Building A Skew List

I haven't talked a lot about skew lists. The idea behind skew lists is to do the opposite of balance a list. For example you can skew high DEF, you put as much high DEF stuff into a list as possible. Most lists try to do stuff, skew lists instead say to your opponent - can you deal with this? If they can't you win and if they can you generally lose. There are a lot of different ways you can skew a list, the most common is probably high DEF in Khador. Where you take Kayazy and Winterguard or Nyss Hunters and abuse Iron Flesh (and sometimes Weald Secrets). It's not just high DEF or high ARM you can skew a list with. The 42 doomreavers list (Epic Zoktavir theme force) is a skew list. Pretty much all double Colossal lists are skew lists, you won't get the same offensive power out of two colossals as you will almost anything else but if your opponent can't deal with two colossals you'll win and while most lists can deal with one colossal as it stands probably the majority cannot deal with two. 

You still need to be able to deal with:

• Heavies

• Infantry

• High ARM

• High DEF

Mostly though you are trying to ask your opponent a question. If you are making things difficult to kill they need to be as difficult to kill as possible. If you are going for a swarm of something it needs to be as big as possible. Go for overkill, an ARM 22 Galleon is probably going to be very difficult to kill but an ARM 24 Galleon is going to be impossible for most armies and that's what your skew list needs to aim for. 

Example

Trollbloods
Standard Army
PCs: 50 / 50
17 models

[00] Madrak Ironhide, Thornwood Chieftain (0 / 6 WB)
[12]  >> Mulg the Ancient
[10]  >> Earthborn Dire Troll
[10]  >> Dire Troll Bomber
[09]  >> Dire Troll Mauler
[06]  >> Troll Axer
[03] Janissa Stonetide
[02] Troll Whelps
[03] Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes (3 grunts)
[01]  >> Stone Scribe Elder

Madrak has sure foot so a model and all models within 3" get +2 DEF. The earthborn animus gives me +2 ARM when in 3" of a wall and Janissa gives me a wall that I can place wherever I want. The wall also gives me cover against shooting (another +4 DEF) and +2 DEF if you are striking me in melee over the obstacle. The Krielstone gives me another +2 ARM and I end up with 4 heavies on anywhere between DEF 14 and 18, ARM 22 or 23, with whelps, snacking and regeneration to heal them back up. The Bomber and Axer kill infantry and I have two big AOEs so high DEF isn't a big problem. The Mauler has a great strength buff as do the stones and the Earthborn and Mulg are high P+S to start with. Madrak's feat allows models to move an inch and attack again for free whenever they kill a model and he can give them +2 to hit. The only real problem with the list is that I can't get elemental communication on the Axer so it is only ARM 20. Poor little Axer, he never gets any love, he doesn't even have a chicken.

There aren't a lot of armies that can deal with 4 ARM 22 or higher heavies, particularly when they also have to contend with mostly DEF 16 and also need reach to attack at least two of the beasts in melee. Of course if your opponent has enough buffs to get over that hurdle then you have 4 slow beasts, only one of which has reach and they only need to remove 5 models to defeat the list. A good example of a counter to this list is Kreoss1. Purification lowers all your ARM by 2 (except on the earthborn) and gets rid of sure foot (lowers DEF by 2 and can be knocked down). You can then use your knockdown feat to shoot Madrak or just beat  a few heavies out of the game with your choir buffs. 

Building an Alpha Strike List

What does it do?The idea behind an alpha strike list is to hit your opponent first and hit them so hard that their counter attack is blunted and they cannot do as much damage to you back. This is not as simple as merely getting the charge. An experienced player will spread out their units frontwise (forwards and backwards, needs to be a word for this, there probably is and I just need to ask someone who actually speaks English). They'll stop you from being able to engage the majority of the unit. Important beasts/jacks will be hidden behind cheaper models (often with someone like Alexia picking up their souls to create more models for your opponent). Other feats and spells will stop you from attacking key models. Some of this in unavoidable and just makes the bad match ups any list faces but if you can't deal with at least some of these tactics your alpha strike list is not going to work very well.

