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About to start a map based league for WHFB at my local shop. Building a new list. Tips/opinions are welcome!

Lords

Liche High Priest - Hierophant, Lore of Nehekhara---280
---Dispel Scroll, Talisman of Preservation, Level 4

Core

10x Skeleton Archers -- 60

10x Skeleton Archers -- 60

10x Skeleton Archers -- 60

37x Skeleton Warriors -- 252
---Full Command

3x Skeleton Chariots -- 195
---Full Command

Special

Khemrian Warsphinx -- 240
--- Envenomed Sting, Fiery Roar

3x Necropolis Knights -- 225
---Full command

30x Tomb Guard -- 420
---Full Command, Halberds

Tomb Scorpion -- 85

Rare

Casket of Souls -- 135

Hierotitan -- 175

Necrolith Colossus -- 195
---Great Bow of the Desert, Additional Hand Weapon

Screaming Skull Catapult -- 120
---Skulls of the Foe

Drop skulls of the foe, it kinda sucks. Can't have an AHW and a Desert Bow on the Colossus, pretty sure it's "choose any 1 of the below". Tomb guard are good but better when supported with a prince or king for the extra WS and a necrotect for hatred. Archer units are a little small at 10, not bad I would not want to stick my heirophant in a unit that small maybe combine the 2 units, musicians are nice too so they can swift reform and shoot. Command on the warriors and chariots are wasted as well as the knights and TG at 10 points really only good if they are going to accept a challenge and buy a round for a character. I'd try and get a 2nd SSC, they work good in pairs, Knights and chariots work better in 4s than 3s if you can find the points. I think envenomed sting might be wasted on the Sphinx, can also trim the ward save on the HLP, if it's in combat you've done something wrong, a lot of people recommend the earthing rod as a miscast could mean losing your heirophant and then you start to crumble.

Hargus is correct on all points. I have attached my current list to this thread to give you an example of a more tuned 2500 pt TK army. I have had alot of success running this. The banner of eternal flame on the chariots is very useful as the impact hits gain flaming, negating regen for the entire round of combat when they charge. Plus their bow shots will be flaming as well, allowing you to try and plink regen off of a unit before shooting with archers. I only add a dispel scroll to my priest and stick him with my archers in the middle of my lines. Don't forget about regen on that unit as you should almost always get a save from him. Both princes sit with a hoard block of sword and board skellies, making them WS5 with alot of attacks. They are tarpit units for the sphinxes to then flank charge into combat. I dont' give them light armor because it only increases their durability by 16% (against str5 and lower), but increases their cost by 25%. Therefore I use those points to take more skellies. The 3 carrion are very effective warmachine hunters, and can tie up small shooty units as needed. Chariots are awesome, but run them in groups of 4. They are just as mobile, more durable and against a standard block can still bring all models into combat. The three warsphinxes are for flank charging units or to engage low model count high strength attack units. Multi-charging with 2+ sphinxes into your opponents main block and using thundercrush, plus their breath weapon can devastate an enemy infantry block. Use the tomb guard mounted on top to try and killing blow any important characters in that block. The casket is always effective due to bringing its own dice in the magic phase and being a miscast proof armor ignoring attack. Catapults should always be used in pairs so that you have a decent chance of hitting what you are aiming at. They are best against big monsters and elite units in buildings. The heirotitan is ok in combat, but really shines when running around with your priest boosting his casting results. I have snuck his bound spells through a few times to pick off lower LD characters or pop an ethereal unit, everyone forgets he can shoot magic too.


1 Liche High Priest, 235 pts (Lore of Nehekhara, Dispel Scroll)
15 Skeleton Archers, 100 pts (Musician)

1 Tomb Prince, 112 pts (General, Dragonhelm)
49 Skeleton Warriors, 226 pts (Full Command)

1 Tomb Prince, 107 pts (Dragonbane Gem)
49 Skeleton Warriors, 226 pts (Full Command)

3 Carrion, 72 pts

4 Skeleton Chariots, 240 pts (Standard Bearer, Banner of Eternal Flame)

1 Khemrian Warsphinx, 230 pts (Fiery Roar)

1 Khemrian Warsphinx, 230 pts (Fiery Roar)

1 Khemrian Warsphinx, 230 pts (Fiery Roar)

1 Casket of Souls, 135 pts

1 Screaming Skull Catapult, 90 pts

1 Screaming Skull Catapult, 90 pts

1 Hierotitan, 175 pts

Total: 2498 points

Skulls of the foe isn't bad. It gives the catapult magical, flaming attacks and any wound triggers a panic.

