP-2 2D WS3+ attacks</b> each with an <b>additional 2D3 Haywire Blaster shots</b>. Sure, these hit on 4s, but it's still nothing to sneeze at, especially if you're a vehicle.<br />
<br />
I can see a deployment strategy for these guys as Grots in front, Urien in the middle, Talos all around Urien. This gives him a Spear of Meat that he can drive directly into the heart of the enemy, making them shit their pants while your Kabal units do their thing. What makes a list like this work is that you cannot really ignore the cascading mountain of meat running into your lines. Sooner or later you'll have to deal with them and they're an absolute pain to deal with. If 10 Grots get into combat, they're going to throw out 50 high-strength attacks that are going to murder pretty much anything they touch. They're incredibly difficult to kill and they will beat out most things in combat easily due to sheer attrition and unit preservation. Unlike most fatty units, Grots don't die easily and so the overall damage of the unit will stay intact much longer.<br />
<br />
In short, your opponents are left reeling from the damage that your firebase of Living Muse Ravagers and Raiders are inflicting, but they're too distracted to deal with them because of all the Coven units closing in. If they focus on the vehicles (and you should play the range-game here at first), they're also making a mistake. Hopefully, you've played smart enough to reduce as much damage as possible and watch your Coven units smash into his lines untarnished. <b>This is Tough Decisions 101 and Dark Eldar plays this game much better than most</b>. When it comes to pure pressure, I think Prophets is the way to go if you want to bring a melee force that can threaten anything from MEQ to Imperial Knights<br />
<br />
Yes, I'm going to call this list experimentation Miserable Meat Mountain after the competitive Warmahordes Trolls list. It's a Black Heart Bat and Prophets Spear, so it's relatively easy to construct. Now, help me out with this grand experiment and field this list if you're capable of fielding this!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-64784855225988153382018-04-16T20:35:00.001-07:002018-04-18T10:23:28.086-07:00DE: New FAQ and updated lists!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pB8t2dFl8P0/WtVqci1NyiI/AAAAAAAAI-g/m9rdcIzdayAyMWwn4cRjogSaBXbM7KONQCLcBGAs/s1600/darren-tan-wh40k-conquest-cu-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pB8t2dFl8P0/WtVqci1NyiI/AAAAAAAAI-g/m9rdcIzdayAyMWwn4cRjogSaBXbM7KONQCLcBGAs/s400/darren-tan-wh40k-conquest-cu-03.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>New FAQ and updated lists.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ho ho ho, a day after I blog about competitive play and Dark Eldar's place in the meta, GW drops a huge FAQ that extends to all armies and changes the way we play the game.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You can find all the good jazz right <a href="https://www.warhammer-community.com/2018/04/16/warhammer-40000-big-faq-1-the-low-downgw-homepage-post-1fw-homepage-post-2/"><b><i>here</i></b></a>, but I'll sum up the main highlights of how this changes the way I build my armies going forward. Funny enough, DE didn't change all that much and it was really those other armies out there that got a big calibration.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here are the big highlights from the FAQ:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Smite spam is now harder to cast</li>
<li>Character targeting changed so other characters can't block targeting</li>
<li>Battalions and Brigades now generate +5 CPs and +12 CPs!</li>
<li>You only get one kind of Ignore save wounds</li>
<li>Various point changes (increase to CW units and Dark Reapers)</li>
<li>You cannot have more than 3 datasheets in a 2K game except troops and transports</li>
<li>Soups got hit so you can't mix as hard, you just have to read it</li>
<li>Reserves also changed so first turn alphas are not as devastating</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
There's a lot of changes here the directly affects competitive play, but my favorite change of all is probably the rule of 3. Not being able to spam is really awesome of the game's health. The soup changes also make it so you can't just bring the most powerful units of all different books into a single detachment and that's awesome. The only one I'm not too sure about is the fact that Battalions and Brigades generate so much CP now. While I can understand GW's intention here to fix the more elite armies limited CPs, this benefits everyone. This means that IG CP batteries with their cheap ass Brigades are in season.. even more so than they were before. Lastly, the changes to Reserves alpha striking is not created equal with all the armies out there. Some are much more effective than others, but other armies are made better when these kind of assaults are part of their strategic repertoire.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With that said, the only thing I'm really bummed out about is the fact that the Farseer, Warlock, and Spiritseer went up in price. I was actually in the middle of writing out a list last night, but now that the FAQ has dropped, I'm going to update all the lists I'm using in one go!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here they are:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><i>Kabal of the Black Rose</i></b></div>
<div>
<b>1999 // 10 CP</b></div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Obsidian Rose Bat +5 CP</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
HQ:</div>
<div>
Archon, Agonizer, Blaster, PGL = 94</div>
<div>
Archon, Agonizer, Blaster, PGL = 94</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
TROOP:</div>
<div>
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, SC = 104</div>
<div>
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, SC = 104</div>
<div>
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, SC = 104</div>
<div>
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, SC = 104</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
+++</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Black Heart Spear +1 CP</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
HQ:</div>
<div>
Archon, Agonizer, Blaster = 91</div>
<div>
Warlord: Cunning, Living Muse</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
TROOP:</div>
<div>
7x Warriors, Blaster, BP = 69</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
PARTY BUS:</div>
<div>
Raider, Dark Lance = 85</div>
<div>
Raider, Dark Lance = 85</div>
<div>
Raider, Dark Lance = 85</div>
<div>
Raider, Dark Lance = 85</div>
<div>
Raider, Dark Lance = 85</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
HEAVY:</div>
<div>
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125</div>
<div>
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125</div>
<div>
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
+++</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Black Heart Wing +1 CP</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
