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Post by Trollock on Mar 7, 2017 21:07:56 GMT
I posted this on the PP forums before but... Now it is here instead DisclaimerWARNING. This Guide is based totally on my more or less well founded opinions. I consider myself fairly well informed, but i do not have all the secret truths. If you want to be a special unique snowflake and make up your own mind about what is good and what is not, be warned. Every model CAN be played and every model has SOME value. However, since you are reading a guide about how to start I will assume you want the advice from some one experienced, and that means you get to partake of my prejudice. I could give you a statement like "the game is very balanced and you can basically play what ever", but that is not very useful advice. Instead i will give you my view on things. Your view may very well change over time and differ from mine, and that is great. Do not take my word as law, but rather as one guy trying his best to help you. Any advice in life should be taken with a pinch of salt. Time frame and Theme ForcesThe guide has been partially updated to include the Kriel Company and Storms of the North theme forces. The guide assumes that they will exist and it now assumes that you will be playing in one theme or another (since that has been explicitly admitted by PP to be the intended way to play the game). Some things from the CID have not yet been included, so things that have not yet been updated to reflect how the new "theme-machine" works are written in this brown color. I shall add these things as soon as the result of the CID is official and then things should settle down a bit. The guide should be usable already though for most purposes. Table of Content§0 Introduction etc. §1 Theme Forces §2 Warlocks §3 Warbeasts §4 Units §5 Solos §6 Battle Engines §7 Mercenary/Minion Units §8 Mercenary/Minion Solos IntroductionSo, you have decided to join the Kriels eh? Good for you! If you are coming from another faction and have played the game for a while, you may very well know what you want to play, but if you are new, it is always hard to decide what to start with. Since the topic “I am new to trolls, what should I buy?” comes up at least on a weekly basis I decided to write this guide so that I (or any one else for that matter) can point new players to an already finished post rather than giving the same advice over and over again. Nifty, huh? Obviously no guide is perfect, and feel free to comment in the thread below if you think I have missed something. With just a bit of cooperation we can make this thread really useful for new players. Anyway, below follows some advice on what to buy when you first get in to the faction. Almost all models are playable under the right circumstances, but some models are more playable than others so to speak. If I recommend a model it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the best model in the faction, and if I advise against buying a model it does not mean it is unplayable garbage, but it is most likely a model/unit that requires careful planning or a special list build to get good work from, and that is not what you want when you first start with a faction. Once you get more experience you can easily decide if you want to try out the more exotic options. About Journeyman
I will not talk a lot about Journeyman here. I personally do not like the format and will instead focus on how you go from having nothing to having a sizable force of Trollbloods. In short, Journeyman forces you to buy and play Ragnor. Themes are not allowed in the beginning, but it is a good idea to build towards a theme. Since it is Ragnor, and you have to start with quite a big Battle Group, i say that you should probably build towards a Power of Dhunia list. That means sticking to battle group models rather than adding units like Fennblades (often recommended). If you want tips for how to "win" a JML, this is the wrong place. Better create a thread and ppl who are more interested in the format than I am will probably have better input. The Rating SystemI decided to rate all Warlocks on two scales. “Beginners Rating” and “Power Rating”. Each entry is compared to other options in the faction and rated on a scale from 1 to 5 stars. The Beginners Rating is supposed to reflect how suitable the Warlock is for a beginning player. Being easy to play, Being hard to kill and giving interesting games are things that give a Warlock high Beginners Rating. The Power Rating is more for the advanced player. This is (my opinion on) the power of a Warlock in a 75 point Steamroller environment. Having a low score here does not mean that a Warlock is “unplayable garbage” but it can mean that there are other options in the faction that does a similar thing but better, or it could be that the Warlock has too many bad match ups against other lists. As a beginner you do not have to look too close at this Rating, but it can be nice to have a hint on what you might end up playing in the future. I added a rating system for what theme force a caster is likely strong in (score 1-5). This is meant to help you chose a warlock that fits the theme you like (or vice versa) and it can also help you understand something about how flexible a caster is. The units, solos and beasts have been rated by “Priority”. This is supposed to reflect how necessary it is to own them to build a variety of good lists. Entries with low “Priority” might be very good in certain cases, but they may be uncommon, and thus you probably should not buy them right away if you do not love them for reasons other than their performance on the table. Buying things that look cool, or have appealing rules is fine though, but it is way too subjective for me to include in this guide. I will add different priorities for different theme forces. Even if a model (for example a warbeast) is allowed in many themes, it may be more important in some themes than in others. Update History2016-08-22 (yes, Americans, that is how you write a date properly...) First published. 2016-08-24 Added Scatter Gunners who were forgotten previously. 2017-01-09 Added Madrak 3 and Horgle 2 as well as changes from the December Errata. Also reevaluated some models based on play experience since last update. 2017-02-17 Added in some extra interactions for the Axer after feedback from Wakkatitan. 2017-08-05 Started a major revision adding theme forces to the guide. This will take long time and the NON-updated entries will be written in brown text. 2017-09-04 Major revision where the guide was adapted to themes has been finished. Northkin models not added yet though since they are not released yet. 2017-11-20 Finished updating with theme forces, minions and northkin releases. Hopefully the last major update for a while. 2017-11-29 Added some 50 point sample lists to each theme. These are not ideal lists, but could be totally playable, and gives a guide to how the theme list will look.
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Post by Trollock on Mar 7, 2017 21:08:17 GMT
§1 Themes The first thing I think you should do when starting a new faction is to check the themes available. Even though the game CAN be played without theme forces, it is pretty much a fact by now that you will ALWAYS be better off (as in you have a better chance to win) by playing in one of the themes.
What theme you chose will strongly dictate what models you will be playing, so best get the decision over with fairly early. Either you start by selecting a theme, or by selecting a caster. The caster will be more or less suited to playing each theme. I suggest you pick ones that match. If you are hell bent on playing Doomshaper 2, but are equally hell bent on playing Band of Heroes... you are going to be having a bad time, m'kay?
Band of Heroes (BoH) This theme focuses on melee infantry. This means that you can build it in several different ways. A list that focuses on Fennblades and Kriel Warriors (Madrak 2 can play 2 units of Fenns and three units of Kriels...) will be Very different from a list that focuses around Champions and Warders (Madrak 1 does this). One could also focus on Long Riders for yet another flavor of list. All of these list will want to get in the face of the opponent though.
The theme bonus that allows you to remove from play (RFP) with your warrior models is hugely important in some match ups (Ghost Fleet etc) while doing nothing in other match ups. The +2" of deployment is always good though.
Troll infantry alone is probably not good enough to build a list around. Best to choose a caster that pushes them over the edge. Look for things that helps deliver infantry to the fight, or things that make infantry fight better. The Madraks are the most obvious casters for this theme, but plenty of other ones can play it as well.
Reasonable 50 point starting list: (Madrak 1) Madrak Ironhide, Thornwood Chieftain [+29] - Troll Axer [10] - Troll Bouncer [9] - Troll Impaler [11] Fell Caller Hero [0(5)] Stone Scribe Chronicler [4] Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes (min) [6] - Stone Scribe Elder [3] Trollkin Champions (max) [16] - Skaldi Bonehammer [0(5)] Trollkin Fennblades (max) [15] - Fennblade Officer and Drummer [5]
Power of Dhunia (PoD) The beast theme. This does not necessarily mean you play melee beasts only though. Many casters can run a mean gunline with this list. Bombers are very good in general. The strength of the list comes from the fact that our beasts can punch very hard, and are pretty hard to kill. The biggest drawback is that the list likely has few models, and contesting scenario might be very hard. You want to group up under the umbrella that is the Kriel Stone. You will be hard to budge, but you can be surrounded or jammed. Over all, I think this is the theme that most casters can play and be good in. ALMOST every caster we have can consider PoD a very good alternative, and the rest can at least do it for fun and still win games. Playing multiple heavies is also a cheap way to gather an army (especially if you magnetize them) and it takes less time to paint. Great place to start!
Resonable 50 point starting list: (Ragnor 1) Ragnor Skysplitter, The Runemaster [+30] - Dire Troll Mauler [15] - Earthborn Dire Troll [14] - Troll Axer [10] - Troll Bouncer [9] - Troll Impaler [11] - Trollkin Runebearer [0(5)] Troll Whelps [0(4)] Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes (max) [9] - Stone Scribe Elder [3] Trollkin Runeshapers [9]
Kriel Company (KC) This is the ranged theme force. It has the huge drawback of a limited battle group that can make cracking the ARM of the opponent a challenge. Our shooting units are fairly weak over all too, and since they are generally short ranged, they will have a hard time tripping over one another. The War Wagon is a very strong piece, and i honestly think that a KC list with no WW is probably a bad list. If you want to play WWs, this is the place to do it. The theme has problems with killing lots of ARM, but infantry should present few issues. Some casters run the theme fairly well, and if you like one of those guys, then this might be for you. Not my first recommendation though.
Reasonable 50 point starting list: (Grim 2) Hunters Grim [+25] - Dire Troll Bomber [19] - Slag Troll [10] - Trollkin Runebearer [0(5)] Braylen Wanderheart, Trollkin Outlaw [0(5)] Feralgeist [2] Troll Whelps [4] Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes (min) [6] - Stone Scribe Elder [3] Trollkin Highwaymen (max) [15] Trollkin War Wagon [16]
Storms of the North (SotN) This theme was designed more like a sub faction and had lots of models released specifically for it. The list is sort of a mixed arms list (there are some strong shooting options and some strong melee options). There is easy access to things that punch hard, and to things that are fast. Ambush is a very powerful rule and makes for a very different game plan than PoD. You will probably try to spread out much more and surround your opponent. Many casters work well in the theme, and almost none of them are obviously unsuited for it. It is WAY more expensive then playing PoD (cash wise) but other than that, it is a great place to start.
Reasonable 50 point starting list: (Kolgrima 1) Kolgrima Stonetruth, Winter Witch [+28] - Dire Troll Brawler [16] - Ice Troll [9] - Ice Troll [9] - Trollkin Runebearer [0(5)] Valka Curseborn, Chieftain of the North [0(6)] Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes (max) [9] - Northkin Elder [3] Northkin Bear Handle & Battle Bears [10] Northkin Fire Eaters [7] Northkin Raiders (max) [15]
§2 WarlocksHere i list all of our current Warlocks and write a little bit about them. Some have more info than others, but i try to give a little bit of an idea of how they could be played, as well as the ratings. Each caster gets rated in all theme forces. I use abbreviations for the themes: BoH = Band of Heroes PoD = Power of Dhunia KC = Kriel Company SotN = Storms of the North Borka 1 (AKA pBorka, Borka Keg Slayer)A favorite for many players for “fluff” reasons. His beer drinking theme appeals to many players. He is also a decent warlock to start with, because he has effects that are straight forward but strong, and he is harder to kill than the average warlock. Much harder.
He is probably not a top tier caster, but he is not bottom of the barrel (hehe, get it?) either. He punches hard, has access to a lot of Fury and has good defensive stats. I think that a Pyre Troll is OK with him, and thus I will bring Fire Eaters as well. Rök is very strong with Borka (and Rök + Pyre uses up his battle group points). Champions are also Interesting with him if they get another +2 DEF.
His main strengths are Arcane Ward, the +2" threat from the feat and his durability. His main weakness is his small control area, and his slow/vulnerable keg bearer.
Beginners Rating: ***** Power Rating: ***
BoH: **** Extending threat ranges on Long Riders and Champions is great.
PoD: *** More threat ranges is nice, but Fury 5 is an issue. Making a gargantuan immune to spells is very strong.
KC: ** Making War Wagons charge further is powerful for sure, but lacks support for ranged pieces.
