Anti-troll advice

[PG_dbsmash]

Hey all,
For the past few months, we have been doing a football style league at our local game shop. After going 7-1 in the 'regular season', I made the playoffs and won my way to our championship. I am pretty excited, but the player I am going up against is no slouch himself. He is the best Troll player in our meta, and although I haven't dropped a game to him with my Cryx yet, he is always improving.

As I contemplate what lists to bring to this finale, I was curious what you like to bring against trolls yourself? In our meta, we see a lot of champions, bombers, and war-wagons (for blasting away at banes). Favorite local Warlocks at Grim Angus, Madrak, and Calandra. I look forward to your good anti-Troll advice.

Thanks in advance!

[Scottl1]

Vs trolls my go to casters would be pskarre, pdenny(or e if you play scenarios not sure), and egaspy. I think vs bombers skarre feated mcthralls OR banes could survive bombers and wagons while leaving you enough attacks to really hurt the trolls.

If they're running champs etc the model count will typically be lower due to their cost.

Also vs the wagon and trolls watching spacing is always a plus to try to deny tramples which can sometimes be opened up if your spread too far trying to avoid blast.

Satyxis are good vs this too with such high def and being immune to blast.

eGapy's clouds can hurt them with the one box infantry.

Recently I have been tooling around with blood witches(with hag) and black banes(for fire) though too since tough is becoming a bit more common with trolls, nihilators, etc.

[Sheer_Falacy]

You know you're going against trolls and can design an anti-troll list?

Blood witches with blood hag. Shuts down tough and they have relatively few answers to incorporeal.

[SpiderBite]

for the blood hag
dont rely on incorporeal, they can make it go away with their Krielstone.

[Kuwanger23]

If he can get to the hag with his stone. Probably can't the round he goes inc. Also satyxis raiders don't suffer damage from blasts if they have te UA. Two nasty little units to take. Black banes are another affective unit. Trolls lack magic attacks. pSkarre with faster and better infantry or eSkarre with that ever you want

[Sheer_Falacy]

Krielstone can actually do it from up to 11 inches away (full KSB + UA allows 7 fury), though it probably won't have that much.

Still, even one turn of no tough is huge. Also, everything is living, so that makes a lot of stuff easier. And defense is low, so you mostly only have to worry about cracking armor/wounds.

You should also consider that his opponent will be doing the same thing - if he knows he's going against Cryx, he can bring whatever is best for Trolls vs Cryx. I have no idea what that is, though.

[various]

Bloodwitches with UA are pretty good to reduce Tough, as is the Stalker Bonejack. If i were you then i'd stick with the stuff that's been working so far as you've had a good run, if you start using units that you don't know as well then you run the risk of giving yourself a handicap for something that 'might' improve your game. They don't seem to be overly mobile so anything that cements your mobility advantage is probably good, either by reducing theirs (Pistol Wraith's Death Chill, Warwitch's Shadowbind, either version of Denni) or improving your own ('Casters with Ghosrwalk for terrian negation or Over-run for redeployment) or taking both can't hurt.

[PG_dbsmash]

You know you're going against trolls and can design an anti-troll list?

Yes, the format of the league has been knowing your opponent a week beforehand, and you have to bring two lists at the given point level with standard character restrictions. In addition, any week you have destroyed characters, they have to roll a command check against the warcaster/warlock's command. If they fail, they are injured for one week. It has been a blast, and the players in our local shop have really enjoyed it.

[PG_dbsmash]

Thanks for the ideas guys. What I have been using during the event so far has largely been eSkarre, Denny, and eGaspy. I am worried my usual tricks with eSkarre wont work as well with Trolls as they can really jam my 'jacks with medium bases to prevent trampling out. That makes an eSkarre feated Deathjack very sad

I do happen to have a def 15 Nightmare (he rolled up a bond with Denny in my last game), so I may not be able to resist bringing that pair along for the ride

[The Junkie]

I would want to bring my Earthborn dire troll for assassinations, atleast a min unit of scattergunners with UA, Kriel Warriors with Cabers and a UA, maybe a bomber, an impaler for range, and Grim. With that I can use Grim to stop your. hanges while the def penalty will help out my scattergunners clear out your mass of infantry. The Kriels will be there to jam and die and the Cabers will slam my kriels over your troops to clear a lane.

