Hello all and welcome back to the blog, today I'm going to breakdown my current Seraphon list I'm testing out. I can't tell you how happy I am with the new book! The coalesced / starborune split is a ingenious way to allow one book to play in two seperate ways. On top of that the subdivisions of that split further diversify the army, allowing for two different ways to play on top of the original two.
I have so many lists I'd like to try, I certainly have a Fangs of Sotek list to try with a blob of 40 skinks. Thunder lizard screams monster mash with double firing bastiladons and I think Cold One Knights could turn up big in Koatls Claw. The army I'm going to speak about today is part of the Starbourne split, using the subdvision Dracothians Tail. The Starbourne makes your army bravery 10 across the board, as well access to Lord of Space & Time and summoning. It's the closest the army books plays to it's old style, with summoning (all be it very much reduced) and most likely skink screens. It is however the least restrictive subdivison, offering essentially any army a bonus in the ability to deepstrike units and powering up your Slann general if you take one.
Let's get into the list, as discussed before its under the Starborne using the Dracothians tail subvision.
Leaders
Lord Kroak - 320.
Spell - Stellar Tempest.
General
Saurus Astrolith Bearer - 140.
Artefact - Godbeast Pendant.
Skink Starpriest - 120.
Spell - Hand of Gory
Skink Priest - 70.
Units
10 x Skinks - 60.
Metoric Javelins, Celestite Daggers & Star Bucklers. - x 4
12 x Razordon Hunting Pack - 240. - x 2
Behemoths
Bastiladon - 220.
- Solar Engine. - x 2
Endless Spells
Balewind Vortex - 40.
Bound Burning Head - 40.
Bound Gemenids of Uhl-Gysh - 70.
So that's the list and lets kick off with the leader selection and Lord Kroak for 320 points. I initially didn't like Lord Kroak for one reason, I really liked the Comets Call spell on the Slann Warscroll and when I first missed the spell on Lord Kroak it was enough for to stick with a Slann. Then I read it again and saw he had Comets call, so I was in. Lord Kroak is a pretty fantastic warscroll, fairly tough to kill with a 4+ save, 7 wounds and a 4+ damage prevention roll. He cast 4 and unbinds 4 spells a turn with a flat +1 to cast, unbind AND dispel. As per typical Slann rules he can unbind from anywhere on the table. Already I think the value is there with paying 80 points per wizard level on a tough and reliable platform. On top of all this at the start hero phase you roll 3 D6 and any 4+ is a free command point and against large units he's not bad in a fight due to his melee attack gettign a attack per mode within 3" on 3/3s -1 1 damage.
He keeps the Slann Warscroll spell, casting on a 7 allowing you to pick D3 units on the table and each one taking D3 wounds. The numbers of units you're allowed to pick going up to D6 if the casting roll is a 10+.
I absolutely love this spell, it's perfect for picking off 4-6 wound heroes off the table, there is no where to hide from it. Due to the casting bonuses in the army from Sages Staff asterism (+1 to cast, dispel and unbind), Saurus Astrolith bearer or Arcane if you can get it it quite often hits that 10+. A really great spell, on average 4 mortal wounds or 6-8 each turn if you hit the 10. Those buffing heroes are perfect targets for this, or a model with 1 wound left tagging a unit hindering movement etc. I really like this spell and it's probably not as good as Kroaks Signature spell!
Celestial Deliverance is cast on a 7 and can be cast up to three times in one hero phase, each time increasing the casting value by 1. It has a range of 10 and you pick up to three units within 10" and on a 2+ they take D3 mortal wounds, or a flat 3 if the target is a daemon. When I first read this spell I was underwhelmed, then I thought about it more. What if I throw Kroak on a Balewind to make the spell 16" range, what if I add a Astrolith bearer to make it 22" range. What if I position a skink to use the Arcane Vassal rule. With a very easy access to +3 to cast and a 22" range with further extension by skinks, this spell is killer. A average 16 mortal wounds a turn if hit three targets with each spell with just huge potential for damage against daemons.
