Field Test: Snacking

Having just read the Fury Manipulation update - particularly about Reaving - it turns out Sean would not have been able to Reave from any of his warbeasts at all since Snacking removes the model from play at the boxed stage. Cunning, will have to remember this. Dire Trolls just got even better.

Hordes FT Notes: Game One

Just got back from play Sean Murchie in a 25 point game. I was using Trollbloods and he was using Skorne. I annihilated his army but left eDoomy a little exposed (I did think he could take a little more punishment) so Sean nailed me with a 13 damage Torment from pMorghoul and then hunted me down while I couldn't heal. The rest of Sean's army was not so lucky however and were eaten by Dire Trolls. At the end of the game he only had 4 Paingiver Beast Handlers and pMorghoul left. I had everything except my throw-away Kriel Warriors and the Whelps (and I guess eDoomy).

eDoomy: The Xjel approves. Feat needs some work. I'd like it to give +X SPD instead of an extra 3" movement on charges/slams/tramples. I didn't get to use it the entire game. I need to get more games in so that I can get used to his spell list however, I kept forgetting important things.

Earthborn Dire Troll: Wow. I'm impressed, I've never had a warjack hitting as hard and as often as this guy. Perhaps that's because I don't play Khador...

Dire Troll Mauler: Wild Aggression + Chain Attack: Grab and Smash = Fun times! Also, see above.

Troll Axer: Solid workhorse warbeast. Does the job. Didn't use Rush once the entire game - Sean had a definite alpha strike over me with pMorghoul and Paingivers.

Kriel Warriors: Expendable. Wasn't expecting anything from them, use and discard as needed. Was tempted to use them for Snacking at one point.

Whelps: The saviours of my list. Perhaps slightly over-costed, I'd like their points to change from 2 points for 5 whelps to 1 point for 3 whelps. Though they DID allow my trolls to eat Sean's alpha strikes and then function fully the next turn... More games needed to analyse their impact.

Sean's Savages hurt each time they charged in and damn near killed both my dire trolls when he sent them in. Unfortunately he didn't kill either dire troll and so they ended up with large amounts of health back very quickly. The Earthborn ended the game at full health, the Mauler went from 2 boxes of damage left to about 65%. I have Regenerate and the Whelps to thank for that.

Since Sean didn't kill my Dire Trolls, they ate all his Cyclops (3), the Krea (I hate paralytic field so much), numerous praetorians and I spent some time trying to herd pMorghoul into expiring Admonition. The Dire Trolls play like Khadoran heavies: if you don't kill them outright then they drown you in a world of hurt. There was a point where I killed the a Cyclops Brute and Savage (all part of a healthy and balanced diet) and still had some fury left over. I was a bit stunned.

Lessons:
The paralysis continuous effect is evil.
eDoomshaper's feat is useless if you can't charge/slam/trample (see paralysis).
Treat eDoomshaper like a very fragile warcaster, do not expect him to absorb damage like Magnus can. He has a big control area, use it. Do not expose him. Ever. Even when your opponent has less models on the table than you have fingers on one hand.
Wild Aggression, oh how I love thee and thine sister Iron Aggression. I would prefer Full Throttle however (*cough*).
I didn't have any problems with fury management. Just play like you're a fury-1 warcaster with some extra bells and whistles. Didn't have to make a single frenzy check the entire game. Not sure what all the fuss is about.

Things to Note: Part 1

Things to Note in MKii and the Hordes Field Test:
A model that has been field promoted cannot make an attack in the turn it was promoted. (Hordes FT p.58/Prime MKii p.79)

Shake Effects is done after leeching but BEFORE a warbeast makes a frenzy check. (Hordes FT p.40-42)

A frenzying warbeast only makes a single attack with the highest POW weapon it possesses. Attack and damage rolls for this attack are boosted. (Hordes FT p.41)

A model that cannot be knocked down must forfeit either its movement or action only if it is thrown or slammed during your turn. Other knock down effects do not trigger this condition. (Hordes FT p.24-25 (Being Slammed/Being Thrown)/Prime MKii p.53-54 (Being Slammed/Being Thrown))

Throwing a model with a Double-Hand Throw and aiming at a target is a melee attack roll. Being on the receiving end of a thrown model is not counted as an attack against that model. (Hordes FT p.26/Prime MKii p.55)

Weapon locks are awesome.