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Lord of Fate: Aetaos’rau’keres, Greater Daemon of Tzeentch - 999
HQ: Kairos Fateweaver - 300
HQ: Lord of Change, Lesser Reward, Grimore of True Names 270
Troops: 10 Plaguebearers of Nurgle - 90
Troops: 10 Plaguebearers of Nurgle - 90
Fortification: Void Shield Generator, 3 Shields - 100
(1850)

Pretty straightforward. Use the shield to delay any alpha strike attempt and spawn horrors but it if it is still in play. Grimoire goes on Aetaos generaly giving him the 2++ rerollable. Not sure if it can be ant better at 1850.

Looks pretty good. Have you considered replacing one plaguebearers with 2x nurgling squads as first turn wipe out insurance? Against some opponents it is entirely possible they could take down your void shields, ground your daemon lord, and give him the D. Sabre spam IG with a warhound being the perfect example. Against this you may have to reserve you daemon lord to stand a chance (in which case infiltrating nurglings will be a blessing).

You also don't really need a lot of scoring as either your daemon lord survives and creates scoring or you get utterly tabled.

It really wont matter at that point to have models on the table - if he loses his daemon lord on the first turn before he gets to act its game over for him anyways. That's the issue with LOW under 2k points its all about that 1 model for most armies.

If you start him in reserve you might not get him to turn 3 or 4 (it happens) in which case you lost just because he is in reserve.

As for the list itself it looks solid, just gotta keep your other flying MC's away from the big bird which will be the biggest challenge using him I think.

Against some opponents it is entirely possible they could take down your void shields, ground your daemon lord, and give him the D. Sabre spam IG with a warhound being the perfect example.

Anything is possible but it would be very lucky indeed to kill him this way on first turn. With a void shield up I'm not likely to have him flying turn one anyway - would rather bet on my apocalyptic blasts first turn. He will have a 2++ save with a grimoire. So D can kill him if all goes right but you would have to roll extremely well for this to happen. And if you do then good on you. But I would not start him in reserve.

if he loses his daemon lord on the first turn before he gets to act its game over for him anyways. That's the issue with LOW under 2k points its all about that 1 model for most armies.

Pretty much and vice versa. I will assume only a list with d weapons can hurt him enough first turn so if he survives he take out any threats pretty quickly. It is the nature of escalation. I feel I have as good a chance as my opponent to win the battle of attrition even against a revenant.

D weapons don't allow invulnerable save BTW so your 2++ from grimoire is useless there.

I think you are underestimating what an IG player can bring in terms of firepower. My experimental escalation list is looking to be 8-10 sabre platforms, a 3 shield void shield generator, a warhound titan, and coteaz. More than 30% of any game you play against that list should end with your LoW dead turn 1. Worse if a necron player takes a pylon you almost auto loose unless you either get turn 1 or start your LoW in reserves and they deploy the pylon. Under those two conditions you can at least have some chance to try killing the pylon before it can fire at the daemon lord.

I'm aware i don't get the inv. I'm actually quite scared of pylons, TBH. That is an 1850 list for your IG?

Yep, IG can do some scary stuff with their cheapo support units and a warhound. Though that list in turn has a lot to worry about from a C'Tan or Revenant getting a drop on it.

Having the option to reserve your daemon lord means the Pylon player cannot count on you being a target turn 1. The other units can be hidden with LoS blockers during deployment but the big guy has no chance to hide. If he deploys turn 1 and you give him your other stuff to worry about (or if you are super lucky you manage to destroy the pylon) you should still have your void shields turn 2 to absorb interceptor.

You said you wouldn't have him flying first turn because the Void Shields would be up, and you'd count on the Apocalyptic Blasts? To which Apoc Blasts are you referring? Aetaos' Staff of Cataclysm is actually pretty crappy unless you are indeed facing an IG army, or perhaps Tau.

Definitely keep Fatey and the LOC 18" away from the Big Birdo. They could even start near each other and Swoop away to your chosen targets, but that will be key, deciding where you want them to end up right off the bat. Hopefully you wouldn't have to use the Staff of Tomorrow for the Grimoire, as you will most certainly need it for the Grounding Tests, of which there will be many!

But I would almost not count on the enemy targeting the Daemon Lord unless they had D shots. It may prove wiser to target Fatey and the LOC, those would be quite easy to kill with Sabre Platforms, and then no rerolls or Grimoire. Though I guess that could wait until turn 2. But for an IG list, even Fatey and a LOC could wreck the lines by their lonesome on Turn 2 probably (depending on deployment of course).

They still have the rule for his Horrors 'the Render of Veils' where the Horrors don't count as Kill Points or Victory Points, and in the Gladiator I remember that those Horrors did not count as scoring. But being Horrors, shouldn't they count for scoring? I'd sure like to think so!

I'd rather see Belakor instead of a LOC. The Puppet Master could become amazingly handy in such a game.

Don't forget, all Gargantuan Creatures come standard with Feel No Pain too. That comes in handy, just not vs D weapons.

well we were talking IG here for the staff targets. Yep the two FMCs need to keep over 18"away from Aetaos but grimoire is 24" so I have leeway. Belakor would be okay but then no LoC at all and no void shield to fit him in. He actually costs 400 pts (350 and 50 for cultists). At 2000 maybe.

Horrors count as scoring in standard 40k. They give up kill points. But the thing with Sabre platforms. You don't shoot at them ... you assault them. That is how you rid yourself of platforms - they have crappy morale and are immobile - their only weaknesses.

I'll take 'ansacs' advice to heart and see if I want to start the big guy on the table or in reserves depending upon my opponent. against that IG list or a Nec list with pylons I might have to adjust my plans.

Realistically it should be a battle. All escalation units have the potential to cause massive damage - of course this is no different - Aetaos would be crazy if there were no d weapons around as it should be so like most escalation games things get decided fairly quickly.