Good units for a Grand Alliance Order Army

[Widdershins]

So I'm pretty new to AoS (old WFB hand though), but the thought of diverse Grand Alliance armies really appeals to me. The new Blightwar box has me looking to get a bunch of Vanguard Stormcast units, which I like the look of more than the basic stuff. They seem pretty combined arms, bit of shooting, bit of melee, bit of cavalry. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on units from the rest of Order that would work well with the Vanguard Stormcast? Liking the look and the fluff is probably more important to me, but playing well together is important as well.

I'm also not fussed about having to use the Order allegiance, as the Vanguard seem to have a lot of movement/deployment abilities that means I wouldn't be relying on the Stormcast allegiance teleporting. And there's supposedly artefacts and the like in the new GHB so I'm covered there too.

What are some cool Order units that work well with the Vanguard Stormcast?

[GammaMage]

Loremaster (Eldritch Council) has a great spell to put on whoever your hero with the most damage is - let you reroll failed hit and wound rolls for a single model.

The Celestial Hurricanum (Collegiate Arcane) has a useful +1 to hit bubble.

Sisters of the Thorn (Wanderers) are pricey but good - ranged cavalry spellcasters whose spell gives a unit the ability to reroll saves, and on 6+ deal a mortal wound to the attacker.

If hordes become popular, the Bloodwrach Medusa (Daughters of Khaine) have an excellent gaze attack that rolls a d6 for every model in a unit, on a +5 they are slain. Can be fielded in units of 3 (but this is expensive moneywise, as they only come in the Bloodwrack Shrine kit).

[Widdershins]

4 hours ago, GammaMage said:

Loremaster (Eldritch Council) has a great spell to put on whoever your hero with the most damage is - let you reroll failed hit and wound rolls for a single model.

The Celestial Hurricanum (Collegiate Arcane) has a useful +1 to hit bubble.

Sisters of the Thorn (Wanderers) are pricey but good - ranged cavalry spellcasters whose spell gives a unit the ability to reroll saves, and on 6+ deal a mortal wound to the attacker.

If hordes become popular, the Bloodwrach Medusa (Daughters of Khaine) have an excellent gaze attack that rolls a d6 for every model in a unit, on a +5 they are slain. Can be fielded in units of 3 (but this is expensive moneywise, as they only come in the Bloodwrack Shrine kit).

These are great. I read the stickied thread though, I was more hoping for good units, solid battleline stuff and good hard hitters across the Order factions. Like I'm not sure whether to get some Vulkite Berzerkers or a big blob of Freeguild Guard for example. Not sure what would work better with a Vanguard Stormcast majority force.

[GammaMage]

Here are some more ideas for fast units that can keep up with Vanguard. (I may have an elf bias.)

The Drakespawn Riders (Order Serpentis) are pretty tanky, with 4+ save, rerolling 1s and 2s in the combat phase. Just drop a Mystic Shield on them and they're very hard to to bash through. 10" move is slightly slower than Palladors, but you can't have everything.

The Frostheart Phoenix (Phoenix Temple) has a Blizzard Aura that gives enemy units -1 to their wound rolls. It also hits hard, and if there's an Annointed riding it, it has a 4+ ward save against both wounds and mortal wounds.

If the Medusae is too slow moving for you, try some Doomfire Warlocks (Daughters of Khaine). Their Doombolt spell casts on a 5 like Arcane Bolt, but automatically deals 6 mortal wounds if the target unit has 10 or more models.

The Knight-Venator is also really cool. She's not Vanguard, but is worth trying out if there are pesky wizards you want to snipe. Once per game she can shoot a Star-Fated Arrow. 30' range, hits on 2+, wounds on 3+, -1 rend, but D6+3 damage against a hero. Not guaranteed to hit, but I've lost a sorceress on turn one to it before.

 

[Nasnad]

12 minutes ago, GammaMage said:

If the Medusae is too slow moving for you, try some Doomfire Warlocks (Daughters of Khaine). Their Doombolt spell casts on a 5 like Arcane Bolt, but automatically deals 6 mortal wounds if the target unit has 10 or more models.

It is the doomfire warlock unit that have to have 10 or more models for the auto 6 mortal wounds.

 

but all the Collegiate arcane units are good choices.

But you could make a stormcast army, and ally in any order units, or make any order alligence army, and ally in stormcast

[GammaMage]

Now you got me paging though the Order Handbook and I came across the two-page splash of the "Azeryheim Lancehost", now I want to build a fluffy Order cavalry army. Can play Reavers as the generic battleline units, then add in Dracothian Guard, Dragon Blades, Drakespawn Riders and Demigryph Knights. Dragon Noble and Lord-Celestant on Dracoth as heroes...

[Criti]

 I'm actually considering finding a place for a Tenebral Shard if I can.  Its rules are not terrible, the model is awesome, and I've never seen anyone field one (which is more than enough reason to try it out in my book).

Plus, I'd love to see the look one my regular Death opponent's face when a Shard just pops up next to his Necromancer that he likes to keep way back behind LoS blocking terrain.

[GammaMage]

I've been playing one. Don't send them after big guys - they seem best at taking out stuff with weak saves, like wizards, certain battlelines, and other assassins. Like Chameleon Skinks who pop up and try to shoot my sorceresses in the back.

Sad they not allies with Darkling Covens.