What to choose Manticore or Dragon?!

How to beat those cowardly High Elves?

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Enfant terrible
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What to choose Manticore or Dragon?!

Post by Enfant terrible »

I'm sitting here planning what my army for "Tale of X gamers" are going to look like and would like to add a mounted character on either a manticore or dragon - obviously I can't get both, so what should I choose?

The Dragon is the greater of the two, bigger, stronger (even though the Manticores KB is not that bad), has breath weapon, reasonable save, but it's also more costly (+120 points) - which goes a long way to adding a Hydra (if I opted for the Manti...).

So what way to go:

1). Dragonrider + 1 Hydra
2). Manti-rider + 2 Hydras
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Lamekh
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Post by Lamekh »

if you like both go for it....
Dragonlord + Manti Hero + 2 Hydrae
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Enfant terrible
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Post by Enfant terrible »

Lamekh wrote:if you like both go for it....
Dragonlord + Manti Hero + 2 Hydrae


It would be nice - but I intend this army to be quite fixed around 2250-2500points and that makes it pretty hard having the above mentioned since it would be something around 1250points - leaving not much for the rest of the army ...

Has anybody actually made an succesful double whammy army, Dragon + Manti. The key word here is succesful!
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Lamekh
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Post by Lamekh »

browse the army list forum, there are quite a few good ones, e.g dalamar's or benji's to name some, or follow the draich sticky
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Shiakhan
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Post by Shiakhan »

Anybody can make an effective army with a dragon and a Manticore. Not much skill to do that. Don't take the dragon as it takes no skill to use. The Manticore is harder to control with frenzy. So I would use the Manticore with a master riding on top.

Not to say its not fun to use but I only use the dragon if my opponent wants to bring one as it makes using it more tactical as you have to think about committing the dragon.
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Enfant terrible
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Post by Enfant terrible »

ShiaKhan wrote:Anybody can make an effective army with a dragon and a Manticore. Not much skill to do that.


I don't agree on that! I actually wrote up the "an effective army" as I am yet to see a Dragon+Manti army win anything worth mentioning: Such armies more often than not tie up a lot of points in mounted characters that are easy to counter ... It might just be me and the current metagame setting ...
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Post by Backslide »

personally I plan on only using a black dragon with a lvl4 mage on top

manticore does look like an interesting opption, very easy to shoot down though
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Shiakhan
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Post by Shiakhan »

With the Dragon and Manticore they can break units all by themselves with hatred especially holds true.

With this army you can have:

Dragon highborn with seal of ghrond, deathpiercer, armor of eternal servitude and basic kit.

Manticore master: Ring of Hotek, armor of darkness, lance

20 Spearelves full command. 12 dark elf xbow. 2 6 man units of dark riders with xbow.

14 black guard with full command and ASF banner. 6 shades with xtra hand weapons.

2 reaper bolt throwers.(2000 points) To me this is an effective list that has high mobility, some combat ability and a good shooting phase with 60 shots a turn. The only phase you don't have is magic. And you will have 2 terror bombs in the army. Dark riders and shades will have to be on mage killing duty. I think it is very effective list. It has to be used with the characters, shades and riders being aggressive and the xbow, reaper defensively with guard and warriors guarding the shooting. As not much will survive a dragon and Manti combo charge.
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Post by Fr0 »

Lamekh wrote:if you like both go for it....
Dragonlord + Manti Hero + 2 Hydrae


I second this. If you want to use this you need to base your army around it, so like 1,000 pts is a non-issue, especially in a 2.5k list.

As for using the dragon or the manticore, it totally depends on the rest of your list. Big things like this, I tend to build my lists around.

So, list-wise;
Dreadlord - Black dragon, CD, PoK, AoD
Master - RoD, ES, HA, lance SdC, manticore
War Hydra
War Hydra
6 Dark Riders - rxb, musician
6 Dark Riders - rxb, musician
6 Dark Riders - rxb, musician
10 Shades - GW
6 Harpies
6 Harpies
5 Harpies


Tactically, the dragon and 2 hydras will offer a lot of flaming breath so depending on your opponent/list; this might do more damage than getting them in combat.
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Lamekh
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Post by Lamekh »

I include a unit of coks too with the ring....
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Post by Cervix »

So, list-wise;
Dreadlord - Black dragon, CD, PoK, AoD
Master - RoD, ES, HA, lance SdC, manticore
War Hydra
War Hydra
6 Dark Riders - rxb, musician
6 Dark Riders - rxb, musician
6 Dark Riders - rxb, musician
10 Shades - GW
6 Harpies
6 Harpies
5 Harpies


I think this is what ShiaKhan means with the dragon manti list. Though I never played with this kind of list I think this is a very easy to play list.

If I had to play against a list like this it will be a boring battle. Four big hitting (almost overpowered) monsters 3 units of harpies and 3 units of dark riders just to fill the mandatory core slots. Its a nightmare to play against...

Though it may be highly effective I just don't like it due the fact that it isn't giving me the feeling I field an "army".

Though in very competetive games it will be a very good choice, in friendly games I think it will take the fun of playing away.

Don't feel offended it's nothing personal. It's just my oppinion about the list.

The manticore setup here is a good combo with RoD. And I advice to use it with a hero only. Just dont like the risk the frenzy with your generel on top.

The downside is it will cost you an extra hero slot.
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Enfant terrible
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Post by Enfant terrible »

Well I agree with you Cervix - I would never myself bring a build like that to a friendly game; that would be like bringing a cannon to a game of golf, but for competitive games I wouldn't mind :D
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