SotN: **** Great synergy with champions, long riders and all units that like charging further. Rök gets even more powerful in theme with Hooch Hauler. Borka 2 (AKA Bearka)Once a really bad warlock has gotten some love through CID. He is probably the warlock in Trolls that does the most work in melee himself and he is one of the harder ones to kill (Madrak 2 is definitely harder to kill, and Borka 1 is nasty as well though). He offers Counter Charge to his Battle Group and Concealment to everyone. His feat is very strong against models with multiple attacks such as jacks/beasts.
Traditionally he has been played in PoD with lots of heavies that can counter charge. The addition of the SotN theme is very interesting too though, since all of a sudden, his feat works with infantry as well. His low Fury stat has always been problematic when running big battle groups, so a more balanced list is definitely an option.
His main strengths are his personal output and survivability and his feat. Counter charge is also a nice thing in a beast heavy list.
Beginners Rating: ***** Power Rating: ****
BoH: * He does not really do anything for the models available. Stealth on the feat turn is pretty much it, and that is not good enough.
PoD: **** The feat works very well here and counter charge is nice. The low fury stat is a problem though.
KC: * Not any synergy with anything, and the warbeast restrictions really hurt him as well.
SotN: **** The feat works very well here, and if you bring the HHH or the Northkin Elder both Borka and his battle group could benefit. He does not really do much for infantry though. Calandra 1She is a bit of an oddball among the trolls in that she is way easier to kill (at a glance) than the average Troll Warlock, and her effects might not seem super powerful. This is not true though. Star Crossed is INCREDIBLE. Befuddle is also very strong when playing against heavies, and Bullet Dodger makes our heavies almost impossible to kill. The feat is also very strong as it makes “everything work” for a round. Rolling 7+ is almost guaranteed.
The neat thing about Calandra is that she supports almost everything. You could slap together almost any list and have Calandra lead it. I think that a Bouncer is probably the best model to start with for her. Shield Guard is great to have, and if she should become knocked down, she could easily die. Her DEF is what keeps her alive (and distance to the enemy) and if she is on the ground, that will not help. Other than that she can run a big battle group if you want, or more infantry if you want. The sky is the limit. She is one of my favorite Warlocks for sure. She has a high “skill cap” and thus she might not be THE best caster to start with.
Her main strengths are Star Crossed, Bullet Dodger (on a heavy), Befuddle, the feat and very large control area. Her main weakness is that she is not very durable herself.
Beginners Rating: *** Power Rating: *****
BoH: **** She has obvious synergy with Champions and SoB who are high DEF, and also roll 4 dice on the charge (more dice means he feat become stronger). Other than that there is nothing special, except that she pushes the survivability of your model up a notch, and with the feat they do more work than you think they should. A list with LOTS of cheap infantry might be totally viable for her. If you force the opponent to play a long game, Star crossed could really pay off i guess... Very little is known about this playstyle when i write this.
PoD: ***** High Fury stat means he beasts can spread out. Star Crossed and Bullet Dodger can allow a heavy to work outside the Kriel Stone aura and still be survivable.
KC: ***** Her feat allows for a seriously dangerous alpha strike if you have lots of ranged units. Many units in KC has DEF 13 base and she really likes that.
SotN: ***** Many high DEF options in this theme. She supports Champions VERY well. Doomshaper 1 (AKA pDoomy, Shaman of the Gnarls)He has several very strong abilities. He can dispel upkeeps, he can move an enemy warbeast (often walking forward and turning it around so you can charge it) and he can allow your beasts to attack on the opponents turn if they get too close. If Mulg punches something and manages to Crit, he can smack the enemy model away before it gets to make its attacks. This is game changing! He has the drawback that he is very easy to kill too. His feat is very strong in some match ups and does very little in others. If you can catch an enemy caster in it, without dying things are probably going OK.
If you play him you will want Mulg, and most likely a Mauler. From there things vary. I for one think that Scattergunners with CA and a Fell Caller are interesting to take care of infantry. A MAT 7 charge attack (with re-roll from Fortune) followed by a RAT 5 spray (also with re-roll) should be able to kill a lot of infantry.
Many players run him with PoD as a beast heavy list, but he can actually work very well in other themes too. I for one like him very much in SotN with a Glacier King and Mulg backed up by a Hooch Hauler and Northkin Raiders. Fortune is very good on models with multiple attacks, such as the Raiders (quick work). He will most likely not bring a full 60 points of infantry/battle engines to get 3 free things in a theme force, and that is the only thing keeping him back in KC and SotN just a little bit.
His main strengths are upkeep removal, Rampager (against beast heavy lists), a decent hit buff and making attacks on the opponents turn that could stop their activations (like stationary from a GK or crit smite from Mulg). His main weakness is his personal durability, especially since Guardian beast rewards you for playing him more forward than might be advisable.
Beginners Rating: ** Power Rating: ****
BoH: * No real synergy with anything here. Removing Upkeeps, turning an enemy beast around and casting fortune works with anything, but nothing in BoH sticks out to me. You COULD make an infantry list to fight cryx, cause having upkeep removal is usually nice against the dead guys, but that feels like something for highly skilled players who know exactly what they are doing.
PoD: ***** Goad is very powerful, and he can handle a large battle group with his high Fury stat. Fortune is very good on a Warbeast that needs to roll 6s to hit an enemy. When you have a re-roll, you almost always hit your 6s.
KC: **** Fortune is really good on a War Wagon, Scatter Gunners or on a Mountain King. He can bring Mulg even in this theme to get access to an Arc Node for Rampager.
SotN: **** The Glacier King really likes this theme, and Doomy 1 loves his Glacier King. Fortune is superb for Northkin Raiders too. Doomshaper 2 (AKA eDoomy, Rage of Dhunia)He does two things: Speeds your beasts up and makes them hit harder/more accurately. These are very powerful abilities, and his Field Marshal can allow your heavies (and lights) to kill infantry better than they normally do. Delivering a heavy with Wild Aggression to the face of the opposing caster will usually win you the game.
He does nothing to support infantry really, so you will probably play a lot of beasts. Mulg, Mauler, EBDT and Axer are all very probable candidates for your list. Some defensive things like a Bouncer is also in the cards for sure. He is easy to kill, so perhaps you want some clouds to block LOS to him.
I will give him a pretty low Beginnerss Rating, but that is mainly because his feat and field marshal may result in very short games. You get Mulg to their caster and then you win. These types of games are not as educational as longer ones, and it is probably better to wait until you and your opponent are a bit more experienced before you start going for his throat like Doomy does.
For theme forces, He is obviously best in PoD, BUT Rök is an incredibly powerful beast with him thanks to the combination of Wild Aggression, Overtake and Berserk. This interaction is so powerful that you may actually start thinking about playing in SotN but this is probably for experienced players only.
His main strengths are the incredible threat ranges on his beasts as well as the damage they do with a free charge and possibly boosted attack rolls and upkeep removal. His main weaknesses are his low durability, and the fact that his army might outpace him and the kriel stone. You will get to punch first, so make it count, because he may be unprotected afterwards, and his beasts may be outside the stone aura.
Beginnerss Rating: ** Power Rating: *****
BoH: * Nope, nothing here.
PoD: ***** Basicaly the perfect theme if it wasn't for Rök who is not allowed. 99% of the time this is the way to go.
KC: * Even more no!
SotN: *** Having access to Rök is HUGE. Getting the points to work out for a list that is basically all beasts is very hard though. Probably not worth it in the end. Doomshaper 3 (AKA Doomy3, Dire Prophet)If Doomshaper 2 was pure offense, this guy is almost pure defense. Implacability forces your opponent to try and kill your beasts (rather than moving them out from a zone with slams and the like, but throws still work!) while Admonition and the feat makes that very difficult. His real drawbacks are that he doesn’t buff the offensive capabilities of your beasts much and that his feat is entirely countered by Grievous Wounds. He also has the trade mark “old man stats” that makes him relatively easy to kill, at least when his feat is not up.
He does very little for troops, so just as with the other Doomshapers you will want lots of beasts. Mulg is always great, and a Mauler and EBDT too. After the errata (December 2016) where Gargantuans become immune to Grievous Wounds, they became obvious candidates for him. It will be really tough to kill one of those on the feat turn. They do not benefit from Implacability or Admonition though, so it is your call.
His main strengths are all the things he does to make his beasts hard to kill. His main weakness is that he is still pretty squishy and his scroll carrier is even more so. Obviously Grievous Wounds is a real problem for him too.
Beginnerss Rating: *** Power Rating: *****
BoH: * Don't
PoD: ***** Do!
KC: * Don't
SotN: * Don't. Very simple, right? Grim 1 (AKA pGrim, Grim Angus)He focuses on increasing accuracy and controlling the opponents models. He has a very strong toolkit. If you can get the alpha strike (with ranged attacks, or by increasing the charge range on a fast beast) he can then feat and with some luck get to hit again before any retaliation happens. This is very strong in Trolls because we do hit really hard! He has no great tech against shooting though. He wants to play against melee armies, preferably infantry.
If you play with him, you will want a beast with Snipe, to allow Grim to snipe out a key model. You will probably want something with a large volume of attacks to take advantage of all the low DEF targets that will be available when he feats. Do not forget about some heavy hitting though. Grim does not help your things hit harder, so something that can punch really hard by itself is probably a good idea. Sluggers have a high volume of attacks and with the increased accuracy Grim gives them, they can really dish out the hurt. I personally like him with a gargantuan for some heavy lifting too, but if you play outside PoD, your battle group may not be able to fit one. GK + a light is a potential battle group that can allow you to still field 60+ points of infantry.
Grim is pretty hard to kill, because of his stats and the fact that he can stay back a bit. He is also a very dangerous assassin, which could lead to short games if you knock the opposing caster down with Grim, and shoot it with Bombers or something. This works against his Beginners Rating, but he is a powerful caster for sure!
His main strengths are his abilities to make your attacks hit, his control and his ability to pick off key models at range. His weakness is that he does not make your things hit harder.
Beginners Rating: ** Power Rating: ****
BoH: ** Not obviously powerful, but Fennblades or Longriders for example could get an alpha strike since they are fast, and then back up a bit with reform. The feat could keep them safe for a round allowing them to do it again! Having Pathfinder on a unit from Weald Secrets can allow you to give them to get +2 MAT from the fell caller instead, even if the Hunter part of the spell does nothing. Grim is strong against melee based armies, and Fennblades and Long Riders are too. Together they become super strong, but you might not end up with a very balanced list in the end.
PoD: **** Surprisingly strong. His Fury 6 and the low volume of attacks the theme brings is a drawback though.
KC: ***** Very strong option. He has super good support for ranged models. Cracking high ARM is an issue though.
SotN: ***** Also very strong options here. The skirmishing units such as Raiders really like both an accuracy boost and being protected from charges from a turn. Grim 2 (AKA eGrim, Hunters Grim)This guy makes your things shoot further and more accurately, but he can also make them shoot harder, allowing him to use ranged attacks to fight heavy ARM. He is also a powerful assassin.
If you play him, you probably want a mainly ranged force that can take advantage of the feat. The idea is to hit first and hit hard. Cripple the opposition and then play from there. Bombers, Highwaymen and even Burrowers can shoot down heavy targets with him before they get to do anything. He does not like to face other shooting, but if the opposition has brought mainly melee stuff, he can handle mass infantry or high ARM at the same time.
His main strengths are that he can make your ranged attacks reach further, hit more accurately and hit harder. Mirage is also a very good (but expensive) spell. His main weakness is that if you build a list to really take advantage of the feat, you can run out of steam after the feat turn when you are engaged in melee. Best make that alpha strike count!
Beginners Rating: *** Power Rating: ****
BoH: ** With Mortality, even our semi weak units like fennblades start punching hard. They can be effectively POW 15 on their charge and that hurts basically anything around. The feat will be extra underwhelming though, so you most likely want a ranged battle group to balance things out. This is unexplored territory for sure.
PoD: **** He would like something fast that can get up close and apply the feat, but he supports beasts very well for being a Fury 6 caster. An Arc Node in Mulg is also welcome news for him.
