Obviously posting a Battle Report where I lost against Cryx showed me as an expert in this subject, it is what it is, lets continue the series!
Solo Sniping
"Dear Tartarus, I hate you. Sincerely, decent people"
One of the, not so, secret ways to to start putting a Cryx player in a bad spot is to eliminate the critical support solos in your opponents army. We have several ways to do so.
Ranged Assassination:
"Hey, remember me, I sat on your shelf for far to long."
Thanks to the Extoller Soulward and a few ranged beasts, we can threaten a lot of Cryx's support solos.
Cryx armies tend to have a lot of stealth. It is a fundamental aspect to a lot of their tactics. They will be hard to kill at range, has tricks to ensure the alpha strike, and will debuff your armor to nothing and pick anything off the table in Melee.
But Stealth can also be a bad thing for them if they try to spam it. Encase you didn't know, stealth models do not block LOS for your models, if your models are greater then 5" away from the intervening model.
What that means for our ranged sniping is that it is very easy to get LOS beyond those intervening Bane Thralls and target that support solo that just has to die. As I mentioned in the ranged article, we have the option to Eyeless sight any one of our models. Combine that with the Farstrike Animus from the Raider, and a lot of our guns can single out those troublesome support solos and take them out. Worried about Admonia with Mordikaar, Snipe the Cannoneer and have her drop a POW 15 on that undead ladies head, crank the damage, and never worry about losing Hallow on your front line unit.
As mentioned, a Cannoneer with all the buffs has a 20" threat with a high strength, small blast, shot. On average, you should be able to hit DEF 14. Average dice sees you put a POW 25 on a models head. That equals dead Tartarus, dead member of the Withershadow Combine, dead Bane UA, you name it.
The Drake is also another fantastic option, with a medium range spray and our usual access to Rush. we can give it an effective 16" threat range. Advance up, pop that support solo with a buy and a boost, and any other models you get with the spray is a bonus. Granted you risk over exposing him, but you can negate that a little with running sacrificial infantry.
Melee Assassination
"Hey, you see this spear, you are about to become much more familiar with it"
We actually have some pretty decent options here as well.
Rhadiem is one of the top ones. We trip over speed buffs in our faction, and with leap, it is very hard to avoid Rhadiem advancing up, hopping, and sticking a lance into something. On average Jack, he kills Tartarus with his Armor Piercing attack. With two attack thanks to combat rider, he hits a Warwitch siren, and rolls straight damage. He hits any of the Withershadow combine on average and usually kills him. It is less reliable then a ranged option because you are punished more for a miss. However, with the Archidons animus, he can be very annoying to your opponent. He is usually who I reach for with a SPD buff caster. Both Makedas really love his shenanigans. With the Archidon's animus and eMakeda's feat up, he can charge the UA of a Bane Thrall unit, impact attack and probably kill a few of them, take out the UA, and snap back out of danger. Worried about eLich clouds? He doesn't care on an Advance, or just put Eyeless Sight on him from an extoller.
There is also Trainwreck from a Bronzeback on some sort of reach beast. Charge a model within 3" of your real target, hit, kill, advance up and take out your target. Unfortunately, unless the Archidon is in play, or it is Molik Karn and his Animus, you may be throwing that beast away. I only really do it with eHexeris, because I can black spot the unit is question, and fully maximize the anti infantry damage the turn I charge. But beat backing plus free attacks can get you to where you need to be fairly easily. And with the threat ranges of some of our beasts, it can be a very effective tactic.
The problem with Melee assassination is that it is reliant on getting the drop on the Cryx player. They have plenty of trick to make it very hard to come to bear first, and anything you send in there is probably going to die. Is Tartarus really worth it in those situations? It really depends. If it is pHexeris with his feat up against eLich, you bet your ass it is.
Magic Assassination
This is a very limited option, and really only a few of our casters can do so. The problem with face is that with massed access to stealth on the Cryx part, or the limited channeling aspect for a lot of our casters, it becomes fairly hard. Plus a lot of our casters would rather the fury expenditure didn't get wasted on killing that one model that may or may not even impact the game.
However, I would feel remiss if I didn't mention some of these options. What really helps us though is the Extoller Soulward. Per many Privateer Press Forums discussions and infernal rulings, if your caster has eyeless sight and can arc or channel through a model more then 5" away from the target, since your caster ignores stealth, the arced spell does so as well.
Unfortunately, only three of our casters can arc spells. pHexeris, eHexeris, and Rasheth. All of them have pretty good options with eyeless sight up.
pHexeris is generally a good anti-cryx caster because his feat just loves Banes. He has the better channeling option because he can cycle it between beasts and causes no damage to do said arcing. The spells he can cast work fairly well but are probably the weakest of the bunch. He can arc a Soulfire, but with a boost to hit and damage, he has a pretty good possibility of putting most of the problem solos down, but unless it is a Warwitch Siren, he doesn't get the side benefit of it. I am actually a pretty big fan of a boosted to hit Obliteration, as the pow is high enough that you can catch some of the higher DEF stuff with blast damage and boost to kill, but it is still an AOE and if you are fourtunate to catch enough models, especially with your feat, the fury expenditure is way more justified, and killing that solo was a fringe benefit to a much more explosive combination.
