The Good, the Bad, and the Never Used: Lizardmen Special Characters

Lord Mazdamundi:
With a stat line of 4 2 3 3 4 5 2 1 9 and riding atop his trusty Stegadon Zlaaq who's rocking out to a stat line of 6 3 0 6 6 5 1 3 6, Mazdamundi comes with a couple of cool special rules and items that trick him out more than the typical Slann Mage Priest. He's still Cold Blooded, has a 4+ Ward Save, and posses the Telepathic Confabulation (allows Slann to swap spells with each other) special rule like other Slann. However, that's about where the similarities end. He comes base with the following Disciplines of the Ancients: Becalming Cogitation (Slann re-roll's his first failed dispel attempt), Harmonic Convergence (Slann rolls a total of three dice when attempting to channel power or dispel dice), Soul of Stone (Slann can subtract or add one when rolling on the Miscast table), and Transcendent Healing (Rolls a D6 for each missing wound, and on a roll of a 6, he regains it). He also comes with the Mage-Lord of Hexoatl rule, which makes him a loremaster of whatever lore he has access to (the 8 standards and High Magic). He's also Stubborn, and comes with two magic items. The first is the Cobra Mace of Mazdamundi, which makes him ASF and have Poisoned Attacks, in addition to making every enemy model in base contact with him reveal their magic items. If Mazdamundi scores one or more hits on a model that has a magic item(s), then on a roll of a 6 on a D6, all of the model's magic equipment is destroyed and cannot be used for the rest of the game. His second magical item is a Magic Standard called the Sunburst Standard of Hexoatl. This banner automatically makes Mazdamundi the BSB in your army but he can still be the army's General as well. Additionally, once per game at the beginning of the Enemy's Shooting Phase, the standard can generate an ability that makes Mazdamundi and any other friendly models within 12" of him -1 to-hit when shooting at. This effect lasts until the end of the turn. Now, recently there's been a large debate in the Lizardmen community regarding Mazdamundi in End Times rules. Even with our new book, Mazdamundi is still clocking in at 390 Skaven Slaves, meaning in pre-End Times era, he never came out unless Lizardmen were going into a Grand Army. Now, he's become a bit more viable. His magical weapon is amusing, but not really all that viable since he has to actually hit with his abominable Weapon Skill of 2 and only 1 Attack, but Poison does ever so slightly of make up for this. ASF does mean he's negating re-roll to-hit on him though, so something to keep in mind. Him being the BSB is actually something I like, since he's so many points that you have to allocate, it saves you the cost of kitting out a Scar-Vet to do it and allows you to bring some more rank-and-file troops into the army. The Sun Standard is kind of cool, but it's not Razor Standard to be sure. Now another quick thing I want to note is that the few times I've seen Mazdamundi make a tournament appearance, I see him played incorrectly. High Elf and Vampire Count players love taking characters like Teclis and Mannfred Von Carstein because they are very adaptable and can prove to be useful regardless of what army you play, which makes them super competitive in tournaments. Mazdamundi is not. He is a loremaster of a single lore, which means he is going to be more of a chisel and less of a jackhammer in terms of magical performance. If you're taking him to a tourney, then rock him out to High Magic so he can swap for whatever he may need. With his 4+ Save he's pretty well protected, and Zlaaq is going to kick some serious ass in combat, especially on the charge! So he's not the flimsiest character, but he's not Archaon to be sure. If he goes up against a Gun Line, he's probably dead, and he's just so damned expensive! Now he's a badss in the magic phase, don't get me wrong. Mazdamundi can absolutely punish people if they don't stop him, but stopping him is much easier when his ass is on top of a giant target of a dinosaur, and not safely protected behind a wall of Temple Guard. If he were 500 points and not on top of Zlaaq, I would take him more often then I do. The problem is right now, he's too expensive, and just too much of a target for me to fully justify taking him. Which is a shame, because this guy is awesome. He's like Skynet, on a dinosaur, that uses magic! Think about that!

Lord Kroak:
Sitting at 200 Skaven Slaves in cost and having a stat line of  4 1 1 3 5 6 1 1 9, Kroak is an interesting choice. He's got a couple of really weird rules that make him almost viable. He's a Level 4, but only knows one spell, The Deliverance of Itza. It's a DD spell that does 2D6 S4 hits to the target, unless it's Undead, Nehekharan Undead, or Daemonic. Then it does 3D6 hits. It has a range of 12" and a base casting value of 10+. It can be boosted twice, once for 18" at 18+, and again for 24" for a 24+. In addition, he can never lose, forget, or have the spell stolen. He's Cold Blooded (yet dead, and therefore has no blood), causes Fear, has the Mage-Priest Palanquin (look it up if you care), is Unbreakable, and is Flammable. He also has 4 unique special rules that makes him one of the best magical characters in the game. Eternity Guardians makes any Temple Guard he's put in Unbreakable. As if being Leadership 9, Stubborn, Cold-Blooded, and with a re-roll wasn't enough, now Temple Guard will just pulp for days. First Generation Spwaning means he can ignore miscasts on a D6 roll of a 2+, and instead suffer a Strength 6 hit and lose D6 power dice. If he used a Skink Priest as an Arcane Vassel (allows Slann to cast Direct Damage and Magic Missile spells through Skink Priests) it suffers a Strength 6 hit as well. Spirit of Lord Kroak means his Wizard level can never be reduced to below 1. And because he wasn't pimping enough in life, in the afterlife he wears the Golden Death Mask, which is a magical talisman that makes all shooting and close combat attacks directed at Kroak or any unit he is in -1 to-hit. If you were to ask me to chose between Kroak or Mazdamundi as a Slann choice. I personally rather would rick-roll with Kroak. Here's why. He's almost half as many points, is significantly better protected (barring Flaming Attacks of course), and makes Temple Guard really really scary to fight against. Yes, he doesn't actually have any good spells, but Skink Priests bopping around and casting Wyssan's Wildform, Curse of Anrahier, Comet of Casandora, and a ton of other very useful spells can make up for it. Plus, Kroak can use these Skink Priests to target enemies with his spell to whittle them down a little. He's also cheaper than a kitted out generic Slann and has more wounds and Toughness. If you like fluffy lists or running the Kroak-Skink laser beam combination, then this is certainly a character to consider. I like taking him, and when I want to be a little different, I sometimes bust out the greatest of the Slann Mage Priests.

