Let's talk beastmasters.

[nuclearfeet]

Before you automatically dismiss this idea...please hear me out. I like to take a pack of 10 khymerae and 2 razorwing flocks, all coming out of a webway portal. I don't like the look of the models either, that's why I made my own. The razorwings are basically there for cheap ablative wounds for the khymerae, who are doing the real damage.

[False Son]

Upon further investigation Kymerae have 40mm bases. That's going to restrict the number of models that will be eligible to attack, unless they really have some assault distance to spare. I'm starting to think beastmasters aren't my thing.

[WyteNite]

Those 40mm bases are actually the reason why I'm looking into the beastmasters! That will be a MASSIVE unit! Just think of all the deepstrike denying space that will take up! And, of course, they will always have a lot of assault distance to spare, being beasts. 12" assaults after 6" movement and 1d6 fleet? Just keep the clawed fiends to the front and it should all work out. ^_^

[Lord Ramon]

For me Khymerae are the only option.

Currently I am not using Webways, and the Khymerae's save gives them good survivability against the mass of nasty weapons I always face.

I don't expect Beasts to survive, but hope they will distract.

[mrvegas]

When it comes to survivability nothing is better than the clawed fiends. Unless the opponent has S10 or instant kill weapons your in the clear. I'm really surprised not to see more 3-4 clawed fiends w Beastmasters

[sim_james]

How many people have assembled the new models yet? How does it go? I'm currently waiting to get my preorder from Maelstrom Games.

[Bugs_n_Orks]

When it comes to survivability nothing is better than the clawed fiends. Unless the opponent has S10 or instant kill weapons your in the clear. I'm really surprised not to see more 3-4 clawed fiends w Beastmasters

The main problem with this build is the low number of models (esp. 3 or fewer fiends w/beastmasters) which lets wounds carry over to the beastmasters far too easily. Plus the fiends are quite expensive for what they do, a unit of 4 comes in at 208 and for that you could have 8 khymera and 4 flocks (more wounds, more attacks, rending, and a bunch of invul saves).

The fiends would be a lot easier to hide though and T5 plus cover is pretty durable. Maybe I'll give them a shot in a game before passing judgement too soon.

[WyteNite]

How many people have assembled the new models yet? How does it go? I'm currently waiting to get my preorder from Maelstrom Games.

I've actually decided to only use the new models for the razorwings. I can make my own beastmasters out of a box of helions for a fraction of the price, make two clawed horrors from a single box of chaos spawn... and I've been looking at the vampire counts dire wolves... all I need is bases for them.

[KwiKwag]

The clawed fiends are nice, however, when optimizing the squad in relation to the rest of the list they are the first to get cut from the squad. I do like them in the squad though and they help more with wound allocation than they do with causing wounds - if only there was a way to get them FnP I think they would have been an easy star of the unit.

Currently I am using my own custom model of the Clawed fiend but they could easily proxy for a Grotesque.