Diamonds in the Rough – Using Lower Grade Units

[Aldin]

First and foremost, I want to make it clear that I am not trying to Embrace the Suck with this article. Nor am I trying to incorporate units for theme or fun. Instead, it is my goal to identify the major types of tournament winning armies and scour the lower rated units for those that might be usefully employed in countering them. In so doing I am contending that bringing less well-known units to the table can be to your advantage in a tourney. This is due both to your opponent’s lack of familiarity with the unit and to the likelihood that few will design armies with counters to lesser-used units already in place. Because many tourneys do not allow Marvel units I am not considering them.
In examining winning (and second place) tourney armies, I identified four common winning army types, four cards that armies are built around and five common support units:

Army Types

Glad/Blast: Medium-sized soulborgs moving eight figs per activation and locking down small and medium figures. Normal ranged attack increases with adjacencies of allies. Defense of individual units is low to moderate (potentially five with adjacency and height).

Valiant: Based around the medium-sized 4th Mass and featuring four powerful, normal ranged attacks and average defense (as high as four with height).

Warlord: Based around the cheap, medium-sized Roman Legion and moving five figures per activation including any of several Warlords. Attack of the Legion is moderate (up to five with Marcus and height), defense ranges from two to five (with height). Warlords vary widely and include bonuses to Soldiers (among others).

Beast: Using the Arrow Gruts to activate Krug, Mimring and Swog Riders, the cheap, medium-sized base squad of three has relatively poor attack and defense (usually even if modified). Unlike the other three armies, most of the perceived power here comes from the Huge figures with which the AG bond. Mimring has a moderate defense, is mobile and has a ranged Special Attack. Krug has a low defense, high life and a steadily increasing double-attack.

Core Cards

4th Massachusetts: As noted above, features four medium-sized, powerful, normal ranged attacks, but with a “lower” defense. Lower is in quotes because one of the biggest reasons for using the 4th in a non-Valiant tourney army has been to add Raelin RotV for a net +1 to defense.

Marro Stingers: Ranged, medium-sized three attack/three defense common with a bit of boost potential.

Q9: Large-sized soulborg with seven defense, four life and a flexible ranged Special Attack.

Nilfheim: Huge-sized flier with a strong attack, moderate defense/life and a powerful ranged special that attacks three units with four dice.

Support

Raelin RotV: Medium-sized flier adding two defensive dice within four hexes. Decent attack and defense make her a reasonable clean up unit as well.

Krav Maga: Medium-sized ranged squad with average attack and defense but very difficult to kill at range.

Deathreavers: Cheap, small-sized, four-member-per-squad, common soulborg with moderate defense and the ability to move on the opponent’s turn.

Marro Warriors: Cheap, medium-sized four-member ranged squad with the ability to regenerate.

Kaemon Awa: Medium-sized with moderate defense. Features dual, four attack dice, ranged Special Attack.

What are the common features?

Average attack values: Most attacks are going to be two to four dice. Krug and Nilfheim are the most likely to throw five or more in a match, as needed.

Multiple attacks: Every Order Marker has the potential to yield three to five attack opportunities.

Low, but not too low defense: With the sole exception of Q9 (and potentially Ne-Gok-Sa in a Warlord army), these units all have defenses of four or less. Many have three. Only the Arrow Gruts will typically expect to throw fewer than three defensive dice. Raelin, if present, may boost values.

Little D20 reliance: The Stingers might use it. Ne-Gok-Sa gets it as a bonus. Otherwise it’s initiative only for the icosahedron.

Few large/huge figures: Any unit that has a special which works against small and medium figures only is likely to find units worth attacking in a typical tournament winning army.

So which C+ and below units have features that take advantage of some of the above?

Deathwalker 8000: Yes, he will eventually whiff a defensive roll, but he will rarely be facing more than two skulls from any given attack. At 130 points he is about 25% of the points in a 500 point army and you can afford to lose him if he has already performed his function – which brings us to his Special Attack. Since many of the units he will be facing have defenses of three, his ranged Special has a chance to really buzz through his opponents. From height DW8k might just be the distraction you’re looking for. Particularly strong versus Glad/Blast and Beast Bonding armies. Particularly poor versus Q9 and Nilfheim armies.