KC: ***** Amazing for him. He likes all the shooty units, and he is not as hurt by the lack of a Mauler as many other casters thanks to Mortality.
SotN: ***** Raiders really like his spells and feat, and bears will make minced meat out of anything with Mortality. Fire Eaters are super good at applying his feat too. Grissel 1 (AKA pGrissel, Fell Caller)She has her Fell Calls that work sort of like free spells. She has a powerful spell list but her feat is a bit lack luster.
She is very good at supporting high value targets like a warbeast, and she is good at allowing her things to kill high value targets. She does very little to protect her things on the way in, but Hoof it can allow you to retreat or to get there faster, and with an extra attack, a free charge and calamity, one of your beasts will easily kill any opposing heavy.
Her army will likely include a Mauler and perhaps Bombers or one of our character warbeasts. She could possibly bring a Gargantuan even. She does not strictly need the Maulers animus since Calamity and an extra attack and a free charge can allow your beasts to punch above their weight class. Long Riders can charge in and then back out 10” to be safe, and that makes them really interesting. I have played lists with lots of Night Trolls because of how well they take buffs. Apply Rage and Stone Strength and give them a free charge and an extra attack and they start almost one rounding heavies. If you can land a Calamity (and not die) they WILL one round heavies. 7 attacks at P+S 18 is no joke. She supports a lot of things to be honest, and can be played in many ways.
Her main strengths are that she can make an unimpressive model REALLY impressive and that she can allow you to either back up or push deeper at the end of turn with Hoof it. Her main weakness is that her feat is very weak compared to many other feats. She also has trouble utilizing her entire kit of spells and abilities at once due to fury starvation.
Beginners Rating: **** Power Rating: ***
BoH: **** Allowing an entire unit to make an extra attack can help mulch infantry, or (if applied to champions) can allow them to really kill a heavy dead. Calamity supports basically anything, but is hard to land. Hoof it is superb if you want to jam the opponent, or you can have Long riders charge in, and then back up a total of 10"!
PoD: ***** She supports Beasts very well and having an Arc Node from Mulg can allow her to use Calamity to really swing things in her favor.
KC: **** This also works very well. She can allow War Wagons to charge further, and potentially back up 10" afterwards. Calamity is great for ranged units, but she will be very exposed afterwards.
SotN: ***** Strong synergy with Long Riders. Raiders really like Calamity or Hoof It. Having a Glacier King that threatens 15" with melee attacks every turn is a thing to respect. Grissel 2 (AKA eGrissel, Marshal of the Kriels)She has an INCREDIBLE gun. Her spell list is OK, and he feat is on the weak side, but the gun makes up for all of it IMO. Not only can she knock down 3 things every turn, but she can do a great deal of damage to them while she is at it. Boosted POW 14 shots really hurt most things. Speeding up her force is nice, and she protects them a bit both with Deflection and with the feat. Neither effect is super strong, but that gun… Her army should probably always contain a Bomber for Far Strike (Impalers are way worse imo) to allow her to threaten further. Things with high DEF against shooting takes best advantage of Deflection (Burrowers and Runeshapers for example) while things with hight ARM and lots of boxes takes best advantage of the Feat. Bouncers are very good with Wailing too, because they are cheap enough to throw away, and they are sturdy enough that they are really hard to remove. Special mention goes to the Razorback crew. It is by no means mandatory with her, but unlike with basically any other caster, it is a really solid choice with her. Her Beginners Rating is a bit low, because she plus a Bomber can basically kill almost any caster they can reach (17” from the Bomber, 19” from Grissel). It can be VERY hard to defend against this assassination and that can make for too short games. I think she is a very strong caster though after having played her a lot early in the current edition. Her main strength is her amazing gun. Her main weakness is the rest of her kit, which is a bit mediocre. The gun is so amazing that it makes up for it though imo. Here is an article dedicated to her: lormahordes.freeforums.net/thread/7245/grissel-2-tacticaBeginners Rating: ** Power Rating: ***** BoH: *** She makes Warders and Long Riders very sturdy with the feat. She offers extra speed and a bit of ranged protection and melee based armies will like that a lot. PoD: **** If she knocks a target down, a Bomber can hit without boosting, and thus do two boosted POW 16s to that target. She can do horrific things with two Bombers, or Bomber + MK/GK. Make sure to bring enough whelps and you are golden! KC: *** She can allow Burrowers or Sluggers to hit with their guns. She can allow Highwaymen to disengage and walk in to back arcs (for back stabs) with Dash. She is perhaps not as awesome with the War Wagon as i would like though. It is a very playable theme, but not really impressive. Cracking ARM will be a bit of an issue for sure. SotN: **** Knock something down, so that the Hooch Hauler can light it on fire. Then Raiders murder it. What else can you ask for? Gunnbjorn (AKA Gunny)He supports the shooting of your things with Snipe and Guided Fire and he protects them with the Rock Wall and his feat. He wants to shoot, and he protects against shooting, but he does not really support melee. Having a wall that can be placed on demand will make for a REALLY tough to kill EBDT though.
He is a good all round caster. Our things punch pretty well on their own, so he can bring a mixed list and do OK with it. He protects your stuff on the way in, and he helps your shooty elements shoot better.
His list will probably contain many ranged elements. Bomber and Highwaymen are both prime suspects, but do not think that you have to bring only ranged pieces. His feat can deliver things like Fennblades and that is a powerful thing. Learning the art of placing the Rock Wall in the most annoying place is super important and can allow you to win games that seem lost.
His main strengths are Guided Fire, Snipe, Kill Shot, Explosivo, the feat and Rock Wall. His main weaknesses are that he can not do everything he wants to do at once, and that he does not make you hit harder. He seemingly supports a passive play style that can get you in to scenario trouble. Do not fall in to the trap of playing only ranged elements and stay back in a "bunker" and shoot. You need to get up the board still.
Beginners Rating: ***** Power Rating: ****
BoH: *** He can deliver a melee based army very well. He will do nothing for them when they arrive, but they might be able to fight it out against an opposing ranged based list for sure. In a melee vs melee fight, he will not fare as well.
PoD: ***** He has super good support for Bombers, Dozer, MK/GK, Swamp Trolls and EBDTs. It is a very different PoD list than the Doomshapers play.
KC: *** Not as amazing as one might think. The Feat and Snipe is basically all he does for shooty infantry. His Battle Group support is a bit wasted in a list where you want a minimal Battle Group.
SoTN: **** Same story as in KC, but with more balanced options. Also, Snipe + Lucky Shot on a Hooch Hauler is a significant boon to other models in the list, such as Raiders. Horgle 2 He has 3 very useful upkeeps, and with his feat, he can make even the weakest models punch way above their weight class. The first ARM buffing spell in Trolls can allow him to have models that are unfairly hard to kill. An ARM 23 Mountain King will be too much for some lists to handle, especially if you can manage to scalpel out some dangerous pieces first with your feat.
His feat is super strong for killing things, especially on things that can normally not get boosted damage. Sluggers are the poster children for models that with his feat will kill things they have no business killing. Against ARM 20, a 10 point package of these boys will do an average of 35 damage. Naturally, dice are involved so results may vary, but they will murder basically anything that is on fire. Thanks to Fire Starter, that is easily accomplished.
Almost all lists with him seem to include a Bomber to light something on fire for the feat. Then you include something to benefit from +2 ARM. It does not have to be a King. Mulg, Longriders or Warders are interesting choices too. A Runebearer seems absolutely mandatory for him too, since he has trouble getting all of his upkeeps up while fueling the kriel stone.
Neat trick: If Horgle punches his own huge base model with his melee attacks, it still triggers the chain attack. You could light everything within 2" on fire and cause a potentially boosted POW 12 to them. This is a great way to disengage your King!
His main strengths are that he can allow weaker models to do a lot of damage, and that he can skew ARM really hard. His main weakness is that he has to pay a lot to keep his upkeeps going, so he himself will do very little on a turn by turn basis.
Beginners Rating: **** Power Rating: ****
BoH: *** Kriel Warriors and Long Riders become super annoying to try and kill with +2 ARM and no knock down. Champions punch even harder if their second attack gets boosted damage from the feat. All of that can be done in SotN though, and there you have some more interesting options imo.
PoD: **** He supports Beasts very well, but this takes very little advantage of Solid Ground. Free upkeeps are a real boon for him.
KC: ***** He supports ranged units both with the feat and with Solid Ground. A King or War Wagon is an excellent target for +2 ARM. He is less reliant on Rage than many other casters thanks to the feat.
SotN: ***** Additional ways to light things on fire, though some anti synergy between Oil, the Fire Eaters boosting and the feat. This list contains a basically all the types of models he wants, and not having to pay for upkeeps is super good. Jarl 1 (AKA Skuld 1)The advent of theme forces REALLY changed this guy imo. He went from being my least favorite warlock to my most played in the first half of 2017.
Jarl has several abilities that focuses on speed and mobility. They are all fine, but cost a lot of Fury. Then he has Magic Bullet that is a signature spell. On the surface it is nothing fancy, but it allows him to pick off key models at an impressive range. With Far Strike he shoots 16" and then can bounce the bullet off a target he hits to kill something even further away. The damage can not be boosted, but the Dhunia Knot allows him to re-roll it, and then he can kill and ARM 14 solo with very good reliability. Coupled with his two pistols, he could kill 4 models per turn. This is not super impressive, but he could do it from the bottom of turn 1 and for the rest of the game if he wants to. It adds up if there are lots of infantry around.
Finally, we have his feat. It is not a super strong feat on the surface, but when you allow trolls to punch first, it turns out that is a powerful thing. If you think that the feat is worthless against Legion, think again. Against melee based legion lists (not uncommon), it acts like +2 DEF. Add in a whelp and your beasts are effectively DEF 15. Legion heavies do not like that at all.
Jarls spells can be cast on basically anything. Some swear by +2 SPD on Fennblades or Longriders. Some use ranged units because that feels thematic. I am of the opinion that Jarl plays a very fine beast brick. SPD 9 on an EBDT is a thing! The feat to grant your bombers an extra round of shooting is also amazing. I play him as a brick that shoots initially and tears it up in melee after a while. Meanwhile Jarl plinks away with his guns and picks off either important support models or just regular infantry models. The only models i think are mandatory with Jarl is a Bomber (for Far Strike) and a Runebearer (to cast Magic Bullet). Dunia Knot is super good too, and that is why I end up in PoD with my list building.
His main strengths are his feat and his personal contribution by killing key models, or just help against masses of infantry. His main weakness is that he does nothing to help you hit or do more damage. He needs models that are good on their own.
Beginners Rating: *** Power Rating: ***
BoH: *** He can help deliver a melee based army, as well as make it faster. He will not make them more accurate or hit harder though, and that can be an issue. SotN will probably do the same things but better.
PoD: ***** The most important thing here is that he gets his upkeeps out to start with. He can protect a beast brick well with his feat too. He can also allow his beasts to charge far (Quicken) and still punch hard (Rage).
KC: * Very counter intuitive i know, but even though the upkeeps are fine on the ranged infantry, he does not want huge bases (War Wagon, Mountain King) since they can be seen through the feat clouds. What is your plan to crack even moderately high ARM? Also, getting the upkeeps out is a chore too.
SotN: **** Here you find fast infantry that you can make faster. You also have help with your upkeeps. The only thing that is a bit annoying is the Hooch Hauler, since it synergizes so well with the list, but can be seen through the feat clouds. I still prefer PoD since it has a smaller footprint and is easier to cover with the feat. Kolgrima 1When i write this she is brand new, and largely unexplored, so take this with a grain of salt, ok? She brings many nifty abilities. Hunters Mark is very powerful for sure. Cursed Fate allows you to hit more accurately, but it also allows you to "plink" something for 1 point many many times. Putting out a wall of clouds is strong, especially with SR2017 terrain, and the feat can shut down an opponents really hard for a round. Just as an example, even huge bases will lose pathfinder. They are often placed in forests since they can walk through them unhindered, but without pathfinder they will be slowed to a crawl.
