A Tactical Discussion about our Magical Items.

Minsc · Post by **Minsc** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 1:57 pm

So, much alike my previous post regarding our different Druchii units, except that this time its about magical items, and we'll discuss them one at a time

Everyones opinions matter!

Executioners Axe

Basically we spend almost our entire magical-allowance capacity on this thing.
What it does for its cost is, well...lets face it: it's worthless!

Efficiency: 1/10

It could be fixed with a small point decrease, as well as making the wearer be able to Killing Blow everything (Just like Tullaris specialrule).
Thats also what its name suggests.

Venkh · Post by **Venkh** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:16 pm

I agree, its total rubbish, especially with the GOP available.

Not much more to say really, you cant havwe a shield or any magical defence. Most opponents will be hitting you on 4's, wounding on 3's and hoping they get through your "gasp" 4+ AS.

Minsc · Post by **Minsc** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:19 pm

If you have blood armour, you might have a 1+ save after 3 kills...but like thats ever gonna happen with the E.Axe

Venkh · Post by **Venkh** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:37 pm

Ah, i stand corrected, for some reason i thougt the axe was 85 pts.

Rgds

Asikari · Post by **Asikari** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 3:00 pm

Effectively what the Executioner's Axe does is 2+ to wound, minimum -3 to armor save (unless you're attacking something with a T1 or T2). Against most targets, you can get that with Crimson Death or Draich of Dark Power, without the penalty of striking last, and, obviously, much cheaper.

Just an example of "we have this incredibly powerful item that nullifies our initiative advantage and (as Venkh so succinctly put it) our defenses."

Now that I've ranted on what's wrong with it:

What I think it should be: always 2+ to wound, -2 armor save, killing blow on all but large targets. With those abilities, I can accept keeping the two-handed and strikes last for about 70 points.

Vorthain · Post by **Vorthain** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:32 am

How about giving it Tullaris' Master Executioner attribute? It could still be +2 S, but also Killing Blow against all but swarms, two-handed, and strikes last. It would be a good monster slayer, to say the least. I would still kick it down to 70 pts or so.

Raneth · Post by **Raneth** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 10:06 pm

Hm. I believe Games Dev. also thought the Axe was rubbish... I'm under the impression it got its revenge in the Draich of Dark Power.

Warlock julian · Post by **Warlock julian** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 10:24 pm

Has anyone noticed that the toughness of a chariot is 5

So the E.AXE can slay a couple of chariots in one turn.
Perheps usefull against tomb kings.

Mr. anderson · Post by **Mr. anderson** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 11:31 pm

not all chariots are t5, warlock and tombking chariots are t4

and a GoP is s8 and thus can slay more than one chariot in one turn as well.

HUZZAH!

Geoguswrek · Post by **Geoguswrek** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 11:32 pm

Either way you gotta either charge or survive one round of combat (both unlikely unless you are mounted or in a unit)

Raneth · Post by **Raneth** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 4:36 am

It's safe to say GoP PWNS1!!1131!! the Axe on every front.

Darthken · Post by **Darthken** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 6:14 am

yeah it worth way to much for what it does

but the fuff about is ok

a pity it doesn't live up to the fluff,

so it sits in my pile of "absoulte C**P do not use under pain of death" pile along with our other "awsome" magic items.

Scourge of khaine · Post by **Scourge of khaine** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 8:55 am

What the hell does that Executioner's Axe think its doing.

Minsc · Post by **Minsc** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 10:58 am

So safe to say, that the Executioners Axe suck

Moving on:

The Venom Sword

The idéa is nice, but since our Highborn is only S4 it has its limits.
Its quite nice on a Annointed and vs Ogres or other multiwound-low-armoursave units, but its very situational. Too situational to be good, and definatly not something you bring with you on tournaments.

Efficiency: 3/10

Mr. anderson · Post by **Mr. anderson** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 11:07 am

Venom sword looks nice but it is way too expensive for what it does. i would like it to be 100pts and then ignoring AS or something like that (i reckon it´s current effect is worth about 50 points since it is really good against any woodelf, especially combined with a CoB or something and worth nothing against normal units, except, maybe against daemons, + the 50 points for ignoring AS from Blade of ruin) i think that since we are the ultimate masters of the dark art and the dark art mainly focuses on killing or torturing something, we should have at least one 100pts. magical weapon, it could be the druchii version of a Runesword like the empire has.

HUZZAH!

Ant · Post by **Ant** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 12:35 pm

The venom sword is worth every single one of its 75pts. I use it in every game with my vanilla Druchii and it is well worth it. I have done extremely well at tourneys using this item too. It is rare nowadays that there won't be a good target for it in most enemy armies (the only one I can think of off the top of my head being dwarfs). And opponents will think you HB has something else and so will try to avoid him with knights (I remember one game where I placed him right in front of a unit of empire knights which backed off rather han charging,m thinking I had the GoP).

You just need to plan your list around it a bit. A CoB is essential, as is a decent delivery system. I prefer the DP but a DS or CO is good too, for different reasons. The rest of the army should complement these choices and include a bit of extra high strength stuff to make up for the HB's lack of can opening ability.

