Then & Now: Black Widows

Black Widows was Thyra’s Mk2 Daughters of the Flame list. I always thought it should be an assassination list, but it didn’t seem to have the tools to do it. Now it might…

Thyra, Flame of Sorrow – Her Stat line tells a big part of the changes. She has Stealth and Parry, nice. Her twin swords remain unchanged. The back of her card has Mk3 wording, but Acrobatics lost native Parry, Elite Cadre [Daughter of the Flame] and Overtake really didn’t change.

Her feat – Shadows of Urcaen  – still places all friendly models 2″.

Spell list:

• Carnage – price went down, now 2 focus for +2 melee attack rolls in control range.
• Gates of Death – Replaces Pursuit. Would you spend 1 Focus to Teleport Thyra at the end of every turn? That is what this 2 focus upkeep spell does. I can see this spell getting turned on turn 1 and being used every turn. Damn, this is good for her.
• Occultation – Mk3 wording, hand out some stealth,
• Silence of Death – Get “Removed from Play” on top of +2 STR – Nasty stuff. 2 focus and upkeep.
• Stranglehold – Unchanged ranged attack spell.

This little lady can move where she wants, through models, gets extra movement for a kill and teleports to safety. She has a huge +2 melee attack bubble and her feat moves everything in that bubble too. Give a unit/model +2 STR, hand out Stealth. Nasty nasty….

Blood of Martyrs – Like a lot of warjacks, he gained +1 MAT. His bond with Thyra give him Apparition; on Thyra’s feat turn, that is two x 2″ move. Hand of Vengeance still give him +2 to attack/damage rolls.  He lost Parry, but gained Side Step and Grievous Wounds. That Bond is very good. I think BoM will get used both with and without this little lady.

Sanctifier – I use it as a way to collect and use souls on an infantry heavy list. Stats are the same, but it has gained Immunity to Fire. The Grave Marker lost a Point of POW. It gained Ashen Veil – never a bad thing to have. Exorcist’s range has doubled – now 10″ of no Incorporeal. Cenotaph has one small change – the Sanctifier can now hold 5 souls. Holy [Watch it… Gday] Batman!!! He can gain 5 Focus!!! Well, power up +2 this turn, rerepeat. He got better and cheaper. It is easy to picture him with 3 focus every turn in the middle of a game and none of it is from Thyra.

Dervish – I tend to use jacks with twin weapons with Thyra, it just looks right. Stat line added Parry, everything else is the same. Side Step yup, Combo Strike sure. Still cheap, now more effective.

Vigilant – He has a specific job with Thyra: Protect the Daughters from Blast Damage. Stat line is identical, Girded is the same, but he picked up Roadblock, so he now provides cover like he is and obstacle. I like the way the jack looks and how he plays.

Purifier – He has another point of MAT, nice. He is a fireproof jack with two Crit Fire weapons with overtake. He lost Chain Attack: Combustion, but still has Flame Trail. Loss of the chain attack doesn’t bother me. Base to Base giving Continuous Fire is too much fun.

Nicia, Tear of Vengeance – This is the only solo in the Mk2 theme. Stat line added Parry, which used to be part of Acrobatics. The back of her card has Mk3 wording. Acrobatics, Quick Work, Rapid Strike and Sprint made her one of the best Solos around in Mk2. She still is.

Daughters of the Flame – The loss of a point of DEF is tough. They gained Parry because Acrobatics lost it. They kept CMA and the addition of Stealth lessens the Defense loss. Acrobatics and Anatomical Precision got Mk3 wording. Thyra has plenty of tricks to help out these ladies. The old theme list allowed FA:U, so now I wonder if I will ever get to use more than two units again.

Flame Bringers – Stat Line +1 MAT, gained Parry. Weapons are the same. Reposition 5″ replaces the Light Cavalry rule. Side Step and Crit Grievous Wounds got Mk3 wording. FA2. Cheaper still doing the same thing. With the addition of Stealth from Thyra’s Occultation and the new Cavalry rules they will shine.

Choir of Menoth – Stat Line -2 Command, reducing formation size. Hymns work the same way. Battle +2 Damage roll, Passage is the same, Shielding is the same. Still solid. A lot of Jacks got a +1 MAT because of the Battle Hymn change.

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Thyra, Flame of Sorrow – WJ: +29
– Blood of Martyrs – PC: 0
– Sanctifier – PC: 1
– Dervish – PC: 7
– Vigilant – PC: 9
– Purifier – PC: 8

Nicia, Tear of Vengeance – PC: 5

Choir of Menoth – Leader & 5 Grunts: 6
Flame Bringers – Leader & 4 Grunts: 17
Daughters of the Flame – Leader & 5 Grunts: 10
Daughters of the Flame – Leader & 5 Grunts: 10

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Here is a basic 50 point list. Are there are too many jacks? Keep BoM. Sanctifier or two Light Jacks are the basic package. Tweak the Choir to make them fit.

For 75 points, add a 2nd unit of Flame Bringers [ I don’t have a 2nd unit ] and fill it up with Jacks, maybe a 2nd small choir.

Is this list a delivery system for Thyra? I will have to play it to know.

Till next time…

Just do it…

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Then & Now – Mortenebra’s Infernal Machines

While chatting with Dicewraith the other night, he mentioned that Mortenebra was worse in Mk3. She lost a spell to Venethrax. Of course I had to go look and I was quite surprised at what I found.

In Mk2 her theme list was pretty simple. Two War Witch Sirens, No units, Four Helljacks. You got bonuses too. Scrap Thralls Advance Deploy, Hell Jacks get Stealth first turn. Hell Jacks -1 pt and deployment +2″. Heck Mortenebra never really wanted infantry anyway. Her options included any Non Character jack, Death Jack, War Witch Sirens, Bloat Thralls, Necrotech and Scrap Thralls. I will stick with that and see if it works.

Mortenebra has very few changes, but one is significant and it will wait till the end. Her jack points went up to +24, still at the low end of the scale.

Her Feat is the same. Re-rolls for everyone, well almost.

Her spells.

