Twisting Tzeentch Horror
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So finally got a game in after like a 4 month gap. I played the Soul Forge Pack detachment with Vashtorr as my warlord. My list is below with a break down. My opponent played Necrons. He brought hyper-crypt legion. I ended up losing the game by ten points. It sucks because I scored 0, yes 0 points for secondaries as my draws were awful in turn 1, 2, and 3 and by turn 4 most of my units were dead. If I had gotten the drop I got turn 4 and 5 turn 1 and 2 I would have won. I don't mind for friendly games, but I would never use the random draw for a competitive game just due to the mess I had in that game. So here is the break down
Dark Pacts - So this is my first game not using the index with the Pact Bound rules for the 5+ crits. Personally, without that detachment ability I think the dark pacts are a bit meh. I took a lot of damage from failing dark pacts this game (more on that in a bit) and I don't think it was really worth the extra few [Sustained Hits] or [Lethal Hits] I got. I am not going to use Pact Bound for a long while since I played so many games with what is essentially that detachment, but the loss of the 5+ crits was noticeable.
Soul Forge Pact- So when this detachment dropped I thought I could potentially be way over the top. As you can see from my units I did not have enough daemon engines to fully exploit it, and if I did I would probably only have brought the cultists and maybe one or two smaller squads for objective napping and action monkey and the rest would have been more daemon engines. That being said, the detachment is probably still not that great. I did a ton of damage to my own units, the -1 to the dark pact test really really hurts. The +1 to wound is nice for ranged attacks but the +2 attacks is not really that good. I did not really get to use the strats all that much, I used the healing one which actually sucks as you have to roll a 5+ to heal (that should really be a 3+ since it is capped at 6 anyway). I used the one that if the fall back is desperate escape, but he did not fail any test. That one is very swing-y. I turned my hellbrute and vindicator into daemon engines, but really neither got a whole lot out of that. I did not get to use the move though terrain one, and while that looks good on paper, I think in reality you will be able to just move around stuff anyway so it is not all that useful. And obviously using more non-daemon engine units in it is pointless. Personally I think with the same list I probably would have done better using VotlW, Raiders, or Pact Bound. I am certainly not going to go out to buy the amount of daemon engines needed to make this detachment work, which I think it still would probably be inferior to Raiders or Pact Bound with the same list.
Units
Vashtorr- So first, he doesn't get any benefit from "his" detachment which is weird. He is better in basically every other one. As for raw data sheet, he is pretty much the same as a daemon prince. The [Devastating Wounds] is nice, especially with the [anti-vehicle 4+] In the game the only vehicle I got him into was a spider robot thing and I ended up rolling 4 ones to wound : (. The making the enemy weapons hazardous is cute, but it did not stop my opponent from targeting him with big AT shots, and he passed all the checks anyway. (that was pretty much how this game went, my opponent rolled really hot, especially with the 4++ saves, and I was cold, with a bunch of my big hit units rolling multiple ones to wound.) Other than in Pact Bound (he can't take a mark) I would use him over a normal daemon prince with wings as he is only 10 points more. But then again who is using daemon princes right now?
Warpsmith- Give +1 to hit to the forgefiend and heal. Enough said.
Maulerfiend- This model looks so good, yet is so meh. The main fists are just under powered with only 6 attacks (8 with the contract rule) but it is only -2 ap, which is annoying as this thing is for breaking walls and vehicles. (also Sang guard now get -3 ap on their weapons, but not on this guys mega fists? come on!) The lasher attacks are almost pointless as there are not enough for hoards, but with damage 1, ap -1 they suck against bigger stuff. This guy really needs a massive points drop, or a major change to his rules. Back to the shelf with thee.
Forgefiend- We all know what this guy does. Deliver [Devastating Wounds] at range. however, he doesn't get a whole lot out of the +1 to wound, and is much better in Pact Bound.
2 x venomcrawlers- These things were ok, but they are fragile and their weapons are not great against any hard targets, even with the +1 to wound. I still like them, but I am taking a break from them for my next list. They probably need a points cut.
Vindicator- I daemonized it, but did did not gain much from that. Wounding on 2s against a vehicle was nice (except when you roll 5 yes, 5 ones to wound). He is still pretty good, but I think the points increase was unwarranted.
Hellbrute- I daemonized it, and again that did not do much, especially since he failed two pacts early and I couldn't use the pact as he was down to two wounds when I needed it. Outside of Pact Bound, his ability is much more lack luster, and quite frankly, he costs to much for what he does.
20 x cultists with Dark Commune- I love this unit. It tagged my home objective, moved mid-field, took another, tagged it then another, also burning some per the mission. They scored like more than half my points. The dark commune giving a 5++ makes this unit annoying to deal with if you don't have a dedicated anti-hoard weapon (he did not). Their high OC allows them just to swamp objectives. I am still POed that the ranged options are gone, but I used my old school 1990's models with the cloaks knives and pistols, which I had not used in years. I think I am bring this unit in most lists to tag my home objective and then just be annoying in the middle.
3 x bikers- So these guys don't belong in this list, but I got three new ones that are conversions from the Primaris bikers (I will post pics if anyone would like to see them) and since I just got them, I wanted to use them. This was not the list for them so no judgement on them as they did not do a whole lot.
10 x Possessed lead by a master of possession- Holy underwhelming over-nerfedness batman! These guys were always ok to pretty good in the index. Now, they are down right bad. Yes they were not good in this detachment, but I don't think that would have mattered a whole lot. The loss of their [Devastating Wounds] down to only once per game has made them irrelevant. Their -1 ap makes their attacks bounce hard, and the d2 doesn't make up for it as the -1 is awful against anything that the d2 would actually matter against. The loss of the feel no pain is also huge, and quite frankly, the master of possession for its own -1 ap crappy CC attacks, awful ranged attack, and only +1 to advance and charge is just not worth it. He would need to come down like 30 points to be worth while now. These guys need either ap -2 or their old rule back. Or a huge price cut.
2x Obliterators- again the nerf to them (their AT attack down to 18 inches so melta at 9 not 12) just killed these guys. Also being only able to take two not four is just not efficient. Again, this is not the detachment for them, but outside pact bound, I don't see these guys out competing terminators, havocs, vindicators, or predators, many of which are much much cheaper.
10 x traitor guard with their commissar and ogyran model. These were just a fun pick I put in due to the bikes going in last minute (just go them) throwing off all my points. They are ok, the free overwatch I don't think is very impressive as this units shooting is not very impressive (three flamers with that could be cool, but can't take that). The commissar and ogryan are way to expensive for what they do. I think everyone knows this unit is not great outside of that weird list I posted above.
Well that is it. I am planning on using a more conventional force next time I play, hopefully soon, using VotlW (trying to stay away from Raiders and Pact Bound). Thanks.
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