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Well I've seen this particular style list run REALLY well, as it has alot of potential, so I thought I would take a stab at it. I've narrowed it down to 2 different choices - any advice would be appreciated!

List 1
Dreadlord w/Executioner Axe, Blood Armor
Death Hag BSB w/Manbane, Banner of Hag Grief, Rune of Khaine
Death Hag on Cauldron w/Manbane, Rune of Khaine
Master on Dark Pegasus, Crimson Death, Ring of Hotek, HA, Shield, Sea Dragon Cloak
3 X 5 Dark Riders w/Musicians
21 Executioners w/full command
10 Executioners
10 Executioners
13 Black Guard
4 x Reaper Bolt Throwers

List 2
Dreadlord on Dark Pegasus w/Caledor's Bane, Armor of Darkness, Pendant of Khaeleth
Death Hag BSB w/Manbane, Rune of Khaine, Banner of Hag Grief
Death Hag on Cauldron w/Manbane, Rune of Khaine
Master on Dark Pegasus, Crimson Death, Ring of Hotek, HA, Shield, Sea Dragon Cloak
3 X 5 Dark Riders w/Musicians
21 Executioners w/Full Command, War Banner
14 Executioners
14 Executioners
4 X Reaper Bolt Throwers

The way I figure it, List 1 is more of a march out and kick the crap out of anyone, especially with the BSB in the big unit of executioners. In the event they do lose combat, the Cauldron will keep them stubborn. The other executioners will provide flanking units, while the black guard will protect the dreadlord in his hunt for big nasties. The reaper bolt throwers can thin out skirmishers or put wounds on big nasties far away. Dark Riders will move for table quarters and get behind units that break.

The second list has more of a flying circus appeal to it, with bigger units of executioners and having the characters flying around hunting war machines and such. Both are pretty low on magic, but if folks want to risk alot of dice at going after the big units, they have to chance having the Ring of Hotek around.

Would suggest tossing assassins in your exe squads instead the death hag. The whole her being frenzy and possibly leaving the unit to charge will kinda hurt. Would drop the upgrades from the death hag with the cauldron. find on its own it can pretty much handle most war marchine killer units just fine.

Unfortuneately I need the Death Hag in the executioner block so I can use the Standard of Hag Grief, giving them ASF with GW. The unit can't take that expensive of a banner without a character, and the Death Hag is the only character who can join a Khainite unit.

I worry about you trying to use Executioners as anvils, when they are clearly much more of a hammer unit. If you treat them as slower heavy cavalry, you won't go far wrong - if they can't break their target in the charge, they're going after the wrong target!

One unit of 2x7 and perhaps flanking detachments in the 5-7 range might work better. Or go for the Black Guard to be your anvil (2x7 unless you expect them to take unscreened fire), and take a couple 5-7 man Executioner escorts to hammer whatever they pin down. Banner of Murder and/or Standard of Slaughter work better for Executioners... assuming you want to bother with a banner at all. I usually field mine naked to keep costs down, and so I don't loose much if they get charged.

If you really want to go Executioner-heavy, go for it. But you need an anvil to smash things against. Either Black Guard or a Spearman unit.

I take it the master is going mage hunting? You might want to consider a RXB or pair of RHB for him, for when mages hide in units and he can't get to them.

I'm not crazy about the second Lord build, though. You could very easily have the peggy killed out from under him, making Caledor's Bane useless (Ring of Darkness does help somewhat there) and stranding the lord far away from where he needs to be.

It's a shame the first Lord can't lead the Executioners. Why is it that the only characters who can take the Executioner's Axe.... can't join Executioners? <sigh>

Four Reapers rather than Hydras? I'm proud of you! It's easy to get caught up in making a beast of a CC army and go for the double hydra. But even the hardest CC army occasionally needs to reach out and touch someone... repeatedly!


Grimaldus: The point of the Hag being in the big Ex unit is to carry the banner of Hag Graef so they get ASF. Which I don't think Executioners really need for their role, which is to charge and break things, not hold the line for a second turn.

Dreadlord in first build I feel would be useless. Why is anyone who has multiple wounds going to touch the BG unit when everything on the field is softer? And if they do they will kill him outright with an initial 5+ AS and strike last. I'd just go with another cauldron hag. You can split the ward saves initially to cover your big unit and your smaller Exec unit and give any 2 units +1 A each or give the front holders ward save on sustained combat while you give your counter chargers the attack bonus. That will be much more worthwhile than the Dreadlord setup you have. You have bolt throwers to handle monstrous creatures anyway. Plus it will stretch your stubborn line. You could also drop 1 Exec unit and add more to your BG or other Exec units. It will be easier to hold the stubborn line as well.

Vulcan wrote:


Grimaldus: The point of the Hag being in the big Ex unit is to carry the banner of Hag Graef so they get ASF. Which I don't think Executioners really need for their role, which is to charge and break things, not hold the line for a second turn.

Yeah, but my worry in that situation is the opponent using a unit of light calvary or a throw away unit to bait the death hag so either the death hag leaves the squad via frenzy charge or the whole block of executioners move and get caught in a position where they might get flanked.

Grimaldus wrote:

Vulcan wrote:


Grimaldus: The point of the Hag being in the big Ex unit is to carry the banner of Hag Graef so they get ASF. Which I don't think Executioners really need for their role, which is to charge and break things, not hold the line for a second turn.

Yeah, but my worry in that situation is the opponent using a unit of light calvary or a throw away unit to bait the death hag so either the death hag leaves the squad via frenzy charge or the whole block of executioners move and get caught in a position where they might get flanked.

Oh, I agree. Depending on a frenzied hag to make your unit work is problematic. But as I said, I don't think Executioners need ASF when used in their proper role. They should get 'ASF' naturally from the charge.

However, I will also point out that both of the armies in the OP have 3 units of Dark Riders and 4 RBTs to help clear away exactly that sort of chaff. If he reduces the Executioners to more reasonably sized units, he'll have more points for more chaff-clearers - perhaps a meatshield unit of 10 RXBmen or 10 RHB Corsairs? Deploy 10 wide between biggest shooty/chargebait/marchblock threat and pincushion it. Reduce frontage by five and either wheel or turn and move to clear the charge path the turn before you want them to charge (at which point frenzy will no longer matter!)