The Necrotechs Workshop XXXII – Dragonfather, Year II: Play Every Caster
This year, like last year, I will be playing Cryx for the entire calendar year, and likely a 7 month stretch of 2018 as well. This will be the longest stretch I’ve played a single faction in many, many years. Two and a half years in a single faction is a prospect many people can’t really get a handle on.
I want to put a little twist on how I do it, though. I want to involve my 3 readers, the Cryx community, and any friends I happen to pick up along the way. So, whats the plan you say?
The Setup
The plan is simple – Play each caster that I’ve not yet played in the new edition in 5 consecutive games. Having already played the game for 6 months with three casters: Coven, Terminus, Goreshade 2, That leaves me some 16 other casters to play through. I would love it if the community chimed in, requesting casters, units, models and combos that they would like to see played. I’ll be setting up polls on my facebook page, posting mini battle reports and wrap ups on each caster, as well as discussing what went into my lists and why. Its very much like I’ve been doing here with the Necrotechs Workshop, but getting more input and putting out the results.
I think it will be a fun way to get a bit more input beyond my own poor brain and trying to play things that I normally wouldn’t take a second look at, as well as giving me a reason to hack out a list with casters I may not really be interested at the moment and try to make them work. I really want to try different combinations of models, casters and other portions of the line that I may not have been paying attention to, so feel free to suggest all sorts of ideas for the casters. I won’t be taking all of them, but I will be considering every opinion that I hear and try to either come up with a reasoned excuse why I won’t be playing them, or figure out a way to stick them in my list.
Sometimes, I will have lists pre-prepared that will give you an idea as to how I wish to play, or the basic thought on what I envision the caster to do. Feel free to contradict me! Push the hard questions, but also expect that I’m not always going to use, say, two units of raiders in every list, even though its likely the strongest option. I also wan to try to use the rest of the line. Anyone suggesting solid ways to get the use out of lesser used models will get top priority in my list building. This doesn’t apply to viciously maligned models, but I’m willing to take a chance or two on anything, really!
Thankfully, I have almost the entirety of the Cryx line, and a fair portion of the Mercs and minions that they can use as well. In all fairness, It can be assumed that I have two or three of every non-character jack, one or more of every unit, the full FA of solos, and a single instance of every Merc. That likely covers what I have, and I am not adverse to acquiring more of pretty much anything, provided its not overly expensive. I am, however, missing Agathia, and will be until she comes out in metal. I will not be getting her prior to that, no matter how much I think she’s interesting. I will definitely need to play Mortenebra 2
I rTo start off the year, I am currently using Goreshade the Bastard, and am having a ton of fun (list at the bottom) I think that he’s a strong caster that can put both scenario and attrition pressure on the right casters. I’ll need three more games with him, hopefully in the next three weeks, and then I’ll be moving onto the next caster: Scaverous
I’ve been eyeing him since the start of the edition, but I’ve just not been able to tear myself away from a few of the ideas I picked up along the way, but Scaverous is definitely up next. I’ve got a bunch of list ideas for him that I want to try and congeal into a single, cohesive whole that I’m able to wrap my head around and use correctly. He seems extremely versatile and able to take on a wide array of opponents. After him, though, I am completely open to what casters I am going to use and the lists – for the most part – that I want to try and use with them.
Before I start I do want to go through the casters I have already used and what I am currently using, as they will be off the board. I also want to give the lists that I ended up settling on as my most comfortable lists, because it gives an idea of what my list style is.
The Past
The Witch Coven of Gharlghast
I’ve mentioned repeatedly here that I love the witch coven, so it’s no surprise to anyone that I’ve played them over 20 times in 3rd. They are versatile, solid, and can threat from all over the board if needed. While they are fragile, I’ve only managed to get their asses killed but a few times. I ended up settling on a list that was fast, could hit hard, and was able to capitalize on the feat and the spell list as best as possible.
The Witch Coven of Gharlghast
-Egregore
-Kraken
-Deathripper
-Deathripper
-The Withershadow Combine
Orin Midwinter
Necrotech
Satyxis Raiders x10
-Satyxis Raider Sea Witch
Soulhunters x5
Lich Lord Terminus
In a vain effort to ward of the phantoms of Kara Sloan and Captain Allister Caine (Caine 2) I built a list that would, at the very least, give them both headaches. Thus was born the Stuff as Much Cryx as you can into a Bucket list. I believe this once was referred to as Cryx Harder, no? I really, really like this list, though I think I’ve been overly aggressive with it in the past to try and tip the game in my favor which ended up with a dead Lich Lord. While I tried it in a few iterations, the best and easiest was the one I started with on the first day, with a slight modification to add some points. This list can overwhelm and overload an opposing army with a vast array of model capabilities and sheer numbers.
Lich Lord Terminus
-Inflictor
-Inflictor
Carrion Thralls x10
Carrion Thralls x10
Bane Thralls x6
Bane Thralls x6
Bane Thralls x6
Mechanithralls x6
Necrosurgeon and Stitch Thralls
Necrosurgeon and Stitch Thralls
Steelhead Halberdiers x10
Goreshade the Cursed
This list was something I stumbled on when I was challenged by my friends to try and not just bitch about casters in Cryx. Strangely, it worked exactly as they planned and my love for Cryx was reinvigorated. It only changed once, at the end, but I love the pressure, movement shenanigans, and recursion of the list. I really want to try and get some tournament games with this list and really try to make it hum, but I’ve yet to really feel that comfortable with a caster thats only defense to shooting is hide right good and hope they don’t ignore stealth. Finding a good pair, possibly Terminus, would be great.
Goreshade the Cursed
-Deathjack
-Deathripper
-Withershadow Combine
Scrap Thralls x3
Scrap Thralls x3
Bane Knights x10
Blackbanes Ghost Raiders x10
Satyxis Blood Witches x10
Mechanithralls x6
Necrosurgeon and Stitch Thralls
Goreshade the Bastard
My current list is a Goreshade the Bastard list that I talked about a few times during MKII and then just recently. Its a DEF and ARM skew in Cryx that is also hard to shoot and can prove distressingly difficult for heavy warbeasts to take apart. I’ve got two games in with him, and I’ll need two more before I consider him out and ready for the next caster up. Despite his lack of rules and his generally lackluster appearance, I enjoy playing Goreshade 1 in this style. He is unique, strong, and poses problems to the opponent that can really cause headaches.
Goreshade the Bastard and Deathwalker
-Inflictor
-Inflictor
-Slayer
-Nightmare
Wrong Eye and Snap Jaw
Darragh Wrathe
Orin Midwinter
Satyxis Blood Witches
-Blood Hag
Going forward, I am going to try and post a bit more about what I am doing with each caster, my thoughts behind them, and where they stand in the litany of casters that we have available. I might not have the depth of some of the players, but I do hope to have a great breadth that is able to assist me in making decisions about the faction!