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Author Topic: Alaitoc Army List (4th of 5 Craftworld Themed Armies)  (Read 3974 times)

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Offline Chaplain Swordwind

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Alaitoc Army List (4th of 5 Craftworld Themed Armies)
« on: October 3, 2009, 05:16:25 PM »
Of all the major Craftworlds, Alaitoc seems to be the least popular as of late.  Though there are still plenty of avid fans (Kaminari), and Alaitoc themed lists are still being posted (cadians), since the release of 5th Edition they seem to have taken a back seat to other, more viable themes.  Not to be dismayed by this, I have put together an Alaitoc themed army as part of my series of five:

(195) Maugan Ra.

(145) Farseer w/ Fortune, Doom, Runes of Warding & Spirit Stones.

(192) Pathfinders x8.

(95) Rangers x5.

(126) Jetbike Guardians x3 w/ Shuriken Cannon.  Jetbike Warlock w/ Embolden.

(276) Harlequins x10 w/ Kisses x4 & Fusion Pistol x2.  Death Jester, Shadowseer & Troupe Master w/ Power Weapon.

(212) Striking Scorpions x10.  Exarch w/ Scorpion’s Claw, Shadowstrike & Stalker.

(85) Vyper w/ EML, Shuriken Cannon & Spirit Stones.

(85) Vyper w/ EML, Shuriken Cannon & Spirit Stones.

(168) Swooping Hawks x6.  Exarch w/ Sunrifle & Skyleap.

(180) Falcon w/ EML, Holo-Fields & Spirit Stones.

(120) War Walkers w/ Dual Scatter Lasers x2.

(120) War Walkers w/ Dual Shuriken Cannons x3.

Total: 1999 points
35 Infantry, 6 Jump Infantry, 4 Jetbikes, 8 Vehicles
3 Scoring Units, 16 Kill Points

Army Design Concept:

This concept centers around Maugan Ra's quest to save his home Craftworld of Altansar from the Eye of Terror.  I made an assumption that he sought help in his quest, and that of all the other Craftworlds, the Eldar of Alaitoc would be most likely to give him aid.  Joined by a small task force of Aliatoc Pathfinders and scouts, Maugan Ra sought out the mysterious Harlequins, whose unparalleled knowledge of the Webway provided him a way to breach the Empyrean.  Eventually, Maugan Ra and his allies were successful, and Altansar was rescued from the clutches of the Warp.

From a gaming standpoint, I tried to select "scout" units for this army.  Rangers and Pathfinders should come as no surprise there, and I felt that Striking Scorpions and Swooping Hawks also fit the theme.  I added in a small squad of Jetbikes for an additional scoring unit, and Vypers and War Walkers for mobile firepower.  This army has a noticable deficit in anti-tank capabilities; but I accepted that as a compromise to keep the theme of the list intact.  After all, Maugan Ra's quest was primarily an armed reconnisance, not a mission for battle.  The Phoenix Lord was not interested in challenging the might of the forces of Chaos in open battle, least of all in their own back yard, and so this list reflects his need for speed and steath, rather than pure combat power.

Strategy:

The Farseer rides in the Falcon, accompanied by the small squad of Rangers as an escort.  He uses the Falcon as a mobile platform from which he can direct the strike force, without the fear of being bogged down.  This is also a variation of the DAVU Falcon concept, providing a durable scoring unit.  I chose Rangers over Dire Avengers, in spite of the increased cost, in order to stay within the theme of the army.

The Pathfinders will occupy and objective (in cover) on my side of the board, while taking advantage of the Farseer's Doom power to bring down tough enemy units.  The Jetbikes will be held in reserve as long as possible, and then attempt to grab a late objective.  I purposely kept the squad small in order to better keep it hidden, and also because this is supposed to be a "non-confrontational" task force.

Maugan Ra will join the Harlequins in order to add his firepower to that of the Death Jester, while taking advantage of the Shadowseer's Veil of Tears.  He can also add his close combat prowess to the squad, as well as providing some additional options in terms of wound allocation.  In a pinch, the Farseer can dismount from the Falcon and join this unit, or cast Fortune on it while remaining aboard his transport.

The Striking Scorpions are the secondary assault unit for the army.  They can support the Harlequins or serve as a counter-assault unit for the Pathfinders, as needed.  The Swooping Hawks, Vypers, and War Walkers are the mobile fire support of the army.  The Swooping Hawks have the option to exercise the "Yo-Yo" manuver, though I equipped the Exarch with a Sunrifle in order to boost the squads firepower on the ground.  The War Walkers can also outflank if I want them to.  The variety of options available to this army give it good tactical flexibility.

