Sunday, March 31, 2013

Hobby Challenge - Building on Break

I had been discussing with Bryan of The Deployment Zone about wanting to get more done in the hobby but being unable to accomplish everything with my limited time at home.  Bryan then threw out this little gem, I have about 30 minutes a day plus whatever I have during lunch left after my workout to work on models.  So I decided to select a bulk of my yet to be assembled models and toss them in a box to bring with me to work.  I shall be assembling the boxes listed below in order to complete my Retribution of Scyrah - Garryth army, my Circle Orboros - Grayle army and for shits and giggles my Lady Justice Malifaux crew.  I will assemble and leave the entire set of models at work until the box has been cleaned out and everything is ready for me to bring home to base, prime and paint.



The nice thing is that there is no deadline, no rush.  These are tertiary projects that I have been wanting to get to but never had the time at home (lately - twins will do that to your hobby time).  With the up and coming Ordo Fanaticus OFCC events coming up in June and August, I need to buckle down at home and spend my hobby time painting my final unit of Bretonnians and assemble and paint my Dark Eldar army.

So we'll see how this project goes.  I'll post updates of my "Building on Break" project to see if I'm able to get all of these models assembled before the summer is over.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Bretonnian Grail Knights and Grail Reliquae WIP!

Hey folks,

Since the girls have been born getting hobby time has been hard but I'm still plugging away at the Bretonnians to get them done at 2800 pts.

Here is my newly updated hobby area with the HobbyZone items I purchased a while back.


I've got the Grail Knights almost fully basecoated and I managed to paint the the Grail Reliquae I purchased as well as the Battle Pilgrims that came with it.  I've got 18 more Pilgrims to build/prime/paint when they arrive.  As you can see I started with the test model.  Then I moved on to the full Reliquae.  I have basecoated the Knights to come from Quenelles.





I've also managed to assemble my Dark Age army.  I have chosen to play the Outcasts.  I'll do an additional blog post later on those but I'll show you the assembled army nonetheless.







Enjoy!

Hopefully I'll be done soon and be able to move on to my Dark Eldar!

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Wood Elf Tactica – Dryads


Wood Elf Tactica – Dryads
 
 

Capricious and cruel, the Dryads are both alluring and deadly to any mortals that dare trespass within the boundaries of Athel Loren.  When they enter battle, their beautiful features melt away to reveal a visage out of a nightmare as their bodies harden and become tough as bark.  Their hands extend into razor sharp claws that can rend flesh and shatter stone.  Filled with the wrath of the forest ancients, the Dryads become the forest’s battle maidens as they descend upon their foes.  Even the Asrai avoid going into the dark depths of Athel Loren for fear that the capricious Dryads may see them as a foe rather than friend.

The Dryad unit is a Core selection for the Wood Elf Army.  The unit is comprised of Skirmishing models that come on 25mm bases rather than the standard 20mm base that an elf uses. 

 
M
WS
BS
S
T
W
I
A
LD
Dryad
5
4
4
4
4
1
6
2
8
Branch Nymph
5
4
4
4
4
1
6
3
8

Dryads are a tough and effective combat Core selection for the Wood Elf army.  They have an initiative of 6 which means they are striking before most units in the game with two attacks at Weapon Skill 4 and Strength 4.  They have a Toughness of 4 so they are by default tougher than all the elven units in the army.  Dryads also have the Forest Spirit special rule which grants them the following Universal Special Rules: Fear and Immune to Psychology.  In addition the Dryads have the Forest Spirit Save which grants them a 5+ ward save against non-magical attacks and they have Forest Walker which provides them with the Strider special rule for Forests.  The only unit upgrade available to the Dryads is to take a Branch Nymph unit champion which allows the unit to accept and issue challenges.

Let’s evaluate the Pros and Cons of the unit prior to going into advanced tactica.

Pros:
The unit is toughness 4 which makes it a tougher than normal Wood Elf unit.
The unit is Strength 4 which is stronger than the rest of the Core in the Wood Elf army.
Each model has 2 base attacks rather than 1.
The unit is Stubborn when in a Forest.
Skirmish rules allow the unit some freedom of movement and maneuvering.
The unit has an Initiative of 6 which means it’s striking before well over 90% of the models in the game.
The unit gets a 5+ Ward Save against non-magical attacks.
The unit is NOT flammable.
The unit causes Fear.
The unit is Immune to Psychology.
The unit synergizes well with the Branchwraith hero selection.

