Last week, I got a battle in against Caleb's pDoomshaper list. It was my first game with Mordikaar, and Caleb's first game with Trollbloods. The lists were:
Skorne
Void Seer Mordikaar (+5)
*Titan Sentry (9)
*Basilisk Krea (4)
*Basilisk Drake (4)
6 Cataphract Cetrati (11)
10 Praetorian Swordsmen (6)
*Officer and Standard (2)
4 Paingiver Beast Handlers (2)
Void Spirit (2)
My first Mordikaar list. It has good jamming potential with the Swordsmen and Cetrati. I'm a little worried about the Sentry being my heaviest beast. Mordikaar doesn't have an accuracy or damage buff, so it's not quite the heavy hitter the list might need. My thought is that against one and two heavy lists, my Cetrati and Flank on the basilisk pair, with some help from the Void Spirit, might be able to pick up the slack in terms of removing enemy heavies. We'll see.
Trollbloods
Hoarluk Doomshaper, Shaman of the Gnarls (+7)
*Dire Troll Mauler (9)
*Troll Axer (6)
*Slag Troll (6)
*Troll Impaler (5)
6 Fenn Blades (5)
*Officer and Drummer (2)
Krielstone Bearer and 3 Stone Scribes (3)
*Stone Scribe Elder (1)
Fell Caller Hero (3)
5 Troll Whelps (2)
Caleb's comments on the list (based partly on this game) can be found here. The list seemed decently balanced to me, possibly with an overemphasis on light warbeasts.
Caleb won the roll off, and chose to go second.
Deployment
I deployed the Swordsmen up in front, with the Cetrati and Mordikaar just behind them. The Warbeasts and Paingivers went on my right flank, supported by the Void Spirit. My basic plan was to jam his center with Swordsmen, and follow up with Cetrati against his beasts on Mordikaar's feat turn. I'd try to put pressure on Doomshaper to cast Purification every turn by keeping Hollow on the Swordsmen, since Purification costs a bit more.
Caleb deployed his Krielstone bearers and Fell Caller behind his Fennblades, and Doomshaper behind them. His Mauler and Slag Troll deployed opposite my warbeasts, and his Impaler and Axer deployed just behind some of the Fennblades, probably both gunning for my Cetrati and Mordikaar. The Whelps started the game inside the Trolls.
Turn 1 - Skorne
Almost everything ran forward. The Cetrati stayed just behind the Swordsmen, and the basilisks edged just ahead of the Sentry on the flank. Mordikaar advanced, and cast Hollow on the Swordsmen and Banishing Ward on the Sentry. It would probably get Purificationed away, but I had nothing better to do with the Fury. The Void Spirit ran to just outside the Warbeasts' flank.
Turn 1 - Trollbloods
The Fennblades ran forward, as did all the beasts. Doomshaper put 5 Fury on the Krielstone, advanced, and cast Fortune on the Fennblades. The Krielstone bearers put up their aura, then ran forward. The Fell Caller ran to just behind the Fennblades.
Turn 2 - Skorne
Mordikaar upkept both spells. The Swordsmen used Perfect Strike to do automatic damage to warrior models, and charged the Fennblades, killing two, and knocking down another two. The Krea advanced, and hit the Mauler with Spiritual Paralysis. He could still get to her by walking with Rush, if he got it, but he couldn't charge. The Drake advanced to the Krea's right flank, and the Sentry used Locker, and Trampled forward, creating a nicely defended bubble for my Warbeasts. I also ran my Void Spirit up between the Sentry and the Mauler to make things a little more difficult for Caleb. The Cetrati advanced and Shield Walled, and the Paingivers advanced and Conditioned the beasts down to the 2 Fury Mordikaar had spent this turn. Mordikaar just advanced.
Caleb's next turn would be a big one. I was looking forward to culling at least a few Soul Tokens thanks to Vengeance, but between Purification and Rampager, my Sentry was vulnerable. I'd just have to hope I'd slowed it down enough.
