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I have been out of Fantasy for the most part for a few years. I always liked the pirates and am looking to build an army based thematically off a Black Ark list. Obviously it will have a good number of corsairs. Was thinking at least two blocks of 30 corsairs, one with the serpeant banner. I would like this to be a monster mash list as well using the plethora of monsters available so was thinking a lord on a dragon, a pair of hydras, and one of the weird charribdyss(sp) monsters. I was thinking filling the rest out with a couple 10 man units of corsairs with handbows and maybe a ten man unit of crossbowmen. Oh and at least a pair of bolt throwers, it is a black ark after all. Maybe back it up with some minor sorceresses with shadow.

Now this is all very rough draft and nothing is set in stone. I have been collecting DE for well over a decade so models are interchangeable but I am trying to keep to the theme. What are the current best set ups for this? I was going to use the handbow units as screens for the bigger blocks. A BSB in one of the units.
What are good character builds?
Foot, BSB, on a dragon and manticore?
Unless there is some new tactic with the sorceresses I was going to make the scroll caddies, possibly not even level 2. Do we get Beast Lore?
What other ideas or tactics? I could throw in dark riders but know I am pushing points right now. At least Core points are taken care of hehe.

(Note I know of Druchii.net but cant access it from work, but weirdly enough I can come here, go figure.)

If you are going to go with the monster mash, I'd suggest lore of life.
Being able to put wounds back onto the monsters is really good, and picking up a 5+ regen for your dark shards (formerly repeater xbow elves) is decent enough.

-Matt

Well first off you will be disappointed to hear that the Sea Serpent banner isn't a thing anymore... didn't make it into the new Army Book.

Secondly, how serious are you on the Black Ark theme? Because fluff-wise a monster heavy list and a black ark list aren;t the same thing. At least not the way you have it planned.

That isn't at all to say a Black Ark list cannot include monsters. However strictly speaking if you are gunning hard for that particular theme then a Dragon, Manticores and Hydras are somewhat out of place. Kharibdyss' are sea creatures however that could be written into the list as being raised from the depths around the Black Ark, so fit the theme reasonably well. Harpies would also fit the theme well as another monstrous element, as they tend to flock to the towers of Black Arks around coastal areas.

Obviously Core would be filled by Dark Riders and Corsairs and Bolt Throwers would be plentiful.

Hydras are swamp dwelling critters so in my vision they work pretty well for sea serpent sub ins. Sad about the standard, 25 points saved for something else I guess. There was just going to be the three monsters plus a 'heroic' character on a mount to be the master of the ark. Not a fan of the actual generic sea lord character from what I have seen, he isn't bringing anything to the table.

Is Squidface a very effective special character this edition?

Basically the Black Ark Master has captured these creatures for use in his raids against High Elves.

Col. Dash wrote:
Hydras are swamp dwelling critters so in my vision they work pretty well for sea serpent sub ins.

*Mountain dwelling, but I suppose you could take a creative licence to it and justify it somehow.

Not a fan of the actual generic sea lord character from what I have seen, he isn't bringing anything to the table.

Agreed, he's rubbish. You can give generic Masters/Dreadlords Sea Dragon cloaks and have them represent corsair characters anyway.

Is Squidface a very effective special character this edition?

Lokhir Felheart, aka Squidface, is actually pretty good. Probably slightly expensive as is the norm for SC's, but his special rules and magic items actually make him really decent in combat. Him and Tullaris are the standout special characters in the new book. Morathi pretty decent too.

Col. Dash wrote:
Hydras are swamp dwelling critters so in my vision they work pretty well for sea serpent sub ins. Sad about the standard, 25 points saved for something else I guess. There was just going to be the three monsters plus a 'heroic' character on a mount to be the master of the ark. Not a fan of the actual generic sea lord character from what I have seen, he isn't bringing anything to the table.

Is Squidface a very effective special character this edition?

Basically the Black Ark Master has captured these creatures for use in his raids against High Elves.

The model for him is skrillex though