Tourney Prep Help - 42 points, 2 lists

[Marth]

First off, thanks for everyone reading and posting help for giving their precious time.

In roughly a month, I'll be attending (another) tourney, but this time, I want to hone things and chances at placing well from the word "go".

Tourney details:
- 42 points (+8 pts Reinforcements)
- 2 Lists, Divide & Conquer
- Scenarios: Destruction, Envelopment, Restoration

I would like to ask you for help here, since I want to go with a list couple that fares best in all aspects (Scenario, Assassination, Doing their thing, Metaing). In know the Meta thing can only later be adressed when it becomes clear what's going to participate, so let's slightly postpone that.

I do take any kind of suggestion - modelwise, listwise, strategywise (!) and such, because I'll probably settle on the exact lists when I pack the case.

Here is what I doodled so far:
List 1 -
Caster: Vladimir Tzepesci, the Dark Champion
Jacks: Spriggan
Units: Doom Reavers (w/ Escort), Kayazy Assassins (max, w/ Underboss), 2*Kayazy Eliminators
Solos: 2*Manhunter, MoW Drakhun (w/ dismount), Wardog, Madelyn Corbeau (and a WMMM, methinks)
Reinforcements: undecided
>> exactly 42 pts.

List 2 -
Caster: Izak Harkevich, the Iron Wolf
Jacks: Black Ivan, Spriggan, Juggernaut
Units: Greylord Ternion, Iron Fang Pikemen (max, w/ Officer & Standard), Battle Mechanics (min)
Solos: Koldung Lord, Sylys Wyshnallyr
Reinforcements: undecided
>> hits 41 pts.

My reasoning so far: I wanted to go with Caecus Scius approach, and not (like before), have two armies based off of infantry (Irusk & Vlad Xp), or two armies with Dark Horses (Zerkova & Harkevich). Therefor, I wanted one infantry based list, and one more mixed/heavy metal list.
The reinforcements are undecided because I figured: If Envelopment is the only Reinf. Scenario, I could choose them purely with Scenario in mind, but hadn't gotten around to that yet.

As said, I appreciate any help, even though that won't buy you anything. The number of Players will be up to twenty, I reckon.

[Marth]

Okay, maybe that was asking too much?

Here's something simpler - with probably only one Cryx player, should I worry about Magic Weapons at all/beyond what I already have?

[scout's honor]

Here's something simpler - with probably only one Cryx player, should I worry about Magic Weapons at all/beyond what I already have?

How many Menoth? I think you might be fairly safe then actually, but I don't know the meta. In mine I'd suggest beefing up on magic.

I quite like the lists, aside from not bringing Drago with Vlad. For shame! I might prefer two ternions with Harky, but I don't see a whole lot I'd be prepared to sacrifice for that. Dropping the IFP down to min, maybe - they help with anti-infantry but they're not great at it, while two ternions and a koldun lord can clear out quite a bit of infantry in a pinch (especially with Fortune on one of the ternions, or even hotswapped).

As for reinforcements, if Envelopment is the only one to take into account I'd say your only concern is possibly getting buffs on the reinforcing models when they come in since they and your caster will likely still be on opposite flanks even after their first turn and definitely at the start of their first activation. Look for things that can do without. At 8 points, I'm thinking maybe Doomies with UA for Harky - nice for them to be even further upfield when they enter play than with their AD. For Vlad maybe min Nyss with Valachev or something, or to bring something surprising a Kodiak or a Juggernaut. I want to say a Marauder, but due to the aforementioned likely distance between caster and reinforcements you most likely won't get to use Assail on it.

[Marth]

Thanks. I like the idea of going with to Ternions on Harky, I'll definitely try that out. As for Drago - I don't own him (yet), might change. Another thing I've been wondering about was utility Mercs, like Eiryss Xp or Harlan Versh for Upkeep-hate. As for the Meta on the tourney, currently it looks like a lot of Legion (3/13), Protectorate being surprisingly absent yet.

[Marth]

I tried the double Ternion out with Harkevich today, and it worked great. I was up against Protectorate (Amon), and it mostly was like this: Left flank, Pikemen and fortune'd Ternion staring down Daughters and Cleansers, with a LOS blocking hill in between. Right flank, rest of the army staring down three PoM heavies and support, with some potential bottle-necking obstructions.

