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So, after a 6 month hiatus from warmachine/hordes, I'm thinking about getting back in with a new force. Since I originally played as Cygnar, I figured I'd try as diametrically opposed an army as I could (that I still liked), so I may be giving Skorne a shot. I thought I'd get some list feedback from you guys before I go buying piles of models, however. Here's a 35 point I thought I'd try:

Lord Tyrant Hexeris
-Bronzeback Titan
-Titan Gladiator
-Cyclops Savage

Tyrant Commander/Standard Bearer
6 Cataphract Cetrati
4 Paingiver Beast Handlers
Void Spirit

Generally, I'd keep death march on the cetrati and soul slave on the bronzeback. soul slave lets me burn fury like mad on the bronzeback (and arc obliteration/soulfire like a jerk), who also lets the titan run hot. The titans do what they do best; smash the piss out of everybody (while enraged/medicated/fury managed by the paingivers), wrecking havoc on enemy lines via STR14 tramples, 2-handed throws, and (for the gladiator) mile long slams. Their animi are both excellent (see how far a gladiator can go in a turn via a smash, follow-up, and beat back), and Rush makes sure the big nasties get where they're going. The Savage is there for the usual stuff, IE future sight on titans and beating up medium targets not worth the titan's time.

The Cetrati are what they usually are; an unrelenting block of shield walled, weapon master-ing doom. Death March makes them hit whatever they like, and get a free shuffle-and-stab if you actually manage to take one down. The Commander bolsters the cetrati, making them hum along while shield walled, and/or letting them charge through rough terrain if I need them to. The void spirit is there as a wild-card; I can send him after solos, officers, artillery, etc.

My primary concerns are that I won't have enough attacks (or models) to handle infantry; the titans can trample like crazy, but I still feel like I can be bogged down with effort. Obviously, speed is a problem too; I'm not getting anywhere quick. Thirdly, Hexeris doesn't have any really serious synergies, instead he's a pretty all-rounder type warlock; that makes me nervous. I'm used to armies that have a particular modus operandi, whereas this army is just a big tough tide of flesh rolling up the table. Also, I really wasn't sure what to do with the last 5 points, so they got spent on the Tyrant Commander and the Void Spirit. I feel like there may be a better use for those points I'm not seeing...

Thoughts? Are there any must-have Skorne units I didn't spot, or Hexeris synergies I missed?

Hexeris would like to have little help with casting so Cyclops Shaman or the new bloke Marketh would be a good addition.
I think you would get more out of Death March by running one wound infantry like Nihilators or Pretorian Swordsmen, vengeance is pretty much wasted on Cetrati. Both of these units, especially Nihilators, would help dealing with infantry spam.
You could also look at Agonizer as Hexy probably has some fury to spare in the beginning of the game.

Marketh actually doesn't bring much to the table for Hexeris if you ask me.... the only spells he can cast are soulfire or buffs, and unless you're running a fair amount of single damage infantry (which this list isn't) he won't be piling up many souls to fuel upkeeps.

I hadn't thought about the Nihilators, but they might fit the infantry killing spot perfectly. That, or swap the void spirit for a bloodrunner master tormentor? Anatomical precision threshing with reach is just sick and wrong...

I would suggest trying to go for just Tier 1 of his theme list... upkeeps in play is just awesome-sauce.

You can put a fully boosted Oblit several inches into the opponents' deployment zone with a running Worm w/ rush on it.

Marketh is nifty in that he allows Hexi to do more soul firing, 'free' upkeeps and cycling Deathmarch, or even not botherin with upkeeping and just casting Deathmarch on a chosen unit.

Nihilators are nice for him, though not tier. While the BRMT is pretty cool, but gets a bad wrap on the PP forums for lacking 'something'...I dunno, nice against infantry so the rest of the list can focus on dealing with tougher stuff.

UPDATE: I think I've found a variation of the above that I like:


Lord Tyrant Hexeris
-Bronzeback Titan
-Titan Gladiator
-Cyclops Savage

4 Cataphract Cetrati
4 Paingiver Beast Handlers
6 Praetorian Swordsmen
Hakaar the Destroyer

This lets me keep my T1, I've got 6 swordsmen for clearing infantry, and hakaar to feast on their souls when (not if) they die. He'll stick by them, eat souls, righteous vengeance someone's pants off every time they kill swordsmen, and just generally lay hurt on things the swordsmen can't. With Death March, MAT8 makes the swordsmen capable of taking on even the highest DEF targets, as well as allow them to take very nasty advantage of penetrating strike. The best part is, when they're death marched and Hakaar is next door, BOTH units get to kick some teeth when I lose swordsmen.

I figure between the swordsmen, hakaar/savage's reach, and Hexeris himself (I keep forgetting he can lay infantry hurt with his MAT7 POW14 lifedrinking reach weapon, let alone soulfire and obliteration), I've got the infantry killing to handle even the most warbeast-free armies, while my two VERY heavy warbeasts backed by CMA-capable weapon master Cetrati can go toe to toe with those hulking Khador armies. The swordsmen can actually do a rather excellent job of finishing off heavies as well, where even 3 of them can reliably take off an entire column/branch.

I highly suggest a worm....AD, eyeless sight, pathfinder, speed.... it was made for soulslave IMO.

Welcome back to the fold! Since I know little to nothing about Skorne, I'll just say "huzzah", and leave it at that.