Brawltimore 2015: Alternate Lists and Jank Tank

This post is going to round out my musings so far as a sort of dumping ground for all of the random thoughts and list ideas I've had that have a chance (please note: 1% is still a chance) of making it into one of my list sets come competition time.

Join me after the break for a look at a variety of lists. First up, Harkevich...

....will not be considered.

I love the goofy bearded bastard, but even the best lists I have put together with him don't feel like they'll be able to hold up very well in a legitimately competitive environment.

That said, I'll never be able to shake the Harkevich bug, and I'm just one or two impressively synergistic releases away from diving back into the jank tank. I feel fairly confident that I understand Harkevich's limitations very well, so I'll know if and when PP releases a model or two that actually give him game.

I don't know that can or will ever happen, but if it does, I'll give 'ol Hamkevich another go. Maybe it'll come up this year with the Reckoning releases, maybe it won't. We'll see (though I'm not holding my breath).

Next up, and much more productive, is Butcher3 theory. Given his potency, I'm considering him for, well, pretty much anything and everything. Lets start with 50 point ideas:

Butcher3 - Rounded:
Kommander Zoktavir, The Butcher Unleashed (*4pts)
   * Juggernaut (7pts)
   * War dog (1pts)
Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (Cylena and 9 Grunts) (10pts)
   * Koldun Kapitan Valachev (2pts)
Greylord Ternion (Leader and 2 Grunts) (4pts)
Iron Fang Pikemen (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
   * Black Dragon Officer & Standard (2pts)
Widowmakers (Leader and 3 Grunts) (4pts)
Eiryss, Angel of Retribution (3pts)
Iron Fang Kovnik (2pts)
Koldun Lord (2pts)
Madelyn Corbeau, Ordic Courtesan (2pts)
Ogrun Bokur (3pts)
Ragman (2pts)
Saxon Orrik (2pts)

This is the Butcher3 list I have the most experience with. That's the first good thing. The second good thing is that it is a fairly potent, well rounded list with Butcher3 at the core of it. So I feel it's pretty good in general.

The first bad thing is that I feel this list is too close to what everyone is expecting out of a Butcher3 list. The biggest difference is that I'm running Nyss instead of a second unit of IFP (BD IFP, most specifically,) which has worked out very well - the shooting gives me a good leg up on attrition most games and they can switch to melee when the time comes - but fundamentally it's Butcher3 + 2 units + support.

I'm concerned that, regardless of the composition, this style of list is too expected and planned for. It zigs, but I don't think it zigs quite hard enough for a meta that is prepared for Butcher3 and his usual lists (apparently there are plenty of Butcher3 players in the MD circuit).

The second bad thing is that I don't feel Butcher3's entourage provides sufficient defense for Butcher3. The biggest issue is that Butcher3 usually has to expose himself to an uncomfortable degree in order to do his job (bully the table). A sizable portion of the entourage that follows him around is meant to ferry him into combat.

The downside is that all of those elements - Ternion clouds, Alexia2 spell nullification, Eiryss2 to shoot off enemy upkeeps, Bokor to take Disruptor Bolt shots - are reactive. No matter how effective they are, they all involve putting Butcher3 in a dangerous spot, then hoping that the defenses you have in place are enough to keep Butcher from being taken apart too badly.

I'd love to have something more aggressively preventative in place, and for that reason I'm seriously considering TAC (shocker) with Valachev to provide Butcher and his immediate buddies a cloud bunker as they move up the table. I've been impressed with how aggressively the TAC have been able to move up the field in my games with other 'casters, and so I'm at least willing to give it a shot. It's a pretty easy 6 point swing, especially because...

The third bad thing is that I really want Eiryss2 for whatever my Cryx drop is (damn the spectre that is Crippling Grasp), especially if it's going to be Sorscha2. Eiryss2 is a lynchpin for keeping some of the ugliest upkeeps off of Butcher (poor, poor dogs) so without that I either need to invest in Alexia2 to stop them in the first place (though I don't love that idea due to how passive it, and her reliance on souls), or put some clouds in front of him. Since I already own TAC and Valachev, that's the option I'm going to go with.