FLYER:</div>
<div>
Razorwing, 2x Dark Lance = 145</div>
<div>
Razorwing, 2x Dark Lance = 145</div>
<div>
Razorwing, 2x Dark Lance = 145</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
>>></div>
<div>
<div>
<b>Firepower:</b></div>
<div>
11 Dark Lances at BS3+</div>
<div>
9 Dissies at BS3+</div>
<div>
9 Blasters at BS3+</div>
<div>
3 Blasters at BS2+</div>
<div>
3 Razorwing Missiles at BS3+</div>
<div>
4 Splinter Cannons at BS3+</div>
<div>
40 Splinter Rifles at BS3+</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This my pure DE Kabal list combining the range power that is Obsidian Rose with the resilience of Black Heart. I call this my Kabal of the Black Rose and it has been undefeated since the Codex came out. A lot of firepower, a lot of pain.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><i>Alaitoc Black Spear</i></b></div>
<div>
<b>2000 // 10 CP</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Alaitoc Bat +5 CP</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
HQ:</div>
<div>
Farseer Skyrunner = 135</div>
<div>
Doom, Mind War</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Warlock = 55<br />
Protect/Jinx</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
TROOP:</div>
<div>
5x Rangers = 60</div>
<div>
5x Rangers = 60</div>
<div>
5x Rangers = 60</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
+++</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Alaitoc Wing +1 CP</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
FLYER:</div>
<div>
Hemlock Wraithfighter = 210</div>
<div>
Jinx</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Hemlock Wraithfighter = 210</div>
<div>
Jinx</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Crimson Hunter Exarch, 2x Bright Lance = 175</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
+++</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Black Heart Spear +1 CP</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
HQ:</div>
<div>
Archon, Huskblade, Blaster = 93</div>
<div>
Cunning, Living Muse</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
TROOP:</div>
<div>
10x Warriors, 2x Blasters, SC = 104</div>
<div>
Raider, Dark Lance = 85</div>
<div>
189</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
10x Warriors, 2x Blasters, SC = 104</div>
<div>
Raider, Dark Lance = 85</div>
<div>
189</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
10x Warriors, 2x Blasters, SC = 104</div>
<div>
Raider, Dark Lance = 85</div>
<div>
189</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
HEAVY:</div>
<div>
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125</div>
<div>
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125</div>
<div>
Ravager, 3x Dissies = 125</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
>>></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Firepower:</b></div>
<div>
9 Disintegrators at BS3+</div>
<div>
3 Dark Lances at BS3+</div>
<div>
2 Bright Lances at BS2+</div>
<div>
1 Pulse Laser at BS2+</div>
<div>
6 Blasters at BS3+</div>
<div>
1 Blaster at BS2+</div>
<div>
3 Splinter Cannons at BS3+</div>
<div>
4 Heavy D-Sycthes at Auto</div>
<div>
21 Splinter Rifles at BS3+</div>
<div>
15 Ranger Long Rifle at BS3+</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This is my current DE + CW list and I think it's actually pretty decent. I used it once so far and the combination of Doom/Jinx with DE firepower is just insane. With the loss of so many lances, having the Crimson Hunter in the army actually helps a lot.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><i>Black Skull Strife</i></b></div>
<div>
<b>2000 // 14 CP</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Flayed Skull Bat +5 CP</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
HQ:</div>
<div>
Archon, Agonizer, Blaster = 91</div>
<div>
Archon, Agonizer, Blaster = 91</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
PARTY BOATS:</div>
<div>
Raider, Dark Lance = 85</div>
<div>
Raider, Dark Lance = 85</div>
<div>
Raider, Dark Lance = 85</div>
<div>
Raider, Dark Lance = 85</div>
<div>
Raider, Dark Lance = 85</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
TROOP:</div>
<div>
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, SCannon = 104</div>
<div>
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, SCannon = 104</div>
<div>
10x Warriors, 2x Blaster, SCannon = 104<br />
<br />
<div>
FLYER:</div>
<div>
Razorwing, 2x Dark Lance = 145</div>
<div>
Razorwing, 2x Dark Lance = 145</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
+++</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Black Heart Spear +1 CP</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
HQ:</div>
<div>
Archon, Huskblade, Blaster = 93</div>
<div>
Warlord: Hatred Eternal, Djin Blade</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
HEAVY:</div>
<div>
Ravager, 3x Dinsintegrator = 125</div>
<div>
Ravager, 3x Dinsintegrator = 125</div>
<div>
Ravager, 3x Dinsintegrator = 125</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
+++</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Strife Bat +5 CP</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
HQ:</div>
<div>
Succubus, Agonizer = 54</div>
<div>
Blood Dancer, Whip</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Succubus, Agonizer = 54</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
TROOP:</div>
<div>
8x Wyches, Agonizer, Shardnet, BP = 83</div>
<div>
8x Wyches, Agonizer, Shardnet, BP = 83</div>
<div>
5x Wyches, Agonizer, Shardnet = 49</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
>>></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Firepower:</b></div>
<div>
9 Disintegrators at BS3+</div>
<div>
9 Dark Lances at BS3+</div>
<div>
6 Blasters at BS3+</div>
<div>
3 Blasters at BS2+</div>
<div>
2 Razorwing Missiles at BS3+</div>
<div>
3 Splinter Cannons at BS3+</div>
<div>
25 Splinter Rifles at BS3+</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
This is my close-combat list with double Bats and a Black Heart Spear. This list gives me some great killy units with my Blood Dancer Succubus and Hatred Eternal Archon. I can also choose to go with more re-rolls with Living Muse and Cunning, but I think I'm going to use this for now because I want to be able to play CC armies occasionally. I still stand by what I said before in previous posts: Cults are our best CP battery (especially now with the Bat CP buffs). Gotta go fast!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-67226077485338651552018-04-15T20:27:00.005-07:002018-04-15T21:06:02.148-07:00DE: Competitive list predictions<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hODT1hUF4yc/WtQXWfGejEI/AAAAAAAAI94/k98iQsj9V3kaSONr93YlEeO8mFWLvWW8QCLcBGAs/s1600/vect.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="844" height="220" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hODT1hUF4yc/WtQXWfGejEI/AAAAAAAAI94/k98iQsj9V3kaSONr93YlEeO8mFWLvWW8QCLcBGAs/s400/vect.png" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>What is competitive and what is not?</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