Johnny "Shotgun" Sullivan: For 65 points of filler, a bit more than 10% of a 500 point army, you get enough life to survive a few average attacks and a special that can easily take out some opponents who were unwise enough to clump up. At less than half the price of DW9k, Sullivan offers essentially the same attack power. Particularly strong versus Glad/Blast and Beast Bonding armies. Particularly poor versus Q9 and Nilfheim armies.

Elite Onyx Vipers: Because so much of the power of tourney winners comes from ranged attacks, the squad that is well nigh invulnerable to them might be interesting to consider. Here’s the unit to go after the Krav Maga or Raelin. Just don’t let them get locked down. Particularly strong versus typical support units (other than Deathreavers). Particularly poor versus Glad/Blast and Warlord armies.

Ashigaru Yari: Here’s a unit that needs some help, but for a mere 80 points you can have eight figures and the potential for either lots of average attacks or one big attack. Since you’re not facing a lot of big attacks, combining these guys with Raelin RotV can give them the strength to take on units like Q9 at a fraction of the price. Also, they are a unit that may get ignored by an opponent. Particularly strong versus Q9 and Beast Bonding armies. Particularly poor versus Glad/Blast and Warlord armies.

Deathstalkers: I’m actually a bit ambivalent about the robopups. My experience with them is that they die too easily (maybe because height is so readily abandoned for better Maul chances?). I suspect they’re better played like the Stingers – ignore the special and concentrate on the stats. Unlike the other units mentioned, committing to the Deathstalkers will probably cost you a significant portion of your army. I find myself envisioning three of them with Raelin and the Nakitas. Did I say Raelin? Like the Yari, the pups can really benefit from Raelin and with her should be fully capable of withstanding the typical moderate ranged attacks of a tourney army in order to do some real damage. Particularly strong versus Glad/Blast and Stinger armies. Particularly poor versus Nilfheim armies.

Dünd: The classic “bad” unit. Since so many tourney winners are based on many multiples of a single common squad and/or on most or all units bonding from a single squad Dünd should have the potential to be devastating. He’s another case of needing extra defensive help to boost his already good stats, but the possibility of wiping away an entire ROUND from your opponent is nothing to sneeze at. Particularly strong against any bonding or 3x+Common army. Particularly poor against Q9 and Nilfheim armies.

With the exception of the Deathstalkers, my suggestion would be that when you build an army for a tournament and are wondering how to handle a particular army type that you might consider figures from this list. Perhaps in your army with Raelin you’d consider 2xYari for 80 points of anti-Q9. Maybe the EOV are the solution to how to handle the KMA. Possibly Dünd shows up against the chance of running into 4th Mass x 7.

I was surprised to see how viable I think units with a defense of five or more might be against typical tourney armies if they have Raelin RotV in support pushing them to 7+. I’m used to thinking of her in terms of boosting units with low defense, not high defense (Q9 excepted). And I’m quite curious as to the reactions of other experienced tournament players. Did I miss a viable sub-B unit? Is one of my choices all wet? Would you consider any of these guys in a tournament army? Are the Yari enough better with Kato Katsuro out now that they’re gonna be off the list anyway?

~Aldin, getting an “F”

[Soul Shackle]

Nice article, Aldin. Very well-thought out and informative.

I can personally vouch for your DW8k recommendation, as he's quite a popular unit around here.

[Onion Knight]

Great post, Aldin. I have never even looked at those particular units as viable counters. Your idea of Yari x 2 instead of Raelin is great. I can't wait to try that because I have always hated spending an order marker on Raelin and having to fore go an attack.

And, I too, am ambivalent to the Deathstalkers.

Thanks for the ideas.

