Sha'a'alaar's Dawn of the Dead - GAME 11 vs Mr PieChee

Sha'a'alaar · Post by **Sha'a'alaar** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 10:43 am

I'm always looking around for new ideas (though obviously not as much as Ras

) and I came up with the following (which has probably been tried countless times in the past) ....

I love the (original) "... of the dead" trilogy by George A Romero with the hordes of shuffling zombies overcoming opposition by weight of numbers. And I have a fondness for the VC army books. Hmmm, I guess you can see where this is going! So, can I create a zombie horde to take over the world? Here's my first attempt.

Day of the Dead

Master Necromancer (Gen) lvl4 with Staff of Damnation and Cloak of Mist and Shadows
Necromancer lvl2 with Book of Arkhan
Necromancer lvl2 with 2xscrolls
Necromancer lvl1 with Dispel Scroll and Casket of Ages

25 x Zombies with stnd and mus
25 x Zombies with stnd and mus
25 x Zombies with stnd and mus

20 x Zombies with stnd and mus
20 x Zombies with stnd and mus

20 x Zombies
20 x Zombies
20 x Zombies

Banshee
Banshee

Points Total = 2,000
Power Dice = 11
Dispel Dice = 7 + 3scroll

Ignoring the issue of assembling and painting 200+ zombies (I know there are only 175 in the list ... but read on) I like this idea.

My plan would be to play this as a "traditional" zombie-movie host, with the entire force irresitibly moving forward and swamping everything in their path. You just couldn't kill enough of these guys before I can put some more into combat and, eventually, I'm going to win the combat.

The key tactics (yes, there are tactics) would be:
1. raise more zombies (both to bolster units which are suffering in combat and to create new units to threaten flansk, rear and march block); and
2. magic units into combat to get the rear/flank bonus and negate ranks.

So? What do you think? Am I crazy, will this be too dull to play with/against? I'm still trying to figure out who could beat it. I might not always win, but would it ever lose?

cheers
Sha'a'alaar

Lordsaradain · Post by **Lordsaradain** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 1:03 pm

This army would definetly not be dull.

The problem with the list is the characters. Where are you going to put/hide them?

Killing 200 zombies will be near impossible, but if someone manages to pick out the characters the whole horde will crumble and lose anyway.

Whats the fluff behind the banshees?

Why not include some ogres representing gigantic mutant zombies...(like in resident evil)

I think playing against this army would be loads of fun, but I dont think anyone would ever assemble such an army. Imagining it is one thing, now doing is something else entierly. Think how much 200 zombies cost...

Kudos to you if you manage...

Fri Apr 21, 2006 1:11 pm

the biggest problem is that against most units your zombies would just stand there and die (and die in droves) even with a flank attack.. in my experience that is just giving away more losses as the zombies will be hard pressed to avoid loosing more units then they gain CR by flanking

Deathwing · Post by **Deathwing** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 1:13 pm

that´s an awesome army!!! I really like the idea behind it, well done! not sure how good/easy it´s playable but I´m sure it´s worth a try. I just wouldn´t like to paint 200 zombies, haha...
good luck!

Sha'a'alaar · Post by **Sha'a'alaar** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 2:45 pm

The banshees are there because I like them, but really shouldn't be. I may drop them as they aren't really part of the fluff.

Yes, the characters need protecting. I'm thinking of putting them in second rank units, behind the cover of the first wave. After all I'm not going to be using magic missile, I'll be raising new zombies as much as possible.

Maybe there will be more CR bonus to be had in the 7th ed ... that would make this army feasible. But on the whole I accept this will be a war of attrition. But, if I get a rear charge, I'll be going for +7 on CR. Then, if the enemy loses, they are going to be outnumbered by a fear causing ..........

Also, I suppose I would have other models in here if I wanted a better chance of fighting (even skeletons would do) but for the whole theme it's the price I'll have to pay (which is why I will probably drop the banshees).

Yes, it'll be tough to win, but then that is always what I look for in a list. I never want a no-brainer army where you just point and shoot (so to speak). The fun is in the challenge of getting it to work.

