Glory of Payanak (1.2)

[shakhak]

Geeze you guys only elves get those rules for volleys, everyone else has to have 5 models

 

I've been posting here as much as I used too, mostly because I haven't been playing the reptus much, I'll show you guys why in a week or so.

 

 

Tactic Question:

How do you play against vampire heavy lists. I have my own thoughts on this, but I want to prob everyone else and see what you come up with!

So Necro is sendign 12 crimson knights, judas, athak and a slew of heros. Who do you send to battle and what do you try to do?

[Outkast Samurai]

Seeing as I have had this particular nightmare I'll jump in on it. Being vampire heavy means less problem with the skeletal archers so pound for pound your skullbreakers are vital for cracking the armor. Make sure you gang them and if possible save 1 to CdG so they can't feed on their own or use surges to pop them back up and feed back to full strength. Uru is great with a great DV and decent MD. I know this is going to sound crazy but if your opponent uses a lot of bloodseekers a pair or so of longstrikers work great. With 360 it doesn't matter where he decides to charge into you can either choose no rear or one against your brother longstriker and support each other. That way you cannot be denied those defensive strikes. The next choice is a personal play preference; T'kay to keep everyone up and heathy or Ssathus to wipe them out. Don't make either one a point sink but you'll likely want one or the other. Totem.Totem.Totem. The +1 is needed to drive through their armor especially if you decide to go warrior heavy. And last but not least I always take 3-4 archers. 6-8 shots due to marksman can't be argued with even needing 10's it's something to slow down your opponent or weaken those big nasties a track or two before they hit your lines.

 

Good Luck

[bonelock]

Before the boards were pruned someone posted some shots of nagrenda rangers with a mottled snakeskin style paint job which I thought were fantastic. Where could I find those pictures now? Are they gone? Could the person repost?

[Stubbdog]

shots of nagrenda rangers

 

Check out www.reapergames.com in their gallery. You will find those plus a bunch more reptus painting ideas.

[Shakandara]

bonelock (and others without Search-Fu as a class skill): HERE is your link to the old Reptus thread. The discussion is not gone, just no longer on the recent threads list. You can look through the posts to see if you find the Nagendra you are looking for. I have a couple of mine posted there that I can't post to reapergames.com, as I didn't paint them.

 

Also, keep in mind when using T'kay to cast "friendly" (i.e. non-offensive spells like Bless on your warriors or archers, bandages on your leaders, elites, or solos), you get a +2 bonus to her CP (normally a 5, therefore now a 7 for such spells), and you must only succeed against a default of 10, not the models' normal MD. So, T'Kay succeeds in bandaging anyone in the Reptus army on a roll of 3 or better. Some people add Lesser Magical Empowerment (15 points) to raise this CP to a 6 (8 for friendly), but I personally don't see the benefit when using lower-point value spells like Bless and Bandage. For the minor increase in benefit (+10% chance of success), it is costing you 15 points; I'd sooner buy an extra bandage and an extra bless for that price, and take my chances on the 20% failure vs. 10% failure. YMMV

 

Shakhak: As for battling Necros (especially vamp-heavy necros), I've faced them on a number of ocassions, and in general done well against them. OS is correct about concentrating your attacks; it serves a dual purpose. Crimson knights actually aren't that bad to hit (DV 10 vs. many other faction's DV 11 primary warriors), but with two tracks, excellent MAV values themselves, and the ability to feed to get damage back, they are dangerous even when wounded (or stunned for that matter, with Tough/2). Focusing attacks to eliminate them will allow you to increase your numerical advantage (which you should already have, since CK's are 33 points a pop), leaving you actions to loot either their models (to keep them from getting back up) or your own (to keep a wounded one from feeding on one of your downed models). If you are taking any trolls, a T'Kay isn't a bad idea to keep them up and in the fight with a few bandages. A few Blesses are cheap as well, and if you are using archers, a RAV 3 with marksman can help you weed out chattel, strike down opposing archers, or even damage leaders before you engage the CKs up close. Be aggressive.

 

Quick battle report from last night (this is mostly for OS): Tried out the archer-heavy 1000 point list we talked about, and lost. I think the list is still sound; my die rolls and tactics (only because of the die rolls) were not. I faced Nefsokar, and tried to use the archers early to bring down Ammat. I did drop some mummies, and used them to effect against the Walking Avatars, but 30+ shots vs. Ammat throughout the battle yielded only 1 hit (which took off the DF). She mowed her way through the rest of my army. If at least one more hit had come up, it could have gone much differently, or if I'd concentrated on trying to bring down all his mummies early, it might have given my own warriors a fighting chance against the tomb guards. It came down to two models, and I conceeded.

 

~v

[shakhak]

@Shakandara and Outkast Samurai

My anti vamp strategy is to use fewer numbers than usual. This stops them from feeding.

