Turragor

This is all good stuff. After dialling in your ranges (at deployment and each time you move the dragon - you want to always have lantern and lineage in range. Ideally Azyrite Halo but maybe you're doing a repeat comet cast), overall army deployment is pretty important. You're playing an interesting game of poker as the enemy will often choose who goes first and I personally have found Starcast is one of the few lists where you want to deploy defensively and take turn 1. Usually you deploy aggressively if you want turn 1. The most common is to deploy defensively, give away turn 1 - let enemy come to you. So in that sense I am almost always given turn 1 and the enemy is often ready for their first hero phase - bunkered in a lovely explodable mass of flesh. But, until Starcast gets popular and ppl know (then I need to think more) you want to be ready for going first but not make it obvious you are going first so the enemy takes it, buffs their units and splits up. Basically I usually have castellant with gryph hound and LCoSD deployed cautiously for warding lantern if Im given r1 but out of reach of enemy threats if enemy takes r1. Ill have the caster (if solo) deployed out of range of all enemy casters (usually last model down) and in range of drake(s) arcane lineage buffs. I rarely fail to cast comet if given r1. If two casters I'd have one within walking distance of unbinding the comet r2 hero phase. This caster wouldn't be the comet caster. Comet range is wholly within 36 iirc and range 10 so 46 in effect. It is never out of range in my experience. Prime Ill have in the sky always. So that's 4 units on the ground (ish) and the rest I usually adapt to enemy list. With 4 on the ground and the prime aside, my 9 drop list can have the rest in the air to guarantee reaching objectives r1 (unless its like duality where I want one unit to move onto the obj and not deploy to count as in control of it at end of round). In the air is great for waiting until r3 to take undefended objectives. However, maybe I want a screen if its a fast aggressive list. Sometimes the libs are just roadbumps and 1 hero holds an objective as the opponent tries to get their head around their missing buff support. Sometimes I screen the rest of my army with my drakes (a strange but effective screen if the enemy wants to eliminate my other weaker supporting units first. Most of the action - your dream start - with this list is a great shooting phase r1 after a strong comet drop.

Well we didn't establish the quality of the age, just that it is dawning and it is new.

I think you've nailed it, it's the dawning of a new age, the age of cometcat lists

IF they can dispell they are a very good addition to the list (without a LAoCD). They pack a bit of a punch, they throw out more mws, they are fast & they can dispell the comet or use another lore spell. They're a 10 wound (they lose wizard status at 1 model) crazy combat wizard.

I love this idea it's a really interesting "boomerang" concept. One question - given their absurd movement (for SC) aren't they going to be able to get where they need to go anyway? And if you eliminate the right target first (the toughest), the 2nd on the target order shouldn't require as many buffs as it's less threat? This is one of the big strengths of a list like this for me. I'm sitting messing with Starcast lists just to give me an excuse to finish painting 15 Sequitors and get rid of the 15 libs but to do so I need a LA general and that's just a bad way to play the lists I make.

I tend to use CP for 6" runs for objectives and rr 1s to hit on the Prime - it's not that great but I'm usually satisfied with spending them thusly

I am 90% 55% 0% sure I read this in a designers commentary somewhere but units that can be wizards don't get a dispell right? Just a warscroll spell, lore spell (if applicable) and an unbind. Re: Keeping Starcast's nature and having the kitties and LAoCD as a hammer, I like to break my SC lists into components. At the simplest level the components are: LCoSD & Castellant Comet & Caster Drakesworn Templar & Ethereal Amulet Celestant Prime The 3 Wise Lib Units All those elements go into my main list but bar the libs you can swap out for other components and test effectiveness. You also have points (100) for: The final piece of the puzzle (if you like 30 rock - what a great show - think "The third kind of heat") The final piece for me varies and depends on whether I've swapped out ONE of the 4 swapable components above. Basically if I go pure starcast I have 100 points flexible and if I swap any one of those elements I suddenly have upwards of 500 free. I would suggest ppl trial the LAoCD and 3 - 6 Evocators on Dracolines as a component and see which of the above are worse off than that choice. If none of them are worse off, then it doesn't mean the kittybomb isn't a great component but more it dilutes Starcast's "point" enough that you're into good hybrid list territory and focusing on that hybridity will yield more benefits than trying to adhere to any Starcast gameplan. Basically I'm saying we (well "we" but "I" personally don't have the models and won't add more SC to my 6000 or so points of SC until probably a new tome is out anyway), I'm saying we try out a variation of Starcast - give it a cool name to make ppl enjoy the idea (Starkittens) - and if it feels worse than playing a pure cat list or pure SC list then explore what a hybrid list can offer over in the likes of this snazzy new thread

Can keep the different schools of war pure for new users looking for non-shootcast Ofc there's crossover. Given all the ideas I've seen suggested since I started this thread, I've kind of got Starcast categorised as follows in my head: List always has at least one drake IF one drake, list has the Prime IF two drakes, list sometimes has the Prime List always has comet and caster(s) List often has only 3 x 5 libs But ofc, interpretations differ. Starcast is a lot of chip mortal wound dmg with a stardrake (at its core)

Can confirm, I beat Changehost in the extra rend host pre-FAQ with the Starcast list a page or so back (with 6 hurricane raptors)

