AoS How do I deal with Stormfiends?!

[Yipsnake]

I play with someone who regularly takes stormfiends as a unit of 3 with warpfire throwers (Minimum 6 mortal wounds a turn with no hit/wound) they can also take a drill to make them tunnel.

So im thinking of taking lord kroak who will ride apon a balewind vortex, an Engine of the Gods to sit underneath him. 2 units of skinks to harass. Rest of the points are for summoning salamanders.

Is this (with the teleport to tp him and the stegadon when the Stormfiends get close.

Any thoughts?? Also how to increase to a 1500 army, thanks guys.

 

[scubrat]

Bloody good question, stormfiends are one of the nastiest units out there. Teleporting, tactical deployment or shadowstrike is going to be the solution here, the fact they only have an 8" range with those warpfire projectors is in your favour. There's a few options you've got.

Tactical deployment is your first option, the stormfiends have to end their drilling 9" away from enemy models, so you could circle your slann (or whatever you're trying to protect) with skinks, that way they wont be able to get anywhere near your slann for a couple of turns at least. PLAY DEFENSIVELY, keep your army together, that way, when they do pop up, there's always going to be lots of models nearby to spring attacks on them and hopefully destroy them before they can do too much damage. A carnosaur next to your slann is going to be a good deterrent.

The shadowstrike is probably going to be the most effective. Get a unit of six ripperdactyls in there and you may well be able to take them all out in one go. Drop your toad next to your slann (maybe a defensive line of skinks near the slann too), if your opponent doesn't value those stormfiends they'll tunnel them up near your slann, or they'll be forced to go for a less attractive option. In either case, swooping dive those fools with your rippers, they should do enough damage to eliminate the threat or make it a lot less threatening.

Teleporting could work, but you are less likely to get the charge on them that way.

 

[Yipsnake]

Good advice! I cant make a starhost list with kroak though in 1000 points

 

[scubrat]

Having Kroak in a 1000pt list is a little tough, didn't realise that these were 1000pt games. I mean, it's possible to get the shadowstrike starhost in there:

Allegiance: Seraphon
Lord Kroak (450)
Skink Priest (80)
- Priestly Trappings
10 x Skinks (60)
10 x Skinks (60)
3 x Ripperdactyl Riders (140)
1 x Salamanders (40)
Shadowstrike Starhost (170)

Total: 1000

A better list though IMO would be:

Allegiance: Seraphon
Skink Priest (80)
- Priestly Trappings
Slann Starmaster (260)
40 x Skinks (200)
10 x Skinks (60)
3 x Ripperdactyl Riders (140)
1 x Razordons (40)
1 x Salamanders (40)
Shadowstrike Starhost (170)

Total: 990/2000

 

[Xlanax_lot]

I play with both Stormfiends and lizards... the best way to deal with warpfire throwers (since now they don't have say) is with movement, the effective range they have is 14 inches, just make sure that every single unit in your army is away prom them or that you have something strong enough to wipe them out in a single round of combat.

If they use the drill they will always be away from you in that turn since they can't move have to be set up 9" away and the range is only 8". so even if they drill out just make sure you move further than the 14.

When I fight against someone that is good in the movement phase the stormfiends are really hard to use effectively.

 

[Mattmayte]

Is this (with the teleport to tp him and the stegadon when the Stormfiends get close.

Might just be me misinterpreting what you meant but Kroak can only teleport once per turn so you wouldn't be able to do both. Obviously you could just move instead.

Also I agree with @scubrat, in a 1000 point army, 450 points on one character seems too steep.

 

[PhoenixTheCat]

Just get a bastiliadon. Easiest way to answer your question. (I can offer no sane tactical advice, my tactics are nonexistent.)

 

[Yipsnake]

Cheers for your replies, I really appreciate it! Sorry forgot to mention it was 1k, im looking for 1k, 1.5k, and 2k lists doing the same thing. I will TP first the stegadon, then in the next turn TP the kroak since he is protected by the vortex.
Here is what i'm thinking currently, since I NEED to deal with them. Rippers will do 17-18 wounds average against a 4+ save if I run a unit of 6, so im going to do that:

skinks 60
skinks 60
rippers x6 280
kroak 450
balewind vortex 100
SUMMONING salamander 40
total 990

Whatcha think? Take out their shooting unit with tped rippers, and then kroak everything that gets close to him

 

[Ecozh]

Its a verry fragile list, rippers are really threatening but also easily killed.
10 skinks can be easily wiped, leaving Kroak solo.

At the verry least I would split them up in two groups (means you can place 2 toads).

At 1000 points Kroak is (in my opinion) a too large number of points. I would never invest more than 1/3 of points in one unit at this bracket.

My way of dealing with Stormfiends is the bastilladon and snipe them.

You could switch Kroak out for a Bass, starpriest, razordon and skink handlers.

Let them come close, 2d6 attacks (perhaps x2 of you switch the salamander for another razordon). Add the Bass with 2d6 x 2 damage.

 

[Yipsnake]

Its a verry fragile list, rippers are really threatening but also easily killed.
10 skinks can be easily wiped, leaving Kroak solo.

