Temporal Issues

More testing of Bad Seeds I'm afraid, not much else has been going on at my end.  I'm currently house/dog-sitting for Jim and the dog requires an awful lot of walks.  It seems that every time I sit down to do something, I need to be somewhere else or get back to the house to walk the dog.  At least I've done a fair amount of painting across both my armies - though actually completing models has been somewhat lax.  Janissa is almost done and I finished Orin Midwinter.  I'm pretty sure Kell Bailoch and Janissa could be done in a single sitting, it's just finding the time right now.

As for Bad Seeds testing, the list controls the flanks like nothing else I've seen, but I'm still having trouble with heavy armour.  Normally I'd swap out a Renegade and the Trencher Master Gunner for a Mangler (and thus run 3 heavies - Nomad, Mangle, and a Defender) but the dual Renegade threat seems to have undue influence on my opponents.  Casters like pVlad do nothing but cast Wind Wall all day while the Obliterator Rockets are available.  I think I may have to adopt a technique of concentrated firepower with all that ranged infantry the list carts around.  Hit a target with Calamity, fill it full of holes.  A bit focus heavy, but I think it could work.

Such a Slag

Once again I tried out the Bad Seeds list, and it proved pretty good at what it does - shooting things.  Continued problems with dealing with heavy armour though (except Kell Bailoch, he rocked up the box cars on damage) and the Defender continues to be utterly useless except as a damage soak.  Perhaps it only really works against lists with 'soft' heavies?  So, factions like Circle or Cryx maybe?  I think I'm going to attempt to use the Mangler on Tuesday in place of the Defender and see if it performs better.

I've also been looking at my Trollbloods and what sort of lists with surprises could be made.  Burrowers just give me a headache when it comes to scenario play, and I need some sort of ranged options that aren't the Nyss Hunters.  So I thought I'd build up my pDoomshaper themed force once Magnus and his Bad Seeds are finished.  All I need to get is 3 units of Runeshapers and a Slag Troll.

Why a Slag Troll?  Of all the light warbeasts in Trollbloods (besides the Axer), the Slag Troll can really perform quite well in melee.  If I lose a heavy, the Slag Troll can actually step up to the plate.  Why not a Pyre Troll?  I found that having immunity to fire to be strangely debilitating.  My opponents wouldn't come forward and we'd engage in a staring competition between my force (with next to no ranged attacks) and their's (with all sorts of ranged attacks).  Without such immunity I've found my opponents more willing to come forward and eat a Mulg to the face.

Runeshapers.  I like them but the list does suffer badly against Circle and certain anti-magic lists.  I'd probably have to cater a second list to deal with any armies that bring anti-magic to the table.  There's something really quite pleasant about ARM 15/17, Steady, 5 damage infantry with Pathfinder.  The extra walls in the themed force don't hurt either.

Rotten Apples

eMagnus' Bad Seeds themed force gets the sticker of approval.  I'm not entirely sold on the Defender in my list, it's very tempting to swap it to a Mangler, but I *know* I'm going to get an Obliterator assassination run off and require a third ranged attack to finish off the enemy caster, at which point my Mangler will be wallowing in a vast pool of useless.  On the other hand, the Defender has been mostly useless in every game so far...  I'll try it out a couple more times for good measure, and then swap it over to the Mangler and see how things work out.  Not sure what to do with the extra point either, an extra Scattergunner?

The AMBUSHING SWORD KNIGHTS (which shall forever be mentioned with capitals) certainly do what they say on the tin.  They both ambush and sword stuff.  They do seem to be lacking in knightly chivalry however, but I don't hold that against them.  It's surprisingly easy to get Flank off, I'm not sure why but there's always a Renegade on hand when they appear.  It's never planned, it just happens to work like that.

What the list doesn't deal with is masses of heavy armour and it has a distinct power dip in radial scenarios due to way ambush works in those.  In dual and certain centre scenarios, the list rocks.  AMBUSHING SWORD KNIGHTS and Saxon Orrik can easily jam up or steal an objective, even more so when combined with Kill Box (the feat, not the scenario).

My goal is to have the list completely painted (and rebased where applicable) by the end of September.  My main worry is the trencher models as they have a million extra pouches and miscellaneous random items (I'm surprised the 10' pole isn't in there) strewn about their bodies.