As players of all skill levels get more accustomed to the new Dark Eldar codex, one of the questions I see popping up all over the place is "what's competitive?" Well, first thing's first. The book has only been out of a couple of days, but I think I have my bearings point in the right direction for what is going to be good in competitive DE play. However, what I can't see too clearly is just how much much of Dark Eldar is going to be in them. What I mean by that exactly? I'm referring to how many Dark Eldar units will make the cut into a GT winning list and roughly what percentage of the army will be from the book itself.<br>
<br>
You've all heard about soups, right? When you hear something like Imperial soup, this is referring to a mixture of detachments taken from different army books to form an army. Most of the time, this is done for competitive reasons and why there have been countless articles out there complaining about this. Thinking back towards the earliest days of Allies, it's true: Not all army books are created equal and if no one allies with anyone else, this would make the imbalance stand out even more. However, the same could be said about certain armies not being to ally with other armies. Aeldari soup is nowhere close to having the number of options as Imperial soup, while armies like Necrons are pretty much left to fend for themselves.<br>
<br>
Allied armies, in general, have room to be the most competitive. While mono-faction armies can be good, they normally result in spamming of a key unit that's just outrageously cost-efficient or so good that you would be stupid not to take a lot of them. An example of this can be the Index Tau Commander or the current Flyrant spam that you're seeing from Tyranid players. Necrons are reduced to spamming crap like triple C'Tan vaults because they have no one to really ally with.<br>
<br>
However, when you look at Imperials, you get crap like Guard CP batteries for dirt cheap and having access to an easy +6 CP from cost-effective battalions. You can then supplement that with super-effective AdMech Robots and Shield-Captains on Dawneagles.<br>
<br>
Some other competitive lists out there:<br>
Ynnari Dark Reapers w/ Saim-Hann Spears<br>
Shining Spears w/ Hemlocks<br>
Magnus w/ Tzaangor herds<br>
Morty Poxbombs<br>
Dark Talon spam<br>
Blood Angels w/ Tallaran Superheavy<br>
Azrael Hellblaster deathstars<br>
..etc<br>
<br>
So, the question I've been asking myself over the last couple of days is where Dark Eldar fits in the picture now. What do we have in our book that is so good that we might see mono-army builds, or what do we have that is incredibly cost-effective to the point that we can replace Dark Reapers or Saim-Hann Spears when it comes to battle prowess? Above all, what do we have in our book that will make us a competitive pick to the point that WAAC players will take our army over all other options out there in the meta?<br>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z-4n2J8YZLg/WtQYG3y4xzI/AAAAAAAAI-E/MwNJ4pDaL5sGwfN2hIM2COoLurdcBXx2ACLcBGAs/s1600/dark_eldar_grotesque_by_rayph-d5t13pa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="969" height="272" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z-4n2J8YZLg/WtQYG3y4xzI/AAAAAAAAI-E/MwNJ4pDaL5sGwfN2hIM2COoLurdcBXx2ACLcBGAs/s320/dark_eldar_grotesque_by_rayph-d5t13pa.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Prophet Grots are actually pretty gross.. in a super good way.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
These are pretty serious questions to any competitive player and this is one of those things that will spark a lot of controversies. Just recently, I came back from arguing on the internets about Wych hordes (100+ Wyches) being the next best thing. The first thing I thought to myself: ARE YOU GUYS NUTS? Seriously, Wyches are pretty good, but I wouldn't rank them better to the cost-effectiveness of 6 ppm Warriors, plentiful Dissie/Blasters, or the sheer durability of a 35-point Grot that has 4W, 4++ and FNP with a healthy amount of attacks and great movement. Truth be told, it boggles my mind when I see people screaming that Wyches are the best thing in the codex. I'm not sure if they're just outright trolling, or all the dust from their shelved Wyches finally polluted their brains.<br>
<br>
Maybe it's something Nick said over on his <a href="https://thebrownmagic.com/2018/04/10/evil-eldar-can-be-good-too/"><b><i>blog post</i></b></a> about the DE book. Maybe this is why people are going all apeshit over Wyches but yet missing the key ingredients on why a Wych heavy list like Nick's example works in the first place. I'll tell you the secret: Whenever you buy Wyches, you give up on shooting and other strong and competitive options there are in the entire Aeldari faction. In order for Wyches to be effective, the unit composition has to be correct because you need the pressure to be applied correctly and effectively. This means you need to also buy Reavers or Grots to be part of the attack because they are also high-value targets that threaten the enemy army in a bigger way (Reavers enter combat quickly and Grots just smash). All this added pressure then takes away from your shooting elements such as a Black Heart Spearhead of 4-5 Ravagers sitting in the backfield raining shit on your opponents. What this article doesn't mean is that you should go out and buy 100 Wyches to put them on the table. That's just an expensive and stupid investment.<br>
<br>
Now that I'm done ranting, let's get back down to business. I want this thread to spark controversy but I also want to spark a serious thought experiment. What do we have in our book that can possibly uproot the other unit combinations from the meta and say that ours is superior?<br>
<br>
Here are my picks:<br>
<ul>
<li>Blackheart Spearhead - Archon with Cunning and Living Muse, with a lot of Ravagers armed with Dissies. Gives you an amazing trait, shooting consistency and access to Agents of Vect.</li>
<li>Grot walls or meat mountains - Go Prophets with big Grot walls, WWP them in or run them up the field with T5/6, 4++, FNP and 4W a piece with above average attacks. The idea here is to combine the effort with Wyches or Reavers to apply maximum pressure.</li>
<li>Cursed Blade Wyches, but only in combination with Reavers or Grot Walls - Wyches by themselves are mediocre at best. Even if you put 100 of them down on the table, I can't see them killing a whole bunch of applying good pressure until you mix them in with Grots or Reavers for added pressure. Why Cursed Blade? Because you will need the fearless or else people will shoot your ass to half and watch the rest crumble from morale.</li>
<li>T5 Reavers are really good too because they're fast enough to support any area of the battlefield and can supply decent anti-armor as well.</li>
</ul>
<br>
While I didn't call out Kabalite Warriors specifically, I do want to mention that I think we're still in the process of figuring stuff out. I'm talking specifically about Obsession combinations like my Kabal of the Black Rose (Black Heart + Obsidian Rose) or even Flayed Skull Venom spam. People are STILL debating what Obsessions to take for the Wych cults, but I think everyone and their mother agrees that Prophets is probably the best Coven.<br>