Turn 2 - Trollbloods
The surviving Fennblades took their Vengeance moves and attacks on the Swordsmen, giving Mordikaar two souls. The Krielstone Bearers got out of the way, and used their Protective Aura, the Elder put down the "models lose Incorporeal and Stealth" add on, making my Void Spirit vulnerable. Doeomshaper advanced, cast Purification, then cast Rampager on my Sentry, causing it to advance toward the Mauler, turn around, and attack the Krea for moderate damage. Then the Axer cast Rush on the Mauler, and moved around near Doomshaper. The Mauler advanced into melee with the Sentry, cast Rage on itself, and murdered the poor beast. The Impaler put Far Strike on itself, and fired at Mordikaar, but was out of range. The Slag Troll advanced a bit. The Fell Caller put War Cry on the Fennblades, and Sonic Blasted the Swordsmen, killing one or two. The Fenblades used No Quarter, forcing a Terror test, which the Swordsmen passed, and killed half the unit, forcing another Cmd check, which they failed.
I wasn't too worried about the Swordsmen - Hollow would rally them, and I could bolster their numbers with Revive. I was a lot more worried about losing my only heavy. I'd have to focus on taking out the Mauler on my next turn. Caleb's formation was very cluttered at this point, partly due to terrain, partly due to his unfamiliarity with maneuvering large units of Medium based models, and partly due to the arm-twisting activation order Purification was forcing on him. He had also forgotten to use Doomie's Feat. Admittedly, it might not have accomplished much. Mordikaar wasn't in range yet, and its denial element is kind of unreliable, but it would have put some damage on my Basilisks, and might have made my next turn a little more complicated.
Turn 3 - Skorne
The Void Spirit activated first, putting some damage on the Mauler. The Paingivers then Enraged both Basilisks, which charged in, taking the Mauler to its last few hit points. Throughout this process, Caleb forgot to place his Whelps. I had a contingency plan for them, but it would have made things a lot more complicated for me. Mordikaar activated next, cast Ghost Walk on the Cetrati, advanced, cast Hollow on the Swordsmen, Revived a Swordsman, and Feated, giving everyone +3 Def and Poltergeist. The newly Fearless Swordsmen charged the Fennblades, killing a few more. Three Cetrati charged the Mauler, 2 charged the Fennblades, and one charged the Axer. They killed the Mauler and one of the Fennblades, doing minor damage to the Arm 20 (really?!) Axer.
I was feeling a lot better now. My Cetrati were up to the task against lights beasts. Reviving that single Swordsman made a huge difference. Revive has enormous potential. Up till now, I've thought of Essence Blast as Mordikaar's main spell for most of the game, but for a lot of things, Revive is a much better option. Finally, everything was at +3 Def, and Caleb would have his work cut out for him.
Turn 3 - Trollbloods
The +3 Defense from Void Wind was amazing. Caleb hit my models about two times, and Tough from Hollow saved one of them. There was one hilarious moment when the Fell Caller Sonic Blasted across 5 models, and shot back 9" due to Poltergeist. Meanwhile, I used Poltergeist to my best advantage, pushing models or keeping them where they were depending on which was less convenient for Caleb. Poltergeist is normally a pretty decent defensive part of Mordikaar's feat, but with Caleb's already cluttered position, it wreaked havoc on his activation order, compounding his inability to hurt my models.
After looking at the counterattack he'd be facing, Caleb decided to concede.
Thoughts
I really like Mordikaar's style. I've been playing more aggressive warlocks recently, especially pMorghoul, and it was nice not having to fret about getting assassinated all the time. The Swordsmen had great sticking power between Hollow and Revive. I'm looking forward to playing this guy again soon.
I'm still worried about the list's ability to take out heavies. If Caleb had remembered his Whelps, I might not have managed to kill the Mauler. Much as it saddens me to do so, I think I'll drop the Basilisk pair for a Gladiator. The Basilisks were good, but I had to dedicate about half my list to taking out a single heavy once the Sentry went down. A single Gladiator would have been a lot more menacing next to the Sentry, and would let me play my beasts a little further from threats like the Mauler thanks to Rush.
Caleb's inexperience with Trollbloods was his major downfall here. He just wasn't used to dealing with a large number of Medium based infantry, and pDoomshaper seems like a pretty unforgiving Warlock on top of it. Still, he handled them well for a first time out, and their tougher, more attrition-oriented play style meshes very well with Caleb's personal style as a gamer. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up preferring them to Circle.