This usually means, fielding Khong-to and a krung beast then topping the army off with a totem of battle. I agree that concentrated attacks are a key part to winning.

I think that Skullbreakers are to big of a risk though. They look like they would die too easily, giving the vamps more to feed off of. Two or three attacks with the insane bonuses they would get for support would be grand but I would be hard pressed to get more than 2 on a single model. This guy knows he can't let his vamps get ganged up on, and when melee happens he'll try his best to stop ganging up.

[wildbill]

I am not a Reptus player, but having one in my play group (and facing them quite often! ), I think I speak a little about Skullbreakers.

 

Yes, they only have a DV 9. You know, that isn't exactly horrible. My Dwarf Warriors only have MAV 2. I need a 7+ to hit you and guess what? You need a 7+ to hit me back! It's even ground. What my player does is mix Breakers with something else. It used to be Warriors, because of their DV 11. Now, I think he uses Clutchlings. He'll attempt to get two models on one as much as possible. That way his Breaker is now at a 4.

 

Don't forget that the Skullbreakers also have Tough/1!

 

I'd rather field the Skullbreakers instead of the Dwarven Swiftaxes!! Those guys only have a DV 8!

 

Wild Bill

[shakhak]

I am not a Reptus player, but having one in my play group (and facing them quite often! ), I think I speak a little about Skullbreakers.

 

Yes, they only have a DV 9. You know, that isn't exactly horrible. My Dwarf Warriors only have MAV 2. I need a 7+ to hit you and guess what? You need a 7+ to hit me back! It's even ground. What my player does is mix Breakers with something else. It used to be Warriors, because of their DV 11. Now, I think he uses Clutchlings. He'll attempt to get two models on one as much as possible. That way his Breaker is now at a 4.

 

Don't forget that the Skullbreakers also have Tough/1!

 

I'd rather field the Skullbreakers instead of the Dwarven Swiftaxes!! Those guys only have a DV 8!

 

Wild Bill

I agree under all normal conditions I field a few Skull Breakers, and before the change I always mixed them with warriors for cover.

 

But when every casualty means a free bandage for my enemy, my thought process changes a little bit. It's time to play a little more defensive.

 

Crimson Knights have a MAV of 3, with a DV of 9 Breakers are getting laid down on 50% of incomming defensive strikes. Unless I kill that vampire, that breaker died without a purpose. If I get two breakers on him, giving me 2 swings at +4, I will have invested more points and I have a 50/50 shot of hitting.

 

This is where a Totem + warriors weigh in as heavy champs. It's equal ground against the vamp, dv11 mav2 versus dv10 mav3.

 

Then with the warriors, the game switches to defensive play. I live longer, but hit less, we're still equal though. With the Breakers I hit more often, but die more often also, even when we're equal.

 

Hope that made sense :)

[Ravenwolf]

It is number of attacks NOT number of Models.

 

Again, that only applies to Elves. Elves can volley with minimum number of attacks. Everyone else volleys with a minimum number of models.

Actually the Quick Reference chart states "# of Attacks" under Volley Area of Effect. Has there been some clarification/errata that I'm not aware of?

[Shakandara]

Then I think I'd suggest that your tactical thinking may be too narrow, Adam. Why engage the vamps straight up? If you have numerical superiority, you can afford to swarm the ends of a formation; leave the middle of his formation unlocked, but outflank him and gang up on the ends. If he lines up his vamps expecting your charge, try hitting the ends with offset lines of warriors to get 2 frontal B2B contacts on his vamps, then send a group of breakers around the back of each end. If he fails to adjust his CKs when you engage the warriors, this leaves your breakers free to make rear B2Bs with the CK's, striking without fear of defensive strikes against them (sure, they can swing on the DV 11 warriors at that point, but that is 2 points harder to hit, and no support bonuses). Also, if your warriors have done their job, you've generated some wounded vamps, meaning the breakers can auto-drop them (or still have excellent odds of wounding an unwounded one - MAV 3, +1 if using a totem, +1 from rear B2B, and potentially +1-2 more support from the front as well). Whether or not the vamp is in a position to defensive strike your breaker or not, if you survive through it, don't forget to use the breaker ability to step into gaps. This puts you in position to activate the Breakers early the next round and use Aura (assuming you are alive and there are targets) to raise the breaker DV to 11 and hack away.

 

A battle like this will feel like a long, uphill struggle, as some vamps will successfully feed and come back to full. But the numbers advantage will pay off in the long run, and the more vamps the opposition fields, the great numerical advantage you should possess. I've done well with a list that looks something like this:

 

Troop 1 (Command):

Chai-Uut w/LMA

Ra'am w/LMA, DF

Breakers x3

Archers x3

 

Troop 2 (The Wall):

Audt

Warriors x9

 

Troop 3 (Assault):

Audt

Breakers x5

 

Troop 4:

Troll

 

Troop 5:

Uru

 

Totem

 

5 Troops, 5 Initiative Cards, 26 models

 

Also, if you'd rather not field a solo, by making a few adjustments in equipment, you can field another Audt with 4 more breakers and go with 4 Troops with 29 models, but I really like the inclusion of the trolls in this list.