Hey man! I think your list looks real balanced, it's worth playtesting I always say that. What I find is that with our tome, we really want to specialise rather than try to cover all the bases. It seems like you want to test Starcast (rain of stars and a comet - with 3 casters so you get it each turn - is an acceptable start) but enjoy the punch of the dracolines with the LAoCD. So we might focus on those 3 elements - the Dracolines & LAoCD, the Stardrake & Castellant, the comet & SC caster(s). Looking at your list I see some things I might trim to pump up what you've cut out (6 to 3 dracolines). One of the unfortunate "trademarks" of starcast is the bare minimum 300 pt battleline investment. I've dabbled with juds then a big unit of libs, considered other experiments, but it's investing in things that just sit there on objectives or act as road bumps. I am not a huge fan (could just be playstyle related). So I'd maybe trim your list down to 300 on 3 x 5 libs. I'd also consider removing 1 incantor and taking a 100 pt or 80 pt allied caster. Maybe the spellweaver like I'm considering. I think that's 260 pts. Which I'd go ahead and use (for your first playtest) on 3 more Evocators on Dracolines. You could also consider running two casters and then just taking a Prime buuut I think that'd be weaker without making more changes to your list and ending up with just ... my list I spose lol A nice alternative is to take the Heraldor instead of the Spellweaver. Here's my feedback list then: You make me want to paint up the dracolines and try this out They add something Dracoths don't (another caster, a bit more speed and punch).

Thats a good point. To unbind (if opponent takes turn 1) the incantor would need to be in range. In turn risking the chance of an unbind on comet (if Im given turn 1).

Spell weaver is 100 I think. Also the axe has saved me many a time with the 2" pile in reduction Edit oh I can take incantor and the skink starseer (only 80 pt caster option I believe)! That might be nice. Before the new tome changes the points.

22nd Feb is the year's 2nd one day tournament locally. I'll be taking Starcast again and I'm going to try basically my regular list with the extra 100 pts undecided: I've tried Heraldor and I'll admit, he's a great compliment but I'm leaning towards trying to get 2 casters here. And there are a lot of allied choices. I've a model I could proxy as either a CoS Battlemage (Hysh, Aqshy or Ghur being interesting realm spell choices) or a Wanderers Spellweaver - just for the dispell and the once per battle unbind a la Incantor. There's also a few more interesting choices (but I would need to acquire and paint models probably as they don't fit my proxy's "style"): Anointed - a dispell/unbind bot with a 4+ ward save (helps against the mirror match - or another opponent with a chip mechanic). Dark horse choice here. Sorceress - Word of pain can give a swell -1 to hit Ishrann Tidecaster - Same thing as sorceress but with a wound ignore mechanic like the Anointed (but much weaker) Skink Starpriest - Starlight spell is like Tidecaster/Sorceress but damages only chaos. I think the range is best here (20") I'm a bit undecided. I reckon the auto unbind is pretty top notch. And I want them to be a dispell bot but having a nice spell besides arcane bolt and mystic shield (I mean, mystic shield is kinda clutch on the templar - I could suddenly switch it up and give them the Warding Lantern and Mystic Shield) is a flexible thing. Any thoughts?

yeh Im sticking with staunch defender from now after a flirtation with anvils of the heldenhammer. I think defensive compliments what the list does best.

Awesome Which of the 2k lists did you end up taking? It's the purpose of this thread, it's a viable way to play SCE right now (imho) and depending on your matchups you'll do as well as Anvilstrike will. That's been my experience in each tournament I went to last year (and 1 this year) that had my starcast and a handful of other SCE lists - majority Anvilstrike: I've the same results as the Anvilstrike players.

I forgot to ask which armies you met and won against?

Nice work! I like the list. Worth a play test. At1250 there isnt much you can do with your points! I think the only trimming you can do is to drop the lifeswarm and knock the incantor down to an exorcist. Only 70 pts extra. Might give ally options (another caster to dispel the comet would be ideal). Or let you take juds instead of 1 unit of libs for instance. Anything else is a different list entirely.

That's prob why sc seem more impacted than other armies (who are in the same boat, all boards read the same really): Elite armies roll fewer dice

I think he's touching on the toxicity of video/ pc gamer culture? Wargamer culture has its own dusting of the same ofc but its nothing like the scale of the other. At the same time, you'd probably play a lovely game with a video gamer and not know they'd call you all the names under the sun if you were instead playing Dota. Once you treat games just like other media and not an idolised thing, the Stockholm syndrome wears off. Games can still be cool and interesting experiences but Video game culture sucks I mean it was a great thing, a cool counter culture comfort, at one time. Now it's something less cool. It took a wrong turn. Just some fresh, half baked personal opinions for you early in the morning not at all rumour related ^^

It's almost like they're TRYING to make fun of the faction

Back to your basements, nerds (haha)

Once per turn is both yours and opponents. Unless an ability is "in your turn". Shield wall is "You can use this command ability at the start of the combat phase" not "your" so it's something you can do in both. That's AFAIK anyway. I have yet to play OBR, just painting up.

I like it, if I had the time to paint em I'd try an afflicition cyst like this. For turn 1 deepstrike in the mix

that's neat, Ive never seen that before

Heres some spontaneous but simple changes to that list. Swap 1 incantor to an exorcist and drop the purple sun. Then take 10 More skinks. Alternatively, drop the sun and the skinks and add the comet and play for a triumph. I mean im a huge fan of trying ideas out on the board more than once. But I'm wary of the sun when you have a drake. Endless edits in scrollbuilder prove nothing. One game proves nothing. Tbh playing each scenario once against every faction "proves" nothing, but the more you play your "own list" the better you get at knowing what works and doesn't without having to give up family and your job to play to find the best builds It sounds like an old Buddhist teacher on a mountain but as with most things it's about finding your own way 😛