Kroq-Gar:
The one named Combat Lord in the book, Kroq-Gar has an awesome model, can open some serious cans of whup-ass, but he is no longer the tactical powerhouse he was in 7th edition. His stat line is 4 6 0 5 5 3 3 5 8, and he clocks in at 260 Skaven Slaves. He is accompanied by his faithful Carnosaur, Grymloq, who's rocking a stat line of 7 3 0 7 5 5 2 5 5. Kroq-Gar comes base with Light Armor, the Hand of the Gods, and the Revered Spear of Tlanxla. He also has the special rules Scaly Skin (4+), Cold-Blooded, Predatory Fighter, and Sacred Spawning of Xhotl (he and his mount have a 5+ Ward Save as long as Kroq-Gar is alive). Grymloq has the special rules Cold-Blooded, Large Target, Multiple Wounds (D3) Scaly Skin (4+), Swiftstride, and Terror. He also has the rule Attuned to Beasts, which means Grymloq automatically passes his Monster Reaction test if Kroq-Gar dies and becomes subject to a Frenzy that can never be lost. The Hand of the Gods is just an item that allows Kroq-Gar to cast Shem's Burning Gaze (from the Lore of Light) as a power level 3 spell. The Revered Spear is a Magic Weapon that makes wounds caused by it to count double when calcualting combat resolution. There are three big reason you never see Kroq-Gar in a Lizardmen army anymore. First, he is expensive. If you take this guy, you're severely cutting into your Lord allotment. This cuts into problem number two. He is competing with the Slann. As many people may know, Lizardmen players worship the ground their Slann hovers over. To take points away from him is not only a bad tactical decision, but also really bad karma. Thirdly and finally, he no longer makes Cold One Riders a Core option. Back in the day it was possible for Lizardmen to play like Bretonnians. Now, that is no longer possible. He's a great Lord choice if you like combat characters, but he's an investment. He should be taken in a Monster Mash list to make it so he's not the only target that cannons are going to shoot at. I like him, I've played a little with him, but he doesn't always fit into my style of play. Take him at your own risk.

Tehenhauin:
The only Skink option in the entire Lord section, T (I am not fucking typing that name over and over again!) is a very fluffy but pseudo-usable character. He's a Level 3 Wizard who casts out of Beasts and comes with Aquatic, Arcane Vassal, Cold-Blooded, Hatred (Skaven), Immune to Poison, Master of Snakes (T can join Jungle Swarms, becomes Unbreakable if he does this, and allows Jungle Swarms to ignore their Squish! rule), Prophet of Sotek (can upgrade Skinks to have Hatred (Skaven) for 1 point per model), Scaly Skin (5+), Tide of Serpants (He makes an extra D6 Attacks at Initiative 1, Weapon Skill 2, and with the Poisoned Attacks special rule), Blade of the Serpent's Tongue, and the Plaque of Sotek. His stats are 6 6 5 4 3 3 6 3 8, and he can be mounted on an Ancient Stegadon with an Engine of the Gods (the Stegadon can have the upgardes Sharpened Horns and/or Unstoppable Stampede as well). So first off, T's main purpose is to make the Skinks in your army anti-Skaven (never a bad thing in my opinion). It's a very limited and not all that competitive choice, but in a campaign, it can be pretty fun. One of the bad things about T is that he's not quite too sure what he wants to be. Is he a casting character who can sort of fight or is he a fighting-ish character that can kind of cast magic? WS 6 isn't bad, but he's only Strength 4. He's also only Toughness 3 and has a 5+ Armor Save when not mounted. He also does have a 5+ Ward Save in the form of the Plaque of Sotek. His dagger also gives him +1 Strength on the charge and Poisoned Attacks. I've seen him run with a lot of Bastiladons (Ark of Sotek), Jungle Swarms, and Skink/Kroxigor units for a pretty fluffy and difficult to deal with list. However, he violates one of my core rules of Beasts magic. Never take anything above a Level 2 when running Beasts. At this point, his magical potential is wasted, and if you take him over a Slann he cannot stop magic as well as a Level 4 can. On the plus side, he's only 115 Skaven Slaves, meaning he is pretty damned affordable if you want to experiment with taking him. Unless I'm running my Double Trouble Lizardmen Skink List (T and Tetto in the same list), then I usually leave at home. That does it for the Lord section though, so let's move on to the Heroes.

Chakax:
Our first hero and a majorly big disappointment here, Chacky clocks in at exactly 135 Skaven Slaves, and has the following stat line: 4 5 0 5 5 2 3 4 8. He comes with Light Armor, the Star-stone Mace, the Helm of the Prime Guardian, and the Key to the Eternity Chamber. He also comes with the special rules Cold-Blooded, Eternity Warden (re-rolls failed to-hits in combat), Guardians (Temple Guard special rules), Predatory Fighter, Scaly Skink (5+), and Ultimate Bodyguard (if he's with a Slann, the unit is Unbreakable). His Star-stone Mace is a Great Weapon and at the start of ever Close Combat phase the enemy must reveal all their magic items. If Chacky here scores one or more hits on the targeted model with the items roll a D6. On a 5+, one item is randomly selected and then destroyed. His helmet gives him +1 to his Armor Save, and any unit with the Scout special rule cannot move up to within 20" of Chacky. If there are any hidden enemy units (Assassins, Night Goblin Fanatics, Goblin Nasty Skulkers, etc.) their presence must be announced if they come within 20" of Chacky. His magical car keys give him a 5+ Ward Save and his opponent ASL in a challenge. If you are dead set on having a Scar-Vet kitted out for challenging other characters and/or you really want your Slann to have a last line of defense, then Chacky here is your man (or Lizardman for all you haters out there). Other than that, he is REALLY expensive for what he does. Now, as Lizardmen players, we can afford a lot more in our Heroes section because we don't have to take BSB points out of our Hero section. So, we can afford him rather easily. But for what he does, and for the points he costs, he simply is not worth the investment. If he came with a standing 1+ Armor Save, he would maybe be worth his points. As is, I just use his model as the champion in my Temple Guard unit.