<br>
Regardless of this early impression, I will say that in the next couple of days I'll be thinking heavily about Eldar soup and what that means from a competitive standpoint. While Ynnari is pretty meh for me right now, I'm still very excited to mix in Alaitoc units with a Black Heart Spearhead. I'm also excited to start playing around with just pure Aledari and say screw the Obsessions, let's just go for good value units. Once the new Harlequins book drops, you will see that this endless debate on what's the best competitive DE list will change again. Then again, we're not even sure we're ever going to see a pure DE list at the top tables. I personally think Farseers are just so good I'm going out of my way to include them in my more competitive lists.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-84478734510560937352018-04-12T22:19:00.003-07:002018-04-13T18:48:07.048-07:00DE: Tips and tricks on movement<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--MKOYI86Kh0/WtA84YYSacI/AAAAAAAAI74/LZmomHp1foE_BsLZR9h-NKNlWQR6b_2fQCLcBGAs/s1600/dark_eldar__incubi_2_by_beckjann-d5cnhs8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1145" data-original-width="697" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--MKOYI86Kh0/WtA84YYSacI/AAAAAAAAI74/LZmomHp1foE_BsLZR9h-NKNlWQR6b_2fQCLcBGAs/s320/dark_eldar__incubi_2_by_beckjann-d5cnhs8.jpg" width="193" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Archon School is the best School.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I'm going to be traveling on business soon so I want to get this one out to you guys ASAP. This is a quick article on some tips and tricks when it comes to vehicle-heavy play. As you can see in a lot of my lists, it has a lot to do with vehicles. However, in order for DE players to get the most out of their vehicles and the units inside them, you have to be very careful in how you play them.<br />
<br />
Dark Eldar vehicles are powerful because they have <b>Fly</b> and great movement, however, they are fragile and if you use them incorrectly, they will die like bitches and so will your dudes. If you're going to die, you better kill a lot of shit to make your death worthwhile.<br />
<br />
Before we begin, here are some useful terms for you to remember:<br />
<br />
<b>Falling Back</b><br />
Units starting the Movement phase<br />
within 1" of an enemy unit can either<br />
remain stationary or Fall Back. If you<br />
choose to Fall Back, the unit must end its<br />
move more than 1" away from all enemy<br />
units. If a unit Falls Back, it cannot<br />
Advance (see below), or charge (pg 182)<br />
later that turn. <b>A unit that Falls Back</b><br />
<b>also cannot shoot later that turn unless it</b><br />
<b>can FLY.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Open-topped</b>: Models embarked on this model can attack<br />
in their Shooting phase. Measure the range and draw line<br />
of sight from any point on this model. When they do so,<br />
any restrictions or modifiers that apply to this model also<br />
apply to its passengers; for example, the passengers cannot<br />
shoot if this model has Fallen Back in the same turn,<br />
cannot shoot (except with Pistols) if this model is within<br />
1" of an enemy unit, and so on. <b>Note that the passengers</b><br />
<b>cannot shoot if this model Falls Back, even though the</b><br />
<b>Raider itself can.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Hovering</b>: Instead of measuring distance and ranges to and<br />
from this model’s base, <b>measure to and from this model’s</b><br />
<b>hull or base (whichever is closer).</b><br />
<br />
<b>Airborne</b>: This model cannot charge, <b>can only be</b><br />
<b>charged by units that can </b><b>FLY</b> , and can only attack or be<br />
attacked in the Fight phase by units that can FLY.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9KenPOU1fDA/WtAqae6mS4I/AAAAAAAAI68/KVoEhvE2-lYC7y1JHGdp5Ao4t7Iy6tMeQCLcBGAs/s1600/look_range.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9KenPOU1fDA/WtAqae6mS4I/AAAAAAAAI68/KVoEhvE2-lYC7y1JHGdp5Ao4t7Iy6tMeQCLcBGAs/s400/look_range.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Look at this threat range man.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
OK, now we're ready to begin. First, I want you to look at this picture for at least 5 minutes. Look at the measuring tape, and then bask in the glory that is DE movement and threat range. You get out of the vehicle by measuring from the hull (including the tip of that Shock Prow) for 3". You move 7" with your Warriors and 8" with your Wyches. You then have roughly 1" because you measure to the edge of your 25mm base, so you have a total movement hull to edge of base of 11". You then have a Rapid Fire range of 12", your Blasters reach out to 18", and the rest of your shit that matters literally hits from a mile away. Just with Rapid Fire Splinters mean you have <b>a total threat of a little over 23" out of a transport</b> when you measure from the base. This is why Obsidian Rose is so worth it to me, because it extends the threat range of this bullshit even further.<br />
<br />
Before we continue, I want to say that if you're playing with Warriors in a gunboat, <b>you want to stay in that gunboat as long as possible</b>. This is because the Raider is Open-topped and you can get much more mileage out of it with better durability (T5 10W 4+/5++/6+++) than shooting at paper armor Warriors out in the open. You have much greater threat range inside a Raider as well, since the damn thing can move 14" and you can still Rapid Fire out of it measuring from the hull. That means you have a threat range of 26" of threat, which is a few inches greater than your Warriors walking on foot. Yes, you heard that right, <b>your Warriors move almost as fast as your Raiders</b>. Let it sink it good and long.<br />
<br />
<b>So why get out? Because your Archon's aura doesn't work while you're inside the Raider.</b> It only works when you're outside which is why it's very worthwhile to sometimes unload all of your shit within 3" of your Raider (so they can quickly jump back in next round), get within 6" of that sweet ass bubble of the Archon, and then unload like crazy. It's like having Flayed Skull's re-roll 1s for all of your weapons. If you have Writ of the Living Muse while using Black Heart, here's all those crazy re-roll 1s to Wound as well. However, if you don't need the re-rolls, just sit in the Raider for as long as possible because even if the Raider is engaged, you can still disembark from it and <i>not count</i> as Fallen Back for your Warriors. You just have to get out first before your Raider Falls Back.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-19wc-VQwL7U/WtAqdlNEaoI/AAAAAAAAI7U/8seS4OTvQDQPLA8rqNIVMp4pchmPYwMHgCEwYBhgL/s1600/see_under.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-19wc-VQwL7U/WtAqdlNEaoI/AAAAAAAAI7U/8seS4OTvQDQPLA8rqNIVMp4pchmPYwMHgCEwYBhgL/s400/see_under.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Get out, get buff, shoot, get scooped.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This is what I mean when I say get out, get the bonus from the Archon, and reap the whirlwind. You're still within 3" of your Raider so you can taxi back in next movement and your Archon is still in range because 6" from base to base is actually ridiculously long. The biggest thing I want you to take away from this picture is that I angled the camera downwards deliberately here. <b>Your Warriors can fire from beneath your Raider</b> because Line of Sight is a real thing (model's point of view). Sure, they can probably only see something in front of them, but LoS is one of those things I will bring up time and time again with Dark Eldar. LoS <i>really</i> matters for them because denying damage while doing damage is the key hallmark of the faction.<br />
