New to Khador, interested in eIrusk

[6_Focus]

Helloo,
I've played Cygnar for a while and after facing eIrusk for the first time a month or two ago, i decided that i'd like a khador force that goes really well with him. Since i don't really know much about khador, i have almost no idea what makes a succesful list with him. I really like man-o-wars (all forms) and the devastator though if this helps. Looking to go for about 35 points and being fairly competitive.
Any and all suggestions are extremely appreciated! (i'd be helpless without the input quite frankly)

[khadoransun]

Irusk likes his infantry. IFP, MoW's are good here. His ability that makes the army ignore friendly models for LoS is awesome for fielding a shield wall of Shocktroopers, and Demo Corps behind. Winter Guard Death Star...Widowmakers.... Honestly, take your pick. Devastator is good, any Irusk also likes the Behemoth, or even a Spriggan. Hope that was useful info, I'm sure you'll get more replies.

[HellVenom]

All of the infantry work with eIrsuk, Assassins, IFP, and even AK if battle lusted. MoW work as well espcially with the mechaniks and their UA. The Mortar is great with eIrusk. I presonally try to stay away from a large number of jacks and the all-star jacks, eIrusks skills and spells are more unit rather than model focused. Its better to make your FF living units do the work and use the jacks to defend eIrusk

[HeadHunter]

I had made a 50-point MoW army for eIrusk (haven't bought it or played it yet):

eIrusk
Behemoth

6 Battle Mechaniks with Officer
5 MoW Bombardiers
5 MoW Demo Corps
5 MoW Shocktroopers
Mow Drakuhn w/dismount
MoW Kovnik

Not a lot of models for 50 points, perhaps, but the Mechaniks should keep the MoWs rolling. It's almost like having two dozen light 'jacks. Kinda crazy!

[Madhiggins]

all eIrusk lists should have one mortar, it not two. having two boosted to hit pow 16s aoe 4 blast 8 getting boosted up to pow 27 and blast 19 is murderous. the spell Fire For Effect and two mortars can easily take out one heavy before either armies ever engage each other. and if you're going for troops with mortars then the boosted blast damage rolls is enough to kill most infantry in the entire game.

[HeadHunter]

That should work on Behemoth as well, right? Also, that would be in addition to any boosts one could get from a warcaster boosting a jack?

[Madhiggins]

fire for effect boosts the to hit and damage of the first shot made by a model, so it would work on the behemoth but it would only work on one of his bombards and not both. and the aoe boost is the best part of fire for effect, but with the behemoth since his aoe is three inches instead of the mortar's 4 inches then you'd get less models under the blast template. and no, it is not in addition to a warcaster boosting. since the spell is a boost effect, and you can't boost a boost.

[HeadHunter]

I'm not so sure about that last part. I know that you can't benefit from more than one copy of the same spell, but I'm not sure about the "can't boost a boost". Can you cite a specific source for this?

[Madhiggins]

pg 28 of the rule book underneath the heading ADDITIONAL DICE AND BOOSTED ROLLS with the relevant part being "Each attack or damage roll can be boosted only once". so basically a "boost" is an effect, be it from spending a focus to boost or getting a boost from a special abillity or spell. and you can only boost once. so you can't do something like have your warcaster hit on the first attack and then boost the damage roll 7 times for an auto kill.

[HeadHunter]

OK, thanks for clarifying.

[PG_Draxos]

I like eIrusk, so much so that he has become my prefered caster oddly enough, and there are a few things I want to throw out there.

Saying that you need to take a mortar is wrong. I admit it is good and if you like it then go for it but I hate it when people say "you must do this". I have been using Black Ivan instead lately because he is mobil, hard to engage and has the ability to hit casters reliably.

To everyone who wants to run MoW ST, MoW DC and Bombadiers you will run into a problem since you are too slow and you don't hit enough. 11 points for 5 attacks with small AOEs is not enough and I have found it to be inacurrate vs high arm and not enough to deal with high model count lists. Using things like Doom Reavers who can charge through your lines and then have your ST come up and cover them is an excellent tactic that I love. Also Widowmakers are good for emergancey FFE targets and work very well for general clean up and such.

He is a finesse caster in faction that doens't do finesse. Alot of people dislike him for that but if you get it right he is amazing and top tier for Khador. He likes having tools in his army like Eliminators and Widowmakers while he aggressivly bricks up the field. Also his feat is either a denial feat or an enabler feat. You can use it to stop enemy movements or to get your guys where they need to go which is excellent and dependent upon the situationn.

