MOW List Building Thread

So, I think some naysayers from the List-Building-Is-Dead-Thread are just off base. List building is still fun!

The MOW CID has me jazzed about it. MOW came out of the CID as such a versatile theme force it simply begs theory-machining and play-testing.

So, I wanted to start a thread to talk about MOW lists. Post your list ideas, and talk about what you want the list to do. What’s your game plan with the list?Which opponents are you gearing for with your list, and what concerns do you have about potentially bad match ups.

For the purposes of this discussion let’s assume that model rules don’t change materially from those last posted in the CID.

So, I’ll start.

My struggle with the MOW theme is that SO MANY CASTERS just seem SO GOOD in this theme. No, really, I’m excited about it!

I’ll start by talking about my top two...or at least my top two this week.

VLAD 1 - Still The Boss

First, I want to run a Vlad 1 double Bombardier gun-line which would replace Vlad 1 WGK in my list pairing. Unlike so many others, I actually enjoy playing Vlad 1 in WGK. I like the hard hitting ranged game, and I like rolling dice. My problem with it (and it’s a personal problem really) is that I struggle to keep up with so many activations. Subbing out Vlad 1 Rockets for Vlad 1 Bombardiers would appear to solve my clock problem, and also covers some of the weaknesses inherent with WGK - namely the squishiness of single wound infantry. Also, I never seem to have enough solos in this list for an adequate scenario game.

So here’s what I’m thinking:

Khador Army - 75 / 75 points

(Vladimir 1) Vladimir Tzepesci, The Dark Prince [+28]
- Victor [34]
Man-O-War Kovnik [4]
Man-O-War Kovnik [4]
Man-O-War Suppression Tanker [0(6)]
Man-O-War Suppression Tanker [0(6)]
Battle Mechaniks (min) [3]
Kommandant Atanas Arconovich & Standard [7]
Man-O-War Bombardiers (max) [16]
- Man-O-War Bombardier Officer [0(5)]
Man-O-War Bombardiers (max) [16]
- Man-O-War Bombardier Officer [5]
Man-O-War Assault Chariot [14]

I like this list a lot. I feel like every single model is in here for a reason, with zero wastage, and really good scenario presence in any SR 2017 scenario. I think I’d play it into nearly anything I’d drop Vlad 1 rockets. I think Cryx is possibly a bad matchup, and I might need to drop a different list if I needed an obscene volume of armor cracking. That said, I’m not sure where the armor cracking limit is given S&P + POW 23 fists + twelve POW 14 guns that can CRA and gain dual shot (nice against slower, higher ARM bricks). Anything that really shuts down a gun-line super hard probably makes this list sad too.

The Victor CID fix* makes this model an incredible centerpiece in a hard hitting ranged list since you can now place the Flare with truly reliable accuracy, and in play-testing I found that the additional range on the POW 12 Auto Cannons was all that was needed to move them from useless to relevant. (* For those of you living under rock, the “fix” is 34 points, 12” threat on the guns, and loss of inaccurate and a minimum range on the Big Gun.)

As a game tactic, in a matchup where I win the roll to go first, I would generally anticipate feating on turn 1 just to get Vicky 16” upfield to the 23” line. Her big gun now threatens the entire board, and her secondary batteries threat out to 39” on Turn 2 (or 35” aiming).

With four advance moves and two Kovnik, I can also get the Bombadiers up to the 21” line — threatening 33” with POW 14 S&P fueled Dual Shot. The 2 Suppression Tankers would only be 2” behind, but with Volley Fire, RAT 6 (!) and S&P who cares about aiming? They can walk 4” next turn to the 23” line (alongside Vicky, thank you very much) and either threaten 33” or put down covering fire templates to keep pesky weapon masters off my colossal.

I really like the Assault Chariot in this list. POW 12 shots under S&P are no joke, and neither are 4” high explosive templates. Also, with only one jack in the list, and a boatload of slow dudes, I like the scenario presence of the battle engine. Also, when you’re running a gun-line, who doesn’t like S&P fueled, boosted MAT 7, RNG 10.5 knockdown on a stick? I’ve though about the Siege Chariot but I seriously can’t find a point to free up from elsewhere. I think I kind of like the Assault Chariot better anyway for the additional POW 12 shots in this list.

