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Ok, so I've been toying around with the idea to have a 20 man unit of FOs and have been wondering how to use them to their best. Now, I know all the hate people have for them...but what if we could make them decent? I propose a large group of them in a giant point sinking death star.

20 Flayed Ones - 260
Imotekh - 225
Nemesor Zahndrekh - 185
Vargard Obyron - 160

Ok, so this is an 830 Death Star (though Imotekh doesn't ride with 'em, he's only there for the protection of Night Fighting and Blood Scarabs to give the unit it's no scatter w/in 6" of a random unit). It has 20 guys with a ton of attacks and a 4+ save. They gain a rez orb from Zahndrekh (giving them a 4+ to get back up) as well as every turn the whole unit gets a USR (besides the turn they DS in). This can mean free Counter Attack (don't really need the extra attacks with already having 4), Furious Charge (will be great against Orks/IG/Tau allowing them to strike at the same time and wound on 2's and 3's), Hit and Run will be nigh useless, and Tank Hunter will be as useful as FC against armor unless you're worried about tank shocks but should be avoided if you're multiassualting like I'd hope one would with a unit this size.

Obyron brings the pain being a CC monster and Zahn just brings the USR and orb (both bringing a 2+ and one 3++). Zahn also brings tons of synergy with the rest of your army (of course, the army needing to really be 1750-2k to really be of any use) even allowing Imotekh to gain tank hunter if your opponent brings tons of armor.

This would be a small army (probably coupled with a couple units of Wraiths and maybe a couple Chronoteks chilling with Imotekh for rerolls. Not sure if Lanceteks would be worthwhile in a list using lots of Night Fighting or if this would be a good list to take advantage of Deathmarks and the template Teks. Maybe a couple small units of warriors and fill the Heavy Slots with Spiders and have a max unit of Scarabs running around with the Wraiths. I dunno, I just think this might be neat to try.

Whatcha guys think?

I haven't seen their stat-line yet, but if they are anything like the old ones, 20 of them should tear righteous amounts of ass.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I mean it would work in Dawn of War (the game) so why not lol?

Terrible idea. Flayed Ones are slow, have no ability to ignore armor, have no real ability to threaten vehicles, and get swept easily.

Maybe if they had fleet, or I5, or fearless, or rending, or could outflank like SW Scouts, or a combination of these, they would be good. Maybe. As it stands, win combat by 3 against them and you have a good chance of running this "Deathstar" off the board.

I think FOs can be good. But not based on their value to actually kill anything. To me, their real use is to just get tied in combat with things that'd rather not be tied in combat, like Lootas or Long Fangs. Even if they die in cc, it doesn't matter since they didn't even want to fight you in the first place.

Flayed ones are excellent for tying up opponents walkers, like dreadnoughts. Select bloodswarm nanoscarabs on a unit near a walker, ds the flayed ones, and watch them tie the nought up for days. Whats that nought? You killed one guy. K. LD test. Rolled a 9. RP. 5. Gets back up. Next turn

Honestly, if ima shell out points for a teleporting deathstar, it'll be x10 lychguard with scythes, obyron, and zandrehk giving them furious charge/counter attack. 30 strength 8 power weapon attacks > 60 regular ones at str 5.
Also, you have 3+ save
You also have T5
You also have a squad that is a death sentence for any vehicle it catches.

Obyron 160
10 LG w/ scythes 400
Zandrehk 185
745

That, or

VoD tek 50 points
10 LG w/ scythes 400
Zandrehk 185
Immotehk 225
860

Basimpo wrote:Flayed ones are excellent for tying up opponents walkers, like dreadnoughts. Select bloodswarm nanoscarabs on a unit near a walker, ds the flayed ones, and watch them tie the nought up for days. Whats that nought? You killed one guy. K. LD test. Rolled a 9. RP. 5. Gets back up. Next turn

1. You don't get to "select" Bloodswarm Nanoscarabs; it's done at random.
2. Flayed Ones cannot possibly hurt a Walker, whereas a Walker will kill 3 Flayed Ones per turn, which will cause the Flayed Ones to fall back.
3. Fail.

Flayed Ones are a cheap filler unit, and that's about it. I absolutely loved them when they were init 4 and had the ability to make your opponent hit on 6's (not that the ability went off often enough, but it was fun and fluffy!)

Now they are Init 2. They really only work in conjunction with other units. I would hold them back as protection for your shooty units, Other than that I can't really see the point of them. Hate the new models anyway, glad I still have my old metal ones.

iGuy91 wrote:Obyron 160
10 LG w/ scythes 400
Zandrehk 185
745

I think the swords & shield are a better option. That 3++ goes a long way in keeping them alive at I2

azazel the cat wrote:

iGuy91 wrote:Obyron 160
10 LG w/ scythes 400
Zandrehk 185
745

I think the swords & shield are a better option. That 3++ goes a long way in keeping them alive at I2

in that case, increase the LG to 450, and you have a more effective deathstar at 795 points, Obyron can still warscythe vehicles too hitting at str 8, and the sword LG would hit at STR 6, and could pop transports I suppose.

Flayed ones, in my experience, are to be taken in numbers to be effective, so full or near to full units.

Each Flayed One is going to cause a single wound on average, so you soak your target with them. The 4+ armour save, and the RP, will generally keep them in the fight. As a result, I've often seen them win via sweeping advance.

In general, they allow for units to be tied up really well. Ork mob? Assault them in, delay them, numbers and RP will help abate the PK.

JGrand wrote:Terrible idea. Flayed Ones are slow, have no ability to ignore armor, have no real ability to threaten vehicles, and get swept easily.

Maybe if they had fleet, or I5, or fearless, or rending, or could outflank like SW Scouts, or a combination of these, they would be good. Maybe. As it stands, win combat by 3 against them and you have a good chance of running this "Deathstar" off the board.

They have reanime protocols. Read up on Imotekhs abilities for a objective tie. Have him hide with a warrior squad Take a VOD cryptek Royal Court death star+ 40+ flayed ones DSing/infiltrating = Winning. (Royal court should have 6+ members.

flayed ones have their use. its called space filling and killing umies. 20 units at s4 with 4 attacks each is 80 attacks. throw that into some units of 30 guardsman and they wont last long.

also iguy91 lychguard are only strength 5? so scytheguard´s are only strength 7 and sword and board are only s5. stiill better than a hammernator any day. and to pop a high strength gun all you need to do is DS in behing them? if only you could have mixed squads ie 7 sword and board and 3 scytheguard

Nemesor wrote:flayed ones have their use. its called space filling and killing umies. 20 units at s4 with 4 attacks each is 80 attacks. throw that into some units of 30 guardsman and they wont last long.

also iguy91 lychguard are only strength 5? so scytheguard´s are only strength 7 and sword and board are only s5. stiill better than a hammernator any day. and to pop a high strength gun all you need to do is DS in behing them? if only you could have mixed squads ie 7 sword and board and 3 scytheguard

I was referring to using Zandrehk's ability to give them furious charge. I know they are str 5/ str 7 with the warscythes.