Reviews and Tactics

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**Swastakowey**

**TheAuldGrump**

A lot of the Trident Realms seems to fit the description 'Potentially Excellent if used right, but Below Average if used wastefully'.

It seems to be a tricky army to use right... and I am not sure of the synergies yet - but I can also see them being excellent on a terrain heavy board.

Unfortunately, no one in my group has picked them up yet - it is an army that I would like to fight against - since fighting a well played example looks to be just as tricky as learning how to play them right.

The Auld Grump

**Swastakowey**

TheAuldGrump wrote:
A lot of the Trident Realms seems to fit the description 'Potentially Excellent if used right, but Below Average if used wastefully'.

It seems to be a tricky army to use right... and I am not sure of the synergies yet - but I can also see them being excellent on a terrain heavy board.

Unfortunately, no one in my group has picked them up yet - it is an army that I would like to fight against - since fighting a well played example looks to be just as tricky as learning how to play them right.

The Auld Grump

100% agree (obviously haha), im having a hard time making the best of them as well. On paper it seems easy to use Nerticans but in practice it requires a lot of effort really.

Thanks for reading.

If you play on universal battle we should have a game some time.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Unit number 2 has been done, the Tree Herder.

http://councilofwar.blogspot.co.nz/2016/01/unit-review-2-tree-herder.html

With so many units im gonna have to put out more than 1 every few days to ever get through them all.

Next up are Gigas from Trident Realms.

**Swastakowey**

Well may as well keep sharing.

Gigas complete:

http://councilofwar.blogspot.co.nz/2016/01/unit-review-3-gigas.html

**TheAuldGrump**

I have to admit that Gigas are the top 'Avoid taking' unit for the army, as far as I can make out - they are slow, and do not have the longevity to really have much of a chance of getting their points back. Maybe if protected by tight flankers they could be useful - to keep them from getting hit in the side.

But, well... flyer bait.

The Auld Grump

**Swastakowey**

To make the best of these requires investing many points than their "best" is really worth and even then it's really just taking a chance.

Flyer bait is a good way to put it actually.

Its a pity because with a few more attacks or nerve they could do something so much more.

**toasteroven**

You're doing a good job with these. I'm still really shaky on the hows and whys of choosing units and unit sizes myself.

**Swastakowey**

Awesome, im glad to be helping. Thanks for reading.

If you ever want my view on a unit or something let me know and I will put it in there.

I find you learn a lot from simply playing against a variety of enemies than you do from playing them. So if you ever have the time playing on universal battle is a good way to gain a lot of knowledge on the game without having to spend time on models.

It's a great tool for learning the game without those "beginners regrets" when it comes to starting up.

**Dendarien**

This is exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. Any chance you'll be covering goblins?

**Swastakowey**

At the moment it is literally randomized but im happy to do a goblin unit tomorrow if you want.

Any requests?

**Dendarien**

How about Fleabag Riders?

**Swastakowey**

Sure, I will do them tomorrow after the Death Engine

**Tyr13**

Just saying, Herja is female.

**toasteroven**

Swastakowey wrote:
Awesome, im glad to be helping. Thanks for reading.

If you ever want my view on a unit or something let me know and I will put it in there.

Right now I'm trying to figure out the elf sea guard.

**Swastakowey**

Tyr13 wrote:
Just saying, Herja is female.

Yes I just got home to read my book.... I will fix that today.

toasteroven wrote:
Swastakowey wrote:
Awesome, im glad to be helping. Thanks for reading.

If you ever want my view on a unit or something let me know and I will put it in there.

Right now I'm trying to figure out the elf sea guard.

I regularly fight the Sea Guard, I can do them monday morning. They can be an excellent unit sometimes.

**scarletsquig**

Great reviews!

I'd like to request Abyssal Flamebearers since I haven't played with them before, but am building 40 of them right now.

**Swastakowey**

Awesome thanks mate,

I can fit the Abyssal Flame Bearers in tomorrow morning for you.

Cheers

**Dorrand**

Exalt+1. Doing tactical analysis of KoW units is awesome for those of us who can't get many games in. Thanks.