Cons:
The unit cannot claim ranks.
The unit can not field a full command (standard/musician).
The unit can not negate Steadfast or Rank Bonus.
Each Dryad costs 12 points.
Unit can not flee from charges so they must always hold
Against magical attacks or spells the unit gets no save at all.
The unit can only be fielded in groups of 8-20 negating its long term staying power in close combat.

So then the question comes, with all those cons how do I use this skirmishing unit?

 Configuration:
Dryads may be configured in the following ways: Goalkeepers, Lawn Darts, Feral Gardeners, and Blitzkrieg!

Goalkeepers – When fielded as Goalkeepers, the Dryad unit is used to defend your archers and spellcasters.  This configuration will contain 8-12 Dryads kept back in near the archers to prevent threats to your Glade Guard or Spellweavers.  They also serve to act as cover to make shooting at the glade guard more difficult if your opponent is going before you and also has ranged models.  The Goalkeepers are meant to delay the opponent’s forces from reaching your Archers so that you may devote enough firepower to remove the offending units nearby.
                Synergy: The Lore of Beasts spell Wyssan’s Wildform will make the Dryads Strength and Toughness 5 which turns them into single wound Treekin for the most part.  This is especially handy if you have strong, heavy cavalry units bearing down on your archers.  The Lore of Life spell Throne of Vines/Flesh to Stone combo will also serve to provide the unit with some long term toughness (makes them T8) which will serve well against big Strength opponents.  It is recommended you field 1-2 units when using this configuration.

Lawn Darts – When fielded as Lawn Darts, the Dryad unit is used as redirectors and spell bumps.  You will most often see them fielded in units of 8 since they are able to soak up a few ranged attacks without having to worry about panic tests.  The Dryads are used in this instance to delay or force the flank of your opponent’s key units to your charge arc.
                Synergy:  If you intend on trying to keep the Dryads in combat and exposing the opponents flank then it is very important to properly augment the unit.  It is recommended that you use the Lore of Life’s spells Throne of Vines/Shield of Thorns and Flesh to Stone.  The Throne of Vines will boost the Flesh to Stone to Toughness 8 and then the Shield of Thorns will inflict automatic hits upon the unit prior to combat starting.  It is recommended that you field 2-3 units when fielding this configuration.

Feral Gardeners – This configuration functions as an offensive unit that serves to flank charge and gobble up smaller chaff units.  This unit works well being 10-14 models large and usually with a unit champion.  You generally will keep this unit close to your Treekin/Treemen to provide a strong flank charge or even sometimes to eat up the front attacks while the Treemen/Treekin/Wild Riders hit the flank/rear.
                Synergy: This unit benefits greatly if you place a character in it.  If you want to create a close combat unit that packs a substantial punch then you will want to add a Branchwraith in the mix to increase its close combat capabilities.
A.      Terror Bomb – placing a Branchwraith with the Terror spite (50pts) makes the unit cause Terror.  This is helpful for trying to chain panic lower leadership armies and make your opponent roll dice.  This is not an optimal set up but an option nonetheless.
B.      Character Assassination – the Pageant of Shrikes allows you to march your Branchwraith and her unit and shoot at specific characters while still maintaining an effective close combat option with the Poisoned Attacks cluster.
C.      The Duelist – You put the Branchwraith in the unit armed with the Poisoned Attack spite and the Annoyance of Netlings means that in a duel you are only hit on 6’s and that you unleash an additional d6 S2 poisoned attacks at Initiative 4.  This serves to provide your Branchwraith character with up to 9 attacks in a round in a challenge.  This is helpful while the rest of the unit attacks the opposing selection. 

The spells that will benefit the options above vary.  If you are going with a character in the unit then Lore of Beasts provides additional synergy with spells such as Pann’s Pelt, Wyssan’s Wildform and Savage Beasts of Horros.  Yet you could also make the unit tougher by synergizing with Lore of Life’s Throne of Vines/Flesh to Stone/Shield of Thorns.  Using the Lore of Beasts makes the Branchwraith an adversary to be feared since she would be swinging with up to 6 Strength 8 attacks at Initiative 8 with an additional D6 poisoned attacks.

If you are not using a character in the unit then the unit synergizes well with Treekin, Wild Riders and Treemen.  You must do a flank assault unless you have been augmented with Throne of Vines/Flesh to Stone to become Toughness 8. 