• Doom Spiral – Shoot a Jack and hurt the Warcaster. Nope, that one is the same.
• Jump Start – Stand up, Skake it off, look around. So good, so cheap, no changes here
• Overrun – Kill something, move something. Cast it more than once for loads of fun.
• Spectral Steel – ARM buff and movement tricks, you can’t stop me. To good to change.
• Void Gate – AoE 4, screws your opponents spell casting and arcnodes, price went from 4 down to 3. It doesn’t stop you from forcing or allocating focus anymore.
• Teminal Velocity – Charge & Power attacks with boosted melee attack rolls vs living and +2″ movement for Charge or Slams. This super wonderful spell is gone. Someone else got that design space…

Doom, Gloom, Forum Rants, Rage table flips…..  Nope, I like what she got…

• Sacrificial Lamb has been on the High Reclaimer, but I think it is new to Turok’s kiddies.

For 1 Focus you remove one warrior model to give every Jack in your Battlegroup a Focus. The High Reclaimer doesn’t use that many Jacks does he? What, give up a warrior in a list with no units. Solos are to expensive you say? Scrap Thralls are 2 Pt for 3 of these little walking bombs. You can also make them with a Necrotech, So it you have 7 Jacks, that one scrap thrall gives you 7 focus. That means 2 focus on every Jack. Running a little bit hot.

Deryliss must be sad. He lost Arcane Extension, he doesn’t extend the control area anymore. He repairs for D3+1 and still has Spell Slave. Doom Spiral and Void Gate are his options.

Deathjack – His price went down a little bit. Necromancy still casts spells. Doom Spiral and Void Gate could have their uses. His Skulls of Hate allow him to have 5 focus total and a +1 focus for each working arm. Snacking will RFP a living model and heal d3 HP. Always nice. Hard Headed rounds out his card. Not many real changes. He is an Advance deployed Monster that wants to rip things apart. If he gets beat up, repair a couple of points and feed him some Grunts.

Deathripper got cheaper by 25%, but….  He lost some MAT, DEF & POW. His is still a cheap arcnode with sustained attack. You could take three of him and have points left over if you drop the Deathjack. Hmmm, how many chick jacks could Mortenebra take?

Stalkers are among my favorites Jack to drive my opponent crazy. His price didn’t change. He lost a point of DEF. Extended Control Range means he can be way out on the flanks. Arcane Assassin is gone, but he gained Bounding Leap – Spend a focus after a normal move to be places 5″. Still nasty and if you opponent keeps looking at them, he might miss something else.

Inflictor is really new, I have not put him on the table. His price went down a little, but he lost Soul Driven. A little Sad, but he will have at least 2 focus every turn. Shield Guard near your fragile little (medium based) caster is always a good thing.

Reaper is without significant changes or surprises. Cheaper, check. Drag, check. Sustained attack, check. He gained Hard Headed. Shoot something, drag it in beat on it…

Slayer a little bit cheaper. Gained Hard Headed. Cheap, fast (compared to most heavies) and nasty. Again a melee monster, get him in the Alpha strike and let him earn more than his points.

Warwitch Siren has +MAT, – DEF with Perry and stealth.  Seduction, check. Venom, check. Power boost, well – it’s gone! But Empower give one focus to a jack that has focus, better! Shadow Blade still works, but you can shake it. She is still a nasty little toolbox. Take two and call me on the morning. With two you can have two jacks with 3 focus or Death Jack with 5! Try it you’ll like it…

Necrotech doesn’t come with a Scrap Thrall anymore. I guess got sick of having a mobile hand-grenade as a buddy. Nothing change on his front card, the points are what you would expect. Steady, Repair D6 are no surprises. Spare parts collects scrap tokens from from dead jacks. Use them to improve repairs or Create Scrap Thralls. You get D3 Scrap Thralls for each scrap token spent. Still dirt cheap. We will see more of these now.

Scrap Thralls are 3 solos for 2 PTs. Not much to say really. If you can pull off a Pow 16 for 2/3 of a point, why not. A little knockdown goes a long way to BOOM!

 

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Master Necrotech Mortenebra – WJ: +24
– Deryliss
– Deathjack – PC: 0
– Deathripper – PC: 5
– Inflictor – PC: 13
– Reaper – PC: 13
– Slayer – PC: 10
– Stalker – PC: 8
– Stalker – PC: 8

Warwitch Siren – PC: 4
Warwitch Siren – PC: 4
Necrotech – PC: 2
Necrotech – PC: 2
Scrap Thrall – 3 Scrap Thrall: 2
Scrap Thrall – 3 Scrap Thrall: 2
Scrap Thrall – 3 Scrap Thrall: 2

____________________________________________

Here is my first shot at a Mk2 list. 4 Helljacks, 3 Lightjacks, 4 solos and 9 hand grenades (cheap warriors)

I can get 16 focus a turn with an option for 2 more from the Warwiches. That still leave the 6 on Mortenebra too. I’m sure there are some lists somewhere that give you more focus a turn, but not very many.

The typical tactic is a Jack-in-yo-FACE. Even a fully focused Slayer or Stalker can seal the deal. Other options are possible.

Spectral Steel opens a lot of charge and slam lanes by running thru the opponents army.

If you slam the target, the knock down make Doom Spiral a valid option. It is POW 12 so you might need some boost to damage. If you knock down a Warjack you get a D3 on the caster. You can cast it once with Deryliss, twice with Deathjack (it just says “spend focus to cast it’s controllers spells” so do it twice if you have 4 focus. Mortenebra give you 3 more. Most wounded caster won’t survive 6d3. Ya, it’s a finishing move, but it’s an option.

The loss of Terminal Velocity is a change, not a bad one to me. Try different combinations of Jacks. Slayer Spam. Chicken Jack Spam. Try the three Bloat Thrall flankers dropping a bunch of green circle all over that side the board. If you want run jacks like you never could in Mk2 try it.

So much focus, so much fun.

Till next time

Just do it.

Then & Now – The Commodore

I expect to see the Commodore on the table a little more in Mk3.

The fact that this unit can work with Fiona the Black and Captain Bartolo Montador will see to that.