Rasheth has the ever popular Breath of Corruption. You can be a bastard with that spell and run a sacrificial infantry unit right up to where you maximize damage with the AOE if you hit that model in the back. Since all models take a straight POW 12, you can cause a fair amount of damage, and just like with the Obliteration shot, kill a solo as a fringe benefit of a larger activation. Rasheth has other cool anti-cryx tricks, but I will go over that when I start getting into casters.
eHexeris really shines. With Ashes to Ashes, you can hit multiple models that will just die, but with Eyeless sight, you can make sure to hit that one model closest to your real target, but still get the benefit of killing a couple models. Ashes to Ashes isn't a crazy good spell, I have roll 1 for the number of models twice on a feat turn before, but proper targeting can garuntee it hits that model that it needs to. Unfortunately, his is tied heavily to a beast for arcing, and getting the beast to close could mean dead beast next turn. He still has Hellfire, which though costs a bit, can put a pretty high strength pow on a model.
Mordikaar also deserves a mention. Essence Blast is off any model in his control area and is a spray which ignores stealth anyways. You still have to hit with that spray, so a boost might be in order, but normally it is at a decent enough STR that it will take out what your target it. An upside is that you can use Marketh to Ghost Walk the infantry model in question right where he needs to be. It isn't technically channeling so you can hit someone engaged. And again, it is a spray, so the models in question get no combat bonus. It allows you to really get that spray in a position to hit several models. Mordikaar is a fantastic caster against Cryx, especially if you kill Admonia quickly.
So there you have it. I didn't list everything, but these are some of the better options to take those things out. When to do so and how much effort should go into doing so is entirely dependent on the caster you are using, the caster you are facing, scenario, and positioning. Sometimes, I get kill solo happy and lose games because of it. But it is nice when you are building your lists, to include the options needed, so that when you really need that one model to die, you have the tools available.
Ranged Assassination:
"Hey, remember me, I sat on your shelf for far to long."
Thanks to the Extoller Soulward and a few ranged beasts, we can threaten a lot of Cryx's support solos.
Cryx armies tend to have a lot of stealth. It is a fundamental aspect to a lot of their tactics. They will be hard to kill at range, has tricks to ensure the alpha strike, and will debuff your armor to nothing and pick anything off the table in Melee.
But Stealth can also be a bad thing for them if they try to spam it. Encase you didn't know, stealth models do not block LOS for your models, if your models are greater then 5" away from the intervening model.
What that means for our ranged sniping is that it is very easy to get LOS beyond those intervening Bane Thralls and target that support solo that just has to die. As I mentioned in the ranged article, we have the option to Eyeless sight any one of our models. Combine that with the Farstrike Animus from the Raider, and a lot of our guns can single out those troublesome support solos and take them out. Worried about Admonia with Mordikaar, Snipe the Cannoneer and have her drop a POW 15 on that undead ladies head, crank the damage, and never worry about losing Hallow on your front line unit.
As mentioned, a Cannoneer with all the buffs has a 20" threat with a high strength, small blast, shot. On average, you should be able to hit DEF 14. Average dice sees you put a POW 25 on a models head. That equals dead Tartarus, dead member of the Withershadow Combine, dead Bane UA, you name it.
The Drake is also another fantastic option, with a medium range spray and our usual access to Rush. we can give it an effective 16" threat range. Advance up, pop that support solo with a buy and a boost, and any other models you get with the spray is a bonus. Granted you risk over exposing him, but you can negate that a little with running sacrificial infantry.
Melee Assassination
"Hey, you see this spear, you are about to become much more familiar with it"
We actually have some pretty decent options here as well.
Rhadiem is one of the top ones. We trip over speed buffs in our faction, and with leap, it is very hard to avoid Rhadiem advancing up, hopping, and sticking a lance into something. On average Jack, he kills Tartarus with his Armor Piercing attack. With two attack thanks to combat rider, he hits a Warwitch siren, and rolls straight damage. He hits any of the Withershadow combine on average and usually kills him. It is less reliable then a ranged option because you are punished more for a miss. However, with the Archidons animus, he can be very annoying to your opponent. He is usually who I reach for with a SPD buff caster. Both Makedas really love his shenanigans. With the Archidon's animus and eMakeda's feat up, he can charge the UA of a Bane Thrall unit, impact attack and probably kill a few of them, take out the UA, and snap back out of danger. Worried about eLich clouds? He doesn't care on an Advance, or just put Eyeless Sight on him from an extoller.