Skorne
Void Seer Mordikaar (+5)
*Titan Sentry (9)
*Basilisk Krea (4)
*Basilisk Drake (4)
6 Cataphract Cetrati (11)
10 Praetorian Swordsmen (6)
*Officer and Standard (2)
4 Paingiver Beast Handlers (2)
Void Spirit (2)
My first Mordikaar list. It has good jamming potential with the Swordsmen and Cetrati. I'm a little worried about the Sentry being my heaviest beast. Mordikaar doesn't have an accuracy or damage buff, so it's not quite the heavy hitter the list might need. My thought is that against one and two heavy lists, my Cetrati and Flank on the basilisk pair, with some help from the Void Spirit, might be able to pick up the slack in terms of removing enemy heavies. We'll see.
Trollbloods
Hoarluk Doomshaper, Shaman of the Gnarls (+7)
*Dire Troll Mauler (9)
*Troll Axer (6)
*Slag Troll (6)
*Troll Impaler (5)
6 Fenn Blades (5)
*Officer and Drummer (2)
Krielstone Bearer and 3 Stone Scribes (3)
*Stone Scribe Elder (1)
Fell Caller Hero (3)
5 Troll Whelps (2)
Caleb's comments on the list (based partly on this game) can be found here. The list seemed decently balanced to me, possibly with an overemphasis on light warbeasts.
Caleb won the roll off, and chose to go second.
Deployment
I deployed the Swordsmen up in front, with the Cetrati and Mordikaar just behind them. The Warbeasts and Paingivers went on my right flank, supported by the Void Spirit. My basic plan was to jam his center with Swordsmen, and follow up with Cetrati against his beasts on Mordikaar's feat turn. I'd try to put pressure on Doomshaper to cast Purification every turn by keeping Hollow on the Swordsmen, since Purification costs a bit more.
Caleb deployed his Krielstone bearers and Fell Caller behind his Fennblades, and Doomshaper behind them. His Mauler and Slag Troll deployed opposite my warbeasts, and his Impaler and Axer deployed just behind some of the Fennblades, probably both gunning for my Cetrati and Mordikaar. The Whelps started the game inside the Trolls.
Turn 1 - Skorne
Almost everything ran forward. The Cetrati stayed just behind the Swordsmen, and the basilisks edged just ahead of the Sentry on the flank. Mordikaar advanced, and cast Hollow on the Swordsmen and Banishing Ward on the Sentry. It would probably get Purificationed away, but I had nothing better to do with the Fury. The Void Spirit ran to just outside the Warbeasts' flank.
Turn 1 - Trollbloods
The Fennblades ran forward, as did all the beasts. Doomshaper put 5 Fury on the Krielstone, advanced, and cast Fortune on the Fennblades. The Krielstone bearers put up their aura, then ran forward. The Fell Caller ran to just behind the Fennblades.
Turn 2 - Skorne
Mordikaar upkept both spells. The Swordsmen used Perfect Strike to do automatic damage to warrior models, and charged the Fennblades, killing two, and knocking down another two. The Krea advanced, and hit the Mauler with Spiritual Paralysis. He could still get to her by walking with Rush, if he got it, but he couldn't charge. The Drake advanced to the Krea's right flank, and the Sentry used Locker, and Trampled forward, creating a nicely defended bubble for my Warbeasts. I also ran my Void Spirit up between the Sentry and the Mauler to make things a little more difficult for Caleb. The Cetrati advanced and Shield Walled, and the Paingivers advanced and Conditioned the beasts down to the 2 Fury Mordikaar had spent this turn. Mordikaar just advanced.
Caleb's next turn would be a big one. I was looking forward to culling at least a few Soul Tokens thanks to Vengeance, but between Purification and Rampager, my Sentry was vulnerable. I'd just have to hope I'd slowed it down enough.