The Stat line for the Commodore didn’t change and the Crew lost a point of ARM. 12 -> 11, Either way, they die from a stiff breeze. The Cannon crew now has a command of 3, it used to be 7.

Cross Trained is gone. So the three man gun crew can’t steal from Sea Dog Boarding crew anymore. I have never seen this happen, but it was a nice idea.

Focal Point is a little simpler because everything tied to a 3″ command.

Heavy Artillery (cannon rules) didn’t change.

The Attack Types are ROF 1 and you pick which type.

Canister – Spray 10 POW 20 +2 RAT is brutal.

Cannonball – RNG 20 POW 16 – Slam directly away d6″ collateral damage POW 16, check.

Incendiary Shot – RNG 16, AoE 4, POW 14, Fire damage, models hit suffer Fire continuous effect. Menoth would like this.

This unit was 4 points in Mk2, now it is 7 points.

Captain Phinneus Shea’s feat moves Friendly Faction models in his control area 3″. Blow the Man Down knocks the target down. Coup de Main give +2″ movement. Phantasm give ranged attacks targeting -5 RNG, nice to keep the crew alive. Veil of Mists’ cloud could help keep the crew alive too..

Fiona the Black can use Affliction to lower DEF. Nonokrion Brand ignore intervening models and make this a magic attack. Maybe the crew are cultists and give Fiona an upkeep, but losing a model for it may not be your best option.

Bartolo’s feat knocks down everything in his Control range. His spells that might help are battle group….  Sadness.

 

Master Gunner Doughal MacNaile can (special action) add +2 RAT & reroll direction and distance once per shot. Once per game he can give Double Powder Ration – +2 RNG to friendly Privateer model’s in his 8″ command range.

Lord Rockbottom can spend some coins to give the crew tough or add +2 to ranged attack and ranged damage rolls.

Dirty Meg can repair the Commodore. That’s a small thing that can be a big deal.

 

Now back to that BFC. Big F’n Cannon!! Think about a 24″ Pow 16 with a +2 RAT and Damage roll that ignore intervening models… I hope your smiling now…

Those are some of the tricks. Now you can take a Privateer caster other than Shea, give the Commodore a road test. So I’m sure you can come up more tricks than I have listed here too.

Till next time…

Just do it!!!

Trying Mk3 and Balls…..

It has been impossible not to notice Pokeman Go for the last few days. I have zero knowledge about Pokeman. So I loaded it on my phone and tried it last night. Honestly, sitting at home doesn’t show much. I watch one video, but it didn’t say much.

I took the dog for a 2 1/2 mile walk this morning. My phone buzzed and I captured a few. Then I ran out of Balls. I found a stop at a crypt in the local cemetery, but I didn’t know what to do with it. There was this tall thing near the church, a gym. It said I wasn’t Level 5 yet. Trying to capture them is fun. The collecting is fun too.

Off to Paul’s. Wasn’t sure I would play. I spent some time assembling my stuff. Xekaar is painted, the Titan and the Cyclops are gold and Red. Need more work.

Paul showed me how the get more balls. Find Blue and spin it. The store was perfect. Right on a stop, so every few minutes I would pick up some more balls. I got some captures too.

 

Talk with some friends and did a little shopping.

Lunch at a very good Vietnamese place.

I came back and had an opponent. Mk3 Circle box.

He went first and run everything.

So did I. I had a Gladiator at the left side of a wall. Caster in the middle and the Raider on the right.  The Savage was in the middle and moved to the far right as I saw a flanking opportunity. Some blue thing tried to attack my opponent.

His two headed doggie moved close to his flag. The Wolf ran into the wood in the middle. His Caster ran to the opposite wall on my right. The Gorax was close to the his Caster.

I moved the Gladiator to control my flag. The Raider shot his Gorax for six points. My caster stayed on the wall and the Savage ran around my right and almost to her wall.  The first CP 1-0.

Doggie moved to his flag. Wolf ran into Bast to Base with Gladiator. Gorax ran to engage Savage. Strange moves, shrug. His caster put an AoE of rough terrain out that didn’t do much. CP 1-1

I tried a 2 handed throw and pitched the Wolf 6″ away. Xakaar move to dominate the flag. Raider Charged the Gorax some damage. Savage killed the Gorax. CP 3-2.

His caster did a ranged attack and damaged the Raider. She put a rough terrain so  the Savage couldn’t charge the Wolf. The Wolf shook off the knockdown. Charged the Gladiator. Hit, hit, hit, hit and the Gladiator had lost his Spirit. CP 3-3

The Savage charged his Caster. Hit for 16 points. She transferred it to Doggie. Xekaar healed the Gladiators spirit. Enraged the Gladiator. Bought an attack and hit the Wolf. That gave the Wolf Witch Mark so I could to get Mortality on the Wolf. Nice auto hit trick. So the Gladiator was hitting on all cylinders with +2 Strength and the Wolf was -2 DEF & ARM. That did it…  No more wolf. CP 5-4

While I was playing Paul was doing captures for me and kept spinning the stop.

We watched a couple of games, then cleaned up and got the stuff to the cars. We walked around Malden hitting more blue spots for supplies and some more captures.  Paul got bothered by a crab and a few other ones. Captures and jokes ended the day…

Overall, a really good day…

I’m surprised that a simple little game. A stupid simple little game can be so much fun that my morning walks with the dog will increase so I can play it. My wife thinks games are a bad thing. I don’t think I will tell her about this one.

Does anyone know of there will be changes in the Stop locations eventually?

Till next time…

Just do it…

 

Then & Now – Fatso’s Chain Gang

Dominar Rasheth – Fatso – was my first Theme list project in the summer of 2010. I liked Rasheth as soon as I saw the FoH Skorne book. Initially he got a lot of negative press, but after some prominent Skorne players won with him, he and his MkII theme force showed up regularly on tournament tables.

The theme required 3 Titans, 2 Agonizers, 1 minion unit, and a Paingiver Taskmaster. You got cheaper Titans, Fury on the Agonizers and a bonus move on a Minion unit.

