Death By A Thousand Cuts 2k - Battle Report #3 VS Orcs is up
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 2:39 am
Battle Report #1 VS Daemons here [click <<< for link]
Battle Report #2 VS High Elves here [click <<< for link]
Battle Report #3 VS Orcs and Goblins here [click <<< for link]
Its been 8 months since I've had a game of fantasy, and upon realising I had more time on my hands I decided to sign up to a tournament with some friends and return to a concept I was beginning to assemble prior to my disappearance from all things druchii: a combined Morathi and Dark Rider list that could compete at all standard battle scenarios in the rulebook.
Upon returning to the concept in these last days, taking a feather duster to my rules memory and scanning my book like a new fangled smart phone reading a QR code, I came to realise that sadly Morathi was just not quite viable in 2000pt competitive games: though this would have been improved if she had access to the focus familiar (extended range and better hiding opportunities).
So I scrapped that list and came up with this...
DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS: 2000pts
Supreme Sorceress: 400
Level 4 (DEATH)
Lifetaker, Focus Familiar, Pendent of Khaleth
Dark Pegasus
Sorceress: 197*
Level 2 (FIRE)
Tome of Furion, Black Dragon Egg, Dragonbane Gem
Dark Steed
*runs solo most of the time and uses long range as her defence: 36" and 48" fireballs baby!
Master: 225
Battle Standard Bearer
Lance, Repeater Crossbow, Heavy Armour, Shield
Cloak of Hag Grief, Dawnstone
Dark Pegasus
CHARACTERS: 817
----------------------
7 Dark Riders: 175
Repeater Crossbows
Musician, Standard
7 Dark Riders: 175
Repeater Crossbows
Musician, Standard
6 Dark Riders: 153
Repeater Crossbows
Musician, Standard
5 Harpies: 55
CORE = 503 (558 with Herps)
----------------------
9 Shades: 153
dual hand weapons
9 Shades: 153
dual hand weapons
9 Shades: 144
SPECIAL = 450
----------------------
War Hydra: 175
----------------------
TOTAL = 2000
------------------------------------------------------------------
Change #1: added Dragon Bane Gem to Level 2, new army total = 2000pts on the nose.
So let me talk through a little of my thinking here: the concept is avoidance, snipe and eliminate EVERY element in the enemy army that poses a threat to ANY of our units (possibly with an exception to the Hydra as it is slow and will be occasionally used to draw fire), this will be done through a priority system for working out what is the greatest threat and then working down the list.
Notably this will include:
1) spell casters with the capability of casting direct damage and magic missile attacks that will SEVERELY hurt our units (because these are almost always auto hits they can wipe our skirmishers very quickly - we can ignore initiative test based spells as we lose VERY few models to these spells).
2) units that auto hit in large numbers - including attacks in the movement phase such as hex wraiths and screamers.
3) units with the ability to harm our skirmishers - even whilst we occupy light and heavy cover (excellent protection vs most BS based shooting) such as warmachines, high BS enemies, sheer volume of fire (goblin archers) etc.
4) very fast moving cavalry, skirmishers and fliers - eg. fiends/seekers of slaanesh, brettonian pegasus knights, harpies, furies etc.
5) units that allow no charge response or that can charge without needing LOS eg. hell pit abominations, steam tanks, chaos spawn.
This army will rely VERY heavily upon good thinking and placing in the deployment phase: it will very likely gain +1 for first turn due to having only 6 deployment drops including characters: 3 of these have vanguard and so can bait the enemy into deploying against them and then redeploying elsewhere. All the characters have a move of 9" or 10" and so can similarly redeploy on turn 1.
Staying out of LOS as much as possible, prioritising and focus firing followed by mopping up all serve to this armies purpose - meaning that it is NOT a very friendly list! It also has some pretty tough 'balanched/common' matchups on the competitive scene but also in day-to-day armies:
- multiple skink/saurus veteran + slann Lizardmen lists. Add in a touch of terradons and/or salamanders for added challenge! (fairly standard mix)
- empire war alter/steam tank/heavens and/or light magic/war machines (fairly standard mix)
- coven of light High Elves: 3 white wizards + lots of shooting
- Khalida's 'sky blot' archer list with 60+ skellie archers.
- Tzeentch Warriors of Chaos occupying The Watchtower scenario.
- gladeguard 'leafblower' lists with LOTS of shooting
Anyway that enough food for thought - what do you reckon? Let me know if you'd like any explanations for choices or if you have any suggestions regarding composition.
I am considering a couple of things:
- magic weapon on the BSB (but what to drop?)
- dark magic on level 2 (but then she loses a major defence: long range away from enemy missiles/spells: which fire affords + chance for flame cage to hold enemies in position or flaming sword for NASTY shooting power...)
