NaCl Catapulto
12-05-2009, 08:10 AM
Alright, bear with me. This might be all over the place. I've gone through 5 games with Hexeris at 35, I'm going to fight two more, then move on to another caster. I've also been working on the Bronzeback & titan family as well.
HEXERIS IN GENERAL:
Well, Mat 7 was needed. He has so many abilities tied around melee, but has trouble hitting reliably. 7 is actually the magic number here, and one of the big reasons I see him sitting at +5 points - 7 fury. We have a plethora of defensive animi that make our beast very difficult to take down in one turn; if I had nothing to cast to great effect, then I had no problem using mass quantities of Fury (and attendant pg's) to bring a beast back to full. This inherent resilience is a point I'll come back to later. Anyways, Mat 7 is the one thing I kept wishing for consistently throughout the game.
The one conclusion I've hit with Hexeris is that he still has some incredibly potent tools, but are best served for high-yeild oppurtunities.
FEAT
Dark Dominion is still insane; however the 3" move limitation has moved it to a mid-to late game manuever. This is fine; I remember when I could ping a stormbalde/doomreaver at max range, and *poof* - all your infantry are belong to us. Now you want to save it for either the turn prior to engagement, or the moment your lines meet. This is one element that's encouraged me to field small, elite, high-health forces that REQUIRE my oppponent to pile in a small front. You'll see a theme here.
SPELLS
Death Knell: This is an infantry thresher. Unless you've got a good reason, NEVER boost with this. He's high fury, and a drifitng 4" aoe will clip plenty. Also ideal to cast into your own lines - Infantry bogging down your beasts? No more, and with less damage to your own than the old deathbringer. Given that melee is the only time you'll see an opponent clumping so many models together, this rewards Cataphracts and heavy beasts - thing your foe NEEDS to CMA, not to mention have the health/arm to weather the blast damage. If you're waiting for the enemy to hit your lines for the feat, there are few better ways to start the chain.
The Suffering:
Even better. And still only 2 fury.
Spirit Leach: Amazing when facing beasts, otherwise the most situational of his spells. When I need a single model dead at 10" range, I'll look to other options within my army. Still, pow 13 is pow 13.
Death March: Honestly, it needed to be toned down - and vengeance, now that I've thought about it - would be too weak. Its cost of two means you can cast it every turn; it also demands a very focused use - if you don't see a great opportunity, don't cast/upkeep. Turning his "must-cast" into a "great, given the circumstances" allows Hexeris freedom to play with his others toys without feeling like a chump. It now allows a ranged attack as well, and is one of the few "strike back" abilities that interrupts your opponents turn. You want to make the most of it. However, only allowing a single attack means you want the most bang for your buck: both in threat range, method of delivery, damage output, and abiility to disrupt. I could write a whole post on this alone, but Arcuarii shine here. Devastating in melee, great at range with a drag. Cetrati come a close second along with Ferox, but are limited to melee, and the ferox's high movement rates is countered by their large base size making them easier to box in.
Soul Slave: Still great, but the changes to shake effects make it less of a must-cast. This is a good thing in my eyes. You can throw it on a flanking beast like the old days, but priceless with the Bronzeback, or a gladiator with the BB's animus. Given that you already possess both a feat and a potent aoe that discourage dense formations, it makes it that much easier to capitalize on thin points in your opponent's lines. A SS'd Gladiator slamming 9.5" and following up 3-8" has accounted for three caster kills so far. It won't always have a use, but when it does... wow.
BEASTS:
Somebody wants their computer back. I must hurry before they murder me.
Two heavies come to mind as invaluable to Hexeris: They both have animi that play directly to his offensive strengths, both very durable (see earlier points regarding death knell), and hit hard enough to finish/seriously maim your opp's big hitters. The Bronzeback, and Molik Karn. I've already gone off on the BB's animus, so let's touch on Karn. Hexeris, even with MAT 7, is a spellcaster. He's got two potent 8" spells that you shouldn't pass on if the ideal situations present themselves (clumped infantry, beast running hot), but he will also die if left near the front lines.
Sure, you could cast Death Knell, kill a swathe, throw up Diminish/Paralytic aura, and save one for transfer - but that still leaves you in the front lines. Often not the place to be. Consider Fate walker - You advance 6" to the fore, cast your your spell of choice from the optimum posistion, Fatewalker (leaving you with 1-2 fury left), and then everything else goes. Being closer to the front, you are now more likely to benefit from vampiric reaving. Your models do there thing, and when the dust settles, you retreat to the spot of your choosing - perhaps sheltering next to a Krea, Brute, or Cannoneer? That 6" retreat at the end can be worth more than nay number of transfers, and allows him to shine in the front lines.