Turn 2 - Trollbloods
The surviving Fennblades took their Vengeance moves and attacks on the Swordsmen, giving Mordikaar two souls. The Krielstone Bearers got out of the way, and used their Protective Aura, the Elder put down the "models lose Incorporeal and Stealth" add on, making my Void Spirit vulnerable. Doeomshaper advanced, cast Purification, then cast Rampager on my Sentry, causing it to advance toward the Mauler, turn around, and attack the Krea for moderate damage. Then the Axer cast Rush on the Mauler, and moved around near Doomshaper. The Mauler advanced into melee with the Sentry, cast Rage on itself, and murdered the poor beast. The Impaler put Far Strike on itself, and fired at Mordikaar, but was out of range. The Slag Troll advanced a bit. The Fell Caller put War Cry on the Fennblades, and Sonic Blasted the Swordsmen, killing one or two. The Fenblades used No Quarter, forcing a Terror test, which the Swordsmen passed, and killed half the unit, forcing another Cmd check, which they failed.
I wasn't too worried about the Swordsmen - Hollow would rally them, and I could bolster their numbers with Revive. I was a lot more worried about losing my only heavy. I'd have to focus on taking out the Mauler on my next turn. Caleb's formation was very cluttered at this point, partly due to terrain, partly due to his unfamiliarity with maneuvering large units of Medium based models, and partly due to the arm-twisting activation order Purification was forcing on him. He had also forgotten to use Doomie's Feat. Admittedly, it might not have accomplished much. Mordikaar wasn't in range yet, and its denial element is kind of unreliable, but it would have put some damage on my Basilisks, and might have made my next turn a little more complicated.
Turn 3 - Skorne
The Void Spirit activated first, putting some damage on the Mauler. The Paingivers then Enraged both Basilisks, which charged in, taking the Mauler to its last few hit points. Throughout this process, Caleb forgot to place his Whelps. I had a contingency plan for them, but it would have made things a lot more complicated for me. Mordikaar activated next, cast Ghost Walk on the Cetrati, advanced, cast Hollow on the Swordsmen, Revived a Swordsman, and Feated, giving everyone +3 Def and Poltergeist. The newly Fearless Swordsmen charged the Fennblades, killing a few more. Three Cetrati charged the Mauler, 2 charged the Fennblades, and one charged the Axer. They killed the Mauler and one of the Fennblades, doing minor damage to the Arm 20 (really?!) Axer.
I was feeling a lot better now. My Cetrati were up to the task against lights beasts. Reviving that single Swordsman made a huge difference. Revive has enormous potential. Up till now, I've thought of Essence Blast as Mordikaar's main spell for most of the game, but for a lot of things, Revive is a much better option. Finally, everything was at +3 Def, and Caleb would have his work cut out for him.
Turn 3 - Trollbloods
The +3 Defense from Void Wind was amazing. Caleb hit my models about two times, and Tough from Hollow saved one of them. There was one hilarious moment when the Fell Caller Sonic Blasted across 5 models, and shot back 9" due to Poltergeist. Meanwhile, I used Poltergeist to my best advantage, pushing models or keeping them where they were depending on which was less convenient for Caleb. Poltergeist is normally a pretty decent defensive part of Mordikaar's feat, but with Caleb's already cluttered position, it wreaked havoc on his activation order, compounding his inability to hurt my models.
After looking at the counterattack he'd be facing, Caleb decided to concede.
Thoughts
I really like Mordikaar's style. I've been playing more aggressive warlocks recently, especially pMorghoul, and it was nice not having to fret about getting assassinated all the time. The Swordsmen had great sticking power between Hollow and Revive. I'm looking forward to playing this guy again soon.
I'm still worried about the list's ability to take out heavies. If Caleb had remembered his Whelps, I might not have managed to kill the Mauler. Much as it saddens me to do so, I think I'll drop the Basilisk pair for a Gladiator. The Basilisks were good, but I had to dedicate about half my list to taking out a single heavy once the Sentry went down. A single Gladiator would have been a lot more menacing next to the Sentry, and would let me play my beasts a little further from threats like the Mauler thanks to Rush.
Caleb's inexperience with Trollbloods was his major downfall here. He just wasn't used to dealing with a large number of Medium based infantry, and pDoomshaper seems like a pretty unforgiving Warlock on top of it. Still, he handled them well for a first time out, and their tougher, more attrition-oriented play style meshes very well with Caleb's personal style as a gamer. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up preferring them to Circle.
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