Now in Mk III< Dominar Rasheth has minor changes in his Stat line. His MAT has increased by 2, for reasons unknown. Dark Ritual is friendly faction and does magic damage now. Impervious Flesh got better, now -1 die on any damage roll rather than being limited to Ranged Attacks. He still has three well trained Agonizers that never let him get knocked down.

His Spell list looks pretty much the same:

• Blood Mark is the same.
• Breath of Corruption is the same.
• Carnivore is the same.
• Castigate now stops Animus from being forced and stops spell channeling.
• Influence now costs 2 Fury.
• Sunder Spirit is the same.

Feat: Plague Wind – This is better. First, it effects all enemy models, whereas it used to be only Living. With a -2 STR, DEF & ARM, it still protects your army for melee, and makes a large part of the board a killing field. It still heals damage on Fatso when a living model is destroyed.

Overall, he has maintained the same play style. His Feat & Blood Mark give a target – 4 ARM and Carnivore will make almost any unit rip that target to shreds.

Agonizer – One target of a huge change. Gone is the 8 HP fury battery Solo, now we have a 13 HP Lesser Warbeast.  STR, DEF and ARM dropped, but he gained a melee attack, good luck with that one. The Animus is Repulsion. For 2 Fury push enemy models 3″ away. He has three agonies, each cost 1 fury and you can use one per turn.

• Gnawing Pain – 2 STR in an 8″ circle.
• Maddening – Enemy Warbeasts gain 1 Fury in a 6″ circle.
• Spiritual Affliction –  Living models can’t cast spells in an 8″ circle.

At 7 Pt, this little screamer will get a lot of use. He used to be a steal at 2 pt. Yes, he costs more, but he is such a little toolbox and won’t most casters love Repulsion in their spell list?

Bronzeback Titan – Early in the Mk3 release news we heard that Titans would lose some DEF, and also lost a point of Fury. His Animus still gives him beatback; Now Beatback is basic attacks and you must advance directly toward whatever you pushed. He lost Hyper Aggressive, so he can’t be pulled out of position be a single ranged attack. His leadership now removes a one fury from titan in his command range. Hard Headed, Counter Charge and Chain Attack got Mk3 wording without significant changes. He is theoretically cheaper at 18 pts. Yes, he is easier to hit. Yes, he has one less attack due to a fury loss, but he is still a huge beat stick you can buff into a big angry pachyderm.

Titan Gladiator –  No surprises, lost DEF and lost some CMD. Animus, attacks and the back of the card are a cookie cutter version of MK2. He is a solid choice at 14 Pts and a little cheaper than he was in Mk2.

Titan Cannoneer – I always tried to use this little lady. I think she got some love and will be used more often in Mk3. Like all the Titans, she lost some DEF, CMD and Fury but gained a little MAT & ARM. Her Cannon is now AoE 4. Her Animus, Far Strike was a bigger surprise. So for 3 Fury I have a Boosted Attack & Damage on a RNG 16″ POW 15 Cannon. Yes, that fills her on fury, but Beast Handlers, the Bronzeback and some Casters have ways to fix that problem. I’m happy to see her at 17 pts.

Titan Sentry – He was solid in Mk2. He lost a Focus, DEF & CMD. Gained MAT and a POW on his shield. He has a new Animus, Ornery. It gives him one basic attack against a model that hits him. Brace for Impact is simpler, he can’t be moved by a slam. Cheaper than the Cannoneer with an Animus that some casters will enjoy.

Basilisk Krea – Her ranged attack is still nasty and her Animus – Force Aura – is Self within 3″ of the model, granting Force Barrier , +2 DEF vs Range and immunity to blast damage. Fatso can use +2 DEF, and now blast damage immunity.

Basilisk Drake – He lost ARM and CMD. His Spray and Animus (get some bushwhack) didn’t change. He was and still is useful.

He now has one theme list solo …

Paingiver Task Master  – Minion Unit boss. I’m surprised it wasn’t a Unit Attachment like the Cephalyx Dominator. She lost a little bit of CMD. No more Anatomical Precision, but her minions can’t be knocked in here CMD range. They are tough while within 3″.  She has a * Action that can give them +2 STR within 3″. Her Man Catcher still has -2 DEF. Gotta love the Skorne Lady Solos….

The only unit I ever used with PGTM was a Gatorman Posse.

Gatormen Posse –  They used to be the best Infantry in Skorne, Circle, etc… Well, Legion didn’t want any Infantry did they? They lost a point of MAT and CMD. You might have heard, 5 HP now with tough. They lost Blood Thirsty (kind of) and kept Unyielding. They Still have three Prayers…

• Dirge of Mists – They gain Concealment.
• Offerings to Kossk – ReRoll attacks vs Living.
• Predator’s Prayer – Blood Thirst – +2″ movement while charging a living model.

These guys seem well priced, with a Charge bonus, Attack Roll bonus and Concealment for the prayer. A great toolbox. Add in the Task Master for +2 STR and some knockdown protection. I will take them again and again.

Paingiver Beast Handlers didn’t see a stat line change. Anatomical Precision and Inflict Pain remain the same.  The special actions used to be one per turn, now you can do as many as you want. Condition is now one fury. Enrage is +2 STR (no free charge etc). If you think about it, the free charge was like free fury, medicate is B2B for D3 HP. Still a very useful unit, I like being able to use all 3 actions on one beast. I can use three models and do all of these actions on one model. People are already talking about using a full unit to healing a Mammoth 6d3 a turn.

The last time I played this list, I took the new Skorne unit I had painted. Slingers got a +1 DEF in Mk3, nice surprise. The back of the card has Arcing Fire, no surprise. Then three attack types.

• Acid Bath – Direct hit give 3″ AoE with Continuous Corrosion!
• Erosion – Addition die of damage vs Constructs. Jack, Stump & Trees can suck it…
• Flare – model hit lose stealth and -2 DEF

The RAT and POW of these guys has not changed, but with these choices I can see more uses. I will still use one of them as a back shot target for Acid Bath. What good Skorne commander doesn’t shoot his own troops in the back!

