I think maybe it's time we re-thought the definition of a Death star?

Before it was a magic blaster or powerful ranged unit surrounded by Magic Enhancers doing massive damage per hit.

But I'm seeing new things now.

Today I played against a horrifying formation consisting of a Heavy Stonethrower, Techun, and Emerald Glade Mystery. The entire formation needed a 21 to hit in ranged combat, 19 to hit in b2b. I think maybe we should rethink a Deathstar...it's something that's nearly impossible to touch from ranged, and once it gets into b2b (if it has to) you're toast.

I remember wkura's Tank army that seemed to be alot like this.

It had EGM, Heavy Lancers, a Light Lancer, and a Standard Bearer, not to mention other good melee units. It was on Battle Formations, and I believe it won a few major tourneys.

Stuff like this can be SCARY. Things like Strikers and Stonethrowers have big trouble against it, and if played right, the new Deathstars can be absolutely brutal.

I thought of one, inspired by wkura's tank army.

Glade Mystery
3***Heavy Lancer
***Light Lancer
*Standard Bearer
2*Shade
*Goblin Volunteer
Podo

The center of the army is Glade Mystery, of course. (seems to me she's the center of alot of these new death stars) The KI formation basically packs in around her, and just marches up the field untouchable. When they get into Charge range, all hell breaks loose.

EGM combined with just about anything of this sort that also has Battle Armor is just ugly, no other way about it.

You really don't have a lot of options, you can throw attacks at the Units that are being protected or just go for broke and try and nail the EGM, one solid hit and the game gets a lot easier, its just very hard to get that hit.

Lots of Venom/Ram can do some pretty good damage against this army, especially when you have other threats available so they can't just wipe out your flies that do all that free damage.

The army sounds brutal but like Druss said Ram/Venom would help considerably. The Pyre Spirit would do well, especially thrown at the EGM. Plus once you get in there, either by movement or levitation, its advantage is somewhat lost. A couple of clicks on the EGM make the world of difference.

But overall, unless someone had a ram army they would be hardpressed to hit anything.

I really think ML/Ram would have a field day against this myself, but the EGM would be pretty much inaccessable if she's within all the KI. But the thing is, if a rammer comes in another charger can come and wallop it, cap it, whatever.

I think the army would have a hard time dealing with something like the ML/Ram I'm putting together...


Magus
2*Technomancers

2***War Hatchetkruggs

3***Amotep Gunners

*Shaman
**Goblin Volunteer
Podo

EGM is weak... a lucky shot and your down, ram pretty much kills her

She is really quite fragile, but you can't ram her when she's surrounded by KI mounted figures on all sides.

Necronomicon, we had a good match today, and I enjoyed playing your creative army. I was just lucky that you didn't make one of your indirect hit against the EGM.

I thought long and hard about the army. I normally don't like using Conquest figures in a rebellion/unlimited scenario. But, I was concerned people would bring double HOSTs, Strikers, dragons, chargers or chariots (we saw it today except for the Dragon). The Titan, chariots and dragons dials are so deep I figured I had to go with something heavy like this. I wanted an army that could take a couple of solid, 5-damage attacks (Techun & Stonethrower) and also hunker down against ranged attacks. The Woodland Scouts we primarily to b2b people getting close, to block LOS, and to position them to prevent chariot sweeps.

Bottomline, the army did well, but lets face it....I got lucky too....

Steve

P.S. the one army we didn't see today that I thought would have done well was a ram attack or a charge attack against the EGM.

Played an all orc army against this sort of thing the other day. He had the EGM as his center with some battle armor units. My stonethrower didn't land a hit against her until late in the game, and by then most of my other units were trashed.

I was going to bring my uber 300 point Ram army, but I kinda forgot about using it, and I ended up using the Stonethrower bit.

"...and I enjoyed playing your creative army."

Heehee. You must be joking. Striker and Stonethrower, creative? :D

Necro i played that army too, i didnt manage a single hit on the egm/HOST/Techun and i even got my KI Charger trashed. The thing was too powerful anyway i think this little army with some adjustments (* woodland scouts to * imps) and this army could wipe the floor with yours because of techuns 13 attack and 5 damage and the HOSTS indirect fire it could hit ur figs once in a while and when it does ur done for especially with the 5 clicks the HOST and Techun do. The only real way for u to win with ur tank army is to out manuver and then charge like crazy, but its still a longshot.

Well, these high defenses arent so hard to hit if you use ranged formations. A *Steam Golem with 2 Khamsin Fusers only needs a 7 to hit a 21D and will do some serious damage.

Yeah, but by the time the Steamers are within the 10" range you could have the entire formation 2 inches behind them ready to charge.

Well, theres room for 2 or 3 of these formations.
It was only an example. Any kind of ranged formation will hit high defenses reliably. One could use the formation I suggested, and 2 other formations of Boomers or Trolls or Snipers or whatever someone wishes. The Tank-formation has to stay together, so the tactic would be to set them up in crossfire.

Apart from that, Steam Golems move 12" too, nowadays :).

people use EGM a lot here in NG cebu... it's ok... we can still solve those problem... ^_^

Just a bit of observation.

The Tank army is really powerful with the EGM at the center of it all but don't you think an army with a powerful MB can destroy the whole formation?