AoS Help against Stormcast starter set

[fisherdwarf]

Hello, I've been repetedly and soundly chomped by my friend playing the Stormcast from the starter set. My previous attempts were fought using my other armies: Bloodbound and Free Peoples. The time has come to bring my favorites to the table: Seraphon.

My collection is far from complete, and I'm sadly lacking both a bastiladon and rippers, things I am looking to add in order to wield a Shadowstrike.

The Stormcast from the starter set add up to 732 points (the cost of the Retributors reduced since they're only 3), and I've thrown together a 740-point Seraphon list:

Allegiance: Order

Leaders
Saurus Scar-Veteran on Carnosaur (260)
- War Spear
- Artefact: Phoenix Stone
Saurus Scar-Veteran on Cold One (100)
- General
- Trait: Reckless
Skink Starpriest (100)

Battleline
20 x Saurus Warriors (200)
- Spears
10 x Skinks (80)
- Boltspitters & Moonstone Clubs

Total: 740/740

The general idea is to try to get the carno close enough to snuggle the Lord on Dracoth, hopefully bringing it down in a single combat phase. To aid in this I've included the scar-vet on cold one for command ability and reckless as well as a starpriest with some poisoned lipstick for the carno.

Thought I'd post the opposing army as well for those who aren't as familiar with the starter set:
Allegiance: Stormcast
Lord-Celestant On Dracoth (220)
- Tempestos Hammer & Thundershield
Lord-Relictor (80)
5 x Liberators (100)
- Warhammers
5 x Liberators (100)
- Warhammers
3 x Prosecutors with Celestial Hammers (100)
3 x Paladin Retributors (132)

Total: 732/740

I'd love to get some tips, critique, do's and don't, both concerning my list and general ideas. Any input will be greatly appreciated. As soon as I get a half-decent lightbox up and running I'll get to making a plog for my little monsters.

Cheers

 

[Bowser]

Well, you have about 6 more wounds than your opponent and nearly double the models, but those stormcast hit hard. So your tactics will need to be on point. Tou're going to definitely use your skinks for chaff, too bad you don't have access to chameleons or rippers. I would say that you seem to have a good strategy down, don't be afraid to retreat. You don’t have healing unfortunately, another 100 points and you could toss in a jade battlemage to keep your carno moving. Remember your blood roar and blood frenzy. Blood roar will do nothing if you don't kill Celestant on the Dracoth though, but if he is dead don't forget that!

 

[Canas]

The stormforged army from the starterset is ridiculously well rounded for such a small army making it nigh on impossible to fight on equal footing. Also, it's hilarious how much weaker the bloodbound army in that set is.

As for your army. Your warriors and skinks are probably going to be borderline useless as anything other than fodder. Without their horde bonusses (and the sheer number of attacks that a horde provides) they simply won't be doig any significant damage against the stormforged 4+ saves outside of massivly Lucky rolls. Possibly consider dumping the warriors and going purely for skinks. At least then you have some small ranged advantage (though the prosecutors still outrange you).

As for the heroes, yea your only hope essentially lies in your carnosaur eating most of his army. If your opponent realizes this your carnosaur will be blasted to smithereens with mortal wounds. And even if he doesn't, all he really needs to do is slow the carnosaur down by placing 1 unit at a time in it's way. There's no need for him to let you even reach his celestant or relictor.

By the way, do you play with objectives? Cuz that might help a bit given that at the very least you're faster.

 

[fisherdwarf]

Thanks for the replies, very much appreciated.

@Bowser I do in fact have 10 chameleon skinks lying around, but the battleline tax feels very restrictive at such low points. I suppose dropping the Saurus for a second 10-man skink unit and 5 chamos could work, but I feel like that would leave me without a solid core to hold objectives.

@Canas Yeah, the bloodbound from the starter set were just tremendously useless. We generally play the matched play battleplans, so objectives are important. In fact, next game will be Escalation, Border War or Gift from the Heavens, depending on the dice.

 

[Bowser]

Yeah, I don't think it would be worth taking at that point.

 

[Canas]

The bloodbound in that set were hilarious underpowered. I played them against my girlfriend and I think I won one of the scenario's in the little booklet, and even then only barely. The others I lost decisivly. Literally the only thing of note in that army is the general's magic axe. Hell, even in poinvalues it's like a 100 points behind or somehing.

As for switching out the saurus warriors for skinks. Chameleon skinks could be nice, but the moment he gets one of his mortal wounds attacks of on them they will drop like flies. And they'l need protection from the prosecutors.

A possible approach could be to just bring only skinks, it'd give you 40 of them. Which might give you the sheer numbers to pull through. Plus, with the wary fighter rule you should be able to harras him fairly well.

As for keeping the warriors for holding objectives. The warriors aren't going to really outfight anything, so without support I don't think that's going to be worth it.

Also, it's nice that you don't make him pay full prize for the retributors, but this army is so ridiculously well rounded that it's really not needed. They can fairly easily go toe to toe with armies of 800-900 points. It's just a stupidly good startin set with battleshock immunity, mortal wounds, healing & a great stat-line. The only thing it's really missing is true ranged firepower and it isn't a terribly fast army (apart from the prosecutors)