As for collecting and painting it, maybe I'll start keeping an eye on e-bay, look for trades here and see if anyone at my local clubs has spares they are willing to part with.

cheers and thanks for the feedback
Sha'a'alaar

Cirrus · Post by **Cirrus** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 6:15 pm

Oh oh oh, you should do a black coach like the buses in Dawn of the Dead, those were awesome. You could also include direwolves. Especially if you do the combined Resident evil/..of the dead thing. And then you can even take a DoW Giant. Man, I like this theme. wish I had thought of it. You could theoretically take ghouls too, and be OK, even though they are technically alive, their facial expressions are great.
I have a ton of zombies extra (like 50), but, I am in the middle of a trade with them, if for some reason it fails, you are on the top of my list to be offered them.

Sha'a'alaar · Post by **Sha'a'alaar** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 6:27 pm

Thanks - and like most ideas, I'm sure I'm not the first!

cheers
Sha'a'alaar

Post by **Rork** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 6:55 pm

Khorne players will love you :lol:

.

Against more traditional armies you might break them down, just watch out for the Immune to psych units...

Lordsaradain · Post by **Lordsaradain** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 7:30 pm

Rork wrote:Khorne players will love you .

That's the firts thing that came into my mind when I saw his list! How my Khorne would love facing such an army! The mindless slaughter...
aaahhh! :twisted:

Sickboy · Post by **Sickboy** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 8:02 pm

Actually it would be easy to beat with dwarves. Array around a hill with each unit guarding the next ones flanks. Hold for the rest of the game while shooting necromancers with cannons. It has no cutting edge.

Sha'a'alaar · Post by **Sha'a'alaar** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 9:11 pm

Sickboy wrote:It has no cutting edge.

They're zombies! They don't have a cutting edge. They're just a mindless, sea of unstoppable, shuffling brain-dead corpses!

Ok, I admit that it'll be tough but you can make it a laugh on the way.

Any changes on the magic items? I've gone for things to boost the raising and movement.

Just remembered - with the cloak, my lord is ethereal, so the cannon isn't going to stop him. And the banshees (if they stay) may be able to get those pesky dwarves.

cheers
Sha'a'alaar

Cirrus · Post by **Cirrus** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 4:23 am

I agree the bashees *could* do something. But do the bus coach! you know you want to! lol.
Or better yet, do a zombie coach, I have a converted skeletal coach, it uses soem building bits and is like a barn full of skeleton bits and looks pretty cool.

Druchiishootlord · Post by **Druchiishootlord** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 5:28 am

well sha'a'alaar you have to remember that if you're facing dwarves and the cannon has a rune on it it counts as magical, unless the rule has changed. So you might want to change things around to get your Master Necro the item that gives a 3+ ward against any magical attacks.

Lyhne · Post by **Lyhne** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 10:58 am

sha'a'alaar wrote:Just remembered - with the cloak, my lord is ethereal, so the cannon isn't going to stop him.

Uhm... Every (sane) dwarf player inscribes his war machine with a rune...

sha'a'alaar wrote: And the banshees (if they stay) may be able to get those pesky dwarves.

I just wanted to make sure you remembered that "those pesky dwarves" have LD9...

Sha'a'alaar · Post by **Sha'a'alaar** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 8:47 pm

Lyhne, true, but if you try enough times .......

I never said it would be easy. Just fun.

Cirrus, I'll have to give the coach some thought (I saw the romero films back in the 70's/80's and it's dificult to remember all the details). But it could give the army an edge. BUT it goes against the endless wave of zombies.

cheers
Sha'a'alaar

Keilah · Post by **Keilah** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 9:57 pm

i wouldn't take casket of ages. The general idea is to NOT get in btb, no?
Why do you need 7DD + 3 scrolls? Get a power stone instead of a scroll.
Any reason to NOT have lvl 2 on the last necro?
putting your necros in a 2nd wave block would be the way to go. You could still use missiles if you arranged like this:
Z Z
.N
where z is a unit of zombies and n is the unit containing necromancers, and you leave a tiny space (less than 20mm) between the two zombie units so you can draw LoS.

Mc warhammer · Post by **Mc warhammer** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 10:00 pm

Hi, this is the army I use. However mine is more optimised with units of dire wolves, ghouls knights and a strogi count.