She also brings some serious offensive spell slinging to the faction! Her 10" spray can become POW 14 with the NK elder, and getting a "faux-boost" to both magical attacks and damage rolls can make her super dangerous. With a HHH she can get effectively skill 8 to hit, or with Dhunia Knot she can re roll an attack roll to "fish for crits". A caster that gets stationary early on can easily be brought down by the combination of spells and some shooting.
Oh, and she can remove upkeeps AND make a model/unit immune to spells.
She has a LOT of potential strengths though it is unclear what part of her kit will be the most used. Her weakness could be that she is personally not very sturdy (though clouds and spell immunity can really mitigate that in a pinch), and that she does not really help you to hit harder (though Trolls can punch pretty hard even without caster support).
Beginners Rating: *** Power Rating: *****
BoH: ** No obvious synergies here. She can make things charge further with Hunters Mark, or hit more accurately with Cursed Fate, but she will be exposed afterwards most likely. This is not an awful plan i guess, but the other themes will probably be better.
PoD: ***** A high Fury stat, extended threat ranges, a small list that can be covered well by clouds and access to Mulg for arcing. Seems VERY strong!
KC: **** Cursed Fate is very good support here. Not only can your highwaymen shoot down a LOT of infantry in a turn, but they could also "plink" a heavy 20 times for 20 points of damage. Though with 2 POW 20 shots they would likely do around 15 points of damage without cursed fate, and getting all 10 of them in range is probably a fantasy. Allowing the WW to charge 2" further is also very potent, and cursed fate makes it running over an entire unit almost guaranteed!
SotN: ***** She is NK herself so she can benefit from the NK elder and the HHH. Extra threat range for champions is nice, as is clouds to protect them. NK raiders will love Cursed fate, and even ambushing lookouts could do serious work against a cursed infantry unit. Madrak 1 (AKA pMadrak)
Has undergone a total overhaul in CID, making him a very powerful warlock. The most obvious thing is that he gives every one +2 DEF. Even starting at DEF 12, that is significant. His feat also fully heals any 5 wound model which is really good with Champions. He has a nice throwing axe that can contribute during the entire game. He can make things hit accurately with Guided Hand. Jack Hammer can allow one of your heavy hitters to hit WAY harder than normal.
The most obvious list builds revolve around champions in BoH or possibly SotN, but Even Ground is such a powerful spell that it can allow him to run almost any army. DEF 13 infantry that go to DEF 15 is a thing. A big battle group that heals and can not be charged for a round, and that are DEF 14 ARM 20 is also a thing.
His main strengths are Even Ground and probably the feat. Both Guided Hand and Jack Hammer have situations where they are great, but you might not cast them every round.
Neat trick: Running a Glacier King (cast Guided Hand from the Runebearer and Rush from an Axer) to a caster and casting Jack Hammer until the caster goes away.
Beginners Rating: ***** Power Rating: *****
BoH: ***** Healing all 5 wound infantry back to hull is VERY strong if you run double champions. Oh, and DEF 16 champions...
PoD: **** The low Fury stat is a problem for sure, but both Even Ground and Jack Hammer are very powerful tools.
KC: * Sure, you can prevent your shooty guys from being charged for a round, but this is probably not the way to go...
SotN: ***** Champions exist here too, and +2 DEF is very good on the Raiders. Having the Northkin Elder allows your GK to run even further for that crazy assassination, or shoot harder on the other turns.
Madrak 2 (AKA eMadrak, World Ender)
He can allow his army to kill a disproportionate amount of things with his feat. Theoretically, Mulg could kill unlimited numbers of infantry models if the dice go your way, and he could finish off a heavy at the end. Madrak is also incredibly hard to kill due to Grim salvation assuming you have brought some warrior models to place near him. Warpath and Filed Marshal Relentless charge means that he can (theoretically) have his beasts threaten as far as Doomshaper 2's feated beasts, but with free pathfinder and he can do it every turn. It is conditional to you managing to kill at least one model first though.
His army could focus on infantry and still do alright. There are lists that run double Fennblades AND Double Kriel Warriors with him with a minimal battlegroup. You could also bring some Warders to place near Madrak to make him VERY hard to kill. Theoretically, you could build a list with lots of beasts and try and capitalize on Warpath in his Filed Marshal. When i write this, no one seems to be doing this, but perhaps YOU will be the one to master that build? Just make sure you bring Fury management. FURY 5 is a problem...
Neat trick: If you use Grim Salvation to shunt off an attack to the kriel stone bearer, and he is disabled, he can still use self sacrifice! If the KSB is within 3" of madrak, you can effectively shunt off attacks to all stone scribes within 3" of the KSB. This leads to a whole lot of models that need to die before one can start damaging Madrak!
His main strengths are Bloodfury, the feat and his durability. Warpath is still relevant though. His main wekness is his low Fury stat that makes running beasts hard.
Beginners Rating: **** Power Rating: *****
BoH: ***** He likes running infantry, especially cheap infantry. You can easily have double Fennblades and tripple Kriel Warriors, making for a real skew. Some armies will handle that just fine, but many simply cant.
PoD: ** He has a lot of good tools to run beasts, but the small control area and the low Fury makes it very hard. Also, he misses out on a good target for Blood Fury and Grim Salvation.
KC: * No real synergy here.
SotN: ***** The infantry/cavalry options here are very good for him. Bears become truly absurd with Blood Fury, but if they ambush, they encourage the opponent to squeeze his forces together in the middle of the board. This is exactly what Madrak wants for his feat!
Madrak 3
his guy is strange... His feat encourages you to play single wound infantry. His spell list supports both infantry and beasts, but fairly weakly. He has his own Kriel Stone that encourages you to play a list with a small number of models that can stay near him in the aura, while other models (who might nor benefit overly much from the aura) could range out more. This would allow him to save 6 points by not bringing a stone, but removes the possibility of an elder-bonus on the aura.
I have played him in several types of completely different lists, and it has worked fine. I have played him in PoD with 100 points of beasts to get 4 free solos. This means he has no feat though.
I have played him in KC with some shooty infantry backed up by bombers to shoot down the enemy (through defensive spells) and hide behind Burrowers or similar models that can be hard to chew through thanks to the feat. Fortune is VERY good on Sluggers. This is the type of list that takes advantage of most of his abilities and spells at once.
Other players swear by lists in BoH with lots of Warders and Champions. These lists often bring a Kriel stone to have two auras. This does only use the feat poorly (few models = few tough rolls) and it does put a lot of strain on the FURY since he has to both feed the stone and his own aura.
No obvious way to play him "the best way" has yet emerged.
His main strengths are that he is survivable and can ignore defensive spells. Not having to bring a stone can save him points, and Rebuke is situationally brilliant. His main weaknesses are a lack of direction. He does a lot of things, and none of them very well.
Beginners Rating: *** Power Rating: ***
BoH: **** He can run infantry very well. Massive amounts of single wound infantry that are super hard to kill on the feat, or Champions who pierce defensive spells to murder what ever are all powerful things.
PoD: *** Would be higher if his feat did anything of value in the theme.
KC: **** Pretty decent synergy over all. Lots of models that can take advantage of the feat, and Fortune is good on Sluggers. He does very little for the War Wagon though and that is probably the strongest piece in KC.
SotN: **** Lots of infantry (possibly) to use the feat, and Fortune is superb for Raiders. He can still bring Kriel Warriors and champions here too, and that can be very good. Having +2 STR on the stone allows your low power infantry to do more work, and coupled with spell piercer they threaten a lot of things that are usually outside their weight class.
Ragnor 1
A very solid caster with simple but strong abilities. He can protect his force as well and increase it’s output. He is also very hard to kill.
Ragnor seems to be a beast focused Warlock, but his low FURY stat makes it slightly harder to run plenty of beasts. With a little bit of fury management such as Whelps you can probably do just fine though. He will definitely want Mulg (if PoD) and a Rage-beast, but after that you can start improvising. You could build him with some ranged attacks like a Bomber if you try and knock down a caster with his spells and then shoot it, but most commonly you will probably play a longer attrition game where you grind down the opposing force over several rounds until they no longer can threaten your remaining heavies. A Gargantuan is a fine choice too if that is what you like.
Ragnor is a very good beginning caster, because he has simple effects, and solutions to many problems. He is hard to kill to boot. Even though he has a knock down spell that could lead to some early assassinations he does not encourage you to build for that, so I think that is unlikely to happen.
His main strengths are his Feat, Earth's Sanctuary and Pulverizer, though his knock down spell is a threat one can easily forget. His main weaknesses are that he wants to play a very tight brick and has no support for infantry unless you count the feat.
Beginners Rating: ***** Power Rating: *****
BoH: ** Multi wound infantry become very hard to kill under the feat, but he does very little else to support the list. Same goes for a swarm of cheap Kriel Warriors that are "impossible" to shoot down on the feat turn.
PoD: ***** This is the obvious choice. He can protect the beasts well against shooting as well as making them impossible to kill on the feat turn. Pulverizer is obviously best on beasts. Getting it out for free also helps his first turn a lot.
KC: ** Making the War Wagon basically unkillable for a turn is a powerful thing. It could allow you to mow down infantry two turns in a row. That is basically the only synergy, so i would play 2 WWs if i were to try this out and then fill up the list with beasts.
SotN: *** Access to most nifty infantry options is not bad, though most players will still prefer PoD for sure.
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Post by Trollock on Mar 7, 2017 21:08:32 GMT
§3 WarbeastsHere I write a little bit about our current Warbeasts. I give a few tips on what they may synergize with and so on. Many choices have received a very low priority. If you absolutely want one of them, do not despair. They all have a place where they can be played (though i struggle to imagine the place for certain choices) and the difference in power level between a guys with * and some one with ***** is not enormous. These are just reflections of how i would prioritize buying things if my models were stolen or something. I have no specific scoring for theme forces here. The beasts are roughly as valuable in one them as in another. Some beasts are only allowed in certain themes though, and i may mention certain special interactions. Dire Troll BlitzerAn all round warbeast that is reasonable at fighting in melee and can shoot a bit. It is fairly cheap, but not extremely so. The Animus has a little bit of merit, but the fact that it is range SELF is problematic. It should never be your first beast but you could consider it if you have a Mauler already. The best way of getting this is probably to buy a kit and magnetize it so that it can be a Bomber or Mauler most of the time.
Priority: * Dire Troll BomberA very strong shooting beast. It is good at killing both infantry and heavies and it can be plugged in to almost any list and still be good. The animus is essential to some casters. If a Mauler/Mountain King is in the list, it can be a credible melee threat late game too. Very good value!
Priority: ***** Dire Troll BrawlerPunches hard, and has a 2" reach. Arguably does not "need" Rage to do serious work. Most suitable for SotN lists where you want a small Battle Group, both since he can benefit from +1 SPD from the elder and +1 to hit from a HHH, and since he coupled with a unit of Champs is probably all the ARM cracking you need. A Battle Group of 2 Brawlers will not be a bad idea for SotN, and he can be a really nice second or third or fourth heavy in PoD.
Priority: **** Dire Troll MaulerAlmost all of our beasts seem to need his Animus to function as a melee beast. This is a faction defining beast, and almost every list you build will contain one. It also happens to be a great beat stick all on its own for a very reasonable point cost. One is good in almost every list. Two is more for lists like PoD where your list almost stops to function if you lose access to Rage.
Priority: ***** Dozer & Smigg (AKA D&S)A super sweet looking model with a sort of sub par statline. Usually a Bomber will be better. If you play Gunnbjorn he is really good though. Bonus points if you include something to take advantage of the Animus.