I get first turn, barrel down the field. He plays well, reacts to that and sets up traps. On the left, I throw three clouded pikemen on the hill so the DotF can't just charge the rest, with the other IFP and GT waiting to counter. He goes in with just two girls and takes them out, I charge, mini-feat with the IFP to take out a daughter pull the IFP over to the right, so the GT got a clear path and spray down five daughters out of six. The cleansers in return achieve nothing thanks to the hill I'm on, and the Ternion then mops them up.

Right flank, the ternion's throwing blizzards and, after BI and the Jug fail to take out a Castigator, but destroyed the cortex, the GT froze it, blocking the bottleneck.

It felt really good having two of them, because I had all their tools available to me all the time. And I was dicing good, too. I think I'll stick with that. I'm unsure, though, about the IFP - should I stay regular or go BDIFP?

[scout's honor]

It felt really good having two of them, because I had all their tools available to me all the time. And I was dicing good, too. I think I'll stick with that. I'm unsure, though, about the IFP - should I stay regular or go BDIFP?

I usually find it quite frustrating to lose part of the regular IFPs' mobility. The mini-feat and having Pathfinder on the charge have always done very well for me. Personally, unless I can give them Pathfinder via Saxon or via the Old Witch' Weald Secrets spell I always prefer the regular ones.

[Marth]

I'm feeling a similar vibe. Just being able to move the IFP out of the Ternion's way that game more than paid off for me. Since I don't have space for Saxon, I guess I'll stick with that.

Update on the Meta: the number of preregistered players is up to 16. It's mainly warmachine, 3 Khador (me being one of them), then Cygnar and Mercs both 2, 1 of Protectorate and Cryx; for Hordes, 3 Legion, 1 Trollbloods.

[Marth]

Okay, Hark is working out fine so far, Vlad will be tested tomorrow.

A specific question: What does Legion fear most? Player number went up to 18, and four (!) of them play LoE. I just want to make sure I can put up a serious fight, maybe even win.

Edit: In the Vlad list, I took out one unit of Eliminators to make room for Saxon Orrik, and since there was a spare point, I dropped the dismount to be able to include Harlan Versh.

Any thoughts/comments on this change?

[Marth]

Alright, the tournament is tomorrow, so thanks for the contributions. I'll let you know how it went.

Last minute changes were made, though - Hark is only 5 WJP, so I went to ditch the Koldun Lord. I do not know whether I really need him. For running turn 1, Hark's focus suffices, afterwards, a jack might need more than that. Second, Doomies are 6 points, not 5 as I thought. So Vlad drops Harlan again (I hope I won't regret that) and the Drakhn gets dehorsable again.

[@Kriegsspiele]

Sorry for being late. Regarding the eVlad list:

Solos: 2*Manhunter, MoW Drakhun (w/ dismount), Wardog, Madelyn Corbeau (and a WMMM, methinks)

What about swapping:
- 1 Manhunter+Wardog for -> Yuri
- Madelyn Corbeau for -> Sylys

Yuri would be a great update for one Manhunter and give Treewalker to the other.
Sylys would give you another Focus for Transference and +2'' to hotswap HoF.

Good luck for your tournament!

EDIT: Well, adding Sylys to eVlad would need subsequent changes for your 2nd list. So what about dropping Madelyn Corbeau for Saxon? All in all I never truly needed the War Dog for eVlad (still doesn't help against shootings ), so I'm always going with Sylys. If not available I wouldn't attach anything if I could easily upgrade a Manhunter to Yuri or add a dismount to Drakhun (what you've already done). Btw: this could be another way to upgrade to Yuri.

[Marth]

Well, the War Dog was performing well. You gotta love the anti-freestrike bubble. I probably was just playing way to aggressive when going second. Vlad hates attrition, and Irusk (my enemy) loves it.
Didn't help that on his feat turn, he was rolling awesome for his tough rolls.

Harkevich then survived a full Sorscha 2x Destroyer, 2x Mortar assassination - jumps starts myself onto victory lane - and then the Spriggan misses on the charge. Hark couldn't really survive the second bombings.

FInally, Hark had to go up against eHaley - but while Vlad would've hated her even MORE, a skilled Haley Xp Player is just not beatable by me.

So I went 0-3. Thanks for helping, though. Oh, and the manhunters wouldn't have profited a lot from yuri, they were pinned in their forest by Nyss.