Gor-Rok:
More like Gore-Rocks! Seriously, I love this dude! Besides Tetto'eko he's probably the best Hero choice in the book. Coming in with a whopping stat line of 4 5 0 5 6 2 3 4 9, he costs 92 and one half of a Skaven Slave(s), and he is worth every point. In addition to his kicking stat line, he also comes with Cold-Blooded, Predatory Fighter, Stubborn, ITP, and Scaly Skin (4+). He also comes with the special rule Resilient (allows him to treat anything that hits him with Killing Blow, Heroic Killing Blow, or Multiple Wounds as just a single wound on a roll of a D6 on a 2+). His magic items are the Mace Ulumak and the Shield of Aeons. Let's start with the mace, this weapon allows him to re-roll all failed to-hits and his Predatory Fighter rule works on a roll of a 5 and a 6. This makes him better at landing his 4 attacks, and having a chance to do even more damage! The Shield of Aeons gives him +2 to his Armor Save instead of the usual +1, and any enemy model that makes a successful charge against Gor-Rok and ends the Movement Phase in base contact with him must take a Dangerous Terrain test with a -1 modifier. Meaning they fail on a 1 or 2 if they're infantry, or 1-3 as Cavalry. Gor-Rok is the opposite of Chacky, he is designed to wade into his rank-and-file enemies and just slaughter. The amount of attacks he has, the ability to re-roll failed to-hits, and the fact that he has a 2+ Armor Save and a Toughness of 6 that will just laugh at most rank-and-file stuff trying to touch him. I always have a hard time dealing with Undead attrition style armies, which are coming back into popularity with End Times buzzing about. Gor-Rok is a great way to eliminate a horde of Zombies or Skeletons in two turns like it's nothing. Stubborn on top of Cold-Blooded Leaderhsip 8 means he will almost never run from combat, especially in a horde of Saurus.

Tetto'eko:
Here we go. Besides Gore-Rocks, this guys is probably the best possible choice for special characters in the entire book. Tetto'eko clocks in at 92.5 Skaven Slaves and he is a boss. He comes with the following stat line: 6 2 3 2 2 2 4 1 6. He's also a level 2 caster on Heavens magic. Now, the best part of this guy is everything I'm about to explain right now. He has the following rules. Aquatic, Arcane Vassal, Cold-Blooded, Loremaster (of Heavens Magic), and Scaly Skin (6+). So, hold onto your butss folks, because this is where shit gets crazy with old Tetto. First, he has the Herald of Cosmic Events special rule, which makes him do the following. Roll a D6 at the start of each friendly magic phase. On a 1, all friendly wizards must re-roll any power dice that rolls a 6. On a 2-6, all friendly wizards get to re-roll power dice rolls of 1. He also has the Minor Shield of the Old Ones, which just gives him a base 5+ Ward Save. Very, very nice, for reasons we're going to get into later. He's also got the Palanquin of Constellations, which basically means he's like a Slann on a floating recliner, but he joins Skink Cohort units the same way a Slann joins a unit of Temple Guard. In addition, he's got the Eye of the Old Ones, which gives D3 of your units the Vanguard special rule after deployment. Last but not least, he's got the Stellar Staff. This magical piece of wood gives him the ability to re-roll the dice the determines when the comet arrives for the Comet of Casandora spell. Where do we begin? So first of all, let's look at his point cost. Is actually less then a fully kitted out level 2 Skink Priest. So for starters, hell fucking yes! Secondly, this guy is supremely well protected with his 5+ Ward Save and palanquin rules. Now, my only gripe was in the older editions of the army he could go with Temple Guard, but I guess I can't bitch too much. Thirdly, there is so much stuff that this guy does in terms of supporting your army that just more then pays for his point cost. I've moved up 2 units of Skink Clouds with the Eye of the Old Ones, and popped a Daemon Prince the top of Turn 1. Also, the re-rolling the comet arrival is awesome. I've made Gun Lines really suffer because of the immobility of their artillery pieces. If you get the option to, I highly suggest taking this guy. Just don't take him and Gore-Rocks in the same list. Your opponent will punch you. In the face. And you will have deserved.

Tiktaq'to:
Haha! I get it! It's a pun, because it's like the game tic-taq-to!... Jokes like this is why 40K outsells Fantasy by over five times in North America alone. Regardless, this guy is your token flying character. You know, most races have a badass on a flying mount. Louen Leconceur, Karl Franz, Malekith, Drazoah, this list goes on and on. Unfortunately, Tik (again shortening the name, sue me) doesn't even come close to being as useful or as good as any of the guys I've just mentioned. But, he does have one redeeming factor, he's only 65 Skaven Slaves. However, as your about to find out, that's still a little pricey, even at that level. So, his stats: 6 4 5 4 3 2 6 3 7. However, I mentioned he's got a flying mount, and that would be Zwup his, uh, "special" Terradon. Zwup's rocking out to 2 3 0 4 3 2 2 1 3. He comes with the rules Ambushers, Cold-Blooded, Drop Rocks, Fear, Flying Cavalry, Forest Strider, and Scaly Skin (6+). He also comes with the Master of the Skies special rule. This allows you to upgrade one unit of Terradon Riders in your army to have the Ambusher special rule. Eh, we'll talk about it later. He's also got two magic items, the Blade of Ancient Skies and the Mask of Heavens. So first with the sword. This weapon allows no armor saves to be taken against it and in addition when fighting a model with the Fly special rule, you get +1 to-hit. That's an okay weapon, I'll admit it. The Mask of Heavens allows the unit of Terradons that Tik is in to use his own WS, of 4, instead of their own and in addition all enemy models suffer a -1 to-hit penalty when shooting at Tik and his unit. Okay, so I'm going to go ahead and say this. If you have a hard on for ambushing units that can come on, swoop in, and possibly do some damage to an enemy unit then he's a good pick. However, I'm going to point you to two different units. First off, Chameleon Skinks because, well duh! Second off, Ripperdactyl's baby! Now, another really shitty thing about this guy. He has a BS of 5, fucking 5! Does he have any ranged potential at all? Nope! Not even the Fireleech Bolas that other Terradon Riders can get. So, the other thing, the no Armor Saves and +1 to-hit Flying Models? Yeah, let me tell you something right now. Against any of the characters I just mentioned above, or god forbid a generic character on a flying mount will absolutely kick the every living shit out of the All in all, not a big fan. He has some potential. But I'd rather pay 5 points more for Ripperdactlys and take Chameleon Skinks then bother with this guy.

