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LordOfBlades
Sneak
57 Posts
    
 | | 12/09/2007 1:40 AM |
| Hi.
This is my first post on these forums.
I have only recently started playing D&D Minis( about a month or so), and my first warband consist of:
Solar
Shield Guardian
Dragonmarked Heir of Deneith
Mialee, elf wizard
Timber wolf
3x Man at Arms
I intend to take part in a local tournament next week, that would feature at leas a couple of decent warbands : WWL+Large Black+Large Shadow+Thrall, Storm+Trickster+Shadowdancers, Ultroforge, Kord+Couatl and what 'bothers' me the most:
Sword Archon
6X Sacred Watcher
Warforged Scout
Unlike the other warbands in the tournament, this is the single matchup I am unable to find a winning strategy(or at least a game plan that would give me a reasonable chance of winning). Attacking Sacred Watchers seems unreliable since with 25 damage per hit it takes 2 hits(and 2 passed incorporeal checks) to kill one. Going after the Archon seems a bit better, but it leaves the Solar (the only piece that has the speed and maneuvrability to do so) quite in the open, and it usually ends up going down not very late after the Archon.
So I am looking for some advice form the more experienced players in here: what would you do to win such a match? | | | |
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iluvxtina
Underboss
1500 Posts
Spain
| | 12/09/2007 2:05 AM |
| Welcome,mate.This is my advice for you:
-First: if you spect to face some triple black/shadows and ultroforge warbands ,these warbands have the advantage over a solar warband so,you may want to play one of these instead in order to win.If you can,t (or you do not want) do not forget aramil adventurer (it is a must).And I dislike the shield.I have tested it a lot and it is not so good.
-Second:Try to select the right map.If you,re going to play solar probably you,ll want a map with wide open areas.Lost temple comes to my mind but drow outpost and battlefield ruin ae good too I think.
-Third: abuse of your ranged damage.Shoot and run and reserve the killer arrow for an enemy that will not pass the DC for sure.It is better to kill in one blow a piece for sure than try to kill a titan which you know it will surely pass the DC.You,ll have problems with the wardrummer.
I,m not a solar fan but it could works well sometimes.Good luck and beware triple shadow in thieves quarters map | |
LOVE THIS GIRL | |
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LordOfBlades
Sneak
57 Posts
| | 12/09/2007 2:39 AM |
| Thanks for your answer. I know dragon warbands have the advantage over the solar(mainly due to superior mobility, although if I can use slaying arow on one of his dragons it make stuff a lot less difficult), but the guy who is going to play it has next to 0 experience with it, and it is quite a hard to play warband.
The ultroforge on the other hand I don't really see as such a vastly superior warband to the solar. It has superior melee power(compared to every single other warband I know of), but the fact that solar has F8 speed, compared to the 6 of the ultroloth and FGFP I think makes me able to choose the terms of the engagement on most maps, and capitalize on the ranged attack for as long as necessary.
As for why I didn't choose to play any of thsoe 2 warbands: Ultroforge doesn't really fit my playstyle( a bit too slow and all-out melee for my taste, and when playing ultroforge you usually have to press the attack, while I tend to go for a more reactive playstyle); on the other hand I would have enjoyed a black dragon warband, but, having to bulid it by buying each piece individually off the internet, I was reluctant to spend 75-100 USD for my first warband.