Atanas for Tactician in this list is bonkers good. Here’s a fun party trick: I can start the Chariot behind of units of Bombardiers and just run over them without running over them. Sweet.

In considering my list pairing, what do you think would be the tough matchups with this? I think I need something that covers Cryx and Hard Anti-shooting.

My immediate thoughts are OW2 in Wolves of Winter, or Butcher 3 in Jaws, perhaps packing A&H.

SORSCHA 3 - The Ice Queen Cometh

OK, for my second list I’ve been looking at Sorscha 3. I think there are a bunch of different ways to build her in this theme, but I’ve been gravitating more towards a jack-heavy build which skews harder towards hard-core armor cracking. I’d like to be able to play her into anything that I might otherwise consider a Jaws list. So, I want to optimize this list around being able crack armor hard, and being hard to crack itself, while packing just enough infantry clearing to deal with chaff.

I haven’t quite settled on a build, but as a core concept I’ve been gravitating towards 5 jacks and 2 MOW Drakhun, with at least 40 points of MOW to score the free solos. IDK, it seems like 2 Drakhun + 5 Jacks + Stoke the Fires + Field Marshall Flank MOW = Profit.

Build 1 - Bring a Ranged Game

Khador Army - 75 / 75 points

(Sorscha 3) Kommandant Sorscha Kratikoff [+28]
- Juggernaut [13]
- Juggernaut [13]
- Kodiak [13]
- Kodiak [13]
- Marauder [11]
Man-O-War Drakhun [9]
Man-O-War Drakhun [9]
Man-O-War Suppression Tanker [0(6)]
Man-O-War Suppression Tanker [6]
Man-O-War Bombardiers (max) [16]
- Man-O-War Bombardier Officer [0(5)]

For the jack load out, I went with double juggernauts for obscene hitting power (POW 19 weapon masters...sick), and double Kodiaks for a combination early game speed, pathfinder, added cloud cover (especially on the feat turn), and chaff clearing. I like one Marauder in there in particular for large bases...I like rolling 4 damage dice, don’t you like rolling 4 damage dice? Also, I said I wanted to be able to swap this in instead of a Jaws list, and my Jaws lists always have a Marauder or 3 so I can laugh at opponents whose heavy armor strategy included a colossal.

I like the options of 7 countercharging model heavies hiding behind a cloud wall. When I play Jaws, it’s most frequently with Karchev, who suffers from alpha syndrome (meaning, my opponent usually gets the alpha). IDK, it seems like Countercharge City plus the cloud wall might solve this.

In this build, I’m fitting in the MOW Bombardiers and 2 Suppression Tankers for chaff clearing. Sorscha is going to support one unit of MOW with Iron Flesh really well, and ARM 18, 8 box dudes are going to be surprisingly hard for an many opponent’s ranged game to take out. Double suppression tankers are in to score flags and clear chaff. I like the range pressure since it forces my opponent

The problem I foresee is only one advance move, which leaves the Suppression Tankers somewhat far out of the fight. I also ran out of room for a Kovnik, further hindering the threat projection of my artillery (although strictly speaking I suppose I could drop a Tanker to pay the Desperate Pace Tax).

Build 2 - Pack a Demo Corp Boat

The Bombardier Build, while interesting, may lack the hitting power I’m looking for with this build. Remember, it’s replacing Jaws. Do I really want to rely on a ranged game, or am I better off playing aggressive? How can the Bombardiers be granting the Flank bonus anyway when they’re hanging back shooting?

Another thing that annoys me about the Bombardier build is (a) only one unit, which hurts my scenario game, and (b) no Atanas, which means both a lack of pathfinder on the charge when it’s time to get busy, as well as no Retaliatory Strike either for the unit or for Sorscha her own good self.

So here’s an alternate build I like which features a full Demo Corp boat.

(Sorscha 3) Kommandant Sorscha Kratikoff [+28]
- Juggernaut [13]
- Juggernaut [13]
- Kodiak [13]
- Marauder [11]
- Rager [10]
Man-O-War Drakhun [9]
Man-O-War Drakhun [9]
Man-O-War Kovnik [4]
Man-O-War Suppression Tanker [0(6)]
Kommandant Atanas Arconovich & Standard [7]
Man-O-War Demolition Corps (max) [14]
- Sergeant Dragos Dragadovich [0(6)]

So why do I like this build?

