Pretty tricks and nasty combinations for Minions

[Rotfell]

Today at a game, I had some kind of genius idea.

This wasn't legitim, thanks Pirrekur, got caught of the moment
I used Carver and I got confronted with one problem: To get my enemy, I had to get my War Hog to his beasts that turn, because he would outrun me. After some thinking, studying the situation, I had one essential problem: My enemy was a master of measuring charge lines. I was 2" too short (even if I use Mobility) and even after that, I wouldn't be able to get a good momentum.

And then... I activated Carver, BAM feat, BAM, Mobility, BAM Batten Down! Closing in and...

Activate my War Hog #2, who was a 3,5" behind the first, animus on #1 and then ramming it! No knockdown, 4" closer to the enemy, the damage (even with 3d) wasn't high enough to make any (11+3d6 vs ARM 21) and then the whole thing just looked kinda different... A charging War Hog without any fury and +1d6 for damage...

Shortly after a Argus and a Feral Warpwolf were killed, this might be the most awesome action I'll ever pull, dropping the jaw of my enemy, who has calculated everything, but this...

Yes, it makes sense: Ramming an unknockdownable model for (almost) no damage (at least without feat) to shorten the distance and gives a pseudo-speed-boost for the more or less lame Hog.

It was even better than the pigfarming trample-Brine (really: 11+3d6 on every trampled model is too much for most infantry, you just have to hit!).


So my question: Have you other pretty unthinkable tricks for Minions or nasty combinations, that makes the enemy asking you: "How could you do it?" I'm really willing to learn, to teach everyone about the power of the subfactions!!!

[Pirrekurr]

I am making a guess that by Ramming you mean Slamming. And if you read under the rules for making a Slam Power Attack even if you are Immune to KO you have to forfeit either your movement or your attacks the same turn as you are getting Slammed. Therefore it is an illegal maneuvre. Sorry, but if it seems too good to be true it is often too good to be true...

[MagnustheJust]

Yep. You shenaniganned.

Now, if you had pushed instead....

[Rotfell]

Ah, I see. Well, since we both didn't realize it (since slamming isn't our usually used tactic), it was a fault to both (my enemy and me) for it. So I won't be able to use it once again, but so be it.

Thanks for this information (at least a Skorne would corrected me, but better earlier than later), but I still get some nice ideas, how to utilize the slam or throw, to make the War Hogs a little more mobile, or to get them out of useless combats (since there will be no free strikes).

And at least I still got the trampling Brine with Pigfarm (and with the animus of the Road Hog, he might come right back, after the attacks are resolved and one model got eaten). That may be a real funny combo, since trample are melee attacks, so Brine will be a skirmishing infantry killer (even with a straight line, you can get some, especially after repositioning after Diversionary Tactic)!

Any other suggestions for good combos?

@Magnus: Well, push is just 1", but maybe there will be a oppurtunity!

[PG_Devilsquid]

Gundrun with Lightning Strike is pretty funny. Charge in, hopefully kill 2-3 models, then move yourself further in to the enemy or back into safety. Throw Vision on him for giggles.

[Benejeseret]

Yep, rarely worth it to slam your own model. However, if you already have a warbeast A engaged (or really close) and nothing else to do with a free beast B you could slam A to knockdown/collateral damage target and then later activate the slammed hog to beat on the KD'd target.

Between Drang's Goad, Sturm's TK, Carver's Feat Overtake, Arkadius's Feat (free charge), Lightning Strike Animus, and Massacre Animus....the hogs have quite a number of ways to trigger movement related tricks. Unfortunately most require killing and enemy model to activate to tricks. Otherwise the super-cheap Bonegrinders would be in all my lists simply for self-sacrificing charges to get that extra movement surprise.

I can't wait to try using Arkadius Feat after Lightning Strike to strike+position. Lets you move 3xMovement+6" so long as you can kill one enemy model.
Even a slow Warhog can get 18" and then boosted attack/damage. BUT, a Road Hog gets a 10" Charge + 10"spray + attack(s), then 7" movement, then 10" charge and boost attack/damage for 27" movement...on a Heavy.

**Edit** Thanks for the reminder Rotfell. If you also cast Massacre on the Road Hog you can get 28-29" of movement.
In double-caster games with Sturm that gets up to 30-31" with TK.

[Rotfell]

Ah, I remember: So you can charge around corners:

Massacre + Arkadius feat: Massacre holds a whole turn, therefore:

Dr A casts Massacre on (til now unactivated) War Hog (from behind). Then he use his feat, the War Hog (should) frenzy and charge one enemy model (like a solo or infantry, something you will definitly kill and in the way), after killing it can move 1" (since frenzy no additional attack, BUT you can change the direction it'll look). If it gained a free strike, you can still heal it with Dr A.

Next activate War Hog: Still Massacre, free to charge!

I already told this, but I guess it has a place in this thread.

[DFGStar]

Gundrun with Lightning Strike is pretty funny. Charge in, hopefully kill 2-3 models, then move yourself further in to the enemy or back into safety. Throw Vision on him for giggles.

exactly. i want to see more of this with gudrun.

