Miniatures Games,  The Necrotechs Workshop,  Tour de Cryx,  Warmachine,  Warmachine MK 3

Tour de Cryx Continued – The Deneghra Surprise II – Midpoint Review

Continuing from the first post, I’m gonna take a look at the games I got to play with Deneghra 2 and see how she shaped up, what changes I would make to her list, and what gave her fits. 

I made my lists at the end of the last post, and I was ready to take her out for a spin when a friend of mine mentioned their dark host list. In the spirit of community, and in a desire to try out lists that aren’t either simply cookie cutters or my own jank, I figured I would give it a shot. 

The list seemed strong when I glanced at it, and it has some very interesting interactions in a number of places that thing can catch people off guard more than once. 

The list was: 

Cryx Army – 75 / 75 points
[Theme] Dark Host

Wraith Witch Deneghra [+28]
– Corruptor [14]
– Deathripper [6]
– Desecrator [14]
Bane Lord Tartarus [0(6)]
Darragh Wrathe [9]
Bane Knights (max) [15]
Bane Riders (max) [20]
Bane Warriors (min) [10]
– Bane Warrior Officer & Standard [0(5)]
Wraith Engine [15]

At first look, it seems like a pretty standard list with a pretty off standard battlegroup. That’s fine – guns are solid in this game and having them is a real boon in many fights. 

I played it into a Morghoul 2 list and, while it might not be a terrible matchup, it felt damned terrible. 

Skorne Army – 75 / 75 points
[Theme] Disciples of Agony

Lord Assassin Morghoul [+29]
– Archidon [10]
– Battle Boar [7]
– Ironback Spitter [14]
– Swamp Horror [15]
– Titan Gladiator [15]
Mortitheurge Willbreaker [0(4)]
Paingiver Bloodrunner Master Tormentor [0(4)]
Paingiver Task Master [3]
Bog Trog Ambushers (min) [8]
Croak Raiders (max) [16]
Paingiver Beast Handlers (max) [7]
Paingiver Bloodrunners [9]

While I was able to completely eliminate the majority of his infantry very swiftly, The Croaks were completely immune to both of my ranged attacks, he set the line of engagement with his army having more angles and being more flexible overall. My Banes – all of the stripes that I could fit, simply didn’t perform into this list well. At the end of the day, it came down to two Bane Riders getting the Feat-Charge onto Morghoul and needing to get 9 or 4 9’s in order to end the game. It didn’t happen, but its kinda what is expected at that point. 

More than that, though, I started to get a feel for the caster. 

First Impressions

Hellmouth is by and far the best spell I have ever cast. It is a huge swing in efficacy, as it doesn’t do anything if I miss, which pushes the focus cost up pretty high 5 for something with a decent defense. What it does when it hits, though, is often amazing. In the games I played I was often able to kill 5 or more models in a single go. This is nothing new and really makes me kinda sad that all her tweaks still relegate her to a hellmouth bot. I mean, its good to be able to do this, but its also sometimes feel like wasted potential. 

Her threat range is bonkers, and can really control the table, and she can enable a lot of assassination vectors, from different models and angles, as well as keeping up the pressure personally. This allowed her to control the board way more than I thought from a position of strength, but also put her in a vulnerable position was I wrong with my estimations of their threat potential. 

Playing the game with the banes felt solid, because I knew that they were good models, but it also felt like I wasn’t expanding on her capabilities, I was instead simply bringing the banes level with the opponent. I decided I didn’t really enjoy the list and moved on to something I thought would be much more fun, and that I had played and enjoyed back the first time I pulled her out: 

Denny 2 Ghost Fleet. 

Cryx Army – 75 / 75 points
[Theme] The Ghost Fleet

Wraith Witch Deneghra [+28]
– Deathripper [6]
– Deathripper [6]
– Stalker [8]
– Stalker [8]
Agrimony, Crone of the Dying Strands [4]
Captain Rengrave [0(5)]
Hellslinger Phantom [0(7)]
Pistol Wraith [0(5)]
Blackbane’s Ghost Raiders (min) [11]
Revenant Crew of the Atramentous (min) [9]
– Revenant Crew Rifleman (3) [6]
Revenant Crew of the Atramentous (min) [9]
– Revenant Crew Rifleman (3) [6]
Revenant Crew of the Atramentous (min) [9]
– Revenant Crew Rifleman (3) [6]
Wraith Engine [15]

You’ll notice that this looks quite the same as the standard Ghost Fleet lists, and it is. I simply took out Denny 1 and replaced her with Denny 2. I don’t think this is the best version of Denny 2 Ghost Fleet out there, but I do think that its efficacy is pretty high. 