As for the Sacred Watcehr matchup, it is almost impossible to use slaying arrow effectively: I can try it on the Sacred Watchers with 31.5% chance of succes (90% chance to hit without cover, 50% chance of passing incorporeal and 70% chance of failing save) or on the sword archon(assuming I can get to it with ranged attack) with 30% chance of success(85% chance to hit without cover and 35% chance of failing save). Not too encouraging. | | | |
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Pedro
Commander
3926 Posts
Czech Republic
| | 12/09/2007 10:00 AM |
| | Try to use your ranged attacks to damage multiple (if you can) SWs. 30 per cent chance is better than not using it...IIRC it still deals damage even if SW saves, which is a little better. You can even use Mialee, but you still have to roll 1+. These weakened SWs will be easy to kill with Solar's 25 damage attack. Definitely have the Guard adjacent to Solar, it makes him harder to hit for SWs. Guard also has missile from Mialee, use it. Try to advance the Solar to kill or rout the Scout. Then, select a good map. It's good on King's Road, you can hide in the vic area, quickly kill something and have the enemy attack. | |
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Vendelphian
Warrior
212 Posts
Flint, Mi
| | 12/09/2007 3:18 PM |
| | I qualified with Solar last June and tried his luck at Gen Con. Every matchup against the sw's went my way. They are not able to deal enough dmg to the solar since he has sooooo many ways to distribute damage. I played one both at qualifier and at finals. I won both because of this. On the other hand, I have never been able to beat ultraforge. The solar cannot hit effectively against the Forgepriest while the FGFP is wailing away. Matchups against dragons seem to be close, it is usually favorable against LBD but Large Shadow Dragons can give him some trouble. The game is really about slaying arrow and hp distribution. If you can get good at using these two things effectively then it is a powerful warband. | |
VENDELPHIAN CHAMPION OF ELDEVERE
As the once great Zanin Arthasad would say...
ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!! Lets charge the gates!!!! | |
| Knight of the
Round Table
Thenameless
Warlord
11587 Posts
The Fortress of Solitude
| | 12/09/2007 10:09 PM |
| | An open map with some walls is important for the Solar. It sounds contradictory, but here's what I mean. You need it to be open in order to shoot (hopefully without cover). But, you also want walls, so that you can hide from a piece of fodder and use your slaying arrow on something juicier. Tomb of Queen Peregrine is a decent map for this. And good luck! It's a fun warband to play. | |
Over 270 successful online DDM trades. | |
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Lord_rock
Underboss
2000 Posts
Portland OR
| | 12/09/2007 10:16 PM |
| this is the band that beat my vlaakith band at the qualifiers...
Against ultroforge you shold be okay... Fire immune everyone up front and get the most out of your hp. Shield boy mm's for auto and shields until engagement. Pling away with arrows before hand and hit forgy with the slaying arrow and hope for the best.
Against tiple black you're fine. Your ac and dr go a long way. Make sure shield boy takes the hiers energy immune and then your 3 main pieces are acid immune.
Against watchers hide in the forest and use shield boy to make yourac as high as possible. You should be able to outlast them.
Oh, and welcome | |
Rock Bottom Pricing:
Arcane Archer 30, Centaur Hero 67, Human Cleric of Bane 25, Gold Champion 34, Death Knight 52, Goblin Blackblade 9, Silentwolf Goblin 7, Orc Raider 10, Dwarf axefighter 9, Healer 9, Thaskor 65, Aspect of Demogorgon 71, Ogre 9, Fire Giant 79, Human Wanderer 7, Drunken Master 18, Barghest 12, Longstider Barbarian 27, Longtooth Barbarian 22, Frost Giant 76, Ravenous Vampire 42, Large Earth Elemental: priceless | |
| Knight of the
Round Table
Thenameless
Warlord
11587 Posts
The Fortress of Solitude
| | 12/10/2007 1:36 AM |
| Posted By Lord_rock on 12/09/2007 10:16 PM
Against ultroforge you shold be okay... Fire immune everyone up front and get the most out of your hp. Shield boy mm's for auto and shields until engagement. Pling away with arrows before hand and hit forgy with the slaying arrow and hope for the best.
Actually, a strong Solar player can do even better than okay if he can leverage the following advantage. The Ultroloth's best spells are the "ray of enfeeblement" and "scorching ray". The Solar's commander effect can almost render the usually deadly Ultroloth into an expensive "do-nothing" piece. Lead (surround) the Solar with your other pieces and those spells will be useless against the Solar's followers. The Forgepriest will have to fight alone up front against the Solar, Dragonmark, and Shield Guardian - a fight that it should lose. If your opponent brings the Ultroloth up front to help in the fight (as he should), he is now using a 62 pt piece in a role that a 33 pt Duergar Champion could fill almost as well. | |
Over 270 successful online DDM trades. | |
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Lord_rock
Underboss
2000 Posts
Portland OR
| | 12/10/2007 4:19 PM |
| yes, more than okay... Solar shield and dragonmark is a very viable band even in today's meta. I beat it the first time trading slaying arrow on my vampire dire wolf for disintegrate for the route of the solar... We played again 2 rounds later and it was a downhill fight for me after everyone saved vs fireball and disintigrate, and I lost my dire wolf again to the slaying arrow...
