The next local tournament is scheduled for May and will be a singles tournament at 2500 points. I'm eager to get back to the playing the "standard" army size and preparing for a more competitive environment than the recent team tournaments have been. We're also in talks of starting up a league that will last for 7-8 weeks up until the start of the tournament, for everyone to try out their lists. So with that said, I have an early list that I'll be trying out for these next weeks. As it's a competitive list I'm bringing a variety of mobs for the Waaagh! but I still like to keep a bit of a theme. Here's what I plan on bringing:
Yaisog 'Eadsplitta, Orc Warboss on Wyvern
Charmed Shield, Amulet of Preservation, Sword of Striking, The Other Trickster's Shard
Yaisog is surprisingly skilled for a Warboss and surely favored by Gork or possibly Mork. With his choppa, he usually hits most enemies on 2's which is important to ensure that when he charges, limbs go flying. He usually ignores the first hit inflicted upon him, to ward of nasty cannon balls if necessary, while his 4+ ward save keeps him safe in combat. He is also wearing the Other Trickster's Shard that forces enemies to re-roll their own succesful ward saves, which is good to have in hero challenges or against magical machines such as the Cauldron of Blood or War Altars. His fighting proweness and magical trinkets has allowed Yaisog to subdue a fierce Wyvern upon which he rides to battle. With the wyvern as his pet, no one has dared to challenge him for supremacy over the tribe, which continues to carve a path through the Badlands until someone stops them.
Krutush Da Mad, Savage Orc Great Shaman, level 4
Lucky Shrunken Heads, Warrior Bane
Krutush is a completely insane shaman who has led his tribe of Savage Orcs to join up with Waaagh Yaisog! in the Badlands. Thanks to his Shrunken Heads, Krutush and his mob are sporting a 5+ warpaint save as long as he is leading them, which he usually will be doing. Krutush is using the Lore of the Big Waaagh! which fits the army a lot better than weedy goblin magic. He will most likely stay on the flank of his unit, close to the Black Orcs who, although they will glare disapprovingly at him once he begins his ecstatic frenzied dance, will still enjoy the benefit if the 'Ere We Go! spells goes through succesfully. Krutush is also wielding a cheap magical choppa to help out against potential Etherial units, and if imbued with the Fists of Gork can provide the hurting against enemy monsters of characters, who will lose an attack for each unsaved wound that Krutush causes them.
Gral, Black Orc Big Boss
Battle Standard Bearer, Enchanted Shield, Ironcurse Icon, Talisman of Endurance
Gral is the biggest Black Orc in the entire tribe and Yaisog's second in command. He carries the standard of the tribe into battle. Gral is normally quite mobile and rarely ends the battle with the unit he initially started out with. Early on, he tries to keep the Savage Orcs from fighting amongst each other and ruining spellcasting, but he is quite happy to also be lending his Ironcurse Icon to the Black Orcs in case the tribe is up against artillery. He is quite well protected if neccesary, able to get a 3+ armor save and 5+ ward save in case he goes up against hard hitting units. Normally though he likes to avoid it so as to not risk dropping the banner.
Snort, Night Goblin Shaman level 1
Dispel Scroll
Snort is a snot-faced git that most mobs just want to stay clear of. He's got a squeeky voice that annoys the boyz and suffers from sleep-farts after eating so many bad mushrooms that he usually gets to sleep with the Trolls. His task on the battlefield is usually to read the dispel scroll during a particularly dangerous enemy magic phase, throw a single dice at the goblin signature spell, Naughty Stabbin' until such a time where Yaisog and his Wyvern hits the enemy flank or rear, during which time Snort will throw all his power dice at his spell in hopes of reaching total power. Most mobs are usually just happy if he blows up from the magical backlash that follows.
Skuutosh, Night Goblin Big Boss
Great Weapon, Dragonbane Gem
Skuutosh once snuck into a dragon lair and stole a tiny little gem, and was (un)fortunate enough to survive the ensuing dragon breath without a scratch, much to the surprise to Yaisog and the tribe. Since then, Skuutosh usually gets to lead his Night Goblin mob and swing his great axe with all his might, until the tribe discovers an enemy with flaming weapons threatening the Trolls. At such a time, Skuutosh is usually pushed forward to stand in the way, trusting in his gem to keep him alive for a turn or two while the Trolls go to stomp something else.
28 Savage Orc Big 'Uns
Full Command, Additional handweapons
This is Krutush's mob of half-crazed, half-naked Savages who have grown large enough from all their in-fighting to rival even some of the smaller Black Orcs. Thanks to Krutush's magic items, even their warpaint has become unusually strong, granting them a 5+ ward save that helps protect them against shooting and the occasional magical backlash if Krutush gets over-eager with his spells. In battle, they tend to fight in ranks of 7 or more and dishes out 3 S5 attacks each, which is usually enough to turn most enemies into bloody pulps.
