Greener Pastures?

EV has a future as a foot model.

EV and I took a trip to a new(ish) local(ish) game store today, Huzzah Hobbies.  It was a 30(ish) minute drive with little traffic, though a heavier load could easily double that.  In a bit of a paradox, it was a smaller store than the usual FLGS, but they had more of what I was looking for.  After haunting the FLGS since Wrath released, I finally found a copy on my first trip to the new store.  I also got Commander Harkevich, his pet jack Black Ivan, and some snow for basing.  After hearing about Wrath across the internets since it was released, it's good to finally lay hands on it.  Harkevich and Black Ivan are bound to be a pair that sees a lot of action and may well dictate the next additions I make to my collection.  I'm awash with list ideas, especially theme forces.  His tier lists are more or less what I'd be taking anyway, minus perhaps some Greylords and Widowmakers, so the theme forces are pretty painless to conjure and the benefits (upkeeps in place for free on turn 1, placing terrain, cheaper ranged jacks) are enticing.  Things are a bit tight at 35, as what I'd really like is to do WGRC + Joe and three ranged jacks and just don't have the points for it.  Instead I've come up with three off the cuff 35 pointers here in varying flavors.  First is a list of just pieces I have.



Theme Force: Wolf Pack Tier 3
35+5 points, 25 models

Kommander Harkevich, The Iron Wolf  +5 points
* Black Ivan  10 points
* Kodiak  8 points
* War Dog  1 point

Kovnik Jozef Grigorovich  2 points
Widowmaker Marksman  2 points
10 Winter Guard Infantry  6 points
* Winter Guard Officer & Standard  2 points
* 3 Winter Guard Rocketeers  3 points
Winter Guard Mortar Crew  3 points
Winter Guard Mortar Crew  3 points


This one has a couple compromises.  The biggest thing is the Kodiak.  I'd much prefer a ranged jack but having just the one Desttoyer that I'd already be using as Black Ivan means the ranged options are non-existent.  The Kodiak is relatively focus efficient and can charge for free under Harkevich's feat.  The WGI Deathstar is also a bit of a placeholder.  Harkevich doesn't have Iron Flesh, so the Deathstar would be more of an output unit than a tarpit/counter punch.  I'll also have to look at the wording on the various shooting spells and the feat to see just how effective any infantry shooting will be.  I think Broadsides is a battle group spell, so the only one being affected would be Black Ivan, and that is less than optimal.

It's a start.

Picture break.  I got started on the Butcher this morning, a very preliminary first coat.  I got the flesh basecoated and washed and started blocking in the green.  I've seen a couple examples of 5th Border Legion Man-O-Wars and I'll be following those examples with the Butcher's armor.  I'm leaning towards doing the trim and the "extra armor" bits at the knee, wrist, and foot in red, while the rest is green.  The coat is giving me pause as I'd like to do it red but I'm not sure how it will look with the red armor trim.  Perhaps I can use different shades.  On with the lists, next up is a tier 4 example.


Theme Force: Wolf Pack Tier 4
35+5 points, 18 models


Kommander Harkevich, The Iron Wolf  +5 points
* Black Ivan  9 points
* Demolisher  8 points
* Destroyer  8 points
* War Dog  1 point

4 Battle Mechaniks  2 points
Kovnik Jozef Grigorovich  2 points
Widowmaker Marksman  2 points
Winter Guard Field Gun Crew  2 points
Winter Guard Mortar Crew  3 points
Winter Guard Mortar Crew  3 points

 I'm torn on the idea of spamming Crit: Knockdown stuff as much as possible.  The Field Gun is part of that, and what Kovnik Joe would probably babysit, but I'm also considering a Decimator depending on what the gun does.  With the multiple ranged jacks Broadsides really starts to work, though the list is a bit light on bodies as a result.  Last up is what I would run if I had access to everything and had a game on tap right now.

Theme Force: Wolf Pack Tier 3
35+5 points, 20 models

Kommander Harkevich, The Iron Wolf  +5 points
* Black Ivan  10 points
* Demolisher  9 points

4 Battle Mechaniks  2 points
* Battle Mechanik Officer  2 points
5 Man-O-War Bombardiers  11 points
Widowmaker Marksman  2 points
Winter Guard Field Gun Crew  2 points
Winter Guard Field Gun Crew  2 points

The idea here is pure gun line.  I hope the Field Guns knock things down so the templates have an easier time hitting something.  Black Ivan is going to be a stud every turn, but the rest of the bombards won't be mad about getting a helping hand.  I like the idea of putting the Field Guns in the terrain (wreck markers) created by the tier 3 benefit, but I imagine most times I'll be able to put them to better use than cover for the artillery.  The Battle Mechs can fix the jacks and the MoWs thanks to the UA, which will make things tough to kill.  The Demolisher is part "oooh shiny" and part to give Girded out to the Battle Mechs, and perhaps the Marksman, so they don't get killed by stray AoEs.  The big problem with this list is that the Bombardiers are still about two months out and I don't have any medium based pieces to proxy with if I wanted to go that route.  My current idea is already to proxy Black Ivan with the Destroyer I have while I wait for the two player box and use that Destroyer as the basis for Ivan.  Depending on how much I like him, and I expect that to be quite a lot, I may get a Khador jack kit sooner.  The two player box should be out around the same time as the Bombardiers, which is nice and unfortunate all at once, but if I went the earlier upgrade route then I'd end up with three Destroyers, which is all I can ever imagine I'd want.  Then again I could get the jack kit and magnetize it so it would work as any of the four, then use that Destroyer to proxy Black Ivan until the bigger box comes out...