Venator Catapult Crew was my last 3 points in my Mk2 list. The Stats lost some CMD. The Catapult got a +1 POW. Keep the grunts within 1″ to keep the Catapult working. Burst Fire still makes it POW 18 vs Large/Huge bases. I played some lists with two of these in Mk2. A 4″ AoE can make you opponent regret it if they don’t spread out.

___________________________________

Dominar Rasheth – WB: +28
– Agonizer – PC: 0
– Agonizer – PC: 0
– Titan Gladiator – PC: 0
– Bronzeback Titan – PC: 18
– Titan Sentry – PC: 15

Paingiver Task Master – PC: 3

Gatorman Posse – Leader & 4 Grunts: 18

Venator Slingers – Leader & 9 Grunts: 13

Paingiver Beast Handlers – Leader & 5 Grunts: 7

____________________________________

I have not tried this yet, but I will. Two Agonizers, three Titans and two units. Paingivers for support. No Tier bonuses, but no tears….  This theme list still will live on in style of play that feels familiar.

It does feel like Mk3 gives a list with a little bit less in it.

Yes, I will play this and report on it.

Till next time

Just do it…

Then & Now – The Flames of Reclaimation

Before I give Lonelymonk the floor on this one, I guess I should chime in on The Flames of Reclamation. Typically for me, it’s a Menite theme force that no-one liked, so I kinda hadto play it. When the Protectorate first got their theme forces for MkII, this was one of two that everyone immediately dismissed, because it used the High Reclaimer but (a) didn’t allow him any Exemplars to resurrect in opponent’s back arcs, and (b) it didn’t allow the cheapest sources of Souls, the Choir. Oh, and (c) it required two units of Flameguard Cleansers, who nobody had any love for… and (d) tier 3 required three Reclaimers, who would all be competing with the High Reclaimer for souls. The trick, you see, is that Flames of Reclamation required the player to play a different game that what was generally accepted as “How you play the High Reclaimer”… and while the theme had some bad matchups (most notably, Legion) it worked. Every turn your army advanced behind a 23″ wall of cloud effects. Your opponent couldn’t see squat to shoot or charge at. If they couldn’t outmaneuver the smokewall, their options were:

1. Let you deliver the Avatar, backed by 20+ sprays and whatever else you had hidden behind the wall, to wherever you wanted it
2. Run into the smokewall to engage, at which point there were… 20+ sprays, the Avatar and a minimum of three Soulstorms waiting to nuke single wound infantry
3. Wait until they were in walking distance so that they could walk in and strike, but… at that point they’re in charge range of the Avatar and in range of all those sprays, and… 

It wasn’t a game-breaking theme, but it was a fun one, and if your opponent needed the Alpha Strike or was heavily reliant on ranged attacks without cloud negation, you got to do what the Protectorate does best: Deny.

Okay, that said, let’s see what Lonelymonk has for us…

At TempleCon 2011, I played G’day a game. Imperial Assassins vs The Flames of Reclamation. Two very different armies. Silent Bob (The High Reclaimer) has been a favorite of mine since I did a podcast about him in early 2010. I had some of the models and started slowly building his theme list. I played it a few times in Mk2. I think it is time to see how thinks work in Mk3.

Silent Bob – His stat line gives him another point of ARM and 2″ more command. Oath of Silence (no command) is gone, no surprise. Soul Storm gained Magic damage type. Soul Taker is the same, so he can still have a load of Focus on a big turn.

Cremator didn’t change. It’s still a big flaming mace.

Spells:

• Ashes to Ashes – Focus cost is now 3. It only effect D3 nearest enemy models within 4″. Wow, d6->d3 and 5″-4″. Was it that good? Yes. Yes it was. – Gday
• Burning Ash – Focus cost is now 2, and it only has effect if the model doesn’t have fire resistance. You can’t put out 5 clouds at turn, though one or two will still help.
• Hand of Fate – Bob’s new spell. Upkeep, roll one extra attack/damage die. Discard the lowest die. Model or unit. 2 focus. I can see using this.
• Immolation – Nothing has changed, a straightforward attack spell with Crit Fire.
• Sacrificial Lamb – Nothing has changed, but with a bigger battlegroup and free focus every turn, you get more bang for the poor fool getting sacrificed. It saw use in MkII, it will see even more use in MkIII.

Feat: Resurrection used to revide D3+3 warrior models, now it’s D3+5. Better by two models, surely a blessing from Menoth.

Avatar of Menoth – Terror is gone! We all knew that. His Stat Line is the same. His Shield is 1″ and gained one point of POW, while his Sword still blows up things and sets their neighbors on fire.

Avatar, Menoth’s Gaze and Sacred Ward are pretty much the same, though according to the forums, the Avatar can now be disrupted despite lacking a cortex. Further investigation is required. In the end, this is a warjack that doesn’t need a warcaster to operate, makes its own focus and he has enough power and abilities to make him worth taking.

Castigator – The Stat Line is the same, with two POW 16 flaming fists. Combustion is still a 2″ from his base fire circle with Continuous Fire. Ashen Veil seem to be everywhere I look, -2 to the attack roll within 2″ is like +2 DEF vs Melee. I’ll take that.

Purifier – He has another point of MAT, nice. He is a fireproof jack with two Crit Fire weapons with overtake. He lost Chain Attack: Combustion and still has Flame Trail, which is the main reason I see him being used. The loss of chain attack doesn’t bother me. Base to Base giving Continuous Fire is to much fun. Silent Bob could take 4 of these with is Warjack Points alone :O

Revenger – The Stat Line is the same, sounds familiar. The Shield’s melee gained one Point of POW increase. The Halberd remains unchanged. Repel & Powerful Charge still combine to make this one of the most survivable arc nodes in the game. A very useful jack.

Flame Guard Cleansers – The gained a point of MAT and STR. That, combined with another POW on the melee weapon, means they are not a joke in Melee any more. The Spray is remains the same, though the incinerate order is GONE!! No more 4″ AoE fire cloud that stays in play for a round. They gained Ashen Veil, because it’s a thing. More reason to get them in Melee.This unit got better. Try it, you know you want to.

