The question is, what capabilities do I wish to add first?
The choices are...(don't worry about the warptokens...)
a.) Night Runners/ Gutter Runners.
or
b.) Plagueclaw Catapult.
Considering my current warlord clan units I can see some positives for either of these.
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| Copyright Games Workshop. |
+ Useful for racing across the field to complicate enemy battleplans?
+ Handy for trying to get to enemy war machines?
+ Ranged attacks with slings? (can you poison them?)
+ Tunneling with a warp-grinder and popping up behind enemy lines?
+ Hiding an assassin? (they seem like a low-threat unit so would probably be ignored by some enemies.)
+ Can be used as Gutter Runners in friendly games and would then get the "Sneaky Infiltrators" rule, allowing them to come on from any table-edge at some point during the game. An opponent knowing this might keep a unit back to protect any warmachines on his backlines, giving him less combat strength against my core units.
On the other hand, even the GW website says "These units of fast skirmishers are notorious for the low survivability of their troops". (Yes, I know that this is based mainly on the back story for the unit as only individuals who survive in this unit make their way to the Gutter Runners, but still...)
- Expensive?
- Low survivability?
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| Copyright Games Workshop. |
+ No armour saves allowed (against the toxic splash. Mmmmm, yummy.)
+ Causes panic
+ Large template
+ Can also be used as a Warplightning cannon (with a bit of careful modelling.)
but...
- inaccurate?
- strength 2?
- a misfire of 3-5 allows your opponent to place the template anywhere...and that will cause some major havoc on our own (low toughness) troops.
Any thoughts? Have you had any successes with either of these units? I'd like to hear from anyone who has any ideas.
*Squeek*
p.s. At the moment my likely (regular) opponents are Orcs, Gobbos and High Elves.
Like all skaven war machines the catapult can do fabbo or ruin your day :). Against the mid to lighter armoured armies you mentioned I'm not so sure about using one. Gutter runners with poison and slings can be really annoying on someone's flank (to deny access to terrain or to pick off fast cav or a lone character) or rear (to pester war machines). Pity they are so expensive ><. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteGutter runners are far more useful than night runners ...
ReplyDeleteDon't bother with Night Runners. Among other things, they're no longer actually Skirmishers: they're rank-and-file troops now. Which makes them expensive Clanrats that exchange armor saves for an extra hand weapon and the ability to take slings or Plague Monks with low Toughness and no Furnace.
ReplyDeleteGutter Runners, on the other hand, are a must-have. Sneaky Infiltrators + Slings and Poison make them your best tool for dealing with monsters and war machines. Sure, your opponent might hold things back to deal with them... but at that point, they're dedicating less to fighting the rest of your unit, which is almost as good. No joke: I take two units of six with slings and poison in EVERY Skaven army.
Futhermore: nobody will complain about you using the plastic Night Runner figures as Gutter Runners. They're both units of ninja ratmen, which is precisely that the models look like. And, because Night Runners are rank and file while the Gutter Runners skirmish (and because you'll never take Night Runners 'cause they're terrible), there won't be any chance of getting one confused for the other.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments everyone! It seems as though there is definite value in simply using the Night Runners as Gutter Runners then. Interestingly though people don't seem to have much to say about the PGC (apart from Fnurgn - thanks!)
ReplyDeleteIf you HAD to make a decision about which unit to paint up asap, (with a next battle only a few days away) would you go PGC? Or maybe two units of 6 Gutter Runners?
Cheers,
Squeek.
Gutter runners for sure :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the comments again everyone.
ReplyDeleteI spent the weekend putting together a box of Night Runners and will definitely use them as Gutter Runners when they are done. It seems as though two units of 6 or more is handy (One on the field, and one coming on later in the game.)
I do like the PGC, but that will have to wait!
:-)
Cheers,
Squeek
The problem with the PGC is that you'll never be able to fit it into a 2500 point list or less unless you sacrifice a hell pit or a warp lightning cannon.
ReplyDelete2 cannons+1 hellpit is the way to go for your rares points, IMO.
Yeah, it seems as though the PGC is gonna be left out in many people's lists because of just how good the cannons and HPA are...
ReplyDelete...its a shame really because I love big pie-plates of death!