Turragor

I want to say it is exciting because I love Deathriders but on Saturday a local tourney I was at had an OBR player place 1st with Nagash, Arkhan and 3x10 guard. I think that list with 25 deathriders above may have gained its core strength from a petrifex nagash. IE Take him in a petrifex OBR list and then 1100 points of whatever. That said, Im curious about how it plays. Id love to try it (with maybe Katakros, Arkhan and the deathriders - I like the new models).

Once he gets rolling other lists have no chance v him I think! But starcast takes the head off the snake, no general no waagh pts. He did try to split his heroes but the comet reaches like 22" in total diameter Anyway, my next plan is double caster as I want the comet every turn, it's already so impactful Rd 1. Maybe even a balewind. I didn't dispel and recast the comet at all on sat as I preferred to cast mystic shield or azyrite halo. I feel that with a very defensive prime (I misplayed him again in 2 matches) will improve my results again. 'm on the fence about losing out on double drake. It really feels like my list is "perfect" for what it aims to do. Its just learning to pilot it more and more. I'm 14 wins and 7 losses with starcast variants at 5 tournaments the last Yr. That's good but there are still some matches where I feel I could do better

I played a small tourney yesterday and Petrifex won (albeit a Nagash, Arkhan and 3 x 10 Mortek list) - but I equalled or bettered the results (2 wins 1 loss) of 2 of the Petrifex Ossiarch players with my kooky SCE Starcast list. I don't think they are super OP and new releases need time to settle. At the same time, wouldn't it be better if they levelled out the subfactions internally? Like even if Petrifex gets a pass (much as Hagg nar did) when we build an Ossiarch list, wouldn't it be nice to want to try null myriad, a wild Ivory Host list, or even a super cool mounted stalliarch list? I'd propose they swap Bludgeon and Temper Fury (Ivory Host) for instance. Something like that. Its still entirely possible that they get nerfed though. It probably depends on which GW design employee (and how influential they are) gets murdered by them at a grand tournament in their own free time.

Met sc list with 6 desolators and 6 dracolines last match. Major win on total commitment scenario. List is still grand. To improve to beat the stonehorn type lists (my pal was undefeated with his 6 and came in 3rd. Another list with 4 was 2nd place) would be more experiments. And I think its more than stormcast has in them at the moment. Spontaneously thinking of hurricane crossbows and aetherwings but the vultures and crossbows still mean you're not as protected as you think. Hm. Back to planning and otherwise painting ossiarchs. Lists from one day event: here Results for the one day event : https://tabletop.to/stockholm-slaughter-iii/ladder

Everything was bad ^^ Ish, I had v bad dice luck but honestly this isn't the list to beat 6 stonehorns Met great waagh r2. Major win. Lots of synergy from support heroes is my match up of choice lol

Ok 6 stonehorns 2 stronk. He got the double and its over!

The tournament has realm artefacts banned. I'm running anvils starcast experiment build so no staunch! Means he has no ethereal though I've some ideas that might work but he reads the forums so I'll wait till after the match to share ^^

Yes there are lists starcast shouldn't do well against. I think those are the lists that give stormcast issues fullstop though. I look forward to seeing what I can or can't do v 6 stonehorns

I like the vortex idea with 1 caster. Speaking of cast bonuses, the grand convocation with 2 drakes test match i played, I was deployed near arcane terrain ^^ +4!

My own thoughts are that anyone that down and negative couldn't possibly ignore the barbs thrown in return for their mad posts. You can't be so zen and yet driven to post depressing cities of sigmar laments at the same time. At least I think so. So alas I think it's a troll.

Yes, tbh I can't think of a winning strat it's kind of self-flagelating haha I may tell my pal that I'll let the gods decide my fate instead First match is focal points so that favours him a lil too with everything so compact. Ill probably aim for double and deploy very deeply or split all forces. I will need the prime to be an assassin.. But the chip mw strat is put off with no discernable support chars and5+ ward saves. If I got prime into some near enough at the top of the double to charge and kill then activate heroes of another age and kill again then thats ONLY 4 left lol Ill need to get a charge in against things I want taken out but be wary of the metal cruncher as you said. He has +1 wound on all, +2 move and charge (then hungry on top). Wondering how he'll trigger his mawpot with this list? Not confident! May abort

In the name of science I've grudged my first matchup - against the list that worries me most. Enemy is: Starcast needs to work hard to beat this.