<br />
Another subtle tip from this example is that the Archon has 2 units in front of him before he can be shot at if your opponent doesn't have any flyers of their own. Be very wary when there are flyers on the map because they can zoom across the battlefield and eat you alive if you're not careful. Those damn Hemlocks of mine have claimed so many careless generals' lives.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U6d6_DFJh_E/WtAqeJZGU3I/AAAAAAAAI7Y/ne7Hi2oTL0oj11_M6bFmgANVuPBLyGCEACEwYBhgL/s1600/weapon_ranges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U6d6_DFJh_E/WtAqeJZGU3I/AAAAAAAAI7Y/ne7Hi2oTL0oj11_M6bFmgANVuPBLyGCEACEwYBhgL/s400/weapon_ranges.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Weapon ranges are important.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
There is a lot going on in this picture so I'm going to try to explain piecemeal. The first thing I want you guys to look at is the <b>range and coherency of the models</b>. Note that all my units in the front drawing <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>red </b></span>are in Rapid Fire of that unit of Wraithguard while the most valuable damage weapons, the Blasters, are in the back marked <b><span style="color: #bf9000;">yellow</span></b>. The reason why I chose to show this off is that when you pull models, you can pull the extra rifles from the front to possibly deny a charge, and to preserve your longer ranged weapons whenever possible. <b>As a shooty army, you should preserve as much damage whenever you can, however you can.</b><br />
<b><br /></b> The second thing I want to show here is the placement of the Raider in front of the Wraithguard. Yes, I know they're WG and they shoot like crazy, but pretend they aren't for a second and I'm just using them as models. The Raider is long, a little over 7" and acts as a perfect defensive obstacle for units that want to charge your paper armor duders in the back. <b>By putting a Raider in front of them, you form an artificial wall for your opponents to go around.</b> Therefore, you prolong the charge distance of your enemies and keep your Warriors alive another round (possibly). Sometimes, this means you have to make sacrifices. For Dark Eldar, I strongly encourage you to employ such tactics because, for us, it's any means to the end. It's both fluffy and is perfectly applicable in-game.<br />
<br />
Here's where Fly comes in handy. If you have units inside the Raider, once you Fall Back with the Raider, they cannot shoot. What you do here instead is: Disembark your Warriors out of the Raider <i>first </i>and <i>then</i> Fall Back with your Raider so they can both shoot. You just need to be mindful that you're more than 1" away from the enemy when you get out. If your Warriors are caught in the open and are now in melee, they can't Fall Back and shoot (not conventionally at least). Try and avoid this at all costs. <b>Your Raider, however, has the Fly rule and <i>can</i> Fall Back and shoot.</b> This is why if they don't kill the Raider, they won't stop it from firing on them. The same applies to our Ravagers as well.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Enk3DUFqpTM/WtAqceW_HVI/AAAAAAAAI7A/s-sEBcqigjEvvoFErRn9qtkaAuQ90-9eACEwYBhgL/s1600/extend_charge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Enk3DUFqpTM/WtAqceW_HVI/AAAAAAAAI7A/s-sEBcqigjEvvoFErRn9qtkaAuQ90-9eACEwYBhgL/s400/extend_charge.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Now you're in range, now you're not.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Next picture is just more salt to injury. Let's pretend those WG don't auto-hit the Razorwing and therefore will murder him. Instead, let's treat them like TH/SS Terminators or something. They see a juicy target, or rather, multiple juicy targets to charge. Hmm, that Raider is 9" away, and those Warriors are a little under 12 so it's not impossible. <b>Oh boy, here comes a flyer 1" away. Yup, I just increased the charge distance of those Terminators to barely possible on the Raider and not possible at all on the Warriors.</b> It gets even sadder because if you declare the charge because you're not careful and account for the distance traveled, I can still Overwatch even if you fail. This is the advantage of the <b>Airborne</b> special rule that flyers have. Unless that unit has Fly, you should do this and make your opponent really upset.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LLbJ2X5x0m4/WtAqcXkMjoI/AAAAAAAAI7I/Y8QkOUN68XstedERYlA0opUafmWD7AURwCEwYBhgL/s1600/MSU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LLbJ2X5x0m4/WtAqcXkMjoI/AAAAAAAAI7I/Y8QkOUN68XstedERYlA0opUafmWD7AURwCEwYBhgL/s400/MSU.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>MSU is wonderful when used correctly.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
OK, this little picture shows you the value of having multiple units in a Raider. The above there is 2 units of 5 Warriors (2x5 config) with Blasters in a single Raider. Everything is in Rapid Fire range and the Blasters are slightly in the back (like they should be). <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Red</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">blue </span></b>symbolizes the first movement action I take, then the second, and <b><span style="color: #bf9000;">yellow </span></b>presents where the Raider goes everyone disembarks so I can scoop up blue squad next round if they're still around. <b>Always have an exit strategy and a follow-up plan.</b> Too many times I see players just do what's in the moment and not plan ahead. This is not how Dark Eldar plays because misplays or stupidity can literally end the game for us. You have to be methodical, cunning and smart with how you play the game. Now that my plan is laid out, I lay into my targets with firepower.<br />
<br />
<b>MSU </b>is an abbreviation for <b>Multiple Small Units</b>. This has been around forever and I've played way too many years of DE, High Elves, Dark Elves and other MSU-based armies to understand the value of it. For Dark Eldar, this has some great uses because it allows you to do shit like the above picture.<br />
<br />
Here are some of the other benefits of having 2x5:<br />
<ul>