Minsc · Post by **Minsc** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 12:51 pm

I'm very curious on how your Highborn is equipped, and how you field him Ant

Silas witchblade · Post by **Silas witchblade** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 1:33 pm

sorry, to add late here, but the Executioners Axe as said, is situational, but it can outshine even the Gop and DoDP against big baddies such as Greater Daemons, Dragons, anything T5, since it will effectively have S10. And it is another weapon that will not be affected when your hero is mounted, since you will always strike at that Strength. But still, IMO, too situational!

Venom Sword, eh....., Id rather use the Executioners Axe!!!!

If anything, the druchii should have a weapon available to Lords that goes along the lines of the Warpsword of Khaine! Too bad its only exclusive to Malus.........

Cenyu · Post by **Cenyu** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 1:56 pm

Silas Witchblade wrote:sorry, to add late here, but the Executioners Axe as said, is situational, but it can outshine even the Gop and DoDP against big baddies such as Greater Daemons, Dragons, anything T5, since it will effectively have S10.

The Gauntlet of Power wounds T5 and T6 enemies on 2+ just as the Axe. It only uses one hand and leaves 40 points allowance which can be used to kit your Highborn.

Unlike the Axe.

Derathini · Post by **Derathini** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 2:28 pm

Silas witchblade--> the weapon was avaivalbe to be won during the albion campaign when we got the GoP unfortunalty the HE won it Caw of devastation 85pts

i quite like the venom sword as oj eof my enemies uses OK so it becomes a veritable gold mine

however i would still like to see how it is used in a standard set up ie tourney where you cant know who you are playing

Ant · Post by **Ant** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 5:50 pm

"Ant's mini Venom Sword tactica" (TM)

Venom Sword? I'm your man. I use it all the time in my 2250pt army and it rarely lets me down. Needs a bit of skill to use properly though.

Here's the list I use with it, along with plenty of discussion on the venom sword aspect of it:
http://www.druchii.net/viewtopic.php?t= ... enom+sword

And here's a tourney report using the list;
http://www.druchii.net/viewtopic.php?t= ... enom+sword

There's plenty of advice for using this item in those threads but I'll just reiterate some of the most important points to consider when using this item.

1) You NEED a cauldron in the army. The rerolls to wound give you the reliability needed for spending 300pts+ on this character. Without a CoB you just aren't likely enough to cause wounds to be sure of killing your high toughness targets, ie you are too likely to fluff it.

2)Don't put him on a manti or a dragon. You want this guy to be going round killing multiwound things; chariots, Giants, ogres etc. A manti/dragon mounted model wants to be hitting troops or cav in the flank or rear. The 2 things have 2 completely different roles so don't work well together. Go for a DP, cold one or dark steed. The DP and dark steed are good because of the maneuverability so you can pick your targets, the CO is great if you want to go after characters mounted on terror causing beasts, since you can kill the mount with the venom sword and autobreak the character with fear, so you don't need to get through his armour.

3) Give him protection. 25pts isn't much but it can help, even a 6+ ward is useful (as you can see in game 2 of the tourney rep!). Also, make sure you have a few more single model threats in the army as well as the highborn. I use a BM on manti, but a hydra or some chariots could do just as well, just to detract enemy shooting away from the HB.

4) Pick your targets wisely. Don't use him to kill a dragon or treeman unless you have to; you only have around a 50% chance of pulling it off, so it's not reliable enough to risk it unless you have no other option. T5 monsters/chariots and T4 units of things like ogres are great though (but be careful of monster units like this if you've taken a few wounds). And if there are no decent targets, forget he has the venom sword and give him a new role (warmachine/mage hunting, or using his Ld10 to charge something to hold them up). Just don't go looking for targets: that 1+ armour save character isn't going to go down the the venom sword just because he has 3 wounds. If there are no decent targets bite the bullet and use him as a S4 hero with 4 attacks.

5) Remember your opponent doesn't know you have the venom sword. To him your highborn is most probably going to be a S6+ can opener. So you can still use this guy to scare off enemy knights etc from advancing towards you.

That should give you plenty of info mate. Anymore questions just post here or pm me and I'll be happy to ansewer them as best I can.

Ant

Minsc · Post by **Minsc** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 12:38 am

Lets move on. Even though Ant's tactica is considerable, my favourite will still be:

Gauntlet of Power

One word: love!
There's nothing that this item can't do, and you still have quite alot pts left to spend on other items.
Only drawback is the Strike Last rule, but I'd say it makes up for that in flexibility (1h:ed) and raw brutal strenght! Having it on a Annointed with Quickening Blood is just cruel!

Efficiency: 9/10

Mr. anderson · Post by **Mr. anderson** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 6:30 am

well, i normally only take the GoP when i have at least another highborn with a 1+ save and a ward, otherwise my general goes down far too easy. but for the rest: about the ultimative weapon, why not give it 10/10 ???
i reckon even on an annointed, quickening blood and a great weapon do better but as i said: the second lord in my army always gets the GoP (since i hardly ever take high sorceresses)

HUZZAH!

Scourge of khaine · Post by **Scourge of khaine** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 6:34 am

The best Dark Elf magic weapon I believe.

Darthken · Post by **Darthken** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 3:37 pm

never used the gauntlet, like the idea but not the striking last rule.