[Ender_Melchior]

I love eIrusk. Hands down. And I feel he works best with a full combined-arms army. With him, I'll make sure to bring: light infantry to swarm, heavy armor infantry to screen and act as an amazing second wave, artillery because... why not? Ternions and Koldun Lord, for magic shenanigans, and one or two solid warjacks (typically a Spriggan, and then a support piece, like a Kodiak or a Marauder).

And if you can add in Aiyanna, Holt, and Valachev, Martial Discipline is amazing with them, because they can be screened so beautifully, and still get Kiss of Lyliss where you need it.

I feel that taking a character model, like the Behemoth, as his warjack is a mistake, though, just because you lose out on an amazing bond. Throwing it on the Spriggan, and getting the opportunity to feed it four focus (I've also had amazing success with a Decimator and his bond) is a dream. And at Defense 12? You start hitting that curve where maybe hitting our 'jack isn't as automatic as it usually is.

[6_Focus]

Thanks alot for all the replies! So i'm thinking about getting:
max unit of IFP with UA
max Shocktroopers
WG Mortar
Destroyer
Spriggan
Devastator

I don't think i'll use all those jacks in the same game, it's just so that i have a little bit of variety to start out with. I can't decide on solos though...there are alot of good ones i can take. I like the Koldun Lord and the Manhunter as well as the War Dog but i just don't know. I also like Ender_Melchior's A&H suggestion. Any help here? And am i going anywhere with the above list of models?

[Boomfex]

@Draxos

Do you ignore the bond or throw in a 2nd jack?

[PG_Draxos]

@boomfex. I tend to ignore it since I take Black Ivan. You could take a spriggan in addition, which has merit and I was considering doing that for a bit, but I feel that between battle lust and the already high pow number of attacks we can put out you are better off just buying more awesome infantry.

I actually had to take a minute to figure out what his bond is, I never use it.

[Boomfex]

I must admit, my interest is getting perked. I have been wanting to stick Valchev in with Croes Cutthroats for a while and this seems like an interesting list to do it. FFE on Croe so you can stick his Hiss shot more reliably. Probably overly complex, but worth a try.

[Steamwitch]

My favoret target to hot swap a fire for effect is the moarter for range and them herne and jhon w/valachev. Useing the spechal attack from h&j all the templates are boosted! And zepher away or forward for better deviatons. It costs as much for them as 2 moarters i think but its massively destructive. Killed 3 units once in a turn. Never happend again but was fantastic!

[PG_Draxos]

I must admit, my interest is getting perked. I have been wanting to stick Valchev in with CroesL Cutthroats for a while and this seems like an interesting list to do it. FFE on Croe so you can stick his Hiss shot more reliably. Probably overly complex, but worth a try.

Keep in mind FFE is on model not unit. That's why I put it on a jack.

[Boomfex]

Keep in mind FFE is on model not unit. That's why I put it on a jack.

It would just go on Croe himself, to help stick his Hiss shot.

[Ender_Melchior]

Thanks alot for all the replies! So i'm thinking about getting:
max unit of IFP with UA
max Shocktroopers
WG Mortar
Destroyer
Spriggan
Devastator

I don't think i'll use all those jacks in the same game, it's just so that i have a little bit of variety to start out with. I can't decide on solos though...there are alot of good ones i can take. I like the Koldun Lord and the Manhunter as well as the War Dog but i just don't know. I also like Ender_Melchior's A&H suggestion. Any help here? And am i going anywhere with the above list of models?

A Koldun Lord is never a bad idea to have, especially if you only take one 'Jack. His powerboost ability helps negate some threat from disruption, plus, it frees up Irusk's focus on the first turn run, since he can cast FFE, and Tactical Supremacy on something else, and still be sitting on two focus, instead of just one.

Keeping a Manhunter back with eIrusk is a great bodyguard solo, or even better, keep him back there, screened by your heavier infantry, until it's time to unleash him like a guided missile. Throw Battle Lust on him, and all of a sudden, on the charge, you have a Mat 8, Pow 11+5d6 attack, followed by a Pow 11+4d6. Yeah.

That's a good guided missile right there.

With what you have listed, you've got an exceptional list, though it may be a bit 'jack heavy. Probably drop the Devastator, keeping the Spriggan and the Destroyer, and with those nine points, you can add in A&H&V, and a full unit of Mechaniks, without the UA.

[Septimus]

I like taking two warjacks with eIrusk, myself, mostly to get the most out of energizer. I've had good success using Torch and a Kodiak as a defensive screen for my army, dropping clouds with both jacks and using energizer/tactical supremacy to retreat behind said clouds. It's a level of denial people don't often expect from Khador (don't try it on Legion, though).