Priority: * (**** with Gunnbjorn) Earthborn Dire Troll (AKA EBDT)A melee beast that fights like a ranged beast but can not shoot. Do not despair though, because this guy is amazing if he has access to Rage and terrain, both of which are very common. He will not reliably one round another heavy (but he can come close) with only Rage, but due to terrain, he will basically be SPD 7. His immunities are very relevant and over all he is a pain to remove. He is a prime suspect for a second heavy, especially in PoD. He is great for initiating piece trades, since he is fast and hard to remove. Combine with a bit of shooting so he reliably kills what he charges and you are golden.
Priority: **** Glacier King (AKA GK)A credible ranged beast with serious punching power. You probably want Rage in the list if you bring him, but casters that can buff his damage in other ways may skip Rage. He helps a bit to protect your models with concealment (and a huge base) and if he survives until late game he is incredible. I place him as low priority because he is a bit hard to fit in lists and because he is expensive, but he is not bad by any means.
Another note that goes for all Gargantuans is that I think they are bad choices for low point games. Those games become very boring. Either your opponent has enough muscle to kill your king, and then you lose, or he doesn’t and then you win. This types of games will not teach either player much about the game, and they are not very useful to grow as a player.
He becomes more interesting in SotN themes, since his gun could potentially be POW 16.
Priority: ** Ice TrollTwo Ice trolls are similar damage output and price as one Bomber, at least if you have access to the NK elder. The animus is way less useful, but if you have 9 points left in a SotN list that you do not know what to do with, then this is a neat idea. Crit Stationary can flat out win you games too if you have the list that can take advantage of it. Crazy gunlines based around frosty beasts are at least a theoretical possibility.
Priority: *** Mountain King (AKA MK)An absolute monster when facing other heavies. He can do serious work against infantry too. He has a great animus, and he is hard to kill due to high ARM, many boxes and whelp shedding. The list will always be centered around him if you bring him and that has a bunch of problems when it comes to scenario play. His priority is low because of his price, and how he limits list construction, but if you love the model and have the cash, go for it! He is a really good beast to have access to.
Another note that goes for all Gargantuans is that I think they are bad choices for low point games. Those games become very boring. Either your opponent has enough muscle to kill your king, and then you lose, or he doesn’t and then you win. This types of games will not teach either player much about the game, and they are not very useful to grow as a player.
Priority: *** Mulg the AncientA true BEAST. He punches incredibly hard, and punishes those who mess with him (potentially with hilarious base ball like consequences). He is sturdier than the average armored truck, and he can negate spells cast at nearby things. Oh, and he is potentially an Arc Node. This is a game changer for many casters. Neat Trick: Arcane Vortex asks you to REMOVE fury to use it. Not ADD fury. It also does not specify enemy spells, so the Dhunia Knot can potentially cast Puppet Strings on him three times after he has killed something and he can remove 3 fury so he does not frenzy next round! Even more silliness with Doomshaper 3, who can allow Mulg to cast his animus for free. Mulg can force 5 times to buy attacks and then cast his animus for free. He can then use arcane vortex to prevent his own animus from taking effect and REMOVE one fury, so he can buy yet another attack! This is wonky, and wrong and strange and absolutely legal Priority: ***** Night TrollSadly, this cool looking model has limited value on the table. The exception is Grissel 1, who can make him punch hard enough to take down heavies. He is cheap, and Stealth means he will not be shot down before he gets in melee. I have played lists with 4 of these with Grissel 1, but i would not buy more than 1 unless i planned on playing her exclusively. Most lists will not use him at all.
Priority: * Pyre TrollHe doesn’t do too much on his own. He has an OK gun, and he can do a little bit of damage with his fist. He is pretty cheap. His Animus is situationally useful. The one thing he has going for him is that he can light up 2 units of Fire Eaters with no dice needed with a single shot. So if you want to run Fire Eaters (a REALLY good unit) and you plan on bringing two units (if you only have one unit, it is too expensive to bring 8 points of support for them) this guy is worth considering. I would never bring more than one though.
He is most interesting in KC or SotN since there can be FEs there. I would not use him in the other themes at all.
Priority: * (*** in SotN or KC) RökThis is now our hardest hitting heavy. The MK has an extra POW, but he also has one less MAT, so it may end up a wash between them. Rök is great at killing heavies, and he can do a bit of work against infantry too (especially with Doomshaper 1 and 2). His animus is not as good as you think it is though. There are only 2 cases where you might use it. 1) You send in a light beast that you KNOW will die on the next turn. 2) You are attacking the opponent’s caster, so there will be no next turn.
These are pretty much the only times it is worth using. If your 19 point beast kills a heavy, and then frenzies on the next turn, you may not have made any headway in the long run.
He will usually only see play in SotN due to theme restrictions, though the Borkas could bring him in any theme.
Priority: *** (only in SotN) Sea KingHard hitting and with 4" reach. Has a serviceable gun, and a very corner case Animus. The competition from the two other kings is very hard. a MK brings the super useful animus, and has a gun that is arguably better. The GK has auto Stationary on its melee attacks, and its gun is also better, though the Animus is also corner case. The SK has trouble making it in to lists simply because the other two Kings are probably more useful.
If you want to stack threat range though, this is your man. 4" reach and Bulldoze means it is VERY hard to hide from him. With things like Wild Agression and Doomy 2 feat, or Boundless Charge and an extra attack from Grissel 1 he threatens a VERY long way and can kill what he reaches. At base POW 20, he can do serious work even with Rush rather than Rage, which allows for even further threat range.
Another note that goes for all Gargantuans is that I think they are bad choices for low point games. Those games become very boring. Either your opponent has enough muscle to kill your king, and then you lose, or he doesn’t and then you win. This types of games will not teach either player much about the game, and they are not very useful to grow as a player.
Priority: * Slag TrollA feisty beast that punches pretty hard against warjacks. If you support him with Rage and the Kriel stone he goes to P+S 17 with an additional die against warjacks. That can do some serious damage, especially when you add in the POW 12 assault shot with additional die on damage. Still, I think he is a pretty damned bad choice. Why, you ask? Because of his point cost. He punches as hard as a heavy, if you are fighting against Warjacks, and have 24-27 points of support for him, BUT against things that are not warjacks he is pretty mediocre. He also costs 10 points, which is equivalent so some heavy warjacks, so you are not even using a cheap model to kill and expensive one. Oh, and his animus is the worst in the game.
I have used him in many lists lately where i need a bit of extra punch but could not afford a heavy. It can be acceptable, but he is never my first choice.
Priority: * Storm TrollHas seen a rise in popularity, especially against Cygnar. I am personally not a fan, but his gun has very nice utility. Learning how to maximize the effect of the bounces is key to getting this guy to be worth his salt.
Priority: * Swamp TrollI have used this guy quite extensively during the first half of 2017. I cant say that it has been superb but he has several things going for him. He has pathfinder, so he can often range out a bit and try to contest. He has a gun that can be shot even when engaged, so he can often kill a couple of infantry models per turn. He also has a needlessly expensive animus that makes him annoying to kill for living models. Exactly once have i pulled off an assassination where i pulled the enemy caster, but the theoretical threat is always there.
This guy fits in to PoD if you have 5 heavies. You can also "split" a heavy in to two cheap lights if you want more activation and more attacks. He is most interesting with Gunnbjorn and Grim 2 thanks to Snipe, and probably Calandra thanks to potentially high DEF.
Priority: * (possibly ** in PoD with the above mentioned casters) Troll AxerA solid light beast with a very useful Animus. He can kill some infantry, he is not trivial to remove, and he can even contribute damage on a heavy with his moderate POW. 2” Reach is also a powerful ability in general. When you bring him in your army, it is probably because of his animus. Pathfinder is a powerful ability, and so is 2” extra movement. Just remember that since you can only have one animus at a time though, if you send in your heavy beast with Rush up, it will not have Rage up, and thus it may have trouble killing what ever it is attacking. You sacrifice a whole lot of damage to get the charge. I think Rush is more useful on round 1-2 when it allows you to traverse a forest that is in the way when you are on your way to the battle. Once it is time for fighting, Rage is almost mandatory.
Two important interactions: You can cast Rush on a Mauler, have it charge, then have it cast Rage on itself before making any attacks. You lose access to 2 Fury, but a Mauler with only 3 Fury can kill many targets still. This gets you the extra threat from Rush, while retaining a good part of your offensive output. With Doomshaper 3, he can even cast Rage for free once per game, so then he can charge far and till get to use all 5 Fury for damage.
Rush is also great to extend threat ranges of ranged beasts. A Bomber/Impaler can have Rush cast on it and then walk 7" forward. Then it can cast Snipe on itself and shoot, to get a 19" threat range. This is serious stuff.
The priority is pretty unimportant, because you already own at least one from battle boxes you have picked up, right?
Priority: *** Troll BasherA very cheap light that has a nifty animus (in some match ups) and that can ruin some ones day with a crit. Natural pathfinder is good, and he can be used to contest in a pinch. He is not really important to any game plan though, and even with Rage will not seriously threaten a heavy.
Priority: * Troll BouncerThe more I play this model, the better it seems to be. It is incredibly hard to kill, it has Shield Guard and its animus is pretty damned useful. It is not very good at fighting though, but rather you send in this guy to tie up the enemy for a turn while your Mauler gets in to position. Do not be afraid to run in and engage with it, but it can be equally important to keep it back to protect something with Shield Guard.
It is very useful to contest with. It takes a heavy (or more!) to remove one of these, and then your other stuff can attack what ever went in on the Bouncer. It can be very useful in infantry based lists to have a couple of these guys to hold down zones. This assumes that you have other tools to crack ARM with, like Champions.
Priority: **** Troll ImpalerHe has an OK gun, and he is not trivial to kill. He has 2" reach to tie up things pretty well. His animus is essential to many casters. Still, this guy is not very often used outside battlebox/journeyman games. The reason is that the Bomber more than twice as hard, Melees more than twice as well and costs less than twice as much. The Impaler is not bad, it is just not quite as good as the Bomber and therefore it is overshadowed. The crit slam can win you games, but it is unreliable, and tournament players HATE unreliable things.
You will not cripple yourself if you include this beast, but often you will find that the 8 points to upgrade to a Bomber will be well worth it.
Priority: * (but you will get one in the Battle Box anyway) Winter TrollA cheap light with a boostable spray that can cause Stationary (possibly the best crit effect in the game). It has native Pathfinder which is super nice. Its animus is situational. Oh, and (I think) his model is hideous. (new sculpt incoming though!)
He has interesting synergy with Gunnbjorn (Guided Fire and Kill Shot) as well as the casters that can make him hard to kill. If his animus is up, you probably want to one round him, but that can be very hard with Doomy 3, Ragnor or Borka 2 feat up. It is also hilarious to have him counter charge under Borka 2 with animus up. That can really mess things up.
His problem is that is is not great at anything. Catching more than 2 infantry models with the spray is uncommon. The crit effect is great but unreliable, and so is the animus. His melee potential is the same as other lights. He is a nifty piece to have, but nothing you can build around.
Priority: * (Slightly higher in SotN due to the Northkin tag and Frost damage type)
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Post by Trollock on Mar 7, 2017 21:08:45 GMT
§4 UnitsWhat units you buy will depend almost entirely on your theme force. Therefore i rated the priority assuming you play a theme force that allows the unit to be played. If you for some inconceivable reason chose to play out of theme... Well, you will have to use your own judgement on what to buy. Dhunian Knot (AKA DK)These can buff both damage and accuracy, and they can do it on anything. The effect is not very strong though. The best use for it is when you go for something that is pretty likely to happen (like rolling a 7 to hit) and you do not want to boost. you have a 58% chance of hitting a 7, but if you get a re-roll, that goes up to 82%. My favorite way to use these is on a Bomber that shoots at a heavy. You usually need a 5-7 to hit, but you do not want to boost. You take a chance and roll the dice, and if you do hit, you still have the insurance for the second shot. This allows Bombers to do a disproportionate amount of damage with no caster support.
