Kriel Warriors: What's important?

[PG_Steampunk Jim]

Hello boys and girls!

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I couldn't find discussion on this specifically, so here we go!

So I've been musing on Kriel Warriors lately. I'm of the pretty strong opinion that kriel warriors are there for two things: One, to die, and two, to allow you to take caber throwers. So I've been plugging them into various lists, and I had a specific list where I was two points shy of the full boat.

So, which would you rather take? A full unit of Kriells with 3 cabers, or a min unit with UA and 3 cabers? In other words, is it more important to you to have the two extra bodies, or steady and a bigger command range?

[ConejitoD]

I'm always surprised that people don't use to remember about their MAT7 and CRA, I do remember that every time I miss an attack roll with a fennblade... >_<. So They are really good taking care about mid DEF infantry... but that said yeah, to die and take caber throwers.

And your question... I'm not sure... I really don't feel very comfortable playing units of 10+ medium bases (despite how amazing are both full fenns and full kriels units!), into the other hand I'm not that big fan of the Kriels UA... I think the right answer is if you use to Jam easily without facing lots of shoots you should take more bodies (who will be harder to remove once they are engaged), if you use to stand one turn of rain fire before you can engage better take the UA to been able to engage with the models who has made their thought rolls.

[MagnifaSnail]

I'd generally go with a minimum unit + UA + Cabers although I've never actually fielded the unit at max WITHOUT the UA and only the cabers but the bigger command area is really nice as is getting re-rolls on command checks with the standard as command 8 is a little low for my taste (although I really do seem to have terrible luck with command checks. I have never had a game where my Nyss Hunters didn't end up fleeing for some reason or other, for example).

But if you're not as paranoid about command checks as I am the max unit + cabers is a solid choice, giving you more bodies to jam with and more targets for Take Up so that you can deliver your cabers more easily. I do find Steady to be fantastic on a unit with tough, though. Keeps things engaged and makes it more difficult for your opponents to draw LoS behind the KW. Another good option for the 9 points you'd be paying for either set up is Boomhowler & Co. They can only benefit from a few things in faction but are a great and fairly self sufficient unit. I take them with Grim fairly often (he really doesn't run anything poorly) as well as with Doomy in higher points games to be a speed bump for the beasts.

[PG_Steampunk Jim]

I'd generally go with a minimum unit + UA + Cabers although I've never actually fielded the unit at max WITHOUT the UA and only the cabers but the bigger command area is really nice as is getting re-rolls on command checks with the standard as command 8 is a little low for my taste (although I really do seem to have terrible luck with command checks. I have never had a game where my Nyss Hunters didn't end up fleeing for some reason or other, for example).

But if you're not as paranoid about command checks as I am the max unit + cabers is a solid choice, giving you more bodies to jam with and more targets for Take Up so that you can deliver your cabers more easily. I do find Steady to be fantastic on a unit with tough, though. Keeps things engaged and makes it more difficult for your opponents to draw LoS behind the KW. Another good option for the 9 points you'd be paying for either set up is Boomhowler & Co. They can only benefit from a few things in faction but are a great and fairly self sufficient unit. I take them with Grim fairly often (he really doesn't run anything poorly) as well as with Doomy in higher points games to be a speed bump for the beasts.

Boomhowlers are on the shoping list, for sure. They're a great buy, but they lean more towards jamming and less towards "caber-to-face" action.

[PG_thegreatblah]

If you have to choose between a min unit with ua and 3xcabers versus a full unit wihtout the ua then always go with a min unit. You're right though in that their job is to die and bring caber tossers.

[perilsensitive]

I have been running a pGrissel tier list lately, and have use lots of Kriels. I run one full unit with UA and cabers, and a min unit with cabers (at 50). Having a 15 model steady tough unit can be pretty amazing. Kriels are pretty good, besides being caber delivery systems (even then, its good to have extra bodies for Take Up). They jam, they kill moderate-high arm infantry, and they can take down heavy targets with cabers.

[AWM68]

I played a game last night using Caber throwers for the first time. I was only able to get 2. But, wow. I just did not realize how good they are. Couple that with the UA and not being able to be knocked down...I am loving my Kriel Warriors.

[The Happy Anarchist]

I go with the UA - the Steady causes more trouble for opponents with tough and they are better at jamming and blocking LOS - the CMD is nice but not critical. I also hate to fail CMD checks.

Always Cabers though - I would drop to Min and drop the UA before I would drop the Cabers. That said, Mat 7 Pow 12 infantry isn't bad - nor is Mat 9 Pow 14 CMAs. Never underestimate the basic Kriels.

[Dythirus]

I love this unit if you need them to hit high def they can if you want to kill your self a kraken just throw blood fury and there you go gone!

[AaronB13F]

Can anyone tell me if you can take 9 cabers in a game? Does the FA 3 Mean 3 groups of them per unit of Kriels? Like if i run 2 Max units of Kriels and UA + 3 cabers each and a min unit + 3 cabers behind them. In a theme list, could I do that?

[Robbe]

FA:3 means u can attach cabers at up to three units
and every unit can take up to three cabers
so with three units u can take 9 cabers

[The Happy Anarchist]

Sure can. FA 3 - so you can take them 3 times. Each time you take them you get up to 3 Cabers.

If you go pMadrak's theme, you can actually take an unlimited number of units of Kriels and Cabers/UAs. If you really spam down to min units + 3 cabers for 7 points each you can easily get into the double digits worth of Cabers.

[PG_machine007]

I still want to do a Pgrissel tier list with two units, maxed out on cabers and one with the UA. For only 20 points, who could go wrong ?

[HellecticMojo]

your wallet would go wrong.

I didn't realize how expensive they were until I tried to start a second army and realized that they cost as much as a 25pt army.

[PG_joedj]

So, which would you rather take? A full unit of Kriells with 3 cabers, or a min unit with UA and 3 cabers? In other words, is it more important to you to have the two extra bodies, or steady and a bigger command range?

I'd rather take the min unit with UA and 3 cabers. Steady is a key defensive/offensive advantage. Reduces threats to your warlock/solos, and prevents lost offensive punch from forfeiting to stand up.

[jdripley]

re: "cabers and dying is what Kriel Warriors do"

What support models are you taking? With a DEF buff and an ARM buff, your Kriel Warriors go from being dirt cheap basic infantry to elite infantry, instantly. So pMadrak or Borka plus the Stone, that'd be all you need. Against range you could sub out either warlock for the Chronicler.

I think the biggest value in the Kriel Warriors is their low cost combined with their versatility. They can be fast. With CMA they can threaten most models. With Cabers they can threaten the rest of the models They can be a great tarpit. They can be a great second wave mop-up unit.

So to me, max + UA vs Cabers or whatever comes down to how you want to use your Kriels. If you want a tarpit, Max + UA. If you want them to be wrecking things, take more Cabers. Do you have another unit that could tarpit? Do you have another model/unit that could wreck things?