Lastly his spell from the lore I've given him is Stellar Tempest, a typical roll 1 dice per model in the unit and on a 5+ it causes a mortal wound. These sort of spells are typically on a 6+, so the 5+ is very nice and the base range of 24 is also very good. That becomes 36" on top a Balewind, potentially through a skink oracle or wizard. All this amounts to Kroak being a absolute dominating force of the hero phase, both offensively and defensively. Defensively sititng at 4 unbinds with a +2 from masters of order and if chosen the sages staff. Offensively if you're popping off 3 deliverances, a comets call and a stellar tempest that can be quite reliably from 27 - 40 mortal wounds in a turn. Stone, cold, killer!
The other leader choices have less to discuss (I'm sure you'll be glad to hear). The second being a Saurus Astrolith bearer, the warscroll seeing significant changes in the new book. The bearer is very much a support piece but in a different way. As I've touched earlier on in the book he increases the range of spells cast by seraphon wizards within 12", as well as providing +1 to cast. His other warscroll ability provides a 6+ damage prevention roll to units wholly within 12". He also brings D3 Celestial Conjuration points a turn, shifting the averages to allow you to summon 10 skinks a turn. At 140 points he can seem expensive but will on average bring around 90 points of skinks to the table by himself each game. I massively rate the flat +1 to cast for Kroak and the Starpriest, as well as the range extension allowing to Kroak each further out. On top of that 6+ damage prevention roll can be clutch to save wounds on heroes and the Razordons.
Third on the leader list is a Skink Starpriest a absolutely golden unit for its points. A level 1 wizard, with a very useful spell, casting on a low 6 and range of 18" applying -1 to hit on a enemy unit. Casting on a 5 and range 24" due to the astrolith bearer, it's just golden. His lore spell on top of this is fantastic, casting on 6 and range 18" allows one of your own units to reroll hits of 1 until your next hero phase. Absolutely perfect for a unit that is to be buffed and teleported to a critical location. The versatility he bring for just these two spells is huge and that's before you get onto his Serpent Staff. With no roll required, simply pick a unit wholly within 12" and until your next hero phase if that unit rolls a 6 to wound, it causes a mortal wound on top of additional damage. Fantastic for any high weight of attack unit, something like Saurus Knights in Koatls Claw would absolute tear up with this. In my list, it's typically placed on Razordons, which turns up those 6D6 shots to 11.
The last leader choice is a Skink Priest who has two very potent abilities. His command ability is huge for the above list, simply +1 to hit until your next hero phase for a unit with the Skink keyword. This includes the Razordons and Bastiladons in the above list as well as the skinks. Turning Razordons to hitting on 2s rather then 3s is so good when you keep in mind the ways you can reroll your 1s to hit available to you. Bastiladons going from 4s down to 3s as well is great and make those 9 shots a very conistent thing. The Skink Priest also has a hero phase ability similiar to the Starpriest, this one on a 3+ allowing a unit to run, shoot and charge as well as providing +1 to the save rolls until your next hero phase. The 3+ does not make this super reliable but it's very useful when it comes, even if you're not planning on running and charge turning Razodons into a 3+ save, or Kroak in a pinch.
Onto the units and I am kicking off with 4 units of 10 skinks, just fantastic units. 60 points for 10 bodies, able to move a flat 8" in a turn. There isn't much to say about the skinks as they speak for themselves. Fantastic screening with a nice small base size to be teleported into small spaces to steal the gold from your opponents.
Onto the Razordons which I think should be considered the meat of the list. A unit of 3 with it's 9 handlers is pushing out 6D6 shots a turn, with a respectable 18" range and 8" move with the potential to run, shoot and charge as well to be teleported all buffed up. 3/4s - Rend 1 damage, gaining -1 rend within 6". On the face of it, fairly average before you start piling on buffs! The Skink Priest command ability allows the unit to hit on 2s, with either hand of glory or a burning head letting them re-roll 1s. Applying the Skink Starpriest Serpent Staff then means any wound rolls of a 6 pop out a mortal wound, as well as usual damage. The list is 1960 allowing for a potential triumph, re-roll wounds is fantastic for this unit.