<li>Can split up squad as and when needed</li>
<li>Same number of Blasters as 10-man units</li>
<li>Can double up on PGLs or other sergeant weapons</li>
<li>Less vulnerable to Ld</li>
<li>Can build Brigades fast, but you also fill slots quick</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>The biggest boon is your ability to split up</b>: Your opponent has to shoot one squad to death instead of 2 so he can oversaturate fire and potentially waste shots. This is mainly because when you declare targets, you have to declare where all your shots are going and from which guns before you roll dice. This means if you really want a squad dead, you have to commit. Not that it takes a lot to kill off DE infantry units in the open, but being frugal on shots or some lucky 6+++ saves means that a sole Blaster dealing S8 AP-4 D6 damage is going to go around shooting you in the dick.<br />
<br />
Likewise, if you spread wide enough, he now has 2 targets to charge instead of 1. Look at the distance between the two units above. He's definitely going to commit to one side if he wants a good chance, and even if he charges one squad, that's still another Blaster that's free to shoot and not in Fall Back mode.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ShkD8g_5qrM/WtAqc1c8OnI/AAAAAAAAI7M/OK7kFpdaqsUjk2Gygd38UKeKQ937tNEXQCEwYBhgL/s1600/go_around.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ShkD8g_5qrM/WtAqc1c8OnI/AAAAAAAAI7M/OK7kFpdaqsUjk2Gygd38UKeKQ937tNEXQCEwYBhgL/s400/go_around.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>It all comes together to make your opponents' life miserable.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We're almost done guys, hang in there. Look at this example above: I placed the Archon within buff range of both units while placing two Raiders there to form the <b>Great Wall of bad decisions</b>. They obviously cannot go around to assault my dudes because that's an impossible charge. They can't fire on the Archon because there are multiple units in front of him. The only logical target there is the Raiders, and if they charge into them, Raiders are wide enough (almost 3") to stop any follow-up Consolidation prize in the Warriors in the front. The only thing they can do is Consolidate into the other Raider, in which case I'll <b>Fly</b> away and shoot him with my entire army next turn.<br />
<br />
Now imagine I had about 4 more squads of Warriors in the back there by my Archons ready to go too. That is a lot of units now ready to follow-up, amplified damage via the Archon's bubble, and ready to lay waste to the units who over-extended and are now in Rapid Fire range of a lot more guns. This is an instance where charging the enemy is actually bait because it draws them in closer to the kill. What looks like suicidal Raiders at first are now very worth it because you might have traded an 85-point Raider that is now fodder, with 225 points of key damage dealers. That is a huge points swing in your favor.<br />
<br />
Great, now you're playing like Dark Eldar, or in fact, any Eldar: There is a reason why you think you're superior to all your enemies and have this outrageous arrogance around you. You want to force as many decisions for your opponent as possible because <b>the more decision trees you construct, the more paths there are to failure</b>. Shore this up with baits, feints, LoS, cover, outranging, and movement shenanigans, and you're one step closer to becoming a better Eldar player.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sU3RxERkjto/WtAqcVLA8uI/AAAAAAAAI7E/YT5KtBUu-wUxaolwbhmNrjKSN61jE1CoACEwYBhgL/s1600/dontdothis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sU3RxERkjto/WtAqcVLA8uI/AAAAAAAAI7E/YT5KtBUu-wUxaolwbhmNrjKSN61jE1CoACEwYBhgL/s400/dontdothis.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Be mindful of your opponents' most potent weapons and their range.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We're going to take a brief moment here and explore what it means to charge the right way and charge the wrong way. This is because we have to be <i>constantly</i> reminded me of our opponents' weapon ranges and what that means for our more fragile units.<br />
<br />
What I'm going to attempt to do here is to <b>charge my <span style="color: #cc0000;">Raider</span> <i>first</i> so I can tie up those units so my lightly armored <span style="color: #3d85c6;">Wyches </span>can get in there unhindered</b> and do their thing without having to worry about Overwatch. This is very important for all Dark Eldar players unless you're playing Coven; in which case you probably don't give a fuck because T6 4++ FNP 4W Grots are balanced units.<br />
<br />
For example, the Wraithguard up there all have 8" D-Scythes. They will eat me alive if I charge in there while I'm in range of all their weapons. Likewise, picture a unit of 10-man Space Marines with Meltaguns in there as well. This is where your knowledge of weapon ranges come into play. You know the range of the Meltagun (12", 6" melta range) and you know where the meltas are located. Great, now don't be within their melta range and<b> position your Raider so that you outrange his greatest chance to hurt you.</b> Bolters aren't shit compared to a lucky melta shot.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jicfO8oJ0fM/WtAqdIV_WuI/AAAAAAAAI7Q/q5iUa8fewvQ4qJEsTNvLBfH8GOixTIqgwCEwYBhgL/s1600/mess_withrange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jicfO8oJ0fM/WtAqdIV_WuI/AAAAAAAAI7Q/q5iUa8fewvQ4qJEsTNvLBfH8GOixTIqgwCEwYBhgL/s400/mess_withrange.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This is how you do it.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Vroom, 14" of movement later, now we're talking: Look at the position of the Raider here after I relocated. Now, only ONE of the FIVE Wraithguard with D-Scythes have range onto my Raider. If I'm feeling extra cheeky, I can be at 8.1" away from him so he can't OW me at all (<b>if you're out of range, you can't declare OW</b>). But then again, my charge will be a little longer, so there's a risk vs. reward scenario there. However, I want to mention that my Wyches are positioned the same way, concaved a little because now only 2 of the WG can hit the closest Wyches vs. everyone else who was conveniently placed 8.1" away. I will pull from the back, of course, allowing my closer Wyches to get the charge and bring the rest of the girls in. If I'm running a 2x5 squad of Wyches, the principle here still stands. To min-max, you move the Wyches in a checkerboard formation so both squads have the same chances to get in. <b>Remember again; measure twice, move once. That is the Dark Eldar way.</b><br />
<br />
