Resisting mortal wounds

[Aranei]

Today I played my second game of AoS (it is not easy to have a game when my local players are generally negative toward AoS). I faced skaven, who had a warp lightning cannon, warpfire trower, doomweel, and other units.
The cannon, wheel and thrower were dealing a lot of mortal wounds to my deathrattles (and so I lost the battle). I wonder if there are any methods of resisting mortal wounds? Nagash can resist them, as well as Archai (to a lesser degree). A Wight King BSB can also help, giving everybody a 6+ chance to survive mortal wounds (as well as mundane).
Possibly fast units or shooting units could help, too. If one can destroy the most dangerous stuff quickly, he doesn't need to resist the wounds in the first place.
Bat swarms would be not so helpful - both the cannon and the thrower don't roll to hit.

Do you have any other ideas that could help dealing with mortal wounds (and their sources)?

P.S. You possibly know it, but I confirm it : horde of Skeletons with spears + Necromancer's Vanhel's Dance Macabre + Liche Priest's Righteous Smiting + Wight King's new command ability (taken from Krell) = ability to take down anything in 1 round.

 

[Oppenheimer]

Keep your guys out of their range for first turn then use speedy flyers Vargheists, Morghast Harbingers, terrorgheist, zombie dragon, Coven Throne and Neferata/Mannfred to crush the cannons. You can summon the harbingers within 9 inches but since they get three dice to charge they can usually still get in combat on their first turn.

Double turn works well too and you can use the coven throne's scrying pool ability to reroll an initiative die if you aren't getting the double turn.

Other than that the Scaven do have to have some luck with their cannons. They might roll a need a 6 to hit kind of thing.

 

[Demian]

Also, try Sepulchral Stalkers or Tomb Scorpions to pop out of the ground and gaze / charge the cannons.

Your own Screaming Skull Catapults could deal damage to them (target the crew when able, they have lower saves and no crew usually means no shots anyways).

Abhorant Ghoul King on a Terrorgheist's command ability allows you to run and charge too!

Last, Necrosphinx and War Sphinx halve the amount of damage they receive, and can be healed quite easily!

 

[Aranei]

Thanks for all the ideas, so far morghast harbingers summoning is my favourite.
I also thought that war machines and their crews are a single units. Now, thanks to you, I realise they are 2 separate units!
Unfortunately, Warp Lightning Cannon's crewrats are a part of the model, they can't be targeted separately (and have no stats aside from melee attack).

 

[Oppenheimer]

Vampire lord on Abyssal Terror (if you can find/proxy a model) gets the hellish vigour spell which lets a unit double it's movement. That can get an already fast unit across the board in one turn.

 

[Sception]

I'd second the necrosphinx suggestion, if you have one or can still get your hands on one (or at least a suitable proxy). Fast, flies, halves incoming wounds, can be healed, hits like a train. A solid hunter of problem enemy units, be they monsters or war machines. The models discontinued, and already sold out on the store, but if you search local hobby shops you may yet be able to find one, as it was one of the few TK models that wasn't direct only before they went on last chance to buy.

If you're specifically having problems with characters getting sniped, Krell himself is a good buy (his scroll is still on the app, after all), or the new generic version if you prefer. Either way, it also halves all incoming normal or mortal wounds, like the sphinx.

Apart from Krell, Vlad also is more durable than he appears, with his ring essentially doubling his wounds, and also wasting any excess wounds he suffered when first killed. I prefer krell for his command ability, but if you're not running skittles, and are running to small a game to reasonably field big monsters as your general, then vlad's an option.

Another great poach from the TK compendium is the Tomb Herald, and though the official model is now very hard to come by, it's easy enough to convert one from leftover tomb guard riders after building a necrosphinx (provided you're able to find one of those):

Spoiler

If you can't get the sphinx kit, then some conversion will do you, so long as you can tell it apart from your wight king BSBs. Anyway, heralds can tank all wounds from nearby death heroes until they die, so each one is essentially +5 wounds to a hero of your choice (though they'll take the wounds before halving in the case of krell, so they're like +2.5 wounds to him), and have a useful banner effect while they're still alive. They also have a skeletal steed option for tanking hits from faster heroes.


Also don't forget that necromancers (high priority targets due to their spell) can bounce mortal wounds to archai, who can then potentially save them altogether.

 

[Woolly.Mammoth]

Shambling toward war machines plays into your opponents hands. One of the key concepts of AoS is that you need to be able to devastate on turn one, otherwise your opponent will make you go first and all you can do is close the distance they need to charge/shoot you and your opponent has a good chance for a double turn. Its a win-win for your opponent. Melee combats are often two sided and the double turn isn't such a big deal, but a double turn for uncontested war machines is always a nightmare.

Here is a list of the things I use to ruin my opponents day when I have to go first:
- Summon anything. its a free 18" move. That's easily 3 or more turns of movement for 4" infantry. Then you might make the 9" charge. Vlad helps with +1" charge command ability.
- Summon Harbringers, you'll probably make the 9" charge with 3 dice.
- Necrosphinx has to charge, so you can run and charge. Vlad gives +1" run, +1" charge (and +1 to wound, so if you charge a monster there's a good chance to cause 10 mortal wounds!)
- Tomb scorpions pop up on top of war machines and ruin their day
- Lord on Abyssal Terror has double movement spell. Cast double movement on nasty cav like Necro Knights or Blood Knights. Even Black Knights can kill a war machine.
- Summoned Terrorgheist can shriek first turn. rolling 10 is tough but easier with Morghast/Mortis Blasphemous Tome/Carts Lodestone or re-rolling a dice from the throne. Monsters in particular tend to have very low bravery.
- Sepulchral Stalkers can pop up and transmogrify (but they tend to whiff)
- Shooting: skull catapult can shoot first turn (and reduce bravery for Tgheist/Banshee/Mortis). Ushabti can move forward and shoot first turn. (Archers unfortunately will be out of range if you go first).

I have been successful using these techniques and running lists with a lot of mobility, getting everything into combat in turns 1-2, forcing my opponent to grind out combats which gives me the advantage since this is the way undead like to fight.

 

[Aranei]

Good suggestions, thanks!

 

[Hmmmokaythen]

Also, Krell + 30 skeleton archers. They can run and shoot and they produce 90 shots, averaging about 15 wounds. Generaly enough to put down an MC a turn and tough to whittle down thanks to D6 models back each turn.

They have done well in every game I have played them in so far.

Also, the new mourngul is mega cheaty. A mourngul takes an average of 20 mortal wounds to kill! He's quick and he will tear most monsters or war machines to bits.

 

[Aranei]

Excellent point regarding Skeleton Archers and the Lord of Bones command ability. Since every Wight king has that ability now, buffing dakka is both easy and a good idea.

 

[Oppenheimer]

Also, Krell + 30 skeleton archers. They can run and shoot and they produce 90 shots, averaging about 15 wounds. Generaly enough to put down an MC a turn and tough to whittle down thanks to D6 models back each turn.

Khalida and a liche priest also make 30 Skeleton Archers gross. It's 60 shots at 4 to hit and you get an extra attack with each roll of a 6. I've found this ends up being even more than 15 wounds. I tend to be around 20.