It doesn't stop there with the Razordons, as they can shoot at the end of charge phase if a enemy unit ends within 3" and no enemy units were within 3" at the start of the charge phase. It is however only D6 shots each, but when you're hitting on 2s rerolling 1s that can give a opponent food for thought. Better yet, it's only even your enemies charge phase! Yep, you can shoot, charge with these guys, then shoot 3D6 shots and then hit in melee. At 3 attacks per Razordons 3/3 -2 2 damage each they're even great in melee, especially when buffed up.
I really like the unit of Razordons, versatile in melee or shooting, proving very good poke, proving a very good unit to layer buffs on and a very good target for Lords of Space and time when buffed to simply remove a unit when necessary. The Asterism The Hunters Steed (I prefer the Great Koala) provides your amry with +1 to run and charge, making those charges a 8" after being teleported. They are however fragile, paying 240 points for 18 wounds.
The next unit are Bastiladons, which have recently seen a FAQ essentially enabling 2+ unrendable save until bracketed. The shooting on these guys is fairly average, 9 shots, 4s 3s -1 2 damage. The damage becomes a flat 3 when against daemons (cough, flamers, cough). The bastiladons range however is 24", which provides some real decent poke at a very long range. In melee it's no slouch, with 3 attacks 3s 3s - 1 D3 damage each. A 220 points I really like the Bastiladons, they're very good targets for my buffs, they're amazing roadblocks to allow my continual poke to happen and they put out respestable damage when the buffs are applied. Using Lords of Space and Time on one of these guys circumvents the slow movement and can enable you to snipe a key hero really easily, with the Skink Priest they can be on 4/3s even with Look Out Sir applied, re-rolling 1s to hit with Hand of Glory. That paired with one or two turns of Comets Call can really apply serious pressure to the enemy back line.
Lastly I'll talk about my endless spells and then wrap this all up (it's a lot longer then I expected!). First off the Balewind Vortex doesn't need a lot of explaining, 40 points for a 6" range exension of Kroaks potential 5 spells a turn I'm already in. The +1 save increasing Kroak to a 3+ save is just icing on the cake.
The Bound Burning Head is absolute steal at 40 points in my eyes, a moveable re-roll 1 to hit aura that my opponent can't touch. Later in the game it can turn into a offensive spell, just golden for 40 points.
Last but by no means least the Bound Geminids of Uhl-Gysh, the geminids we all know and love that only I can control, yeah I'm in. Side note here but I'm not sure If I like the bound spells, I think one of the best things to come of new edition was the interaction of endless with the turn roll. The bound versions of the spell completely remove this and infact make a double turn even more opressive, enabling me to take a double AND move all my spells. On the flipside if I get doubled I can move all my spells which is nice but yeah, not sure if the bound spells were good for the game.
Well that's the overview of the list, it has a lot moving parts but remains very adaptible. I feel like I can play each phase of the game, having a potential very destructive hero phase, moving into a potentially nasty shooting phase and a combat phase which can be used to tag, or destroy units.
The list has incredible reach and can deal signficant damage from 22" away, even able to push wounds on the able from 36" away. It can wittle away from a incredible range and very effectively move in for the kill when things start approaching. Lords of Space and Time furthers the lists felixiblity, with the threat of any buffed unit being teleported across the table at any time. The pressure from Comets Call paired with the teleport can very efficiently snipe key heroes, and do it in time that my screens still stand.
I adore the playstyle of this list, very cerebral, calculated and positional based play. Due to the very high drop count of the list you're always planning two turns ahead. You're always playing for the scenario, applying pressure on the very back of the board to the very front. It's probably the best fun I've ever had playing AoS.
Thanks you so much for reading, I hope it gave a good insight to my current list I'm playing around with. Expect more soon as I play around with other lists in the Seraphon book!
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