Alright guys, this should be good for now. Of course, there are a bunch more tricks that I know, but I think these are the main ones that'll help get you stated. Keep in mind that I'll be more sporadic in the next week when it comes to posting!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229245860561585942.post-44780109499149002592018-04-11T00:21:00.000-07:002018-04-11T10:46:19.807-07:00DE: Archon bubbles and vehicle deployment<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aoBhditLDFU/Ws2tSgFSp7I/AAAAAAAAI6I/aFUU0UvvQp0vp1lQT_z4sasMSNx28PY1ACLcBGAs/s1600/the_archon_by_majesticchicken-d34g7w0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="591" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aoBhditLDFU/Ws2tSgFSp7I/AAAAAAAAI6I/aFUU0UvvQp0vp1lQT_z4sasMSNx28PY1ACLcBGAs/s320/the_archon_by_majesticchicken-d34g7w0.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>School's in session. Listen or die!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Alright, I hope my crappy ass camera with Primsa edit made this a little viewable. At least the table is the right size so things should be better in scale.<br />
<br />
The point of this article is to show off a few tips here and there about deployment and about how to successfully wrap your powerful attack vehicles around your 6" Archon bubbles. You would be surprised how easy it is to actually get your Archons into a good position so you can start utilizing these massive benefits. While I completely get the frustration that certain players have that you can't use this aura while inside vehicles, or the fact that our Venoms are still stuck at a 5-man capacity, I'm here to tell you that everything is going to be OK.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3AK51ef4Lk/Ws2Vl4zLxII/AAAAAAAAI4A/rFhC5v37RYMIKyxp9a0KiaTUjH0uRseCACLcBGAs/s1600/long_thin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3AK51ef4Lk/Ws2Vl4zLxII/AAAAAAAAI4A/rFhC5v37RYMIKyxp9a0KiaTUjH0uRseCACLcBGAs/s400/long_thin.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>It doesn't have to be this extreme.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
First, I want to show off this deployment type. It doesn't have to be exactly like this, and of course, this is a bare naked table with nothing on it, but I want to showcase the <b>long and thin deployment</b>. Our vehicles are extremely thin and our threat range is extremely long. Our most powerful weapons such as Dark Lances and Dissies both have 36" range and we have obscene movement on all of our vehicles. With a 14" move on the Ravager, this gives us a combined threat range of 50" base without any Obsidian Rose or Flayed Skull buffs.<br />
<br />
When you deploy, depending on where you set up and where your opponents set up, you will almost always have the ability to nullify a lot of their firepower if you deploy on the board's edge. In Pitched Battles such as this one, deploying on the edge can give you some serious advantage when it comes to outranging their most powerful weapons. Remember, the total vertical length of the table is 48", and distances will only increase once we start getting into diagnols. Whenever I get to a table and look at the terrain, I go full rainman for <i>what</i> my opponent is fielding and <i>where</i> he puts them down so I can deny his every advantage.<br />
<br />
Also, please note that the Archon was able to get out of the Raider and move 3"+8" for 11" total movement on the disembark. Look how far he's able to make it up to the table when a Raider deployed behind the Ravagers in the middle/right of the table. This is without him Advancing, so you can just imagine how well Dark Eldar can move on foot compared to others. Learn this, remember this, and don't be afraid to Advance for some extra range just so you can get his bubble into play. With enough experience, you will be able to move him first after doing a quick measure of your furthest vehicle, so you know that if you move that, everything close will be in range to move towards your Archon's buff. Don't worry, this will come more natural the more you play.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-brzfK_8B4JY/Ws2VonfgXNI/AAAAAAAAI4E/KE5kZf_mrkgFJ_MPA_ZZ4Cgj1koCkYQbwCLcBGAs/s1600/measure_wars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-brzfK_8B4JY/Ws2VonfgXNI/AAAAAAAAI4E/KE5kZf_mrkgFJ_MPA_ZZ4Cgj1koCkYQbwCLcBGAs/s400/measure_wars.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Taste the salt.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Take a look at this picture here. My friend is measuring distance for Hellblaster units behind his Land Raider. The upset look on his face is when he realizes that I parked 37" away from his Plasma Incinerators. Why does this upset him? Because even with a 6" move and 30" range, no matter what he does, he will not be able to engage me with those guns. This right here is what every experienced Dark Eldar player does since the old days of Night Shields (-6" to opponent's range), and why this is an exceptionally important skill for all new generals to learn. <b>The best form of denying damage is by giving them no chance to deal damage at all.</b> It sounds almost like a joke at first, but I'm absolutely serious when it comes to understanding your opponents' most lethal weapons, the ones capable of destroying your vehicles, and then countering them with attention to range detail (anti-threat).<br />
<br />
<b>Measure twice, move once</b>, that's the rule. The same could be said about my Razorwings on the opposite sides of the table. Aside from his Land Raider, there was nothing in his entire army that had the range to reach them. I absolutely cannot stress this enough: I don't care if you have to measure every single gun (within reason) from the other guy's army, ask them the weapon ranges (you will learn in time) so you can deny damage while planning to counter-attack on your turn. This is why movement, weapon range, and thus effective shooting threat range is so important. It's so you know how you can inflict the maximum amount of damage while taking little to no damage in return (by outranging, by denying LoS, or by gaining cover). That's pretty much a mini-game in itself for Dark Eldar generals.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0O159FGnLwk/Ws2VuUWyyPI/AAAAAAAAI4I/nIoK-tcLjEw9ArmyRvs6AJug3seGwWT2ACLcBGAs/s1600/nowyouseeme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0O159FGnLwk/Ws2VuUWyyPI/AAAAAAAAI4I/nIoK-tcLjEw9ArmyRvs6AJug3seGwWT2ACLcBGAs/s400/nowyouseeme.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Now you see me..</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Another deployment trick I like to do is <b>isolate pockets of fire and line of sight</b>. I purposely pulled some tissues up to block the sail, but I wanted to show you the difference between deploying wider vs. narrow. It's extremely important for Dark Eldar players to examine the terrain on the table in relation to their greatest threats. Directly in front of the tissue box (immediate left of the Raider) is a unit of Devastators at <i>ground level </i>behind cover. In this first picture, the Devastators can draw onto the Prow and the Aft of the Raider, just catching the rear sail. It's important for you to analyze at all times exactly <i>why</i> you're seeking shelter and from what weapon specifically. If there were bolters on the other side of this tissue box I might not care as much.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xMouRlnqA4c/Ws2VwpuBOZI/AAAAAAAAI4M/opFr2NyF9d8_MEPLKd1YtNyHxiFopH7uQCLcBGAs/s1600/nowyoudont.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xMouRlnqA4c/Ws2VwpuBOZI/AAAAAAAAI4M/opFr2NyF9d8_MEPLKd1YtNyHxiFopH7uQCLcBGAs/s400/nowyoudont.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Now you don't.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