• Heavies

• Infantry

• High ARM

• High DEF

I also need for my alpha strike:

• Threat Range (the maximum distance away your model can be from mine where I can still attack you). I have to be able to out threat my opponent in order to alpha strike. High SPD is good, reach is good, pathfinder is also important.
• Damage Potential - I need to be able to kill what I hit.
• Protection on the approach. If your opponent can shoot you to death or set all your models on fire then you won't have enough for an effective alpha strike.
• A way to clear screening units/models. I want to attack as many models as possible. My opponent is going to attempt to place his models to minimise that. I need to be able to kill, move or otherwise get past those models to attack the bulk of his army and in particular the valuable models. 
• Caster protection. When your army is tearing across the table instead of standing and shooting and when you need to throw in as many models as possible to blunt your opponents counter attack you'll find your caster is more exposed. 

What do I want to put in the list?
Firstly generic stuff. My list needs to be able to deal with:

Alpha Strike - I want to go fast and I want to hit hard. I want reach if possible. I want protection on the approach. If I'm alpha striking my plan is to hit my opponent so hard they don't have enough left to counter successfully. I want a way to clear cheap screening units. I have to also look more closely at how I'm going to keep my caster safe, I don't have quite as many screening options when all my stuff is charging in compared to a gunline.

Example
I've talked about my Madrak2 list before but it's the best alpha strike list I have. It has some shooting to clear screening models, madraks spells to increase damage, madrak's feat lets me run and attack and everything is fast anyway. That's a pure alpha strike list but I didn't want to talk about the same list twice so I'm going to look at Doomshaper1 instead.

1. Doomshaper - feat gives +3 SPD to his beasts. Wild aggression makes them hit very accurately, refuge lets me pull back a key beast so that I protect at least one model from counter attack. Great at throwing out animus, goad allows you to move after attacking a screening model. 
2. Runebearer - lets me protect two models from the counter attack or cycle wild aggression so two models attack extra accurately. 
3. Earthborn + Janissa + Krielstone - Gives me +4 ARM to all my beasts so they make it to the alpha strike alive. Also a damage buff with the elder.
4. Mauler - Damage buff so I kill what I hit, also benefits from the +3 SPD feat. 
5. Mulg - Best beatstick in trolls. With Reach and Wild Aggression and Goad and Rush and Feat can get most anywhere and kill most anything. Gets an extra attack with doomshaper.
6. Axer - rush for more SPD. +3 SPD is good. +5 SPD and pathfinder is fantastic.
7. Fennblades - got to balance the list. All beasts is fine but sometimes you need bodies to get in the way of things or to go do something out of doomshapers control area. Sometimes your opponent has anti beast tech and you need something to go kill it. Fennblades don't synergise at all but give you balance which can be important. Reach also allows them to kill things while still leaving a path the heavies can charge through. They are fast enough to alpha strike as well. 

Trollbloods
Standard Army
PCs: 50 / 50
24 models

[00] Hoarluk Doomshaper, Rage of Dhunia (0 / 6 WB)
[02]  >> Trollkin Runebearer
[12]  >> Mulg the Ancient
[10]  >> Earthborn Dire Troll
[09]  >> Dire Troll Mauler
[06]  >> Troll Axer
[03] Janissa Stonetide
[03] Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes (3 grunts)
[01]  >> Stone Scribe Elder
[08] Trollkin Fennblades (9 grunts)
[02]  >> Trollkin Fennblade Officer & Drummer

Sometimes I drop the Axer, take some whelps and a chronicler max the stone and take the bellows crew. If I do that sometimes I switch the fennblades for a bomber. I used to play him a lot but I've been giving him a rest lately. Might be time to crack him out again. 

Building a Gunline

Wanted to start by mentioning that you can shield guard black oil. It's been a crazy journey but once again you can have a shield guard dive in front of your colossal yelling "NOOOOOO!" or whatever it is robots yell when they dive in front of stuff.

I started out trying to write a post about the general archetypes I build lists around but it became way too long so I'm breaking it up. I'll start with the Gunline.
What does it do?
The idea behind a gunline army is to outshoot your opponent, to do massive damage from range with minimum engagement.

