Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

My first try with Tomb Kings (princes)

This is kind of what I have available model wise (I have a bit more stuff but haven't built it yet)

Hierotitan (for the additional bonus to magic, for a nasty bound everynow and then, and then to charge a flank and thunderstomp turn 6 and break things)
Necrosphinx (fly around and eat annoying stuff or tie it up)
Casket of Souls (so I can get my spells off with extra dice)
3 Necroknights
7 chariots banner/musician
35 Tomb Guard Halberds Full Command Banner of Swiftness
lvl1 book lore
lvl2 lore of light, scoll
lvl3 book lore 4+ ward save, channelling staff
Tomb Prince flail, shield, chariot 5+ward, dragon helm
Necrotect Enchanted Shield, Dragonbane gem
Tomb Prince 4+ward, heavy armor, great weapon GENERAL

I'd like to get some 3 carrion in there somehow.

Are you paying attention to points costs? New Fantasy rules mean that you have to have at least 25% of the points cost in your army be Core choices- in your case Chariots, which don't quite cut it at 7 (405) when, for 25% of 2500 you need 525 points of Core. Add two or three more Chariots instead of something else, and you'll be good.

Also, Heroes and Lords can only be up to 50% of the army Points, at 25% each, maximum. Your Heirophant is fine, but ( this is since I don't know the BRB magic item costs) your Princes, Liche Priests and Necrotect are either cutting it close or over the 525 point limit, all told. The Chariot Prince doesn't count towards Core, but towards the Heroes.


I know that the Big Meanies (Animated Constructs) are really fun, and cool models, but I'd suggest getting another box of Chariots or some Horsemen (or even basic Archers/Warriors) to beef up your Core, before going for the Carrion or anything else.

The above poster is right but not right enough :/ 25 percent of core at 2500 points is 625 points and not 500.

A few notes on your load-outs:

Your necrotect doesnt need to live. Spending anything on points for him to live is meh. Dragonbane gem should go on your general instead - the TP NEEDS that 2+ save vs. fire.

I don't have the book on me right now but I seem to remember the max number of tomb guard you can run is 30. Im probably wrong but check the unit size. And at any rate most people run them in units of 20.

Heirotitan (I know I've mentioned this before) is a /cool/ model and has some nifty stuff going for him but in reality I'd rather have 2 screaming skull catapults - especially in a game thats all about large block infantry and steadfast.

Unless your bunkering your three mages in the same unit of tomb guard - you need mage bunkers. This often comes in the form of 19 archers (for me it does at least). If your mage is standing alone - especially your heiro - he's just going to get splatted by a cannon/mortar/any ranged.

I do like the TP on the chariot - lmk how it works out for you. I think in a block of 7 other chariots he could get really annoying really quick for your enemy. I've often pondered trying out a TK in chariot with DOE but some 300 points feels like too much for a single model who isn't singuarly bad ass.

A point of advice on the price on chariot - try giving him some anti-monster equipment. Say a flaming something or rather and/or potion of strength. This way you can charge with the chariots, do 4d6 S5 impact hits and then hit hard with your prince.

Thanks for your help
I was just throwing some stuff together. The point costs of all the TK stuff is a little bit higher than it should be and it's difficult to put together a balanced list.

I don't think the book writers understood what a drawback the Nehekaran Dead rules are for the army.

Drawback? What in the world are you talking about?

They don't break, so cannot be run down. They cause Fear, are Immune to Psychology, all our archers [/i]always[/i] hit on a 5+, and you can res your dirt-cheap rank and file units with more than half the spells you'll be wanting to use anyways!

Yes but we also don't march and in a game which is won in the movement phase that can be a detriment.

We get something both better and worse than a March- our Signature Spell, which, if you don't take it, either means you're doing an odd, sit still strategy, or you're being silly with a single lvl 1 Liche Priest.

After all, if we get it off properly (should most likely wait till the enemy has fewer dispel dice) it both copies the effect of a March (with no penalties) and heals our units!

But that's only if we get it off, and it takes up a spell. So yeah, a tradeoff.

And in my local meta my opponents will wait (especially in turn 1 and 2) to dispel desert wind at all costs. If I can;t get my skellies across the table then they don't really have to worry about my infantry blocks sadly :/

Drawback = something that makes you worse in gameplay
1. no marching
2. being extra reliant on unreliable magic (average healing is 2.5 guys, I'm not lucky so my average is 1.5 and I've got a chance to miscast, and I maybe only have 3 power dice to my opponents 4-5 DD, and I lose an extra 5guys to being unstable) On average, you should get 1-2 spells off per magic phase, if the dice go your way.
3. Unstable (this rule is really damaging)
4. The gaul of VC having everything a little bit better, cheaper, more effective
5. I can't make a list without coming out nearly 200pts over, you just can't put everything in that you need to stay toe-to-toe with regular other armies (not tourney armies mind you)

all the benefits (ITP, being able to heal guys) are actually worse than everyone elses access to better items/lores/prices. Lore of life heals better than TK, VC is better, their characters are more accessible, ITP is mitigated by high leadership and BSB which everyone can get easier. They can heal their characters as well. We can only heal one wound on a construct per magic phase - you lose more wounds to unstable per turn than you could ever possibly heal back in 6 turns of a game, even if you get your spells off.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I'm redoing my army, I still would like a big unit of Tomb Guard (I know their not that good, but I'd like to try) I've switched to a Tomb King since I can't fit a survivable Necrotect in the unit, and I'd like the TG to be able to kill some things in combat if they get there : }

6 chariots std & music
17 archers std & music
3 chariots
lvl3 channelling staff
lvl2 scroll
2 Screaming Stone Throwers
Titan
Casket of Souls
2 units of NecroKnights (for the flanks and they have more attacks than any of the other specials and cost a bit less than a necrosphinx)
34 Tomb Guard banner of swiftness
Tomb King grt weapon 4+ward, 2+against flaming

I'm still 52 pts over, so I've got to find a way to skim it more. If the TG are just terrible, I'll paint them and use them as skelly warriors in some games.