Flame Guard Cleanser Officer – He gained a point of MAT & STR, but lost a point of DEF. Bushwhack order and Wall of Fire (I never used this) are gone, though Scouring Flame is still there – the once per game minifeat giving the unit 10″ range on their sprays. The real bonus is that he gained Tactics: Assault!!! Yes, yes, yes. Charge 8″ and 10″ Spray from 11 models. Ashen Veil too, get this guy into Melee. In MkII he wasn’t in demand, now I won’t take this unit without the officer. Assault baby….

Deliverers became Deliverer Skyhammers – The Stat line is the same, but they now have simple CRA. Gone is that wall of text on the back that provided pseudo-CRA’s with expanding template sizes. They are still inaccurate, as they should be.  Range 16, POW 8, 3″ AoE. All ten give you an effective RAT 11 and POW 18 on a direct hit. That will hit most of the time and POW 18 is a good kick in the yarbles to anything.

Deliverer Sunburst Crew – When I first compared these, the SPD – 2 seemed like a really bad hit, but Mobile Artillery give +1″ movement for each Grunt within 2″ of the Sunburst. So it is SPD 4 until you take losses. CMD went down to 5, so what. The Sunburst POW went from 16 -> 15, but it is now Fire damage and Continuous Fire. I will take that on a 4″ AoE any day. I’m surprised that the grunts don’t give RAT bonuses, Ranged finder is gone. The fact that it can move and fire in the same turn now means personal testing is needed to see the impact. Sure, without Rangefinder it’s slightly less accurate, but it’s now a cheaper, portable pie plate dropper setting mobs of infantry on fire for those days you can’t afford a Vanquisher.

Holy Zealots – MAT went up one and CMD came down by two. I guess they don’t spread out much, but then it’s not like these are well trained troops. Zealot Training document “Here go throw these and swing this mace if they get close”. Fire Bombs get another inch of Range, nice. The prayers changed though – Fervor lost +2 attack, Warding is the same, and Path of Flames give them Immunity to Fire, making them immune to their own firebombs. Toss into melee!

Monolith Bearer – He lost a point of RAT and a Point of CMD. What does he use his RAT for anyways? Could you throw anything with a big stone cross on your back? Greater Destiny now returns models to play rather than granting invulnerability. Holy Monolith is the same, granting +4 ARM to the unit when triggered. New is Sacrificial Pawn to keep this model safe.

Reclaimer became Reclaimer Gatekeeper – He lost a point of MAT and gained JACK MARSHAL!!!! Wow, I never saw that one coming. Ashen Veil (more!! – Gday) is always good. Mk2 Reclaimer collected souls and used the boost or give focus to Jacks; Mk3 Reclaimer can instead spend souls to give a model Ashen Veil, put a 3″ cloud on model or (think of the Cyclops Savage) give a model Future Sight. Think of the Avatar boosting after you roll the dice – More focus efficiency. Sadly this doesn’t work with Jack Marshal (except the Sanctifier). This toolbox need to get some play time before we will know much about it.

Vassal of Menoth – His MAT went down by 1, not sure why. Iron Sentinel is the same. His Magic Ability is also down by one. Arcane Bolt is the same, Enliven is still good. Sadly, Ancillary Attack is gone, but this is no huge surprise. Instead, more Warjack efficiency with Empower to give a jack a focus and removes disruption.

Vassal Mechanik – He lost a point of MAT, DEF and ARM. Shrug, he isn’t a melee monster. The loss of Iron Sentinel hurts a little, but even in MkII  this guy would die if you sneezed at him.  Now he auto repairs D3+1 points, that’s his job, don’t expect anything else. A one point Jack repair tool in a game where there will be more jacks. If you have an extra point, add him…

______________________________________________________________

75 Army

• The High Reclaimer – WJ: +32
  – Castigator – PC: 12
  – Castigator – PC: 12
  – Purifier – PC: 8
• Avatar of Menoth – PC: 20
• Reclaimer Gatekeeper – PC: 3
• Reclaimer Gatekeeper – PC: 3
• Vassal of Menoth – PC: 3
• Vassal Mechanik – PC: 1
• Vassal Mechanik – PC: 1
• Vassal Mechanik – PC: 1
• Flameguard Cleansers – Leader & 9 Grunts: 15
  – Flameguard Cleanser Officer – PC: 4
• Flameguard Cleansers – Leader & 9 Grunts: 15
  – Flameguard Cleanser Officer – PC: 4
• Deliverer Sunburst Crew – Gunner & 2 Grunts: 5

______________________________________________________________

It is very easy to go with one unit of Cleansers or drop the Avatar and add in a unit of Deliverer Skyhammers and a Sunburst. If you want to Marshal with the Reclaimers you can’t use Jack Points, so that will eat your infantry up. Bob’s Job hasn’t changed, a smoke cloud here, sacrifice a grunt to feed the jacks. The battlegroup all have continuous fire. If you want a Revenger, drop the Purifier and adjust the solos. Another option is Castigator, Crusader and Revenger.

Three Mechaniks to keep the jacks running. One Vassal of Menoth for zotting and Empowering. Two Reclaimers are a hold over from the theme list in Mk2. There are plenty of souls, collect some and move to make the best use of them. We’ll have to wait until we see the MkIII theme forces before we know if I will ever get to use the third one allowed my the Mk2 theme. The whole army is SPD 5 (except the Sunburst). Getting up the board fast in any way shape or form isn’t on the agenda. March up the table, 18″ spray range might be your Alpha strike with some pot shots from the Sunburst.

Even if you don’t try this crazy mess, Cleansers are going to be a surprise to some people. Especially when they light them up…

Till next time,
Just do it…

Looking back Looking Ahead – Imperial Assassins

I guess it is time to really start looking at Mk3.

Imperial Assassins was one of my favorite 35 pt lists in Mk II. Morghoul2’s original theme force . I still remember the TempleCon game against Silent Bob and his flaming forces. The only thing that didn’t Advance Deploy was a unit of Paingiver Beast Handlers and the Lord Assassin. The Razor Worm kept the Bloodrunners safe from blast damage until they got within charge range. Bloodrunner movement tricks were great for disrupting formations and plans. The Lord assassin rocketing across the table to get face to face and finish the job.