I use them in PoD lists that focus mainly on ranged attacks, but they are valuable in most PoD lists. 6 points is a lot though, so they are not auto includes.
Priority: *** Kriel Warriors (AKA KWs)These guys are really bad at everything, except that they are just "pretty bad" at staying alive. Lucky for us, they are also very cheap, and they do take buffs well. You can easily make them MAT 7 with a Fell Caller, which makes them pretty good against infantry. If you increase their survivability (with Solid Ground and Inviolable Resolve from Horgle 2 for example) they can be considered hard to kill. If you bump their SPD with Jarl, they are pretty mobile. If you put Blood Fury on them with Madrak 2, they will kill heavies.
No matter who you play, they are still 10 tough dudes standing in the way, and that can really help you win the positioning game.
Noteworthy is that the Attachments (both sorts) are absolute trash. Do not play them.
I think these are very good in SotN with the casters that support them (Madrak 2 is probably my favorite). In BoH i rarely bring them due to them not contributing to free solos.
Priority: *** Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes (AKA KSB)This is the most faction defining unit we have. Almost all lists will end up including them, so you should buy them and practice playing with them. The Stone Scribe elder is used in most lists too, though the Northkin Elder is the go to model in SotN. Whether you take a min unit, a min unit + Elder or a max unit + Elder depends on the list, but very few lists will have neither.
Playing with the KSB requires some planning. They drain the Warlocks Fury to be effective. Usually, you will dump as much Fury as possible in to the stone on turn 1, and then top it off when you can manage it. This becomes much easier with the new Awaken Stone rule. This is why Trolls will often want to go first, since it allows them to dump their entire stack in to the stone on turn 1, and not having to worry about putting out upkeeps until turn 2.
It is worth noting that the KSB is a big drain on points as well as recourses and if you CAN play without it, you should probably consider it. Keys to when you might try to not include it are:
1) When your stuff rely on DEF rather than ARM to survive. 2) When you do not have many multi wound models. 3) When you do not have many Friendy Faction models.
If you can find a list where the KSB is not needed, you have saved yourself a lot of points that could go toward other things. A max stone with CA costs 12 points, and a Mauler costs 15… Obviously, if you play Madrak 3, you should strongly consider leaving the unit at home.
Priority: ***** Long Riders (AKA LRs)These are durable models at ARM 20 (under the stone) with 8 boxes. They threaten 12" with no outside help. They punch sort of hard, but they do not compare to other cavalry in that department.
They cost a lot of points, but if you have some way of supporting them, they become very powerful. Giving them extra ARM with Horgle, or extra damage with Madrak 2, or extra mobility with Grissel 1 are all incredibly good abilities that make for three very different types of LRs.
Their ability to Slam is some times very good, but due to the random distance it can be unreliable to slam something out from a zone or over a model behind. Keep an eye open for the opportunity though.
If you find a way that your caster can support these models, they are well worth considering both in BoH and SotN.
Priority: *** (They are super expensive to buy though) Fire Eaters (AKA FEs)These little guys can do an amazing amount of work against infantry, but they can put the hurt on high DEF low ARM heavies too, and they are deadly against casters. If you can light them on fire (either by using a Pyre Troll, or by having them spray each other) they become patently absurdly good. They fight well above their weight class.
They are vulnerable to boostable shooting though. Things like a Cygnar Charger can comfortably kill 2 in a single turn, and that really neuters their effectiveness. They also do not have pathfinder, so they have trouble utilizing defensive terrain. In games where you get too eager, and send them forward too far they may do nothing before they die. But in games where you can deliver them, they are absolute heroes. Practice where to place them to force the enemy to walk in to their threat range before they can shoot them down, and you will get sooo much work out of these guys. Also, since they become steady when on fire, they might tough multiple times and can really put a wrench in your opponent’s plans.
No caster require Fire Eaters, but they work very well with all of them. If you buy them, I think that 2 units and possibly a Pyre Troll is the way to go. You will not regret it.
Priority: ***** Northkin Bear Handler & Battle BearsThey punch well above their weight class if you can get Gang triggered. With +2 STR from the stone they will wreck a heavy. Losing the handler is really bad though, so you need to be careful. Some lists will want them to ambush (to push things together in the middle) while others may prefer them to deploy normally.
NOT Neat interaction: If you for some insane reason play outside theme forces, the actual bears are not northkin models. They will not benefit from the NK elder. If you play in SotN the theme bonus makes them northkin, so it will not matter unless you are insane and play outside theme though.
Priority: ***** Northkin RaidersShould probably be played as a melee unit who can incidentally shoot. With the support in the NK theme force they punch pretty hard, and could quick work to kill another infantry model that they could not reach. they can also do crazy things like jam really far up the board. With Grissel 1 in SotN they could run 14" and then go another 7" with hoof it. That is 2" in to the opponents AD zone. This is probably not a good idea, but it CAN be done They synergize well with the HHH, but then you have to play them like a ranged unit, and 8" range is always a bit of a problem. Priority: **** (in SotN, much lower in KC) Pummeler CrewNot a very good model in my opinion. It can kill some types of infantry, but that is it. When you get one for free in theme, it is worth considering. I usually rather take a Thumper instead. I did a simple magnetization on my models so i can chose Thumper or Pummeler without having to buy extra models. lormahordes.freeforums.net/thread/1214/guide-magnetizing-thumper-pummelerPriority: * Pyg Burrowers (AKA Dygmies)A shadow of their MK 2 glory, but they still have a little bit of merit. Dig in and Advance Deployment are both good. The Tunneling rule is probably a trap, so do not bother with that. I consider them with Grim 2 (who can allow them to shoot well while applying the +2 to hit to nearby stuff) and Grissel 2 (who can knock things down for them to shoot, protects them against ranged attacks and can allow them to walk out of melee and in to back arcs). They can be used with other casters, especially if they can provide Knock Down to targets so that the Burrowers can hit it, but unless you start with Grim 2 or Grissel 2, I would not buy these first.
In KC they are probably the models you send to contest enemy zones. They can get up the board pretty fast, and if you play your cards right they could walk in to the zone one at a time and dig in to be annoying to kill. They are moderately cheap and DEF 13 and tough means that they do not auto die to everything. They will rarely do any work, but they can be in the way and contest, and that is not nothing.
Priority: ** Pyg BushwhackersMuch maligned for their low RAT and POW, as well as their low defensive stats, but the Slip Away order (on the attachment) is really strong. They threaten a really long way, and if you place them outside charge range, they can be all the way up front. If some one runs to engage them, you can simply walk through them and shoot them in the back, or shoot all the way back to the gooey center of the enemy force. They are a bit expensive for 20 points, but they are probably a decent choice with many casters. CRA allows them to contribute both against infantry and heavier targets, even if they are not brilliant at fighting either. If you can keep them alive they will do good work during the whole game.
Priority: ** Pyg LookoutsNifty additions to both SotN and KC. Usually a min unit will be enough, as they are support models, but they can ambush and contest annoyingly well too. They are really neat if you have battle groups like double bomber. Having them be RAT 7 allows them to shoot at heavies without boosting to hit, and four boosted POW 16s hurts anything.
Priority: ** (both in KC and SotN) ScattergunnersProbably always played with the attachment since it adds very powerful abilities. They are obviously good mainly against infantry, but POW 12 can chip in some damage against heavier targets, especially with a damage buff such as Mortality or Calamity. They are actually fairly fast and fairly cheap. If there is infantry with low-ish DEF across the table, these guys will probably pull their weight. MAT and RAT 5 is a problem, but it is partially overcome by the fact that they can each often hit multiple targets and you are bound to roll SOME 8s or 9s. They are not good at spot removal, but can sort of rely on averages to kill a lot of stuff. If you can give them a hit buff, they will go from being OK to being good at killing infantry. You can probably throw in a minimum unit + CA with either of the hit buffing casters and have that be OK.
One synergy that can get overlooked is the Fell Caller. By giving them MAT 7 and having them charge, they can often trigger Quick Work to also get a RAT 5 Spray 8. This can clear out swathes of infantry from an unexpected distance. Fortune can give them re-rolls to make MAT 7 very reliable and RAT 5 pretty reliable. A min unit with CA and a Fell Caller is a total of 17 points and it has great utility. Clearly worth considering.
Priority: ** Sons of Bragg (AKA SoB)
I have a soft spot for these guys. They are sort of hard to kill some times and they punch pretty hard. They are not very fast, and has very restricted access to pathfinder. They are not really cheap either. I honestly have a hard time justifying why i like them in some lists.
In BoH i think you do not play them very often. They are basically a min unit of Champions with arguably worse stats. They have some advantages, such as Assault, more health and no need to be B2B, but they are roughly equal.
In KC though, they are one of the few things in there that allows you to crack ARM. The lack of competition means i will always consider them in KC.
Things they appreciate are Pathfinder (remember that Fell Calls do not work though) and increased threat range. They love some sort of DEF buff since they are base DEF 13. More hitting power is fine ofc, but that is not really their problem. If you can deliver them, they will do work, and then they will probably die. Calandra supports them well with Star Crossed and her Feat, but they have many friends among the casters.
Priority: * in BoH, *** in KC Thumper CrewHas a pretty nasty shot that knocks things down. It is super vulnerable to shooting, so you have to keep it back. It can help other things hit, but that requires it to hit first, and at RAT 5, that is not guaranteed at all. It is an OK choice, but you need to have a plan for it if you want it to work. It can aim and knock down a DEF 12 heavy with good reliability, but do not expect it to knock down casters (unless of course they place small/medium bases in front of it!) After the Errata (December 2016) this is one of the few models who can Slam friendly models. In some cases you could run something to just in front of the enemy caster and shoot it with the thumper to knock down the caster. Still it can be hard to hit, but it is a tool.
I will often chose it as a free model, but only after I have added a Runebearer and probably Braylen. You will probably want at least one if you are going to play KC often though.
Priority: *** Trollkin Champions (AKA Champs)
After the CID process, they punch even harder than before, but more importantly, they have Sanguine Bond to allow them to spread out the damage. This is key to survive shooting on the way in, but it can also stop key things that trigger off destroying a model. "No sprint for YOU mr Stalker!".
Being effectively DEF 14 in melee is significant, and if you can boost that further, it becomes nightmarish for many things. Any buff will basically make these guys absurd, be it to threat range, survivability or damage output.
Skaldi is not always used, but if you buy Champions, buy him too. He is solid.
Neat interaction: Sanguine Bond means that you could move damage over to a Sorcerer attached to the unit. You could even have 3 of them, as damage sponges. This is probably not very good, but it is pretty damned funny.
No matter if you want to play BoH or SotN, these bad boys will be high on your priority list.
Priority: **** Trollkin Fennblades (AKA Fenns or FBs)They are good at killing infantry (when supported by a Kithkar and/or a Fell Caller). They punch just hard enough to be an annoyance to heavies. They have 2” reach, and threats a really long way (with the attachment), especially with Vengeance. Their glaring weakness is their susceptibility to POW 10 shooting. Most things that are designed to kill infantry work very well against FBs.
If you play a caster who can help deliver them (Gunnbjorn, Grissel 2, Madrak 1, Borka 1 etc) or Madrak 2 (who makes them hit VERY hard) they are well worth considering. I think that a full unit + attachment is the only way to play them effectively though.
Priority: *** Trollkin Highwaymen (AKA HWM)A huge volume of attacks, and CRA to be able to adapt to what ever target they are fighting. Higher than average Troll DEF and pathfinder to help them hide against guns and traverse the battlefield quickly. Their only drawbacks are their short range, and the fact that they can not use CRA in melee, so if they get engaged, they have to rely on their RAT 5 POW 10.
