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So I decided to get my 2 roommates the two-player battle box for christmas and let them decide their respective sides. I am picking up the Cryx battlebox for myself and am looking at expanding on it to make it competitive with their included 19 pt armies. My question is in regards to what the best 5 pt addition would be. I have been tossing around the idea either WSC or Bane thralls. I know that the thralls are much better with BLT and UA, but are they a better fit here on their own than the WSC? Also, would it be worth tossing out one of the light jacks for more units. If so, which one? Thanks.

I find the Withershadow combine are useful as a support piece and thus more effective at larger points. But then I didn't purchase them till I was playing 50 point battles so that opinion possibly isn't that great.

Bane thralls are going to be brilliant even without the UA and Tartarus to add them. All those tasty jacks/medium infantry to munch up. Or you could go for a minimum squad of Mechanithralls and a Necrosurgeon to recycle the deaths.

If you wanted to toss out a jack then I would look at the slayer. When you want it to kill something it can take far too much focus from Deneghra making her spells weaker.

Minimum Bile thralls or maximum Mechanithralls come to five points.

The two-player box comes to 20pt Khador and 21pt Menoth lists. If you are looking for a proper 20-21pt Cryx Army with the battle box as your base, you could toss in a Min unit of Bane Thralls + UA for instant 22pts, or drop the Defiler and pick up Bane Lord Tartarus for 21pts (which is the better way to go).

pDenny doesn't need three arc nodes until you hit the 50pt level, and even then it's sometimes questionable.

To my understanding, Deneghra can handle warjacks well. If this is the case, you could remove the defiler and add the Deathjack to bump you to 21 points (at least I think so, not a cryx player).

This would leave you:

Deneghra

Slayer
Deathjack

Deathripper
Deathripper

Less tropp heavy, WAY warjack heavy, with one who actually kind of runs himself.


You could also consider removing the Defiler to fit the Withershadow Combine. This would give you about 6-7 points to do what you'd want with AND get the WSC in there.

For instance:

pDeneghra

Slayer

Deathripper
Deathripper

Withershadow Combine

Machine Wraith
Warwitch Siren
Warwitch Siren

That comes to 19 points, has some nice control and utility to it.
And for 25 points, you could just toss a second Slayer in there.

Or, you could remove the Warwitch Sirens and just toss a second Slayer in there from the get go, netting you 21 points that does:


pDeneghra

Slayer
Slayer

Deathripper
Deathripper

Withershadow Combine

Machine Wraith



Or, if you want the Bane Thralls, do as suggested before, and dropp defiler for Tartar Sauce

pDeneghra

Slayer
Deathripper
Deathripper

Min Bane Thralls
Unit attatchment

Bane Lord Tartarus

Use the rest of the Thralls in the box for the ones generated by Tartarus.


There we go, quite a few different lists ranging from 19 to 22 points, do enjoy =)

Neknoh wrote:To my understanding, Deneghra can handle warjacks well. If this is the case, you could remove the defiler and add the Deathjack to bump you to 21 points (at least I think so, not a cryx player).

I would disagree with combining the Deathjack with Deneghra. A large part of DJ's utility is that he can cast his caster's spells. Deneghra does not really have any spells DJ would want to cast. Denny can apply the debuffs on her own just fine thanks to her arc nodes, Venom is lackluster in most cases, and DJ would rather be squishing whatever is knocked down by Scourge rather than casting it himself. If you are looking for a not-Slayer helljack to run with Denny, you'll want to look at Nightmare or the minion character solo Wrong Eye & Snapjaw. Those are very solid additions with her, but for now let's stick with the battle box + small additions.

Neknoh wrote:You could also consider removing the Defiler to fit the Withershadow Combine. This would give you about 6-7 points to do what you'd want with AND get the WSC in there.

The Withershadow Combine is a fine addition to a Denny list, but I would hold off on them until the 35pt level. They are an excellent support unit, but being support they add to other things doing the killing. Deneghra is already a support caster and needs more meat in her list at low point levels.

Neknoh wrote:Machine Wraith
Warwitch Siren

The Machine Wraith is a little too situational for my tastes. Yes, he is remarkably annoying against Warmachine armies, but a Necrotech + Scrap Thrall will almost always get you better mileage. The Necrotech can create a bunch of Scrap Thralls from your opponents' warjacks (or your own should they get wrecked) which you can then send out to cause a little mischief and mayhem. If your opponent does not deal with them, they will whack something at POW16, the same as a Slayer claw. The Necrotech will also keep your arc nodes and Slayer on the move when your opponents shoot at them or if you need to take a free strike and live through it.

The Warwitch Siren is also an excellent addition to Denny, or pretty much any caster really. She is a fantastic toolbox solo and only 2pts to boot. You only need one really, but I would again hold off until a little higher point level in lieu of picking up some troops.

Neknoh wrote:And for 25 points, you could just toss a second Slayer in there.

Deneghra is very focus-hungry. It is why things like the Combine and Sirens are so valuable to her, they let her keep it. She's ok fueling one helljack, but I cannot think of a good reason to throw in two. Her focus greed is why Wrong Eye & Snapjaw are so happy with her; they run on Fury and do not touch Denny's focus pool at all. Not to mention Snapjaw is a beast!

Neknoh wrote:Or, if you want the Bane Thralls, do as suggested before, and dropp defiler for Tartar Sauce

pDeneghra
Slayer
Deathripper
Deathripper
Min Bane Thralls
Unit attatchment
Bane Lord Tartarus

Use the rest of the Thralls in the box for the ones generated by Tartarus.

This is your best bang for the buck, assuming you don't hate the Bane Thrall models. Bane Thralls + UA + Tartarus is a solid 12 points that can fit into practically any list and contribute very well. They are a nice answer to your opponents' Weapon Master teams (Cinerators and Man-O-Wars) and will eat warjacks all day long and will continue on in your collection as a viable unit for a very long time. They also give your opponents something to launch AoEs and Sprays at, so both sides of the table have a little more fun.