Oxyotl:
Last but certainly not least, this guy, who will go by O because I am not too lazy for all of you. Ha, ha, haha. That and can anyone even pronounce this name? I mean, I know Archwarhammer (look him up, amazing youtuber for warhammer lore and upcoming Total War Warhammer stuff) complains about Archaon being difficult to pronounce, but honestly this is the killer for me. Whatever, I'll just get fried in the comments section below by people who actually bothered looking up the correct pronunciation anyway. O's rocking a stat line of 6 4 6 4 3 2 6 3 7. He's also got the special rules Aquatic, Cold-Blooded, Chameleon (-1 to-hit with ranged attacks) Scaly Skin (6+), Scout, and Sniper. In addition, he has the special rule Master Predator, no, I know what you're all thinking your fucking perverts. This means if Oxyclean here (what? It's still better then Tiktaq'to) doesn't move before he fires his blow pipe (which also has a horrible fucking name) he automatically wounds on a successful roll of a 5+. Basically if he doesn't move, super poison. Sigh, here it is. His only magical item is the Golden Blowpipe of P'Toohee.... Just, just Jesus Christ. Basically, it's a 12" ranged, S3, Poisoned Attacks, Multiple Shots (3). Blowpipe. What do I think? Well, he's a Sniper, and that combined with the Master Predator special rule I think that has the potential to be a threat to characters. He's also only 60 Skaven Slaves, so, not too pricey. But here's the kicker. He's a T3 model with a 6+ armor save in a unit that any sane player is going to try and get rid of early with some kind of Fast Cavalry option. Only, and I mean only, if you play in a meta where people just ignore your Skinks (and good fucking luck to you in that endeavor my friend!) then take him. Other then that, resign yourself to maybe droppping a character or two and most certainly a few artillery pieces and simply pray you took down more then you were with.

So that was it folks, The Good, the Bad, and the Never Used, and to be honest. I really enjoyed doing this one and I hope you like it. Now however that I got my hands on some more army books, I'll be going back to the In a Nutshell series with things like Gut Magic, OnG magic, and Undead magic. Until next time, keep the comments a commin'!                        

Common Magic Items Review

So I hope you guys aren't getting tired of reading my blog right now because I just found out that I'm going to basic training on March 17th, so I'm going to be cranking out posts as quickly as possible. I figured you guys have been sending me so many emails regarding my lists and opinions that I would do something I've been a bit hesitant to for a while now simply due to it's magnitude. A review of every single Magic Item in the BRB! Now most of these items I have never used before and thus will probably shit all over. If you disagree or have a style in which the item(s) work then please drop a comment. I hope you guys are as chatty as ever so please enjoy this and +1 if you like it.

Magic Weapons:
Giant Blade:
For 60 points you get a weapon that grants you +3 Strength. If you have a character that can get ASF without using the Sword of Swift Slaying or comes with it naturally (Elves) and you want to build a nasty Combat Lord that can punch really hard (I mean KOing Tomb King monsters hard), then I highly suggest this thing. It is over half a Lord's point allotment, so it may leave your character a little vulnerable in terms of giving him a Ward Save. But if you can figure an effective way around that, then this is the weapon for you.

Sword of Bloodshed:
A 60 point sword that gives it's wielder +3 Attacks. Basically the same disclaimer with the Giant Blade in terms of ASF and defensive vulnerability. While the Giant Blade is better for taking out really tough opponents, the Sword of Bloodshed is better for wading through ranks of enemies. If you often find yourself dealing with annoying attrition style armies, then this on a Lord might be something you want to try out.

Obsidian Blade:
50 points gets you a sword that allows no Armor Saves. For 10 more points, you can make most Combat Lords so strong that they ignore Armor Saves anyway and Wound easier. Unless you want to put this on Hero and have him kamikaze charge into a unit that isn't so tough but is very reliant on an armor save, then I can't really suggest this item. Skip this one more often then not.

Ogre Blade:
A 40 point sword that gives you +2 Strength. If you're not one to throw caution to the winds but you still want a Combat Lord that can hit like a truck, then this is probably an item to look into. As for putting it on a Combat Hero, see my opinion on the Giant Blade above for Lords.

Sword of Strife:
40 points gives you a sword that grants the user +2 Attacks. Remember how I mentioned kitting out Lords to scythe through rank-and-file infantry? Well, if you don't want to allocate precious Lord points for that purpose then a Hero with this thing will do as well but for a lot less points. Also if you want to make a Lord able to scythe through enemy Core and a bit more well rounded, than this is a way to do so.

Fencer's Blades:
For 35 points you get a Troll Face! Actually you get a Paired Weapon (+1 Attack but basically means the character is using one weapon in each hand) and Weapon Skill of 10. In the age of Elves dominating the meta, this item is a freaking steal. Makes characters very hard to touch in close combat and able to make to-hit rolls like the Seattle Seahwaks throw interceptions in the endzone on the last drive during the 4th quarter in the Super Bowl (as a Seahawks fan, it was very sad to watch). A great buy on a Hero kitted out for some front line action and really sweet buy on a very cautious Lord doing the same thing.

Sword of Anti-Heroes:
30 points gives the character who uses it +1 Strength and Attack for every enemy character in base contact with the bearer and his unit. Warriors of Chaos players, think about this thing the next time you start kitting out a Daemon Prince. If you play in a meta with a lot of Combat Characters or front-line Support Characters, then this is a good buy on a Lord or Hero. It can certainly be useful, but keep it out of tournament level lists.

Spelltheiving Sword:
A sword that for 25 points causes a Wizard to loose one random spell per wound suffered by the user. It certainly has the potential to be useful, but for the most part skip it. Only if the stars align and the Lady smiles on you will this ever work, which for most people means they just pissed away 25 good points.

Sword of Swift Slaying:
Now we're talking! 25 points gives you a sword that grants you the Always Strikes First Special Rule! If you are not an Elf or you do not have access to another item that gives you ASF for cheaper and/or an additional ability, then you WILL put this on a Combat Character. Getting to re-roll you failed to-hit rolls as a combat characters is absolutely imperative. My Bretonnian HKB Lord never leaves home without his ASF sword and neither should your Combat Character. It is a good buy on a Hero and a really great buy on a Lord.

Sword of Battle:
20 points gets you +1 Attack. If you are absolutely positively insistent on making a balanced Combat Hero or giving a champion a magical weapon, then this is an okay buy I guess. It's cheap and it's okay. Nothing more, nothing less.

Berserker Sword:
A 20 point sword that gives you Frenzy. Why would you pay the same points for +1 Attack that you would for +1 Attack and a whole lot of other negative shit that goes with being Frenzied? Skip it, moving on.

Sword of Might:
For 20 points you get +1 Strength. My opinion of this weapon is the exact same as the Sword of Battle. Good to give to a balanced Combat Hero or a unit champion that can take a magic weapon to deal with Ethereal crap.

