35 & 50 pt eSkarre

[AdamD]

Hey guys, I want to try out eSkarre this weekend. Being mainly an eGaspy or Terminus player, I've only played one game with her (15 pts, malice and DJ xD)

Here's my list:

35 pts:
eSkarre +6

4 Deathripper
9 Malice
2 Skarlock Thrall
3 Pistol Wraith
3 Pistol Wraith
3 Gerlak Slaughterborn

10 Max Satyxis Raiders w/ Sea Witch
2 Satyxis Raider Captain
5 Withershadow Combine

50 pts:
eSkarre +6

5 Defiler
8 Erebus
9 Malice
2 Skarlock Thrall

10 Max Bane Knights
4 Bane Lord Tartarus
3 Pistol Wraith
3 Pistol Wraith
10 Max Raiders w/UA
2 Raider Captain

Pistol Wraiths are really greasy with Black Spot, and they can hold down enemy jacks, not to mention protecting them with Skarre's feat is pretty cool. The only thing I'm not really sure about is Erebus, I just don't know how good he is in a non-scaverous list. Overtake with Black Spot is pretty neat I guess...

I don't have Nightmare, and I probably won't buy one just for this list. Maybe I'll try to convert one of my slayers...

[Gamingdevil]

Erebus is not as great with Black Spot as you'd think, since BS attacks can't generate additional attacks, so without a focus investment he can only get up to 4 attacks, then you'd have to invest focus on top of the 3 for BS (2 to cast, probably one to boost)

She's really great with Deathjack, more than once when I was stuck in combat with some troopers, I would eat one, kill another with Perdition, move closer to the rest of the unit and spend my other 2 initials to kill some more. He's very focus efficient and really versatile with her.

[TheSanityAssassin]

Pistol Wraiths are certainly nasty as heck with Black Spot, as are BloodGorgers with Gerlack. The Raider unit is pretty standard for her, and can let you do some nasty things to a caster if your opponent lets you pull off the Feedback/Backlash combo....I wouldn't rely on it to get an assassination, but it can certainly put hurt on and open up things like the shocking hand-cannon assassination from Skarre, the Witch and the Captain!

Otherwise, I think you're looking a little infantry/solo heavy, as well as Infantry/Solo munchy. Both Slaughterborn and the Wraiths will ruin an infantry unit under Black spot, it's probably a bit redundant to have both at 35.

Looking at eSkarre I pretty much go to my battlegroup first, and make sure it's solid. Other than Morty, she's by far the caster that wants to run multiple Helljacks, and with Seas of Fate she can do it damn well. Death Ward even gets past that pesky fragility to a fairly high degree, and lets your 'jacks function even after getting wailed on. Given that she's already very efficient with Jack focus, I tend to try to stretch that efficiency even further, and that usually means a Seether, Deathjack, or in a perfect world, both.

A Seether may seem a bit pricy at times, but for 9 points you're getting a free focus every turn, and NOT paying one to charge....couple that with Seas of Fate and you've got one of the most efficient killers in the game. Deathjack is the same deal, but more so....you're getting 2 free focus a turn (to a maximum of 5!) and brutal killing power. On top of that, with his Necromancy ability he can basically function as your Arc Node in situations that you might want one, while allowing for some neat tricks to get around casting restrictions (for example, you could feasibly Blackspot 3 units in a turn with upkeep, or Death Ward yourself to run past a freestrike, then pass it on).

To this end, unless I'm running a Tier list (and hers is quite good), I stay away from Chickens with her. Sure there are times when I'd love to arc Perdition, and from time to time I do stick one in, but generally she'll play close enough to the front to pull the spell herself on a feat turn, or else get DJ to do it...If you want to run a light I would suggest a Stalker or Scavenger. The feat can really mitigate any weakness they might have closing, and the Scavenger especially becomes a huge threat to casters with the ability to do a point or two of damage with Feedback, opening them up to equivalent Weaponmaster strikes from the Angry Bird.

If you are going to stay away from Deathjack, however, Malice is a great choice with her, especially with the Combine....I think the synergy there is clear enough....even regular Reapers benefit a ton from her abilities, and Malice just cranks it up. I really don't think Erebus is going to do as much for her as you'd hope...I think the points could be much better spent elsewhere.

As for the Infantry in the second list....The Bane combo is well known and awesome...no reason not to do it really. That said, I like to be faster with her, and have some expendable troops. Bloodwitches and the UA not only give you a fairly cheap unit that get up table very fast and can play some tricks with Incorporeal, the Hag also gives you that wonderful Tough denial which can totally ruin runs with Black Spot...I'd try to sneak in at LEAST a minimum unit just for that purpose.

Heck, drop the Banes and Tarty and Erebus and you could buy minimum Witches+UA and then turn your Defiler into Deathjack and buy a Seether. Personally I usually leave the Skarlock behind and upgrade the girls to full, but either way can work. That extra Perdition is really nice sometimes.

Anyway, I've lost my head of steam at this point, but hopefully my rambling was at least a bit helpful.