Alright, this was something I thought up imediately after the rule changes, (and if you were unlucky enough to be in the chat during the rant-a-thon that I gave them, you heard all about it). I've been posting and playtesting it recently, and without further introductions, here is steel rain:

1xAmazon Draconum (bounder)
1x**Crystal Protector (Part of LI)
2x*Crystal Protector (Part of LI)
1x***Heavy Lancer (Heavy Charger)

The amazon draconum fires, then is screened by the crystal protectors, and the ***Heavy lancer charges anything that is close. The Crystal protecters are the healers, but the object is to launch a "Steel Rain" on your opponent while keeping your bound safely tucked away. Heres another example:

1xBakus (bounder)
1xPyre Spirit (Heavy rammer)
1xMarrow (LI Support)

Bakus picks of the enemies from range, marrow block LOS, and Pyre both protects the Bakus, and can cause his won little bits of havoc.

The support does not even have to be LI. But if it doesn't have LI, it should have quickness. Quickness will allow you to move all your figures at once, and won't waste an action trying to block LOS to the Bounder.

The main aspect "Steel Rain" has going for it, is the extreme range of the Bounders. If your opponent has a 12" rammer (Galeshi/Dwarves and Pyre) which is really the only thing that can touch this army, simply target the rammer first. If something comes after the first army I posted, and lets say, bases a tokened amazon draconum, the heavy charger is in position to lay the charging beats on it. If you don't want to charge, everything in the army is fairly agile and can break easily.

One thing that is useful when playing these types of armies is that your Charger/Rammer be beefy enough to be considered a secondary threat, as it will likely deter your opponents advance.

The Key IMO is mobility, stay away from your enemy and whittle them down. Here are some figures you can use:

Bounders:

Khumeret of Caero
Aycorn Trueshot
Amazon Draconum
Bakus
Corpheus
Magus Anendu
Scarabet
Rolerec Stormborn

Chargers/Rammers:

Galeshi Mounted Rammer
War Hatchetkruggs
Horned Hatchetkruggs
Heavy lancers
Heavy Cavaliers
Light lancers
Light Cavaliers
Centaur Lts.
Skyros (good secondary threat)
Pyre Spirit (good secondary threat)
Reaver (as long as he remains close)
Unicorn Bladesmen
Sistlith Bladesmen

Support:

Marrow (Best IMO)
Crystal Protectors
Shades
Amazon Mancatchers
Woodland Scouts

Obviously there are some that are missing from that list, so the possibilities are pretty endless for combinations.

Here are some examples of armies that I have put of for review. Each one, (except for one I have eliminated from the list) got pretty good reviews, and most have been playtested:

1xAmazon Draconum
1x***Heavy Lancer
1x***Crystal Protector
2x*Shades
------------------------------
200 points even.

1xKhumeret of Caero
1x**Shadow
1x***Light Cavalier
1x**Solonavi Channeler
------------------------------
200 points even.

1xMagus Anendu
1x**Shadow
1x***Light Lancer
1x**Solonavi Channeler
---------------------------
200 points even.

1xMagus Anendu
1xBlack Dirge
1x***Light Cavalier
1x**Solonavi Channeler
---------------------------
200 points even.

1xAmazon Draconum
1xBlack Dirge
1x***Horned Hatchetkrugg
1x*Crystal Protector
------------------------------
200 points even.

1xBakus
1x**Shadow
1x***Heavy Lancer
1x*Amazon Mancatcher
1x*Shade
------------------------------
200 poins even.

1xCorpheus
1xAstrus lvl 1
1xBlack Dirge
1x*Shade
------------------------------
200 points even.

1xBakus
1xBlack Dirge
1x***Horned Hatchetkrugg
1x*Solonavi Channeler
1xPodo (Comandant Podo Lives!)
------------------------------
200 points.

So, what do you guys think?

-Tsetsuki

All of them are great. While I personally don't like the look of Magus Anedu, I'll wait until I see him in battle to make a judgement.

Here are two of the armies I was thinking of taking to Nationals, both with a Steel Rain style...

1x Khumeret of Caero
1x Centaur Champion
1x *** War Hatchetkrugg
1x ** Crystal Protector
-------------------------------
Exactly 200

Or...

1x Khumeret of Caero
1x Skyros
1x Autumn Lvl 2
1x * Goblin Volunteer
--------------------------------
Exactly 200

I chose Khumeret over Bakus and AD because he isn't hindered by LI walls and terrain of any kind. The first army is designed for high mobility, every one in this army breaks easy and can close distances very quickly. I would most likely play all blocking terrain and take advantage of Khumeret's MB to pick away.

The strategy is OK Tset,
but what if an opponent has an LI wall as well (not unusual ;))
and there's nothing for the AmaDrac to target.

Who's going to "break open" that army?

I've dealt with this strategy before, and LI walls are not as invincable as people think. The key is a war of artition. Take out the weak stuff (IE CPs, Phookas) and gain the point advantage. Against an un-prepared enemy, the tough bounders can often take them out in melee. Amazon Draconums are pretty lethal in melee, and the charger/rammer that works in tandem with the bounder will really help in melee. I took out a whole LI army with the Bakus, Marrow and Pyre Spirit army.

Its definately a drawback, but its not insurmountable. Im much more worried about 19+ defence beasts.