With all that in mind, here's what a stab at an alternate Butcher3 list would look like:

Butcher3 - Rounded w/TAC:
Kommander Zoktavir, The Butcher Unleashed (*4pts)
   * Juggernaut (7pts)
   * War dog (1pts)
Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (Cylena and 9 Grunts) (10pts)
Iron Fang Pikemen (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
   * Black Dragon Officer & Standard (2pts)
Kayazy Eliminators (Leader and Grunt) (3pts)
Kayazy Eliminators (Leader and Grunt) (3pts)
Tactical Arcanist Corps (4pts)
   * Koldun Kapitan Valachev (2pts)
Widowmakers (Leader and 3 Grunts) (4pts)
Iron Fang Kovnik (2pts)
Madelyn Corbeau, Ordic Courtesan (2pts)
Man-o-war Drakhun (without dismount) (4pts)
Ragman (2pts)

This list is still infantry heavy, but it cuts out some of the support bloat and gives Butcher a legitimate hiding spot. It also has proactive answers to Eiryss (Eliminators or the Drakun can tie her up in melee/shank her) and other similarly problematic models (Orin, extra attacks to throw at the Covenant, etc).

I'd be willing to flip-flop around the Nyss or the Elims x2/Drakun package, either of which can pick up another unit. I don't necessarily love my other options - the only compelling idea that jumps to mind are Assassins, which would be fine, though Eliminators do the same job with a lower profile - but at least I feel like I have flexibility with the list if I want to change some things around.

Alternatively, I can go more battlegroup heavy:

Butcher3 - Battlegroup:
Kommander Zoktavir, The Butcher Unleashed (*4pts)
   * Beast-09 (11pts)
   * Juggernaut (7pts)
   * Juggernaut (7pts)
   * War dog (1pts)
Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (Cylena and 9 Grunts) (10pts)
Kayazy Eliminators (Leader and Grunt) (3pts)
Kayazy Eliminators (Leader and Grunt) (3pts)
Tactical Arcanist Corps (4pts)
   * Koldun Kapitan Valachev (2pts)
Widowmakers (Leader and 3 Grunts) (4pts)
Koldun Lord (2pts)

This approach trades in heavy metal: Energizer and charge warjacks into dense enemy models, shoot or delay everything else. The hitting power of the battlegroup lets Butcher stay back longer, and the TAC ensure that he has a safe place to stand while doing so (especially since he'll often be at zero camp). Once everything else has caused sufficient damage to the enemy army, Butcher can step up and bully the rest of the table.

This list, or some version of it, is one that I've been very interested in running. I think it sacrifices some of the versatility of an infantry-based Butcher3 list for a harder skew that also allows Butcher3 to play more of a support role in the early game (which in turn will hopefully increase his long term survivability). I'm not sure if it's a better list than any of the previous, but it certainly is interesting (especially with Butcher's character warjack, Ruin, on the horizon).

But enough about Butcher (for now). Lets talk Vlads for a minute.

Vlad1 is, was, and, barring any significant rules rewrites, always will be one of the strongest 'casters in Khador. The best part is: it's all because of one spell. Signs and Portents is just that damn good. The downside to Vlad1 is, of course, staying awake long enough to actually finish a game; having one crazy awesome spell that eats most of your Focus pool doesn't lend itself to really dynamic, interesting play.

There is a lot to be said about raw efficacy, and Vlad1 is also one of the strongest anti-infantry lists you can put together without reaching for a Sorscha (and without going too far in that direction with someone like Old Witch). Vlad1 also happens to be a fine home for Conquest so you get to double down and use a model that can have difficulty making the cut in other lists.

I've played my fair share of Vlad1 over the years and there were a few different builds I enjoyed. With where the meta has shifted, however, Vlad1 is a good candidate for a running a combined arms/shooting list that can serve as your anti-infantry list (with some flexibility, depending on how you build it). With that in mind, I'd probably start out with this:

Vlad1 - Combined Arms:
Vladimir, The Dark Prince (*5pts)
   * Conquest (19pts)
Battle Mechaniks (Leader and 3 Grunts) (2pts)
Great Bears of Gallowswood (5pts)
Greylord Outriders (Leader and 4 Grunts) (9pts)
Iron Fang Pikemen (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
   * Iron Fang Pikemen Officer & Standard (2pts)
Lady Aiyana & Master Holt (4pts)
Widowmakers (Leader and 3 Grunts) (4pts)
Iron Fang Kovnik (2pts)

I have a hard time committing to going full on gunline with Vlad1 (although I'm sure it's effective). This list has a little bit of everything - POW 12 sprays, AoEs, solid melee, Snipers - and all of that is going to get better with S&P. I know Assault Kommandos are popular with him right now, but I still can't bring myself to include the damn things. I've had them let me down too many times to bother with them again until they get a UA or something to shake them up. Even in a more dedicated anti-infantry list, I just can't get behind how limited they are (and how mediocre they are at that job compared to other Khador options).