Blitzkrieg! – When fielding Dryads in this configuration you have a full squad of 20 Dryads with unit champion and also 1-2 Branchwraith characters in the unit.  You will want to field the unit around 7 to 10 models wide in order to maximize the number of attacks.  You rush this unit forward with units like Treemen and Treekin on the flanks.  This unit is designed to absorb punishment while your bigger monstrous infantry and monsters deal out damage to the flanks.  This unit will be skirmishing so it is recommended you fight in the forest and keep the unit buffed appropriately.  The Branchwraiths will want to be equipped with the Spites that can deal the most damage such as the Poisoned Attacks spite, Annoyance of Netlings, the Terror spite, etc...
        Synergy:  You have two options to synergize this unit with this configuration.  Defensive damage sponge or offensive assault battery, if you choose to use Lore of Life you are going defensive while Lore of Beasts will provide you with an offensive option.    Lore of Beasts provides additional synergy with spells such as Pann’s Pelt, Wyssan’s Wildform and Savage Beasts of Horros.  Yet you could also make the unit tougher by synergizing with Lore of Life’s Throne of Vines/Flesh to Stone/Shield of Thorns.  If you are fielding 2-3 Branchwraiths in this unit then Savage Beasts of Horros combined with Wyssan’s Wildform and Pann’s Impenetrable Pelt will yield 14 Strength 5 attacks at I6 and 18 Str 8 attacks at I8 which should be enough to annihilate anything you run into (provided you are running your unit 7 wide and have 3 Branchwraiths in the unit). 

        However having to deal with Toughness 8 Dryads that inflict a Str 4 hit at the beginning of every round because of Throne of Vines/Flesh to Stone/Shield of Thorns is also an attractive option of getting an opponent stuck into combat for an extended period of time.

As you can see the Dryads may function in various ways, either guardians, redirectors, character assassins or a wall of flailing attacks fueled by forest fury.  The unit itself is not meant to stand alone; the Skirmishing rule by itself dictates this.  You will need to use this unit in conjunction with others in order to fully optimize the points you have spent to use the unit.  In my lists I generally will field 10 Dryads with a unit champion in order to protect my archers and fend off anything annoying that gets near them. 

In closing, the Dryad unit is a great close combat option for the Wood Elf army.  They are fast, strong and able to absorb punishment unlike many of the other elven units in the army.  They also provide you with a good backbone for building close combat oriented lists and serving to beef up the more vulnerable sections of your army.  Like most units in the Wood Elf army this is an elite unit, its stat line dictates that right off the bat but I feel that many players under utilize the options available to them with the Dryads.  I hope this article has provided you with a different point of view and perspective on how to use Dryads in the Wood Elf army book.

Friday, March 1, 2013

2800 Pts - Wood Elves Roster - The Great Hunt, War Host of Athel Loren


2800 Pts - Wood Elves Roster - The Great Hunt, War Host of Athel Loren
 
 
 
Lords: 564
Waywatcher Lord Sylvos Greystorm the Huntsman, Ranger General of Athel Loren (1#, 239 pts)
1 Wood Elf Highborn, 239 pts (General; Scout Kindred; Hand Weapon; Longbow; Extra Hand Weapon; Light Armour; Extra Attack)
1 The Bow of Loren
1 Arcane Bodkins

Archdruidess Nysa Greystorm the Storm Maiden, Hierophant of Athel Loren (1#, 325 pts)
1 Spellweaver, 325 pts (Level 4 Upgrade; Hand Weapon; Longbow)
1 The Rhymer's Harp

Heroes: 286
Lady Nepenthia Dreamsinger, Stormsinger of Athel Loren (1#, 115 pts)
1 Wood Elf Noble (Battle Standard Bearer), 115 pts (Hand Weapon; Battle Standard Bearer)
1 Glittering Scales

Storm Lord Cyre Winterwolf the Mistwalker (2#, 171 pts)
1 Wood Elf Noble, 171 pts (Hand Weapon; Longbow; Spear; Light Armour; Shield)
1 Great Eagle (Flyer; Stomp)
1 Dragonhelm
1 Stone of the Crystal Mere

Core: 760
The Farstriders of Lady Dreamsinger (14#, 196 pts)
14 Glade Guard, 196 pts (Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Longbow)
1 Banner of Eternal Flame

The Twilight Host (14#, 186 pts)
14 Glade Guard, 186 pts (Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Longbow)

