8th Ed. Sharpened Horns?

[Dog On Todd]

Hey guys,

Question about Stegadons, how are people using them in the new book? I'm planning on trying an ancient in my next game, but I can't figure out what my target charge should be for it.

With sharpened horns I am only aiming at multiwound targets, but I wanted to slam this sucker into RnF. Is that not how to play them? Should I be charging elites for the impact hits in hopes of winning combat, and grinding with skinks or saurus against blobs?

Also, do you screen with your skinks? Or leave his frontage open to facilitate charges?

Thanks for any input! Running alongside a carnosaur, and I'm starting to think I won't have enough targets for both of them, and that blocks are going to be my unmaking

 

[Von Manson]

It depends on the meta and what you want out of the game.

If you see a lot of multi wound stuff then sharpened horns are a must. I would always take them on an ancient steg personally. I think a steg can do fine against blocks with a buff or debuff and the general nearby. It can usually grind lower strength stuff out or can just hold them up till help arrives.

The best thing that having both of these does for you is offer a massive threat to monster cav. You can create an area that you don't want them to go into which gives you an advantage in the movement phase which is the best phase to get ahead in.

 

[Moniker]

Generally I like to use my stegs as a supporting charge for my infantry. The Multiple wounds is mostly a threat - unless it turns out very handy. Keep in mind that you can allocate impact hits, destroying characters with Str 6 auto-hits and often greatly compromising the charged unit. Str6 thunderstomp just helps support that block of infantry further.

They're also a very powerful medium ranged gun platform, which can often clear a flank or frighten away a lot of monsters or low armour types.

Also they're scary looking! I'm not talking about Terror, I'm talking about your opponent being nervous about that big tank chugging its way steadily along with your army.


In answer to your original question, sharpened horns give you options and utility, and make you that extra bit threatening. By all means smash the infantry, but don't be afraid to smack a unit of Trolls from time to time either.

 

[Dog On Todd]

Great replies, thanks!

I did not know about those impact hits targeting characters! I thought they were allocated like shooting. This alone might make sharpened horns worth it.

The only targets I can think of in my game that might have multiple wounds are characters/trolls. And I'm not worried about trolls.

Will keep this information in mind if I ever play against an army with multiple wound units though!

Thanks again

 

[Dancing with Saurus2]

I did not know you could 'that you can allocate impact hits'!! My favourite unit just got ... well ... more favouriter

 

[Putzfrau]

Under "resolving Impact Hits"

3rd paragraph: "The hits are distributed exactly as if they were shooting attacks (see page 42 for more information on shooting attacks, and page 96 or characters and shooting attacks)."

Page 42 goes on to state that impact hits follow "steps 4, 5, and 6 of the rules for shooting attacks"

Under step 6 "Remove Casualties" there is a section entitled "multi-wound models and multi-wound weapons"

Check your books people. All the information is there.

 

[Knight Errant]

As great as sharpened horns is, you are rarely going to get a charge off on the elite monstrous cav as they mostly are M7 with swiftstride compared to the steg M6 no swiftstride. Agaiinst ogres perhaps, but if you're charging the front of a gutstar you're going to lose your steg anyway.

Best is to receive the charge with a saurus block anvil and countercharge with the steg on the flank or corner to minimize the high S attacks back.

It's also nice to use walk between worlds to get the steg on the flank for a juicy charge, but if you're playing a savvy general they will dispel or take steps to mitigate it.

I used to run sharpened horns on the ancient all the times, but in about 40 games I can only recall 2 charges that made a difference:

- charged into a prince on dragon that was locked in my saurus block - did 5 wounds to the star dragon but the rider saved (damn wards)

- walk between worlds steg around the flank of 6 skull crushers who charged my block of saurus warriors the next turn rather than face the steg (big mistake), steg made a reasonable charge in the flank the following turn after suarus were steadfast and did something like 10 wounds. Epic

All other times it was meh.

 

[MangoPunch]

Keep in mind that you can allocate impact hits, destroying characters with Str 6 auto-hits and often greatly compromising the charged unit.

This is not true. unless there are fewer than 5 rank and file models, in which case the controlling player (controlling the charged unit) allocates hits, one hit per model until each model has 1, then a second hit per model and so forth. If there are 5 or more rank and file models, all hits go to the rank and file and no hits go to characters.

In the case of charging a ridden monster, you still allocate impact hits as for shooting, meaning for each hit, a 5+ allocates it to the rider and 1-4 to the mount.

 

[RasputinII]

As others have said you can't allocate impact hits.