What do I want to put in the list?
Firstly generic stuff. My list needs to be able to deal with:

• Heavies
• Infantry
• High ARM
• High DEF

I also need in my gunline:

• Guns. Lots of guns. Boostable guns prefered.
• Something to contest/control zones. It should be particularly survivable and also fulfil another role
• A way to prevent engagement, or a way to unengage my guns. Most gunlines fall apart once you get them into melee so I need to stop my opponent from doing that. 
• Magical guns or a way to get them. A lot of the things that stop shooting stop non-magical shooting
• A way to deal with stealth
• An assassination. Gunlines tend to give up points rather than get them, especially in a timed turn situation you need to be able to assassinate in order to win.
• I want a way to maximise my range to my opponent, that could be long range guns, snipe or tricks that allow you to move after you have shot (moving backwards to get more distance).
• I want a way to minimise the amount my opponent shoots me

Example: 
My Caine1 50 point list.

1. Caine1 - He has snipe for a bigger distance between you and your opponent, deadeye to kill high DEF infantry, blur to dampen your opponents shooting, thunderstrike to assassinate and a feat that kills infantry. He doesn't help you contest or kill heavies though so lets start with that.
2. Stormwall - Has guns, puts down covering fire to prevent engagement, kills heavies, kills infantry, can contest zones. A unit that helps it prevent engagement is
3. Black 13th. They have magic guns, kill infantry, can shoot a pod (from the stormwall) with mage storm to help prevent engagement and can put down an AOE to allow other to ignore stealth. They also have stealth so are hard to shoot.
4. Journeyman - gives Stormwall Arcane shield so it can get forward and be very difficult to kill
5. Gun Mages - great with deadeye and snipe, two things Caine1 has. They have magical guns and they ignore stealth, they also kill infantry.
6. Wyshnalyr - I want to open up the thunderstrike assassination. Wyshnalyr gives me two extra inches and an additional dice drop lowest. He also gives me a free upkeep for snipe or blur.
7. Two units of Long Gunners - with deadeye and snipe they kill everything. the two units can put out 4 POW 20 shots as well if I need to destroy a heavy or a thunderstruck caster. They round out my need for more guns. They are very long range, especially with snipe. 

The finished list is:

Cygnar

Standard Army

PCs: 50 / 50

34 models

[00] Lieutenant Allister Caine (0 / 6 WJ remaining)

[02]  >> Sylys Wyshnalyrr, the Seeker

[19]  >> Stormwall

[03] Journeyman Warcaster

[06] Arcane Tempest Gun Mages

[02]  >> Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Officer

[04] Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team

[10] Long Gunner Infantry (9 grunts)

[10] Long Gunner Infantry (9 grunts)

Variant - Counter punch

This is a combined arms approach rather than a pure ranged approach. The idea is to shoot your opponent so that they move into your charge range and then finish them in melee. It is more versatile than a pure gunline  but generally doesn't shoot as well. I want pretty much what I have above but with a few changes

• Remove the need for a model to contest, as you are going to get into melee.
• Instead of just shooting you need models that can shoot and fight in melee.  

This is how I chose to build Stryker2's list. He has a whole lot of melee abilities and previously I had run him as an alpha strike caster but since Cygnar is a ranged faction I wanted to try him with a counterpunch list, using his melee abilities to make the counterpunch that much more dangerous. 

My thinking here was that Defenders with Positive Charge actually become quite good in melee, MAT 9 P+S 18. I could take two, and then two hunters so I can remove a heavy a turn at range. In order to do that though that heavy can't have an ARM buff so Eiryss comes into the list. That should be enough to scare my opponent to come towards me. 

Next I wanted a long range shooting unit that could fight well in melee. Cygnar don't really have one in faction but the Nyss can do it and I can take Murdoch to make them Cygnar. Since everything is going to be bunched up around the defenders Ragman should be able to give a lot of stuff Dark Shroud. That also takes the Defenders to POW 20 and the Nyss to MAT 8 POW 13 weaponmasters if in 3" of a defender and 3" of Ragman (just POW 11 weaponmasters if not within 3" of Ragman). 

