Lynxkitten

You've got Arik with no spells tho. Just give Strach a pair of Bolts and let him shoot back at those pesky archers. PS Hmmm. Strach + GME (only CP 5) + 2 Bolts ~ 150 points. I'd *still* rather have Arik (CP 7) with a Scare and 2 Ice Shards plus Lola. CP 5 is never good enough to trust on if you're working with 20 point spells. But then again, I am more and more becoming enamoured doing away with all casters under CP 7 (clerics sometimes get a break). For the cost of a caster that has maybe a 2/3 chance at casting a spell I have to buy seperately, I can often field an extra troop. Having said that, those ~ 150 points buy Corvus plus 5 Warriors... In the end, my main objection to fighter-mages is that you pay for abilities you're not using... I'd be perfectly happy with the concept if they could melee *and* cast spells in the same turn. It'd make GME on them make sense, almost. Regards, Patrick PS. Compare, btw... Strach + GME ~ 110. #MA 2, CP 5, MAV 3, DV 10, 3 tracks. Ashkrypt = 165. #MA 2, CP 8, MAV 3, DV 11, 4 tracks. And he has Tactician and other decent abilities.

The scorpion is also highly efficient at taking out Totems of Battle. And even if you keep him burrowed to cancel (instead of defile) the Totem, he's still worth his points in the larger games.

Rogran is a bit fragile , but hey they can't all be tanks, right? You have to have units that fit all shapes, sizes and ranges. Badass but breakable, that's his schtick. As for the Daughters, all I can say is it's all about distract. You have to use them in concert with other units, but when used right, they are perfect for killing those pesky Warmaster units. Strength in number, victory in aggression. And I just have to say thank you to Bobby for the models. I was a bit disappointed in Lorena, so it's nice to see the Daughters in a more active pose. The Zephyrs, well they are light fast cavalry. Strach is going to kick a ton of tail, trust me. Someone else hit on my strategy by using GME. It's a perfect upgrade for him and makes him really nasty. You can give an opponent all kinds of headaches if you use him right. It's all starting to come together. It's so beautiful, I could cry. For the cost of Strach with GME I can field Lola and Arik with points left over. I think I know what I'd choose... but I admit it's nice to have the option, at least.

Do you mean they are effective against monsters? Or does each faction have monsters of its own? If so, would you give examples of monsters of dwarves and nefsokar please? They have excellent monsters. THe Dwarves have Thorvald Clawhelm, the Bear rider, that is an extremely effective combat machine. They also have the Griffon, which is a pretty good flying combat machine. Both can be very effective is used properly. The Necros are loaded with monsters (the Banshee and Bone Horror in particular, tho the Bloodseeker Vampire is also nice). The Necro monsters tend to overlap in price more, and that means folks are more likely to take a liking to one and ignore a similarly priced other, but there's a nice set. The Necros have their faction book out, so they have a better selection than the Dwarves. You also mentioned Nefsokar, and they too have some great monsters. The Walking Avatar is probably the best Solo in the game (tho Reptus players would argue Uru), and the Giant Scorpion has it's place as well. They have a few others that the jury is out on (Sokar's Avatar, the Dust Devil, the Sphinx), and monsters aren't their bread and butter, so I'd say the Necros have a better monster selection. But many (all?) factions have some monsters, and some are really stellar. PS I've got to agree here. Monsters/solos often look great and are a real nice opportunity to try and do some nice miniature painting. As far as gaming efficiency goes, they sometimes have a hard time being as good as an equivalent point total in common grunts, though, but that goes for many archers and cavalry units, and pretty much all spellcasters, as well.

Well, maybe if they didn't wear so much frickin' armor they wouldn't cost so much now, would they? Wild Bill It's kinda funny, but I'm considering a second Overlord starter box just to get grunts. It's cheaper than the blisters. Not sure what to do with a second Balthon and Ashkrypt, though.