I'm not sure if I like that list more than my Sorscha2 list, per se, but I do think it's another strong, similar style of list. Vlad1 is also nice because it potentially frees up Eiryss2 for the other list (he could use her as much as anyone, but with S&P he'll try and have his army power through enemy buffs). A&H feel like they need to be in there though, as any anti-infantry list you put together is going to probably square off against Cryx at some point and you can't afford to Russian Roulette the possibility of Incorporeal stuff. Almost as if by design, A&H are still useful in a lot of other match ups thanks to Harm, so it's not like they're wasted points.

And finally, a quick dip in the (semi) jank tank. I haven't played nearly as much Vlad3 as I originally thought I would; he's really fun, but I was still stricken with the Harkevich bug (H-Virus?) Vlad3 is no Butcher3 in terms of meta bending or landscape shifting, but Vlad3 does bring an incredibly valuable tool to the table in the context of Steamroller play: speed. Lots and lots of speed.

For starters, Vlad3 has two solid SPD buffs on his card: Dash for warrior models and Infernal Machine for warjacks. Both spells have excellent side benefits, but at base they speed up important parts of your army. Dash also has the benefit of being spread across a large control area (as of this writing, I believe Vlad3 has the largest Dash coverage of any of the 'casters that have the spell) so you can give out a SPD bonus and freestrike immunity to a large portion of your army fairly easily.

That speed boost not only helps with attrition (allowing for first strikes, favorable trades, easier redeployment, etc), but it can also be a huge boon in scenario play. Dash's +1 SPD bonus translates to +2" of running movement for everything in your army, which often means your force can get a tremendous jump on the table if you get first turn. There's a lot that can be said for forcing your opponent to play their entire game from their half of the table (or possibly even further back!)

Just as important as any buffs he hands out is Vlad3's personal speed. SR2014 heavily rewards 'casters who can get to flags/zones and hang out there. Vlad3 has the statline necessary to survive being up front (15/17), a good spell to defend against shooting (Wind Wall), and enough speed to be able to rapidly respond to shifts on the tabletop and capitalize on scoring situations. Vlad3 will be SPD 9 on turns where he casts Dash, which means that he can advance and cover almost as ground as some 'casters do in a full run! And with a run of 16" there aren't many places he won't be able to get to if you need him there (most likely for a clutch late game Domination in a scoring area). That mobility gets even better on his feat turn with Side Steps and Sprint, though it's not necessarily something to bank on.

For all of those reasons, I think Vlad3 is another solid, competitive Khador 'caster. He brings some very interesting things to the table with his speed, and he still has Hand of Fate for an excellent infantry buff. You can build lists with him that are reminiscent of lists you'd run with Vlad1 and Vlad2 and have a solid starting point for a competitive list.

So why did I say this was leaning towards being a jank tank list?

That is because, for as effective as Vlad3 may be with a normal list, I don't have much interest in it (I'd probably rather run Vlad1 or Vlad2 in the same spot). What really catches my eye with Vlad3 is his theme list. Which is where the jank comes in.

Namely, it's all cavalry models and warjacks. You can take Mechaniks too, but, no. All cavalry and warjacks. Specifically, the version I'd run is the one that maximizes cavalry to a very silly degree:

Vlad3 - All the Horses:

Vladimir Tzepesci, Great Prince of Umbrey (*5pts)
   * Drago (7pts)
Greylord Outriders (Leader and 4 Grunts) (9pts)
Iron Fang Uhlans (Leader and 4 Grunts) (11pts)
Iron Fang Uhlans (Leader and 4 Grunts) (11pts)
Fenris (5pts)
Kovnik Markov (4pts)
Man-o-war Drakhun (without dismount) (4pts)
Man-o-war Drakhun (without dismount) (4pts)

That, right there, is going to be a really fast list. If you get first turn (and you have a +1 to the roll to determine if you do,) most of the army will be around the 22" line on your half of the table. With Dash, you can have models sitting on the mid-line, just waiting for your opponent to move up. You start the game in a very strong scenario position, with a strong threat of retaliation if your opponent moves up at all aggressively.

