Looking for 50pt Grim list advice.

[Hatred]

Ok so we have Borka and eMadrak lists in the bag and they are fun and competative.

I have an upcoming tournament and I really want to bring a Grim List and I just can not build a list I am happy with. I pretty much have access to all of the trollblood models/units. Some of the Minion units I would have to purchase if they are that crucial.
So I am asking anyone that has a great competetive list for some input.

[Hatred]

Really no one has run a Grim list that feels it is competetive at all?

[Valkine]

I'm also hoping to build a 50 pt Grim list (for Gen Con) but I've no real experience at 50 pts and very little with Mark II Grim. I'm currently considering something like:
Grim Angus (*6pts)
* Slag Troll (6pts)
* Troll Impaler (5pts)
* Earthborn Dire Troll (10pts)
Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (Cylena and 9 Grunts) (10pts)
Pyg Bushwackers (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
Trollkin Long Riders (Leader and 2 Grunts) (7pts)
Fell Caller Hero (3pts)
Horthol, Long Rider Champion (5pts)
Stone Scibe Chronicler (2pts)

The idea behind the list is that you use the Nyss and Bushwackers on either flank to pick off key support pieces (and possibly use the Nyss to charge in and kill some stuff if need be since they're no slouch in Melee) with the Longriders and Horthol charging down the middle of the board under Tale of Mists from the Chronicler. The Slag and Impaler hang back with Grim and take shots at key pieces of your opponents army. When it comes to the feat turn you use the Longriders to clear a path for the Earthborn to the caster, you cast the Slag's animus on the EBDT and you send him in for the kill. Not sure how well it'll work but it seems to make sense in theory.

[Nimor]

See, the problem is the larger the games the 'weaker' Grim becomes. In big games you will have problems to get the majority of your opponent's army into the feat, without endangering him too much. Additionally, his ability to snipe of key models has lesser impact in large scale games, where generally more solos and attachments are on the table.

This issues aside I've made the experience that the community is far more willing to post if the you post a list yourself from which they can criticize, etc.

Although I seldom play 50p at all (35p is standard around here, sometimes 42p) here is my take on your problem.

Grim himself is all about his feat, Headhunter (sniping solos/attachments) and his Snare Gun (knockdown) so yo will want to include models that capitalize on this key abilities.

With him I've made really good use of the Dygmies, not to say they're just brutal. They have a threat of ~26,5" from your deployment zone by turn two. While their MAT is lackluster, you can increase it easily via Feat, Marked for Death and Warcry. They wrack anything up to ARM 18 (even jacks) or masses of infantry with their 20 melee attacks. On top of that at six points they're dirt cheap.

Another unit I like to field with Grim are the Nyss Hunters. Feat and Marked for Death debuff your enemy, so that they are suddenly becoming MAT 9/8 respectively 10/9 Weapon Masters with a respectable 10,5" threat. The same goes for their ranged attacks that have a threat of 17" and can be CMA'd if needed. With Hunter and Pathfinder they're ignoring terrain by themselves and are quite independent thus freeing resources for Grim to use elsewhere. With 10p they're quite pricey but worth it, especially as a flanking force. In fact, I like to get an extra turn of shooting from Grim's feat, without much fear of retaliation, to charge in next turn and mop up what's left.

As Grim is no real attrition caster, especially by troll standards, you will want some fast and hard hitting troops. Say hello to the Long Riders&Horthol. Tey're also pretty tough and their impact attacks provide you with some crowd control while the slams enhance your assassination options.

So right now, we are at 32 points. So let's go to the beast department.

An Impaler is pretty much mandatory with Grim and should explain himself.
Although we already have the Longrider-Train-of-Pain, sometimes you need something heavier to get the job done. I would recommend an Earthborn. His animus benefits Grim and he can get a respectable threatrange of 12,5". At last I would complement this with a pyre, that provides you with a good AOE for crowd control. But the best thing is his animus that besides powering up the Earthborn also benefits your Dygmie's Slug Guns as well as your Longrider's Slams, Impacts and melee attacks.
With this selection you have 46p.

For the remaining four I would take SwampGobbers and a Fellcaller. Although Grim doesn't really needs one, he's good to provide your Longriders with pathfinder or your Dygmies with Warcry (and thus easying the need to feat in tun two).

So here is my proposal:

Points: 50
Grim Angus (*6pts)
* Pyre Troll (5pts)
* Troll Impaler (5pts)
* Earthborn Dire Troll (10pts)
Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters (Cylena and 9 Grunts) (10pts)
Pyg Burrowers (Leader and 9 Grunts) (6pts)
Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew (Leader and 1 Grunt) (1pts)
Trollkin Long Riders (Leader and 4 Grunts) (11pts)
Fell Caller Hero (3pts)
Horthol, Long Rider Champion (5pts)

Despite all the thoughts above, with Grim it boils down to one thing:

Get the opposing Caster/Lock in Feat Range, shoot him with the sniped Snare Gun (after the Feat you only need 5-7 on three dice9 and knock him down. Then proceed to kill him with Dygmies/Longriders/Earthborn in melee or Impaler/Pyre/Nyss/Fellcaller at range.

Hope that helps.

EDIT: always writing too slow

[Hatred]

Thanks for the reply Nimor, You gave me some units to think about that I never really gave any thought to.

I would have posted a list for someone to critique, but as I said I have not made a single one I am happy with. So there is really nothing to comment on.

[bakaryu]

Blitzers are also a great warbeast with Grim, especially during his feat turn when you don't have to worry so much about forcing attack rolls and can save fury for boosting damage instead.

[Nimor]

Ihad good results with the Blitzer, too. He's a assassin on feat turn. But on the other side I felt the severely lack of heavy punch. As Grim would be quite stretched with two heavies and an Imp.

[bakaryu]

You could help factor that by having a Blitzer, Pyre and Impaler as your heavies.

[Nimor]

In fact, I went with Blitzer/Slag/Impaler. But I found P+S 17 with 4 Fury a bit lackluster and unreliable. But that's only my meta full of things like the Behemoth, Spriggans, Deathjacks, etc. I think you get the picture.

[Hatred]

I played a game last night with Blitzer, Impaler, Axer. The beast combo worked well. My unit choices left me limp and flaccid. Time to look into some of the other troop choices you had mentioned.

[bakaryu]

Long Riders are nice with Grim due to his upkeep that allows them to see through woods and gives them pathfinder. Nothing puts the frights up an enemy more than a unit of hard hitting cavalry that he cannot see or attack until they burst through the woods.

[kropotkin]

I wouldn't overlook bone grinders in a grim list. they increase his marked for death & lock the target spells, give him another magic attack, and supplies animi on lost warbeasts. I also have a lackluster opinion of the bellows crew, they are much slower than the rest of this list and half the armies will ignore them through mage sight, hunter or eyeless sight. Those 2 points will be better spent elsewhere. I have found fell callers to be a good option in the past between the feat, marked for death and a high Rat for a spray attack being able to clear out a wealth of targets.