If you play Grim 2 or Gunnbjorn, you can get them to RNG 12, which is really good for them. If you play Calandra (Befuddle) or Grissel 2 (Dash) they can get in to back arcs more reliably, and with Braylen they can then really put the hurt on people. This is harder to achieve on the battle field that one may think though, and it is mainly due to their RNG 8. In general, these guys are better on paper than in practice in my experience.
Priority: *** Runeshapers (AKA RS)They have the ability to knock down models with no dice rolled. They can "shoot" with skill 7 and POW 14, and with AoE 3 to boot. They can Dig In to be DEF 16 at range. Tough and Steady is a great combo.
I however think they are bad models, and i do not think that PoD players should rush out and buy several units. The issue is threefold imo. First, they are not contributing to free stuff in PoD. Secondly, they are quite expensive at 9 points for 3 guys, especially when you look at their cousins, the Fire Eaters. Last and most importantly, they are incredibly slow. Dig In is great, but using it means that you only move 5" AND you are not making any attacks. It has been suggested that SR2017 will force the inclusion of these in PoD lists to be able to score round zones. That may be the case (unless you will be allowed a minion unit, in which case the Bellows Crew is a way better option) but honestly, you can score with your caster, and we have sturdy casters. Having one unit is not the end of the world, and allows for a little bit of flexibility. The ranged output is similar to a light warbeast, and having 3 models is often better than having one, but more than one unit is a waste imo.
Many veteran troll players, me among them, will own 4 units of these from the glory days of MK2. If you want a unit, I have three to sell, and so will many others
Priority: * Trollkin ScoutsNot great at fighting against infantry or heavies. They have Advance Deployment and Prowl (that can be triggered with a Stone Scribe Chronicler) so they are pretty hard to shoot down, and they can jam reasonably well. They have always been disliked and continue to be so. KC is prone to hang back and shoot, and that may cause scenario issues. These guys could help you there, so in theory, one unit is fine to own i guess. They are way down on the priority list though.
Priority: * Trollkin Sluggers10 points is not a lot, and they do have very high output, especially for that cost. They are more accurate than our other ranged options, and have a slightly longer range than the all too common 8". They do have SPD 5 rather than 6 though so the threat range is similar. They are very fragile too, and need to be protected, but if you can have them shoot at something suitable, and have a little bit of synergy for them, they are monsters.
Horgle 2 can make them absolute beasts on his feat turn. 5d3 fully boosted RAT 6 POW 13s with put serious dents in most things. They are one of the best targets for Fortune we have too. The low point cost means that you can include a unit, and not have the list live or die by the success of that one unit. I like them a lot in many cases!
Priority: *** Trollkin WardersA unit of very high durability Shield Guards. This is faction defining for sure, since most other factions do not have access to this magnitude of cheap Shield Guards. They are not very good at fighting (though a heavy will feel a charge from them) and they are not very fast and they have to clump up, but for all that, they are a very important tool to have in some lists. They are super good with Madrak 2, since he can use them as Grim Salvation targets to make himself nigh immortal. He can even make them punch hard in a pinch, but they go well with many casters who want to protect something against heavy shooting. You can play anything from a min unit to two maxed units depending on how many shield guards you need. They are not durable enough to stand up to a charge from anything dangerous anymore, but they are superb at soaking up ranged attacks that would otherwise hurt either your Fennblades (the POW 10 kind) or the real nasty POW 15+ guns that would otherwise hurt your heavies. Just have a Warder (literally) take that bullet and move on with the battle!
Priority: *** Trollkin Sorcerer (attachment)He has some interesting abilities and he is fairly cheap. He can help you solve for Incorporeal, and he does a bit of work himself. He can be attached to almost any unit, but his Disbinding ability is probably not as good as you think it is. I have him only in a few lists, so he is not a high priority imo. He is extremely expensive (cash wise) for a single model, and is not a high priority even though he literally could be in every list.
In SotN he allows a unit to get magical attacks, and that is otherwise rare in the list, since you do not have the SC elder usually. He also has nifty synergy with champions (mentioned above)
Priority: * (*** with champions and SotN lists)
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Post by Trollock on Mar 7, 2017 21:09:05 GMT
§5 SolosTrollbloods have many good utility solos. You often want too many of them and end up with a list that has too much support. 2-3 solos are probably fine, but always think critically about each choice. Would it perhaps be better to drop two solos for a small unit of fighters, or a light beast? Theme forces change how you think about solos though. My rule of thumb is "I will never pay for more than one solo, and usually not even that". Most lists will get 2-3 solos for free, and I will include those and no more. Then if I happen to have 4 points left at the end of list creation i may add in another solo, but usually i "upgrade" the beast/unit package instead. Braylen WanderheartUsually thought of for her ability to give Backstab to the HWM, but that is an ability that is harder to trigger than one might think. Unless I am playing Calandra, I tend to ignore that part. Braylen is still a worthwhile model on her own though. She has two guns with RAT 6, and with the ability to re-roll misses she is bound to hit at least one shot and kill someone. Afterwards, she can make a full advance, and this means she can very quickly go behind the enemy force and start causing havoc. She is not trivial to remove with Prowl, and if they do not send something to deal with her, she will cause a whole heap of problems with her guns. Utility solos, and models like the choir will fall quickly to her, and if the terrain is good, she can retreat deep in to a forest and be very safe afterwards. She feels like an underestimated model just as a combat solo. In KC, i usually add a Runebearer as the first free solo, then Braylen. Weapon crews often get third priority.
Priority: **** Fell Caller Hero (AKA FCH)A model that makes melee infantry in particular really happy. If you run melee infantry, this guy is more or less mandatory. +2 MAT or Pathfinder as needed is really good, but he can also fight pretty well. He will usually kill a couple of guys with his sprays and he might ding up a heavy with his swords late game. In BoH he is mandatory. In SotN he is very good. In KC he is corner case useful.
Priority: ***** Fennblade KithkarA pure combat solo that also happens to support Fennblades. He can punch hard enough to ding up a heavy a bit and he can help against infantry with his (potentially) three attacks. He is a solid choice, but will often not appear in lists with no Fennblades since he doesn’t do anything special. He just fights decently well. You can have 2 of them, but I would start with 1.
His problem is mainly that the Fell Caller is a better support model, and you may not want to include more support.
Priority: * Horgle IronstrikeOur lesser warlock with the ability to run warbeasts in addition to the ones on the Warlock. The fact that he is limited to Pyres and Slags severly limits his usefulness, and the fact that the Pyre/Slag animi are RNG SELF means that he can not really use either to good effect. Hot Shot is not very good on either beast he can take, and Molten Metal is not very strong. I can not in good conscience recommend buying this model.
He could be used to extend the footprint of a PoD list, so it is not as shackled by the casters control range. I think i prefer adding a unit of Runeshapers instead though.
Priority: * Horthol, Long Rider HeroAnother combat solo with a capacity to buff a specific unit. He is reasonably good at fighting, and he is a bother to kill. His granting Line Breaker to Long Riders is good, but not super significant. They work fine without him. He is pretty expensive and you may struggle to get his value out of him.
His problem is that he is expensive and does not contribute to free stuff in themes. Long Riders work too well without him for him to be a compelling choice, though he is not precisely bad.
Priority: * Janissa StonetideThe “character Runeshaper”. She grants Battle Wizard to Runeshapers nearby (no, this does nothing for Ragnor) which is… OK. It is probably most significant with Madrak 1, since he can allow the Runeshapers to hit with their melee attack, and thus trigger Battle Wizard, but it is not super strong. Her “RAT” 8 Rock Hammer spell is good, but a bit expensive for 4 points imo. Putting up a hill is good for protecting important stuff against shooting as well as allowing your shooters to see over stuff. Tectonic Shift is an ability you almost never use, but when you do, it will often win you the game.
She is OK, but by no means mandatory. Not even if you run Runeshapers. in PoD i usually spend my free solo options on whelps and Runebearers first. Then if i have one more free card, i often go with Janissa. If i have two, i usually go with two Shamans instead. I would never spend the 4 points on Janissa.
Priority: *** Northkin ShamanMe may or may not be worth 4 points, but he certainly is worth at least 0 points. Being able to take him for free in the Power of Dhunia Theme Force makes this guy a high priority. Also, being able to form a cloud wall (preferably you have 2 of these guys) to protect you early game, and later on possibly switching to using Chiller makes him very useful. Killing DEF 14 heavies can be hard for a Mauler, but reduce it to DEF 12 and you will be golden. Also note that he has pathfinder which can come in handy for contesting late game.
I do not try and protect my beasts with the cloud wall, but the Kriel Stone can be protected, and that is super good. The Shamans are too slow to stay ahead of the entire force though.
He is well supported in SotN, but you have too many other solos you want first, so he often gets left at home anyway.
Priority: ** Stone Scribe Chronicler (AKA SSC)A super solid support piece for infantry. Trolls run the risk of including too many support models, so always think carefully, but he can help delivering your unit, and he can make them a nightmare to fight against for opposing infantry. His Charge of the Trolls ability is tricky to use, but with it, your models start punching way above their weight class. Even the Kriel Stone Scribes become really scary late game if you can use it. You can have multiples, but I would start with 1.
Though he CAN be included in PoD, he shouldnt.
Priority: *** in BoH, * in PoD Troll WhelpsOur crappy Fury management. Or are they? Yes, it really sucks that the whelp has to survive for a round to do anything for fury management, but careful placement and LoS blocking makes that doable for ranged beasts at least. Remember that they can pop out of a beast that suffers damage, so if the opponent has already activated his whelp-killing stuff and then shoots your beast, you can place a fresh one.
Annoyance is very strong when fighting against living models. Even the jump from DEF 12 to 13 is significant. Eating one to heal an aspect is also strong, cause it allows for easier order of activation, and saves Fury on the Warlock. The real kicker though is the ability to place models on your opponents turn. This takes skill (and should be done on your clock) but it can really mess up the opponents plan. If you place it, so it is engaged in melee, it is DEF 16 against shooting, and it might be blocking a charge lane. If you get shot by the Prime Axiom, or Galleon, and is about to be dragged to certain doom, just pop out a whelp in front of your beast (yep, that works) and now you can not be dragged in! They are also mandatory if you plan on playing a MK since he spawns them all the time. They SHOULD be in every PoD list. I often use two units, and if you own a MK you will need 2 units for sure!
Priority: ***** in PoD, **** in KC and ** in the rest. Trollkin Champion HeroA high MAT high POW attack on a fairly durable chassi. He can grant Retalitory Strike to Champions, but that is unlikely to matter very much, Though Sanguine Bond does make it more than a pipe dream. Also, if they Tough they can punch back.
The Hero has the problem that he is a bit expensive, and his Thresher is only 1” reach. The support he gives to Champions is insignificant, and he does not fight well enough to warrant his point cost.
He is usually low enough on the priority list of solos that i never get to him. usually i want a Fell Caller, then a Rune Bearer then Skaldi, then probably another Fell Caller or Valka etc.
Priority: * Trollkin Runebearer (AKA Troll Moses)Our one and only Warlock Attachment. He is mandatory with many casters. Extra Control Range and at least 1 more Fury to use each turn helps a lot. Spell Slave is often not why you use him, but with some casters, like Grissel 1 (Boundless Charge), Jarl (Magic Bullet), Madrak 1 (Guided Hand) and Calandra (Befuddle) he has great spells to slave and becomes even more valuable. Once you grow as a player, there is a lot to be gained if you can stream line this guy out of your list. If he does not have a compelling spell to cast you MAY be better off with another free solo. It will be a hard thing to chose though since his abilities are so nifty!
Priority: ***** Trollkin SkinnerThis is currently a bad model in most circumstances. He is sort of hard to kill... If you can place him in a forest. Warbeasts hate him though. He is allowed as a free option in BoH, but you will always prefer other options. Paying 4 points for him is an even worse idea.
Priority: * Valka the CursebornStrong combat solo that can be free. His problem is that he does nothing essential in a list and that other free solos will be more important. Therefore he might not make the cut as often as you think.