Gold Sigil Sword:
A 15 point weapon that gives the character an Initiative of 10. If you are too much of a miser to buy the Sword of Swift Slaying, this is a good alternative. It can also be used to negate Elves getting their re-rolls on your characters. A great buy on a Hero or a unit champion that can buy magic weapons, but not the best thing to put on a Lord.

Sword of Striking:
15 points gives you +1 to hit. If you want to make your Goblin or Beastmen Hero better at actually hitting his target and still survive, then you might want to take a look into taking this. Otherwise I would consider skipping it for something else.

Biting Blade:
A 10 magic item that makes the opponent suffer a -1 to their Armor Save. I got nothing guys, for 20 points more you can get +1 Strength which is way better than just Armor Piercing essentially. Unless you need a cheap way to take care of Ethereal units, then this is not really worth taking. At all.

Relic Sword:
10 points buys you the ability to wound on a 5+ unless you would normally wound on a lower roll. Unless you're pitting Skink Chiefs against Nurgle Daemons Princes, this is not an item worth even looking at.

Shrieking Blade:
This is the best item ever! For 10 points, you get the best special rule in the game! Fear! No? Yeah, this item is a piece of shit.

Tormentor Sword:
If a monster or character suffers a wound from this sword it has Stupidity for the rest of the game for 5 points. Why? What in the name of sweet crispy Jesus could this possible be used for!

Warrior Bane:
A 5 point magical weapon that causes a monster or character to lose one Attack for each wound suffered. Interestingly enough, I actually like this weapon. In theory. If it could be upped in cost and maybe do some extra stuff, I would actually enjoy taking it for all those nasty Daemon Princes and Vampire Lords and shit.

Magic Armor:
Armor of Destiny:
For 50 points you get Heavy Armor and a 4+ Ward Save. This item has a few particular uses that I really like it for. First, if you're not a big fan of taking really expensive Magic Banners then this is a really great way of keeping your BSB alive. Second, putting this on a Saurus Oldblood and just laughing as nothing can touch you is so damned satisfying. It's a great buy if you want whatever you put it on to stay alive. Not really worth it on a Hero unless he's a BSB, but on a Lord it's awesome.

Trickster's Helm:
50 points buys you an extra point to your Armor Save and successful rolls to wound must be re-rolled. It's okay I guess, but you can emulate this for about 30 points cheaper with a shield and a Dawnstone. Skip it for now unless someone can tell me a better use for it.

Armored of Silver Steel:
For 45 points you get a 2+ Armor Save that cannot be improved past a 2+. This item is absolute garbage unless you want to put it on a Wood Elf. Other then that not really worth it as whole considering most characters can very easily get to a 1+ Armor Save in most armies without even touching their magic item allotment. Skip it and move on.

Armor of Fotune:
35 points buys heavy armor and grants a 5+ Ward Save. For the points it costs it is a great buy for a Hero and if you are exceptionally miserly it can be a pretty good buy for a Lord as well.

Helm of Discord:
Gives you +1 Armor Save and at the start of each Close Combat one enemy character in base contact with bearer or his unit must pass a Leadership test or he will not attack and will be hit automatically for 30 points. If this was knocked down by 15 points, I would be all over this item. As it is, it's a bit too expensive for my tastes.

Glittering Scales:
25 points gets you light armor and a -1 to hit the bearer in close combat. Not a big fan of this, but if you can find a way to incorporate it then please drop a comment.

Shield of Ptolos:
25 points gives you +1 to your Armor Save and you get a 1+ Armor Save against shooting. Unless you play against Wood Elves a lot I would not be the first person to recommend this item to anyone. The Charmed Shield is a much better buy.

Spellshield:
For 20 points you get +1 to your Armor Save and Magic Resistance (1). Worthless, absolutely worthless. Skip it and don't look back.

Gambler's Armor:
Now we're talking! Heavy armor and a 6+ Ward Save for 20 points! On a Hero character, this is a freaking steal. One of the best pieces of armor out there in terms of price and payoff for said price. Putting a shield on a character with this gives them a 4+, 5+. Which is pretty damned good after all said and done.

Dragonhelm:
10 points gets you a +1 to your Armor Save and a 2+ Ward Save against Flaming Attacks. It's a good cheap way to shut down an enemy Flaming Banner, which you see all the fucking time because stuff with Regeneration is all over the place. A good buy on a Lord or a Hero.

Enchanted Shield:
5 points gets you a shield that gives you +2 to your Armor Save unlike a normal shield. If not for the item coming right below this one, then this is a pretty nice item to take. However, more often the not you will skip it for the next on the list. And that item is...

Charmed Shied:
A 5 point shield that allows you to ignore the first hit it suffers on a roll of a 2+. This is what makes lone characters immune to artillery pieces. I cannot praise this item enough. For 5 points it's certainly worth an investment in and I have yet to play a list where it wouldn't be viable.

Talismans:
Talisman of Preservation:
45 points buys you a 4+ Ward Save. You're going to put it on pretty much everyone of your Level 4 casters unless you have a Slann Mage Priest and/or a Prophetess of the Lady, which already has enough protection on it to begin with. Absolutely great and you will probably take it every time.

Obsidian Loadstone:
45 points gives you Magic Resistance 3. Compared to its big brother the Talisman of Preservation, this item is absolute shit. No reason to take it unless you want to make your Ethereal Slann absolutely invulnerable to anything but Combat Resolution. But it's little brother is so much cheaper and does the same thing. Too limited and too expensive to be useful. Skip it, and keep moving.

Talisman of Endurance:
A 30 point item gives you a 5+ Ward Save. A great buy on your Level 2 casters, especially the ones you like to have bop around and cast spells on a flying mount. I like it of you've already used a Talisman of Preservation on a Lord. Good item to take all things said and done.

Obsidian Amulet:
A 30 point item that gives you Magic Resistance (2). Unless you run an Ethereal Slann this item is worthless, skip and then continue on your merry way.

Dawnstone:
For 25 points the bearer gets to re-roll failed armor saves. If you get a 1+ Armor Save without touching your magical item allotment then I would highly suggest taking this thing. Other then, that Bretonnia has an item that does this and for 5 points more you get +1 to your Armor Save. It can be worth taking if you absolutely have a hard on for making your Armor Save absolutely insane.

Opal Amulet:
15 points gets you a one-use only 4+ Ward Save against the first wound suffered. I really like this item, but I've never used this thing in reality. Someone please drop a comment below and tell me if this thing is actually worth its points value.