You deploy in the celestial realm using the warscroll battalion rules in this case. So no restrictions or R3 deadline. When you arrive on the board, you get the benefits of lightning strike deployment in scions rules (-1 to hit)

Yes you are right about Astral Templars in this case. CV are good but your save worsens only with the artefact - which you're not getting. I think Celestial Warbringers might bring something really interesting to the table, especially in the format you've laid out for us. I myself am testing non-staunch on Saturday and not having to worry about the charge when I am running scenarios through in my head is kind of freeing! That Petrifex get +1 army wide with no penalty is just so fantastic (to say nothing of "Bludgeon") - it was great meeting them yesterday.

Interesting event! In the 2nd list I assume you'd give Stormwinged to the Templar? I like the 2nd list because I've found that, when the 1+ rr1 immortal drake combo is messed with, Tempest Axe starts to become a nice alternate choice for melee survivability. I also like Incantors - I'll miss them on Saturday. You're still able to get a nearly immortal drake here because it's not just the high save but it's the castellant healing (if you take a castellant) that makes him immortal. Stormhost wise, without the artefact penalty, now might be the time for you to take one of the lesser taken hosts. I like Astral Templars and Celestial Warbringers on paper

If you take out the - usually unreachable - sources of buffs (enemy support heroes), even liberators become hard for opponents to shift. When you can't play the "combo-breaker" role, you end up losing. It's why Shootcast and Starcast are our strongest choices. If we go melee we've 0 ways* of removing those targets that pull all enemy warscrolls above ours (we have no offensive internal buffing to speak of really - not on the same level as OBR or Ironjawz for example). *Ofc that was the reason for the strength of our older lists, notably Hammerstrike when you could setup the prosecutors 9" away then the paladins closer - even into combat. Or the Azyros's old scroll period. Or the daisy-chain setup shenanigans of Vanguard Wing.

Okay, list for Saturday sent in. I'm taking my own advice and using a list I know inside out and making some minor tweaks/testing a few things. So it's Starcast - pure Starcast units wise - and then because I liked stormwinged and eating in hero phase a lot in my wildly different convocation list, I've given up staunch and an artefact (this is an event thats banning realm artefacts anyway) and opted for Anvils. I've added a Heraldor in with the points difference from the reductions after my last tournament with this list. Small tweaks, lets see how it does.

I think when you take these 2 at the same time, you're kind of embracing the Starcast spirit. I'm going to roll a dice to decide what list to take to my tourney saturday. Lists due in tonight. It is fitting given how Starcast feels at times. ... f*ck

Played double stormwinged grand convocation v tough ossiarchs : Petrifex Katakros Bone-returneroo Harvester Crawler 20 guard 20 guard 40 guard Battleplan starstrike. I can say it was tough going. I made mistakes (1st time with the list). Major loss but with some redeeming points. It may be a dark horse of a list! Basically auto casting some spells. Multi eating is king. Took out 40 guard over 3 rounds (from 2 units, I ignored one) but I struggled to remove harvester due to the healing. Prime would be desirable in that respect. But then I'd kill fewer guard. Hm

2 Drakes and 8 Desolators! This is some fun stuff. I think it'll do amazingly against some lists and then have issues against others. This applies to a lot of SC lists though, so again the thing to do would be test it out some, see how it feels. When I ran 2 Drakesworn and 6 Desolators, I found that it was hard to get 6 swinging into one target - and the debuff (drake's bow) is on a single target. So I'd have 60% attacks at 3+ and then the rest into a separate unit (if enemy is clumped) or not attacking. It would definitely be much better for the Dracothian guard shooting attack with 8 I think. Unless you meet units with big footprints. I'll have to test it to see if it really can be something, but it does feel like it could do 3 wins at a tourney. I think 4 would be tough. That said, isn't that the case for most SC lists? So in that sense, yeah, the price reductions for the dragons really let those who play my/our style find respectable lists.

Yeah I am nervous about dropping staunch. And when I do it almost feels (like that latest double stormwinged list) that I may as well drop the Castellant and the Lord Celestant with it. The whole thing works imo, parts of it together work much less so. So I've went for double drakesworn. However I'm not settled on mirrorshield. Maybe the Drakescale armour for reroll saves against >1 damage attacks... It pains me though, I love the thundershield. In fact I love the LCoSD so much, I might opt for Anvils and LCoSD, Templar and Prime. I spontaneously feel this is worse though.

