Post by Trollock on Oct 8, 2017 19:17:10 GMT
We can no include minions in all our themes. Many times you will look at including a utility solo like Lanyssa to get an ability in your list that you did not have before. You could include more expensive minion choices like a full unit or a lesser warlock, but that means you are probably not getting all the free solos that you could, and that always at least feels like you are missing out.
The exception here is PoD. The fact that you ALMOST always want a Kriel Stone meant that your were already not getting all the free solos that you potentially could. You got at least 75 points of warbeasts to qualify for 3 free solos and then you added the stone, and possibly the DK. Runeshapers were allowed... but they are real stinkers and usually are not worth bringing. I usually ended up just filling up on beasts cause they were the best available option.
But no longer! If you add a minimum stone with attachment for 9 points, you can often add a whole unit or a lesser warlock and STILL have 75 points of beasts. The points are tight, so the number of warbeast points your caster has becomes significant. It also means that you will have to make sure that the total number of points you spend on warbeasts work out, and that some times means you "have" to bring 2 lights rather than one heavy and other such contortions to get 75+ points of warbeasts.
When including basically any model in a list, you usually want at least one of the following things:
1) This option SUPPORTS something else in the list.
2) This option is SUPPORTED by something else in the list.
3) This option preforms a role that no other option in the list can preform.
I usually get stuck on the first two, but 3 is also important. In PoD, you really do not have any other option than minions to be a unit with lots of models that stand in the way for example. Including a unit that does this could thus be warranted even if the unit does not "synergize" with any other model in the list. I think we can do better than that though.
Lets check through the interesting options!
Dahlia & Skarath
This is a heavy that is designed to fight against infantry rather than other heavies. Dahlia provides a little bit of control, and she can score a flag, especially if she can hide in a forest meanwhile. Skarath can spray down a respectable amount of infantry, and counterblast with that gunfighter spray can give you a BUNCH of models for free. Make sure you real ALL the rules on their cards. They have a lot of corner case rules, and knowing them all is key to getting work out of them. The most obvious caster to include them with is probably Calandra due to high DEF in combination with her Star Crossed. Grissel 1 and Grim 2 can make Skarrath hit like an actual heavy in a pinch too.
Wrong Eye & Snapjaw
SJ hits like a regular (that is not a troll-) heavy. They both have their superb anti-ranged tech, and WE brings Star Crossed. Ragnor can make SJ hit harder, as can the debuffing casters. Madrak 1 will be VERY interested in these guys if he goes for a PoD build.
Croak Raiders
Fairly self sufficient unit. The debuffing casters can help them do work. Gunnbjorn can protect them with a wall. Calandra likes their DEF 13 and Horgle could use them to light things on fire. They cost 17 points, and that means that you only need 26 Warbeast points to include them and a min stone and still get your free solos. If you have 29, you can even max out the stone, or bring a gremlin swarm to score and contest.
Nyss Hunters
Known to be self sufficient. CRA allows them to contribute against most targets, and weaponmaster and MAT 6 makes them better than one might think in melee. High DEF is superb with Calandra, but low ARM means that blasts hurt them. They could be used to screen or jam or flank or skirmish with good effect. 19 points means that you need 28 WBPts to get your free solos if you bring a stone. This is super sad for Calandra who otherwise would have been very interested in them.
Farrow Brigands
In actuality, they cost 19 points too. Their damage output is great against their Prey, and reposition allows very nice freedom to manouver. They are a bit limited by the fact that they want to attack their Prey, but POW 12 base is very good on their guns. Grim 1 for example could help them hit infantry that is not their Prey, and then they can do lots of work even if the Prey is elsewhere.
I think all of these options are very interesting in PoD. Naturally, this means that you are probably not bringing Lanyssa though, and she and a unit of gobbers may become the standard in many PoD lists. I think there are several cases where it is better to bring a proper unit though, since that changes how a list operates quite a bit. The lesser Warlocks are also interesting in some circumstances, such as Madrak 1 or Calandra. I really like how the addition of minions have opened up this, our most restrictive of themes. Minions have a heap of problems, mainly related to not being "Friendly Faction", but there are lists that they make sense in. I am looking a bit at Grim 1 with no stone and both Lanyssa and Brigands to compensate. The possibilities are huge!