[Rotfell]

OK, I got two more awesome combinations, this time it's all about slam-attacks under Carver.

The strongest slam attack I know: Brine is able to roll 6d6+11 on a slam damage dice roll (STR + 2d6 normal, +1d6 animus, +1d6 Carver's feat, +1d6 boost and +1d6 if you're slamming the target into a wall or a model with the same or a larger base size). If height comes into this, even more damage can be dealed.
And it's knocked down additionally.

Slam into Mr. War Hog (further thoughts about something Benejeseret was suggesting): You can't slam the War Hog to get more movement, since even with batten down it have to forfeit either movement or action. But you can slam models INTO the War Hog, without such concerns.
Don't try to help the War Hog with your Gun Boar just by going into melee, just slam the enemy model to knock it down and some damage. Since most things won't have a larger base than the War Hog you get an additional dice for damage and with boosting the attack roll you have a good chance to hit something (and you can still boost the damage further).
If the enemy model had a higher DEF so the War Hog had to rely on crit knock down: No problem, know you'll hit every time. It had some nasty buckler or other front arc effect? Hey, you can just go around, since your War Hog wasn't slammed, it don't have to forfeit anything and with batten down it's not knocked down either.
EDIT2: Of course you can use another War Hog or Brine, to make the slam, but those have something better to do most of the time. But in fact you can slam a model engaged with your War Hog with Brine (pain response) into the War Hog and maybe kill it of by buying additional attacks, so your War Hog can do other stuff. And Diversionary Tactic may help a lot in getting a lane.
But so far I used my Gun Boar, cheaper and less deadly in melee, so I wanted to be more creative with it.

Gators can use it in combination with a Bull Snapper/Bone Swarm and a Wrastler/Swamp Horror. The fact that we have some reliable anti-knockdown ways, which are more or less basic makes this just better.


Keep your eyes open, maybe situations where you can use this, comes more often than you think!


EDIT: Bone Swarm-Animus vs. Gun Fighter: Since concealment (I think that was the english term; you know +2 DEF against magical and ranged attacks, normally given in woods) apply on ranged attacks and the -2 for the attack roll in 2 inch stacks, Gun Fighters (who makes ranged attacks in melee range) get -4 for the attack roll, so they might be better of using their melee weapons (if any).
Never used it, since it's hard to get it there, but hey: Maybe, one day...

[PG_Draxos]

Just for the record you should have cast quigmire on the war hog and run b2b with it in the OP

[Decade]

Something I did with my did to my opponent last game was put Iron Flesh on my GMP, and stuck a boneswarm nearby, throwing Swarm up on itself. Making a posse effectively Def/Arm 18/18 let me hold up his left flank the entire game.

Not exactly a combination, but throwing down swamp pits in your opponent's charge lanes is hilarious. Yea, 5" AOE of rough terrain? Makes me giggle unless they've got pathfinder.

[Rotfell]

Just for the record you should have cast quigmire on the war hog and run b2b with it in the OP

Quagmire is a nice spell and I'm using it, too, but often I don't have the fury for it or I need Carver (and especially the control area) somewhere else (since 6 inch aren't reall the best distance).

And this isn't how you make a basic choice, but how you can pull of some tricks, you never really thought about. In this case how you can use a weak model to hinder or surely defeat an enemy (heavy) model and maybe get your War Hog free.

And imho: Knock down is better than a DEF-Debuff, if you CAN knock down your enemy.

Something I did with my did to my opponent last game was put Iron Flesh on my GMP, and stuck a boneswarm nearby, throwing Swarm up on itself. Making a posse effectively Def/Arm 18/18 let me hold up his left flank the entire game.

That's a good one, dirge of mist, iron flesh and -2 for opponents attacks in 2 inch is like 18 DEF in melee.

Not exactly a combination, but throwing down swamp pits in your opponent's charge lanes is hilarious. Yea, 5" AOE of rough terrain? Makes me giggle unless they've got pathfinder.

... I really never thought about it. It makes so much sense, it's frightening me. But in fact: Even if you do feel, like everything is having or giving out pathfinder, the fact is, that's not entirely true.
Yeah, you can use Swamp Pit that way! O.O

[ScottFinkle]

And at least I still got the trampling Brine with Pigfarm (and with the animus of the Road Hog, he might come right back, after the attacks are resolved and one model got eaten). That may be a real funny combo, since trample are melee attacks, so Brine will be a skirmishing infantry killer (even with a straight line, you can get some, especially after repositioning after Diversionary Tactic)!

Unfortunately that doesn't work, since you can only have one animus active on a model at a time.

[Azahul]

Have a Warlock cast Lightning Strike on Brine as a spell?

[boofhead]

i haven't had much luck with the ironback spitter due to lack of game play with him (bad timing i guess) but was thinking, if you had a whole bunch of light infantry up against him, get him to trample straight through the middle to make them get free hits on him. armored back plates make the free hitters roll d6, instant kill it they arent buffed for the infantry.