Post: #1

Having found collecting playtesting data all in one thread a bit too confusing, I have decided to create threads for each of the Bloodlines.

In here you should post your experiences using the Bloodline stat changes, powers and optional army lists. You can also post your army lists here for feedback.

Any relevant feedback will be collated in this first post.

Post: #2

I can't believe that no one is interested in playtesting the Necro's. Loads of people used to love using them in the 6th, is there no one who wants to give it a go?

Post: #3

You should! If you find a way to play online with these armies, we should do it.

Post: #4

Try Ogre Stronghold or Asrai for a method of online playing.

If you wanted to play an online game, maybe two playtest lists versus each other.. . I'd be up for that! Just PM me (here or on Ogre Stronghold).

Post: #5

(01-20-2010 02:29 AM)Bishop Wrote:  Try Ogre Stronghold or Asrai for a method of online playing.

Ill have to have a go at that some time. Just need to get a program for rotating.

Post: #6

I am looking at setting up to be able to play such games on CN, however I need to check there are no copyright / ownership issues with those sites. As soon as I am happy that we are ok to use it I will of course implement it.

Post: #7

@ CRD - Use GIMP from GIMP.org, it's free.

@ DoN - I think that'd definately help with the playtesting!

Post: #8

As it seems that nobody is interested in playtesting the Necromancer, I'm willing to give it a shot.

This is what I've come up with:

Master Necromancer: Lv4, corpse master, strenght of will, vaporous cloak, knowledge familiar, warrior familiar
Necromancer: Lv2, corpse master, strenght of will, +1 spell, master familiar, black pariapt (invocation, van hells)
Necromancer: Lv2, corpse master, strenght of will, +1 spell, book of arkhan (raise, van hells)
Necromancer: Lv2, +1 spell, hand of dust, scepter of noiret (raise, van hells)

17 skeletons: FC
20 zombies: banner
20 zombies: banner
5 dire wolves
5 dire wolves
corpse cart: balefire
corpse cart: balefire

3 fell Bats
3 fell bats
varghulf
varghulf

1997 in total.

Timing: end of Februari

Yours
B

Post: #9

All necro? This is going to be very interesting. Any reason why you decided not to take the master CC?

Post: #10

Why I didn't take the master CC?
Because this isn't an optional army list but standard list whit the necromancer rules and powers.

Yours
B

Post: #11

Fair enough. Look forward to seeing how this fairs, though I have a feeling you may struggle

Post: #12

Initially I had a 40K battle planned for yesterday. Unfortunately my opponent was interupted. So, not being certain I would be able to play, I just took my necromancer list and drove to my club. Luckely David was also looking for an opponent.

He had his Warriors of Chaos with him.
Oh Bloodlines, bloodlines...a report will follow soon.

Yours
B

Post: #13

Playtest necromancers

Okay here we are with yet another battle report.

As said in my last post I played against Warriors of Chaos.

I used the above list (see previous post).

My opponent deployed the following – I’ll edit this when I receive his list

Chaos hero on slaanesh fiend/steed
Slaanesh wizard on steed: lv2
Slaanesh wizard on steed: lv2

Slaanesh marauders
Slaanesh marauders
Chaos hounds
Chaos hounds

5 Khorne knights: fc
5 Slaanesh knights: fc
5 Nurgle knights: fc

Chaos giant

On the tabletop there was a hill, two forests and a low hedge.
I rolled highest and picked my deploymentzone first, going for a quite symmetrical deployement, save the two vargulfs who went on my right flank. My Masternecro and hand of dust necro joined the skeletons, the centre of my frontline. One necro went behind the skeletons, making sure he could reach the relevant units to boost there numbers. The forest on my left was partially in my zone, making it a nice hidingplace for my book-of-arkhan-necro.
My wolves, bats and varghulfs acted as an avant-garde.
On my right there was the second forest and the hedge, so both of my infantry flanks were quite protected. In addition, on my left I had a caster, on my right there were two varghulfs waiting for prey.

The frontline of my oppenent were all cavalry. The marauders took tablequarters.

