The Basics

To kick this off properly, I'll jabber a bit about some prep I'm doing for a two-day tournament in Wellington in January. Valleycon's Warmachine event asks players to show up with tier lists, for a 7 game, deathclock, steamroller. 

Now I'm a Cryx and Skorne player. I've gathered enough minis over the last few years to cobble together a few tier lists, and I told myself 2015 would be my year of Skorne. 2014 was also supposed to be a year of Skorne, but that idea ate shit pretty early on. 

But yeah. Skorne. Ooo-rah. A real faction, that local good guy and man you'd introduce to your mother Nikola described as being one of the most honest factions in the game; you buff shit up and send over-powered crap into people. Straight-forward, predictable, and apparently a joy for my opponents to face due to the lack of jank and weird tricks you can pull out of magical invisible butts.

How top-tier WM/H play seems to happen

That didn't inspire a lot of faith in me to podium, as tiers will further restrict any tricks I've been able to concoct to date. Also, Skorne tier lists have been pretty thoroughly worked over and I'd imagine most opponents are at least familiar of their capabilities, if they haven't yet faced them. I'm talking about your Fists of Halaak and Chain Gang stuff.

So, list building and decision time; I've got the models to build a decent Chain Gang list, a so-so Fist of Halaak list (needing to max out all my Cataphract units due to damaged Acuarii, and lacking enough Incindiarii), Zaal's tier, and potentially some other builds that don't really catch my eye (the Makedas and what not). There was a consideration to do pMorghul's tier, but the damaged Acuarii put the kaibosh on that too.

The first list I'm considering seriously is a Zaal one;

Supreme Aptimus Zaal 
- Kovaas
- Aptimus Marketh
- Cyclops Raider 
- Cyclops Savage 
- Cyclops Savage 
- Cyclops Brute 
Hakaar the Destroyer 
Ancestral Guardian 
Ancestral Guardian 
Extoller Soulward 
Extoller Soulward 
Extoller Soulward 
Full Immortals
Full Praetorian Swordsmen with Officer & Standard 

This gets to tier three, so advance deploying Ancestral Guardians and loaded up Aptimus and Extoller crew. I unfortunately lack the models for a second full unit of Immortals to get to tier four, and I am VERY hesitant to run two min units. Starting with Kovass on the table would be pretty neat though. Argh, INDECISION

The previous list I had ran without the Savages and one less Extoller, for a Krea and a unit of the newly released Keltarii. The one game I had against a Mortenebra tier list left me pretty sour with my list losing steam once shit died both to rampaging jacks as well as Last Stand. The infantry just didn't have the punch needed to carry things through. So (perhaps prematurely) I've amended the list to the above to account for this. I'm also interested to see if much happens in the interaction between the Savage's animus and Zaal's feat. Prescience in general seems like a good idea for the list.

But in considering this list I am quickly brought back to feelings of wanting to play Zaal outside of tier - lately I've been running him with double Nihilators and Swamp Shamblers, and have been having a blast with the list. Not winning any games mind you, but enjoying the overall experience brought by Last-Standed Nihilators and a swelling mass of tough'ed Swamp Shamblers.

<3 my rotting fishy fishy

Further rumination leads me to be some what grumpy that I can't use the lists and units I really have been enjoying with Skorne lately; I've been having a blast with Mordikaar, and there's a Rasheth gun line list that I have been tech'ing that also has been a bunch of fun. 

However, I'm determined to give this tournament my best showing. I'll continue to play with my tier lists and tinker with them. I will be open to what the experience may bring me when using the lists I am really itching to play.

Tonight I'm keen to try on my Rasheth Chain-Gang list. It looks like fairly typical fare:

Dominar Rasheth 
- Bronzeback Titan
- Titan Gladiator 
- Titan Sentry 
- Basilisk Krea 
Agonizer 
Agonizer 
Paingiver Task Master 
Max Gatorman Posse
Max Nihilators 
Max Paingiver Beast Handlers 
Swamp Gobbers Bellows Crew 

I guess the only thing atypical is the Nihilators. Most people seem to want MOAR BEASTS for their chain-gang, but playing this list with a second Gladiator has left me very luke-warm. I kind of want the bodies to create a screen, or present a problem for scenario play. We'll see.