Flanzer's Trolls at GENCON

My brain is fried so I'm going to take a break from uni shit and think about warmachine. In particular I've been meaning to analyse Flanzer's lists from GENCON. Jason Flanzer is one of the top players in the US, he changes factions pretty regularly and of all the players he's the one I look out for the most becausse he tends to play very different, very interesting lists. He definitely did that at masters taking a mountain king into the final. He lost but the fact that he made it that far with a mountain king tells you that it can be made to work. So lets have a look at his list:

Trollbloods
Runes of War (Hoarluk Doomshaper)
(Tier 4)
PCs: 75 / 75
34 models

[00] Hoarluk Doomshaper, Shaman of the Gnarls (0 / 7 WB)
[20]  >> Mountain King
[12]  >> Mulg the Ancient
[10]  >> Earthborn Dire Troll
[09]  >> Dire Troll Mauler
[06]  >> Troll Axer
[03] Janissa Stonetide
[02] Troll Whelps
[04] Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes (5 grunts)
[01]  >> Stone Scribe Elder
[03] Trollkin Runeshapers
[03] Trollkin Runeshapers
[03] Trollkin Runeshapers
[03] Trollkin Runeshapers
[03] Trollkin Runeshapers

So first thing to note. ARM buffs, this list has them. With the Earthborn, Janissa and the krielstone the MK will be ARM 23 most turns without using his upkeep slot which  means you can then throw banishing ward on him. That means no enemy spells may be cast at him which makes it very hard to drop his ARM unless you have purification. The wall from Janissa also helps to keep him safe. Still you're starting off with 10 less health than a regular colossal and the wall can't completely protect him and the DEF bonus it gives isn't really going to help. While your earthborn hides behind the wall only reach weapons can hit him and he's DEF 14 if they do. MK behind a wall is DEF 11 in melee swinging over the wall or you can just go around/over it. I suppose the key here is that the earthborn, krielstone and Janissa are already in the list so you that ARM buff was already there.

Offensively - You have fortune which helps both his MAT and RAT and with a 10" spray that's actually pretty useful. You've got rage to take him to P+S 22, rush to give him 12" threat and the strength bonus from the krielstone if he needs it. The key here is the runeshapers. They bring a shitload of knockdown to the table. They can make sure he actually hits his targets. 

So add all this together, does that make the mountain king worth taking. Almost definitely no but talking this tier list at 75 points, then yes he's worth including. Not an auto include but not silly to take either. Quick explanation: The benefits of the tier list are fantastic but it is really restrictive, you can only take two units: the krielstone (and only one unit of krielstone bearers) and Runeshapers. There are already 5 units of runeshapers, that's not only a lot of models to buy but they all do the same thing and that's put out short range shots and knock down stuff. They are only middle of the range in melee, doomshaper needs his beasts to really tear things up in melee but he's only fury 7 and in his 50 point list he already has 3 heavies and a light (it's this list minus the mountain king, a unit of runeshapers and whelps). He'll struggle to take two more heavies, even if he takes a bunch of whelps his fury management is going to be really difficult. The mountain king won't do as much as two heavies but it also is easier to manage the fury from. And it will do slightly more for it's fury than a beast that is not Mulg. 

His other list:

Trollbloods

Family Reunion (Borka Kegslayer)

(Tier 4) 

PCs: 75 / 75

39 models

[00] Borka Kegslayer (0 / 5 WB)

[00]  >> Pyg Keg Carrier (Companion)

[09]  >> Dire Troll Mauler

[02] Stone Scribe Chronicler

[03] Trollkin Champion Hero

[03] Trollkin Champion Hero

[03] Trollkin Champion Hero

[03] Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes (3 grunts)

[01]  >> Stone Scribe Elder

[05] Trollkin Champions (2 grunts)

[09] Trollkin Champions (4 grunts)

[09] Trollkin Champions (4 grunts)

[03]  >> Skaldi Bonehammer

[09] Trollkin War Wagon

[09] Trollkin War Wagon

[03] Gudrun the Wanderer

[09] Greygore Boomhowler & Co. (9 grunts)

Another theme force, another fantastic list. This one is surprisingly fast, is full of weapon masters, everything is really hard to kill and it has a lot of ranged threat as well. Great complement to the first list as it really does play quite differently. The first list is more defensive and attritiony, this one wants to get to get up in your face and does so quickly. I suppose the only surprise to some would be that Borka only has one beast. He only really needs one, the mauler stays back and is there almost entirely for his animus. Troll infantry is good enough that quite a few lists scrape by with only one beast.