Jump to content

Ironjawz strategy/tactics thread


N_Watson

Recommended Posts

Hi all. I am an Ironjawz player in need of some help. 

For a bit of background, I am new to the hobby. Played fantasy way back when and have only just started playing and collecting again back in May. So I have been doing what most new people to the hobby do and playing small games and building up to a bigger army. 

I started with playing games of 1000 points when the generals handbook came out and have now started playing games of 1500 and 2000 as more people in my group and myself have started collecting more models. 

At 1000 points, I do very well. I think this is in part to playing on a smaller board and having to think about less things, but I am quite confident at this size. 

I have played 4 games above this size now against Sylvaneth at 2000, Sylvaneth at 1500, Bloodbound at 1500 and Beastclaw raiders at 1500. I have been decimated in all of them. Pretty sure it's a combination of bigger board and having powerful heroes with my Megaboss on Mawcrusher in 1500 or Gordrakk in 2000. I just don't seem to get enough done with them. 

Looking to use this thread to discuss tactics in generals handbook scenarios on 6,4 boards at 1500 to 2000 points. 

On a slightly more selfish note, I wouldn't mind some specific tips on how to use my lists. They are ultra competitive, and I could eventually change them to be a bit more competitive, but the hobby fund has run dry for now, and this is what I have, 

Gordrakk/Megaboss on Mawcrusher (Gordrakk at 2k and MBMC at 1500)

Warchanter

Wierdnob/Black orc Bigboss (Depends on what I am facing)

Megaboss

15 x Brutes

10 x Ardboys

3x Gore gruntas

 In my last game, I lost 3 gore gruntas in one turn to a stonehorn charge, then lost priority and lost 5 brutes and my warchanter to the same stonehorn. By turn two, I had lost a 3rd of my army without doing any damage and it all started by putting my gore gruntas in a place where they could get charged.

SO to summarise, how to you do the following:

- Deploy your units (in Escalation as well)

- Prioritise 1st or 2nd turn and what do you aim to do with each

- screen certain units so that they don't get picked off

- Utilise Gordrak/Megaboss on Mawcrusher to make them worth their point cost. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Deployment:

Speed on each flank, and then I make a big deathstar in the middle. I also keep the Goregruntaz as close to the Warchanter as possible, so they can grab his buff before shooting up a flank to get a charge. That +1 to hit really helps! I think drop everything else in the center of the board like a deathstar so they can support each other.

Turn: 

Lots of big gribbies I'll have to wound down a lot? I'll go second, for the potential 2 turns in a row so I can grind down the monsters. 

Lots of big units? I'll take first turn. I'd rather take a first turn charge while those units aren't buffed, and hope to battleshock them off the board if possible.

Screen:

Always screen the Heroes that give you buffs. I normally use Ardboys to either side or Brutes. I usually put the Brutes out front.

Mawkrusha: Only used it twice. Good for guarding a flank or on the first turn charge making units disappear.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't listen to the bonesplitta da only strageegree dey fink of iz which en' of da bone to put up der a***!

 

ardboyz: if they are for fighting then a line of 5 3/4 of an inch apart second 5 in the gaps so they are less than an inch from the contact point that way if charged you get all 10 fighting, if you charge you can pile in so everyone fights too. 

If they are for dying string them out around the flanks or anywhere so that peeps cant get past and into the hard centre. If your defending a line of 10 with gaps as before for brutes to peep thru or close b2b if the brutes have hackas so they can fight over the top. 

Any fighty foot characters towards the edge of a 10 but close in b2b so you cant get as easily tapped by the enemy but if they charge the ardboyz you can pile in on the edge. 

Brutes deploy these as late as possible (so you might need to leave a gap in your ardboyz) 5 or 10'its up to you but if 10 then as @Chris Tomlin get the inspiring presence on these to save losing them to battle shock they want a foot Megaboss nearby and are a prime target for war chanter. 

 

Goregruntas as should almost always attack the flanks of units you should be able to get all 3 within 1" around 32mm base which then limits the pile in back from enemy. Ideally you hit a unit survive they lose formation a bit pulling towards you then you hammer them with brutes from the front (if they chose to stay still that's fine as the gore gruntas and just grind away) 

i will be honest though a lot of what you are looking for here can only be obtained by having your a*** handed to you  a few times, as it is in defeat where you learn the most of how to better approach a situation next time. Romping thru everyone is the end goal but sometimes if you aren't pushed you don't really learn anything. 

 ironjawz are very strong at 1000pts as all our units are battleline at 2000pts we are competitive but not the strongest but at 2500pts I think we will swing back in power again because options like a solid 5 unit ironfist AND a brutefist become affordable and still keeping mawcrusha/gordrakk in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks @Dez and @Sangfroid

I do think your right, and I just need to get destroyed a few more times. I wouldn't have thought about any of the things that you mentioned though, like spacing models so that you can reach through with back ranks.