Next I want to put the assassination on the table. Stryker is an excellent melee assassin. In order to get to his target though he probably needs pathfinder. Runewood can give him that. He can also give the Nyss another +2 to hit. If MAT 10 P+S 13 weaponmasters are overkill I can spread the three out to cover a larger area and settle for MAT 8 P+S 11 weaponmasters. Remember the Nyss have 3 attacks on feat turn (though one is ranged and will only benefit from dark shroud from Ragman). The other thing when assassinating with your caster is that you have to get them further forward than you would like so I want to be able to protect him. That means Arcane shield so in comes a journeyman. He can marshal one of the hunters with his last two focus.

And that's 49 points. Put in Reinholdt and I have a 50 point list. 

Cygnar

Standard Army

PCs: 50 / 50

22 models

[00] Lord Commander Stryker (0 / 6 WJ remaining)

[02]  >> Squire

[09]  >> Defender

[09]  >> Defender

[06]  >> Hunter

[03] Archduke Alain Runewood, Lord of Fharin

[03] Journeyman Warcaster

[06]  >> Hunter

[03] Eiryss, Angel of Retribution

[02] Ragman

[01] Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator

[10] Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (9 grunts)

[02]  >> Captain Jonas Murdoch

Dice Rollers

Uli has tracked down a games club down in Nowra and we are in the process of organising an inter-club challange. Possibly for the 13th of January. Looks like it's going to be 25 points because they don't have that much stuff. I don't know what else to do about the format. Sounds like they may not want to play two lists and I also suggested highlander format. Uli and I will be heading down there on the 30th to work out the details and play a game or two. Give me a yell if you want to come down too.

Anyway since it seems 25 points is locked in I immediately starting asking myself what were the douchiest 25 point lists I could make:

Legion of Everblight
Standard Army
PCs: 25 / 25
5 models

[00] Thagrosh, Prophet of Everblight (0 / 5 WB)
[11]  >> Carnivean
[09]  >> Scythean
[01] Blighted Nyss Shepherd
[09] Throne of Everblight

I actually like this one. The Carny and Scythean will be ARM 22 against melee attacks, the throne ARM 23 and one of the beasts will come back to full health after you kill it. Warbeasts and Warjacks also take 1d3 damage for every attack they make against me (I have seen a warjack charge and do more damage to itself than the model it was after). The heavies kill heavies and the throne clears infantry really well. Trolls take my feat out of the game and can kill me despite my ARM, the throne doesn't do squat against cryx infantry who absolutely love high ARM low DEF heavies. I feel like this is barely douchey at all, it's hard but not over the top, it requires me to risk my caster, its schtick doesn't work against ranged attacks and the low model count can really hurt. 

Protectorate of Menoth

Standard Army

PCs: 25 / 25

21 models

[00] The Harbinger of Menoth (0 / 5 WJ remaining)

[08]  >> Reckoner

[06]  >> Redeemer

[02] Vassal of Menoth

[02] Vassal of Menoth

[02] Choir of Menoth (3 grunts)

[08] Exemplar Errants (9 grunts)

[02]  >> Exemplar Errant Officer & Standard

That looks meaner. Combining self sacrifice and Martyrdom is mean, really mean when your opponent only has 25 points. Add in awe (living models are -2 to hit if withing 10" of Harby), both jacks will be enlivened (after you damage them once they walk away no free strikes), no shooting against the jacks unless it's magical, errants can't be targetted by enemy spells, harby't feat is that if you advance towards her you take a POW 14 so I can hold you in place for a turn while I shoot you and I have purification so you have no upkeep spells. I can hit hard too as the errants are blessed on their ranged weapons and weapon masters in melee, harby can give them an additional dice on their attack rolls, battle makes both those jacks ridiculous, I can give them an extra attack each and crusaders call gives everything +2 movement. Now I feel like a douche but you still get to do something against this list. I don't feel it makes you hate the game and want to kill yourself

Legion of Everblight

Standard Army

PCs: 25 / 25

9 models

[00] Lylyth, Shadow of Everblight (0 / 5 WB)

