Hi everyone, with all the U.S. Master’s lists revealed in all their glory (or filth) I wanted to try to highlight one list a day that grabbed my attention. This could be because I found it unusual, or it may look like something I eventually want to play, what ever the reason look forward to (hopefully) 1 new article a day from me dissecting a list, each day until the U.S. Masters.
The U.S. Masters is this weekend, if you are interested in more content and coverage, like Dash28 on Facebook, as we will be posting some live updates on that page throughout the weekend.
The first list that really grabbed my attention was from Kris Kapsner, TO of the Lady of the Lake GT, former Rules Committee member, winner of many GTs, and all around amazing person. Kris hails from the frozen Northlands of Minnesota, so I couldn’t help but chuckle at him playing the Northern Alliance. However, his list is more then just a nod to his habitat, it also really packs a punch!
Army: Northern Alliance
Unit Strength: 18
The list:
235, Snow Troll Horde– Chalice of Wrath
220, Snow Troll Horde
310, Frostfang Cavalry Horde– Brew of Sharpness
305, Frostfang Cavalry Horde– Wine of Elvenkind
115, Tundra Wolf Troop
115, Tundra Wolf Troop
115, Tundra Wolf Troop
115, Tundra Wolf Troop
135, Thegn on Frostfang– Pipes of Terror
335, Lord on Chimera– Dwarven Ale
155, Ice-Queen– Inspiring Talisman— Heal (5)— Bane Chant (2)
145, Ice-Queen– Heal (5)— Blizzard (2)
Compared to many lists, this one is rather compact, only having 18 Unit Strength and 11 drops. But, within that small package is a LOT of hurt. I am going to try to analyze this list, and talk about why I think it is interesting. It’s worth noting this is all theory on my part, I could be butchering Kris’s strategies.
The Battle Line
Let’s start with the Snow Trolls, these form the pseudo battleline that Kris has. But unlike many other main line units, they can pack some punch. They only hit on 4s, so that damage output isn’t always reliable, but with Crushing Strength 2, and Vicious any hits they get have a good chance of getting thru Defense. Their Regeneration also means that if they don’t get 1 shot, they can grind fairly well.
Their biggest weakness is that they just aren’t terribly tough. With Defense 5, but a lower nerve of 15/18, they are vulnerable to be Wavered after one solid charge, and once that happens they are in trouble. Kris has tried to compensate some for this by give one of the hordes Fury, that way it can always Counter Charge.
I envision these units serving primarily as objective units for Kris. They are great options to carry Loot Counters, sit in space on the board, or hold Pillage counters, all while projecting enough threat that only designated damage units can really threaten them back.
These hordes are backed up by at least one of the Ice Queens, to keep them inspired, and give them a reliable source of Healing to hopefully shrug off shots coming their way. Both Ice Queens have Icy Breath, giving some protection versus fast units attempting to envelop the flanks, but more importantly 1 has Blizzard, the only long range shots in the army. This forms an important role in the army, letting Kris kill small blocking units, or War Engines; if he can draw line of sight to them, while also providing Heal to the main line.
The Hammers
The main punch of the army comes from 3 units, two hordes of Frostfang Cavalry and a Lord on Chimera. The Frostfang, while slower, pack a HUGE punch with 30 attacks, with Crushing Strength 2. They do only hit on 4s, but with Strider this is more reliable, as terrain won’t effect them. Normally the Speed 7 would be considered a major detriment, but Kris was very accomplished with his Speed 7 Stampedes in 2nd Edition, so I don’t see this giving him too much trouble. With Wild Charge 1, the Frostfang will also be able to outspeed other Speed 7 units, giving them just a slight edge.
Kris has increased the reliability of both of these units by giving one Brew of Sharpness, to hit on 3s, and the other Wine of Elvenkind, giving them Nimble. This will make the unit much harder to chaff and block, especially since they are Height 4, and will see over most of the usual chaff such as Gargoyles and Ghouls.
With the magic items both of these units are VERY expensive, coming in over 300 points a piece, but I foresee Kris seeing this more as an investment to make sure they are the hammers he need.
The final main hammer in this list is the Lord on Chimera, which provides some much needed speed to the list, coming in at Speed 10. This character is truly a beast, with 10 attacks, hitting on 3s, Elite, and then Crushing Strength 3; if hitting a flank, he could one shot most units in the game. Back that up with Nimble, Very Inspiring, and Headstrong from the Dwarven Ale, and Kris has taken a very solid combat threat, with amazing maneuverability. He can charge in the front to assist Frostfangs, move up sides to threaten flanks, or hang back to make other flyers wary. Love it!
And finally, the portion of the list that I see making this all work together, lets call this the delivery system.
The Delivery System
As we discussed, many of the units in Kris’s army are too slow to be Alpha strike, for an army that needs to be calling the shots with combat, this would normally be a major problem; however, Kris has brought 5 units that will help block and guide his units into chosen combats, 4 troops of Tundra Wolves, and the Thegn on Frostfang.
Tundra Wolves, at Speed 9, match or outspeed all but flyers in the game, therefore then can dart in, blocking units, and protect the Frostfangs and Snow Trolls from scary units, allowing Frostfangs to move up, and then charge in the following turn.
The icing on the cake of this army, is that while pricey, the Tundra Wolves hit on 3s!!!! While they only have 9 attacks, with Thunderous 1, this is huge! It means they can reliably kill opposing chaff and blockers, and even threaten weak regiments like zombies and goblins. If you get them on the flank they are suddenly a major threat, and with speed 9 and Nimble getting them where you want them won’t be hard.
With Defense 4, and a 10/12 Nerve they are tougher then many opposing armies troops of chaff, my beloved Ghouls for instance are Defense 3 and 9/11 Nerve.
Honestly, I see the Tundra Wolves as the tool that makes this army work, without them Kris’s units don’t reliably get to pick their matchups, and can’t eliminate enemy chaff.
The Thegn I am a little less sure of, at Speed 7, he isn’t going to be an effective blocker, like the Wolves, but he is tougher with Defense 5 and 13/15 Nerve. With 5 attacks, and Crushing 2 he can do a little damage, and is a threat on the flanks. I am guessing he is there first to Inspire the Frostfangs, but also to be sacrificed when lines start colliding, or to scoot on the flank and get cheeky flank charges.
The thing that grabbed me about this list is how finely tuned it is. All the components seem to have obvious groups and roles, and while it is low on the drops, nothing in the army isn’t a threat. I also love the maneuverability it brings to the table, it isn’t lightning fast, but it has a LOT of Nimble, making it almost impossible to block up.
Combine this with 2/3 of his hammers having Strider, and it means that terrain is not a major concern, something that regularly stymies my own hammers (Wights do NOT like woods).
And finally, I can’t say this enough, but I LOVE the Tundra Wolves troops. I think since this is a newer army, hitting on 3s is going to continually catch opponents out, and Kris is a canny enough opponent that he will be getting flanks and maybe even rears with these furry beasts.
I do think this list has a few clear bad matchups. It is mostly Height 3 and up, meaning it doesn’t want to face WarEngines used enmasse, as they will tear the army to shreds, especially since the army itself is just a bit slower then a normal army of hammers. I also think a Phalanx heavy army will give Kris some problems, as his main hammers do not want to be getting -1 to hit, since they already hit on 4s!
That said, I think Kris has the tools to get the job done, and I foresee a successful weekend for him. Kris is constantly my vote for Paragon (an award given to player scored with Paint, Sportsmanship, and Battle equally weighted), as he is a great painter, and even better opponent, and finally a real tactician on the tabletop!
