8th Ed. 2k against Empire - All ideas welcome.

[Wiggus]

I have a 2k game next thursday against empire and have 0 experience with empire armies. The only thing i think he may be taking is a Hellblaster alot of handgunners and he was talking about taking lore of fire and trying to give flaming sword of ruin to the hellblaster (mentioned something like if it wounds on a 2+ its an automatic removal although i think he means it will negate my armour)
I have a large variety of models to chose from
2 Slann (although i know i wont get those in 2k)
6 priests
4 old blood/scarvets HW/Shield and GW options
2 Scarvet- mounted
Tetto-eko
around 70 Saurus
45ish skinks with Jav
15 chameleons
8 CoC
2 Stegs - all options
2 Salamanders
3 Terradons
20 temple guard
Oxyotl
but every list i play with just looks flawed and will be shot to pieces granted im scarred of this hellblaster flaming sword of ruin combo which ofc is why he told me about it.

 

[khsofsso]

Slann usual 4 disciplines cupped hands bsb

Choice of ethereal or temple guard.
Light/life/shadow

Core 2-3 blocks saurus, no champs waste points
2 units 10 skirmisher unfortunate you only have javs, pipes better IMO

Special the guard big block iron curse on champ
terradons

Rare salamanders as many as you've got.

If points left a scar'one charmed shield magic weapon dawnstone about 160pt

The trick with hellstorm and burning sword is it gives +1 to wound so will only instant kill skinks. All three of the above lores will deal with it one way or another. Get the terradons and skinks up flanks to deal with machines. A lot of new empire builds are stubborn so deal with there LD bubbles first. Combine everything to kill single units especially salamander the knights then charge saurus in.

Hope this helps let me know how you go

 

[Wistrel]

I agree with most of the above, however if you choose to go without TG make sure you have Divine plaque of protection so that the magical hellblaster doesnt rip your slann to shreds, I you do take TG take Ironcurse Icon.

You should take chameleons, they are very hard to hit and can be used to effectively take out his warmachines and wizards, (if they are silly enough to go solo).

Use your skink skirmishers with javs to run around his infantry blocks, harrasing him, he will probably divert fire from your saurus to deal with them.

If you where really mean you could comet the hell out of his gunline by taking a heavens slann and tetto, his list is pretty cheesy after all.

Finally if the wizard is really causing you grief you could take Oxyotl and snipe it out of a unit.

 

[Rhodium]

I haven't costed anything point wise but I like running this kind of list against empire

Ethereal slann, divine plaque, 3 or 4 disciplines, light

A priest or two with scroll or cube

Skink chief/scar vet with shield of mirror pool and ironcurse icon

2 saurus/ skrox blocks

2 skink skirmishersk blocks

Chameleons

Terradon

Sallies

Slann should be well protected and can buffed your blocks
The buffed blocks should be able to win combat against empire troops
Hero should go in a block giving a good defence against magic missiles and the ward against war machines
Chameleons and terradons can remove chaff and attack war machines
Sallies will roast things as usual!

Only thing is, don't let flaming sword get off, magical hellblasters/ cannons can be a problem for solo slanns
But you have no juicy targets for a cannon so that should negate that threat

 

[Wiggus]

just made something quick on the fly before bed.

Slann - Focus rumm- Becalming - focus of mystery - divine plaque

Tetto Eko

24 Saurus HW-Shield Music and standard bearer

10 Skink Skirmishers Jav-shield (i dont see the point of blowpipes on anything other than chameleons)

10 Skink Skirmishers Jav-shield

16 skink cohorts (for tetto) music and banner

3 terrodons

2 Salamanders and 8 bait

2 Salamanders and 8 bait

7 chameleon skinks

17 temple guard with musician and standard bearer with discipline standard.

1998 points.

 

[Huichi Mixi]

The standard of discipline on the temple guard is pointless since it will boost their LD to 9, you cannot use the generals inspiring presence LD with the item. So you just get the Slann's LD of 9 again which you would get if you didn't have the item. If you made the Slann a Bsb and then put standard of discipline on him, you'd boost his Ld to 10 (the slann then can't use the generals inspiring presence Ld, he is the general so it doesn't matter ), the temple guard and all units within 12 could use it. I think thats what you were aiming for?

You put the temple guard 5 wide and as many ranks deep as possible so they're hopefully steadfast then combined with your cold blooded Ld 10 they will be practically unbreakable. 5 wide temple guard won't dish out many attacks though

You're list is looking good so far

 

[Wiggus]

mmm i was reading it slightly differently
'Models in a unit with the standard of discipline have +1 Ld but cannot use the generals inspiring presence special rule'
As the Slann would be a in the unit he would have +1Ld which the unit would be using as teh highest ld model in the unit. And the inspiring presence rule relates to the 12" bubble rule not the rule about chars leading units.

 

[Huichi Mixi]

Now I've read it again, you could be right. Its says models in a unit with the standard have +1 Ld but cannot use the inspiring presence special rule. Hmmm

Edit: Found this is the FAQ. You were right, the slann gains the Ld boost from the Temple Guards banner.

Magic Items
Q: If the General is in a unit with the Standard of Discipline
will he gain +1 Leadership and then be able to pass it onto his unit
(because he is in it) as well as other units in range of the Inspiring
Presence special rule? (Reference)
A: Yes.

 

[Wiggus]

saves me a whole 25 points lol although i know i run the risk of being bsb less was thinking of maybe dropping a skirmisher squad for the bsb skink chief

 

[Huichi Mixi]

If you want to be competitive then I wouldn't use a skink chief as a bsb, they are way to fragile. Toughness 3, 2 wounds and no armour unless you kit him out (makes him expensive) is just so poor. He's about as durable as basic infantry from other armies (empire swordsmen? I don't know)... I have took a chief before but not as a bsb. His high Movement, Initiative and Balistic Skill are the areas he surpasses the scar vet, while they are nice and could be useful. I just find they don't get the job done or other units can do it better (skink skirmishers, chameleons etc).

 

[Wiggus]

i would be fielding him in the cohort with tetto behind the saurus he would solely be for the bsb reroll but im not sure if its worth it cold blooded can override the need for bsb