As for the tomb guard, you need a prince, necrotect and a level 4 on light to make them worthwhile. And that is in units of 40+ as they die in droves. With the points you're looking at putting into that one block, you're better off with 3 units of 6 necroknights. They need less support, are faster and have a better base damage output. They are also more survivable and can be deployed where needed across your line.

I recommend filling your core with archers as they are some of the scariest shooting in game.

 thedarkavenger wrote:
Skulls of the foe isn't bad. It gives the catapult magical, flaming attacks and any wound triggers a panic.

The screaming skulls that it comes with standard already are flaming, magical attacks that force a panic check if you take 1+ wounds. Skulls of the foe subtract 1 from your leadership for panic checks. However, with bsb's in most armies and being able to borrow the generals leadership, it really isn't of much use. It is a 30 point upgrade that has almost no effect in the game in 8th edition.

wolvesoffenris wrote:
The screaming skulls that it comes with standard already are flaming, magical attacks that force a panic check if you take 1+ wounds. Skulls of the foe subtract 1 from your leadership for panic checks. However, with bsb's in most armies and being able to borrow the generals leadership, it really isn't of much use. It is a 30 point upgrade that has almost no effect in the game in 8th edition.

It is still a template weapon and with their range, they will likely force 1 panic a turn. And the best way to make a unit panic is to make it roll as many LD tests as you can. And LD 9 with a reroll is still only slightly above average.

Granted that is 30 points better spent elsewhere, but against some armies, like skaven, it is worth it.

I can definitely see some of the weaknesses in my army that you pointed out. Here's a revised list, based partly on your suggestions and partly on what I actually have available.

Liche High Priest
--Earthing Rod

Tomb King
-- Great Weapon, Armor of the Silvered Steed, Dragonbane Gem

80x Skeleton Warriors
--Full Command, Spears

3x Chariots
--Full Command

Khemrian Warshpinx
--Fiery Roar

Khemrian Warsphinx
--Fiery Roar

3x Necropolis Knights

3x Necropolis Knights

Tomb Scorpion

Tomb Scorpion

Casket of Souls

Hierotitan

Screaming Skull Catapult

Drop the tomb king, and the warriors, max out your core on archers. Get a second level 4 on light. As this will allow you to take your army in 2 ways. 1- Big Block of Tomb Guard with a Necrotect. 2- 3 Blocks of 6 necroknights.

Hi there,

Like darkavenger wrote: drop your warriors, they're no good unfortunately :-( I personally find that the strength of Tomb Kings lies in the specials. I'm running quite a shooty and magic heavy list backed up with some special units for melee encounters.

Liche High Priest - L4, Nehekhara, Earthening Rod (Hierophant) (You'll want earthening rod on your hierophant since a miscast can lead to crumbling in your first turn)
Liche Priest - L2, Light, Dispel Scroll (or level 4, depending on how magic heavy you want to go)

20 archers - musician, standard (Hierophant bunker)
20 archers - musician, standard (Liche Priest bunker)
20 archers - musician, standard

3 chariots - musician, standard (try to use them for flank charges)

3 Sepul. Knights - musician, standard
3 Sepul. Knights - musician, standard
3 Sepul. Stalkers (fielded, not entombed)

1 Warsphinx - Fiery Roar

1 Casket of Souls
1 Hierotitan (if points allows it)
1 SSC (if points allows it)

And some horse archers as scouts.

Some quite sad statistics: my SSC has never caused a single wound in any battle yet.

The 2nd and 3rd list are allright. I wouldn't listen to anyone who says skeletons are crap. A unit of 50 with a TK/TP are difficult to move and do allright with magic buffs. A unit of 20 archers crumbles after one turn of combat. Minimum sized special choices cannot sustain combat for very long. A unit of 3 necroknights cannot be counted on to take on a horde for example. They will die. Even your Warsphinx can die to combat res and poison attacks, massed attacks do to their poor save.

You need a big block. I find that a unit of 6 chariots with musician and std does well if they get the charge off. Relying on a few str3 bowshots to whittle anything down is a fool's errand in my opinion.
But everyone's local game is different. Perhaps Bomortensen does well with his list. That list would be tabled by turn3 in my area.

hoilismad - what sort of armies do you typically see in your games, it will give us some indication into what will work for you, for example I run a MSU TK list and it works well, however if I entered a tourney elsewhere I would be tabled rather quickly as I cannot stand up to hordes that well