8th Ed. The Rat Ogre Dart (but scalier, and colder, with str 7)

[spawning of Bob]

The Spawning of Bob, renowned as he is for laziness (among other things...) wishes the servants of the Old Ones to analyze this:

Rat Ogre Dart


In short Rat Ogre Dart = Rat Ogre Uber-Champ followed by rank and file Rogre followed by beast handler (illustrations for... illustrative purposes only)

What is a Rat Ogre Dart for? Click the Link / Image above for Skaven squeeking and running away / discussion.
(I dare you to ask about the origin of the ShuNIAN-RAT.gif above. I double...I triple dare you....)


Bob's Executive Summary:

Rat Ogre Dart = Mobile heavyish hitter, hero hunter and Uber Chaff.
51.5 Skaven Slave cost, M6, T4, S5, W3, L6, Frenzy, Stomp, Stupid, no armour save (8str5 attacks at WS 4 (3), Initiative 5 (4))

It can do these things (and more):
O. Make chaff flee from charges (then double flee off the board with another Rogre Dart or Rat dart)
R. Put a dent in such chaff if they don't flee
D. Put a heavy support attack at the corner of a large block of combat (only 2 models can attack back (usually))
E. Heavy Flank / Rear support attacks
R. Hero Hunt like this:

a) Charge at the hero in a block.
b) No challenges? The Rogres attack at their initiative step. Everyone attacks the Rogre champ (because he is the only one in contact) Rank 2 Rogre is unscathed (excess wounds on champ don't flow onto the rest of the unit - BRB 93)
c) The enemy have a champion as well? Rogres challenge first.
i) Enemy champ makes way to respond? Champs duke it out, rank 2 Rogre attacks hero at his initiative step.(unscathed again unless Rogre Champ dies in the challenge - can that bog standard unit champ put on 3 wounds in one round?)
ii) Hero responds? Heroic battle against 5x initiative 4, Str 5 attacks. Rank 2 ogre (unscathed) hits body of Unit for combat res. Possible Combat res loss to overkill, ranks etc. Flee die etc. But that wizard / hero might be a red smear.
d) No enemy champion?
iii) Enemy hero challenges? Outcome as per ii) above.
iiii) No challenge? 1st and second rank Rogres attack hero (8x Str 5) at their initiative step. Even if Rogre champ dies early, 2nd rank (unscathed) gets his 3 supporting / step up attacks in.

Therefore, if the charge goes off, the worst case scenario is either:
iiiii) 3 supporting attacks on that hero / wizard at Str 5 and the block is pinned until next round of combat.
iiiiii) Roman Numeral Failure



Now what about a Krox Dart.....(3 krox in file including a Kroxigor Ancient)

Equivalent to Rogre Dart:
S. M6
O. T4
M. Stomp
E. Cuddly*

Better than Rogre Dart
D. Str7 attacks
I. Cold Blooded L7
C. Not Frenzied or stupid
E. If you didn't break, you are definitely hanging around for the next round of combat with worst case zero attacks (but you can lose 5 wounds in round 2 to higher initiative and still get in 3x Str7 attacks on that hero. If you lose only 2 wounds you get still get 6 attacks)
N. 4+ armour
O. I'll have a 'Wyssan's' please (cast 10+ for Str8 T5),
W. with a single shot of 'Hand of Glory' (cast 5+ for WS3+D3).

Worse than Rogre Dart
!) Max 7 attacks (not 8. Boo hoo)
!) Initiative. Initiative. I'll get back to you on that one...
!)** Price. For 80 SS you could have a snuggly* bastilodon, or 4x affectionate* ripperdactyls from Special, or 2+ affordable* razordons from Rare to do chaff clearing / assassination duties.


It is NOT a Cold One Bus. It is something else. Like Scalenex of Malodorex with an Air-Freshener....

Can the Krox Dart work for the First Race of the Old Ones?








* Not all Citadel Miniatures WHFB Monstrous Infantry, Monstrous Beast and Monster Models are Cuddly, Snuggly, Affectionate or Affordable. Please read product disclosure statements prior to purchase. Citadel Miniatures takes no responsibility for predation, immolation, toad rage or bankruptcy.

** Subliminal messages are bad.
Order Some Dice Now!!! or risk Qupakoco's wrath.

"Y'all want some dice? By that I mean, 'Y'all want some dice'."

 

[rychek]

Must find more spare model to sell... need funds for completion of compulsion.

 

[borkbork]

It allready works (to some extent) with common trolls.

And they are stupid and dont have options for champs and ever lousier I .
Its the regen that lets them survive.

 

[Scalenex]

All my best memories of Kroxigors involve beating the crap out of something bigger and scarier than a Kroxigor (Terrorgheist, Hell Cannon, etc). I don't think Kroxigors do great at fighting things smaller than themselves.

Still the thought of a Kroxigor dart is intriguing, I'll look for an opportunity to try it.

 

[NexS1]

min krox=3 = 10 attacks, not 7. Definitely put the 3rd krox in the second rank - there is absolutely no reason not to
"I don't get a rank".... you're looking for deathdealing, not steadfast over monsters.

That's my take on it anyhow, as i'm not a fan of having a krox not be able to hit when it may be the only chance he has to be in combat

 

[Scalenex]

min krox=3 = 10 attacks, not 7. Definitely put the 3rd krox in the second rank - there is absolutely no reason not to
"I don't get a rank".... you're looking for deathdealing, not steadfast over monsters.

That's my take on it anyhow

Logical. VC players on Carpe Noctern speak highly of Wolf Darts and they almost never have a complete rank. Steadfast is not a concern when "darting" whatever the creatures that make it up.

 

[NexS1]

that's fair enough. I just feel weird about putting a krox at the back that may never, ever fight, due to the fact that he is dead and they lost the combat (and flee)

 

[spawning of Bob]

The rat ogre dart goes champ / ogre / handler in a conga line. Done because the handlers are weak and squishy, I suppose.

Therefore they lose no effective attacks by doing so, but gain manoevreability, ablative wounds to magic and shooting (which I didn't mention before but works the same as for Razordons packs etc (the skink ward)) without giving 'free' combat res once they reach combat.

So yeah, 3rd Krox in line will never strike in the first round unless Krox champ is killed outright prior to ASL. But he will never get wounded in combat unless both in front die to Challenge+unit attacks or attacks at 2 different initiative steps.

The risk is losing combat, then fleeing and getting run down without lifting a weapon.

In round 2, Krox number 3 can combat reform to join in if that seems wise, or for that extra Str5 stomp.

The real question remains this:

Is a Krox dart better as a hit-squad, secondary hammer and chaff clearer / flank protector than Rippers, Basti or Razordons?