While I find a second unit of Demo Corps quite useless, one unit with Dragos is annoyingly good. With Iron Flesh, the unit is downright mean. Adding Atanas and a Kovnik, the Demo Corp are suddenly a truly viscous and credible threat from 11” out without worrying about rough terrain. Oh, yeah, and they are damn fine target for Retaliatory Strike. Moreover, I think they’re quite serviceable as an entourage for Sorscha, who (between Freeze on Frostfang and Winters Wrath) grants them weapon-master on a stick.

With the Demo Corp gaining access to pathfinder, I felt I could drop a Kodiak out for a Rager, which I needed to do to free up the points for the Kovnik. I like the Rager as a shield guard for Sorscha, Dragos and Atanas, actually. I feel like the list kind of unpacks itself with the DC, Tanker, Atanas, and Rager all serving as a central entourage to Sorscha, flanked on each side by 2 jacks and a Drakhun.

With a 2nd unit in the list, I can now get advance move on both the Demo Corps as well as the Suppression Tanker, which I like...a lot.

Also, the combination of a Rager and Atanas makes Sorscha very hard to kill. Retaliatory Strike on a caster with Freezer really screws up that assassination run, I can tell you that...

Build 3: Bring a Chariot

So all this list building got me thinking...could I somehow shoehorn in an Assault Chariot? That would give me the infantry clearing I need, as well as a beautiful, huge, fast knock-down-on-a-stick model that acts as a make-my-jack-a-weapon-master-delivery-system.

Keeping in the jack and double drakhun package left me with 8 points, which conveniently fits a min unit of Democorp. At ARM 18, with Dragos, I think these guys will be just hard enough to kill and get just enough killing done. And, a bargain at only 8 points. Having included the Democorp, the Kovnik seemed like the logical option in this build in order to make the Demo Corp threat somewhat credible. Yeah, I know...no Atanas, but I couldn’t fit in everything.

(Sorscha 3) Kommandant Sorscha Kratikoff [+28]
- Juggernaut [13]
- Juggernaut [13]
- Kodiak [13]
- Kodiak [13]
- Marauder [11]
Man-O-War Drakhun [9]
Man-O-War Drakhun [9]
Man-O-War Kovnik [0]
Man-O-War Demolition Corps (min) [8]
- Sergeant Dragos Dragadovich [0]
Man-O-War Assault Chariot [14]

Build 4: It’s All About the Beast

I do miss Beast, as well as the last 2 Demo Corp in the unit. Upgrading a Juggernaut costs me 5, and the last 2 DC come a price of 3 points a pop. So... I could drop the Marauder and/or the Chariot. Either of these feels like a bit of a sideways move that has a bit better game against heavy infantry spam like Malok in Blindwater.

(Sorscha 3) Kommandant Sorscha Kratikoff [+28]
- Beast 09 [18]
- Juggernaut [13]
- Kodiak [13]
- Kodiak [13]
Man-O-War Drakhun [9]
Man-O-War Drakhun [9]
Man-O-War Kovnik [0]
Man-O-War Demolition Corps (max) [14]
- Sergeant Dragos Dragadovich [0(6)]
Man-O-War Assault Chariot [14]

(Sorscha 3) Kommandant Sorscha Kratikoff [+28]
- Beast 09 [18]
- Juggernaut [13]
- Kodiak [13]
- Kodiak [13]
Man-O-War Drakhun [9]
Man-O-War Drakhun [9]
Man-O-War Kovnik [4]
Man-O-War Suppression Tanker [0(6)]
Battle Mechaniks (min) [3]
Kommandant Atanas Arconovich & Standard [7]
Man-O-War Demolition Corps (max) [14]
- Sergeant Dragos Dragadovich [0(6)]

Here’s a funny thought — if I could fit Atanas in the list with a Chariot, I could park either Sorscha or the Demos behind the Chariot. Whatever comes up to deal with and/or jump the Chariot now has to worry about my MOW charging through the chariot (in my mind, they are leaping over it).

I feel...unsettled about the Sorscha 3 list. Perhaps that’s because I only have one actual game with her (as opposed to Vlad 1, who’s been my boy for a long time). Hmmm...

In terms of list pairing, I’m thinking perhaps Sorscha 3 might be fun to take in Champions, with Irusk 2 bringing a Kayazy heavy Jaws list.

So, what do you think? Suggestions on how to list design, function, tactics or pairing?