[Puchembo]

Yes, the format of the league has been knowing your opponent a week beforehand, and you have to bring two lists at the given point level with standard character restrictions. In addition, any week you have destroyed characters, they have to roll a command check against the warcaster/warlock's command. If they fail, they are injured for one week. It has been a blast, and the players in our local shop have really enjoyed it.

This kind of league sounds awesome! As for what you should watch for:
- All casters and troops are TOUGH
- Between the Bomber, Pyre, War Wagon, trolls can lay down a retarded amount of AoE per turn
- Dire Trolls can if given the chance put down a world of hurt (Mulg, Mauler, Earth Born)
-- Feeding Mulg a stream of throw away troops can put a damper on his effectiveness
- Troll troopers are good, but need help to be awesome. Taking out the Fell Caller, Kriel Stone, etc goes a long way
- Most Casters have a small command range (Madrak = 10" for example)

Use your speed to jam and dictate table position.

[The Horror]

Venethrax with Bloodwitches/Hag, Blackbanes, or Croe's Cutthroats. Having the Combine and Wrathe makes you an effective ARM 27 before souls and stolen fury. Just beware of the Stone Scribe elder's ability to strip Incorporeal, because other than that trolls have almost no way to deal with incorporeal. A list like this should devastate Trolls:

Lich Lord Venethrax (35)
Skarlock Thrall
Reaper
Stalker
Max Bloodwitches w/ hag
Darragh Wrathe
Max Blackbanes
The Withershadow Combine
Warwitch Siren

If you're playing 50 points add in Croe's Cutthroats and Biles. Croe's rip through warbeasts from range and get to advance deploy. The Bloodwitches are great targets for Soul Harvester as they have 2 attacks each, and negate tough within 9 inches of the Hag. Balckbanes are almost impossible for trolls to kill while incorporeal, meaning they will almost be assures the first strike. The Reaper is for dragging beasts into Thrax so you won't have to overcommit him. The combine exist for their all the loving support they provide. Darragh is to provide Beyond Death which will be a -2 to all of his damage rolls (to my knowledge the only way trolls can make their models non-living is the Gatorman witch doctor). The Skarlock cycles Soul Harvester between targets or just recasts it if you don't feel like upkeeping it (I rarely upkeep it). The Stalker is great vs Hordes as it denies tough, healing, and transfers and it will scare most warlocks. The Bile thralls are just plane lulz in this army because Venny's Caustic presence keeps the corrosion from expiring and because half of your army is incorporeal, you don't need to be afraid of purging your own army as they can't take damage fromit.

[theHman]

This league sounds like a ton of fun!
Any possibility you could share the rules with us?
I'd love to run this with my friends at our LGS,

[PG_dbsmash]

Sure thing. Dungeongod is running it at our local shop, and he detailed the rules on the website he and I run here: http://sustainedattack.wordpress.com...iew-2/#more-28 You can read about the whole experience using the tag: http://sustainedattack.wordpress.com/tag/bodger-bowl/

[PG_dbsmash]

For myself, the injury system was one of the most intriguing aspects of the entire thing.

[PG_dungeongod]

This league sounds like a ton of fun!
Any possibility you could share the rules with us?
I'd love to run this with my friends at our LGS,

This league has completely revitalized and reenergized our local meta, and has been a huge success. I am glad others like the ideas - I have been tracking it on http://sustainedattack.wordpress.com - the blog that smash mentions earlier. I would love to hear about others doing this. I wish I could take total credit for it, but I got the basic idea from the MuseOnMinis guys.

[theHman]

Thanks guys!
I've already forwarded it to a couple of friends. =)
I'll take a look later today when I get a chance and will let you know how we fair.

[NecroticDischarge]

Fight him with the best trollblood unit in the game, Bloodgorgers and Brian Gerlaker. Thrax and blood witches/hag too. I love seeing Kreilstones on the table with Thrax as their often a free 5 focus later in the game. Darragh Saxon the combine and a skarlock should round out your list.