Post by coolguyclay on Mar 6, 2019 21:09:28 GMT
I've gotten a few games in with Zaal1 recently and wanted to post some thoughts here. Such a fun caster with some surprising synergies. I know many of you know these already, also posting to have you all double-check my rule interpretations (with "?"), because some of these things are bonkers.
These thoughts are for Exalted theme lists, more notably with Zaal1, but half could apply to any Exalted.
Zaal1 Thoughts:
1. Immortals are surprisingly fast with AGs around, and Vengeance. Advocate's Spirit Walker gets them to a lot of good places.
2. Uncommon list tech:
a. Magic weapons everywhere
b. Fewer living or undead models - so many constructs
c. Immovable Object can challenge opponent's plan (drags? Knock down? Bulldoze? Nah.)
d. Void Spirits, Spirit Walking Immortals and Kovaas can be a lot of Incorporeal
e. Lots of solos for flag control
f. Direct Spirits shuts down opponents soul game
3. Last Stand
a. Double-dip on Vengeance Immortals - they die at end of turn so two Last Stand'd attacks
b. Defensive Strike AG will spawn Kovass at end of opponent's turn, ready to activate on yours
c. Models are destroyed, so still count towards FEAT
?d. Models are destroyed, so still produce souls (Immortals destroyed, refill all Soul Takers as the turn ends)
e. Extra dice, not "boosted", so stacks with charges, FEAT etc.
4. Much Ghost Shot - Soulward, Zaal, Ex. Advocate (+ Shaman, who likes Far Strike, as does Zaal)
5. Annihilating Gaze is brutal against Hordes Heavies (and previous 3 have it, so plink away!)
6. FEAT
a. Any friendly model can use (beasts are OP)
b. Spend token to boost hit, second token to boost damage
?c. Kovaas counts towards feat (only if currently destroyed but not spawned? token for each destroyed spawning?)
7. Kovaas
a. Can get multiple if opponent kills ST: Gatekeepers in waves (great Last Stand target to ensure reset)
EDIT: not an Exalted solob. Soulward is ST: Gatekeeper, so will spawn a Kovaas
8. Soul Converter is cheap cost for lots of souls tokens (Soulwards are ST: Gatekeepers as well, so convert). Between this and starting souls, early game soul madness (not just an option on turns 3 and 4).
9. Direct Spirits is so soul efficient, no waste! Kovaas and Advocate are both Soul Takers too.
10. Extra dice - basically everything is more efficient than normal and putting out extra dice. Gatekeepers use souls to boost and buy (see #8), anything that dies turns into a soul AND a FEAT token, plus optional Last Stand. 3-4 dice on a majority of rolls, or multiple attacks, *all game* is hard to see on paper and so potent in practice.
Downsides
1. Accelerated Attrition. Last Stand especially, but all-or-nothing style of play leaves few models on both sides for turns 4+.
2. Clock goes fast - between Vengeance and so many extra bought attacks from souls, turns take longer.
These thoughts are for Exalted theme lists, more notably with Zaal1, but half could apply to any Exalted.
Zaal1 Thoughts:
1. Immortals are surprisingly fast with AGs around, and Vengeance. Advocate's Spirit Walker gets them to a lot of good places.
2. Uncommon list tech:
a. Magic weapons everywhere
b. Fewer living or undead models - so many constructs
c. Immovable Object can challenge opponent's plan (drags? Knock down? Bulldoze? Nah.)
d. Void Spirits, Spirit Walking Immortals and Kovaas can be a lot of Incorporeal
e. Lots of solos for flag control
f. Direct Spirits shuts down opponents soul game
3. Last Stand
a. Double-dip on Vengeance Immortals - they die at end of turn so two Last Stand'd attacks
b. Defensive Strike AG will spawn Kovass at end of opponent's turn, ready to activate on yours
c. Models are destroyed, so still count towards FEAT
?d. Models are destroyed, so still produce souls (Immortals destroyed, refill all Soul Takers as the turn ends)
e. Extra dice, not "boosted", so stacks with charges, FEAT etc.
4. Much Ghost Shot - Soulward, Zaal, Ex. Advocate (+ Shaman, who likes Far Strike, as does Zaal)
5. Annihilating Gaze is brutal against Hordes Heavies (and previous 3 have it, so plink away!)
6. FEAT
a. Any friendly model can use (beasts are OP)
b. Spend token to boost hit, second token to boost damage
?c. Kovaas counts towards feat (only if currently destroyed but not spawned? token for each destroyed spawning?)
7. Kovaas
a. Can get multiple if opponent kills ST: Gatekeepers in waves (great Last Stand target to ensure reset)
EDIT: not an Exalted solo
8. Soul Converter is cheap cost for lots of souls tokens (Soulwards are ST: Gatekeepers as well, so convert). Between this and starting souls, early game soul madness (not just an option on turns 3 and 4).
9. Direct Spirits is so soul efficient, no waste! Kovaas and Advocate are both Soul Takers too.
10. Extra dice - basically everything is more efficient than normal and putting out extra dice. Gatekeepers use souls to boost and buy (see #8), anything that dies turns into a soul AND a FEAT token, plus optional Last Stand. 3-4 dice on a majority of rolls, or multiple attacks, *all game* is hard to see on paper and so potent in practice.
Downsides
1. Accelerated Attrition. Last Stand especially, but all-or-nothing style of play leaves few models on both sides for turns 4+.
2. Clock goes fast - between Vengeance and so many extra bought attacks from souls, turns take longer.
