Saurus Sunblood [120] Skink Priest with priestly trappings [80] Shadowstrike Starhost [170] Skink Starpriest [80] 40 Skinks with dartpipes [200] 40 Skinks with dartpipes [200] 6 Ripperdactyls [280] Eternal Starhost [130] Eternity Warden [140] 10 Saurus Guard [200] 10 Saurus Guard [200] 10 Saurus Guard [200] Total = 2000. So here's a list of almost pure infantry (save for the Ripperdactyls), relying mostly on numbers and mutual support. I'll be using the Shadowstrike Starhost to disrupt enemy movements, assassinate anything that provides buffs to the enemy or can cause mortal wounds, and try to remove the number bonuses of enemy units. I'm expecting most of them to be dead or severely battered quite early on despite their high numbers; the goal is mostly to soften up the enemy while the Eternal Starhost is closing in. If any Skinks are still alive by the time the Eternal Starhost engages the foe, I'll be using them to seize any objectives my opponent isn't claiming, depending on the scenario. The Sunblood, the Priest and the Warden will be cushioned between the three units of Saurus Guard to provide them their respective buffs while well-protected. My opponent will find my Eternal Starhost quite a tough nut to crack, even if I'm unlucky when rolling to activate the Priest's celestial rites. Any equipment or warlord abilities to suggest? (My warlord is the Sunblood.)
I like the idea of this list very much. Your plan is pretty solid and doesn't lack something in its most part. To this list, with Sunblood as general, only the 2nd and 3rd Traits make sense. The third one is pretty solid for the skinks as they won't be losing any man at all from battleshock and they 'll stay around for longer *with the total average rolls, he 'll have to deal 47 wounds to exterminate them or you 'll keep bugging him * ( had a game with 1 skink surviving for 3 rounds that ended up helping me take a crucial objective with a retreat of his in a combat phase towards it ). This is probably the most useful one. However, depending on what you 'll be facing or how much weight do you want your general to weight *I suggest a LOT. I never realised how strong that "totally ignore -2 rends" is for many games* you could also use the re-roll saves of 1. Since sunblood is a beast you can make him your cannon fodder. With a mystic shield and this, he ain't going nowhere anytime soon. Artefacts : Coronal Shield on Sunblood, hands down ! Just way too strong to be ignored. This makes Sunblood AND everyone around him last way longer. You just can't afford not having it. Incandescent Rectrices on Starpriest, also a one way to go for me. You get to keep the points of your batallion longer and even more importantly : keep the Starlight in game for longer as experienced players that have played against Seraphon enough, know he needs to get out of the way as soon as possible. The third one is not a 1 choice. I would probably pick the dispel just to be on the safe side on magic + you don't have that magic in your list and it might pose a problem in an all around list like this. Amyntok is not bad but not being able to move for a whole turn has too many dangers imo. You might end up outside of the important units' range next round and miss a crucial spell just to deal 2 damage on average. Hope it helped !
I love shadowstrike ( if GW clarify that we can place the little frog of the rippers from the sky). I'm not a big fun of eternal starhost. Your strategy is ok, nothing to say about it but I think you can spend your points better with the same tactic. For exemple: Slann 260 Starp Priest 80 Starhost 170 2x40 skinks 400 6 rippers 240 Et warden 140 20 saurus guards 400 Basti 280 1970 Tot One unit of skink can be used for shadowstrike , the other unit hold points. Defensively you got basti and 20 guards, with teleport you can use them offensively too ( I suggest to summon a warden, easy to cast and if you want be offensive with guards just tp them and summon near a warden) !! I hope to be useful
IMHO if you are getting any Saurus guard and warden you are wasting points not to go also for the eternal Starhost. This thing is ridiculous! That D3 damage with three attacks for each model will wrek hard... Last game my unit of 20 and one unit of 5 guard ate a megaboss on maw krusha, 15 brutes and 6 gore gruntas in the space of about 2 turns. I actually felt bad for how much damage they did and just how unkillable they were for his army. I also ran an Astrolith, but having the Sunblood gives you those rerolls anyhow. Best unit size for that Starhost is 1x20, 2x5 as flanking forces. You can screen them with skinks against things like blood letter mortal wound charges. Retreat remaining skinks if you want and pile in 3" with guard and then tp skinks out next hero phase.
The d3 damage is only when you are not charging, it's a defensive battalion and if you want it works,you have to play minimum 3x10 guards (600 points+ 130 for battalion) . You suffer mortal wound with that units ( 1 wound each) and too many things in the meta put MW. Immagine bloodletters, they are spamming them, 20 bletters buffed oneshot 10 SG in a charge. I don't wanna speak again when you facing tzeentch!!
Well at least for Bloodletters you can make them less dangerous by using Starlight and/or Coronal shield. Not that easy to do those 6+ rolls anymore. Could work. Against magic causing mortal wounds we would have to rely on the Slanns for unbundling and so on. It is still true, some armies do lots if MWs and then Guards are significantly worse.
Exactly that's the point as the OP's original list concerns two parts, one offensive and one defensive here the Shadowstrike does the running around while the Saurus guard March up double movement even the middle of you like and sit there on objectives etc. the D3 comes into its own in prolonged combat especially when an opponent has to come to you for objectives. That said I completely agree with you on their fragility you've got to be super effective at removing the primary mortal wound threats here, in this case using the Shadowstrike to do so.
To be fair, they're pretty solid even when they're not getting the D3 damage yet, especially with both a Sunblood and Eternity Warden around. But yeah, I'd rather have numbers on my side. Even someone with a crapload of means to inflict mortal wounds will have trouble whittling down an Eternal Starhost totaling 37 Wounds (incl. Warden). For each mortal wound I am dealt, I can deal several regular wounds in return. A Slann is now a pretty good choice, but I don't have one, and I'd rather not buy a new model. Plus, teleporting units is not all that useful here: my Shadowstrike units are already pretty fast to begin with, and my Eternal units need to stick close together to keep their 2+ (potentially re-rollable) save. Neither of them would benefit significantly from being teleported. Also, the appeal of having only 4 things to put on the table is that I'm almost certain to get first round at this point level.
I can understand your plan. But with 4 drop I think you are not so sure to go first. Ironjawz bloodtoof,sylvaneth battalions ( one is nerfed but you have other 1 drop choice) or l'hard on overlords Are 1 drop
Well, no, nothing is ever a certainty. I'm not gambling anything on being able to go first. I just think it's very likely. And if I go second, it's not that bad. My army's mostly defensive anyway.