-Tsetsuki

Yes , but with that AmaDrac army that will be tough to do IMO
You will have to bring one of your key figs (AD or Charger) into the opponent's area and who knows what he has lined up there (Bounders, Chargers , Rammers , Mancatchers ?)
The army that commits in this kind of situation often ends up losing.
Of course, I can see that happening, with a Pyre in your team.
But the AmaDrac army has nothing that comes close to a Pyre.

As long as the AD army has targets to aim at it is going to work just fine
but I can see a lot of bad match-ups too.
-Khumeret for instance (Blasters in General)
-The ever present LI walls
-an (unlikely) swarm that comes closing in from behind blocking.

I must confess though that I don't play 200 points very often
and honestly don't like the format because there's so little you can put into a 200 pt army.
I always have a feeling there's too much "missing" in such an army to make it competitive against everything you might face.
A "problem" which I do not encounter in 300.

Maybe that's why I keep seeing "obstacles" ;)

Overall , the best Bounder for this strategy IMO
would be Khumeret, for the simple reason that he can get behind LI walls and Blast through regular walls , and as a result you will not have to abandon your main strategy as much.

I guess 14 range isn't enough anymore... another bounder with MB... Avante Reaver...

Probably the best way to form a 200 pt army, Ill playtest a few and have more content on my next post

I used
Amy Drac
Marrow
** Channeler
** Stalking skellie

which is similiar except for the lack of charge.

I went up against Corphy with an LI wall 2 Sprites, 2 Cp's

As I had no charge I should have based his LI wall and forced Corphy to maybe base something. Probably the healer if the kid was smart which he was. But I feel that would have been a good solution to the LI wall problem.
Actually the way the walls were set Corphy would have to had gone around the wall, at least 24" and not been able to shoot.

I might also had room for a charger if I had used CP's instead of Marrow as LI. Then maybe I wouldn't need the channeler either for healing. This army was pretty good, and I owe its downfall to my playing rather than any shortcomings it had.

cheers,

Bob

If there was a decent 23pt charger, I'd have used it instead of the stalking skellie.

cheers,
Bob

oh wait BroadOak is 42pts! Charger with PA!

I must get that fig!

Amy
Marrow
Broadoak
and 22 pts for a CP??


cheers,

Bob

Nice looking army Gemetzel, I would use the 22 points for a ***Faith Healer for 200 points exactly.

Forestiger: LMK how it turns it, this is a very powerful concept IMO.

Anito: He was on my original list, but I kicked him off because his range is just to small for my liking.

Mog2000: Definately take the one without the gobbo. Protecting him will mean he's just a liability.

Borg: One of the main problems about 200 points is that you can't play swiss without sacrificing serious offence. You will always have bad matchups, unlike 300 points.

-Tsetsuki

Does this sort of army only work for 200 points? How about 300? If so, I recently left MK for MW (only because of a lack of player base for MK and a massive one in MW) and I was only able to keep the following army that I think resembles your Steel Rain:

Corpheus - 128
*** Galeshi Ram Charger - 48
*** Horned Hatchetkrugg - 44
Black Dirge - 35
Marrow - 28
*** Crystal Protector - 17
TOTAL(6) - 300

Half the army is LI. Two chargers. The biggest bounder. Ram figure with long ram range, which also has a small ranged attack. Only problem I can immediately forsee is the lack of a decent healer. I was thinking of adding Astrus, but I would lose 2 LI figures the way I thought of: - *** GRC, - Black Dirge, - *** CP, + *** WHK, ** Shade, lvl. 3 Astrus. What do you think?

the fallen

Question on quickness. How valuable is it with a 3 figure army? So, I get to move all my figures on turn 1. Then I have to push or sit there on turn two. The rest of the game (outside the first turn) the option shouldn't ever present itself where you're moving everyone at once. I've found that quickness isn't bad in small armies, but a lot of times its a wasted ability.

Also, great armies and theory. Not really a new archtype, but sound builds.

Adam

Also, what's your definition of Swiss?
My definition is an army that possesses multiple capabilities:
Charge, Auto Damage, Big range, solid melee, healing.

I know some perfer the definition of being able to deal with multiple army builds.

The definitions are similar, but not the same. The first definition (and my prefered) is to build an army that is flexible, self-sufficient, and proactive.

The second definition works in a more reactive manner and runs figures that may be entirely useless in certain situations.

For the second definition it is too difficult to play in 200. The first can be done just fine.

Adam

Alright, first im goint to answer Sentinel, then The Fallen.

Sentinel: Quickness is not that important on turn one, but it plays an intergral part in the strategy once you start attacking. Bound up, shoot, move quickness figure infront. I've still got one action remaining, where I can move up my charger/second threat if I need, or make a healing attempt or whatever. Thats pretty important, and although you may loose the "no shot" ability of LI, you gain an extra action to press the advantage gained by bounding up and blasting the enemy.

As for quickness not being good in 200 points, when you only have 2 actions to start with, adding another for free is 50% more effective.

My definition of swiss is a cheese, typically with holes, originating in switzerland. ;) Here is what I would consider to be a swiss build:

1xWandering Mochooch
1xScarabet
1x***Heavy Lancer
1x***Solonavi Channeler

Its got a figure to counter (almost) anything, but will have a very hard time pressing any advantage it gains. It just does not have the power in any one aspect to gain any sort of real advantage.

The Fallen: That army that you posted is fairly, decent, and I will to try it out. Maybe Steel Rain is viable in 300 points . . . . hmmmm. I've gotta think that over some.

-Tsetsuki