The biggest weakness of this army is its lack of anti-tank capabilites.  In order to destroy enemy vehicles, this list relies heavily on being able to outmanuver the enemy, seeking side and rear armor shooting opportunities.  However, as I stated earlier, the theme of this army is reconnisance, and so I was willing to compromise somewhat on competitive strength in order to uphold the theme I was going for.

I welcome any comments (or rating: Gustikk/Moc) you may have.  I am not seeking advice on how to improve the army list however, as I consider it a finished product.

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Re: Alaitoc Army List (4th of 5 Craftworld Themed Armies)
« Reply #1 on: October 3, 2009, 05:50:50 PM »
From a background stand point, the Maugan Ra/Alaitoc link seems a bit forced in my opinion.  The Karandras/Alaitoc link has much more precedent in the background, as a result of the Medusa Campaign, so I think that this would have been a more convincing narrative to adopt.

That said, you are are not looking to change the list, so I would recommend not attaching Maugan Ra to the Harlequins, since it not only goes against Eldar and Harlequin background for a non-Harlequin character to join a Harlequin squad, but in terms of tactics, it also interferes with their movement special rules, which I don't think is a good thing for a squad which relies on its speed and mobility to compensate for its lengthy list of vulnerabilities, which have been accentuated by fifth edition.

I think this list will be the most problematic to be successful with, since it includes a lot of units which are hard to use effectively in fifth edition, but the Maugan Ra issue apart, the theme is strong, so I think you have broadly achieved your objective of making an Alaitoc list in that respect.
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Offline Chaplain Swordwind

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Re: Alaitoc Army List (4th of 5 Craftworld Themed Armies)
« Reply #2 on: October 3, 2009, 07:45:34 PM »
I confess I am unfamiliar with the Medusa Campaign, and therefore unaware of any direct connection between Karandras and Alaitoc.  I thought my choice of narrative was creative, but you're entitled to feel differently about it.  ;)

You are certainly correct that this list will be difficult to succeed with; of the five I just posted I think it is the weakest.  For the record though I have used Maugan Ra with Harlequins before, and the combo worked okay for me.  The only thing they really lose is the ability to move through cover.  I realize that as long as he is attached they cannot Hit and Run, but that's why I separate him from the squad right before I charge.  ;)  I do recognize the problems you are speaking of, I just feel the benefits outweighs the negatives.

As always, thanks for your insight.   :)
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Re: Alaitoc Army List (4th of 5 Craftworld Themed Armies)
« Reply #3 on: October 4, 2009, 10:02:47 AM »
I confess I am unfamiliar with the Medusa Campaign, and therefore unaware of any direct connection between Karandras and Alaitoc.  I thought my choice of narrative was creative, but you're entitled to feel differently about it.  ;)

It's not implausible that Maugan Ra could fight alongside Alaitoc, but Karandras is a much more likely option.  I had overlooked this too, but there is a very informative thread, which I referred to in your Iyanden thread, but I didn't post the link, which will fill you in.

Quote
The only thing they really lose is the ability to move through cover.

Which is a significant issue for a unit which relies on cover at mid to short range, especially when you consider much of it offers a better save than their invulnerable save, which is why it is more of an issue in fifth edition than it was in fourth.
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Offline Kaminari

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Re: Alaitoc Army List (4th of 5 Craftworld Themed Armies)
« Reply #4 on: October 5, 2009, 08:39:54 AM »
Good to see a concept being followed strictly.

Nevertheless I don't see any perspective for this list in a tournament. No offense is meant!
Problem is the WWW that makes the list creation a little bit difficult nowadays: weep, wiped, whipped

2000 points is a bit high for just a reconnaissance team. Maugan Ra, The Jetlock, the Fusion Harlies and the Swooping Hawks along with the EML-slingers will weep in sorrow when encountering the 2+ Landraiders who must be expected in any Chaos/SM list these days...
...or wish for CC power to prevent themselves being wiped off the table by those armies with fast shock assault units (Thunderhammer Termies, Bossbikers, Berzerkers, Seercouncils)
...or being whipped into oblivion by the lash of submission Princes and their Vindicator/Obliterator compagnions
 :( :( :(

Offline moc065

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Re: Alaitoc Army List (4th of 5 Craftworld Themed Armies)
« Reply #5 on: October 7, 2009, 08:05:46 PM »

(195) Maugan Ra.
(276) Harlequins x10 w/ Kisses x4 & Fusion Pistol x2.  Death Jester, Shadowseer & Troupe Master w/ Power Weapon.

