I've been digesting the DoC book over the past 24 hours and I am really convinced that mon-God lists will be the way forward.
And a key reason for this is something that a lot of people in their considerations of the new book haven't highlighted.
Swift Reform.
Now to use a General's Inspiring Presence or the BSB's re-roll, you have to be aligned to the same god. This is a major departure to the previous book. Yes, it manifests itself in Frenzy checks and Instability Tests but it also impacts the Swift Reform.
The ability to reform and move in Warhammer is critical and requires two things - a muso and the passing of a Leadership test.
With most Daemon units having a Leadership of 7, that only gives them a 58% chance of being able to complete the manoeuvre. Access to a higher Leadership and a re-roll is going to be critical in providing Daemon players (especially in tournaments) the certainty they require to move their army around.
I know I certainly wouldn't want my battleplan to be reliant on a single Ld 7 roll.
I think you'll want 90% of your army mono-god, but I think you can get away with some units being of different gods.
ReplyDeleteUnits can take the +1Ld banner or the Gleaming Pennant for a re-roll, so you can mitigate it a bit.
Also, units that don't need to swift reform will be able to be included no problem (see khorne cannons, single beasts of nurgle etc).
There are going to be these auto-includes in most armies, but the central part of the army will be mono-god for just the reason you outlined. If a daemon player takes a greater daemon and bsb of differing gods, they kinda deserve those boxcars.
I agree. I also think the triple letterhoards will still be the most common build, although I can see some nurgle builds becoming common place as well. It will be interesting to see how chaff develops now that several options have been removed. Going forward MSU may be more viable to support the hoard.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree that Bloodletter units are still the best of the core troops. Why? because they can actually kill stuff and when comboed with some of the new (rather expensive) Loci they will still hit as hard as they have always done. What will be interesting to see is whether DoC players (once the whining as calmed down) will put the now-very-vulnerable heralds in the units, or opt for a buff-mobile option.
DeleteMono nurgle has a lot of potential-however you are then relying on poison to win you combat. Ws3 and -1 to hit isnt all that scary (compared to ws5 and 1 to hit!) The plaguedrones can be a decent hammer unit I guess, but the nurgle stuff seems to be more about surviving.
What will be interesting for me is whether we will start to see Soul Grinders on the battlefield. Soul grinder + 2 Korn Cannons (until comped to 0-1 choice) + korn buffwagon + Greater demon/demon prince = too many targets for the cannons to kill all of them.
I agree with Ddevil, stuff which doesn't worry about the check is still viable regardless of the patronage. Although any core units are likely to have heralds attached, so those tests are LD 8, not great but better than LD7. Chaff is still pretty easy in beasts of nurgle and min furies, each option being 60 points. I think there has been a real equalising of power levels between the core options and while some may be a bit better than others, the disparity isn't as bad as it was.
ReplyDeleteAny view on damonic gift use in tournaments? Roll each game as per book?
Lack of BSB Reroll is the more impt aspect rather than Ld 7/8.
DeleteDemonic Gift use will be similar to rolling for spells I'm guessing
Having played a couple of games on the weekend with the new book, 2 Beasts and 2 Cannons are autoinclude and the rest 80-90% you have keep the same god because of the General/BSB and the lore attribute buffs. You can mark Furies and souldgrinder so still have someoptions you had previously. I think Plaguebearers are probably better than Bloodletters now just for -1 to hit and T4. Heralds of Khorne are a lot easier to kill and really expensive for what they can do. 175 points for hatred versus 150 poitns for Frenzy... Nurgle is the best, Khorne is ok, Slaanesh is pretty good and Tzeentch has some downright wacky stuff.
ReplyDeleteIt is kind of sad to see players "forced" to play mono god. I like the mono god idea but would still like the option of maybe a two god list with hamstringing myself by doing it.
ReplyDeleteThat should read "without hamstringing myself".
ReplyDelete