Beastclaw Raiders List

[Konic]

Hi guys 

This is my first AoS list, i'm looking for opinions and advice from more experienced players and what you guys think  / may change in the list please. I'm not particularly trying to make a very competitive list, however i would like to obviously win games where possible.

x2 Mournfang's - Gargant Hackers, Horn

x2 Mournfang's - Gargant Hackers, Horn

x2 Mournfang's - Gargant Hackers, Horn

x2 Mournfang's - Gargant Hackers, Horn

x2 Mournfang's - Gargant Hackers, Horn

x1 Frostlord on Stonehorn (General) (Artifact: Talisman of Protection)

x1 Huskard on Thundertusk (Blood Vulture)

Destruction Allegiance: Rampaging Destroyers

Command Trait: Ravager

That's a total of 1640 points. I believe I've chosen the correct number of units required for matched play, however if I've made any mistakes please do point them out so i can learn from it. 

The general idea is to keep the mournfang units close to my frostlord or huskard to benefit from the rampaging destroyers and ravager traits and just basically try to take objectives or charge with them as much as possible. The huskard on thundertusk is there to provide some range and support. I believe its also possible for me to take the Beastclaw Raiders Allegiance if i so wish instead of the Destruction Allegiance? 

 

[heywoah_twitch]

This is good, mournfang are quality after the point reduction, msus are ideal in my opinion, and huskard tusks are best tusks. The frostlord is the only questionable choice, a huskard being probably more cost effective. You lose the good spear attacks and some durability, but gain 80pts and the nice line breaker ability. Ppref.

I would recommend BCR allegiance. Fishing for the 3" move with everwinter master is a legitimate strategy and our artefacts aren't terrible. 

You have an enviable amount of points left over, which could be allies (butcher, ogors, or grots are most common, or the whispered troggoth hag in the darker bcr circles) could be a second thundertusk with some rearranging, or a skal with a bunch of inexpensive frost sabers that can babysit objectives without stranding too many points away from the action.

Even without a skal (some consider the hunter to be a bad warscroll only chosen for his powerful deepstrike), a number of frost sabers are recommended for some useful bodies to run around. 

Our main weaknesses are low model count, enemy hordes, battle plans, low army wound count, universally inaccurate weapons, lack of wizards, totems, synergistic buffs.  Our strengths are hitting really hard when we don't miss, frost-wreathed ice, decent mobility, being really fun, and decent mortal wound potential.

So making your list with this in mind can be helpful. 

[Konic]

Thanks for your advice.

I have been debating which variations to take in regards to Stonehorn or Thundertusk options. I really like the Thundertusk model and somewhat dislike the Stonehorn one, however i can't ignore the combat potency of the Frostlord on a Stonehorn. 

I think taking a Huskard on a Thundertusk will probably be very likely for me as i like the play style of it and the buffing options available.  In regards to Frostlord or Huskard on Stonehorn, i'm not 100% sure which option yet...

I do prefer the BCR artifact options, however on paper Rampaging Destroyers paired with Ravager seems better and more reliable than fishing for 3" movement from Everwinter Master, when 3" is pretty much guaranteed as the worse case scenario with Rampaging Destroyers + Ravager?

What do you think about Beastriders on Stonehone or Thundertusk? Are they worth the points?

 

[heywoah_twitch]

Beastriders on thundertusk are not worth the points, as they lose the healing ability. 

Beastrider stonehorn are still fine since most of the strength of anything on a stonehorn is the d6 mw on the charge, the great horn attacks, blood vulture, and move-run-charge, all of which the three types have. The problem is after stone skeleton nerf I've found them too weak without an artefact (beastriders) or not worth 460pts (frostlord).  Whether it's just better to have their points worth of mournfang instead has become a more common question, and one I think might be affirmative. 

With the caveat that Thundertusks fit a different role in an army, they are definitely superior to Stonehorns, and tusks buff each others healing roll as well. 

I prefer army wide 3" on a 2 in 6 with reroll over per unit on a 6, but luckily that's the kind of thing you aren't modeling so you can try both since they're just abilities. 

[Anaticula]

1 hour ago, heywoah_twitch said:

Beastriders on thundertusk are not worth the points, as they lose the healing ability. 

So you would not take Beastriders (Tusk) to support your Huskard (Tusk) for healing on a 3+? Would you take another Huskard instead?

 

[Konic]

I've just read the Stonehorn Errata:

‘Stone Skeleton: Halve the Damage characteristic (rounding up) of weapons that target this model. In addition, halve the number of mortal wounds this model suffers from a spell or ability (rounding up).

I'm guessing that "weapons" in the FAQ refers to close combat weapons only and not ranged? As i don't have experience on this, it doesn't seem too much of a nerf on paper. Without trying it out i won't know ofcourse. So perhaps a Frostlord on Thundertusk with a Huskard on Thundertusk will be the way forward. On a modelling point of view, i like that! Thundertusk's do look awesome. 

I would agree about taking Mournfang Packs over Stonehorn Beastriders aswell, seems like a better points investment overall to me. 

[heywoah_twitch]

2 hours ago, Anaticula said:

So you would not take Beastriders (Tusk) to support your Huskard (Tusk) for healing on a 3+? Would you take another Huskard instead?

 

Yes, huskards would buff each other and each get a chance at healing for only 20 more points! 

As for stone skeleton, damage 1 weapons just ignore halving, so it makes the mighty stonehorn terrified of Battleline idiots with like rend 1 damage 1 weps, doubling down on our weakness to hordes and being outnumbered. 

