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Beastclaw starter advice?


Anaticula

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So, I've been mainly playing Ironjawz, and I got an offer to pick up the Icewind Assault Box for cheap. Now I've got it here and, despite it needs to be put together (which will probably take ages), I want to play it.

My questions to you:

Do you have any general advice for a new beastclaw player?

Is the box alone viable or does it need expansion for semi competitive play?

Are there any ways I should or should not put some of the models together?

Should I stay pure beastclaw or rather play them mixed with grots (considering competitiveness)?

Anything else?

Thanks.

 

 

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The general opinion is the BCR is overpowered.  But I think with each new battletome that comes out, we are seeing that it is just the new norm.

A lot depends on how competitive you want to play, and if you'll mostly do match play or open play.  You are going to have a small model count if you go pure BCR, so match play can be tricky regarding holding objectives in most scenarios.  Thus, for competitive play, people will mix in grots.  But when you do that in a "friendly" game, people might not want to play you.

What I did was get the IWA box and 1 box of mournfang. That gives me 2000pts easy without making people roll their eyes with 3+ heavies.  (I still win all my BCR games - but at least they are closer) (and I don't think there's a cheaper way to build a 2000 point list in the game).

Regarding assembly, it wouldn't hurt to magnetize the heads of the heavies, but they are heavy, so it's not easy. I think if I had to do it over again, I would put the double-saddle on both to give me the option of 2x riders, but no biggie.  I did magnetize the ogre butts and put metal strips in the saddles for everyone.

I run one stonehorn and one thundertusk, just for variety, and it makes it more fun for all. 2x thundertusk huskards hanging in the back dealing out 12 mortal wounds each turn (to me) isn't fun for anyone (assuming we are not talking tourneys).  

It's fun having your general on a stonehorn lead the way anyway - and it will wreck face like nobody's business, and you have the thundertusk advance in it's wake.

The inclusion of the icebrow hunter and cats with the Skald Battalion adds a fun dimension with popping up in the enemy's rear.  

 

In all, it's super-fun to play. There's not better LOOKING models either, IMO. Just be weary of turning your opponent off in friendly matches - water down your list accordingly. 

 

EDIT: last point - i modeled all my mournfang with the gargent hackers. I don't  know if the math supports that or not, but it seemed more in keeping with everyone dealing lots of damage with each successful wound roll.  And they look better too.

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I think that's right.  You can go full-out BCR hold-no-punches if your opponent has any of the newer army lists, i.e., Tzeentch Archinates, Sylvanth, the new Khorne, (I'm assuming the new sky dwarfs), SCE. . . . 

If he's using older war scrolls you can just tune your list down to make sure the game is reasonably balanced.

When I first ran BCR I played a guy with old dwarfs - infantry and cannons - and he didn't kill a single model of mine. I nearly tabled him b/c I went bottom of 1 then top of 2.   That's just not fun for either player.

 

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In regards to BCR being overpowered- imo poppy ******. Its not the army your using its how you use it. This army was my forst AOS army and remains my favorite and ive lost more games with them than i care to remember. 

The beauty of AOS is that you can take what some would consider to be a terrible list and still beat the big guys. Ive crushed a 40 man kunnin rukk army in a scenario i reeeally shouldnt have bedn able to win if power gaming is to be considered, it was the tactics i used and good dice rolls that won me the game. 

 

Every army has its strengths and weaknesses. A good player asseses those factors and creates a plan from there, and as always seems to be my thing, it never goes to plan xD. Im actually a fluffy fun gamer, im all about narrative armies in a matched play fun environment and ive never had complaints about taking pure BCR. 

 

Happy hunting my man

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8 hours ago, Karchev23 said:

In regards to BCR being overpowered- imo poppy ******.

I agree. They get a bad rap from being used in mixed destruction lists. But played as pure BCR you have very few models to take or hold objectives. There is only one hero that has a command ability, the Frostlord. 2 of your 10 units have only have 6+ saves. And although I love them the Mournfanges are over priced and will likley not change because no one plays them enough to complain. I am not saying they are not a though army, don't get me wrong.

 

 

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On ‎4‎/‎20‎/‎2017 at 4:23 PM, annarborhawk said:

EDIT: last point - i modeled all my mournfang with the gargent hackers. I don't  know if the math supports that or not, but it seemed more in keeping with everyone dealing lots of damage with each successful wound roll.  And they look better too.

I've actually run the numbers. Well, when I say run the numbers I don't mean I did the math, I'm terrible at math; I mean I've put it through a simulation that runs 100,000 rounds of attacks to determine what the average wounds per round is for each configuration.

 

The results show that the Gargant hacker does more damage per round on average unless you are having to roll 4 or more saves per round on that unit. At 4 saves per round the Iron Fist ability goes off enough times to equal the damage output of the gargant hacker (and at 5+ it exceeds it). But I would think those units won't be lasting very long if you are having to save 4+ wounds per round. So, I would think gargant hackers are far better.

 

 

Thanks for the advice on everything else. I picked up this box also. Upon reading the material in the Beastclaw book, I decided to run a list composed of the Torrbad (1 Huskard on Thundertusk, and 3 Thundertusk Beastriders) with an Icebrow Hunter and 15 Yhetees (which means I need to buy several more packs of Yhetees) but then I started thinking no one will ever play me if I run this. I think I like your advice and will go with a more diversified and less powerful list unless I'm headed to a tournament or facing a power gamer.

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15 Yhetees, Never though to try that. like the idea 5 units of 3, run 2 units together so you have 6,6 & 3 send the 2 6 packs at objectives and the 3 pack were needed. Only problem for me is the lack of model pose choices, will have to look at some yhetee convertions.

 

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