With the change to Mk III, Lord Assassin Morghoul has lost a point of DEF. I guess 17 was too high. Stealth and Pathfinder is still there, Mercy is now a 1″ weapon with Blessed (Replacing Arcane Assassin), Magic Weapon and Weapon Master. It gained Grievous Wounds replacing Silent Death (2 focus Spell), while the Fan of Shadows didn’t change. Perfect Balance is gone but he gained Steady – The best thing that happened to the Lord Assassin is that he can’t be knocked down. Paingiver Elite Cadre is gone; Now the Lord Assassin can be blasted by CRA, but he still has stealth. If you leave the Lord Assassin where a CRA can get close enough, it is your own fault.

His spell list changed little; Flashing Blade is the same, but with 1″ on Mercy you can hit that many more targets, placement willing. Ghost Walk now costs 2 Fury, and is how the Lord Assassin can still ignore free strikes. Silent Death became Flesh Hooks – now you have a range attack that can prevent charge, trample or slam.

His feat is back to his Mk1 glory – Control Range LOS blind for one round. Yes, it can be shaken by WarNouns, Beasts and Jacks, but solos and Unit are screwed.Overall, I think that the Lord Assassin is better than he was in Mk2!

Paingiver Blood Runner have the same stat line. They gained CMA, and Anatomical Precision stayed. The movement tricks changed as well – first they get a 2″ place with Apparition (Like the Lord Assassin) and then they get a 3″ reposition. Overall the Bloodrunner got a little better. Apparition increases the threat range and helps line up charges. CMA is always good.

The Master Tormentor got an extra point in her MAT and Apparition, and she still has sprint. Veteran Leader give +1 attack roll (was a +2) but now it is command range rather than LOS, so easier to make use of. It is nice not to have to force her out in front. She still has Thresher too.

Paingiver Beast Handlers’ stat line line didn’t change. Anatomical Precision and Inflict Pain remain the same.  The special actions used to be one per turn, now you can do as many as you want. Condition is now static at one fury. Enrage is +2 STR (no free charge etc). If you think about it, the free charge was like free fury, Medicate is B2B now. Still a very useful unit, I like being able to use all 3 actions on one beast.

The Archidon – Animus, Lightning strike is now 1 fury and self. He lost a point of ARM and a point of Strength. Critical Pitch is a little simpler, no deviation. His fury went down to 3, though I’m seeing a lot of Fury reductions in Hordes. The Lord Assassin can Apparition for 2″, Charge for 10″, with a 1″ on Mercy, kill an enemy, cast Lightning Strike and move another 7″, position himself to feat, blind stuff and hope to survive a turn for his assassination attempt. With Ghost walk, he does this and ignores free strike and can move through terrain. Stabby.

The Krea took a big hit, but she is still useful. Her ranged attack only works on living, and her Animus – Force Aura – is Self within 3″ of the model, granting Force Barrier – +2 DEF vs Range and immunity to blast damage. The Razor Worm lost its no-blast-damage animus, so here it is. We still have a way to protect the Lord Assassin & Bloodrunners.

The Cyclops Brute was originally in the list for knockdown prevention on the Lord Assassin, but we don’t need that now. His ARM dropped, but his shield gained a point of POW.  Shield Guard is always nice, and he gained a couple of hit points.

The Razor Worm lost a point of ARM, you may have noticed a pattern here. Dig in, Drag below are the same. Long Leash is nice – double the control range, meaning the Razor Worm can be tasked with solo hunting out on the flanks, or keeping a transfer target safe in the back.

The Rhinodon seems a little cheaper after the point shift to Mk III. Spiny Growth for 2 Fury, always a handy animus. He gained a point in MAT and lost a point of ARM, he no longer has 360 on his tail. Speaking of, the Tail is 1″ and Fist attacks are 1″.  I used him as transfer target for the Lord Assassin in the past, not sure about him in this list. I may need to reevaluate his role.

Finally, Reptile Hounds – These little buggers never travel alone anymore. They are 2 model for 7 pts vs 1 model for 2 pts in MkII. Their stat line didn’t change at all, but there is some real change is in their Animus. The new one is better, Snacking removes from play and heals d3. The reason for considering  these in this list? SPD 7″

——————————————————————————————————————————————

• Lord Assassin Morghoul
  • Archidon
  • Basilisk Krea
  • Basilisk Krea
  • Reptile Hounds x2
  • Reptile Hounds x2
• Paingiver Bloodrunner Master Tormentor
• Paingiver Bloodrunner Master Tormentor
• Paingiver Bloodrunners
• Paingiver Bloodrunners
• Paingiver Beast Handers 6 models
• Paingiver Beast Handers 4 models

—————————————————————————————————————————————

The Cyclops Brute is gone, since the Lord Assassin can’t be knocked down. The Rhinodon was only used in the old list as a transfer target, he is to slow for this list. The Archidon is there for his Animus and as a long range threat that doesn’t worry about terrain. The Krea are there to protect the army from Range attacks and blast damage. The Hounds are there for transfers, 13 pts of damage each. Would Morghoul ever need snacking ???  

PGMTs are part of the Bloodrunner package. If you don’t take one with a Bloodrunner unit I don’t understand. Bloodrunners are the AD troops. If there is a large range threat, they might have to wait for Krea support. Get up the table, disrupt things and help Morghoul find a path to the caster.

PGBH? 7 beasts will need support. Now that you can do more than one thing a turn, even more of them might be needed.

I will paint up some Hounds and put this insanity on the table soon.

Till next time,

Just do it!!!

 

Fond Memories….. Wing Man!!!

I got an email from GoG (Good ol Games) tonight. It appears they have a summer sale. Of course being a bottom feeder at heart I had to look….

Wing Man caught my eye. I remember my disappointment when a new PC’s speed made wing not run. I never finished. I did most of Wing Man 1 and didn’t finish, never did two… Finished 3, finished Privateer. Loved the stories and flying. Always had a spot in my gaming memory… Over 25 years ago and it is like yesterday.

The complexity and Over the top Graphics are unbelievable, but for a story you can interact with the WC game top the chart.