When you straighten the Raider out, he can no longer see you at all unless he moves, and even then, only a few guns will be able to draw Line of Sight. This is also hugely important for Dark Eldar players: <b>Force your opponents to MOVE their heavy weapons</b>. Unless they have some amazing rule that allows them to stabilize their weapons, they will suffer an aiming penalty. We can move and fire most of our heaviest weapons for free for a reason, and that is a HUGE boon to our army compared to many others. Not even our Eldar cousins have this luxury, and this should not be forgotten nor underestimated.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HwidP2Tugog/Ws2V1kqnTvI/AAAAAAAAI4Q/f1xm4ZfhyCUbP3HNmTmris-R0HUQVbBJQCLcBGAs/s1600/bubble_measure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HwidP2Tugog/Ws2V1kqnTvI/AAAAAAAAI4Q/f1xm4ZfhyCUbP3HNmTmris-R0HUQVbBJQCLcBGAs/s400/bubble_measure.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Look at that range!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Ignore the Dark Lance from the Ravager for a second and just look at how long 6" actually is. For your reference, the Raider above the Archon in the middle is within 6" and so is the Raider on the bottom. The only thing that is not in range is the Raider on the lower left. <b>Keep in mind that Raiders and Ravagers have the <i>Hovering</i> rule; which lets you measure the distance to and from the model's hull for the purposes of the bubble.</b> You don't count the gun (although some people argue against this), you only count the gun when you shoot, but since all of our vehicles are a mile long, you can get quite a bit of range if you fly your vehicles in a certain way. You can literally fly them backwards if you want because 8th Ed. is designed to be.. immersive and engaging?<br />
<br />
If your opponent ever gives you shit about Ravager's gun placement, show him this:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HnF59kXL2fg/Ws2WRsj3AcI/AAAAAAAAI44/6hwVt_4R13omaHNPgUQsKZz3Oo31G413wCEwYBhgL/s1600/lolDE.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="552" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HnF59kXL2fg/Ws2WRsj3AcI/AAAAAAAAI44/6hwVt_4R13omaHNPgUQsKZz3Oo31G413wCEwYBhgL/s400/lolDE.JPG" width="343" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Please turn to Pg. 57 of your Codex for maximum salt.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And yes, I even bookmarked that shit for you (pg.57). It's from your book and it's <i>fluffy. </i>In case you're wondering, a Raider is about ~7" long from Prow to Aft depending on if you're counting the rear sail or not. This allows you to be in bubble range and extend your weapon range out pretty long distances while still getting the benefits from the Archon's re-rolls. Realistically, you can pull off some pretty ridiculous bubbles such as this one.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fRatuAVkcik/Ws2V4oGXqUI/AAAAAAAAI4U/g5tFaToTvoU5_5GCuVnd7T5GMfTLad37QCLcBGAs/s1600/converge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fRatuAVkcik/Ws2V4oGXqUI/AAAAAAAAI4U/g5tFaToTvoU5_5GCuVnd7T5GMfTLad37QCLcBGAs/s400/converge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Look at everything in the army that gets Living Muse!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I literally fat-stacked my entire army into the range of the bubble except for that one Raider on the bottom left of the screen. Oh, and that stupid Ravager that's still pointing his gun at the Archon threatening to kill him.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KsrW_8OJlLI/Ws2V6nIcnFI/AAAAAAAAI4Y/5MfQMpbdzhEV_py9_gu9LGUCVl9UMCu0ACLcBGAs/s1600/all_the_bubbles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KsrW_8OJlLI/Ws2V6nIcnFI/AAAAAAAAI4Y/5MfQMpbdzhEV_py9_gu9LGUCVl9UMCu0ACLcBGAs/s400/all_the_bubbles.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Real game example.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Here is another example of what this looks like in an actual game. The red circle is the Living Muse and the yellow circle is another Archon. At this point, all my Dissies are in range of the 6" of the Living Muse and only those two Raiders at the top of the picture are out (but within range of the other Archon). When you have this much speed and maneuverability, you can pretty much do anything. For the Razorwings especially, once you make this convergence on the first turn to benefit from Living Muse, they will fly away from the rest of the game pretty much. That's fine really because <b>the first turn when you converge should be the turn where you inflict the most damage</b>. This is especially true with flyers because you'll probably never get a second chance. Your first turn <i>should</i> be your greatest opportunity to inflict a massive Alpha Strike with a shooty list.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IstbnNGwUEI/Ws2V-7ZeVpI/AAAAAAAAI4c/MPK-21qKTJ0-7z8kTWRcPtvcckDppOqswCLcBGAs/s1600/defensive_deploy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IstbnNGwUEI/Ws2V-7ZeVpI/AAAAAAAAI4c/MPK-21qKTJ0-7z8kTWRcPtvcckDppOqswCLcBGAs/s400/defensive_deploy.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Counter-deploy against cheeky assaults.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The last picture I want to show you guys is some flyer hacks and defensive deployment shenanigans used against those pesky alpha assault armies. Some important numbers in here depending on who you're fighting. Assuming that we're playing Pitched again (every mission/deployment is different), we're going to turtle up into the corner like this. The reason for this is to <b>outrange as many of their guns as possible on the opposite side of the table.</b> Next, we're going to concave our fighters around our ships as much as possible. You do it just enough so that <b>the distance from your closest Raider is outside max possible charge distance (12.1")</b>, and then you give yourself some more distance with the Razorwings. This pushes their deployment of 9" out further from your vehicles, <b>making the only targets they can realistically charge the fighters</b>.<br />
<br />
If they don't have Fly, like in the case of Genestealers, they're screwed. Against Flyrants or Blood Angels, you push out your Fighters more so even with pile-in and consolidate (7.1" total), they can't reach your Raiders. If they do commit, make sure you punish the hell out of them. What your opponents often don't realize is that closing in on all those Blasters and Poison shots is actually beneficial for you. Don't forget that in massive counter-attacks against over-extended foes, it's almost always worthwhile to disembark with your Warriors and unload on them with Archon buffs active.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0