Skeleton Horde box set?

[Sception]

Supposedly up for pre-order this week:

http://natfka.blogspot.com/2016/02/2-start-collecting-sets-and-new.html

Start Collecting Skeleton Horde- 10 Skeleton Warriors, 5 Black Knights/Hexwraiths, and 1 Morghast of Nagash £50 €65

I'm looking at this and... I have to imagine that either this is either one of the online store's terrible 'one click bundles' and not actually a 'start collecting' box, or the contents are wrong, because that is approximately a 0% discount, compared to the actually rather good discounts on other similar sets.

Also, you can't really have 1 morghast in a set, because 2 morghasts come on 3 sprues.

So I have to imagine that this is one box of morghasts, in which case it's a similar, if slightly worse deal than the malignant box.

EDIT: it is actually one mortarch, plus a box each of skeletons and black knights

Spoiler

Either way, 10 skeletons is not really much of anything, you kind of need at least 20 to get going, so this isn't really looking like a great 'start collecting' box. Would be better off trading the black knights for another box of skellies. But whatever, we'll see.

 

[Eyeless]

Yep contents are wrong, seen a picture and it's a Mortarch not a Morghast. And a formation with Arkhan, skeletons and black knights. Not to mention you still get the extra sprues so i guess it's worth it, however i might not get it right now as i have a shit load of boxes to do

 

[Dragonet]

Hmm, wording's a little optimistic for me, 16-17 skeletons does not make a horde. They'll be calling AoS a wargame soon... ; )

Seriously though, I've folded on my hard line position against GW for the new Deathwatch boxed set, partly for the quality of the models and because I'm actually playing Genestealer Cult in a slow grow campaign; perfect timing!

More pertinently, at the FLGS' 20% discount and selling both the Kill team at £30 for 11 character marine sculpts and the game minus models for £10 I'm getting 38 Cultists and a Patriarch for £40, the same price as this 'horde' of 15 skeletons and 1 or 2 Morghasts. I won't lie, I'm buying three!

Even without breaking the box it's a self contained game, a 600pts Cult and an elite Marine unit, but at double the price. We all know that you can't really get into this hobby for less than £200 with all the paints etc factored in; I reckon a decent £80-100 starter army would be a much better offering for the hobbyist and easier for GW to discount in volume, but the £50 starter implies a cheaper buy-in cost and will get more people to 'start collecting', rather than to 'start playing'...

 

[Dragonet]

Ah excellent ninja, Eyeless! That will doubtless change the numbers and with a General included could make the box more useful.

 

[Eyeless]

i might be grabbing one myself later on, just not at the moment as I still have 1 mortarch in a box along with TK sphinxes and other units.

 

[Sception]

I had a hard time believing that it could include a Mortarch, as that's basically the same price as the entire box, making the skittles and knights a free bonus and pretty much killing any possible future sales of the mortarch box on it's own, but...

There it is.

I don't really need the knights (or the skeletons, if I'm being honest with myself), but I might get a box anyway, just for the second mortarch (I've been considering picking up Neferata at some point, anyway) and the formation.

Arkhan is my favorite character, after all. And black knights are a very cool unit that presently is rather lackluster in the game, so hopefully this unit does more fore them than the Deathrattle Horde or Army of the Dead formations do.

 

[Oppenheimer]

More hex wraith/black knight spures. I already have 10 black knights and 10 hexwraiths. I also have a ton of skeletons, not that 10 more accounts for much of anything anyway. I only have one mortarch but I have the saddle but magnetised so I can swap out riders. I doubt I'll be fielding more than one at a time anyway. Looks like I'll be passing on this box too. Good deal though.

Edit: Fixed number of black knights and hexies

 

[Sception]

If I pick it up, I'll let you know what the formation does. I will say, though, that another box of black knights would get you up to 10 of each kind of knight, with one rider left over to convert into a hero.

 

[Oppenheimer]

Did I say 8? Sorry, my brain was stuck in 6e for a moment. I meant that I have 10 of each already, two full ranks.

 

[Sception]

I thought 6e was the edition that bumped ranks up to 5? Eh, whatev's. Yeah, if you have 10 of each already, there's not much point in adding more, unless you wanted to do a specifically all cavalry army. And even then, you're probably good.

 

[Cela Shyish]

I already have all three Mortarchs, more than 100 skeletons (plus loads unbuilt), 10 hexwraiths and 15 black knights with 5 more to build, so there is really no point in me getting this box other than for the warscroll :\ but I can't help but be tempted. I mean, I could always use more cavalry and a lot of my skeletons are the old ones or tomb king ones so they aren't as nice as a lot of the VC ones and I can't help but have the urge to convert the mortarch into a custom character

 

[Sception]

You could start with manfred, and convert him to represent a generic vampire on abyssal terror.

 

[Noctus Cornix]

I think I'll actually pick this one up come next paycheck. As of right now all I really have are like... 40 skeletons. Need more Undead stuff.

 

[Eyeless]

I think I'll actually pick this one up come next paycheck. As of right now all I really have are like... 40 skeletons. Need more Undead stuff.

it's great for starting. I have the start collecting malignants and it's a great deal. With this box you practically get 10 skeletons and 5 black knight and a formation free for the cost of a mortarch. i'll probably get one too when i finish the boxes i have pending :tongue:

 

[Noctus Cornix]

I haven't finished the boxes I have pending in years... I always just by more and more. Plastic and resin crack addictions.

 

[Cela Shyish]

I haven't finished the boxes I have pending in years... I always just by more and more. Plastic and resin crack addictions.

Warhammer, more expensive and addictive than drugs. XD

 

[Sception]

I'm still on the fence myself. Noctus, if you could let us know more or less what the formation does when you pick it up, that would be very helpful.

 

[Menkeroth]

Aye, it's normal you always want to buy more, regardless of any left unpainted yet and the box is really good, though I'd prefer more GG than usual skeletons, but why not.

 

[Noctus Cornix]

Oh! Hey, Mal. Long time no see.

 

[Hellion Nox]

I think the box set is especially nice if you want to add in another mortarch to your army. Can see those additional knights and skellies as a bonus

 

[Menkeroth]

Aye, practically free. For GW it is not that usual

 

[Hellion Nox]

I have to admit that it makes me hold on to the thought that we won't be facing any drastical changes such as what happened to the TK.

Poor vlad though, being labelled as a common vampire lord

 

[Menkeroth]

Certainly, and maybe it's good than not. At least until our battletome comes if it comes.

Poor vlad though, being labelled as a common vampire lord

Not only he, Krell is also now a generic wight king

 

[Sception]

Keep in mind, both vlad and krell still exist, as themselves, in the App, and their scrolls are still in the PDF compendium, which is still available from GW. If you want to keep playing them just as they are, there's no reason that you shouldn't be able to do so. But it seems they're no longer part of the AoS plot (and I'd argue Vlad at least shouldn't be, as his fate in the End Times was a great conclusion to his story), so they're not showing up in AoS specific books.

That said, the replacement for Krell isn't just a generic wight king, he's a wight king with black axe, which, while noticeably weaker than Krell, is still one of the best infantry commanders in the game, with a fantastic command ability, solid offense, and stellar defense thanks to the wound-halving mechanic.

 

[Menkeroth]

That's true, and somewhat comical - they have changed his name, but he still is unique concerning the weapon and armor, yes (which is more comical because in AoS armor plays practically no part compared to WHFB or 40k), but yes, Krell retains all he has since FB, and the only sad thing is there could be lots of him instead of one