I have to disagree. I'm trying to think about this not as an elf player, but from the SA's point of view. Sure shot gives you the ability to ignore cover penalties and shoot into melee freely. As long as your target is not fully obstructed, you can shoot at it. Lock Shields would not create a fully obstructed box in which the Overlord troop can not be seen. This would be the criteria, IMHO, for sure shot not working against lock shield. Since this is not the case, sure shot should be in the list of abilities that negate lock shields. I believe Overlords will be getting heavily armored cavalry , which may as well be known as "elf bane". They have Onyx Chevaliers already, though. The Chevies are solos, and thus not quite as useful (no small-medium troops possible). The cavalry grunts we've seen so far are DV 9, which I'd hardly call 'heavily armoured'.

First of all, welcome! We don't bite (much) :) As to your army building questions: a lot of people will agree with me when I say that your focus should be on melee units first and foremost, with magic and archers as (optional) support. Given what you're interested in, I'd pick up both Razig's boxed set and the Lupines - those are US$40 apiece and that's excellent value. You'd have: Leaders: Razig (warlord), Lupine Lord (captain), Baron LeBone (I think he's a captain) Elite: Lupine shaman (cleric) plus familiar Grunt/Adept: Lupine Rager *4, Skeletal Pirate Crew *8 Solo: Soulcannon (warmachine), Dark Maiden (mage/solo) If you feel like a more 'complete' force, you could add 1-2 blisters of Mercenary Crossbowmen #14159 or Bone Marines #14279, and Clarissa #14274 or Leisynn # 14060 (much cheaper mages), and maybe Black Knife Tom (sergeant) #14272. Now, by mixing factions you'd lose any faction-specific abilities, but you'd gain a lot of freedom in army composition. I'd try out the game with either of the Lupine or Razig boxed sets, then decide what you're going to be interested in the most :). Alternatively, if you really like the Mercenaries (of which the Lupines are part), you could buy both the Lupine and regular Mercenary box. It would include (among others) Orba Sinhan as the warlord, and when you field him, you can treat *one* non-mercenary unit as if they were part of his army without losing faction abilities. Anyway, glad to have you on board, and good gaming!

They're *really* asking for a Totem of Battle though...

Strach?!? Did you see the stats on Rogran? What a monster! MAV4, DV12, Warmaster? Vile? 77 points? Sign me up! PS He's nice I agree, but one lucky hit.... It's between Lola and him now on who should get the Divine Favour.

Sorry, but I have no respect for twinks. That could be said for many models, including the Avatars. Please, don't try to be insulting. Even if I agree that the soulcannons are very dangerous (and tough to deal with for many armies), they are perfectly legal to use.

Let's try to get back on topic... This has been only a little shy of a flamewar, and not even a good one at that.

How about a handful of arrows and/or an Ice Shard to soften him up, then just gang up on the big lug? Personally, I know I'll lose a grunt or two to him in melee, but that's maybe 50 points. I'd say that's a good trade. Just make sure you have initiative over him and it's not so bad. If you play a faction with archers that can hit him on anything other than a natural 10, or a decent Mage... you're welcome to try. When I play Nefsokar, I have neither of those. (And no, that is not an invitation to throw "But you do have a decent mage, there's Netikirti and the new Disciple and all" in my face. There is room for one magic-slinger in a 1000-point army, and for Nefsokar, that's Fatima, assuming you're not playing Desert Wind sublist, in which case the only casters you have access to at all are Atifa and Tariq, both of whom are clerics. Give me a clerical version of ice shards and maybe this will be useful.) As for "a grunt or two"? Remember, Swing-through applies on defensive strikes. You're going to lose every single man you throw at him. Even with two wounds, though, which you're not likely to get with any faction's archers, he still has tank-like attack values. You do NOT go into melee with that thing unless it's a) on its last legs, or b) unable to respond. ObOT: Fortunately, the Phalanx's stats are much more reasonable. I guess people's mileage varies. I've fought him before, and if he doesn't have enough support, or good luck with initiative, he goes down in two turns. I've done it with Overlords (without using magic), and I've seen Reptus do it. Swingthrough is nasty, I agree, but that just means you try to get one on each of his base sides, and reach inbehind those grunts. Or, since you're Nefsokar it seems, try an Avatar. Even Phil misses half the time against those, and you have Warmaster whereas he does not. And your solo is about 100 points cheaper.