The Handmaidens of Durthu, the Verdant Rage (10#, 132 pts)
9 Dryads, 132 pts (Causes Fear; Skirmishers)
1 Branch Nymph

The Spears of Loren, Storm Wardens of Coeth-Mara (18#, 246 pts)
17 Eternal Guard, 246 pts (Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std)
1 Guardian

Special: 564
The Wolfkin, Feral Knights of Durthu (6#, 390 pts)
6 Tree Kin, 390 pts (Causes Fear; Flammable; Scaly Skin)

The Outriders of Twilight, Huntsmen of Kurnous (6#, 174 pts)
6 Wild Riders of Kurnous, 174 pts (Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Spear; Light Armour; Fast Cavalry; Magic Resistance (1))
6 Elven Steed

Rare: 625

The Stalkers of the Silent Path (10#, 240 pts)
10 Waywatchers, 240 pts (Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Longbow; Extra Attack; Scouts; Skirmishers)

Beithir Seun, the Storm of Athel Loren (1#, 285 pts)
1 Treeman, 285 pts (Causes Terror; Flammable; Large Target; Scaly Skin; Stubborn; Thunder Stomp)

Scryah, the Last Shadow (1#, 50 pts)
1 Great Eagle, 50 pts (Flyer)

Gwynador, the Scion of the Sethayla (1#, 50 pts)
1 Great Eagle, 50 pts (Flyer)

2800 Pts - Beastmen Roster - The Raucous Host, Warherd of the Blasted Lands


2800 Pts - Beastmen Roster - The Raucous Host, Warherd of the Blasted Lands


Lords: 581
Rorg Doombringer, Horned King of the Blasted Lands (1#, 301 pts)
1 Doombull, 301 pts (Berserk Rage; General; Hand Weapon; Shield; Causes Fear; Frenzy; Stomp)
1 Sword of Swift Slaying
1 Armour of Fortune

Ruld Soulstealer, the Prophet of Ruin (1#, 280 pts)
1 Great Bray-Shaman, 280 pts (Primal Fury; Level 4 Upgrade; Hand Weapon)
1 Talisman of Preservation

Heroes: 472
Trogar the Render, Harbinger of the Doombringer (1#, 206 pts)
1 Wargor (Battle Standard Bearer), 206 pts (Primal Fury; Hand Weapon; Heavy Armour; Shield; Battle Standard Bearer)
1 Gnarled Hide
1 The Beast Banner

Borcha the Horned Huntsman (2#, 266 pts)
1 Wargor, 266 pts (Primal Fury; Hand Weapon; Heavy Armour; Shield)
1 Razorgor Chariot (Primal Fury; Causes Fear; Chariot; Swiftstride)
1 Gor Driver (Spear)
1 Razorgor
1 The Brass Cleaver

Core: 709
The Fleshtearers (40#, 345 pts)
39 Gor Herd, 345 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)
1 Foe-Render (Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)

Jorga the Shattered Axe (1#, 80 pts)
1 Tuskgor Chariot, 80 pts (Primal Fury; Chariot; Swiftstride)
1 Gor Driver (Spear)
1 Bestigor Warrior (Always Strikes Last; Great Weapon)
2 Tuskgor

Malacar the Untamed (1#, 80 pts)
1 Tuskgor Chariot, 80 pts (Primal Fury; Chariot; Swiftstride)
1 Gor Driver (Spear)
1 Bestigor Warrior (Always Strikes Last; Great Weapon)
2 Tuskgor

Thorns of Spite (5#, 30 pts)
5 Ungor Raiders, 30 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Hand Weapon; Short Bow; Skirmishers)

Thorns of Malice (5#, 30 pts)
5 Ungor Raiders, 30 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Hand Weapon; Short Bow; Skirmishers)

The Shadowhunters (18#, 144 pts)
18 Gor Herd, 144 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)

Special: 763
The Blood Guard of the Doombringer (5#, 305 pts)
5 Minotaurs, 305 pts (Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Light Armour; Causes Fear; Stomp)

The Bane Knights of the Soulstealer (29#, 388 pts)
28 Bestigor Herd, 388 pts (Always Strikes Last; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Great Weapon; Heavy Armour)
1 Gouge-Horn (Always Strikes Last; Hand Weapon; Great Weapon; Heavy Armour)
1 Banner of Eternal Flame

The Sirens of the Dark Lands(5#, 70 pts)
5 Harpies, 70 pts (Flyer; Scouts; Swiftstride)

