Looking to get some benefit out of Ardus' Host of Crows ability led me to try out the six-tray reanimate block with a support lancer, and I quickly realized how potent it is when you consider the reanimates white skill modifier.

Seven units means that if you get first player, you can feel free to choose your preferred objective, secure in the knowledge that most current lists won't be able to out-deploy you no matter the arrangement of deployment zones.

The two reanimate blocks should basically be lining up their white skill modifier every single time they don't have something significantly better to do. When they start to build up 2 or more panic tokens, be sure you pop their initiative 4 rally/defend, since at initiative 5 it's quite likely they'll be taking morale tests courtesy of your own reanimate archers.

People complain a bit about how reanimates are slow, and have rightly noted that they will more often receive charges than give them. The Support Lancer gives these cheap reanimate blocks the ability to hold back and still harry the enemy with Blight tokens constantly, forcing them to either stop and Rally or spend accrued inspiration tokens to keep their attack up.

The solo lancer and Ardus are blockers in this list. Their job, for the most part, is to physically prevent oathsworn from blasting into your three units of archers, and punish anyone who tries to. I love it when Rune Golems engage the lancer. With his blue/blue/red he can wipe 2x1 Rune Golems from the table on a good roll with blight.

Host of Crows

200 Pts

Ardus Ix'Erebus (37 pts)

• 1x1 tray, 37 pts

Reanimates (41 pts) x2

• 3x2 Trays, 35 pts
• Support Carrion Lancer, 6 pts

Reanimate Archers (22 pts) x3

• 2x1 Trays, 18 pts
• Rank Discpline, 4 pts

Carrion Lancer (15 pts)

• 1x1 Tray, 15 pts

i may have to try out this list when i get a chance! looks fun.

Drop one of the reanimates for 2 more single worms and you have what is probably the strongest list in the game, with only what has been released so far.

On 4/24/2017 at 7:58 PM, Drakoniss said:

Drop one of the reanimates for 2 more single worms and you have what is probably the strongest list in the game, with only what has been released so far.

Would you mind posting the actual list contents (upgrades included) Drakonkiss.

Thanks in advance.

++ Standard Army (Waiqar the Undying : Wave 0 (2017)) [200 Points] ++

Ardus Ix'Erebus [39 Points]: 1 Tray, Ancient Technique

Reanimate Archers [22 Points]: 2x1 Trays, Rank Discipline

Reanimate Archers [22 Points]: 2x1 Trays, Rank Discipline

Reanimate Archers [22 Points]: 2x1 Trays, Rank Discipline

Reanimates [50 Points]: 3x3 Trays

+ Siege +

Carrion Lancers [15 Points]: 1 Tray

Carrion Lancers [15 Points]: 1 Tray

Carrion Lancers [15 Points]: 1 Tray

++ Total: [200 Points]

Thanks again!

Honestly, having run the solo lancers and support lancers several times now, I prefer the original configuration of this list.

Running a 3x3 without a support lancer invalidates the original purpose of taking advantage of Ardus' ability. Were I going to do that, I'd pay fewer points and roll Ardus into the 3x3 where he can lend his white die to make them a truly brutal block.

The Support Lancer can do things the solo lancer simply cannot, specifically moving forward and spitting, reforming and spitting... really, the support lancer gets to spit WAY more often than the solo lancer does thanks to the Reanimates white skill modifier, and by the time he can't spit anymore, he's locked in combat, where he wouldn't be able to spit anyway.

Don't get me wrong, I love the solo lancer, but the 2x3 Reanimate block with support lancer is my favorite toy.

The solo worms flanking and getting 4 dice to mortal strike with has been key for me. Most Daqan players in my group are running 4 cav units. Single worms can also stand right in front of archers so they can't be charged and the archers still have line of sight.

1 hour ago, Drakoniss said:

The solo worms flanking and getting 4 dice to mortal strike with has been key for me. Most Daqan players in my group are running 4 cav units. Single worms can also stand right in front of archers so they can't be charged and the archers still have line of sight.

Planting a worm as a body blocker in front of a 2x1 of archers seems to be the baseline Waiqar strategy at the moment. Ardus can do it in a pinch, but he's better served looking for flanks.

The worms are utter trash if you don't have archers to blight with, though, and other worms can't blight once the unit is engaged. I prefer Ardus much more for mortal striking. With his surge modifier and a flank, he can often get enough surges to drop a hero or a golem in one attack as long as you pay attention to his range from archers and worms.

A second block of reanimates is a lot more solid, and I like having at least two units that can hold a line somewhere on the table. Leaving archers unguarded generally results in their quick death, and once they're gone, worms start to fold up. On their own they're just not capable of standing up to most other units.

How do I stop two units of speed 6 first turn cav and 2 rune golems coming up the middle?

6 hours ago, Sybarra2566 said:

How do I stop two units of speed 6 first turn cav and 2 rune golems coming up the middle?

The speed 6 cavalry has been a problem for me, too, ever since my opponent stopped caring as much about that single panic token.

I can say that, if your opponent is using the speed six march to close into engagement, the best thing for him to hit (for you) is a block of reanimates with Terryfing Heraldry.

Between the heraldry, the two red dice, and the morale modifier (not to mention being steadfast) the reanimates are best at hunting for those powerful morale tests.

If you can intercept the cavalry with a carrion lancer, that is ideal. Cavalry will often be Defense 3 by the time you hit them, so mortal strikes are the best way to sweep them off the board, and they have no way to drop a blight at initiative 5, which both archers and lancers attack at.