I've played a few games with a list that was even jankier than this one (take out a bunch of stuff for a Conquest + Mechaniks) and even that was an absolute blast. Conquest actually isn't even that bad in the context of this list; the big guy runs 16" first turn with Infernal Machine and the theme list bonus, so he essentially starts the game in the middle of the table. From there it's daring your opponent to come into it's melee range, or shooting it if they don't. 

As much fun as that was though, I think this version is much scarier. I could fiddle around with a few things and free up sufficient points for a second warjack (there isn't much left to take aside from that). Either clamjack would be really nice for a little extra scenario insurance and to have a different type of anti-infantry attack available (blast damage), or a Grolar could be nice for Side Steps and Sprint.

The biggest issue with this list is that it's so damn dense, and very unhappy facing down boostable guns. Uhlans can weather a bit of gunfire at ARM 19, but it doesn't take too many boosts before they start to drop (and nevermind that anything POW 14 or better is still likely to kill them in one boosted damage roll). The theme has the benefit of having a lot of those models (versus the normal one unit of cavalry), speed, and possible Wind Wall, but fundamentally this is a list that attritions poorly. You're either going to win quickly, or get ripped up quickly.

I'm still considering this list though, for several reasons. First: I think it will be tremendously fun to play, and that counts for a lot. Being excited and enthusiastic about the lists you're running can make all the difference between success and failure. I'd rather play a list like this into a bad match up than play a safe-but-more-boring list into an even match up.

Second: this list (or some variant thereof) will result in fast games. That's very good in a tournament environment - you get more time to relax and recuperate between rounds, and you're going to be that much less likely to time yourself out in Deathclock (and potentially timed turns as well, with such a lean army). I don't anticipate any of the events in the coming year being especially long (i.e. more than 4 rounds total), but even in a shorter event having a list that can punch through rounds quickly is a boon.

The biggest issue with this list is that in order to run it, I'd need to buy, assemble, and eventually paint (I try very hard to paint all the models I use often, and if I had the stuff for this list I'd run it fairly often) an entire second full unit of Uhlans and another Drakun. The second Drakun isn't too big of a deal - although this list is the only one that can use it, from what I recall - but a full second unit of Uhlans is an expensive, hobby intense prospect. It probably wouldn't be as bad as painting the first unit (I'd probably paint the second unit up in the Black Dragon colors for distinction and ease of identification), but painting horses in general is a pain in the ass.

The monetary cost is also a fair concern. A second unit of Uhlans would cost me around $70 from the cheapest online retailer I'm aware of (Discount Games, Inc.) and its a unit that I'd only use in this one list (though I could also use it with Vlad2's theme, which is a decent list as well). It's not enough to fully dissuade me from the project (the assembly, painting, and storage of that second unit is way more daunting), but it does have me stalling on the hope and the whim that a plastic rebox happens at some point. That would probably make the unit cheaper (the new plastic Cryx cavalry are only $65 retail, less at online discounted rates), and hopefully easier to assemble.

But that list sure is tempting...

There's also another force pulling at me regarding lists and competition, but it's a vector that's big enough in scope to warrant it's own post.

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I think that's enough musing about alternate list ideas for now. Most of my ideas that I have on deck are Butcher3 related, which probably isn't terribly surprising. I'm also a bit of an interesting case because I haven't played Butcher3 much, so I'm interested in playing him more in general, let alone for his competitive virtues (what is up with me being around a year behind using releases)?

Hopefully I'll get a chance to try out some of these lists soon, which may lead to some interesting alternate lists to work with at different points in the year. I also have some 35 point list ideas, but most of those feel so straightforward (take 'caster, add the most potent and terrible models possible unit I run out of points) that I can't expand upon them much. But if anyone wants me to lay out some of those ideas, I'd be more than happy to put a post together.

And then there's the x-factor of a new 'caster and new releases invariably coming out at some point during 2015 (though when exactly that will be, no one knows yet). I have zero reservations about throwing a new 'caster into the mix, assuming they're decently developed and effective, so I'm excited about the prospect of having a whole new option show up at some point during the year.

With any luck I'll get a chance to try out one or two of these lists. I'll be back to share any thoughts and impressions I get from those games, along with any new insights I may come up with between now and then.