/T
The exception here is PoD. The fact that you ALMOST always want a Kriel Stone meant that your were already not getting all the free solos that you potentially could. You got at least 75 points of warbeasts to qualify for 3 free solos and then you added the stone, and possibly the DK. Runeshapers were allowed... but they are real stinkers and usually are not worth bringing. I usually ended up just filling up on beasts cause they were the best available option.
But no longer! If you add a minimum stone with attachment for 9 points, you can often add a whole unit or a lesser warlock and STILL have 75 points of beasts. The points are tight, so the number of warbeast points your caster has becomes significant. It also means that you will have to make sure that the total number of points you spend on warbeasts work out, and that some times means you "have" to bring 2 lights rather than one heavy and other such contortions to get 75+ points of warbeasts.
When including basically any model in a list, you usually want at least one of the following things:
1) This option SUPPORTS something else in the list.
2) This option is SUPPORTED by something else in the list.
3) This option preforms a role that no other option in the list can preform.
I usually get stuck on the first two, but 3 is also important. In PoD, you really do not have any other option than minions to be a unit with lots of models that stand in the way for example. Including a unit that does this could thus be warranted even if the unit does not "synergize" with any other model in the list. I think we can do better than that though.
Lets check through the interesting options!
Dahlia & Skarath
This is a heavy that is designed to fight against infantry rather than other heavies. Dahlia provides a little bit of control, and she can score a flag, especially if she can hide in a forest meanwhile. Skarath can spray down a respectable amount of infantry, and counterblast with that gunfighter spray can give you a BUNCH of models for free. Make sure you real ALL the rules on their cards. They have a lot of corner case rules, and knowing them all is key to getting work out of them. The most obvious caster to include them with is probably Calandra due to high DEF in combination with her Star Crossed. Grissel 1 and Grim 2 can make Skarrath hit like an actual heavy in a pinch too.
Wrong Eye & Snapjaw
SJ hits like a regular (that is not a troll-) heavy. They both have their superb anti-ranged tech, and WE brings Star Crossed. Ragnor can make SJ hit harder, as can the debuffing casters. Madrak 1 will be VERY interested in these guys if he goes for a PoD build.
Croak Raiders
Fairly self sufficient unit. The debuffing casters can help them do work. Gunnbjorn can protect them with a wall. Calandra likes their DEF 13 and Horgle could use them to light things on fire. They cost 17 points, and that means that you only need 26 Warbeast points to include them and a min stone and still get your free solos. If you have 29, you can even max out the stone, or bring a gremlin swarm to score and contest.
Nyss Hunters
Known to be self sufficient. CRA allows them to contribute against most targets, and weaponmaster and MAT 6 makes them better than one might think in melee. High DEF is superb with Calandra, but low ARM means that blasts hurt them. They could be used to screen or jam or flank or skirmish with good effect. 19 points means that you need 28 WBPts to get your free solos if you bring a stone. This is super sad for Calandra who otherwise would have been very interested in them.
Farrow Brigands
In actuality, they cost 19 points too. Their damage output is great against their Prey, and reposition allows very nice freedom to manouver. They are a bit limited by the fact that they want to attack their Prey, but POW 12 base is very good on their guns. Grim 1 for example could help them hit infantry that is not their Prey, and then they can do lots of work even if the Prey is elsewhere.
I think all of these options are very interesting in PoD. Naturally, this means that you are probably not bringing Lanyssa though, and she and a unit of gobbers may become the standard in many PoD lists. I think there are several cases where it is better to bring a proper unit though, since that changes how a list operates quite a bit. The lesser Warlocks are also interesting in some circumstances, such as Madrak 1 or Calandra. I really like how the addition of minions have opened up this, our most restrictive of themes. Minions have a heap of problems, mainly related to not being "Friendly Faction", but there are lists that they make sense in. I am looking a bit at Grim 1 with no stone and both Lanyssa and Brigands to compensate. The possibilities are huge!
/T