At the verry least I would split them up in two groups (means you can place 2 toads).

At 1000 points Kroak is (in my opinion) a too large number of points. I would never invest more than 1/3 of points in one unit at this bracket.

My way of dealing with Stormfiends is the bastilladon and snipe them.

You could switch Kroak out for a Bass, starpriest, razordon and skink handlers.

Let them come close, 2d6 attacks (perhaps x2 of you switch the salamander for another razordon). Add the Bass with 2d6 x 2 damage.

But the bastiliadon on average against a 4+ save is 2 wounds, 1/3rd of a stormfiend. Dosent the balewind vortex mean I can afford to be fragile, targeting the shooty stuff?

 

[Ecozh]

Bastiladon had rend -1 and does 2 damage with each hit.
So a but more I think (no math brain here).
As you spread your points more out, you also gain some tactical options. The Stormfiends are not the only units he/she will deploy.

Still Kroak on a vortex is badass

 

[Yipsnake]

Bastiladon had rend -1 and does 2 damage with each hit.
So a but more I think (no math brain here).
As you spread your points more out, you also gain some tactical options. The Stormfiends are not the only units he/she will deploy.

Still Kroak on a vortex is badass

Sorry, two wounding hits, 4 wounds average, still not enough to kill one :/

 

[Screamer]

Stormfiends is nasty, but still. Keep them out of range until you can swamp them. They are tough but since their main damage is from shooting, you only have to worry about that on his turn.

Short on heroes, but most scenarios favors units. Whatever you drop 6 rippers on they will kill that unit. Play hide and seek with the salamanders against elites with good saves, the rerolls from the priest actually helps. And 40 skinks avarage about 10 wounds, and has enough range to be teleported and shoot. Oh, and keep the sallies close to the priest and give them double damage on 6s.

Allegiance: Seraphon

Leaders
Skink Starpriest (80)
- General
- Trait: Master of Star Rituals
- Artefact: Prism of Amyntok

Battleline
40 x Skinks (200)
- Boltspitters & Moonstone Clubs
10 x Skinks (60)
- Boltspitters & Moonstone Clubs

Units
6 x Ripperdactyl Riders (280)
4 x Salamanders (160)
3 x Skink Handlers (40)

Battalions
Shadowstrike Starhost (170)

Total: 990/1000

 

[Yipsnake]

Stormfiends is nasty, but still. Keep them out of range until you can swamp them. They are tough but since their main damage is from shooting, you only have to worry about that on his turn.

Short on heroes, but most scenarios favors units. Whatever you drop 6 rippers on they will kill that unit. Play hide and seek with the salamanders against elites with good saves, the rerolls from the priest actually helps. And 40 skinks avarage about 10 wounds, and has enough range to be teleported and shoot. Oh, and keep the sallies close to the priest and give them double damage on 6s.

Allegiance: Seraphon

Leaders
Skink Starpriest (80)
- General
- Trait: Master of Star Rituals
- Artefact: Prism of Amyntok

Battleline
40 x Skinks (200)
- Boltspitters & Moonstone Clubs
10 x Skinks (60)
- Boltspitters & Moonstone Clubs

Units
6 x Ripperdactyl Riders (280)
4 x Salamanders (160)
3 x Skink Handlers (40)

Battalions
Shadowstrike Starhost (170)

Total: 990/1000

Thanks much for the list and advice. I already figured out the BEST way to kill them. Balewind vortex means you cant go within 3", the vortex is 5.5" tall, kroak's flying base as well, means that stormfiends cannot shoot him.

 

[Nielspeterdejong]

Stormfiends is nasty, but still. Keep them out of range until you can swamp them. They are tough but since their main damage is from shooting, you only have to worry about that on his turn.

Short on heroes, but most scenarios favors units. Whatever you drop 6 rippers on they will kill that unit. Play hide and seek with the salamanders against elites with good saves, the rerolls from the priest actually helps. And 40 skinks avarage about 10 wounds, and has enough range to be teleported and shoot. Oh, and keep the sallies close to the priest and give them double damage on 6s.

Allegiance: Seraphon

Leaders
Skink Starpriest (80)
- General
- Trait: Master of Star Rituals
- Artefact: Prism of Amyntok

Battleline
40 x Skinks (200)
- Boltspitters & Moonstone Clubs
10 x Skinks (60)
- Boltspitters & Moonstone Clubs

Units
6 x Ripperdactyl Riders (280)
4 x Salamanders (160)
3 x Skink Handlers (40)

Battalions
Shadowstrike Starhost (170)

Total: 990/1000

I like this list! But why the clubs instead of the shields?

 

[Screamer]

I like this list! But why the clubs instead of the shields?

Can't take boltspitters and shield? But now it seems like they have changed this, or have I read it wrong all along?
But it's really that I think a 6 up save is useless, and with the clubs they more than double the damage output if you ever want to fight anything in CC

 

[Nielspeterdejong]

Can't take boltspitters and shield? But now it seems like they have changed this, or have I read it wrong all along?
But it's really that I think a 6 up save is useless, and with the clubs they more than double the damage output if you ever want to fight anything in CC

Fair enough