Kromac - Back To The Drawing Board

Before I start talking about Kromac I'll mention that I am looking at running mini tournaments on a friday night at hall of heroes. Small points, quick rounds, 3 games in a night. It will either be 35 points or 20-25 points with some funky rules, like highlander or mangled metal/tooth and claw. So far there has been interest from the Campbelltown crew, if the Wollongong guys are reading this and would be interested let me know.

The first and most important thing to recognize before you start tinkering with a list that has had a lot of success is to recognise that the problem is you. The list is good, you aren't making improvements you are changing it to do something different. It's not even an issue of the list not being your playstyle, you just have not been able to master the playstyle of the list or in some situations you want a list that does something different to cover a weakness in your pairing.

In this case I want a Kromac list with more scenario presence so I can see two different ways to do that.

1. Get scenario pieces - put some models in the list that are good at holding zones. I have two ideas in that regard, winter arguses (probably terrible but I'm going to play it and see) and Skinwalkers (probably pretty good with inviolable resolve, maybe not fast enough). 

2. Get a screen - Basically satyxis raiders. I want a unit that can push forwards and buy me table position so that I can then give it up warpath/sprinting without losing on scenario. Unfortunately due to a slight oversight you can't take satyxis raiders in circle. You can however take blood trackers, add in a witch doc croc and they can really get forwards, a few can survive and just hold off your opponent from flooding the zone so that your wolves can happily yoyo up to them and back to safety. 

My thoughts before testing:

Winter argus - actually quite difficult to kill with DEF 15 especially if it can find some terrain in the zone and get it's animus up. It gives me the added benefit of allowing Kromac to man mode. He can put inviolable resolve and winter coat on himself for 4 and still camp a few fury so that he can beast out when hit and go to ARM 21. The issues I can see is that they aren't going to kill much and are probably only going to buy me an extra turn of not having to leave anything important in the zone. Still I think it's janky, they have the crit stationary spray which is interesting and with two sprays might actually get some infantry. I want to give it a go before I dismiss it.

Skinwalkers - SPD 5 is the issue. I can leave the Woldstalkers in the list but that then leaves Kromac with only Ghettorix and a stalker (and his trusty old gorax). They'll get into zones but they don't buy me any table position. Also I doubt cryx will have much trouble removing them even with inviolable resolve.

Blood trackers - I'm already starting to lean this way because I think they have the most versatility here. I can play the old style of list and have them sit back and shoot to help me clear infantry (and to put some more damage on heavies) or I can use them to jam forwards and buy table position. Witch doc croc is essential here because this is going to be my Cryx match up and undead/fearless really help with that but also tough makes the screen just that little bit more survivable and helps the wolves really get stuff done. One of the main issues here is points. If I take everything I want in this list I get to 51 points:

Faction: Circle Orboros
Casters: 1/1
Points: 51/50
Kromac the Ravenous (*4pts)
* Gorax (4pts)
* Ghetorix (11pts)
* Warpwolf Stalker (10pts)
* Warpwolf Stalker (10pts)
Shifting Stones (2pts)
* Stone keeper (1pts)
Shifting Stones (2pts)
Tharn Bloodtrackers (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
* Nuala the Huntress (2pts)
Druid Wilder (2pts)
Gatorman Witch Doctor (3pts)

There isn't a lot I can drop either. I think it has to be a Stalker that gets downgraded to a Pureblood or maybe when he is finally released a riphorn. 

So the lists I intend to trial are:

Kromac the Ravenous (*4pts)
* Gorax (4pts)
* Winter Argus (5pts)
* Winter Argus (5pts)
* Ghetorix (11pts)
* Warpwolf Stalker (10pts)
Shifting Stones (2pts)
* Stone keeper (1pts)
Shifting Stones (2pts)
Stoneward and 5 Woldstalkers (5pts)
Stoneward and 5 Woldstalkers (5pts)
Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew (Leader and 1 Grunt) (1pts)
Druid Wilder (2pts)
Gallows Grove (1pts)

Kromac the Ravenous (*4pts)
* Gorax (4pts)
* Ghetorix (11pts)
* Warpwolf Stalker (10pts)
* Warpwolf Stalker (10pts)
Shifting Stones (2pts)
* Stone keeper (1pts)
Shifting Stones (2pts)
Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew (Leader and 1 Grunt) (1pts)
Warpborn Skinwalkers (Leader and 4 Grunts) (8pts)
* Warpborn Alpha (3pts)
Druid Wilder (2pts)

and

Kromac the Ravenous (*4pts)
* Gorax (4pts)
* Ghetorix (11pts)
* Pureblood Warpwolf (9pts)
* Warpwolf Stalker (10pts)
Shifting Stones (2pts)
* Stone keeper (1pts)
Shifting Stones (2pts)
Tharn Bloodtrackers (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
* Nuala the Huntress (2pts)
Druid Wilder (2pts)
Gatorman Witch Doctor (3pts)