There is also Trainwreck from a Bronzeback on some sort of reach beast. Charge a model within 3" of your real target, hit, kill, advance up and take out your target. Unfortunately, unless the Archidon is in play, or it is Molik Karn and his Animus, you may be throwing that beast away. I only really do it with eHexeris, because I can black spot the unit is question, and fully maximize the anti infantry damage the turn I charge. But beat backing plus free attacks can get you to where you need to be fairly easily. And with the threat ranges of some of our beasts, it can be a very effective tactic.
The problem with Melee assassination is that it is reliant on getting the drop on the Cryx player. They have plenty of trick to make it very hard to come to bear first, and anything you send in there is probably going to die. Is Tartarus really worth it in those situations? It really depends. If it is pHexeris with his feat up against eLich, you bet your ass it is.
Magic Assassination
"I am kinda a big deal. People know me. "
This is a very limited option, and really only a few of our casters can do so. The problem with face is that with massed access to stealth on the Cryx part, or the limited channeling aspect for a lot of our casters, it becomes fairly hard. Plus a lot of our casters would rather the fury expenditure didn't get wasted on killing that one model that may or may not even impact the game.
However, I would feel remiss if I didn't mention some of these options. What really helps us though is the Extoller Soulward. Per many Privateer Press Forums discussions and infernal rulings, if your caster has eyeless sight and can arc or channel through a model more then 5" away from the target, since your caster ignores stealth, the arced spell does so as well.
Unfortunately, only three of our casters can arc spells. pHexeris, eHexeris, and Rasheth. All of them have pretty good options with eyeless sight up.
pHexeris is generally a good anti-cryx caster because his feat just loves Banes. He has the better channeling option because he can cycle it between beasts and causes no damage to do said arcing. The spells he can cast work fairly well but are probably the weakest of the bunch. He can arc a Soulfire, but with a boost to hit and damage, he has a pretty good possibility of putting most of the problem solos down, but unless it is a Warwitch Siren, he doesn't get the side benefit of it. I am actually a pretty big fan of a boosted to hit Obliteration, as the pow is high enough that you can catch some of the higher DEF stuff with blast damage and boost to kill, but it is still an AOE and if you are fourtunate to catch enough models, especially with your feat, the fury expenditure is way more justified, and killing that solo was a fringe benefit to a much more explosive combination.
Rasheth has the ever popular Breath of Corruption. You can be a bastard with that spell and run a sacrificial infantry unit right up to where you maximize damage with the AOE if you hit that model in the back. Since all models take a straight POW 12, you can cause a fair amount of damage, and just like with the Obliteration shot, kill a solo as a fringe benefit of a larger activation. Rasheth has other cool anti-cryx tricks, but I will go over that when I start getting into casters.
eHexeris really shines. With Ashes to Ashes, you can hit multiple models that will just die, but with Eyeless sight, you can make sure to hit that one model closest to your real target, but still get the benefit of killing a couple models. Ashes to Ashes isn't a crazy good spell, I have roll 1 for the number of models twice on a feat turn before, but proper targeting can garuntee it hits that model that it needs to. Unfortunately, his is tied heavily to a beast for arcing, and getting the beast to close could mean dead beast next turn. He still has Hellfire, which though costs a bit, can put a pretty high strength pow on a model.
Mordikaar also deserves a mention. Essence Blast is off any model in his control area and is a spray which ignores stealth anyways. You still have to hit with that spray, so a boost might be in order, but normally it is at a decent enough STR that it will take out what your target it. An upside is that you can use Marketh to Ghost Walk the infantry model in question right where he needs to be. It isn't technically channeling so you can hit someone engaged. And again, it is a spray, so the models in question get no combat bonus. It allows you to really get that spray in a position to hit several models. Mordikaar is a fantastic caster against Cryx, especially if you kill Admonia quickly.
So there you have it. I didn't list everything, but these are some of the better options to take those things out. When to do so and how much effort should go into doing so is entirely dependent on the caster you are using, the caster you are facing, scenario, and positioning. Sometimes, I get kill solo happy and lose games because of it. But it is nice when you are building your lists, to include the options needed, so that when you really need that one model to die, you have the tools available.
My understanding of eyeless sight is different than what the article implies. Once you give eyeless sight to a model all stealth models now block your line of sight. So all the banes would be in your way again. Not sure how Arcane Precision works here. Does it ignore all stealth or just the model you pick?
ReplyDeleteYou are right.
ReplyDeletePer the rules before the Errata, Eyeless Sight ignored Stealthed intervening models, but the Errata changed that.
My bad, was going on an old ruling.
Tartarus is a medium based model, so he is still assassination bait, but the withershadow combine will be harder to get to.
Thanks for catching that.