How are Obscenes and Viper Legion?

By Curlycross, in Runewars Tactics

Life has changed for me so I'm not able to get many games in and haven't purchased the new Uthuk expansions (My FLGS doesn't carry RW anymore, you have to preorder through him and then wait a week). How are Obscenes and Viper Legion playing? I've been really curious about how the mechanics of these two will change/shift the Uthuk scene. I saw someone posted a great post about Viper Legion and Gorgemaw, but it was mostly detailed with Gorgemaw and talked a little about how they used Viper Legion in that one game. I was wondering how are the interactions working? What has been tried? Where do these work best? Is it changing the Uthuk "meta"?

I had a Gorgemaw list post a few weeks back. I bought one box of Vipers to try it. I’ve since gotten three more, so that by itself should say something about my interest and confidence.

First, the panic token is pretty easy to get from lots of sources, so your chances of triggering damage from single surges is high. Once you’ve got that, it stabilizes your 2x1 damage without needing to add Rank Discipline.

I’ve put Aim of the Serpent on there instead. That basically makes the 2x1 an optional plink damage or utility piece depending upon the situation. Timely stuns and immobilize tokens have helped me so far. You’re also not eating up a lot of points, so it helps you build your list in other ways elsewhere.

In the present climate, being able to take a rallying shrieker on your 2x1 is a huge benefit.

I’ve had a chance to play three more games with the 2x1 since that post went up. It sometimes isn’t noteworthy, but that’s what you expect out of a 20 point unit. In a couple of games, it attracted the opponents attention, which left other units free to shine.

so I give a 2x1 an A.

3x2 adds only heraldry over 2x2, and bannerscape is the only thing that makes much sense there. Otherwise, you’re like every other faction’s 3x2 with a tiny bit more plink damage from surges.

so if you don’t plan on taking Bannerscape, the 2x2 can be built in tons of ways, depending upon whether you want dispatch runner/rallying shrieker, fire rune/cacophony reaver, or mutilated grotesque.

i hope that helps. I’m still exploring in a lot of ways, as I think everyone else is.

They feel really solid while not feeling strictly necessary. I’ve found a use now for all sizes of Viper Legion and the 1-2 tray Obscenes. None of them feel extraordinary, but all have felt useful

Vipers

2 tray - They work as a rally battery by adding Rallying Shrieker. Rank Discipline makes them work as a damage unit. Haven’t tried Aim of the Setpent on the 2 tray

4 tray - I’ve run them with Psychosis Siren as a panic stacker. I’ve also turned them into bane slingers with trapmaster, Venom, and Aim of the serpent

6 tray - Works as a damage dealer I also have stuck Bannerscamp and Rallying Shrieker in these guys in various iterations.

Obscenes

1 tray - I don’t bother with a unique, I just run them solo as a fun blocker. Their skill provides a nice chance of messing with players who rush with 2 tray units.

2 tray - Works as a nice Dispatch Runner platform and surprisingly durable blocker. Haven’t explored further

4/6 tray - working in this. Everything looks so bad on paper with these formations. I need to test

I just faced a 3*2 of vipers with dispatch and rallying and simultaneous orders and it was insane. They also had the thing that hands out banes and it's a perfect support unit (dispatch you then remove your stun) that also strikes at threat 3 with banes. Because the uthuk can put great units around it to protect it and be supported, it's extremely powerful

So kind of feels like what I'm seeing is the Vipers are great, have a lot of utility and can be used in a number of ways and Obscenes are kind of blah?

21 minutes ago, Curlycross said:

So kind of feels like what I'm seeing is the Vipers are great, have a lot of utility and can be used in a number of ways and Obscenes are kind of blah?

The 10 word review would be

-Viper Legion: Uthuk Swiss Army knife. Upgrade hungry jack of all trades.

-Obscenes: Reactive, wierd for Uthuk. Not bad. Not amazing. Not aggresive.

Edited by Church14