How about a handful of arrows and/or an Ice Shard to soften him up, then just gang up on the big lug? Personally, I know I'll lose a grunt or two to him in melee, but that's maybe 50 points. I'd say that's a good trade. Just make sure you have initiative over him and it's not so bad.

Tough but good question :). Let's try: Crusaders. Generally costly soldiers supported by tons of healing. Decent choice in fast units. Weak ranged combat. Darkspawn. Strong magic and the unique ability to ignore damage to your soldiers, if all goes well. Best choice of flying units in the game. Suggested for all fans of scantily-clad sadists. Note to self: must buy a Painmage and more Broken Fodder... Dwarves. Unique ability to kill enemies effectively due to Bane. Remarkable for being neither slow nor tough. Very good monsters. Elves. Powerful ranged combat and mediocre melee. Generally speedy army, but often 'advancing towards the rear'. With the right terrain they can win or lose the battle in less time than almost anyone. Mercenaries. Rarely used as a stand-alone faction. The werewolves are very flavorful, and can be devastating. Few surprises, but a versatile list. Necropolis. Wide variety of classic undead, from vampires to ghosts and skeletons. Their 'Crypt Legion' sub-list is something you either play yourself, or will learn to deal with; it allows for a very efficient 'massed hordes of horror stuff' playstyle. They have a tough time healing units, but are a solid and versatile army. Nefsokar. Very thematic army (Egyptian/Nubian/Bedouin). Both good infantry and cavalry, decent magic, and very strong faction abilities. Mediocre ranged combat, and the army is often outnumbered due to the poiint cost of their soldiers (who are worth it, though). Excellent monsters. Overlords. Superb magic, and the only evil faction with clerics. Generally an infantry-heavy army with the best options for using formations. (Warlord is otherwise a mostly skirmish-oriented game). Not many fast units, and little long-range combat. Weak faction abilities but great sculpts. Reptus. Beautiful models (in many people's opinion) and a limited but decent selection of models. Best Warlord in the game (but the game is rarely won by characters - numbers are generally more important). Not very versatile, and lacking in speed, but a good alround army. Very weak faction ability. Reptus players tend to be very dedicated, and the models are a miniature painter's dream. Reven. Known as Orcs & Goblins in other games, but with a rather more interesting background. Strong alround infantry-based army, supported by solid ranged combat. Some fast units, but none very strong. Ok magic, and allows for both formation fighting and swarm tactics. Wide variety of models. When I design an army, I always ask myself how it would deal with Reven - they are a standard by which to measure the other factions. Razig's Revenge. Undead pirates on shore leave. People would have preferred it if they'd leave their cannons home, next time. Most powerful ranged combat in the game, and most limited army list. Lacking in staying power and fast units, but they can win a battle without ever engaging in melee. You love them (when you play them) or you hate them (when your opponent does). Feel free to fire off any questions you might have. We're generally a friendly bunch around here:).

1. (Leader) Neek. Can someone *please* explain what the point is to this waste of good air? Even King Thorgram is better value. 2. (Elite) Skralla is a competitor for exclusion, though. No use for her when you have Gankorak available. Also on my 'not even in emergencies' list: Naomi. For her points I can get Moandain with 4 spells, or Malek with GME and a LOT of spells. 3. (Adept) Crypt Bats. Hugely overcosted for the combat stats. If I need mobility, I'll choose Deathriders, thank you. 4. (Grunt) Khamsin Herdsman. I love reach, honestly I do... For those 23 points I'll take another Awakened though, or max out Tomb Guards, or Ammat's boys and girls if I can. Special mention goes to all the generic mercenary grunts, for having really ugly helmets (and a generally uninspiring appearance). Until they get a re-sculpt, I won't field them. Khamsin Rangers only get fielded when fluff demands it, especially since the Nefsokar have gained mounted archers. 5. (Solo) Devourer of Mashaf. For all the well-known reasons... Aundine and Greka deserve a special mention, though.