(145) Farseer w/ Fortune, Doom, Runes of Warding & Spirit Stones.
(95) Rangers x5.
(180) Falcon w/ EML, Holo-Fields & Spirit Stones.

(192) Pathfinders x8.

(126) Jetbike Guardians x3 w/ Shuriken Cannon.  Jetbike Warlock w/ Embolden.

(212) Striking Scorpions x10.  Exarch w/ Scorpion’s Claw, Shadowstrike & Stalker.

(85) Vyper w/ EML, Shuriken Cannon & Spirit Stones.

(85) Vyper w/ EML, Shuriken Cannon & Spirit Stones.

(168) Swooping Hawks x6.  Exarch w/ Sunrifle & Skyleap.

(120) War Walkers w/ Dual Scatter Lasers x2.

(120) War Walkers w/ Dual Shuriken Cannons x3.

Total: 1999 points
35 Infantry, 6 Jump Infantry, 4 Jetbikes, 8 Vehicles
3 Scoring Units, 16 Kill Points


Once again I re-arranged the units into working groups.. so that I could analyse them easier.

moc-score

1.. Anti-tank potential 0.7 Above Average; but not because of its dedicated AT, this score is given as each working group has options on AT, and with that many chances, Side/Rear options become real.
2.. Anti-MEQ potential 0.6 Average; Harlies and Scorps are MEQ killers; but there is little in the way of ranged A-MEQ...
3.. Anti-Horde potential 0.7 Above Average; the thing with this many "pinning" options and templates is that you can actually get it to work vs hordes as numbers work in your favour... Target priority is principle though, as well as the use of LD reduction on the enemy (kill synapse, mob rules, etc).
4.. Ranged Firepower potential 0.7 Above Average; this list actually has an insane variation of short, mid and long ranged options... Scouting all over won't hurt, although an Autarch would hav been nice.
5.. Assault potential 0.7 Above Average; for Eldar... as there are a number of decent assault units, and the Character/powers can help... Oh, and the shooting should soften things up a little before hand as well.
6.. Scoring Units / point level 0.5 Slightly Below Average; 3 Scoring Units at 2K can work... but these ones are still a little soft... JB's are not great (trust me), and Pathfinders in cover don't always get great saves (trust me).
7.. Durability or Resilience 0.6 Average; I see some great "Scout" options; but the units are still relaitively soft.. the number of units might help though as it will devide fire.
8.. Flexability 0.6 Average; This list will run decently vs any opponent; but it will probably not own anyone, nor get owned too often... I see it having pincer options, as well as Pinning, en masse, and a few other nice flexible options.
9.. Mission Capabiliy 0.6 Average; KP's might hurt you; but the other missions should be do-able. Playstyle as you described it is good, but keep an open mind.
10. Dynamics and/or Theme 0.9 Very Good; I see massive things done to keep to the "Scout" or even "Pin" theme of the Alaitoc of old... and having a mixed bag (FOC and unit wise) is really in theme with them as a well. Nicely Done.

Rating = 6.6/10 Now others will score it differently I am sure. But I see this as a great "Fun" list vs anyone... I do not think that it would be awesome in a tournie, regardless of the General; although playstyle certainly could have it playing above the level of the score I gave it.

Suggestions.
  • Drop the Stones on the Vypers.
  • Add a Spear to the JB Warlock.
  • Add intercept to the Hawks.
  • Get as many Kisses as you can for the Harlies.
  • Have fun with it, as I run some simluar lists and they are great locally.


Cheers


« Last Edit: November 2, 2009, 11:46:33 AM by moc065 »
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Offline Chaplain Swordwind

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Re: Alaitoc Army List (4th of 5 Craftworld Themed Armies)
« Reply #6 on: October 8, 2009, 05:02:28 AM »
Rating Pending, and suggestions too if you want.

Suggestions are welcome, I just don't plan on posting a revised list.  ;)
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Offline moc065

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Re: Alaitoc Army List (4th of 5 Craftworld Themed Armies)
« Reply #7 on: November 2, 2009, 11:47:42 AM »
Rating Done above...

Sorry to take so long, and I only have the Saim-Hann one left to do.. Saved the one closest to my heart for last...

Oh and that list actually works (I run a 1500pts varient that is great fun).

Cheers
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