On Thursday evening I managed to get a game in against Locky and the Daemon list that he has recently been running amok with (if the reports from other recent opponents are to be believed).
Locky’s list was built around strong character selections – Bloodthirster, Level 2 with Shadow on chariot, Herald with Siren Song in Daemonette block and a BSB in a block of Plaguebearers. This was backed up with a block of six Fiends, a single Fiend and two units of Furies. The game ended up as a very big win to the Rats with just the unharmed Thirster and 3 Furies left.
When we sat down and de-briefed after the game I suggested that the game was heavily slanted in my favour when, after winning the roll for First Turn, Locky gave it to me. This allowed me to dictate the pace of the game and pressure parts of his army before Locky could implement the full court press that Daemons are renowned for.
The whole go-first or go-last is a real conundrum that is driven by your army and tactics and that of your opponent. I’m guessing about 90% of people choose to go first when that is not necessarily their best option.
To me it is a key consideration in building a list as I will either seek to maximise my changes of going first (reducing drops) or accept I’m likely to be going second and therefore include more drops and more diverters. More drops let me control the deployment process by not betraying my hand too early – thereby potentially minimising the immediate effect of going second. More diverters let me establish roadblocks that again minimise that effect by stalling and annoying combat blocks.
I’m not sure that people give this area of the game the necessary thought it deserves. For me, list composition should factor in strategies so that you are not exposed whether you go first or second.
If your enemy has ranged attacks..go before him, is my motto, with Daemons anyway. But I agree, generally it's weighted heavily in favour of going first, you get any number of benefits, why did he turn it over to you?
ReplyDeleteIsn't it just whoever wins the roll goes first these days, just like deployment? Though I've been playing Bretts for a year so may be slightly out of touch...
ReplyDelete@meals
ReplyDeleteYep your correct i think,theres no handing off first turn anymore
Perhaps the handing off of the first turn was so the rats would move towards the Daemons. I'd assume the rats did a almost stationary shuffle and unleashed hell (Gladiator quote, couldn't resist). With Siren song I would have expected a closer outcome with this matchup.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Meals, in your standard 'pitched battle' (or whatever it's called now) there's no choosing to go first or not. Whomever wins the roll has to go first.
ReplyDelete