Post by Big Fat Troll on Sept 14, 2018 1:38:42 GMT
I think it actually is worth exploring why this pairing might very well be the strongest we have right now. Back in the Northkin CID, I noticed that their toolkits complement each other very well. Then the top players started running Kolgrima but she underperformed. My own theory on that was that she was still new and people didn't have the reps in to get the kind of mastery that you need in tough competition, especially since she is so difficult to play well.
Melee Opponents vs Ranged Opponents
I was looking first at Madrak 1 and what I considered to be his biggest weakness, which is gun lines. Those were a problem at the time and may yet be again. Kolgrima seemed a good answer, along with Borka 2. Both Kolgrima and Madrak can stymie charges but he can't really do much about guns- or spells. Borka 2 can use Mulg in POD, but Kolgrima has a free spell ward usable in any theme.
So that's a good reason to start looking at this pairing, but what more is it to there?
A Cryx Meta
It's not just now- it's actually pretty common for Cryx to be the most meta-defining faction. Not only are they always very strong in themselves, but they are almost always among the top 3 factions. They also have some of the best players and they are one of the most popular factions.
I'm told that Madrak is better against Cryx than I had thought, and not just in Band against recursion. His feat is, of course, great against mostly-melee armies as Dark Host and Black Industries are but other than that I don't know enough about that to say much. Kolgrima, though, has both the clouds and Owl's Wisdom. Her feat can be useful for the push and against Smog Belchers and Reapers if nothing else. Slayer spam is a big concern, but really most Cryx lists tend to run a lot of infantry, and Kolgrima has tools to deal with that like a huge spray.
Thing is, if both lists can be strong against Cryx, then that lessens the problems that come with having (or trying to build) one list as a "Cryx Drop," and you can look at whether you're more worried about Slayers or Banes in the next round.
Strengths in Common
There is something to be said not only for broadening coverage between the two lists but also for sharing strengths between them, especially on points where it's very good to be strong regardless. It's no coincidence that some of the strongest lists right now are able to hog the table very quickly, and both of these warlocks can, especially in SOTN. Like gdnerd said, both of his lists were very strong going first.
I'm sure that others can elaborate on these points and add their own. I'm probably missing something pretty significant. I just want to get the discussion started and I think that it might be interesting to delve into the strategy of a pairing as opposed to a single list.
Melee Opponents vs Ranged Opponents
I was looking first at Madrak 1 and what I considered to be his biggest weakness, which is gun lines. Those were a problem at the time and may yet be again. Kolgrima seemed a good answer, along with Borka 2. Both Kolgrima and Madrak can stymie charges but he can't really do much about guns- or spells. Borka 2 can use Mulg in POD, but Kolgrima has a free spell ward usable in any theme.
So that's a good reason to start looking at this pairing, but what more is it to there?
A Cryx Meta
It's not just now- it's actually pretty common for Cryx to be the most meta-defining faction. Not only are they always very strong in themselves, but they are almost always among the top 3 factions. They also have some of the best players and they are one of the most popular factions.
I'm told that Madrak is better against Cryx than I had thought, and not just in Band against recursion. His feat is, of course, great against mostly-melee armies as Dark Host and Black Industries are but other than that I don't know enough about that to say much. Kolgrima, though, has both the clouds and Owl's Wisdom. Her feat can be useful for the push and against Smog Belchers and Reapers if nothing else. Slayer spam is a big concern, but really most Cryx lists tend to run a lot of infantry, and Kolgrima has tools to deal with that like a huge spray.
Thing is, if both lists can be strong against Cryx, then that lessens the problems that come with having (or trying to build) one list as a "Cryx Drop," and you can look at whether you're more worried about Slayers or Banes in the next round.
Strengths in Common
There is something to be said not only for broadening coverage between the two lists but also for sharing strengths between them, especially on points where it's very good to be strong regardless. It's no coincidence that some of the strongest lists right now are able to hog the table very quickly, and both of these warlocks can, especially in SOTN. Like gdnerd said, both of his lists were very strong going first.
I'm sure that others can elaborate on these points and add their own. I'm probably missing something pretty significant. I just want to get the discussion started and I think that it might be interesting to delve into the strategy of a pairing as opposed to a single list.