Cavalry only - Thoughts?

[taintedtyphoon]

Now we can can get dracoths as battleline im toying with the idea of a fully mounted army. Has anyone tried it yet?

[Lucur]

On the Stormkeep podcast i saw a list with 2x2 Tempestors and 4 Fulminators, but our choices in mounted heroes are subpar. You most likely want a few support heroes and those are usually infantry. So sure, all cavalry can be done, but don't expect to 5-0 a tournament (but boi will it look fine )

Edited October 28, 2021 by Lucur

[readercolin]

Amusingly enough, someone already went 5-0 in a tournament at Warhammer Worlds with a dracothian guard list. (Ben Johnson - you can find the list originally posted on page 63 of the Stormcast Eternals 3.0 thread)

Allegiance: Stormcast Eternals
- Stormhost: Hammers of Sigmar
- Mortal Realm: Aqshy
- Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
- Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

Leaders
Lord-Celestant on Dracoth (215)*
- General
- Tempestos Hammer & Thundershield
- Command Trait: Skilled Leader
- Artefact: Luckstone
- Mount Trait: Aetheric Swiftness

Battleline
2 x Dracothian Guard Concussors (220)**
2 x Dracothian Guard Concussors (220)**
2 x Dracothian Guard Desolators (220)**
2 x Dracothian Guard Desolators (220)**
2 x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (230)*
2 x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (230)*
4 x Dracothian Guard Tempestors (440)*
- Reinforced x 1

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment
**Redemption Brotherhood

Additional Enhancements
Holy Command: Steadfast March

Total: 1995 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 1 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 103
Drops: 2
 

Note here that this appears to be a "narrative" list that the pilot was good enough to be able to run through a tournament to an excellent finish.  However, I will say that this is not the only way that you can run an all cavalry style list, though this one at least does have the advantage of being proven.  If you haven't done it already though, do be aware that Dracothian Guard can be a bit... involved... to paint, and you may regret deciding you want to paint 17 of them.

Moving away from being quite so heavy in Dracothian Guard, personally I've been building around them as well, and am waiting for them to get back in stock so I can get some more.  Here is the list I am working on building towards:

Allegiance: Stormcast Eternals
- Stormhost: Hammers of Sigmar
- Mortal Realm: Aqshy
- Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
- Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Lord-Celestant on Stardrake (500)*
- General
- Celestine Hammer
- Command Trait: Master of the Celestial Menagerie
- Artefact: Amulet of Destiny (Universal Artefact)
- Mount Trait: Light of the Young Stars

Battleline
4 x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (460)*
- Reinforced x 1
2 x Dracothian Guard Tempestors (220)*
2 x Dracothian Guard Tempestors (220)*
4 x Stormdrake Guard (570)*
- Drakerider's Lance
- Reinforced x 1

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment

Additional Enhancements
Holy Command: Steadfast March

Total: 1970 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 102
Drops: 1

This list was me deciding that I wanted to build around dragons (whenever they come out), and still field my stardrake.  That being said, if you don't care to run a stardrake (understandable... they are both expensive and not particularly great), another list that builds around fast cav that I plan to test out once I can get tempestors is this:

Allegiance: Stormcast Eternals
- Stormhost: Hammers of Sigmar
- Mortal Realm: Aqshy
- Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
- Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Lord-Arcanum on Celestial Dracoline (200)*
- Spell: Celestial Blades
Lord-Arcanum on Tauralon (285)*
- General
- Command Trait: Master of Magic
- Artefact: Amulet of Destiny (Universal Artefact)
- Mount Trait: Scintillating Trail
- Spell: Azyrite Halo

Battleline
4 x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (460)*
- Reinforced x 1
2 x Dracothian Guard Tempestors (220)*
2 x Dracothian Guard Tempestors (220)*

Units
3 x Evocators on Dracolines (280)*
3 x Evocators on Dracolines (280)*

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment

Additional Enhancements
Holy Command: Steadfast March

Total: 1945 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 1 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 98
Drops: 1

This drops the stormdrake guard for 2 units of evokitties, and brings a total of 4 wizards to the battle.  This has upsides in that it gives you 4 unbinds for your opponents, but has downsides in that it kind of wants to get its spells off, and running into lumineth or tzeentch with a list like this is going to feel kind of bad.

A last option to consider is to move away from the Dracothian Guard and focus more on the Vanguard-Pallidors.  These guys are battleline in Astral Templars, and depending on your local meta, making your whole army immune to Monstrous Rampages without needing Hunters of the Heartlands could be worth it.  If this interests you, this is somewhere you can start with that list (note, you still probably need dracothian guard for your hammer).

Allegiance: Stormcast Eternals
- Stormhost: Astral Templars
- Mortal Realm: Aqshy
- Grand Strategy: Hold the Line
- Triumphs: Inspired

Leaders
Lord-Arcanum on Gryph-Charger (195)*
- General
- Command Trait: Master of Magic
- Mount Trait: Scintillating Trail
- Spell: Celestial Blades
Lord-Aquilor (200)*
- Artefact: Arcane Tome (Universal Artefact)
- Spell: Azyrite Halo

Battleline
3 x Vanguard-Palladors (215)*
- Boltstorm Pistols and Shock Handaxes
3 x Vanguard-Palladors (215)*
- Boltstorm Pistols and Shock Handaxes
3 x Vanguard-Palladors (215)*
- Boltstorm Pistols and Shock Handaxes

Units
4 x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (460)*
- Reinforced x 1
4 x Dracothian Guard Fulminators (460)*
- Reinforced x 1

Core Battalions
*Battle Regiment

Additional Enhancements
Holy Command: Steadfast March

Total: 1960 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 2 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 108
Drops: 1

Note here that I haven't done any work at all in figuring out the best loadout for the Vanguard-Pallidors.  Additionally, there is the question of Fulminators, Concussors, or Tempestors, as arguments can be made for all 3.  This list is by FAR the most mobile, because both the Lord-Aquilor and Lord-Arcanum are mounted on Gryph Chargers, as well as all the Vanguard-Pallidors, meaning that basically half the army (points wise, 3/4 unit wise) can teleport around the field as they feel like.  This is definitely not an optimal build, but now that I've thrown it together I am debating about getting some Vanguard-Pallidors just to try it out, because it seems hilarious from a more casual perspective.