Enjoy!
Battle Report #2 VS High Elves here [click <<< for link]
Battle Report #3 VS Orcs and Goblins here [click <<< for link]
Its been 8 months since I've had a game of fantasy, and upon realising I had more time on my hands I decided to sign up to a tournament with some friends and return to a concept I was beginning to assemble prior to my disappearance from all things druchii: a combined Morathi and Dark Rider list that could compete at all standard battle scenarios in the rulebook.
Upon returning to the concept in these last days, taking a feather duster to my rules memory and scanning my book like a new fangled smart phone reading a QR code, I came to realise that sadly Morathi was just not quite viable in 2000pt competitive games: though this would have been improved if she had access to the focus familiar (extended range and better hiding opportunities).
So I scrapped that list and came up with this...
DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS: 2000pts
Supreme Sorceress: 400
Level 4 (DEATH)
Lifetaker, Focus Familiar, Pendent of Khaleth
Dark Pegasus
Sorceress: 197*
Level 2 (FIRE)
Tome of Furion, Black Dragon Egg, Dragonbane Gem
Dark Steed
*runs solo most of the time and uses long range as her defence: 36" and 48" fireballs baby!
Master: 225
Battle Standard Bearer
Lance, Repeater Crossbow, Heavy Armour, Shield
Cloak of Hag Grief, Dawnstone
Dark Pegasus
CHARACTERS: 817
----------------------
7 Dark Riders: 175
Repeater Crossbows
Musician, Standard
7 Dark Riders: 175
Repeater Crossbows
Musician, Standard
6 Dark Riders: 153
Repeater Crossbows
Musician, Standard
5 Harpies: 55
CORE = 503 (558 with Herps)
----------------------
9 Shades: 153
dual hand weapons
9 Shades: 153
dual hand weapons
9 Shades: 144
SPECIAL = 450
----------------------
War Hydra: 175
----------------------
TOTAL = 2000
------------------------------------------------------------------
Change #1: added Dragon Bane Gem to Level 2, new army total = 2000pts on the nose.
So let me talk through a little of my thinking here: the concept is avoidance, snipe and eliminate EVERY element in the enemy army that poses a threat to ANY of our units (possibly with an exception to the Hydra as it is slow and will be occasionally used to draw fire), this will be done through a priority system for working out what is the greatest threat and then working down the list.
Notably this will include:
1) spell casters with the capability of casting direct damage and magic missile attacks that will SEVERELY hurt our units (because these are almost always auto hits they can wipe our skirmishers very quickly - we can ignore initiative test based spells as we lose VERY few models to these spells).
2) units that auto hit in large numbers - including attacks in the movement phase such as hex wraiths and screamers.
3) units with the ability to harm our skirmishers - even whilst we occupy light and heavy cover (excellent protection vs most BS based shooting) such as warmachines, high BS enemies, sheer volume of fire (goblin archers) etc.
4) very fast moving cavalry, skirmishers and fliers - eg. fiends/seekers of slaanesh, brettonian pegasus knights, harpies, furies etc.
5) units that allow no charge response or that can charge without needing LOS eg. hell pit abominations, steam tanks, chaos spawn.
This army will rely VERY heavily upon good thinking and placing in the deployment phase: it will very likely gain +1 for first turn due to having only 6 deployment drops including characters: 3 of these have vanguard and so can bait the enemy into deploying against them and then redeploying elsewhere. All the characters have a move of 9" or 10" and so can similarly redeploy on turn 1.
Staying out of LOS as much as possible, prioritising and focus firing followed by mopping up all serve to this armies purpose - meaning that it is NOT a very friendly list! It also has some pretty tough 'balanched/common' matchups on the competitive scene but also in day-to-day armies:
- multiple skink/saurus veteran + slann Lizardmen lists. Add in a touch of terradons and/or salamanders for added challenge! (fairly standard mix)
- empire war alter/steam tank/heavens and/or light magic/war machines (fairly standard mix)
- coven of light High Elves: 3 white wizards + lots of shooting
- Khalida's 'sky blot' archer list with 60+ skellie archers.
- Tzeentch Warriors of Chaos occupying The Watchtower scenario.
- gladeguard 'leafblower' lists with LOTS of shooting
Anyway that enough food for thought - what do you reckon? Let me know if you'd like any explanations for choices or if you have any suggestions regarding composition.
I am considering a couple of things:
- magic weapon on the BSB (but what to drop?)
- dark magic on level 2 (but then she loses a major defence: long range away from enemy missiles/spells: which fire affords + chance for flame cage to hold enemies in position or flaming sword for NASTY shooting power...)
Enjoy!