...AND MY TIME IS UP. More later, more talk of beasts and units, and an actual battle report or two. So rambly.
HEXERIS IN GENERAL:
Well, Mat 7 was needed. He has so many abilities tied around melee, but has trouble hitting reliably. 7 is actually the magic number here, and one of the big reasons I see him sitting at +5 points - 7 fury. We have a plethora of defensive animi that make our beast very difficult to take down in one turn; if I had nothing to cast to great effect, then I had no problem using mass quantities of Fury (and attendant pg's) to bring a beast back to full. This inherent resilience is a point I'll come back to later. Anyways, Mat 7 is the one thing I kept wishing for consistently throughout the game.
The one conclusion I've hit with Hexeris is that he still has some incredibly potent tools, but are best served for high-yeild oppurtunities.
FEAT
Dark Dominion is still insane; however the 3" move limitation has moved it to a mid-to late game manuever. This is fine; I remember when I could ping a stormbalde/doomreaver at max range, and *poof* - all your infantry are belong to us. Now you want to save it for either the turn prior to engagement, or the moment your lines meet. This is one element that's encouraged me to field small, elite, high-health forces that REQUIRE my oppponent to pile in a small front. You'll see a theme here.
SPELLS
Death Knell: This is an infantry thresher. Unless you've got a good reason, NEVER boost with this. He's high fury, and a drifitng 4" aoe will clip plenty. Also ideal to cast into your own lines - Infantry bogging down your beasts? No more, and with less damage to your own than the old deathbringer. Given that melee is the only time you'll see an opponent clumping so many models together, this rewards Cataphracts and heavy beasts - thing your foe NEEDS to CMA, not to mention have the health/arm to weather the blast damage. If you're waiting for the enemy to hit your lines for the feat, there are few better ways to start the chain.
The Suffering:
Even better. And still only 2 fury.
Spirit Leach: Amazing when facing beasts, otherwise the most situational of his spells. When I need a single model dead at 10" range, I'll look to other options within my army. Still, pow 13 is pow 13.
Death March: Honestly, it needed to be toned down - and vengeance, now that I've thought about it - would be too weak. Its cost of two means you can cast it every turn; it also demands a very focused use - if you don't see a great opportunity, don't cast/upkeep. Turning his "must-cast" into a "great, given the circumstances" allows Hexeris freedom to play with his others toys without feeling like a chump. It now allows a ranged attack as well, and is one of the few "strike back" abilities that interrupts your opponents turn. You want to make the most of it. However, only allowing a single attack means you want the most bang for your buck: both in threat range, method of delivery, damage output, and abiility to disrupt. I could write a whole post on this alone, but Arcuarii shine here. Devastating in melee, great at range with a drag. Cetrati come a close second along with Ferox, but are limited to melee, and the ferox's high movement rates is countered by their large base size making them easier to box in.
Soul Slave: Still great, but the changes to shake effects make it less of a must-cast. This is a good thing in my eyes. You can throw it on a flanking beast like the old days, but priceless with the Bronzeback, or a gladiator with the BB's animus. Given that you already possess both a feat and a potent aoe that discourage dense formations, it makes it that much easier to capitalize on thin points in your opponent's lines. A SS'd Gladiator slamming 9.5" and following up 3-8" has accounted for three caster kills so far. It won't always have a use, but when it does... wow.
BEASTS:
Somebody wants their computer back. I must hurry before they murder me.
Two heavies come to mind as invaluable to Hexeris: They both have animi that play directly to his offensive strengths, both very durable (see earlier points regarding death knell), and hit hard enough to finish/seriously maim your opp's big hitters. The Bronzeback, and Molik Karn. I've already gone off on the BB's animus, so let's touch on Karn. Hexeris, even with MAT 7, is a spellcaster. He's got two potent 8" spells that you shouldn't pass on if the ideal situations present themselves (clumped infantry, beast running hot), but he will also die if left near the front lines.
Sure, you could cast Death Knell, kill a swathe, throw up Diminish/Paralytic aura, and save one for transfer - but that still leaves you in the front lines. Often not the place to be. Consider Fate walker - You advance 6" to the fore, cast your your spell of choice from the optimum posistion, Fatewalker (leaving you with 1-2 fury left), and then everything else goes. Being closer to the front, you are now more likely to benefit from vampiric reaving. Your models do there thing, and when the dust settles, you retreat to the spot of your choosing - perhaps sheltering next to a Krea, Brute, or Cannoneer? That 6" retreat at the end can be worth more than nay number of transfers, and allows him to shine in the front lines.
...AND MY TIME IS UP. More later, more talk of beasts and units, and an actual battle report or two. So rambly.