Obsidian Trinket
A 15 point deduction for MR (1). Never worth the points, skip it and keep going.

Talisman of Protection:
A 15 point item that gives you a 6+ Ward Save. Not all that bad of an item if you just want a cheap way to make your character slightly more survivable. About a hundred times better than the Obsidian Trinket.

Seed of Rebirth:
10 points buys you a 6+ Regeneration Save. With the large presence of Flaming Banners, Ruby Ring's, and Flaming Shots in the current meta this item is not all that great. I would rather spend 5 more points and get the Talisman of Protection.

Dragonbane Gem:
This 5 point trinket grants you a 2+ Ward Save against Flaming Attacks. This is the best and cheapest way to shut down that nasty unit with the Flaming Banner on it. That horde of Skeleton Warriors with the Flaming Banner. Put a mounted character into the unit with this thing on and engage troll face! Great buy if you don't want to buy the Dragonhelm or you want to take a different kind of armor.

Pidgeon Plucker Pendant:
A 5 point purchase gets you a 5+ Ward Save against close combat wounds from Flying models. If Dragons all of a sudden make a gigantic comeback, then this might be an okay buy. Otherwise just ignore it. It does have a pretty hilarious name though!

Luckstone:
The last 5 point Talisman that allows you to re-roll a single failed armor save. If you took too much other gear and can no longer afford the Dawnstone, then this is an okay item I guess. I've never taken it, but for the point value and the potential to totally save your ass, I guess it's an okay item.

Banners:
Rampager's Standard:
A 55 point banner that allows you to re-roll the unit's charge distance. My problem with this banner is that it's point cost means that if you want to take it, it must go on your BSB. It's alright, but I think it's a bit overcosted. In a unit of Heavy Cavalry or Monstrous Cavalry, it can be nice to have. But me personally, I just find it too rich for my tastes.

Wailing Banner:
A 50 point banner that makes the unit it's in have the Terror special rule. Nope, skip it.

Ranger's Standard:
50 points gets you a banner that gives the unit it's in the Strider special rule. If you run a lot of Cavalry or Monster Cav, and you want to put your BSB on a mount, this is a great banner to take. I cannot tell you how much this has saved my Bretonnian Lances from taking massive casualties from a charge through a forest or a river or something.

Razor Standard:
This is a 45 point banner that gives the unit it's in the Armor Piercing special rule. If you like making Death Stars with elite infantry, like Grave Guard or Black Guard, you want to be taking this banner. Trust, me Temple Guard with a Slann carrying the Razor Banner will deal out some serious punishment, even to stuff that's covered in Gromil. I like it, but it is a bit expensive.

War Banner:
A 35 point banner that is the universal default banner for all BSBs out there. Okay, this banner gives you an additional +1 to the unit's Combat Resolution. It's well priced, it's always useful, I got nothing to say more then if you have no idea what you want to put on your BSB, then go with this thing.

Banner of Swiftness:
15 points buys you a banner that grants the unit +1 Movement. If you play Undead, take this item. It's price is so low that you can put this on units without having to put it on a BSB, and +1 Movement, which means +1 to charges, feeling, etc., and it will always be useful. I like it, and I highly suggest it on your slowest footmen unit.

Standard of Discipline:
This 15 point banner gives the unit it's in +1 Leadership, but the unit cannot use the General's Leadership. This banner seems kind of like double-edged sword, but if you play an MSU style list and/or an army with lots of cavalry playing on the flanks, then this is a great way to mitigate not being close to the general. If you're running a Gun Line or  Horde Army, not really all that worth it. It's good in situations, and that's really all I can say about it.

Banner of Eternal Flame:
AKA; the Flaming Banner. A 10 point banner that makes the unit have Flaming Attacks. Put this on a Core unit with BS based shooting and then have a blast just decimating Trolls, Hell Pits, Chimeras, and anything else that relies heavily on Regeneration. My fiance's Dark Elf list always includes a 20-30 man unit of Darkshards with the Flaming Banner. Can be negated with a lot of stuff that has Ward Saves against Fire or the two items in this list mentioned above that grant that as well, but if you play a lot of Regenerations (which you will run into more often then not in tournaments) then take this thing and don't look back. Great banner, great buy, I highly recommend it.

Gleaming Banner:
A 5 pint banner that is a one-use banner and allows the unit it's in to re-roll a single failed Leadership test. Now, I used to love this item. When I ran Cold One Riders on 7th edition, I would take this thing on them to negate a failed Stupidity test. But since I cannot take a magic banner on Cold One riders anymore, this item has kind of lost it's use for me. However, it is cheap and does have a nice ability, so I can suggest it if you want to take a magic banner but don't want to invest too heavily in one.

Scarecrow Banner:
Bit of a tangent, but at a tournament one time I saw a guy who made a homemade one with the image of the Scarecrow from Batman on it. It looked fucking amazing! Anyway, this 5 point banner causes Fear in models with the Fly special rule. Nope, not ever in a million years could I see myself taking this thing. Too situational and too underpowered that even for 5 points I wouldn't suggest taking it ever.

Arcane Items:
Book of Ashur:
A whopping 70 points, this item gives the caster who takes it a bonus +1 to cast and dispel. If you are very confident in you caster's bunker and you are absolutely sure that he is safe, then this can be a very a powerful item. However, it has a couple of things going against. First, all Elves (situational) have +1 to cast anyway. Second, this thing means your Lord Level caster cannot take a Talisman of Preservation which makes him very susceptible to things like Death Magic, Cannons, Snipers, etc. It is very powerful, but it is so expensive you will almost never see it nor will you ever take it for that matter!

Feedback Scroll:
A one use item that when activated makes the enemy caster who the scroll was used on roll a dice for every dice he used to cast the spell in which the scroll was activated on, the wizard who cast the spell takes a wound with no armor saves allowed on a roll of a 5+. And this is all for 50 points. It can be nice, but I'd rather take a Dispel Scroll, which is half the cost of this and much more effective then this.

Scroll of Leeching:
When activated, this 50 point item adds one die from enemy's power pool to the user's dispel pool for every die that was used to cast the spell in which this item was activated. This can be a way to neuter those assholes who just 6-dice the Purple Sun and the expect to get their dice back from the lore attribute. However, I have the same complaint here as I do with the Feedback Scroll. It's not a Dispel Scroll, and it costs twice as much as one.