When playing here, I was able to – through judicious use of Breath Stealer and Curse of Shadows, enable my Revenants to take down pretty much anything in their way. Blackbanes, Pistol Wraith, the Wraith Engine and the Hellslinger Phantom all could return to Incorporeal the same turn they activated, keeping them safe for a turn. 

Thankfully, Revenant Crew are strong enough at MAT 7 and P+S 11 attacks to not generally need help against lightweight targets. Breathstealer felt there for control and helping the Ghost Raiders accuracy, while Curse of Shadows was there to try and level the playing field against heavier armor. 

Speaking of which, Casting Hellmouth and Curse of Shadows in the same turn is extremely risky, and I really hate it. Both spells do nothing if they miss, can’t be boosted, and leave her empty at the end of the turn. Its a really hard choice to make, most turns, and almost always the choice is to cast a hellmouth and either Camp 2 or Cast Breathstealer. Better Yet, Cast Breathstealer against your target to help hit with the Hellmouth. 

What really made the list feel good, though, was Deneghra’s personal threat. With her always lurking, often safe from reprisal, important pieces of the enemy army need to be careful about where they are or they may end up tossed into my army to be devoured alive. In two of the three games I played with Ghost fleet, Denny had an strong, active and decisive roll to play in my win. One of those was an assassination going south for my opponent, but she came in there and made sure nothing fell short, which is not always something I can say for every caster. 

I still really want her to play in Infernal Machines, but I don’t know really what I would take. The list she wants feels like it really needs some high value models to get in there and wreak havoc in the opponents army, but outside of the battlegroup, I don’t know many themes carry enough – unless we’re talking cavalry. Maybe I need to build a list with a moderate battlegroup, twin Cav and Darragh Wrath along side a swarm of infantry. Infernal Machines allows Soul Trappers, Soul Hunters, and Deathjack, so that seems like a pretty solid place to start. 

I don’t really dig the battlegroup, but her feat really seems to benefit from one, with Inorporeal being a great offensive tool and a solid defensive tool when there are a couple high durability targets that need taking down and not a ton of guns. 

Two Lists, One IM, one modified Ghost Fleet. 

First, Ghost Fleet

Cryx Army – 75 / 75 points
[Theme] The Ghost Fleet

Wraith Witch Deneghra [+28]
– Deathripper [6]
– Deathripper [6]
– Inflictor [13]
– Nightmare [18]
Agrimony, Crone of the Dying Strands [4]
Captain Rengrave [0(5)]
Hellslinger Phantom [0(7)]
Pistol Wraith [0(5)]
Blackbane’s Ghost Raiders (min) [11]
Revenant Crew of the Atramentous (min) [9]
– Revenant Crew Rifleman (3) [6]
Revenant Crew of the Atramentous (min) [9]
– Revenant Crew Rifleman (3) [6]
Revenant Crew of the Atramentous (min) [9]
– Revenant Crew Rifleman (3) [6]

I don’t like removing the Engine, because it takes out the chance of Dark Shroud, but I think that nightmare more than makes up for that in certain matchups, especially if he can benefit from feat and damnation. If I pull anything else out of the list, I also lose a free solo, and I don’t think that is worth the opportunity cost. 

Infernal Machines is probably something like this, but I am having a hard time getting models I like into the list. Instead, it just feels off. Two heavies, two expensive heavies, don’t feel like they pull enough weight. 

Cryx Army – 75 / 75 points
[Theme] Infernal Machines

https://conflictchamber.com/#c4201b_-0w0B1w1x1f1f0tj6f0f0g7g7i01KdQ

Cryx Army – 75 / 75 points
[Theme] Infernal Machines

(Deneghra 2) Wraith Witch Deneghra [+28]
– Deathjack [23]
– Nightmare [18]
– Nightwretch [7]
– Nightwretch [7]
– The Withershadow Combine [9]
Eilish Garrity, the Occultist [5]
Soul Trapper [1]
Soul Trapper [1]
Carrion Thralls (max) [10]
Carrion Thralls (max) [10]
Mechanithralls (min) [6]
– Brute Thrall (3) [6]
– Skarlock Commander [0(3)]

Well, Lets see how this works out! Feels bad. 

Until next time! 

As always – if your looking for more, I’m on Twitter, Instagram, and facebook, though they all aren’t equally active. 
I make my lists at Conflictchamber.com