**Swastakowey**

toasteroven wrote:
Swastakowey wrote:
Awesome, im glad to be helping. Thanks for reading.

If you ever want my view on a unit or something let me know and I will put it in there.

Right now I'm trying to figure out the elf sea guard.

Therennian Sea Guard have been done

http://councilofwar.blogspot.co.nz/2016/01/unit-review-7-therennian-sea-guard.html

Hopefully this helps mate. There is a lot to consider with this unit so I probably have missed something.

Dorrand wrote:
Exalt+1. Doing tactical analysis of KoW units is awesome for those of us who can't get many games in. Thanks.

No problem mate, im glad you enjoy it.

**TheAuldGrump**

My good lady and I will be using our new (and only partly painted) Abyssal army for the first time tonight.

Not sure how we will divvy up our generalship on this army - I kind of want to take the ranged element, and leaving her with the melee units - but the melee troops are about 2/3 of the army....

We have the Kickstarter Abyssal Mega Army, with a Reaper Bones Pitfiend for the big fella.

I will be interested in seeing your take on this force, when you get around to it.

No war machines, and no cavalry yet.... I am thinking that we might need an allied force

Aside from the Gargoyles and the Big Fella, it looks slow to me. (But I tend to favor cavalry.)

The Auld Grump

**Swastakowey**

TheAuldGrump wrote:
My good lady and I will be using our new (and only partly painted) Abyssal army for the first time tonight.

Not sure how we will divvy up our generalship on this army - I kind of want to take the ranged element, and leaving her with the melee units - but the melee troops are about 2/3 of the army....

We have the Kickstarter Abyssal Mega Army, with a Reaper Bones Pitfiend for the big fella.

I will be interested in seeing your take on this force, when you get around to it.

No war machines, and no cavalry yet.... I am thinking that we might need an allied force

Aside from the Gargoyles and the Big Fella, it looks slow to me. (But I tend to favor cavalry.)

The Auld Grump

With Abyssals you have the bare bones of cav and shooting. You have your basic high speed chaff with the wolves and the basic knight type cav.

The chaff is a little pricey at 125 but it is effective and the abyssal horsemen actually have something many knight types do not and that is crushing strength. So in a prolonged engagement with TC style cav you will likely come out on top. This is huge and something I wish my knights have as a Basilean Player. So if you play your cards right with a combo of wolves and Abyssal Horsemen I think you can have a very strong cav element to your list.

Now while your core is bare bones with shooting, you do have the humble efreet and Chroneas which pump a whopping 20 shots each. Give the efreet boots of levitation and watch him zoom around roasting vulnerable targets. Chroneas can bring out a lot of pain too for not much more points.

Have a play around with a combination of efreets and flame bearers and you can have a really deadly wall of flame going on.

When I get round to them I can go more indepth but Abyssals have the tools, just most of their tools are not fancy in the basic unit selection.

On a side note those abyssals are very cool models. I came very close to buying those for my next army but my heart lies with Nerticans. Look forward to seeing what you do with them.

**TheAuldGrump**

The current split up is that I am taking the flamebearers and the gargoyles, as well as the winged abyssal lord. Along with an efreet with Wings of Honeymaze.

The center of her line is looking like Molochs and two blocks of lower abyssals.

The succubi are on the wings.

We like to try out an army without the special characters first - but Chroneas... is an odd duck. We will be adding him, but not for a few battles.

The current plan is to use the Flamebearers as ranged bait - to try and bring the enemy to the harder hitting center.

Gargoyles and succubi will be on the flank - along with The Big Fella... tempted to give him Stealthy with a convenient item - as is, he is going to get shot a lot. (One of the players is elves... damned elves. I have beaten or tied them every time, so far... but it is always close.)

Our first opponent tonight is going to be Ratkin - who have the only army that I have not yet beaten in our league. (I leaned the painful lesson that the Death Engine can be used as bait - I had a choice between charging the Engine or the Brutes... chose the Engine, and got hit in the flank by the Brutes. My Skeleton horde did not survive the encounter.)

Amusingly, the Ratkin army started as the leftovers from the Elven army - which is built around several boxes of Island of Blood.

