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Howdy all! Got my hands on the custom hero builder, through a friend who got their GHB nice and early. Over the next week, I imagine plenty of people will be digging their teeth in to the rules and whatnot, and figured it may be a good idea to get a thread to share what you've built, have planned, and perhaps even discuss how 'balanced' you think it will be in Matched Play.

First try, building a wizard for Lumineth. I don't see any way it can actually be a Cathallar caster (won't get access to spell lore).

Cathallar Enchantress (20DP)

Aelf Wizard (3DP)
5 Wounds
6" movement
5+ Save

Bow (2DP) 3+/3+/-1/3D
Improvised Weapon (0DP)
Raise Dead Spell

Extra Armor (2DP)
Mighty Weapon (+1D, 2DP)
Sharpened Edge (+1 Rend, 2DP)
Weapon Master (+1 to hit, 2DP)
Superior Strength (+1 to Wound, 2DP)
Ferocity (+1A, 2DP)
Archmage (+1 to Cast, 3DP)


Bonuses already added to weapons/characteristics

I don't think this is balanced at 200pts, because of it's ranged damage and Raise Dead spell. I've got a feeling that any wizard that goes for Raise Dead is going to be pretty strong.

Its for narrative play as I understand it. The game is already not balanced, so I dont' think that the character builder's imbalance will really make the game MORE imbalanced. Its already at that point where to enjoy the game you have to put aside that desire.

As it was related to me its like path to glory and path to glory had a lot of imbalances as well, so that this also comes out to us imbalanced out the gate is pretty much par for the course IMO.

I primarily play matched play from a "I hope both players can have fun with this game, win or lose" mindset, because I like to have points as a framework for a game.

The Hero builder comes with a caveat, allowing it to be used for Matched Play, by multiplying it's Destiny Points by 10, and getting approval from your opponent to use it.

Looking for people's cool ideas and opinions on how to somewhat balance it, and to provide for what I think are gaps in an armies roster. Such as...

Vanari Prince (150pts)

Aelf Commander (Lead the Defense)(3 DP)
5 Wounds
6" Movement
5+ Save
Greataxe (2dp) 4A 3+/2+/-3/3D

Extra Armor (2DP)
Mighty Weapon (+1D, 2DP)
Weapon Master (+1 to hit, 2DP)
Superior Strength (+1 to Wound, 2DP)
Ferocity (+1A, 2DP)

Ah ok. Gotcha. Well... I would say you'll want to wait for someone like Ninth to come in and rebalance it like he did with Path to Glory. (or you can try that on your own as well)

I mean, yeah, the second guy is pretty dang murder-y... but also seems like quite the "glass cannon" as well. I mean, a shooty army will clear him off the board pretty easy, and even just stacking mortal wounds would take him down without too much trouble.

I have to admit: I'm VERY excited about the new hero builder, almost enough to buy the whole darn book!

I have had various models as "count as" heroes for all my AoS armies almost since I started playing, so it will be super cool to actually get to use them as themselves instead of, like, "this guy uses Vandus Hammerhand's rules... but is totally different!"

Not really seeing the power of Raise Dead. Cast value of 6, 12 range, returns a number of slain models that have a combined wounds characteristic of D3 or less. Am I reading it correctly that it will only bring back a max of 3 models, assuming they are 1 wound each?

Not seeing too many routes for tomfoolery so far, but once an armies buffs/aura’s and allegiance abilities get thrown in, I’m sure something filthy will make itself known.

My first attempt:

Shaggoth King
Dragon Ogor-10
Grandhammer -2
Mage -0
Wildfire-0
Superior Vitality x2 -2
Extra Armour -x2 -4
Decapitating Strike - 4
Regenerate- 3

25 Destiny Points/ 250 points. Seems a bit more killy than a standard Shaggoth(loses claws and tail attacks though), and I gave it a few more pips of wounds and armour, but at a premium price. Standard Shaggoth is 170.



