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With the new FAQ ruling:

BRB FAQ wrote:Q: When taking a Leadership test, sometimes you have to take it on
your unmodified leadership. What is your unmodified leadership?
(p10)
A: Your unmodified Leadership is the highest Leadership
characteristic in the unit. Do not include any modifiers from
any source, for example, Strength in Numbers, Inspiring
Presence or the Doom and Darkness spell.

I went about to search for things that actually use unmodified LD.
And came across the blade of realities now it is an extreemly expensive item (3 dispel scrolls), but could it be worth it for a monster hunter oldboold?

Most monsters have high LD (8-10 usually), the vampire ones being the main exceptions, but also the dreaded hydra and pretty much most of the ogre army (short stick once again fellas sorry). Now causing 2-4 tests a turn on average (remember you just need to hit to cause a test) it may give the oldblood a nice chance to off even a high LD target.

So what do you guys think an oldblood with the blade, a dawnsotone, a shield, a cold one, in a small unit of CoC with huanchis totem, could get to grips with such things fast and have a good shot at even characters.

Ironically enough it's probably best at burning through monstrous infantry and less so monsters, as MI tend to have low to terrible LD (trolls!) while many monsters that actually hit the table are 9-10. But I like that build you put up, quite nice for taking on whatever you like.

As an aside, oldbloods are so badass, just so many ways to make them uber, with all that mundane armor taken care of and leaving points for awesome things. Possibly my favorite piece of art in the BRB is the oldblood taking down the keeper of secrets - blade of realities in action??

- Salvage

I can say it works against Ogres

i lost a game because my Tyrant failed his rerollable Ld10 and then that Oldblood went on to kill my 3 Rhinox Riders and a bunch of my regular bulls.

Ouch...
That settles it im running it

They also test once for each HIT.

so if you hit 4 times thats 4 tests they have to pass.

even leadership 9 is hard pressed to pass that many.

Which is what i said.

I know, was just reinforcing the sickness that is that blade...

Boss Salvage wrote:Ironically enough it's probably best at burning through monstrous infantry and less so monsters, as MI tend to have low to terrible LD (trolls!)

Ack! It's too true!

Do BSB's allow the re-roll of these leadership tests?

I love the blade of realities, though, and oldbloods. Awesome to see people taking one instead of (or even in addition to if points allow) a slann.

Well with the recent nerf on cupped hands ill switch to economy lifeslaan, and have some pointage open

Edit: I don't see why the BSB wouldn't allow a re-roll, thus making for a more tactical game. Lets play dodge the bubble

I'd still like to see a LM player put the Blade of Realities on a Slann.

DE Player: "My Hydra charges your Temple Guard."
LM Player: "Surprise!" *Poke*
DE Player: "Arrgh!"

Tzeentchling9 wrote:DE Player: "My Hydra charges your Temple Guard."
LM Player: "Surprise!" *Poke*
DE Player: "Arrgh!"

LOL Epic

HoverBoy wrote:recent nerf on cupped hands

do tell...

If you bounce a "lose D6 power dice" miscast, you still lose dice from the power pool.

Keep in mind the Hydra will be testing on Ld8 from the handlers, as it is the highest Ld in the unit, and the New FAQ says use the handlers leadership for monster and handler units.

Still, Ld8 isn't going to last long against that thing. Here's a question, if the hydra failed the Ld test, would a handler be removed on a 5+ instead of the hydra?


I do like the cold one old blood unit. It's a really nice hammer.

-Matt

no the hydra and handlers would be removed...

Handlers really dont do much anymore.

HawaiiMatt wrote:Keep in mind the Hydra will be testing on Ld8 from the handlers, as it is the highest Ld in the unit, and the New FAQ says use the handlers leadership for monster and handler units.

Only for unit based tests, the blade tests on per model basis.

HawaiiMatt wrote:
Here's a question, if the hydra failed the Ld test, would a handler be removed on a 5+ instead of the hydra?

No, it's wounds(after saves) that can be passed onto handlers. BoR can remove the hydra before it wounds.

Yeah, I ran the blade in 7th ed, but I think the reroll from the BSB is going to make it hard to run in this ed.

My best hit ever was taking out a treeman with it!

Yes, well getting rid of the enemy BSB is top priority anyway, heck i'd even use it against him

I dont think basing the decision on a failed rerollable LD 10 is.. the best idea

Against LD 9 with BSB thats a 1 in 36 chance to kill per hit. Just doesnt seem horribly effective for the massive point cost, esp when you got no ward save and a low initiative for a character.

Cupped hands was *barely* nerfed.. Yeah okay you lose power dice, but they could lose their caster or an entire unit. If you miscast on the first spell and youre using life you can just 2+ to ignore it.. If you miscast on the last spell it doesnt matter anyhow

There is nothing really in the lizard book that can equal the standard 460 pt slann..

Ive just never found the blade of realities to be useful.. Sure if you get really lucky, but then again if you get really lucky with a lot of things they do well. All ya need for lizards is slann + temple guard + 2 blocks of warriors + 2 camo skink units + 6 salamanders and you can pretty much auto win vs most armies :p

However, if you can reliably remove their BSB every game then I can see the use.. But lizards arent exactly the best preemptive assassins

Yeah, I can see how a BSB could cause some problems for the blade, but I've always been tempted to run that weapon against some low leadership skaven

A BSB helps against the blade, but it isn't a sure thing.

Yeah but taking that logic.. The blade will succeed A LOT less because of the BSB. You're taking the blade to kill characters, and they are taking a BSB to enhance their entire army without regard to what item you're bringing

Since virtually every good army uses a BSB the blade is like a 75pt hand weapon. Its just a question of benefit vs cost.. The benefit is so low and the cost is very high, vs the standard beat down Oldblood set up

True, but it's a fairly good chance of killing a character outright without regard for any saves it has.

and you still roll to wound as normal if you fail so thats no problem.

You consider a "good chance" to be something drastically different than me.. Good chance is like over 50%

VS ld9 re-rollable it has a 3% chance. That is *not* very good. Against LD10 its abysmal. Yes it can roll to wound after, but hand weapons you get for free get to do that too

If you like it thats cool, just understand it has a 3% chance to kill a character.. You'd need to hit something 33 times to make it fail once. 33 / (5*.66) <- number of hits vs WS4 per round.. You'd need 10 rounds of CC or probably 2 entire games of CC to kill a single model. Where as the very effective setup of GW + tricksters shard is much more effective due to -4 armor saves and negating a lot of ward saves. Or if you want no protection go with the +1s no armor save sword and tricksters

3% chance is bad for a 75pt item

Great info here. I think the problem, as listed, is any big fat monsters are likely going to be near a BSB. At least if they have low leadership. You're not going to send your 4 LD trolls off by themselves too often. I could see you sending a giant or something, but it's LD 10.

Then you look at cost. At the very cheapest, you've got a >300 point character chasing down monsters that almost certainly cost less. If you throw him into the scrum, he can get tarpitted and then that spiffy sword isn't nearly so useful. He's only got 3 wounds.

I think you can certainly catch some lotsa monster groups unawares. But you're giving up (most likely) a Slaan to do it. And putting your faith in the hands of a not-quite-glass cannon. He's tough, certainly. But he's not a monster.

But it's still a cool idea

Against a Ld8 in the BSB's range, you've got around a 7%, so about 20%/round. If you can get them outside that range, you're looking at >40%/round. It's not amazing. But it's not bad. I'd say give it a try.

I'll also ask someone to model their Slann levitating the Blade of Realties above his head, ready to challenge any foolish enough to face him.