Ossy Sphinx Spam in Tier

[joelker41]

So his tier 1 (the only one worth playing IMO) gives me +1 FA on Arcanists for every Myrmidon in the battlegroup. Also get a +1 to my starting roll.


50+6 points, 31 models

Lord Arcanist Ossyan +6 points
* Hypnos 9 points
* 3x Sphinx 7 points each
* Sylys Wyshnalyrr, The Seeker 2 points

4x Arcanist 1 point each
10 Houseguard Halberdiers 7 points
* Halberdier Officer & Standard 2 points
* 1 Soulless Escort 1 point
Stormfall Archers 5 points
Stormfall Archers 5 points

Additional Rules

Add +1 to your starting game roll.



I really wanted to.explore Sphinx spam as a list concept. 3 7 point reach heavies with a gun, 30 boxes, and two open fists. With 4 Arcanists and Ossyan all powering them I think it has real potential.

As I discovered with my Kaelyssa list people really don't expect heavy spam from Ret even though our heavies are great.


This configuration also gives me a full Halbs+UA for tarpit, and Stormfalls really put things down on feat turn.

[NEoJoe]

Ah, the theme force. That's probably going to be really fun to try out. I think it's a secret that Ossyan runs a good number of heavies pretty well. Plus, with Hypnos, he denies heavies well also, which goes a ways towards protecting your Sphinx's as they tear up the more sensitive parts of the list.

I like it, and it seems okay thanks to all the Arcanists, but have you played it?

[BleedNoMore]

At first glance I kind of dismissed it, but after some further brainstorming I think it could work. I was at first worried about infantry spam but with Stormfalls, Shatterstorm and plenty of Trampling models should be no issue. Quickened Halberdiers are always great, plenty of magical ranged weapons for pesky incorporeal models. All around a pretty solid list and having spammed crusaders in the past I think should work well.

[joelker41]

I haven't tried it yet but I am going to. I don't have 3 sphinxi so I will have to work on that LOL.

I like that you can do accurate shooting with the battlegroup or just roll with the stormfalls.

[MMMMK]

I think it's a neat idea and I've been working on something similar but with Manticores instead of Sphinxes. It might be worth it to drop tier to get Lanyssa and A&H to support the 'jack swarm... Ossyan to debuff def, Lanyssa for multiple free charges, A&H to boost damage. You lose the extra two free focus but between the free charges and A&H damage boosts it might be worth it. The downside is that you wont be able to use concentrated power on more than 2 'jacks per turn (which A&H cancel out anyway).

[joelker41]

I can see that. I usually reserve A+H for lists that need damage or magic weapons, this one doesn't really need either. I like Lanyssa but I like 2 Arcanists more. Hard to know without playtesting.

[BleedNoMore]

Both great characters but I think with the Feat A+H aren't needed. As for Lanyessa free charges are nice as well but Arcansist offer more utilty in my mind, after the charge the give you either +2 damage, extra attack or repair for 1 pt.

[Murkhadh]

I like it, my only complaint is no banshee

[joelker41]

I like it, my only complaint is no banshee

Agreed. I think it will be pretty well off with 3 reach heavies but I do love me some banshee (my Phoenix is claiming child support back payment now...).

It could suck, just have to test it.

[NEoJoe]

I would try it with just the Sphinx trio first. In fact, I will when I can. Banshee is a consideration down the road though, for sure.

I'm also thinking about doing something similar for Rahn's theme force.

[joelker41]

The banshee could always be a reinforcement. It might be excessive though LOL.

[Halycon]

It takes you away from the heavy smash, but I've had some success on reinforcements with Pain Knight, Narn and a MHA, its a bit of a glass cannon, but you can contest an objective easily for at least 1 round and if the caster is around you've got a lovely assassination run going on
It is character heavy though, which is a bit of a pain

[golindar]

Great list. I would try to find 3 points and upgrade the third sphinx to a banshee. Maybe do away with sylas and the soulless escort?

[joelker41]

Tried the above version vs Calandra. Rough trying to get through star crossed but pulled a pretty convincing win. Lost all my Halbs to digmys and fennblades but I still had 4 stormfalls, Ossyan and two Sphinx left. Opponent conceded after I void locked the bomber and the EBDT and Impaler died.

Overall I am happy with the list. Chronomancer on 4 myrmidons all getting power boosted or concentrated powered was money.

May try 2 Banshees instead of 3 Sphinx, but I'm telling ya 4 heavies with 4 arcanists and chronomancer is COOL!