Sivejirs' Hex Scroll:
Without a doubt, this is the funniest item in all of warhmmer. When used, the enemy caster who cast the spell is turned into a frog. I am dead serious. All characteristics barring his/her Wounds are turned to 1 and all wizard functions and magic items immediately stop working, unless he rolls less then or equal to his Wizard level. This effect can dissipate on a 4+ in subsequent turns. These tests are taken at the start of the target's magic phase. Holy shit, is this item hilarious! I have seen this item by itself alter the course of a game. Now, again it is expensive and on Level 4s it probably isn't going to work, but on those Special Character casters like Tetto'eko who are very powerful despite only being a Level 2, this thing is like a godhammer! I like it, but unless you're bringing a very silly list, I would keep this at home.

Power Scroll:
This 35 point scroll is a one use only item that allows the caster to get irresistible force (and also miscasts) on any double rolls when he activates it on the spell it was used on. If it was possible to pair this thing with Earthing Rod, I would be all over it. Sadly, it just comes with too high a price in both points and potential damage that I can never justify taking it ever.

Wand of Jet:
A one-use item, this 35 point wand allows the caster to add D6 to his casting value of the spell in which the item was activated, but this can cause irresistible force and a miscast. If you have a hard on for 6 dicing spells and making damned sure they go through, then this is the item for you. Other then that, I wouldn't be too keen to take it for the same reason I would be wary of taking the Power Scroll.

Forbidden Rod:
A one-use item that clocks in at 35 points and and adds D6 dice to the power pool (still capped at 12) and then inflicts D3 wounds on the bearer with no armor saves allowed. I know I sound like a broken record, but for what it can do in terms of damage and point cost, it simply is not worth taking. I promise the next item will be less monotonous.

Staff of Sorcery:
35 points gives you an item that gives the caster +1 to Dispel. If you prefer to kit your caster's out for stopping enemy magic phases rather than jacking up your own, then this a great item, especially on a Level 4. +5 to dispel is going to be tough to beat no matter who's throwing spells out. Given it can also be paired with Talisman of Preservation, it's an item that I could see being used. I could recommend it in some Army lists.

Trickster's Shard:
This 25 point one-use only item that is activated at the beginning of the caster's magic phase each dispel may cause a wound on the enemy caster on a roll of a 5+. These wounds ignore armor saves. If you've got another Level 1 or 2 caster who isn't carrying the Dispel Scroll, then this is a really great item to take. I like it, but most of the time I'm only taking 2 casters, and they both have full point allotments so I never end up taking it.

Earthing Rod:
A one-use item that clocks in at 25 points and allows the bearer to re-roll the results of a miscast. If you play Tomb Kings, I highly suggest you put this on your Hirophant. You don't want to lose the game because you accidentally roll double 6's and get sucked into the warp. Same thing if you play Vampire Counts with a really casty Vamp Lord. I know some Lizardmen players who like this item, but Soul of Stone kind of negates the use in taking this for a Slann. It's a good item, take it on a Level 4 if you have the points, but never over a Talisman of Preservation.

Dispel Scroll:
I shouldn't even have to talk about this item. 25 points gets you the ability to instantly dispel one spell your opponent casts. Those times when your dispelling with 6 dice against your opponents 12, this item will literally save your ass. Take it in every list you have, it will be eternally worth it.

Power Stone:
20 points buys you the ability to add two dice for a single casting (one-use only), but you must roll at least 1 dice from the power pool. You can't just use this item and not tax your own power pool. I like this item, but again I never take it because of the Dispel Scroll. I'm interested in playing around with it though, so if anyone reading this has experience with the Power Stone, then please drop a comment below on how it can work.

Scepter of Stability:
15 points buys a one-use item that increases a single dispel attempt by D6. It's a nice item, but I for ten more points, I get a Dispel Scroll. If I have points left over on my Level 4, I sometimes put this on him (unless I play Lizardmen, in which case I just take the Cube of Darkness) for extra magical protection. It's a poor man's Dispel Scroll, and it can be useful, but the Dispel Scroll is not expensive enough for me to not take.

Channeling Staff:
A 15 point item that gives the person using it +1 to channeling attempts. If I run another Level 1 or Level 2, I generally put this item on him/her for some extra help in generating dice in both sides of the Magic Phase. I like it, I highly recommend it, take it for what you will I guess.

Scroll of Shielding:
A one-use item that gives the user a 4+ Ward Save against wounds caused by the spell in which this item was activated. It's okay, but there are other things in this category that I would rather take. It can be very useful, but I've never taken it because it's just not so insanely good that I have to take it every time.

Enchanted Items:
Wizarding Hat:
100 points makes the user a Level 2 Wizard on a randomly determined lore (out of the 8 from the BRB) and makes the user subject to Stupidity. If you play either Skaven and/or Orcs and Goblins, then keep reading. If you don't, then skip it. This is how you get out of being trapped in your signature lores without turning to special characters. Yes, it means your paying the cost of a Lord (I suggest a Combat Lord if you want to take this item for better stats in combat) plus his full magical allotment, but it can get you out the magical rut you may feel you are stuck in.

Fozzrik's Folding Fortress:
Every tournament, from Adepticon to me and my friends having Friday Night WTF games ban the use of this item. Look it up if you're interested, but I'm not going to bother with it.

Arabyan Carpet:
Half of Super Orc's points, this 50 point item can only be put on an infantry (sorry Ogres!) model on foot only, and gives it the ability to Fly, although it cannot join units. If you want to have a little fun and just make really fast, really nasty combat characters or very maneuverable spell casters, than this can be a nice buy. My only issue with it is that in the Lizardmen army, I have an item that does the exact same thing, plus gives MR (1), and is fifteen points cheaper. It's like the Wizarding Hat in the sense that it's very fun to play around with. Give it a whirl if you're feeling the mood for some crazy moments.

Crown of Command:
35 points buys the wearer and the unit he's in Stubborn. For 35 points, it's probably the best item in Enchanted Items section of the BRB. Not much more to say other than it's a great buy on a Level 4 who's garrisoned inside a unit and you want to make it as a sticky as possible. I love it, most armies can get a lot of use from it, not much more to say really. Take it if you can afford it, especially if you like runnning hordes of Core infantry and you don't want them to take off running.

