Executioner List

[Argus]

Hello all, I'm new to the forums first of all, but I've been browsing here for a while. Anyways, to get to the point, after reading through my new army book, I found the main units that fascinate me are the executioners, as well as the "executioner's axe". I currently own 16 unarmed warriors. Now, I have heard the executioner often called "useless", and was wondering why this is, and if it's possible to make an executioner themed khainite army around 2,000 pts. I f someone could post an example of what a list like this might look like, it would be greatly appreciated.

[Delita]

First of all, welcome to the site. To answer why most people see them useless I believe it's something to do with the them using great weapons which makes them strike last. This, combined with low toughness and armor save means you lose them fast in melee. Then people compare to the effectiveness of Black Guard or Witch Elves and they see better options.

They are still good though, it's just more a matter of picking your fights with them and making sure you get the charge. As for a themed khainite army, at 2000 pts you should be able to do something along this line.

Crone Hellebron as your general

Death Hag with cauldron for the universal stubborn and buffs

Because you have Hellebron in your army you can take Witch Elves as core so 3 units of them.

That frees up your special choices for Executioners if you want or another unit type.

I'm not positive how this list will work but it's a Khainite list through and through useing only the Khainite models.

[Argus]

Now, what I was hoping to work into the list is a dreadlord with the executioners axe, simply for flavour and endless modelling possibilities. Would this be possible at all?

[Highborn on black dragon]

Here is a sample for a Khainite themed army. A pure Khainite army is way too weak (Khainites are fragile and too unpredictable, due to their frenzy). I can't say that this list will work for sure, but it looks fun to me and probably will test it in the near future

Characters

Death Hag - General CoB 200
Death Hag - CoB 200
Death Hag - BsB, Standard of Hag Graef, Rune of Khaine, Manbane - 200
Sorceress - Dispel Scroll, Ring of hotek - 150
Assassin - 2nd HW, Rune of Khaine, Mandbane - 146

Core
10 RxBs - 100
10 Rxbs - 100
10 Rxbs - 100
5 Harpies - 55
5 Harpies - 55
5 Harpies - 55
5 Harpies - 55

Special
20 Har Ganeth Executioners, FC, War Banner - 295
12 Har Ganeth Executioners, FC -174
12 Witch Elves, FC, Banner of Murder, Manbane - 195

Rare
4x RBTs - 400


Models - 115
Casting pool - 3
Dispel pool - 3

My idea is the BsB to go in the 20 Execs and 1 of the CoB to stay near them to provide them with Stubborn, so they act as an anvil. The 2 CoBs give the main unit and either the WE or the other Execs with 5+ ward, so they have better chance to reach battle. Once there, the ASF unit gets the +1 attack and the other CoB either supports them with 5+ ward or gives something useful elsewhere. The assassin will nurse the other Execs, but I'm not quite sure about him - he fits in a themed army, but ingame it's better to drop him and eventually one of the harpies, so it'll be possible to field another big unit of WE or Execs. The Harpies are here to make sure that if the opponent takes the first turn and he's fielding lots of shooters, there will be something khainite in your turn to move. The magic defence is a problem, and I don't know what to do about it. Other core and Rare are here to make sure you're not facing something too big or too numerous (unless you play with Skaven - with those rats, no matter how many you kill, they are always way too much ). Hope this is useful to Someone. Any comments are welcome.

[Delita]

As for being able to work the Dreadlord in, it could be possible but because only Death Hag's can go in Khainite units, your Dreadlord is limited to either core choices or you field a unit of Black Guard to stick him in.

As for magic defense Highborn, maybe try 2 scrolls on the sorceress. Also, because Argus wants the executioners axe he will probably have a unit of Black Guard which still kind of fit the theme, room would be available then for the ring of hotek in that. Not sure if that would increase magic defense any but it atleast frees your sorc up to throw spells out and hopefully get something off.

2 cauldrons of blood seem a bit much but I don't have the model and I've yet to really experiment with it so I'm not sure if that will be more beneficial or not. Not to mention most people field the BsB in with the Cauldron, so you could drop one Death Hag and merge it with the BsB, thats another 90 points back.

All in all, assuming you axed one of the cauldrons you'd get almost 300 points back for other units, not to mention any extra if you chose against the assassin.

Thats the best I can see basing it off of Highborns list and it gives point room should Argus wish to include a Dreadlord in it.

By the way, I will say that I tend to be better at the theory hammer then the actual game play so a lot of my opinions come from the knowledge of what each thing could do and from what I've heard others say they've done.

[Argus]

Here is a sample for a Khainite themed army. A pure Khainite army is way too weak (Khainites are fragile and too unpredictable, due to their frenzy). I can't say that this list will work for sure, but it looks fun to me and probably will test it in the near future

Characters

Death Hag - General CoB 200
Death Hag - CoB 200
Death Hag - BsB, Standard of Hag Graef, Rune of Khaine, Manbane - 200
Sorceress - Dispel Scroll, Ring of hotek - 150
Assassin - 2nd HW, Rune of Khaine, Mandbane - 146

Core
10 RxBs - 100
10 Rxbs - 100
10 Rxbs - 100
5 Harpies - 55
5 Harpies - 55
5 Harpies - 55
5 Harpies - 55

Special
20 Har Ganeth Executioners, FC, War Banner - 295
12 Har Ganeth Executioners, FC -174
12 Witch Elves, FC, Banner of Murder, Manbane - 195