Automatically Appended Next Post:

leerm02 wrote:

I have to admit: I'm VERY excited about the new hero builder, almost enough to buy the whole darn book!

Worth it.

I can FINALLY play my Battle Standard Bearer in match play for my Beastmen.

Gor
Standard
Inspiring
Superior Leadership x2
Axe
Shield
Extra armor
Commander Lead the Pack
DP12 = 120pts

I'm fine with the Elf Character I built being a glass cannon. Otherwise, he'd have no downsides, and what I was going for was making a relatively low cost hero that could smack things in melee, and buff allies a bit.

@Nels1031 , did you consider adding a Minor beast to your model's characteristics? The claws and maw could be there to simulate the claw and tail attacks. Personally though, I feel like the Mounted and Minor Beast additions are overcosted, compared to other things.

Also, if you're just bringing back Ungors or Clan Rats with Raise the Dead, sure it's going to suck. However, when I was looking at it, my mind was thinking about Ossiarch Bonereapers (MOAR model respawning) or Lumineth, who have very expensive single-wound models.

Yep, that is what i will have to do with my Shaggoth, add a Minor beast to "act" as his other attacks.

I REALLY wanted to use the Gargantuan for him tho. b.c i am making Krakanrok the black our of a Stardrake. I might just do it anyways and say F it, rule of Cool.

I'm sure for narrative purposes, pushing the boundaries of the rules a little will be fine (with your opponent). I'd skip out on giving a "Gargantuan Dragon Ogor" additional defensive stats though, since he'll have a gakload of wounds anyways,

Don't have the GHB yet, so can't comment much. But the most OP spot a spell returning d3 wounds worth of models would be is probably Phoenix Guard, seconded by Alarith. Though I could be missing something. At any rate returning d3 Mortek Guard is a pittance compared to the literal dozens they can already bring back in a round.

 Thadin wrote:
I'm sure for narrative purposes, pushing the boundaries of the rules a little will be fine (with your opponent). I'd skip out on giving a "Gargantuan Dragon Ogor" additional defensive stats though, since he'll have a gakload of wounds anyways,

Thats a good thing for Krakanrok the black, if he was in game he would be larger that Archaon and way more wounds lol.

I was just going to play Khorne battalion and use this guy https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/resources/fw_site/fw_pdfs/aos_warscrolls/Downloads-AoS/aos-warscroll-Exalted-Daemon-of-Khorne.pdf

CoS/LRL ancestry.

Elf (3DP)
commander
armour increase x2 (4DP)
Great Spear (2 DP)
Ward (3DP)

Gargantuan Beast (15 DP)
Fly (4DP)

Total: 31 DP - 310 points, far cry from the High Warden on a Griffon. He had fewer wounds and his chart was a bit weaker/ D6 beak (maw) attack but sword, lance, faster, higher bravery and a command ability. I don't dare to add flavourful traits (bravery, speed, terror, inspire) as they'd just leach into my allowance but not really adding to anything relevant. I could rationalize to drop the Ward and grab an artefact or command trait.
*****************************************************

Elf (3)
Mage (raise dead isn't the obvious winner, unless I'd stack it with life swarm endless spell)
Mage's staff (1DP)
mounted beast (8DP) + speed increasex2 (4DP - it's a horse)
Archamage (3)

Total: 19 DP. I'm fairly satisfied.
************************************************

Elf (3DP)
commander
armour increase x2 (4DP)
Axe (DP)
Shield (2DP)
Bravery x3 (3DP)
BsB (DP)
Inspire (DP)
Ward (3DP)

Total: 18 DP - 180 points, could easily tinker a bit more, but I'm satisfied.

Since I bought 3 realm lord boxes, I thought I would try making knock off light of Eltharions to use my spares.

Light of someone-else

Aelf 3

Great axe 2 (spare Phoenix Guard halberd probably)

Mage
Not sure which power. Wildlife or Curse probably.

