So still waiting on our two-player battlebox to arrive...but I've got pretty much everything else I want for my Menoth minus a couple jacks (Blessing of Vengeance, Avatar of Menoth) and casters (pSevvy) as well as the usual assortment of Mercenaries (but screw them). Besides that though, I've played a couple games with our lovely SirBiscuit and done a lot of fiddling with what I'd like to start building up experience with to obviously hit tournaments ASAP.
With Steamroller style tournaments (which the local tournament seems to run on) I would need two lists I'm proficient with which cover each other's weaknesses as well as possible but am obviously going to start with just one. Any recommendations in a caster which is a good counter-point to what I'm about to post would be appreciated though!
So. I've played with two of the casters I want to eventually use being pSevvy and eFeora and I have to say I enjoyed the eFeora list more - this may have been due to the points size and the fact that I won (over losing :P) but I felt I personally fit in with the list better and the fluff behind it (FIRE!!!!) appeals to me a lot. Even before playing some games I was quite enamoured with the crazy fire girl so this shouldn't really come as any surprise.
With that in mind it's time to make a 35 point list and we get something like this:
eFeora (+6)
- Reckoner (8)
- Vanquisher (8)
- Redeemer (6)
Min Errants + UA (7)
Max Flameguard + UA (8)
Min Choir (2)
Vassal of Menoth (2)
Let me explain my reasoning and then drop a few questions at the end...
Choir and Vassal should be obvious. They improve Menoth jacks to crazy good status and generally allow them to get to the fight relatively unhurt and turn around and beat face. The ability to both deny opponent damage and improve my own damage is very nice.
The jacks... Vanquisher is generally an excellent infantry clearing Heavy normally with a 4" continuous fire AOE with Vassal potentially allowing two bites at the apple with it. Add in eFeora's love of continuous fire and any infantry that survive fuel eFeora's feat. What's great about the Vanquisher is it is very focus light particularly with Escort up - 1 Focus turn 1 and you've well up the field. The Redeemer is in the same boat with her bond and can put out a potential four 3" AOE continuous fire templates up to 16" away - very handy. Whilst a bit more focus intensive (needing 2 to fire three AOEs, vassal gets 4th), eFeora doesn't seem to cast that much and still has focus to fuel the Reckoner with her two upkeeps on.
Which brings us to the Reckoner - the every lovely toolbox of Menoth. It's a Heavy with a defensive aura, assault, P+S 17 weapon, P13 gun with critical fire which also lowers the target's DEF and is just plain pretty. Very handy to damage other jacks and provide some other effects here and there but like many heavy hitters is a bit focus intensive to really up the damage possible (i.e. three). In this case without any Wracks or using the Feat, eFeora would only be able to hand out one focus to the Redeemer to max out the Reckoner if she has both her upkeeps going which could be annoying.
We then get to the two units - Errants and Flameguard. Errants are a great toolbox and since I'm using the cheaper Flameguard as a tarpit unit, they are more able to bugger off and hold things/flank opponents/use their magical crossbows, etc. They are basically there to do what I need of them though without Defender's Ward are not nearly as scary (though Ignite makes them pretty annoying in combat). Flameguard are cheaper but with Shieldwall can be a little more durable over Errants - especially with eFeora's inspiration. With the UA they have ranked attacks which can help everyone behind them see through and the mini-Feat allows for that turn of super durability. Combined melee attacks allow them to hurt some big things in combat and if Ignite isn't on the Errants it will do some good here as well.
All in all I like the concept of being able to run three jacks and two frontline units. Whilst only having the Vassal, Choir and eFeora for support seems a bit low, the only way I can really generate points is making the Flameguard a min unit which frees up two points. So the question is - do I have enough support and if I did free up those two points, where would they best be spent? Furthermore, what would you do to take this to 50 points? I'd imagine Avatar, Rhupert the Piper and Covenant wouldn't be a bad leap... And finally - I seem to have an issue in dealing with heavy jacks (specifically Khador ARM 20's). I feel in theory my lists have the hitting power to deal with them but they always seem to be running around by game's end whilst I clear out infantry. Do I have too much anti-infantry (something that is going to be prevalent in a fire based list anyway) or is this just part of the learning curve? Perhaps I am committing my heavies too soon for example.
Anywho feedback would be great and again - a counterpoint list for Steamroller would be great if anyone has suggestions though this basis of list will be what I'm focusing on for now I imagine.
