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Now this is going to sound like a silly question but can anyone explain to me what a screamerstar is?
It keeps coming up and other than it's Screamers of Tzeentch with 2++ re-rollables I don't know anything about it.
How many? How does it work? Etc
Cheers
The idea is to take a maximum-size unit of Screamers of Tzeentch, add in some Heralds of Tzeench (rolling on Divination until at least one gets Forewarning, a 4+ invulnerable save), and a character toting the Grimoire of True Names (which can add +2 to a units invulnerable save, but has a chance of failure).
Daemons of Tz can re-roll saves of 1, so combining all the above to get a 2++ re-rollable.
Many also use Fateweaver (a Daemon special character) who gives the player a re-roll each turn (or phase? not sure) in order to re-roll the GoTN's chance of failure.
Sororitas Command Squad with 5x Condemnor Boltguns and an allied Divination Inquisitor.
Screamerstar? What Screamerstar?
"That time I only loaded the cannon with powder. Next time, I will fill it with jewels and diamonds and they will cut you to shrebbons!" - Nogbad the Bad.
It's nothing more than a pts denial tactic as overall it's nowhere near the killier units in the game... It either throws out a bunch of S4 or else a limited number of S5/ap2 Armourbane attacks, all at average to below average WS & I.
It simply won't ever die unless you kill the Grimoire bearer, (who btw can't get the +2 to their own invuln save).
You see it a lot added alongside a bunch of flying monstrous creatures and as mentioned above, almost always incorporating Fatewearer to ensure the Grimoire doesn't backfire in the Daemon player's face.
When added to the 'flying circus', it simply means that your shooting phase is nearly pointless. Either you're taking mostly snapshots at flying MC's, or else requiring a veritable shipping container's worth of dice to blast through the re-rolled 2++ of the Screarer/IC bus.
All the while the Daemon player can simply pick on what they want with their flyers, while the Screamerstar unit can go and tarpit the nastiest thing in the opposing army until the apocalypse ruins everything!
The best way to beat it is obviously to get first turn and focus everything possible into the big Screamerstar bus and whittle them down before they can get their re-rolled 2++ to activate.
Or else if you go second, kill Fateweaver and get rid of the re-roll on the Grimoire, which then has a 33% chance of slapping that unit with a -1 save instead of the +1.
Celestians in an SCS are all characters, so they have precision shot... but in any case, the psyker with Foreboding is the one tanking the shots on his 2++, since it only applies to him (the rest of the squad only have 3++).
"That time I only loaded the cannon with powder. Next time, I will fill it with jewels and diamonds and they will cut you to shrebbons!" - Nogbad the Bad.
Forwarning + Grimiore + Daemon of Tzeentch = 2++ Rerollable Save
Put 3-4 Heralds of Tzeentch on disks, one with the Grimiore, inside a large unit of Screamers and if you can get Forewarning you are nigh invincible. Add Fateweaver and it changes your chance of failing the Grimiore from 1/3 to 1/9 not to mention the reroll Warp Storm Results. Its is an absolutely nasty list and I ran into two of them at the Renegade Open two weekends ago and barely managed wins against both. I have battle reports up.
They are nasty, and extremely tough to beat, but being slightly inconsistent and vulverable to alpha strikes they don't win many GT, but can put out strong showings none the less.
And the ScreamerStar is mobile, it can split and contest everything on the baord in one turn.
Also, whoever said its a bunch of S4 shots is greatly mistaken, Flickering Fire is S5 and boosted to S6 in a well made ScreamerStar.
Just a shame that putting the book in the unit nutures it's effect as the bearer and his unit can't benefit from it's bonus.
I don't see the fear of the star myself it costs a ton of points and don't hit that hard tie it up in cc and kill the rest, it's all down to playing the mission and not the unit.
Skullhammer wrote: Just a shame that putting the book in the unit nutures it's effect as the bearer and his unit can't benefit from it's bonus.
I don't see the fear of the star myself it costs a ton of points and don't hit that hard tie it up in cc and kill the rest, it's all down to playing the mission and not the unit.
The bearer is the only model not affected, his unit still gets it.
And you're going to tie up a unit that can move 36" in close combat? Good luck with that.
Now, you might think you sound very smart when you mindlessly spout truisms like "play the mission and not the unit" but it just makes you look silly as you clearly do not understand how this unit functions. It holds the midfield until it has to fall back so it won't get bogged down in close combat while blitzing something with 10-14D6 S6 shots that are probably prescienced and probably ignores cover. Oh, and the unit they are shooting at has probably been misfortuned too. And then, when you're done "playing the mission and not the unit" it will split into four more or less invulnerable units (plus the Grimoire holder who just hides) and contest all of your objectives.
"The Emporer is a rouge trader."
- Charlie Chaplain.
Zagman wrote: Forwarning + Grimiore + Daemon of Tzeentch = 2++ Rerollable Save
Put 3-4 Heralds of Tzeentch on disks, one with the Grimiore, inside a large unit of Screamers and if you can get Forewarning you are nigh invincible. Add Fateweaver and it changes your chance of failing the Grimiore from 1/3 to 1/9 not to mention the reroll Warp Storm Results. Its is an absolutely nasty list and I ran into two of them at the Renegade Open two weekends ago and barely managed wins against both. I have battle reports up.
They are nasty, and extremely tough to beat, but being slightly inconsistent and vulverable to alpha strikes they don't win many GT, but can put out strong showings none the less.
And the ScreamerStar is mobile, it can split and contest everything on the baord in one turn.
Which is the main reason why playing a purely points-denial list is a somewhat dick move... Turtling is mind numbingly boring to face and smacks of simply not wanting to play a 'real' game where you're required to put some actual forethought into properly planning your moves and play the risk/reward game like everyone else.
Instead you're aiming for easy-mode by effectively "power-grinding" like in an RPG to the point that your level is so high nothing can really touch you unless the AI lands a rare critical hit. To me it just smacks of playing 'chickenshitehammer' because you can't accept that some/all of your models may very likely die.
No really remembers those games where only about 20% or so of the stuff on the table ever died, and no one enjoys a one-sided affaire where one army is literally near-immune to all forms of damage.
But we all fondly love to recall those games where there ended up being maybe a half dozen models aside that survived the mass slaughter!
Zagman wrote: Also, whoever said its a bunch of S4 shots is greatly mistaken, Flickering Fire is S5 and boosted to S6 in a well made ScreamerStar.
I said it hits at S4 - as in, it's combat prowess is not much greater than a bunch of 3 attack Space Marines. (shooting-wise, it is indeed rather scary!)
*IF* you can chase the Screamerstar down with a fast unit like a bunch of Stormboyz or Wraiths or such, you can keep it contained for a couple turns as the Screamers are only WS3/I4 which is simply about average. If they use their S5/ap2 attack, they only get 9 attacks and even with Prescience, that's not something to really fear unless all you've got are 10-man MEQ's.
The Tzheralds are even worse as they're effectively just basic human stats in combat.
Most armies have something in their Fast Attack section at the very least that has a decent chance of keeping the Screamerstar within it's assault range, though Loyalist Marines are in a bit of a bind due to their limited squad sizes of 10-max. (Hammernators are too slow, unless the Daemon player gets too cocky/is an idiot)
Chaos Marines at least get super-sized Raptor Squads and/or Spawn, or else can even play their own shenanigans and bring Tzeentch Warp Talons with their own 2++ save for the ultimate "nothing's happening EVER!" slugfest of extreme pointlessness!
I understand all the hype now