Really wish there was some battle reports with Ironjawz in them on youtube so that I could get a visual idea of how other people are playing them. Only seen one game so far and it skipped a few of the phases of the game. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think this thread can get summed up to:

Bash 'em wif da bashy bits, poke 'em wif da pokey bits, an' slash 'em wif da slashy bits.

I love Ironjawz for their raw brutality. With the Destruction battle trait and an Ironfist Battalion they can cover ground fast and bash the opponent in the dangley bits.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, thediceabide said:

I think this thread can get summed up to:

Bash 'em wif da bashy bits, poke 'em wif da pokey bits, an' slash 'em wif da slashy bits.

I love Ironjawz for their raw brutality. With the Destruction battle trait and an Ironfist Battalion they can cover ground fast and bash the opponent in the dangley bits.

I thought this to. At 1000 points I had no issues but I you roll poorely with your trait and ironfist on a few units and fluff one or two charges, I have been getting tabled. There's got to be some subtlety to prioritising what unit to try and charge first and know whether to move the full 2d6 in a turn or maybe just waiting for the next turn. I just don't know when to do this. 

Trust me, in every game I have sped across the board and tried to charge and lost lol. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, thediceabide said:

I think this thread can get summed up to:

Bash 'em wif da bashy bits, poke 'em wif da pokey bits, an' slash 'em wif da slashy bits.

Only if you use wimpy grots instead of propper boys. Me and my boy are harde enough we can slash you with the bashy bits and bash you with the pokey bits. And youj don´t even want to know what we can do with the slashy bits

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some good stuff in here and also, IMO, some misleading stuff!

@Sangfroid's post is very good advice and worth heeding (Including the bit about Bonesplitterz and what they get up to). I think the main misconception is just using all the extra move stuff to just push your army forward in a straight line and try to fight across the board. Sure, sometimes this will work (we have some super hitty stuff!) but IMO it's just a bit short sighted and doesn't often take into account the battleplan you will be playing, many of which will have objectives or areas of importance to control on the table. Once you've played these once you'll see that a slightly more reserved approach may be more beneficial....that's not to say there aren't times you will want to whack it all forwards!!

Screening characters with units is definitely worthwhile (and in some battleplans, such as Places of Power, is key), though in the case of the Megaboss and Ardnob, you do want to ensure you're not blocking yourself from attacking, so take note of this.

I am a fan of using Ardboyz to camp out any objectives in or near my deployment zone. They have the most wounds vs points we can get and a decent save, so are good for this role.

Units of 5 Brutes or Gore-Gruntas are good on the flanks. They offer the same wounds, the trade off being damage/speed - so again dependant on the battleplan and where the objectives are you may wish to alternate between the two. In order for the 5 Brutes to excel, you need to ensure you keep them near a character in the Hero phase to get the D6" (rule for life really!).

Then I think we'd expect to see 10 Brutes with Jagged-hackas (I have a list in mind with two of these units!) operating fairly centrally, buffed with Inspiring Presence, Warchanter, Mystic Shield (If you have a Weirdnob) etc etc. These can advance into the enemy and take most objectives, or hold ground centrally taking a lot of damage (Inspiring Presence key!), but usually putting out more in return, especially when supported by your Battle Brew supping Megaboss.

The Cabbage actually has quite a lot of utility and arguably is best on the periphery, mopping up smaller units and the opponents back field before getting stuck in late game. If you chuck it straight in, it tends to get bogged down and actually dies pretty quick.

Not really offering much more there I know, but some ideas. I'm no expert and am still learning Ironjawz under the General's Handbook (very different beast to Clash/SCGT etc) myself. Whenever I do play (though I'm mostly painting at the moment), I always tweet photos and report on the game in progress @the_black_sun - they don't give the full picture, but seeing the models on the table may help a little.

Have fun,

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks @Chris Tomlin. A lot of my trouble is a combination of bad luck and lack of forward thinking. 

Last game I had some poor roles for movement turn one and turn two not being able to move far up the board, so I held Gordrakk back as I didn't want to send him in to get swarmed by my opponents full army. He moved 10 tree revenants onto my table edge 9 inches from Gordrakk and rolled a 4 to charge. Rerolled the one and got a 6. Took 10 wounds off Gordrakk in turn two.... Lol. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...