[NEoJoe]

Tried the above version vs Calandra. Rough trying to get through star crossed but pulled a pretty convincing win. Lost all my Halbs to digmys and fennblades but I still had 4 stormfalls, Ossyan and two Sphinx left. Opponent conceded after I void locked the bomber and the EBDT and Impaler died.

Overall I am happy with the list. Chronomancer on 4 myrmidons all getting power boosted or concentrated powered was money.

May try 2 Banshees instead of 3 Sphinx, but I'm telling ya 4 heavies with 4 arcanists and chronomancer is COOL!

Especially 12/19 heavies with 30 boxes that cost less than all of our standard units. It's definitely a wall. Thanks for doing this, I don't know why it took so long for this list to happen.

Edit: Man, looking at the theme force gives birth to the first thing I've really wanted for our faction: some way to make our guys ignore myrmidons for LOS. If it'd go in this theme, or in general, that means we could use the dumb rifleman to minifeat and CRA guys off of our 'dons really easy. Then they'd charge unimpeded and beat crap up. That just sounds fun.

[joelker41]

No problem LOL I am always looking for ways to play more heavies.

I could drop a stormfalls unit and the soulless I could upgrade to 2 banshees.

Its versatile at least!

[NEoJoe]

Eh, I've no desire to upgrade to more expensive 'jacks. When a Banshee dies, it sucks. That was a banshee. Those are cool, and an investment. When a Sphinx dies, use another Sphinx. Whatever. We've got tons of em' sitting in the Vyre storage facilities. Just crank em' out.

I prefer cheap, effectively 'jack walls and the Sphinx can provide the hell out of that. I don't wanna juggle my expensive and only slightly more durable ones.

That said, I could just be wrong. Or one banshee might be sweet in order to shut down magic/charges sometimes.

[joelker41]

Eh, I've no desire to upgrade to more expensive 'jacks. When a Banshee dies, it sucks. That was a banshee. Those are cool, and an investment. When a Sphinx dies, use another Sphinx. Whatever. We've got tons of em' sitting in the Vyre storage facilities. Just crank em' out.

I prefer cheap, effectively 'jack walls and the Sphinx can provide the hell out of that. I don't wanna juggle my expensive and only slightly more durable ones.

That said, I could just be wrong. Or one banshee might be sweet in order to shut down magic/charges sometimes.

I completely agree. I just gotta magnetize 3 vyre kits now LOL.

[Murkhadh]

As much as I HATE chronomancer, when your getting up to 4 jacks with 4 arcanists I do think your starting to get into territory that it could actually make its focus back.

[NEoJoe]

As much as I HATE chronomancer, when your getting up to 4 jacks with 4 arcanists I do think your starting to get into territory that it could actually make its focus back.

I totally feel you there. I'm not one of the people that has found the spell to be worth casting very much, even in MM where it covers all of my models. At THIS POINT though it might be worth it. As long as you're sure you don't need Admon to survive.

[Mastershake]

As long as you're sure you don't need Admon to survive.

..........ha

[Murkhadh]

Masteshake beat me to it. lol

[joelker41]

Admonition vs. Chronomancer is a rough balance. I used it turn 2/3 but put admonition up the rest. Needing quicken up on Halbs can be sort of rough but you have 4 bonus focus a round if you need it.

[NEoJoe]

..........ha

Masteshake beat me to it. lol

Whatever, situations do occur where people can't charge my 'caster.

[Halycon]

Whatever, situations do occur where people can't charge my 'caster.

Is that when you're setting up or Ossy's already dead?

sorry couldn't help it

I'm trialling putting admonition on one of my heavies as its running up near quickened halb's, that way it can get out of a dangerous situation and then get back into combat on my own terms, once things are progressing I move it back onto Ossy as needed. Its working well for me as I'm using it but still situational at best

[Halycon]

blooming double post!

[Thamarite Merc]

Why can you have Stormfall archers in Ossy tier? I thought only houseguard and vyre units

[Mastershake]

Because the tier says so

[joelker41]

So probably going to play this as one of my lists in a 50 point steamroller in two weeks, gonna get some more practice with it.

I am currently planning on just using a banshee for reinforcements. The Riflemen may actually be decent reinforcements because Ossyan's feat makes it so his feat bubble can cover the middle/right of the board to get them some serious fire support but I am not going to buy them just on a theory, particularly when the Banshee is just really, really good LOL.

Also, with the official release of stormwall I think Hypnos and two stormfalls will be money.