8th Ed. Heroic Saurus characters on foot

[- Q -]

Am I missing something with this tarpit business? I know I myself said that it was a counter, but I honestly don't get how any tarpit can hold up this unit for long. I did the math and even if only half of my unit gets to strike, I should be able to rack up 11-12 wounds, plus ranks, plus standard, that means that I should be able to get combat res of 14, even with 5 ranks (after the slaughter), standard and bsb with L10 (skavenslave mega-tarpit) you still need snake eyes to avoid breaking, right?

These tarpits are made up of very cheap models allowing them to field extremely large units. So they go into the fight with many more ranks than their opposition and even after your unit butchers a bunch of them, they still have enough ranks leftover to comfortably claim steadfast. Take your example of the Skavenslaves unit, which I've read usually clock in at 100+ models, they can endure many rounds of losing 10+ models before they ever lose their steadfast. That means they get to take that break test on leadership 10, often with a BSB reroll. Those are good odds. Sure your unit will eventually cut through them, but how long will that take?

Same for characters, though with the small base size, they could hold up the unit most of the game.

I think for such a solo character to work, they have to be either Stubborn or Unbreakable.

But maybe someone more experienced like @Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl , @NIGHTBRINGER , @Killer Angel , @Krox_v.2 can weigh in on the topic? What kinds of characters (if any) can take on @Quinn 's deathstar unit that he describes a few posts back? Can they actually constitute a viable counter to such a unit?

 

[Quinn]

These tarpits are made up of very cheap models allowing them to field extremely large units. So they go into the fight with many more ranks than their opposition and even after your unit butchers a bunch of them, they still have enough ranks leftover to comfortably claim steadfast. Take your example of the Skavenslaves unit, which I've read usually clock in at 100+ models, they can endure many rounds of losing 10+ models before they ever lose their steadfast. That means they get to take that break test on leadership 10, often with a BSB reroll. Those are good odds. Sure your unit will eventually cut through them, but how long will that take?


I think for such a solo character to work, they have to be either Stubborn or Unbreakable.

But maybe someone more experienced like @Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl , @NIGHTBRINGER , @Killer Angel , @Krox_v.2 can weigh in on the topic? What kinds of characters (if any) can take on @Quinn 's deathstar unit that he describes a few posts back? Can they actually constitute a viable counter to such a unit?

Oh yeah, forgot about steadfast. I almost never use it due to temple guard being stubborn and usually fielding my saurus only 4 wide.

 

[- Q -]

Oh yeah, forgot about steadfast. I almost never use it due to temple guard being stubborn

I agree that without steadfast the tarpit would be useless.

and usually fielding my saurus only 4 wide.

Interesting... why do you field them so narrow?

 

[Quinn]

Interesting... why do you field them so narrow?

Sorry, I meant deep not wide. (which is why I almost never get steadfast on them)

 

[Krox_v.2]

These tarpits are made up of very cheap models allowing them to field extremely large units. So they go into the fight with many more ranks than their opposition and even after your unit butchers a bunch of them, they still have enough ranks leftover to comfortably claim steadfast. Take your example of the Skavenslaves unit, which I've read usually clock in at 100+ models, they can endure many rounds of losing 10+ models before they ever lose their steadfast. That means they get to take that break test on leadership 10, often with a BSB reroll. Those are good odds. Sure your unit will eventually cut through them, but how long will that take?


I think for such a solo character to work, they have to be either Stubborn or Unbreakable.

But maybe someone more experienced like @Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl , @NIGHTBRINGER , @Killer Angel , @Krox_v.2 can weigh in on the topic? What kinds of characters (if any) can take on @Quinn 's deathstar unit that he describes a few posts back? Can they actually constitute a viable counter to such a unit?

I don't think characters alone would be the counter to a tarpit. I would include them as part of the counter but not the sole counter. I would probably drop a few characters built as blenders into the front rank of a unit of saurus or temple guard around 30 or so strong, engage the tarpit in the front and then flank charge the tarpit with a stegadon, cold one riders or ripperdactyl riders.

 

[- Q -]

I don't think characters alone would be the counter to a tarpit. I would include them as part of the counter but not the sole counter. I would probably drop a few characters built as blenders into the front rank of a unit of saurus or temple guard around 30 or so strong, engage the tarpit in the front and then flank charge the tarpit with a stegadon, cold one riders or ripperdactyl riders.

Sorry, I don't think I phrased my question correctly. I didn't mean a character versus a tarpit, I meant a solo character as a potential counter against the Temple Guard deathstar + Oldblood character that @Quinn devised...

Oldblood
Sword of anti-heroes, talisman of protection, enchanted shield, and potion of speed for magic items, then light armour. For 219ptsit is a pretty solid fighter with a 1+ 5+ and I 6 for one turn, with Sword of Anti-heroes giving a +1 strength and attack against a unit with even one character. But the best part of this build is when you manage to drive him into a unit with 2 or even 3 characters, (which I've actually seen more than you might expect) and see the look on your opponent face when your little lizard with a sword racks up 8 st 8 ( plus magic buffs) attacks. RIP.

What do you think about putting my anti-heroe oldblood in a horde like this: around 30 temple guard, slann with obsidian lodestone, soul of stone (so miscast doesn't anhialate the unit) and bsb with skavenpelt banner, razor standard on the unit standard.

We were exploring potential counters to his deathstar and one of the ideas I threw into the mix was a solo character. I'm curious as to if it would be a viable strategy, and if so, what type of character build.

 

[Krox_v.2]

Sorry, I don't think I phrased my question correctly. I didn't mean a character versus a tarpit, I meant a solo character as a potential counter against the Temple Guard deathstar + Oldblood character that @Quinn devised...






We were exploring potential counters to his deathstar and one of the ideas I threw into the mix was a solo character. I'm curious as to if it would be a viable strategy, and if so, what type of character build.

Ah, in that case a solo character build I think would be a counter would be something akin to the unkillable Tzeentch WOC lords or the Nurgle Daemon princes. Just use a character like that to trap the deathstar in place for most of the game. @NIGHTBRINGER is more familiar with those style builds.

Course, I kinda like a strategy I remember from an 8th edition White Dwarf battle report between WOC and a Night Goblin themed greenskin horde. The greenskin player, I think it was Jeremy Vetock, had multiple massive units of night goblins loaded up with cheap Night Goblin heroes and lords, armed with just great weapons and cheap magic items. He kept locking down the Chaos lord and some units by endlessly feeding the many cheap heroes into challenges to keep the chaos player's lord, heroes and unit champions from slaughtering the rank and file. Combined with the casualties inflicted by fanatics, squigs and the static combat res from the ranks and command, it wore down a number of units, if memory serves me right.

 

[- Q -]

Course, I kinda like a strategy I remember from an 8th edition White Dwarf battle report between WOC and a Night Goblin themed greenskin horde. The greenskin player, I think it was Jeremy Vetock, had multiple massive units of night goblins loaded up with cheap Night Goblin heroes and lords, armed with just great weapons and cheap magic items. He kept locking down the Chaos lord and some units by endlessly feeding the many cheap heroes into challenges to keep the chaos player's lord, heroes and unit champions from slaughtering the rank and file. Combined with the casualties inflicted by fanatics, squigs and the static combat res from the ranks and command, it wore down a number of units, if memory serves me right.

Hahaha... that's funny. Such a perfect gobbo-esque strategy!