3x extra amour 6
Ethereal 4
2x Superior vitality 2
2x Weapon master 4
2x ferocity 4
Frenzy 3

28 destiny points
280 points

Wounds 7
Move 6”
Save 3+ ethereal
Bravery 7

Weapon
1” 5A 2+ 2+ -2 D2

Honestly, I'm just going to give a Bloodletter a machine gun. Daemon <Khorne> base, commander for +1 to hit, bow weapon, +3A with it and mortal wounds on unmodified 6s to hit. 170 points isn't bad.

Rihgu wrote:
Honestly, I'm just going to give a Bloodletter a machine gun.

It's not up to me to judge, that's up to Khorne.

So long as the weapon is sufficiently gory, Khorne will still approve. One of his greatest Champions Kharn wields a gun... And his big scary machines are armed with giant violent guns (Lord of Skulls)

Yeah you can just call it Skull rifle, you know like the Skull cannon.

Finally got my hands on the GHB and yep, definitely liking the hero builder. About as well balanced as it could reasonably be, but still breakable enough that it has no place outside 'with your opponent's permission.' Which I do not blame them for; to balance such a thing properly points-wise would require making it exceedingly complex or exceedingly bland.

I feel if you limited it 1 custom hero for match play then it really isn't anything worst than what is in game already.

3+ save ethereal with an artifact to re-roll 1s.

Bonereaper Commander with "Lead the Defense"

Monster-mounted Moonclan Grot re-rolling all hits and wounds and +2 attacks to each of his four weapon profiles, thanks to unit buffs from GSG.

BSB providing an 18" bubble of bravery 10 to an army that normally suffers from battleshock.

 Amishprn86 wrote:
I feel if you limited it 1 custom hero for match play then it really isn't anything worst than what is in game already.

I would agree. You're getting the same experience either with or without custom heroes.

Aside from existing OP armies exploiting them to be even worse. You thought petrifax with 3+ rerollable saves were bad? Make it 2+

I'd love for custom heroes to be used a lot more frequently, as it fills gaps left by tomes that have squatted out heroes (Waywatcher from wanderers for example), there are egregious warscroll combinations that bring an army to hard to kill to impossible to kill.

Fortunately for people I've talked to, most hero creations seem fluffy, and while a BSB bravery model was made, it doesn't bother me too much, but would need to see test games. Unfortunately while corona is around, I doubt many games are happening.

 NinthMusketeer wrote:
Aside from existing OP armies exploiting them to be even worse. You thought petrifax with 3+ rerollable saves were bad? Make it 2+

For me once you cross the threshold of things are busted, I just see them as busted. Busted, and Busted+ are still Busted to me lol.

I think the Archetypes should cost destiny points. I had to triple check when I first read it. Seemed like a steal.

I would have liked if they were costed just to create room for future additions that cost something different, but they seem to have done a good job baking the cost into the basic template and making all three even with one another. I was yet again impressed that none of the three seemed particularly better than the others.

I think if character has to cost a minimum of 10 DP, it would stop the "30 point skaven priest just to prayer a ward save" as the cheap access to prayers or some spell lores on throwaway wizards and priests. Likewise, a cheap as chips OBR command model for making a 2+ rerollable mortek guard. Probably also get rid of the free command point too.

 NinthMusketeer wrote:
Aside from existing OP armies exploiting them to be even worse. You thought petrifax with 3+ rerollable saves were bad? Make it 2+

Once you have exceeded level of invulnerability more doesn't really help. Is that really going to be effective use of points? Invulnerable unit is even more invulnerable. Woo! Dies to MW's same way which is only reliable way to kill rerollable 3+ anyway.

You take a dirt cheap hero that gives them their 1 RDP +1 armor save, and one of the many wizards already in OBR to give them the 5+ save against MWs. Sure it wont stack with the 6+ FNP from Death, but it's still stopping 1/3rd of the MWs coming at them.

It's not a huge boost to OBR survivability, but it's a cheap way to layer on even more gak to them.