40 Night Goblins
Full Command, Shields, Nets
These shieldgobbos usually deploy in 8 ranks of five and provides numbers in a fight. They are usually appointed the dubious honor of going up against the nastiest enemy unit available. With Yaisog flying around in the near vicinity, they are usually able to remain steadfast for a couple of turns, allowing the rest of the tribe to beat up their foes before they turn around to help, or just leave them on their own to die.
20 Night Goblins
Short bows, 1 fanatic
The smaller bowgobbo units usually do their work early on, by firing their bows at whatever small and annoying target they can find, such as hounds, harpies or swarms. If the enemy gets close, they've got a fanatic ready to be flung at them to cause mayhem and destruction. Although small in numbers as well as in cost, these guys are quite important to my plans as they allow my hard hitters to hit combat earlier.
5 Goblin Wolf Riders
Short bows
Native to the Badlands, a few plain goblins, their wolves and a few chariots recently joined Waaagh Yaisog! in order to get in on the burning and plunder. They usually ride up a flank and threatens war machines before baiting enemies units to pursue them so that the boyz can smash the enemy good.
3 Goblin Wolf Chariots
Similar to the Wolf Riders, these chariots usually go on a flank where their long charge range threatens the enemy from getting too close. If they ever do get an open flank to charge into, it will definitely spell disaster for the enemy.
x2 Boar Chariots
Additional Orc Crew
One of few remaining regular Orcs in the army, these riders have known Yaisog before his rise to fame and the beginning of the Waaagh! Although neither are strong or cunning enough capture their own Wyvern, they've managed to attach their chariots to a couple of wild war boars. Ontop of them, they barge into combat and secretly pretends that they're just like Yaisog, flying into battle and causing mayhem where ever they hit. They usually keep themselves close to the Savage or Black Orcs, providing additional punch when they both charge into combat.
21 Black Orcs
Full Command, Banner of Eternal Flame, Shields
The Black Orcs are the monster hunters, plain and simple. They make no secret of it and lits their weapons on fire once battle begins to slice through regenerating monsters such as Hydras or Skaven monstrosities. Depending on the situation though, they can either swing their S7 great weapons (if fighting something nasty), their two handweapons (when fighting something weedy) or use their shields when fighting something hitty and to ward off shooting.
6 Trolls
These stupid brutes have been rounded up from damp caves and smelly waterholes to help the tribe stomp all enemies into the ground. As long as the enemy doesn't carry flaming weapons, the Trolls are quite happy to go up against anything. If they ever do get into the flank of an enemy busy fighting off something else, Snort will do his utmost to cast Naughty Stabbin' upon them and watch as mayhem follows, as the spell then allows the Trolls to re-roll failed To Hit and To Wound rolls.
1 Troll
Every now and then, one of the trolls tend to wander off on its own, too stupid to keep a decent formation. Yaisog usually won't mind and instead makes sure to order it to move to stand in the way for enemies and set up favourable overruns for the rest of the tribe. As most of the army is Immune to Psychology anyway, it won't matter if the Troll is cut down if it serves a larger purpose. And if it does end up in the flank or the rear of the enemy, it can turn a battle on its while being quite an annoyance to chase away.
1 Mangler Squig
This insane Night Goblin contraption usually does little else than looking dangerous and getting shot down early. That's alright though, as it helps keep Yaisog and his Wyvern safe from shooting until he gets into combat. If the enemy haven't brought missile units, or decides to fire at something else, the Mangler Squig will bounce into them and cause such mayhem that even the Savage Orcs are hard-pressed to match it.
So there you have it, that's the initial version of my army list that I will be trying out for these upcoming weeks. As you probably notice, I have not brought any artillery, since I don't think I shall be needing them for anything. With the Black Orcs, I fear no monsters so I don't need Spear Chukkas or Rock Lobbers for that. I have Trolls, so I don't need Doom Divers to take out Knights. Finally, I don't fear big blocks of mass infantry enough to bring Rock Lobbers, since if they have larger numbers than I have, I fight better, and if they fight better than me, I have larger numbers. Instead of winning the shooting phase, I'm going to try to survive it well instead. All my expensive units are T4, and comes in either with 5+ ward save, 4+ armor save and 6+ ward save, or 4+ regeneration (I'm fine if people shoot my Night Goblins, really I am) so hopefully I shall make it into combat fairly unscatched. Still, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the list if you have any, and I'll be sure to detail my exploits as I go along from here.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