Rare: 275
Da'Kor, the Bloodbeast of the Blasted Lands (1#, 275 pts)
1 Ghorgon, 275 pts (Berserk Rage; Causes Terror; Frenzy; Immune to Psychology; Large Target; Stubborn; Thunder Stomp)

2800 Pts - Bretonnia Roster - The Riders of Twilight, Host of the Storm Warder


2800 Pts - Bretonnia Roster - The Riders of Twilight, Host of the Storm Warder


Lords: 643 pts
Lord Grayson Maddox the Storm Warder of Bastonne (2#, 413 pts)
1 Lord, 413 pts (General; Grail Vow; Hand Weapon; Heavy Armour)
1 Hippogryph (Causes Terror; Flyer; Large Target; Swiftstride; Thunder Stomp)
1 Sword of the Lady's Champion
1 The Grail Shield

Lady Ravenna of Lyonesse, Prophetess of the Lady (1#, 230 pts)
1 Prophetess of the Lady, 230 pts (Level 4 Upgrade; Hand Weapon; Magic Resistance (2))
1 Ironcurse Icon

Heroes: 328 pts
Sir Lloric the Sylvan Knight, Herald of the Storm Warder (1#, 145 pts)
1 Paladin (Battle Standard Bearer), 145 pts (Grail Vow; Barding; Hand Weapon; Battle Standard Bearer)
1 Warhorse (Swiftstride)
1 Sword of Swift Slaying
1 Armour of Agilulf

Sir Gareth Dragonsbane the Black Knight of Parravon (2#, 183 pts)
1 Paladin, 183 pts (Grail Vow; Hand Weapon; Lance; Heavy Armour; Shield)
1 Royal Pegasus (Flyer; Stomp; Swiftstride)
1 Dragonhelm
1 Virtue of Heroism (Cost Multiplier x1)

Core: 859
The Lady's Aegis, Guardians of the Prophetess (24#, 147 pts)
23 Men-at-Arms, 147 pts (Peasant's Duty; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Pole-arm; Light Armour; Shield)
1 Yeoman Warden (Hand Weapon; Pole-arm; Light Armour; Shield)

The Deer Hunters, Poachers of the Forest of Arden (16#, 116 pts)
16 Peasant Bowmen, 116 pts (Peasant's Duty; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Longbow; Braziers; Defensive Stakes)

Lady Ravenna's Bowmen of Lyonesse (16#, 116 pts)
16 Peasant Bowmen, 116 pts (Peasant's Duty; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Longbow; Braziers; Defensive Stakes)

The Knights of the White Hart, the Champions of Gisoreux (9#, 240 pts)
8 Knights of the Realm, 240 pts (Knight's Vow; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Barding; Hand Weapon; Lance; Heavy Armour; Shield)
1 Gallant (Hand Weapon; Lance; Heavy Armour; Shield)
9 Warhorse (Swiftstride)

Order of the Wyrm, the Cavaliers of Carcassonne (9#, 240 pts)
8 Knights of the Realm, 240 pts (Knight's Vow; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Barding; Hand Weapon; Lance; Heavy Armour; Shield)
1 Gallant (Hand Weapon; Lance; Heavy Armour; Shield)
9 Warhorse (Swiftstride)

Special: 445
The Storm Riders of Parravon (3#, 165 pts)
2 Pegasus Knights, 165 pts (Knight's Vow; Hand Weapon; Lance; Heavy Armour; Shield; Flyer)
1 Gallant (Hand Weapon; Lance; Heavy Armour; Shield)
3 Pegasus (Flyer; Stomp; Swiftstride)

The Oath of Galisteel, Reliquae of Sir Bautch (25#, 280 pts)
1 Grail Reliquae, 280 pts (Peasant's Duty; Hand Weapon; Light Armour; Shield; Hatred; Stubborn)
24 Battle Pilgrims (Hand Weapon; Light Armour; Shield)

Rare: 524
The Sylvan Flame, Grail Knights of Quenelles (8#, 344 pts)
8 Grail Knights, 344 pts (Grail Vow; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Barding; Hand Weapon; Lance; Heavy Armour; Shield)
8 Warhorse (Swiftstride)
1 Banner of Chalons

The Breach-maker (5#, 90 pts)
1 Field Trebuchet, 90 pts (Stone Thrower)
4 Crew (Hand Weapon)

Old Faithful (5#, 90 pts)
1 Field Trebuchet, 90 pts (Stone Thrower)
4 Crew (Hand Weapon)