First wheres power familar and blck perapt for 14 powerdice?

Secanod place all necros in one unit behid another unit, the safest place in the army.

It loses to armys like ogres that charge straght at you with everything and keep killing even after the charge. There is too many to take down with flank charges whale similtanisely keeping your main units strong.

Sha'a'alaar · Post by **Sha'a'alaar** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 5:33 pm

I agree that the casket doesn't fit with the plan. It was more there as a safety device. But I think I may better going with MC's route to increase the number of power dice. After all the plan will rest in my ability to raise more zombies than can be killed.

That ties in with the nasty ogre types. I would want to raise new units in front of them, but angled to direct their movement. I would also look at the idea of - you come over here and kill all my zombies, but whilst you do that I'll be busy raising more units on the other side of the table!

Like I say, at the end of the day this will rest on the plan that you just kill enough zombies, fast enough for me not to at least get some points from the game.

There is always a temptation to add in the knights or a coach or grave guard but anything like that will detract from the army theme. I'm already thinking that the banshees should go.

cheers
Sha'a'alaar

Sha'a'alaar · Post by **Sha'a'alaar** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 5:02 pm

After responding to everyone saying "but the theme says ...." I felt I really ought to go back to the list and remove the elements which don't fit (no matter how much I wanted to sneak them in).

So here's version 2

Dawn of the Dead
Master Necromancer (Gen) lvl4 with Staff of Damnation and Cloak of Mist and Shadows
Necromancer lvl2 with scroll and Book of Arkhan
Necromancer lvl2 with scroll and Spell Familiar
Necromancer lvl2 with scroll and Black Periapt

25 Zombies with mus and stnd
25 Zombies with mus and stnd
25 Zombies with mus and stnd

20 Zombies with mus and stnd
20 Zombies with mus and stnd
20 Zombies with mus and stnd

20 Zombies with mus

20 Zombies
20 Zombies

Points Total = 2,000
Power Dice = 12
Disple Dice = 7 + 3 scrolls

Total Figures = 199

Weaker? Possibly. But now that's nearly 200 models at the start, before I raise any more. How many figures can a Khorne army kill?

cheers
Sha'a'alaar

Mennorach · Post by **Mennorach** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:18 pm

I really like the second version...
Now everybody knows what the list is all about:
BRAAAINS!!
Any playtesting yet?(proxy perhaps?)
Just asking..

Druchiishootlord · Post by **Druchiishootlord** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:44 pm

To tell you the truth Sha...i don't think you need the musicians. That there will allow you to get a some other zombies or more banners on the rest of your units. with just in the dropping of the musician in the 6 main units...you have enough for the standards in the other units.

i also don't think you need 3 scrolls. 2 will do you just fine.

Lordsaradain · Post by **Lordsaradain** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:58 pm

I think all your zombie regimets should have standards. Drop 6 Musicians and give the remaining 3 regiments standard.

Sha'a'alaar · Post by **Sha'a'alaar** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:59 pm

shootlord, I think you could well be right on the musicians for standards. The third scroll is that little insurance policy and it's not like I'm looking to squeeze in somethingelse (apart from more zombies). Hmm, perhaps we can take this over the 200 mark.

watcher, even proxying this one is going to be hard but I'm working on it.

saradain, I guess we were posting at the same time!

Donations of spare zombies (or anything else that I can stick a zombie head on) gratefully accepted. You know you want to see this army on the tabletop!

cheers
Sha'a'alaar

Druchiishootlord · Post by **Druchiishootlord** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 7:07 pm

again there is always the chance that the opponent could get through to you. So i'd think about maybe dropping that scroll and rearranging things to give your lord that Obsidian Amulet. It will be taking up most of the points on your lord but it will keep him pretty safe and if any spells come his way he has MR 1...so that right there isn't nearly so bad.

Sha'a'alaar · Post by **Sha'a'alaar** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 3:59 pm

So far I've gone for the pure necromancer route. What do you guys know, think and feel about Necrarchs? Would it be worthwhile having one as the lord/general and then supporting lvl2?

And would that be more or less fluff? They are vampires and this isn't really a vampire army. Hmmm....

over to you

cheers
Sha'a'alaar