Rare
4x RBTs - 400


Models - 115
Casting pool - 3
Dispel pool - 3

My idea is the BsB to go in the 20 Execs and 1 of the CoB to stay near them to provide them with Stubborn, so they act as an anvil. The 2 CoBs give the main unit and either the WE or the other Execs with 5+ ward, so they have better chance to reach battle. Once there, the ASF unit gets the +1 attack and the other CoB either supports them with 5+ ward or gives something useful elsewhere. The assassin will nurse the other Execs, but I'm not quite sure about him - he fits in a themed army, but ingame it's better to drop him and eventually one of the harpies, so it'll be possible to field another big unit of WE or Execs. The Harpies are here to make sure that if the opponent takes the first turn and he's fielding lots of shooters, there will be something khainite in your turn to move. The magic defence is a problem, and I don't know what to do about it. Other core and Rare are here to make sure you're not facing something too big or too numerous (unless you play with Skaven - with those rats, no matter how many you kill, they are always way too much ). Hope this is useful to Someone. Any comments are welcome.

Now, what I'm wondering is if the list is still effective if I cut one of the CoB out as well as 1 unit of harpies and the witch elves, freeing up a space for a nice heavy group of BG for my dready w/ ex-axe, still falling under my theme of "semi-khainite/heavy infantry". Would this work

[Highborn on black dragon]

Here is a sample for a Khainite themed army. A pure Khainite army is way too weak (Khainites are fragile and too unpredictable, due to their frenzy). I can't say that this list will work for sure, but it looks fun to me and probably will test it in the near future

Characters

Death Hag - General CoB 200
Death Hag - CoB 200
Death Hag - BsB, Standard of Hag Graef, Rune of Khaine, Manbane - 200
Sorceress - Dispel Scroll, Ring of hotek - 150
Assassin - 2nd HW, Rune of Khaine, Mandbane - 146

Core
10 RxBs - 100
10 Rxbs - 100
10 Rxbs - 100
5 Harpies - 55
5 Harpies - 55
5 Harpies - 55
5 Harpies - 55

Special
20 Har Ganeth Executioners, FC, War Banner - 295
12 Har Ganeth Executioners, FC -174
12 Witch Elves, FC, Banner of Murder, Manbane - 195

Rare
4x RBTs - 400


Models - 115
Casting pool - 3
Dispel pool - 3

My idea is the BsB to go in the 20 Execs and 1 of the CoB to stay near them to provide them with Stubborn, so they act as an anvil. The 2 CoBs give the main unit and either the WE or the other Execs with 5+ ward, so they have better chance to reach battle. Once there, the ASF unit gets the +1 attack and the other CoB either supports them with 5+ ward or gives something useful elsewhere. The assassin will nurse the other Execs, but I'm not quite sure about him - he fits in a themed army, but ingame it's better to drop him and eventually one of the harpies, so it'll be possible to field another big unit of WE or Execs. The Harpies are here to make sure that if the opponent takes the first turn and he's fielding lots of shooters, there will be something khainite in your turn to move. The magic defence is a problem, and I don't know what to do about it. Other core and Rare are here to make sure you're not facing something too big or too numerous (unless you play with Skaven - with those rats, no matter how many you kill, they are always way too much ). Hope this is useful to Someone. Any comments are welcome.

Now, what I'm wondering is if the list is still effective if I cut one of the CoB out as well as 1 unit of harpies and the witch elves, freeing up a space for a nice heavy group of BG for my dready w/ ex-axe, still falling under my theme of "semi-khainite/heavy infantry". Would this work

You must try it. I said that I'm not sure it works at all, I don't like Khainites so much - I use BG and Hydras with CoB and cheap heroes to win.

[Ukko]

I think that assassins with manbane and rune of khaine are hugely beneficial to execs - their main problem in CC is that if they get hit they die, by adding an assassin to kill much of the opposing regiment's front rank, they then get the chance to do their choppy thang.

[Andrejko]

I also have wanted to build a 2000point Executioners list as I share the same liking for them as Argus. The models are great and they are deadly in CC if they get a chance to hit. They can deal heavy armoured opponents and can potentially kill monsters etc. Something I would not trust the black guard to do so effectively. I have also been trying to find a buiild that i can make these the centre peice of my army.

Hopefull this list will address the problem of them striking last and offer them protection from shooting:-

Supreme Sorceress + Ring of Darkness + Dispel Scroll + Focus Familiar 350

Death Hag + Battle Standard Bearer + Standard of Hag Graef + Dance of Doom 180

18 Crossairs + Champion + Standard 200
5 Dark Raiders + Crossbows + Musician 117
5 Dark Raiders + Crossbows + Musician 117
5 Harpies 55
5 Harpies 55
5 Harpies 55
Assassin + Extra Hand Weapon + Gifts Of Kaine (55 points) 151

6 Cold One Knights + Standard + Champion 194
Cold One Chariot 100
19 Executioners + Champion + Standard 252

War Hydra 175


The Hag goes with the unit and possibly the assassin too. They also get there own dedicated chaperon of harpies to take bullets while they reach combat. As you can see my list is built round these guys.

I was trying to work witch elves to make it even more of a Kaine list but could not find a balance I liked. I decided to leave these out until I expand my army beyond 2000 points.

Maybe Argus can have a look and see what he/she thinks.