Last year, I had the win, and my good lady came in third - very nearly second. (The very last battle of the year - against the other female player, who's orcs are doing well again this year. It was almost a tie... if there hadn't been a 7th turn, my good lady would have won.)

This is not a League game - this is what would have been one of our Drunken King games, but my good lady is giving up drinking for a few months.

*EDIT* One thing on the Fleabags - the yellow-bellied also doesn't matter when they are charging flanks - and they may well be the best non-flying flankers in the game. Nimble is important... and I have seen them coupled with trolls - the trolls tying up the front of a unit while the fleabags hit the flank.

The Auld Grump

**Swastakowey**

Oh I see, yea given the contents of the Mega Force your set up is ideal I think.

Yea Ratkin are surprisingly tough, at first I expected them to be more like the goblins but they are surprisingly different. Good luck this time round haha.

Yes that is true and this combined with the low damage output is why I do not recommend them as a conventional cavalry unit and more of a chaff harasser. Goblins having trolls as not irregular is actually super amazing, I think trolls are great and seeing them work alongside the weaker goblins just seems perfect to me.

**Dendarien**

Thanks for your hard work Swastakowey. I just unearthed a mound of my old Warhammer models and am building lists. Could I post them in this thread for review, or should I open a new one?

**Swastakowey**

Dendarien wrote:
Thanks for your hard work Swastakowey. I just unearthed a mound of my old Warhammer models and am building lists. Could I post them in this thread for review, or should I open a new one?

No problem mate,

Yea go ahead, we can help find the list for you here if you want. Goblins are a cool army and frequently place well in tournaments so you should have a lot of fun playing around with options etc.

**Dendarien**

I dug out a bunch of my old Dwarfs and threw together a 1k list:

Warsmith
Standard Bearer w/ Healing Charm
2x Hordes of Ironclad
1x Regiment Ironwatch Rifles
1x Troop of Sharpshooters
2x Cannons

My 1k Goblins list:
2x Hordes of Sharpsticks (1 w/ Fire-Oil, 1 w/ Blade of Slashing)
1x Horde of Spitters
1x Regiment of Trolls
3x Big Rocks Thrower
1x Wiz w/ Fireball and Healing Charm
1x Troop Fleabag Sniffers

**Swastakowey**

I recommend replacing the healing charm with the inspiring charm to get some rerolls on your units nerve. Other than that it looks pretty solid for a 1k list for goblins.

I think you will find the rock throwers underwhelming (even with 3). War Trombones are really handy back field watchers and can threaten a lot of mobile chaff units. I recommend giving them a try but I understand models may be a concern here.

If you go with the trombone warmachines then you have enough points to get +1 to hit on your spitters making them more deadly while also keeping your unit count up.

I will have to take a look at the dwarves later on though.

**toasteroven**

Swastakowey wrote:

Therennian Sea Guard have been done

http://councilofwar.blogspot.co.nz/2016/01/unit-review-7-therennian-sea-guard.html

Hopefully this helps mate. There is a lot to consider with this unit so I probably have missed something.

Much thanks man, it's a lot to take in, but very helpful. I think my problem using them has been carelessness in how I place them at the start, which is just something I'm going to have to work on. I really tend to over use them as just archers too.

A lot of good things to think about.

**Swastakowey**

Yea if you find yourself using them as archers too much simply make them archers. The points you save will find a spot somewhere in the list.

Im glad to have helped, good luck.

**TheAuldGrump**

A big block of Sea Guard is worth building an army around - a shooty unit that can (mostly) hold its own in combat.

The downside is that they are a bit better as a defensive unit than as an attacking unit - a better anvil than hammer. (In an army that is rich in hammers... shooty hammers, but hammers.)

That said - it was fun running my zombie horde at them... there is a reason that I call my zombie horde 'The Tarpit'.

They don't win their fight, but they don't lose it either - choose a nice, expensive unit to hurl the zeds at... and gum them up for the rest of the battle. A 130 pt. unit of zeds hitting a 280 pt. unit of Sea Guard is like throwing a pint of treacle into the workings of a Rolex watch....

The Auld Grump