My final idea for Grand Convocation and Stormwinged (bearing in mind my next tourney is banning realm artefacts): I actually unironically like this haha, in my head I can envision very interesting plays against most of the good lists out there. It's 6 drops, kind of average. You've a chance at a triumph (don't fancy maelstrom really). Hordes are totally pants-down doomed against this. Even mortek guard are kind of screwed if I get 2 drakes in and use the CA on each. That's pretty much 10 + guard gone from bites alone. Then 2 x Stormwinged pile in and the tailswipe and then the weapons and claws/fangs. If I want a magic heavy phase - +2 from drakes, +1 from battalion, comet, lightning blast (it's there twice so I've two casters who can cast comet and the other can throw out a lightning blast - lets me position to cover almost all board), Chain Lightning. Prime Electrids bolt. The Arcanum can throw out -1 to hits (I hope). I've 2 auto-dispells to mess with hallowheart for example. New Tzeentch may disapprove too. I've some mirroshield in there for Kharadron and what they may bring. Monstermash lists (like Mawtribes with just stonehorns) are a threat but double drake CA should handle some and really distract 'em. Hm. Downside: this is a new list for me and switching over will be rough I'll not know if it's a better bet than traditional starcast or even (my other battalion for stormwinged x2 idea) Thunderhead Brotherhood with an unkillable Drake. Oh and if it wins anything stormwinged will be FAQd /Edit - is it wrong to think "Staff of Focus" for the first comet?

I like it, I think it's a strong, balanced list. My only feedback would be spells, I don't like Stormcaller or starfall when you've 2 casters and a comet. Ideally you'd be (if aggressive) casting the comet just outside an enemies unbind range, then moving an incantor up to dispell it and recasting it the nxt round. All game. With 1 incantor I might consider a spell like Chain lightning or lightning blast for when you cast outside the dispell range (after a move or run the turn after). Or I'd take something supportive. I reckon you could do with celestial blades on one of the incantors. Prime Electrids makes Arcane Bolt a decent spell on the Arcanum. Then Azyrite Halo or Celestial Blades on the other. Lightning Blast maybe if you want early game impact (one casts comet, the other blast r1). In that sense, I think it will do as well as any strong, balanced SC list will do. I tend to think of tournaments as a bench mark (so 5 games, a good range of strong opponents, top tier opposing armies). I think your list is in the same 3 wins in good hands, 4 in expert hands area category - all depending on match up etc. On paper what I made in Starcast is less balanced (hyper focused on one thing), but I've played it a bit and got it to that level too. I'm hoping to do 4 wins at a big tourney with it (I've only done 4 wins in a 20 person ish event). My main advice is to try a strong list you like out and see what works and doesn't. Then tweak it. Play 20 good competitive games with it with minor tweaks. Alter 100 pts at a time. It's not like there's a single win-all list we SCE players can roll with & I don't really have a lot of armies to choose from (1k Mawtribes, ... 2kNurgle - lol - and OBR is unpainted) so I've found it kind of fun to treat Stardrakes (long maligned) as a puzzle to complete, a code to crack. This thread is where I've ended up!

I certainly would! my first impulse was just on buffing combat drakes

Ok I did it (I think). Its back to starcast sort of. Double stormwing anvils in the mix... Starcast 2: Prime Electrids Boogaloo (anvils of judgement) Allegiance: Stormcast Eternals- Stormhost: Anvils of the HeldenhammerMortal Realm: UlguLeadersLord-Arcanum (160)- General- Trait: Deathly Aura- Spell: Azyrite HaloLord-Exorcist (120)- Spell: Celestial BladesKnight-Incantor (140)- Spell: Speed of LightningKnight-Incantor (140)- Spell: Lightning BlastDrakesworn Templar (420)- Tempest Axe- Artefact: Soulthief- Mount Trait: Storm-wingedDrakesworn Templar (420)- Tempest Axe- Artefact: Sword of Judgement- Mount Trait: Storm-wingedBattleline5 x Sequitors (130)- Stormsmite Mauls and Soulshields5 x Sequitors (130)- Stormsmite Mauls and Soulshields5 x Liberators (100)- Warhammer & ShieldBattalionsGrand Convocation (130)Endless Spells / Terrain / CPsEverblaze Comet (100)Total: 1990 / 2000Extra Command Points: 1Allies: 0 / 400Wounds: 83