[waddywoos]

hey, just finishing off painting the last few of my space marines and i'm looking into starting a new fantasy army.

I want something that is quite competitive, but not to the point where people won't play it in the local GW. I play the store manager pretty often who has skaven if that has any bearing on this.

I've been listening to the podhammer podcast (and if you haven't heard it then go look now!) and what I got from that was that Deamons are the top army, and that Vampires and Dark Elves are between them and the rest of the armies.

So i've had a look at the models for the dark elves and I saw the executioners. I LOVE THESE. I appreciate they're pretty much £2 each, and usually I try to (like most people) go for cheaper armies where possible - but I really like them and i'd like to build a force with at least two units of them at all times.

So I was thinking about something like this...


master Soulrender, Armour of darkness 120

12 warriors, command 87
16 crossbowmen, command 180
20 corsairs, command 225

5 cold one knights, command 175
15 executioners command 210

and thats 997 total.
I know thats only one unit of executioners, but it means that its just the batallion box, with £32 worth of executioners and a hero to add to it. Is that a competitive list? or am i going to lose horribly with it? Before i sink £90 into it I like to research exactly what I want so I settled with dark elves and bought the book, but not being a tournament gamer or having any experience with DE it'd be nice for some input

on a side note - 2 things: is there a model for Tullaris of Har Ganeth (the executioner champion character)? and if you were to use a master on foot but wanted a great weapon and him to look like an executioner.... any ideas?

thanks in advance, Waddy

 

[notabot187]

Well to be completely honest executioners are pretty much the worst special choice in the DE book. They cost just 1 point less than the greatly superior blackguard, 2 more than the powerful niche choice of witches, and they compete against all of the other excellent special choices DE can choose from. They are a great example of when GW makes a good looking model, the rules for it are terrible.

That being said there is a few ways to make them work for you. The first one is just to take them in extremely small units, think 6-14 no command to just be used as flanking units and/or bait. The other option is to give them a BSB for the ASF banner. The problem with doing that is they can only take a death hag as their BSB, since the khainite rule gets in the way. Normally that wouldn't be that big a deal, except she has frenzy and no armor. So your naked deathhag can quite easily be baited out of the unit by something that stops just far enough away that you can't charge with the unit, but she can still reach it. Also it really needs the cauldron of blood near by to confer the stubborn special rule and give them enough attacks to make good use of their combat ability. Base 1 attack and KB really doesn't do all that much really. Also another issue is that you are spending 200 points for a cauldron, 200+ for the full unit, and quite a few points for the BSB. All on a unit that has a pretty awful save and should attract all of the opponents shooting.

If you go with them I would suggest going with the smaller units. MSU is the best way to run DE for the most part, especially true with this unit.

As for the rest of the list: command on the Cold ones costs way too much, at most go with a banner, or nothing at all. Corsairs cost too many points for full ranks, go with warriors for your SCR needs. Run corsairs as MSU with either weapon option. Don't give crossbows any upgrades, run them as small a unit as possible, 2 units of 10 is usually better than a single big unit of any size. Give your warriors shields and more bodies. 20-25 is the goal. Soulrender is an awfully expensive way to get armor piercing, save some points by going with the generic great weapon. (also give him pendant of khaeleth and mundane armor instead)

So here is what I would run if you must have executioners at 1k:

Master: heavy armor, SDC, pendant of khaeleth, great weapon
10 executioners, music
10 executioners, music
19 warriors, FC shields
10 RXB
10 RXB
5 COK no command
12 Corsairs, (either weapon is fine) music

The idea to to bait, flee, and flank with the small units, the warriors is where you general is and is the anchor of the army. You win by generating kills and flanking.

Tullaris is an overpriced champion upgrade. The only reason why he was included was he was his own hero choice last book. As for how to represent him, you can just use the normal champ model, since that is all he is now, or you can use the collecters issue noble from GWs website. There is a version with GW instead of the default HW+S version.

 

[Pinkus]

Best way to make executioners work is by having a cauldron behind them throwing buffs on them and making them stubborn. You can keep 2 units in range of the cauldron, so you can have two big stubborn units. Make the cauldron a BSB and they won't ever be breaking from combat.

 

[waddywoos]

Okay guys, i had a look through the book and came up with a list... I wanted to go with a lord on a dragon - but it came out at ove 500 points and there wasn't really much else left for the BSB hag, cauldron, executioners combo to be supported with.
here it is:

Supreme sorceress, level 4, sacrificial dagger, dispel scroll 310
Sorceress, level 2, dispell scroll x2 185
Death hag, Cauldron of blood 200
Death hag, BSB with standard of hag graef 150

20 warriors, sheilds 140
10 crossbowmen 100
10 crossbowmen 100
6 harpies 66

15 executioners, standard, champion 205
12 black guard, standard 175

2 bolt throwers 200
War Hydra 175

= exactly 2000pts

the cauldron would move up with the executioners (who strike first with S6 and are stubborn LD9 because of the BSB and cauldron), black guard and hydra, while the spearmen were a little more cautious, carrying the lord and normal sorceress (is this a good idea?). of course the crossbowmen and bolt throwers take out anything that could have a go at the elite infantry, and the hydra would try to use its terror to break their line. the harpies are to go cannon hunting, or to tie up fast cav.

what do you think?
Its my first go at a fantasy list in quite some time so i know its going to have some really big flaws - but better to point them out now than to buy all the minis and then realise its awful!!

thanks guys. waddy