Tuesday 28 November 2017

Armies of Australian Masters 2017 - Part 9

Greetings!

We are getting close to the end of Armies of Australian Masters 2017 as there are only three left! Today we have another version of Abyssal Dwarves commanded by Evan.

Evan played with this army throughout entire season and if I am correct he didn't really change the army list. This is also his second Masters event and last time he finished on third position.

His army embraced "Slow and Purposeful" theme with many Obsydian Golems present.

Abyssal Dwarves - Evan - Army List

6 Lesser Obsidian Golems, Horde
- Angkor Heavy Mortar, War Engine
- Iron Caster, Hero

6 Lesser Obsidian Golems, Horde
- Angkor Heavy Mortar, War Engine

6 Lesser Obsidian Golems, Horde
- Angkor Heavy Mortar, War Engine

6 Abyssal Grotesques, Horde
- Abyssal Halfbreed Champion, Hero
- Gargoyles, Troop 
- Gargoyles, Troop 

40 Slave Orcs, Horde

40 Slave Orcs, Horde
This army has a very strong artillery and almost impenetrable wall of Lesser Obsidian Golems. It is not the fastest of the forces in the world of Mantica but loves war of attrition and has some fast elements that can carry the fight to the enemy too. 


Visual representation of the Army.

Let's have a closer look at the units as usual:

3 x 6 Lesser Obsidian GolemsSoulless constructs animated by the dark powers of the Iron-casters, these automatons are slow and dim-witted, but extremely strong and almost indestructible.

It is a very interesting unit that is classified as Large Infantry but has a bigger footprint, exactly like Large Cavalry. It is as high as Large Cavalry too! Extremely reliable in defense due to Defense 6+, relentless in advance as they cannot be wavered and can literally grind any foe thanks to Crushing Strength (2). Their potential disadvantage is their speed but one may be for a nasty surprise if the Iron Caster is nearby to animate these soulless constructs.
6 Abyssal Grotesques - Huge Abyssal hybrids, the Grotesques are tougher and more powerful than the other Halfbreeds.

This unit adds some speed to the rather slow army but is equally tough as the Golems thanks to the combination of Defense 5+ and Regeneration 5+. They can hit even harder if attacking the enemy in the open. 
2 x 40 Slave Orcs - The Orcs’ great strength and brutal ferocity are an asset to any army, and the Abyssal Dwarfs push vast hordes of enslaved brutes towards the enemy before committing their own troops.

Very useful units for Abyssal Dwarves. Orcs can be comfortably sent to the thick of the battle if that benefits their slave masters and hold the enemy in place for some time allowing the main units to get into the positions to deliver killing blow.
2 x 5 Gargoyles - These dumb creatures always follow the armies of the Abyssal Dwarfs, hanging in the sky like a sinister pall, ready to plunge with voracious appetite onto wounded warriors and stragglers.

Very useful flying support, ready to intercept fast enemy troops, disrupt the shooters and war engines and simply be annoying and distracting the enemy commander. They are very fragile but have excellent regenerative abilities.

3 x Angkor Heavy Mortar - The Angkor mortar is a large artillery piece that fires huge shells filled with the explosive concoctions of the Iron-casters – any regiment it hits directly disappears in a cloud of smoke.

One of the most dangerous artillery in the world of Mantica. Three of them should make sure something gets hit every time they fire. And if all of them hit at the same time then even the toughest units may be decimated. The Mortars would also make sure that the enemy would not try to avoid melee as otherwise they may be shot to pieces.
Abyssal Halfbreed Champion - The greatest amongst the Halfbreeds are given great two-handed hammers and axes, and let loose against the enemy before their fury takesover and they endanger their own side.

There are only two heroes leading this army and Abyssal Halfbreed Champion will probably lead the attack and herd the Slave Orcs to the battle. He has the same good survivability as Grotesques but adds a lot of maneuverability of an individual. 
Iron Caster - The iron casters wield the twisted fire-magic of Ariagful, evil Queen of the Black Flame.
 
This hero makes Obsidian wall even more formidable and mortar artillery train even more dangerous. He can animate the constructs and prevent reckless but more maneuverable foes from getting behind the battle line. Makes both the Golems and the Mortars more reliable with his Inspiring Presence and can mend some damage done to either of these. 
Let me know what you think about this version of Abyssal Dwarves army!

Thanks for reading!

4 comments:

  1. That's a really interesting build. Usually with your army you like to take your time to time set up multi charges, but facing 3 Angkor Mortars will really put the pressure on. I'd probably get suckered into charging early just to avoid the threat of heavy stones dropping from the sky :/

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    1. Hi Cornwall,

      Thanks for the comment! Indeed, setting up the multiple charges takes bit of time. Enemy shooters and war engines are very dangerous to my fragile units so in general I may need to try to do something early in the game too.

      As I have not played against an army like that before I cannot discuss real game experience but if there is a chance to eliminate the mortars I should definitely take it!

      Cheers!

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  2. I see it too slow for several scenarios, like Invade. As usual, I will try to dismantle it piece by piece, first Grotesques and Slave Orcs, then the obsidian golems will have to struggle to reach the combats in superiority having only one Surge caster.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Phobos,

      With slower units like Golems it seems that the deployment is important. Once set to move towards certain direction they may need to keep pushing forward. However, the game lasts 6 turns so they can cover 30" if not confronted, even without the Surge.

      I guess every army may have the favorite and/or less favorite scenarios so it will be interesting to see which ones we are going to have at the Masters. But I am sure that Evan will have a plan for every one of them :)

      Cheers!

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