[Konic]

5 hours ago, heywoah_twitch said:

As for stone skeleton, damage 1 weapons just ignore halving, so it makes the mighty stonehorn terrified of Battleline idiots with like rend 1 damage 1 weps, doubling down on our weakness to hordes and being outnumbered. 

Ahhh i see what you're saying. Indeed that would be a real annoying situation to have your Stonehorn be killed in.

[RoyalDachshund]

Poor ol' Stonehorn. Half his price worth of chaff can eat him in one turn. While he can still run in and eat an HVT in one turn (even without the BB) he is also 460 points waste if the enemy has some screen and/or good positioning. It's, in my opinion, a hit or miss and I've decided to drop Stonehors off my lists entirely. There is either no second turn for them, or they are highly handicapped due to 1 wound peashooters

 

11 hours ago, Konic said:

I've just read the Stonehorn Errata:

‘Stone Skeleton: Halve the Damage characteristic (rounding up) of weapons that target this model. In addition, halve the number of mortal wounds this model suffers from a spell or ability (rounding up).

I'm guessing that "weapons" in the FAQ refers to close combat weapons only and not ranged? As i don't have experience on this, it doesn't seem too much of a nerf on paper. Without trying it out i won't know ofcourse. So perhaps a Frostlord on Thundertusk with a Huskard on Thundertusk will be the way forward. On a modelling point of view, i like that! Thundertusk's do look awesome. 

I would agree about taking Mournfang Packs over Stonehorn Beastriders aswell, seems like a better points investment overall to me. 

The are two kinds of weapons in AoS - Melee, and Ranged. FAQ is not pointing one type, meaning its both. Sadly

[Kessler]

How about Huskards on Stonehorns, bigger mournfang units and stonehuskards' line breaker ability (after stonehuskard attacks, can immediately choose 1 unit of mournfangs to attack)? 

Has anyone tried it? A bit more expensive than beastriders, but  nice ability.  

[Konic]

Stonehorn going down in one turn... sounds awful. I wonder if taking frostlords on anything is wroth it at all. Perhaps going with Huskard's on thundertusks would be the best choice, and MAYBE one huskard on stonehorn for the line-breakers ability?

[heywoah_twitch]

Line breaker is a little tricky to pull off, since in a race, the stonehorn is getting into combat a turn before the mournfang. Its more of a later game set up than crashing in with everyone t1, and sometimes the huskard is still alive and sometimes he isn't. That being said it can be pretty damaging if you pull it off!

Frostlord on thundertusk is way not worth it - they don't have the heal! 

[Malakree]

Allegiance: Destruction

Leaders
Huskard on Stonehorn (380)
- Chaintrap 
Huskard on Stonehorn (380)
- Chaintrap 

Battleline
4 x Mournfang Pack (320)
- Gargant Hackers 
- Beastclaw Raiders Battleline
2 x Mournfang Pack (160)
- Gargant Hackers 
- Beastclaw Raiders Battleline
2 x Mournfang Pack (160)
- Gargant Hackers 
- Beastclaw Raiders Battleline
2 x Frost Sabres (40)
- Beastclaw Raiders Battleline (Icetooth Hunter General)
2 x Frost Sabres (40)
- Beastclaw Raiders Battleline (Icetooth Hunter General)
2 x Frost Sabres (40)
- Beastclaw Raiders Battleline (Icetooth Hunter General)
Stonehorn Beastriders (360)
- Beastclaw Raiders Battleline

Battalions
Jorlbad (120)

Reinforcement Points (0)

Total: 2000 / 2000
Allies: 0 / 400
 

Can run and charge to try and fix the problem of Stonehorns and mournfang hitting at the same time. Also gives you the second Artefact. 

The 3 frost sabres are there because 120 points is a bit awkward and it gives you small fast units to hold or take poorly defended objectives.

[Konic]

Would the Huskard on Thundertusk be able to cast the Winter's Endurance and Winter's Strength spells on himself?

[heywoah_twitch]

Yes, he's got the keyword and units are within range of themselves (as per the faq). This is why I kept on about how the Huskard is the best one because they can heal themselves to climb back up the damage table for that ice cannon! I run 2 huskards on tusks and the leader with pelt, I've healed him up from half life to full on some lucky hero phases, making the next shot do the full 6 mw instead of d3 was really significant!

[Konic]

How should a huskard on thundertusk be played? Do you usually keep him out of close combat or do you charge in with the rest of the army?

I think i would prefer to play a very aggressive list where i just run straight at the opponent and get into close combat as fast as possible. 

[heywoah_twitch]

I've found opponents are constantly measuring 18+8 to the tusks, fearing their power and trying to stay out of range. Either avoid or line up a fast charge into it, as typical with any other scary unit. If an enemy lines up a charge on him, the tusk will be destroyed or greatly disabled with little issue. The times he lives with enough wounds to get real lucky on the healing next turn are rare enough that they become stories I tell like the above - so not a lot . I've charged him into a multi-combat before just to make sure the enemy unit ended up with less models within an objective or something, but he is awful in combat for a 400pt behemoth, and going into one is dangerous since the ice breath getting charted is so detrimental.

On turn one it's all about if you can get something cheekily into range with that 3" move roll. After that he's behind your front line. Opponents will try to out-range shoot him, stay away, or teleport/deepstrike/move-run-charge to him to suddenly take him out.

[Konic]

I think I'll take a Frostlord on Stonehorn and perhaps a Huskard on Thundertusk as support. I want to play an aggressive list with lots of Mournfang's and be in the opponents face as soon as possible. Keeping units back but within a short-ish range to cast the breath attack from the thundertusk seems like hassle, which in my opinion doesn't really fit into the BCR play style so much.