[02]  >> Succubus

[10]  >> Ravagore

[10]  >> Ravagore

[05]  >> Naga Nightlurker

[01] Blighted Nyss Shepherd

[01] Blighted Nyss Shepherd

[01] Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew

Cygnar

Standard Army

PCs: 25 / 25

9 models

[00] Major Victoria Haley (0 / 5 WJ remaining)

[02]  >> Squire

[19]  >> Stormwall

[03] Journeyman Warcaster

[01] Stormsmith Stormcaller

[01] Stormsmith Stormcaller

[04] Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team

I felt dirty writing up the Lylyth list, like I was a bad person just for thinking it. For a new player I would be impressed if they lived to the end of turn 3. Really impressed. Most games would end assassination on turn 1. The Haley list is actually less deadly but you add the feat in to make sure there is no possible way your opponent could have any fun. It is unlikely that your opponent will be able to roll any dice against either of these lists. At 25 points they are stupid broken.

I think I'm going to take the Thagrosh list. It's fully painted and the throne is a great centre-piece. It doesn't assassinate turn 1 or pull anything else that I think is going to annoy people too much but at the same time it's a good list. That it has bad match ups is probably a good thing. 

Cataphract Incindiarii Rumours

I saw these before and thought they were awesome and didn't make the connection when I saw the models. Rumours again, came out after one of the cons after talking to the PP guys (who had been play testing them).

SPD 5 (same as other Cetrati)
MAT 7 (really good for a combined arms unit)
RAT 6 (better than I thought it would be)
DEF 12 (shockingly)
ARM 15 (a bit low but it's a ranged unit)
8 Wounds

RNG 10
POW 12
AOE 3
Continuous fire

Cost 6/9 (for 4/6 models)

Adding in this:
http://privateerpress.com/hordes/gallery/legion-of-everblight/units/warspear-chieftain
Pathfinder is obvious  Sounds like they also get beserk. Could be no quarter which is definetely not bad though they already have fearless. If they get beserk they will be affected by the abilities of the warmonger warchief so they will have a way to heal and stop beserking. They suddenly become very awesome with Kallus.

Anti Colossal Update

And it involves MACBAIN.

The idea is pretty simple (and stolen from the muse on minis forums), countermeasured Boomhowlers. If you are within 5" of the colossal it can't shoot and if it chooses to try to punch to death your boomholwers they're DEF 12 and 4+ tough or DEF 14 and on feat turn they are invincible. Most colossals can't walk away either because they are SPD 5 or slower, you can't trample over them because they have medium bases so you can't get to something you'd rather be punching. I'm not sure it's better than countermeasures on kayazy in most circumstances but you can still take the kayazy and put countermeasures on them when you don't need to jam a colossal. Boomhowlers are also great for using the feat to block out scenario zones. Take Alexia and the risen for when your Boomhowlers die, spread them out so you still can't trample and give them tough with Rhupert Carvolo. Take a Galleon yourself to Fail Safe and god damn it I've built a MacBain list.

Mercenaries

Four Star Syndicate
PCs: 50 / 50
38 models

[00] Drake Macbain (0 / 6 WJ remaining)
[18]  >> Galleon
[05]  >> Vanguard
[02] Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord
[02] Gorman Di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist *
[03] Eiryss, Angel of Retribution
[02] Saxon Orrik *
[09] Greygore Boomhowler & Co. (9 grunts)
[05] Alexia Ciannor & the Risen (9)
[08] Kayazy Assassins (9 grunts)
[02]  >> Kayazy Assassin Underboss

* I built this list taking into account character restrictions with my Bartolo Montador list (Bart - MacBain not a combination you were particularly worried about running into in a tournament before now). Given the choice switch these two models for Dougal Macnaile and Ragman.

OK, new deal to make with myself (replacing the old deal where I agreed to pretend he didn't exist as a Merc caster). I can play MacBain but I must do it in a fake German accent while paraphrasing McBain. You commie nazis won't stop me from delivering these UNICEF pennies!

Cygnar Lists

In preparation for the league and because I have War Room now I've been updating all my Cygnar lists. Here they are in no particular order.