Age of SigmarGeneral wargamingPainting and HobbyTournaments/Competitive

FAQ Update and it Happened Again.

*I guess I need a disclaimer,  Part satire, part strategy, part heartbreak, soooo yeah.

 

Well the December FAQ update to AOS came out this week and it happened again. See the first time here: http://thejtj.com/2019/07/24/nagash-returns-to-the-grave/

As I talked about in my Nagash post, I was hit hard by an Update. My Warzone list went up 250 in points. This current update did not have a drastic point shift, my Rat list only went up a total of 40 points. I was lucky and had 40 extra points build in, so I did not have to change a thing. However what did happen is the unit that I basically built my whole list around, the unit that I have payed 100s of $ buying. Hours and hours building and painting just got hit with a big nurf. The unit that I am referring to is the Plague Monks. I admit that they needed to be fixed, they were one of the best units in the game for the points. The problem I have is that I built my list around them in preparation for The Texas Masters. I felt that my list could win 5 games. but with the current update, It looks like a 3.5  win list max.

Here is the link to the new Warscroll: https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscroll_card_Plague_Monks.pdf

  • Here is the breakdown of the changes:
    • Staves are no longer an additional weapon
      • so when they charge they do not get +2 attacks they just get a flat +1
      • when they are buffed by the Furnace the do not get +2 attacks they get +1
      • This change hurts them the most in my mind. before they had base 3 attacks with staves, now they have base 2. on the charge or with the prayer they are at 5 attacks. and on the charge with the prayer they had 7 attacks each. now that is a max of 4. so the basically lost 3 attacks
    • 6s do not give rend or extra wounds
      • I can live with this, but I will miss the extra wounds the most.
      • 6 exploding is an easy lazy fix GW, at least give them some type of flavor.

Between these 2 things they have brought the Monks in line with most other “good” battline units. They are a reasonable unit now. However….. I do not want reasonable I need the best, broken unit I can find. I am not trying to be “that guy”, however I will be going up against some straight CHEESE in the tournament and if it is a cheese battle the rats should win!

I am not going to run some hardcore mathhammer and breakdown everything. I know giving all the attacks from the staves 2″ is nice and them wounding on a 4 is nice. Hell at 40 models they will hit and wound on 3s from 2″ out, that is good. I just worry that they will not roll units like I need them 2, because they have 0 to no staying power and the swings back will decimate them.

 

Lets compare to a few other Battleline units I am familiar with.

Skeleton Warriors: https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/aos-warscroll-skeleton-warriors-en.pdf

Chainrasp Hoard: https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/Downloads//ENG_Chainrasp_Horde_Nighthaunt_2018.pdf

Chaos Marauders: https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/aos-warscroll-chaos-marauders-en.pdf 

Clan Rats: https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/AoS_Skaven_Warscrolls_Clanrats.pdf

This is a basic breakdown of these units:

unit Cost @40 Base attacks Max attacks save Special ability Notes
Plague Monks 280 2 4 6 Exploding 6 to wound Explode on 6 when killed
Skeleton 280 1 4 6/5 Auto charge 6” Heal, and bring back for 1 cp. Add +1 attack with vampire and +1 for king. So max 6 attacks. +1 to hit with HQ near
Chainrasp 280 2 2 5 Ethereal Heal, and bring back for 1 cp.
Marauders 200 1 1 6/5 Barbarian Hordes Lots of buffs from warshrine, priest and other HQs.
Clanrats 200 1 1 6/5 Standard and bell are nice

Thoughts:

If I built an army around the unit, “singergy”:

  1. Skeleton
  2. Marauders
  3. Monks
  4. Chainrasp
  5. Clanrats

Pure damage output:

  1. Skeleton
  2. Monks
  3. Marauders
  4. Chainrasp
  5. Clanrats

Survivabilty:

  1. Chainrasp
  2. Skeleton
  3. Marauders
  4. Clanrats
  5. Monks

If I was to pick a unit that I think can do the most on the table. It would have to be Skeletons, then Marauders. I Would probably take Monks 3rd. This makes me laugh, because my other list idea for the masters was 120 skeletons. The reason I did not go that direction was because it had zero shooting.

As I have spent a little more time analyzing the Monks. I am feeling a little better about them. I have also spent some time list building to see if I wanted to tweek my list or totally redo it. I did not come up with any good ideas or tweeks I like. I think my list can do ok, but I just know that I am going to find myself in a position or against an opponent that my damage output is going to fall short with the Monks. I have gone from very excited about my prospects to Meh. With the financial and time investment I have made into the army I can say I am a bit let down. I will probably continue on my current path and just run this list. I just do not have the time to do much else.

 

Once again here is my list, I would love to here any thoughts or comments. I am willing to listen to changes. Money is not a factor, but time is.

Plague Priest on Plague Furnace (200)
– General
– Command Trait : Master of Rot and Ruin
– Artefact : Liber Bubonicus

Warlock Bombardier (100)
– Lore of Warpvolt Galvanism : More-more-more Warp Power!

Warlock Bombardier (100)
– Lore of Warpvolt Galvanism : More-more-more Warp Power!

UNITS
20 x Clanrats (120)
– Rusty Blade
20 x Clanrats (120)
– Rusty Blade
20 x Clanrats (120)
– Rusty Blade

1 x Ratling Gun (60)
1 x Ratling Gun (60)

6 x Stormfiends (520)

40 x Plague Monks (280)
– Woe-stave
– 2 x Icon of Pestilence
– 2 x Contagion Banner
– 2 x Doom Gongs
– 2 x Bale Chimes
40 x Plague Monks (280)
– Woe-stave
– 2 x Icon of Pestilence
– 2 x Contagion Banner
– 2 x Doom Gongs
– 2 x Bale Chimes

 

 

Thanks for reading.

 

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