 

~v

 

 

P.S. The quick reference chart is only to show you how large of a radius your # of attacks generates; the rulebook clearly states that you must have a minimum of 5 models (all with the volley SA), in B2B contact, to volley. Use this as the most basic form of the rule; number of attacks (due to higher attack rate or marksman) can change how large the radius is for the volley, but the minimum number of models remains the same. Elves get a special exception that allows them to volley with less models. There is no errata or clarification necessary.

[mooseyjoe]

I have found that my hardest challenge against the vamps is breaking their formation. The local necro player (my dad) likes to put all his knights in a staggered line, so that they can't be ganged up on. My lizards had a tendency to brake like waves agaunst that line. I might hit some of the time, but those silly necros just ate the bodies and healed themselves. The answer: firestorm the line, move into the holes, and gangbang the survivors. Of course the necro's invisible speed cavalry then comes to the board and tries to take the mage, which can be another problem.

[Shakandara]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by a staggered line, but if you are talking about the models being not quite lined up and sometimes turned slightly, remember the very important fact that you can attack across any flat-side base contact, meaning you should still be able to create 2 and 3-on-1 mismatches vs. the vamps on the end of the "line" by hitting a corner, making them turn to face you, then bring in another model to make contact with it and the model next to it. Careful planning will not only get you the 2 and 3 on 1, but it will deny your opponent support. Make them pay for leaving gaps; once you have them locked with a flat-base contact in this semi-open line, bring in the breakers and put them on the remaining corners; unless the vamps can drop your warriors holding the flat side, the vamps have no chance to attack the breaker on the corner (except on defensive strikes).

 

~v

[mooseyjoe]

he usually goes for a V formation. It is possible to 3v1 the lead knight, but the rest can only be attacked by 2 lizards, and that's if you ignore some of the knights. He uses this V formation because his knights can gang up the warriors as they step into place in order to base as many of the vamps as possible. When the vamps gang up on the poor little lizards, with the help of wraith support from behind, lizards die very quickly.

 

 

 

MUCH MUCH MUCH playtesting (my dad can whoop me more consistantly than anyone else I've played against, so I had to bounce around ALOT of strategies before I could start breaking even against him) has gone into the fireball + gangbang strategy. It seems to work well, especially when you bring a totem along.

[Qwyksilver]

Have you tried a Lightning Bolt instead of a Fireball? Launch one right down that nice straight side of the V and snag all of them, and maybe even a couple models beyond that line if they are close. It's much more effective for hitting a formation in that shape than a Fireball would be. The one thing to be careful of is that it only has a range of 12, with a 12" long, 1" (might be 1/2", don't have the book in front of me) wide AOE so you're likely to leave your mage exposed. But, that to weaken them, and then charge in and cripple the formation by wiping out a side on their useless 2nd track.

 

Lightning Bolt is in the Nefsokar book, Level 2 Mage spell. 50 Points.

[shakhak]

@Shakandra

Ganging up is a must. No matter who you are playing support bonuses are a huge part of strategy in Warlord. I was saying that having a model that gets hit less and is equal to the opposing model is a better purchase than a model that is equal to the enemy and hits but dies quickly. This is usually a play style thing but against vampires that heal off of your wounded models, staying alive is vital. Using the ganging up strategy is a must, but I think it's a must for any melee faction.

 

You're 2 warriors 1 breaker strategy is great, but it depends on several things. One is initiative and model placement. A breaker is the least likely canidate to make it to the rear side of an enemy. The vamp would have to be within 5" then use your 2" charge to reach him. Even then, you're tying up 3 models worth about 75 points to kill a single 30 point model.

Any good vampire player is going to cash in on your lowest dv models and use them as a free heals. Attack Coup de grace, coup de grace attack.

 

I do think Trolls are a great purchase against an army like this. It forces them to go toe to toe with something bigger than they are, and has similar point costs. As always Uru is a must have.

 

 

A spell caster would be awesome against the vamps. My only thought on this is that it does a single point of damage, and if they happened to bring chattle, then they'll just eat those and drop the damage. Of course it's still a great deal, especially if you hit 3 models or so.

 

 

One reason I was preaching large heros, if you think about models such as Ra-am, combined with a simple warrior, they turn into vamp killing machines. They leave behind the trail of free bandages, and offer enough attacks to kill a vamp in a single round.

 

 

What do you guys think of using Crimson Embrace in a game against vampires? It seems like that extra point of damage to take one down, might be worth it, especially if it's on someone like Khong-To, so he deals 4 points of damage on a First strike attack.