Wing Man 1 & 2 was $6 discounted down to about 3…  I thought it was worth a few bucks… I put it in my shopping cart. Then I noticed, the whole Franchise was available. Less than $10 for everything. Ten Games? Ok, for the price on one miniature I get to fly again…

I guess it is time to dust off that joystick!!!

Till next time…

Just do it

 

 

Grace O’Malley – Update #25 – is a project ever really complete???

I am updating this post that I never finished.

I was hoping The Devil’s Shadow Mutineers would work with Fiona the Black. Nope, nothing for my favorite Thamarite. The sure looked like they might be Thamarites.  Shrug.. Little did I know that this crazy twin stormblade mercenary was a Thamarite. Yes, Savio Montero Acosta is a nice shiny new addition to one of the worst theme lists in the world. Of course this stuff is changing in Mk3, but until any Talon Charter/Pirate theme comes out, we don’t know anything…

Savio is a sweet model. Legs, head, two arms, upper body are the parts. I pulled out my FoW Cygnar and everything I needed was right there. Blue armor, denim cloth, Cygnar yellow Swan, off white for the puffy cloth, skin tone, steel, gold, blue glow…  I pinned the arms, glued on the head and painted the legs and body first. Then the base coats and shading was done, they got glued. Then I did the Leg/Body highlights and shading.

Savio didn’t change much moving into Mk3.  3 -> 6 points. The only real change I see is you can knock him down.

I have not put him on the table yet, but he sure looks sweet.

Lost Hemisphere does a Paint the Target every month. One of them in 2015 was something with two weapon. I had just painted Savio, so I needed something else. I dug in the big-box-o-unpainted-stuff. I came up with Captain Phinneus Shea and Bosun Grogspar. Nothing special.

Shea number didn’t change, he lost Swashbuckler. His feat is the same. His spell list gained Flashing Blades, I can see that being useful.

Grogspar still can prevent knockdown. Giant Hook now pushes the target away and doesn’t deviate.

The big point with doing Shea is that it forces me to pull out all of the pirate solos and such. To me that pirate sub-faction of Mercenaries is so diverse and has tons of character. Fun models.

So expect me to mix in some pirates into the painting schedule. Doing one faction can get old. Mixing in something different seem to help motivation.

In fact, I have the Commodore Cannon & Crew on the table right now. Base coated so far.

Till next time.

Just do it!!!

 

New Project – DiceWraith’s Pigs – Mk3 begins!

For many years, I have chat’d and swapped emails with DiceWraith.

There was a Paint & Swap in 2010. I was doing Croak Hunter. DiceWraith watched progress on my blog and I think he saw the finished product too.

Link to that Froggy project.

Good time and bad for both of us. He told me he was in a tough spot for money and was selling some of his armies. I know the history of some of them. When things got really bad, he decided to sell his Farrow. I broke the piggy bank and bought them.

They are about 80% of everything you would ever want in Pig. The vast majority of it is well painted and a lot of it has Pink accents. It is his Breast Cancer Army.

Purple – Painted

Red – Unassembled

Orange – Assembled & Primed

Green – Partially Painted

Black – Not Purchased

The Black and Red model are all things I took from the Thornfall Allince Mk2. Story wise they work with the Farrow. So, I will stay with those models and add obvious Farrow addition from Mk3 project until I get real Mk3 theme information.

Lord Carver, BMMD, Esq. III – WB: +28 

Dr. Arkadius – WB: +32

Sturm & Drang – WB: +28

Midas – WB: +30

Helga the Conqueror WB: +29

Razor Boar – PC: 7 (six of them)

Battle Boar – PC: 7 (two of them planned)

Gun Boar – PC: 9 (two of them)

Splatter Boar – PC: 8 (two of them planned)

Gorax Rager – PC: 7 (two of them)

Road Hog – PC: 16 (two of them)

War Hog – PC: 15 (two of them)

Maximus – PC: 4

Rorsh & Brine – PC: 15 

Targ – PC: 4 

Alten Ashley – PC: 5 (My addition)

Efaarit Scouts – PC: 6 (two planned)

Gudrun the Wanderer-PC: 5 (My addition)

Saxon Orrik – PC: 4 (My addition)

Swamp Gobber Chef – PC: 1 (one planned)

Victor Pendrake-PC: 4 

Raluk Moorclaw, the Ironmonger – PC: 4 

Farrow Bone Grinders – PC: -5/-8 (I added these)

Farrow Brigands – PC: -9/-15 (two units, six models painted)

– Farrow Brigand Warlord – PC: 4 (have one, one planned)

Farrow Razorback Crew – Leader & Grunt: 5 (two units)

Farrow Slaughterhousers – Leader & 5 Grunts: 11 (two units)

Lynus Wesselbaum & Edrea Lloryrr – PC: 5 

Meat Thresher-PC:19 (one planned)

I am the caretaker of this army. I don’t feel like I own it. I will paint some models and play some games. There is a style to them and anything I try to keep his style in anything I paint.

I talked to DiceWraith about couple of minor changes. He agrees (well, that is what he said).

He has a random mixture of Blue and Pink Mohawk hair on the units, solos, Warlocks and beasts. I will make this into 50%. Two Road Hogs will be one pink and the other one blue. Units and Beast. Solos and Warlocks will have pink Hair or highlights. Non Farrow solos and Units will have some pink highlights.  I like the secondary purple on the cloths on some models, so that will stay as a painting plan color.

Dr Archadius has three tanks on his back and weapon, Strum & Drang has two tanks on his back. These are all blue. I will mix the colors. Dr. A pink, green, blue, S&D blue & pink.

Add some fire/smoke to the Beast Boilders and maybe some to Strum and Drang. It sure looks like there a small boiler that they share.

The basing needs to be standardized, not sure how, but something will bubble to the top…

With Mk3 here and news of theme list book freshly posted on video, I wonder if a year from now we will have a Minon, Gator or Farrow Theme book. No way to know …..

Well, that’s the starting point.

When your given Mk3,

Make theme list-ade….

I guess I mean, without real information, I have to make it up as I move ahead.

Till next time…

Just do it..