Workshop: Xerxis
I’m very much a fluff gamer, so when I decided to start Skorne, I wanted to focus on taking the models that originally attracted me to the faction from a story and aesthetic standpoint: Cataphract and Titans. After years of playing Cygnar, I wanted to play a true beat-stick army, full of big heavies, multi-wound infantry and a caster that could go toe-to-toe with the enemy. I found myself drawn to Tyrant Xerxis, and I’ve slowly building up a new army since Christmas. I’ve noodled a bit on the “This is Sparta!” list I had in the beginning, and this is what I’ve come up with:
- Tyrant Xerxis (+5)
- Titan Bronzeback (10)
- Titan Gladiator (8)
- Cyclops Savage (5)
- Max. Nihilators (8)
- Min. Cataphract Cetrati (8)
- Min. Cataphract Cetrati (8)
- Tyrant Vorkesh (3)
- Tyrant Commander & Standard (3)
- Paingiver Beast Handlers (2)
I played this list for the first time last weekend, and was able to get a feel for Xerxis and Team Cataphract. The basic idea is to use the Nihilators as a screen, moving them up field quickly to give the enemy something to worry about while the slower Cataphract advance. I really like Nihilators with Defender’s Ward, as they become DEF 15, ARM 15, making them plenty difficult for rank-and-file MAT 6 infantry to deal with. Between tough, berserk and POW 12 damage, they typically should have the staying power to hang around and the killing power to take out more than their fair share of points. I wish there was a better way to put a soul-gathering solo like Hakaar with them, but I just haven’t found a good way to deal with the speed differential that makes it worthwhile.
The two minimum units of Cataphract are the meaty center of the army. I went with two to give myself a little more tactical flexibility if I should need to split them up to hold a flank or something. Plus, with both Xerxis and a Tyrant Commander, I can issue battle plans to both units. I attached Vorkesh to the unit being run by the Tyrant Commander, as he grants Spell Ward, figuring that this way I can still have one unit (the one Xerxis is running) buffed by a spell like Fury or Defender’s Ward if I need to. I’ll need to get a few games in with Vorkesh to know if he’s worth it – Spell Ward can definitely be a double-edged sword. As far as supporting them, Xerxis Inhospitable Ground should help ensure the Cataphract get the charge off, and battle plans can get them up to SPD 7 or grant pathfinder. Defender’s Ward can make them ARM 22 with Shield Wall and Fury can make them POW 15 weapon masters. Without a doubt, Xerxis was made for these guys.
My beasts are about as straight-forward as they come – the two Titans are both heavy hitters, and this list can buff them up even further. On Xerxis feat turn, they can get up to a POW 19 + 4d6 + 3 on a charge with Fury and Enrage. That’s a maximum of 46 damage on a single attack! Each titan’s animus is equally useful on the other beast. There is also a nice trick of having Xerxis cast the Gladiator’s Rush animus onto the Bronzeback to give him extra range to get to a target, and then have Bronzeback cast Train Wreck on himself after the charge attack (but before he makes his remaining initial attacks), allowing him to benefit from both in the same activation!
I tend to buff up the Cyclops as an early game deep strike to take out a heavy. If I can, I like to have him charge a non-reach heavy while keeping the Bronzeback nearby. Then, when the non-reach heavy moves into ½ melee range with the Savage, it triggers Counter Charge from the Bronzeback, which is usually enough to kill whatever triggered it and give my titan some free movement in the process. I tend to lose the Cyclops early this way, and wonder if I should keep him around longer for his animus (which allows you to boost after the roll). It seems like the right idea for an assassination run if you don’t need the extra range of Rush or movement from Train Wreck to get into position.
My first outing with the list was in interesting one. I played against a Morvahna-led circle list, and we were surprisingly effective at cancelling out each other’s dirty tricks. Almost every unit in her army had pathfinder, so Inhospitable Ground never got cast once. My battle plans could grant pathfinder, so forests weren’t that useful to her. I wiped out more than half of her Blood Trackers in their first contact, but Regrowth brought them back (which has been the bane of my Nihilators – the first time I played them was against a High Reclaimer list that kept bringing back the TFG!). This army is fairly low model count to begin with, and depends on attrition to win – with regrowth in play, the tables start to turn quickly.The Circle infantry looked lightweight, but there were enough weapon masters with prey in there to do some serious damage to even my high-armor infantry. I made the mistake of feeding a unit of Cataphract to the Wolf Rider’s that had declared them prey. I had some bad rolls on their charge and didn’t take enough of them out, leaving three of them to assault back, killing 2 Cetrati and Vorkesh. A whitemane helped clean up a third Cetrati. Not sure it was as much tactically faulty as just unlucky, but I was unimpressed.
The beasts, on the other hand, were superstars, and I probably needed to push them into the fight much sooner. With only one heavy in the opposing army (a Warpwolf), she really had no good answer to my elephants rampaging in her backfield. In fact, next time I play I need to move the entire army much more aggressively. I feel like I let her concentrate on dealing with one unit at a time rather than pushing my whole army in her face, and I’m probably a little too focused on delivering the Cataphract.
With one game under my belt, I am already considering some changes… I may consolidate down to one full unit of Cetrati and drop Vorkesh – he is more liability than value with a good troop supporting warlock. That would free up four points, which I could use to include Hakaar. If I keep the Tyrant Commander I still have two battle plans to keeps the army moving quickly, although I lose the flexibility of being able to split up the brick. Another fun option might be to drop the Savage and Vorkesh and put in a Rhinodon, which gives me a third heavy, some troop killing options thanks to his Thresher attack, and the Amuck animus that plays well with other Skorne heavies (especially should I want to trample something!) I’ll probably get a few more games in with the list as is before I make any changes, but so far it’s a lot of fun, and I’m definitely digging the feel of this army.
Thoughts or feedback? I want to hear it - Leave a comment below!
Labels: Hordes, miniatures, Skorne, wargaming, Warmachine
I really enjoyed this post. Xerxis is one of my favorite 'locks as well - I recently broke a five game losing streak at my local league by going back to the basics. Xerxis, Nihilators, and Titans...They've never failed me. I've been on a bit of a eMorghoul kick lately though - he's like Xerxis in that he doesn't do a whole lot to support his beasts or units. I love running him near the front and then charging a front running enemy beast and blinding it and following up with titans to deal some serious damage. One thing: the speed bonus from press forward doesn't count if you charge. It's a full advance, not on an order like charge. If I'm wrong please tell me cuz that's how I've been playing it hahahah!
Posted by
trampletheweak.com |
9:34 PM
Ah - you are right on the speed boost for press forward. My brain just read it as "advances" and didn't really catch that a Full Advance is distinctly different than a Run or Charge. It is basically just there for Cetrati then - to give them a little speed boost while they stay in Shield Wall... Thanks for pointing that out.
Posted by
Dangerfish |
9:04 AM