My opponent rolled higher than me and took his turn.

All cavalry marched forward. A couple of wolves died due to magic. But that was it.
The master responded by charging the varghulfs into khorne unit. After taking a couple of casualties they fled. A pitty the varghulfs couldn’t catch them.
In the mean time zombies were being raised. However all attempts to move them into combat failed or were being stopped.

The hounds were suddenly taken by fear and stopped right in front of the newly raised zombies. The nurgle knights smelled the rotting flesh of the zombies. However the zombies were out of sight. After fleeing from combat the khorne h-knights rallied, facing the varghulfs once again. The slaanish knights kept on going, closing the gap.

Again the zombies grew in numbers. A unit charged the hounds, ripping them apart without mercy. After the master left his unit the skeletons charged the Slaanesh knights. The varghulfs were still on the hunt, chasing down the khorne unit.

The knights crashed some bones but in no time skeletons were being raised. A bit by bit they succumbed by the mere presure of outnumbering skeletons.

The nurgle knights turned and succesfully charged the zombies, which have killede the hounds. In no time there were no zombies left.

By now the varghulfs had ripped the khorne unit apart and one of the varghulfs was now chasing down the marauders.

After a succesful hand of dust, the necromancer met his reaper.
On my right the giant was closing the gap. The hiding necromancer again raised a bunch of zombies, stopping his progress. Numbers were being raised and raised. The giatn crashed in but after a while he was mercilesly taken down.

The master was by now completely in corntol and unleashed wind of undead. Shorlty after, a spirit host appeared next to the still fighting slaanesh knights.
The nurgle knights who had killed everly single zombie were now being sandwished by two zombie units. Knight by knight they were being taken down.

By dawn the necromancer prevailed. No chaos creature was left alive.


Afterthoughts:

Invocation and vanhels. What can I say more? Althoug I had the knowledge familiar I didn’t really use it. Or I didn’t feel I need it. Ok, I did cast Wind of Undead but that was purely for fun.
The warrior familiar and cloack seem ok. And yes I would take them again. But no sane general would leave his master in a precarious situation. So, quite interesting as a pure defensive mechanism, but one shouldn’t take these and go toe to toe with the enemy.
What can I say more? They are necromancer and did their job. At first sight the list seems fairly fragile. However, never underestimate the power of invocation and vanhells.

The master familiar is fine. The cost seems ok. I prefer having acces to this familiar than taking lord of the dead, summon ghouls and undead creatures.

One thing is for sure, never take a necromancer into combat.
Against magic defensive armies Necromancers will suffer I guess.

I do like Strenght of will. It gives the army a nice twist.

I’ll advocate the bloodlines anytime, but Necromancers are not really my cup of thea. They remind me too much of the current I-spam-lists out there. And therefore Necromancers become a tad too boring to my liking.
On the other hand I have to admit that the bloodline creaters have captured the feel and fluff. As I don’t see Necromancers going into combat themselves, but let their minions do the job.

Yours
B

Post: #14

Is there any chance you could playtest the list with the optional Necromancer army list? Perhaps that would "feel" better, as out of all the lists created, the necro's work the least well with the standard list.

Still, thank you very much for the report. It was interesting to see the necro's still win, and like you said, I suppose they won in a way that is suited to them

Post: #15

Evening Disciple

I'll give it a shot if I can find a giant to borrow.
But first I want to play the Necrarch. A Bloodline I've learned to appreciate at the end of 6th ed.

Yours
B

Post: #16

No probs, I look forward to more reports.

Post: #17

The below comments are a roundup of previous made comments. If a power or item is not noted below, it is either not been commented on, or it received positive comments. I have only noted the things which have been noted that need changing, or players have asked questions.

Not enough playtesting. Little that was fed back said there was worry that the Necromancer list was too spamming, as it was a lot more reliant on the Necro’s casting as they could not win via combat. Defenses for Necro’s worked well though.

Post: #18

My Thoughts

More playtesting before any changes made to this list.

Post: #19

I take it everyone agrees on more playtesting?

Post: #20

I certainly do

Yours
B