Alpha strike? More like beta….

This week I got some games in at the very impressive www.thecombatcompany.com. It is almost an hour's drive away (particularly when you drive like a granny) but was well worth the trip, a lot of stock there to ogle. As for the games, I was lucky enough to play against 2 armies I had yet to come up against- Beasts of Chaos and Kharadron Overlords.

My list I mentioned before

Allegiance: Skaventide
- Grand Strategy: Prized Sorcery
- Triumphs: Indomitable
Arch-Warlock (175)
- General
- Command Trait: Overseer of Destruction
- Lore of Warpvolt Galvanism: More-more-more Warp Power!
Warlock Bombardier (125)**
- Lore of Warpvolt Galvanism: More-more-more Warp Power!
Warpgnaw Verminlord (275)**
- Artefact: Vial of Manticore Venom (Universal Artefact)
- Universal Spell Lore: Flaming Weapon
Verminlord Deceiver (345)**
- Artefact: Farskitter Cloak
- Universal Spell Lore: Levitate
Grey Seer (140)
- Lore of Ruin: Skitterleap
20 x Clanrats (130)*
- Rusty Spear
- 1x Standard Bearers
- 1x Standard Bell Ringers
20 x Clanrats (130)*
- Rusty Spear
- 1x Standard Bearers
- 1x Standard Bell Ringers
10 x Stormvermin (110)*
- Halberd
1 x Ratling Gun (65)
1 x Ratling Gun (65)
1 x Ratling Gun (65)
1 x Ratling Gun (65)
1 x Warpfire Thrower (70)
1 x Warp-Grinder (75)
1 x Warp-Grinder (75)
Warp Lightning Vortex (90)
*Hunters of the Heartlands
**Command Entourage - Magnificent
Artefact

Total: 2000 / 2000
Reinforced Units: 0 / 4
Allies: 0 / 400
Wounds: 109
Drops: 15

The gist of it is Alpha Strike, take out the important stuff, and hopefully mop up after. All well and good on paper but how does it go in practice? TL;DR is it goes off the table before turn 4. Interestingly enough for a 15 drop list I got to go first both games (thats how you know it was casual)

Game 1

Beasts of Chaos- Tectonic Interference

My first problem here was there was no clear head of the snake. In addition, he was nicely deployed across the whole deployment zone. With his gors and minotaurs etc able to move at at least twice my speed it was clear this was going to be a quick one.

I got my alpha strike off but immediately was hit back with a hell of a meat punch. Tabled by turn 3. There was as mentioned no clear target to pick out for first hit, and all his melee meat hit me back easily.

If I were to change what I did for that game theres not really much that I can think of, beyond forgetting about the alpha and just wedge moving with ward save boys up front and screening ratling guns to get more that one shot off.

Game 2

Kharadron Overlords -Tooth and Nail

A very cool looking army- alpha strike managed to cut off his flank movement and remove a battleline with Warp Lightning Vortex as well as almost destroying a full unit of his allied berserkers. They rallied well however (literally rallied like 4 next hero phase), and his return fire took out my ratlings and therefore the teeth of my attack. The Verminlords acquitted themselves well but the mobile shooting of the KO was too much to withstand. We (well I at least) forgot about the “FATIGUED WARRIORS” rule- not sure how to treat the ratling guns for that- were they in reserve? Regardless little difference made, what they killed they overkilled so not much “what if” on that.

Conclusion

Well the real lesson for me was the alpha strike double skitterleap works, it is a decent output between spells and guns to take out key enemy units/heroes. The problem is choosing the right target and how to deal with the returned damage. Versus the beasts he was spread so flat and so fast there was no real flank to pick off and hope he doesn’t close the distance. Of course vs the KO their mobility is an issue- he deployed his “main” ship with general inside safe from deepstrike and beyond range of ratlings dropped out front, and the KO seem to mostly outrange the ratty boys.

For my next set of games I’m going to try out a Warpseer and some Verminus boys- going to bring 3x20 clanrats and even 10 stormvermin and leave cannons in the back- Lets see how it goes!