AoS Need help dealing with a Rat Problem!

[Collybear]

Hey guys, was after some help with developing my army to deal with mainly a scaven menace.
My mate has a 1600-1700 point pestilance army and we play each week.
My main problem is dealing with the big hordes of Plauge Monks he normally runs with a squad of thirty and a squad of twenty, all buffed with a Plauge Furnace , Plauge Priest, Grey Seer and a Verminlord and ran within a Congregation of Flith.
So in melee I'm getting hit with lots of attacks with Re-rolling hits/Wounds even killing them in melee isnt great due to Mortal wounds and Rabid Fever. They end up doing more damge when i kill them!

My Normal army would be:
Saurus Oldblood (General)
Old Blood on Carnosaur
Eternity Warrior
Skink Starpriest

15 Guard ( 3 squads) Run as an Eternal Starhost.

Bastiladon
3x Salamanders + Handlers.

The Guard do great damage if I can pile in rather than charge, but the mortal wounds hurt alot. I had run a blob of 20 Warriors but the Plaugeclaw takes them out easy when in range.
As for spare models I have some Knights (Starter box), A Slann, Skink Prist, Kroxigor and a Stegadon. I have been wondering about Droping the Eternal Starhost or getting an extra 15 Guard, or maybe going with Thunderquake Starhost, with an EOG and another Bastiladon.

Any advice for dealing with a Rat infestion would be greatly recived!.

 

[Bowser]

Thunderquake would be alright, but those plaguemonks are still going to hit hard. You need something to hunt the heroes. Specifically the plague priest. You need a screen for your guard so you can pile in to attack. The sallies should soften them up a bit. Maybe cheap skinks or put your bastiladon sideways.
Don't know how strict you're being with the rules, but if he is using plaguemonks as battleline then he can't have the greyseer in there. Verminlord in my experience goes down pretty easy. I would probably go Bloodclaw and Shadowstrike but as you don't have rippers terradons or chameleons I might go:

Leaders
Saurus Oldblood on Carnosaur (320)
Saurus Scar-Veteran on Cold One (100)
Saurus Oldblood (100)
- Suntooth Maul
Saurus Eternity Warden (140)
Skink Starpriest (100)

Units
Saurus Guard x 5 (100)
Saurus Guard x 5 (100)
Saurus Guard x 5 (100)
Salamanders x 3 (180)
Skink Handlers x 3 (40)

Behemoths
Bastiladon (300)

War Machines

Batallions
Bloodclaw Starhost (100)

Total: 1680/1700

Still going to be a tough fight, but having all the command abilities, and the Predatory fighter will get you a few more kills. If you can get the plague priest dead. The bastiladon should take out the verminlord easily. Use the salamanders as a screen with enough room for you to pile in with the guard. The scar vet on cold one should be quick enough to go for heroes or the catapult.

 

[Raptor_00]

Think of using the Shadowstrike Force with Chameleon Skinks. The Guard here are to slow of an answer against a horde of rats.
Chameleons can pop out where you need them to shoot the Priests and Grey Seer. You could use the Rippers to engage the Verminlord, Furnace or if these big targets can't be hit in melee because of the number of Plague Monk, hit the Monks to reduce their number dramatically.

That should help reduce who gets re-rolls because the command is going to start to fall apart. As well as Rippers should tear apart some Monks even with the rule of 1 in place. They will die a glorious death but will re-focus your enemies plans and force them to either split the forces to deal with Rippers, or turn around entirely to deal with Rippers. That'll leave whatever else you put in your list time to move forward and engage in the battles you want.

Sitting and waiting for rats to come to you is a bad idea. I play Skaven as well and I know if someone waits for my Skaven to come in then I control which engagements my rats hit and when. And for weaker rats it's key to engage with your buffed up Inspiring Presence rats. Otherwise that bravery 5, no save Plague Monk is going to run after you kill a few of his friends.

 

[Collybear]

Yeah I had tried sitting back behind warriors and trying to thin the numbers down with Ranged, but that didnt work, just too many bodies and as Raptor said he just picked his combat.

Never have much problem with the Verminlord, I think the key is breaking down the chain of buffs, which is mainly standing behind the army casting, so might try Ripper/Chams.

Never really looked at the Bloodclaw Starhost....but wow, it looks pretty awesome.

 

[Bowser]

Bloodclaw + Shadowstrike is the way I would go.

 

[scubrat]

Just a thought, but is the stegadon equipped with the sunfire throwers? Because that's one nasty rat roaster right there. Get the stegadon as close as you can to a hoard, might get 20 models? On plague monks that's going to be about 8/9 unstoppable wounds, you've got another potential wound from the javelins. Then hit them with a charge and get another 4 wounds with stomps and 2 wounds with horns (though you're wasting that lovely -3 rend!) With any luck he won't have that nasty buff that resuscitates them for a pop at you.

The trouble with your saurus guard is that they've got rend and that's part of what makes them great, but that's useless against the plague monks.

 

[dwarfepic]

Temple guard are a mistake against rats. a one wound elite infantry is very poor at cost efficiency against high mortal wound armies. try big blobs of warriors, backed up big artillery monsters and sallies/razors. you can snipe enemy heroes, and win easily against all but stormvermin. a slaan is good as they are quite durable and can unbind lots of rat magic. also if they are going all out tarpit try an oldblood carno as they can rip them apart in one round wityh 3 damage attacks and bloodroar to make them flee.

 

[Collybear]

I played them again the other day, using Bloodclaw host, when the models were being set out I was crying inside with the amount of rats on the board, 20 clan rats, 40 plague monks and 10 Censer bearers and the Furnace, it was a very thin blue line of Lizards on the other side of the board!

Instead of sitting back though, I ran foward to meet them, and pushed the 3xSallies out in front heading for the Furnace, got the piority roll 2nd turn and burnt the Furnace to the ground with the Sallies, They died in the ensuing combat but took plenty down with them. Without the Furnace buffing the 40 monks they were alot earier to deal with by the guard and Bastiladon in the centre. Meanwhile the Oldblood on Carno and Scar Vet on cold one ran the flank tieing up 20 Clan rats, Verminlord and Plaugeclaw. Although the Oldblood on Carno always disappoints me in combat with really bad rolls....

Anyway worked well and got the win, I have a Shadowstrike formation ready for next game, Rippers and 2x Chameys. I do think the guard arn't really suited for this type of fight so may go with 40 Warriors to get some numbers on the board.

 

[Bowser]

Glad the bloodclaw worked out for you! Bloodclaw with Shadowstrike is going to be killer! Try the warriors and let us know how it goes!