35 pnt Gorten Searforge

[Rancor]

I played my first MKII game yesterday. It was quite fun, it felt very "the same" as it did last time I played warmachine about a month ago when I decided to take a break to prep for mkII.

I decided to return to my searforge roots, so this is the list I went with:

Gorten
- Basher
- Basher
- Driller
Thor
- Rockram
Brun
- Lug
Rockbottom

He played rety with the super mittens caster

Turn 1 I advanced then he advanced

Turn 2 I advanced then he arched through a chimera and slammed a basher into the rockram (neither of them fell due to solid ground, and niether of them really took any damage)

Turn 3 the basher that got slammed slammed back...hard. Total 8" slam, after being tuned up by thor on the damage rolls, and having 3 focus, the basher went slam-smash-smash-pop...and the chimera went ouch-ouch-ouch-dead. He then used everything he had to drag gorten out in front with mittens and pop every feat and mini feat to kill him with halberdiers CMA.

My lesson was...Put jack infront of gorten, and they can't drag him forward without inviting the jacks to come along too.

All in all, a very fun match. So, what do you guys think? Can my list use some changes or does it pan out well? I will son be aquiring a third basher, and the trio my never leave the field from that point on.

[DaughterOfFrankenstein]

I was thinking drop one of the Bashers onto Thor. Pronto on a Basher allows for a great deal of accuracy if you know where you want your slams to go. Otherwise, this is an extreme version of the theme my own lists have been approaching, and something I like to see.

[relasine]

I think your list is lacking bodies. If you had a unit of Forge Guard or High Shields screening Gorten, it'd be much less likely to get brutalized by Telekinesis. I'd look at dropping a Basher or the Rockram and adding a unit of infantry. My preference would be to drop the Rockram and give one of Gorten's Bashers to Thor.

[Rancor]

But if thor has a basher, it can still slam to its full effect, and yes it can move around a bit more with pronto, but it cant make extra attacks after a slam and follow up since marshal points can only be used to run, charge, boost. Plus, I I'm using him with thor, I will most likey tune up the damage rolls, so that leaves using the marshal point to boost the attack.

What Im basically saying is this:

thor -pronto and one dual boosted attack, then a boom.

gorten - 3 auto hit attacks after the slam, with boosted damage rolls from tune up on all 4(which is even better than dual boosted, since KD is auto hit) and then a boom.

This seems like a no brainer. I think, if anything, I'd move the driller to thor. That way he can use pronto to bring his movement up, and when he attacks, thor tunes his damage rolls, and the driller uses his marshal point to boost to hit with his drill.

I can toss in a unit if I do the above stated, but which? I Have all, who do you think would be most effective?

[Rancor]

Hows this look:

Gorten
- Basher
- Basher
Thor
- Driller
Brun
- Lug
Rockbottom
HFG (10)

[DaughterOfFrankenstein]

can't make extra attacks after a slam and follow up since marshal points can only be used to run, charge, boost.

Rules check here: Jack Marshaled warjacks can gain one of the following during each activation


The warjack can use its normal movement to run or charge.
The Warjack can make one additional attack during its combat action.
The Warjack can boost one attack or damage roll.

Not really why I'd argue for dropping a Basher onto Thor, and keep the Driller on Gorten, but it's worth noting.

Reasons to keep Driller in Gorten's Battlegroup:

-Access to Focus, which will make a Battlegrouped Driller do more on average than a Marshaled Driller with Tune-Up.
-Access to Strength of Granite (Now an upkeep).
-Access to Tune-Up.

Between these three things, it seems like the Driller is actually the very last thing I'd want to marshal to Thor when Gorten's in the picture. Whatever speed Thor might give a Driller is cancelled out by the fact that Gorten can just reel in what he wants his Driller to eat.

The more I think about it, the more reason I see to marshal both Bashers to Thor:


Bashers need no focus at all to do everything you want most from it in a single activation.
Bashers have a higher base speed, meaning that their slams will be at average distance before pronto.
Bashers' Flak Field won't get any better by being put on a warcaster.
Because of their higher speed, Pronto can function more as a way to optomize a Basher's slamming position rather than simply peddling it forward. (with Command 9, peddling wouldn't be the best option anyway, especially if you should be looking for a grand slam)
Between Rockwall, Tune Up, and Pronto, Thor Steinhammer can achieve a super-slam with both Bashers in a single turn, with the first slam garaunteed to hit with Tune-Up, and both slams at P+S 15+4d6 thanks to super-slam + Jack Marshal multiplier, or two P+S 15+3d6 super slams and two P+S15+2d6 swings (You can do the rest of your Tune-Up combination math on your own, but you see where I'm going). Flak Field assures that there'll be as little interference or bite-back as possible with this maneuver.

The only reason not to load up both Bashers onto Steinhammer is because having access to Strength of Granite on the Basher is just as good an idea as having access to Strength of Granite on a Driller.

EDIT:


Gorten
- Basher
- Basher
Thor
- Driller
Brun
- Lug
Rockbottom
HFG (10)

Other than switching the Driller for the Basher, and keeping the Driller on Gorten, the list is pretty solid. I've played a great deal of MK II, but the line between whether you'd rather take HFG or HSGC in a given list is still murky (which is more a sign that HSGC are entirely worth their points than that HFG aren't). It comes down to your local meta, in the end.

[relasine]

I'll just say that I've found tremendous success marshaling Bashers to Thor. The increased threat range, ability to reposition before a Slam, free use of Flak Field and Slams, and being able to still buy an attack or boost with the 'Jack Marshal bonus has been great. And I also left out being able to still apply Tune Up.

Yes, the Basher can be fed Focus with Gorten, but you're doing so with 5" less of threat range and the ability to reposition before a Slam, which is very important due to having to Slam in a straight line towards the center of the model's base that you're slamming. I'm not saying that you shouldn't put Bashers on Gorten, I'm saying that for what it does, I believe that Thor supports it better, or at least offers you an excellent alternative to giving Gorten one or both.

Keep one of the Bashers on Gorten and give the other to Thor. Try it out.

[McNs]

I'll second Relasine; running one Basher on Thor has been excellent for me. I've tried double Bashers on Thor and found it makes Thor a little too much of a target (besides, both Rhulic casters have a decent battle-group only spell). That said, if you're looking for a cheap, acurrate slam monkey with boku threat range - a Basher on Thor is the way to go.

[Rancor]

Okay Okay. Lets see here...:

Gorten
- Driller
Brun
- Lug
Thor
- Basher
- Basher
HFG (10)

hows that sound?

[DaughterOfFrankenstein]

It makes me smile. Just don't forget to playtest it a bundle so you have the opportunity to slap us in the face if you don't like our ideas. I think the most likely thing to change in that list if you like it so far is whether the 2nd basher will be on Steinhammer or Grundback. It'll come down to personal prefference, and I'll admit I'm still testing to see which I like more myself.

Don't let players you've never met put their lists in the tournament you're going to play. XD

[ErsatzGnomes]

Is rockbottom worth it or is there another fig that's better to use in it's place?