Watchout for shadow dragons which no one is really protected from and you should have average to better chances against most else. | |
Rock Bottom Pricing:
Arcane Archer 30, Centaur Hero 67, Human Cleric of Bane 25, Gold Champion 34, Death Knight 52, Goblin Blackblade 9, Silentwolf Goblin 7, Orc Raider 10, Dwarf axefighter 9, Healer 9, Thaskor 65, Aspect of Demogorgon 71, Ogre 9, Fire Giant 79, Human Wanderer 7, Drunken Master 18, Barghest 12, Longstider Barbarian 27, Longtooth Barbarian 22, Frost Giant 76, Ravenous Vampire 42, Large Earth Elemental: priceless | |
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LordOfBlades
Sneak
57 Posts
| | 12/11/2007 2:39 AM |
| You got really lucky if you managed to rout the Solar, with only 10% chance of that happening. I have been playing solar for a month or so and don't think I have ever failed a morale check. And this scares me, because it has to happen sooner or later, and probably in a tournament game.
Back to the topic at hand, I don't think any warband is safe against shadow dragons.
However, I wouldn't be so optimsitic about solar; apart form the Sacred Watchers, another game in which I think it is at a disadvantage is vs invisible Storm and Shadwdancers.
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Tardubal
Skirmisher
18 Posts
Slovakia
| | 12/11/2007 4:35 AM |
| Solar + DHoD + Shield Guardian is great band.
I would recommend Thieves Quarter as your map of choice. You can shoot from rooftop VA to force action/gain points. You are very well protected against Ultroforge and Sacred Watchers cannot swarm you effectively.
Shadowdragons may be problematic, but if you play right, you will not give your opponent enough opportunities to jump/breath/cordon without possibility to kill 1 dragon and take point lead. | |
Dal? Ja ti reknu co DAL! | |
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Lord_rock
Underboss
2000 Posts
Portland OR
| | 12/11/2007 3:33 PM |
| Vs. the Solar I had a cursed spirit next to it so bumped that up to 20%... after making a disintgrate save the likelyhood of it happening seemed bigger at the time...
Theives Quarter is very good for solar for the reasons mentioned above plus it being nearly impossible to hide a lg based creature from the solar's slaying arrow for ever. | |
Rock Bottom Pricing:
Arcane Archer 30, Centaur Hero 67, Human Cleric of Bane 25, Gold Champion 34, Death Knight 52, Goblin Blackblade 9, Silentwolf Goblin 7, Orc Raider 10, Dwarf axefighter 9, Healer 9, Thaskor 65, Aspect of Demogorgon 71, Ogre 9, Fire Giant 79, Human Wanderer 7, Drunken Master 18, Barghest 12, Longstider Barbarian 27, Longtooth Barbarian 22, Frost Giant 76, Ravenous Vampire 42, Large Earth Elemental: priceless | |
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LordOfBlades
Sneak
57 Posts
| | 12/16/2007 2:53 AM |
| I came up 5th in the aforementioned tournament. Although 1-2 is not an impressive score, the warband performed pretty good.
First match was a loss vs. the Sacred Watchers warband. I expected this since the player of this warband is the guy who got me into minis and a much more experienced player than I am. Still, it was a pretty close match.
Second was a pretty clear win against a crippled dragon warband (wwl, lbd, thrall, xen'drik champion, 2x horde zombie, timber wolf).
Third match (and the decisive one for advancing to the final round of the tournament) was vs. storm+shadwdancers. I had the game in hand all the time after being able to kill storm with a slaying arrow until the last round. But you can't win against the dice. The girl playing Storm rolled too well on her last 5 consecutive (morale save on gnome trickster, last round initiative, 3 attack rolls); I needed her to fail just 1 of these rolls and I would have won....but it just wasn't meant to be.
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