Overlords

[dpep13]

I feel that my Overlord army is a bit lacking in the range department. Has anyone found a way to bolster ranged attack for ~250 points?

[Shakandara]

I guess it depends on what you are comparing it to. I like a handful of xbow models tossed in with the rank and file of an Onyx Legion army. With the ability to control the deck, I usually have the opportunity to set them up to take pot shots at the juiciest targets at opportune moments during the battle. With the potential of Pierce, 2 points of damage can be real nice.

 

If you are looking for an elite archer, you won't find one. On the other hand, Selthak or Lola with a Ranged Magic Weapon upgrade can be downright lethal at short range if you set them up right (especially if you can get the Focus in there; 2 shots with Pierce and Poison at either RAV 6 or 7 respectively). Both of these dovetail nicely into an Onyx Legion list, as both have Spy.

 

~v

[dpep13]

Fantastic feedback, Shakandara! I'll have to make room for those xbows.

[Shakandara]

No problem; although I got my start with Reptus, and it's probably the faction people most associate me with, O'lords have long been one of my favorites, especially the Onyx Legion. And although it is hardly news what they can do (variations of my favorite Onyx Legion lists can be found in this thread), most people are still surprised when they face it with how hard it hits over those first couple of rounds.

 

~v

[Orange]

I feel like the fact that I can field 144 bond slaves disgusting. Thank you overlords for your gift.

 

What do mosy folks use them for anyhow? Fodder? Quantity has its own Quality? Cause they're so damn cheap?

 

I get it with some cheap units (couatl, goblins, zealots, zombies) but why these fellas? 

[SirArthurIV]

They are ashkrypt's spell points and health. Take 5 with the mob rule and you are usually good. Or, using Lich's Bidding, you could keep them in base to base with a strong leader or good elite that you want on the front lines to keep them safe. Think of it as 5 points for an extra DT at max stats.

Edited December 21, 2017 by SirArthurIV

[Looter]

I used an Ashcrypt army this week to good effect.  The Bondslaves and Bondslave survivors were well worth their cost and even had a few actually missed by attacks.  Of course several of them did the pass along damage thing and get used up that way but the Solo's I was running mostly just absorbed damage and died.  The bondslaves may have killed more than my onyx golems both did in fact.  Ashcrypt was fairly servicable and did not even get attacked before my two opponents killed off one anothers warlords.  It was weird.  But worked  Here is the army (I think)

 

Overlords - 749 points

Troop 1
Ashkrypt, Lichlord of Craclaw
Familiar x 2
Ranthe, Evangelist of Khardullis
Bondslave x 11
Bondslave Survivor x 3

Troop 2
Corvus
Bondslave x 3
Bondslave Survivor

Troop 3
Corvus
Bondslave x 3
Bondslave Survivor

Troop 4
Onyx Golem

Troop 5
Onyx Golem

Troop 6
Xailor the Defiler

Troop 7
Luck Stone

Edited January 4, 2018 by Looter

[SirArthurIV]

THAT'S another use for bonslaves. Making cheap lead units so you can take more poerful solos.

 

That gives me an idea for a mercenary team...

[Reinchard]

Overlords - 1000 points - Onyx Legion Doctrine

Troop 1 (655 pts) General Matisse Armor of Courage Magic Weapon Arik Gix, Inquisitor Strach, Warmage Ranthe, Evangelist of Khardullis Shadow Legionnaire x 5 Overlord Spearman x 2 Bondslave x 3	Troop 2 (146 pts) Taletia, Disciple of Ashkrypt Lola Darkslip, Assassin Magic Ranged Weapon Bondslave x 6	Troop 3 (98 pts) Onyx Golem	Troop 4 (98 pts) Onyx Golem
Troop 5 (3 pts) Luck Stone

Total Models: 24

Damage Traoks: 52

 

I've recently had an uneasy experience against this list using Icingstead proxies with Boerogg, but I see here a great potential as a universal list. We used scenarios from our campaign engine, so I try to make analysis based on them.