Priority: ** §6 Battle EnginesWar Wagon 2.0 (WW)Thanks to the upgrade in CID, the War Wagon is now a very powerful piece. I think it is the only compelling reason to play KC, and I do not think that a list in KC with no WWs is worth playing.
The rules are a bit complex, but it can basically drive over any number of infantry as long as each of them dies. One miss, or a failed damage roll will stop it cold and your activation ends. Thus you may want an insurance for bad dice. Dhunia Knot would be ideal, but that means leaving theme, so Fortune is probably my second most favorite support for it.
It is hard to kill, Fast and can kil a LOT of models. It does very little against heavy targets though, so remember that when you do list building.
Priority: ***** Hearthgut Hooch Hauler (HHH or HH)Has great synergy with most options in SotN. It has pretty high damage output at range (and in melee, since you can still shoot after charging), but it is a support piece first and foremost. It is not at all mandatory for SotN lists though. Many MANY lists will be better without one, since it is so expensive and does a limited amount of work by itself.
Kriel Warriors like the model very well. It allows them to reach MAT 8 easily enough, and Stumbling drunk is great for tough cheap models. They become a totally different unit when they can potentially be SPD 6, or POW 12 while also having no knockdown on and tough and MAT 8. They actually WIN fights against infantry!
Gunnbjorn comes to mind as a caster who supports it well. Giving it +2 to hit with the big gun from Dozers animus plus Snipe allows it to stay further back and still contribute. Its problem will be hitting stuff, so if you can fix that (Grissel 2?) it should be able to do work as well as support the army.
Priority: **
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Post by Trollock on Mar 7, 2017 21:09:25 GMT
§7 Minion units
Theme forces in general allows for one minion unit of your choice to be included. There are a lot of them, and many of them will probably not be used very often. I will only mention the ones that I find most interesting. Inclusion of minion units means that you spend a bunch of points on models that do not contribute to free solos in your theme. Therefore one should think carefully before including a minion unit of size since there is an opportunity cost. I will not give these units a priority, but rather just mention where they might be interesting. Bog Trog AmbushersAn ambushing unit, even a weak one, drastically changes the dynamics of a game. If you want to force your opponent to clump up in the middle (for example with Madrak 2) this can be a powerful thing. Our Battle Bears do this job much better, but if they are not allowed... Possibly interesting in PoD and BoH since they are the only ambushing options available there. Croak RaidersThey can dish out damage at range if you can oil up the target. They have decent DEF and good mobility and the price tag is sort of cheap. They can be included in most PoD lists without losing out on free solos. I do not think they are worth while in any other theme (possibly a min unit together with Raiders to Oil targets for them...), since that reduces the free solos you get a bit too much for my liking. Especially interesting with Calandra (Star Crossed) and casters who apply a debuff to the enemy, such as Calamity. Croak TrappersA unit that is sort of cheap and offer some support by providing knock down. An interesting option for PoD to have something to score a zone without spending a lot of points. Cylena Raefyll & Nyss HuntersA self sufficient unit that is ALMOST worth while even with no support. PoD is probably the only theme for them, since they are quite expensive. You need 28+ Warbeast Points to include them and a min stone with elder and still get your 3 free things. This means that many of our casters will probably take the cheaper Croak Raiders instead. They would have been great with Calandra otherwise. The debuffing casters can help them as they do with anything. Dannon Blythe & BullA cheap unit that can score and do some work still. Will most likely see play in KC since they become friendly faction there. For example Grim 2 can support them very well there. Farrow Bone GrindersCan extend the range of the spells of your caster. Usually they are too expensive to include just for that, but maybe the fact that they are a unit that could score can convince some casters who want longer range on their spells bring them in PoD. They can also "manage" your fury by poking your beasts. They are often overlooked, but having a longer range on spells like Befuddle is massive. Mulgs channeling abilities will most likely leave them obsolete, but I am not entirely sure... Farrow BrigandsSome say they are the best infantry in Hordes. This assumes you attach the Warlord to them. They have very strong shooting, and Reposition is a strong rule for a shooting unit. Costing 19 points means that some casters will not bring them in PoD due to losing out on free solos, but for example Grim 1 could bring a unit and be very happy. As with all large units, i think they will not see play outside PoD. Farrow Razorback CrewHas one really nifty use imo, and that is with Grissel 2. She knocks things down every turn and for 5 points, these guys can put a boosted POW 14 in to something. That is the same damage as an Impaler with the stone aura, but they do it for less than half the cost, and with no Fury required. With any other caster, id say that they are too unreliable, but Grissel 2 loves em, and now she can have one in any theme if she wants to. Farrow SlaughterhousersPoint for point, they punch harder than anything we have in faction. Their problem is that they are easy to kill at range, so they need to be protected some how. Usually this is achieved by having them stay well behind the front lines and then charge in at something that commits to you. They are not popular, but I think they may have a place in some KC builds, where you want some punch. Sons of Bragg can offer some, but these punch harder for the same cost. They do not count towards free solos though. Gatorman Bokor & Bog Trog Swamp ShamblersThey are cheap and offer plenty of bodies that can contest and such. They want you to bring living infantry yourself to fuel them, and the Bokor can punch hard, or make something stationary. This could be great for certain match ups, like Fyanna in Oracles, but it will be very uncommon. They synergize best with the themes that are based around infantry, but 10 points for "just another unit" is a bit much there. Keep an eye out if some one finds a build where these make sense, but right now i think they are underwhelming if not useless. Greygore Boomhowler & Co.They become Friendly Faction in Kriel Company. This is the only possible reason to bring them, and even then i do not think them great. They are expensive and slow and not great at fighting. They are not even really hard to kill, but one could do things like run them with Horgle in KC and have them be ARM 19 with tough, no blast and no knock down. Their guns will do work on the feat turn too. Lynus & EdreaCan remove clouds, which is strong in some match ups. Sort of cheap, and can be used to score. Some players use them in PoD. I still havent, though i can see a case for them. Swamp Gobbers Bellows BrewThey are the cheapest unit. They will be very desirable in PoD simply because they can score round zones, and having a big cloud does not hurt either. They are even cheap in the store, so go buy them id say. §8 Minion solos
Just as with units, you are allowed to take one minion Solo in your theme force. Several of them have interesting utility, so chose wisely! Many lists where you actually pay points for solos will feel like they are missing something, so just because you CAN have a solo, does not mean you always SHOULD. Ill talk about a selection of the solos. The rest are probably very corner case...
Alten Ashley
He is overcosted at 6 points for sure, but he has a REALLY good gun. He can also contribute with his gun while staying back to score a flag. Having him is probably never wrong, but he doesnt really do anything super important. In the beginning of MK3 he only cost 5 points, and Grievous Wounds worked on huge bases too. He was REALLY annoying to play against, and he will still be good I think. Bog Trog Mist Speaker
The restriction on Guidance to be Friendly Faction has been lifted in the Blindwater CID. Assuming that sticks, he can allow you to have one model that can see through clouds and ignore Stealth, and do Magical damage. This is a great utility solo to have, though it does overlap with the Stone Scribe Elder a bit. If Cloud Walls are a problem, this guy can be very helpful. Croak Hunter
Has proper stealth and can contribute a bit while scoring and contesting. Will be an alternative to a Gremlin Swarm, but i think many ppl will go for the swarm most of the time. Dahlia Hallyr & Skarath
The Lesser Warlocks probably will not see as much play outside PoD as one could think since they are expensive and do not contribute to free things. In PoD though, with a Warlock with 26? Warbeast Points, you can include these guys with a min stone + elder and still get 3 free things. This gives you a module that can act outside your control area and the stone aura. They have LOTS of rules so read them carefully. Calandra is probably my first candidate for their inclusion. DEF 14 and Star Crossed on a beast that can not be knocked down is amazing! Efaarit Scouts
Super fast and has a good gun. If you want to, you can keep it safe and shooting for all of 7 rounds. They are bound to "make their points back" in that time. 6 points is a lot though and it will limit the list builds you can do. Eilish Garrity, the Occultist
Puppet Master is good, and removing upkeeps is good too, though it is basically only useful on a handful of upkeeps (those that control you. You are likely dead if you got Parasite or Calamity on you). I think Grissel 2 makes the best use of him, but he could be reasonable in other lists too. He is by no means an auto include with any one though. Feralgeist (FG)
Excellent for scoring and contesting. Can be thrown in most lists and be good. Great fo using up the last few points. Jumping in to dead beasts is probably never the right choice though. And scratching ppl with the claws seem like a last ditch effort, but hey, if you have a knocked down caster and are going for the kill, an extra POW 9 charge can really help Gremlin Swarm
Same as the FG, but a deluxe version. Faster, harder to kill and can do some mischief too. Kwaak Slickspine & Gub, Croak Sorcerers
Can do a lot of work with their sprays, but the lack of defensive abilities mean they will likely die afterwards. Id stay away from them. Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress
Free charges for your beasts is a powerful thing, as is the potential extra threat range. She is super interesting in PoD, but can be used in other themes too! Longchops
Can remove models from play (RFP) at range and it works on any model. This is a rare thing, and can be very powerful against certain lists such as Ghost Fleet. He has a good gun, and can probably kill enough things during a game to warrant his 5 points. Well worth a look. Ogrun Bokur
Shield Guards are good to have, and this is the only one available in KC. If you feel like you absolutely need one, then i guess this one will do. Raluk Moorclaw, the Ironmonger
Allows you to take Warjacks. This is not really a good thing. If you love the model and the idea of bringing a robot, go ahead. Otherwise... next! Saxon Orrik
Now this guy is nifty. Pathfinder is something you always need, and if you do not, he has a great gun. He can even act as fury management by poking a beast with his knife. Proper stealth and great defensive stats means he can be very hard to remove. Special mention with Grissel 1, since her Fell calls do not stack (except on the feat turn) with the Fell Callers pathfinder, who is the usual way to hand out pathfinder. Swamp Gobber Chef
Got one point left? This is your guy! Want to bring lots of cheap infantry? this guy can be used instead of whelps to manage fury of your ranged beasts. Need a solo to score? Hell do it! Playing Calandra? DEF 14 and Star crossed means he is hard to kill, and his free strikes actually hurt a bit. Super good to have, but never super important. Wrong Eye
Star Crossed is good on DEF 12. It is godlike on DEF 13+. Madrak 1 giving your +2 DEF? This is an interesting option for sure! He is also a decent heavy by himself, but he will not punch as hard or take as much punishment as one of our heavies. Star Crossed is something that you probably want to build around. I also think this is one of the cooler models in the game.
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Post by Trollock on Mar 7, 2017 21:09:37 GMT
reserved
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Post by Trollock on Mar 7, 2017 21:09:48 GMT
reserved
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Post by Trollock on Mar 7, 2017 21:10:01 GMT
reserved
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Post by Bellissimo on Mar 7, 2017 21:55:31 GMT
So glad this made it here... I've been looking for it since the PP forums came back on. Too good of a resource to lose.
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Post by BlackcladElf on Mar 8, 2017 4:29:25 GMT
Welcome home, Trollock- super glad to see you. =)
It's good to see Kith and Kin migrating over here. I was worried we wouldn't all find each other after things went dark over there...
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Post by blackdog on Mar 8, 2017 10:41:22 GMT
Thanks for this guide. I plan to buy a small trollblood force and as they seem to be not very popular in my meta I will read this carefully.
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Post by Aegis on Mar 8, 2017 18:05:43 GMT
Great work! Going to stick it right away!
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Post by phantasmagorium on Mar 9, 2017 23:36:26 GMT
Thank you for having this saved! It's a great tool for inducting young bloods into the Kriels!
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Post by voltron on Mar 10, 2017 14:44:01 GMT
Good to see you added the updates for the PoD theme force. I'm struggling not making lists outside of theme because playing 12-16 points down just feels bad.
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