[Jexik]

There are some good ideas here, but I don't really see 2x Yari working against Q9 at all. You'll be very hard pressed to get three adjacent to him, (or even one or two I think). Unless it's Deathreavers, I'm not really sure if any common squad that costs less than 100 points is worth taking just two squads unless you run out of hexes and are already using it for another reason (like 2x Knights in a Valiant Army, or 2x B-trons with 3x Glads).

As much as the tournament winners tend to gravitate toward certain units, there is a bit of variation out there, and I think that hodgepodges with C units are going to be in trouble against a lot of things that people throw together or design with a lot of care.

Deathstalkers for example only seem to be worth it when your opponent has two or more of the following: an expensive medium hero, a high defense medium squad, a nasty special attack/power that cannot target large figures or soulborgs.

With all the Swamp maps at GenCon, Drudge might make a surprise showing. On Swamp water adjacent to a jungle tree, they're 3/4... even though they will end up surrendering height advantage there.

[IAmBatman]

Small note while I finish reading the rest of what's looking to be a very interesting post here - you know Nilfheim is not a "Valiant" figure, but a "Ferocious" one, right?

[playa1]

We recently had a "Gen Con Practice" session with a few friends and another very serious player and myself both included Dund in our armies. I felt it was finally time to use Dund when I lost to my Son's Orc Army for the fifth time in a row.

We found in just about every army build, that Dund lasted longer than expected and really affected the enemies choices. In one interesting game, my opponent placed all his order markers on his Hivelord (instead of his Nagrubs) because he was afraid of the order marker on Dund. It was in the late game. Surprise! It was the "X" and I was using Braxas! It was sweet. Also, I always spread my order markers around because it seemed that Dund was always within 5 spaces of someone I really needed.

I don't think a Crippling gaze was ever rolled, but Dund really changed the game!

[Soul Shackle]

Originally Posted by Jexik

Unless it's Deathreavers, I'm not really sure if any common squad that costs less than 100 points is worth taking just two squads unless you run out of hexes and are already using it for another reason (like 2x Knights in a Valiant Army, or 2x B-trons with 3x Glads).

Oh, I've got a great reason... money!

[IAmBatman]

It's interesting how some units can be game changers like that without actually doing what they're intended to do (as in get the D20 rolls necessary for their powers to have effect). I think Dund, Gurei-Oni, any unit with counterstrike, any unit with Mindshackle, Morsbane, and any unit with an area attack (Zelrig, Mimring, Shotgun, etc.) all can have major effects on how your opponent plays a turn just from a psychological standpoint. That's why I think Aldin was wise to put Shotgun Sullivan up there (even if Zelrig is maybe a little better at actually using his area attack). Pretty much ANY explosive attack, though, has the power to mess with armies based around Roman Legos or Arrow Gruts and Swogs, IMO.

[Jexik]

Originally Posted by Soul Shackle

Oh, I've got a great reason... money!

Irrelevant. Borrow from your friend(s). I have 4 squads of 4th Mass, but somehow managed to allow both my friend and I to each play 6 squads of them at our first tournament.

[Soul Shackle]

Money =/= irrelevant. You have a mortgage, youngster?

None of my friends own HS but me. And what about availability?

Also, I must agree that it may be difficult to get a Yari adjacent to Q9, much less three Yari.

[Jexik]

Originally Posted by Soul Shackle

Money =/= irrelevant. And none of my friends own HS but me. And what about availability?

How many people on this site have all the figures? How many people tend to go to tournaments? How many of them were planning on using the exact same squads as you? How many of them have PM boxes?

At the risk of divulging your army info, I'm confident that you can usually find someone willing to spot you a few figures. You don't paint these figures yourself. This isn't Warhammer.

Sorry for the threadjack. I should stop letting my friend borrow my Q9. Maybe he'd stop winning when I slip him Deathwalker 9000 instead.

[nyys]

I've run into plenty of people who don't feel comfortable asking others (who they don't know) if they can use their stuff. Granted most of us would gladly bring extra figures if it means allowing someone else to play in a tourney, but you can't assume everyone either knows or feels comfortable doing that.