Here are 4 main combos:

1. Maneuverability of the main troop based on Burst of Speed from Ranthe. That allows 5+5+5+2=17" of movement of the seemingly slow infantry unit.

2. 5x2 Spies guarantee having all the activations before or after the opponent, as needed.

3. Taletia, a seemingly weak mage, however can siphon here slaves and effectively cast Barrage on Lola, making a pair of extremely dangerous templates.

4. She can also easily teleport golems, adding further maneuverability.

 

The overall concept is based on a complete main troop with staunch infantry for defense, Matisse to kill something, heavy magic phase to soften things up and buff, slaves for divert and additional support. Small second troop is designed to make nasty surprises to get easy points from enemy, where opportunity arises. Golems make perfect solo fighters.

 

On defense the main troop may survive a serious onslaught and then bring a sure retribution, but it is assault where it shines.

For attack we may concentrate the power of the main troop on any direction and make that quickly. We use our spies to get complete initiative. We activate last and move on the double, with burst of speed close enough to the enemy, then activate first the following turn, smash enemy screen with magic and let Matisse with friends to swarm and annihilate the most powerful enemy melee model - this charge may be destructive enough to kill even 6 DT 13DV model with DR2 (like buffed Boerogg, for example), thus crippling the opponent's ability to perform effective melee further. The effectiveness of this charge may be again enhanced by teleporting golem and kill something tasty, that is exposed by the main troop. This main troop is best deployed and moved in a square, with heroes safe in the center, thus preventing the enemy to get Ranthe from afar or swarm Matisse.

 

Scenarios with open houses, like Battle for the village, Pillage, Release can be won easily. With control of the deck and burst of speed we may get to the doors and take shelter inside the buildings even before the enemy approaches. Having staunch infantry it is easy to defend there and elites can work effectively from the upper storeys, punishing with templates the enemy crowded together tightly to storm the doors. Only a couple of factions can effectively try to forestall our dash and anyway we enforce the opponent to behave in a predictable way, that makes us easy to make an effective battle plan.

 

In scenarios based on Markers, like Pitched battle, Ambush, Bridge etc. our golems are just brilliant. We let the enemy to get stuck in fighting and then teleport golems to seize enemy rear markers and hold them till the end. If the enemy holds the markers with expensive and tough models, being afraid of this golem infiltration, then we have upper hand in main melee. Cheap models would not hold markers from golems. So the opponent either goes on passive defense, trying to secure markers, and can be chewed down piecemeal, while we can choose the moment and place to strike with all our might, or throws caution to the winds and goes into all-out assault - then we use our magic, shooting and meat shields to soften him up and make counterattack later.

 

One more effective combo is as follows - we may threaten enemy mages or expensive snipers with a fork of solutions. If enemy is deployed and moves loosely, we may throw a golem forward and hunt this model if such an exchange may be profitable. If the enemy surrounds the mages tightly, we use barrage from Lola, even exposing her, what is devastating against soft models, killing them outright.

 

I consider this list to be an obvious favourite (considering a skilled player as well!) during our currently running campaign out of all 9 players, let's see if my prediction comes true :)

 

Edited January 30, 2018 by Reinchard

[joshuaslater]

Sounds like a cunning list!

[SirArthurIV]

Ditto. I like this list alot, although my only worry is getting everyone in for burst of speed, Since aoe is measured in diameter, not radius, you can only get 9 models under it at most. Granted you can still hit the important ones, and coherency isn't a thing, but it's still something to consider.

[Reinchard]

Afaik any part of the model base may be under the template to take effect so if one deploys tightly in a square, 12+ models are touched or so we measured.

[SirArthurIV]

I was about to rebut that, but I realizes that if you target the corner of a model you can squeeze out a few more targets.

[Shakandara]

Just keep in mind that, while you can target any point on the ground that you can see, if you target a model, any measurement is from the center of that model's base. Clever players will still find ways to maximize the AoE of Burst of Speed to include everyone in a troop.

 

~v