Healing Potion:
A 35 point one-use item that can be activated at the beginning of the player's turn. The user regains D6 wounds. If you are one of the stubborn people who's still running kitted-out Combat Lords, this is an item to consider taking. The army I've seen it be most useful in is the Ogre Kingdoms, as a Tyrant can dish out some serious punishment, and then when you think he's on his last couple of wounds, he pops this and dashes your hopes entirely. It was very sad... Anyway, I recommend this item, but it is exceptionally expensive. Not necessarily over-priced per se, but expensive. Just a word of warning to anyone who wants to bring it.

Featherfoe Torc:
A 35 point item that makes all Flyers (and their rider's) have to re-roll their successful hits against the bearer and his unit in close combat. With the rise of End Times and the gradual reappearance of Dragons and other flying Dragon-like creatures, this item is beginning to emerge as more useful than it was a few months ago. It's a good way to fuck over that High Elf Prince on the Star Dragon, something to consider. However, it is still very difficult to justify because it is still very expensive and it's a very corner-case item at best. Could be nice, but still very expensive.

Ruby Ring of Ruin:
25 points buys you the spell Fireball (from the Lore of Fire) on a bound spell casting value of a 3. Barring the Crown of Command, this is the best item in the Enchanted Items section of the BRB. It can replace the need for a Flaming Banner, and almost the need to take a mage on the Lore of Fire completely! I like it on a Level 2 caster, as it makes them much more utilitarian in terms of slinging magic around the board. Plus, Fireball is never a bad spell to have at your disposal. I like it, I take it in almost every list I make. Even my girlfriend's. Love you honey!

The Terrifying Mask of EEE!:
Just, just no. 25 points for Terror. It's 8th edition, no one gives a shit about Fear and Terror anymore. Skip it, and never look back.

Potion of Strength:
This 20 point item is used at the start of the player's turn. The drinker has +3 Strength until the end of the turn. If you are the guy who prefers taking Beasts Magic to Life Magic, then this is the potion for you to take over the Potion of Healing. On Combat Characters, it can turn even Empire Captains into absolute gore machines! It's not all that expensive either, so if you like to build really killy characters, than this is an item to consider taking.

Potion of Toughness:
It's the same point cost and is used the same way as the other potions listed above, barring it adds +3 Toughness until the end of the turn. If you're the guy who prefers Pann's Impenetrable Pelt over Savage Beasts of Horros, then this is the potion to take. I've seen some builds that incorporate a squishier Hero or Lord level caster who pop this when an enemy is in combat with them, and this just laugh as the opponent can't wound them, and the other models in the user's unit takes care of the enemy, who then wasted their attacks on a neigh unkillable character. Can be nice, but a bit too situational for me to advise including.

The Other Trickster's Shard:
15 points means every model in base contact (friends and foes) with a Ward Save must re-roll it if they roll it successfully. If you want to build a character that can just buttfuck other characters in close combat, then this is THE item to take. This and the Pirahna Blade on a Oldblood mounted on a Cold One makes my buddy Art cry as his HKB Bretonnian Lord gets absolutely destroyed in close combat. I am a huge proponent of this item, and I highly suggest taking it on a character in a unit that doesn't Parry, Ward, Regeneration, etc. Saves of any kind. This can be a very shoot-myself-in-the-foot kind of item if not used correctly.

Ironcurse Icon:
The bearer and his unit gets a 6+ Ward Save against War Macines. This item seems only okay, until you look at its point cost. Then it becomes an awesome item! For 5 points, the ability to protect yourself from the most powerful type of troop type in the game is absolutely crucial. I've taken Bretonnian lists that make Artillery damned near unusable because of the Blessing, the Banner of Defence, and this little beauty right here. I like it, and if you have 5 points left in a character's magical point allotment, then I cannot highly suggest this item enough.

Potion of Foolhardiness:
5 points buys you a potion that gives the drinker ITP and Devastating Charge until the end of your turn. 5 points for +1 Attack on the charge is okay, but it's a bit too situational to me. And ITP is kind of a double-edged sword. However on the charge, ITP can be really nice to have. It's cheap, but I'm not all that into this item. I don't see a reason to take this item, but if you have one, please drop a comment below.

Potion of Speed:
THE LAST ITEM!!! A 5 point potion, this thing gives the drinker +3 Initiative on the turn it's activated. This item I thought at first was a complete waste of time. However, negating High Elf characters and units getting their re-rolls is huge. Taking this on a Bretonnian Lord and/or Saurus Oldblood to get into combat with Elves, shrug off their attacks, and then smack back with such a high Strength against such a sub-par Toughness unit is huge. This is an item I very heavily recommend if there are a lot of Elves (and there probably is!), especially if you've got 5 points left over and have nothing better to spend it on.







  

 



      

Armies and Magic Synergy

So at the request of many of my local friends who read my blog, I was recently asked to compile a list regarding magical synergy with each individual army for my way to ease back in to blogging regularly as I was in October and September. Keep in mind, I will be speaking from the perspective of a magic heavy player and this will be in the context of a 3000 point army. So, without further ado, let's get started.

Beastmen:
Beastmen are in kind of a shit spot right now in terms of everything but magic. They have access to their own signature lore, but if you do play Beastmen (all three of you people out there) just rip that page out of the book or take a sharpie marker to it, because Lore of the Wilds is not worth the paper it is written on. Beastmen do have access to three other good lores though that more than make up for this. Beasts, Shadow, and Death. They also have a special item called the Herd Stone, which is pretty much an auto-include in any Beastmen army. However, we're talking about magic and not special items in this post! On your Level 4 caster, always take Shadow. Out of the three usable lores you have access to in this army, this is really the only one you want to spend the points to get extra spells for. Okkam's can solve a lot of the Beastmen's problems with Strength values and apart from Steed of Shadow, there are no bad spells in this lore whatsoever. Pendulum and Pit of Shades will nuke Lizardmen, Undead, and Ogres. Miasma is very scary when you're in front of a horde of Bestigore. On your level 1's and 2's, use Beasts and Death respectively. Death-sniping can really help take out enemy casters and combat characters that will go right through your severely under-powered troops. A Bray-Shaman rocking Wyssan's Wildform is also a great way to bring Beastmen up to speed with the more competitive troops. So, in conclusion, I would suggest a Level 4 on Shadow dancing around the Herd Stone, and two Level 1's or 2's, one on Death and one on Beasts. Level 1 Death with a snipe of some kind or a Level 1 Beasts with Wyssan's if you want to go that route. The Death caster should, in my mind, be dancing around the Herd Stone with the Level 4 or by himself picking off characters. The Beasts caster should be in a unit Augmenting the shit out of your infantry blocks.

Bretonnia:
Bretonnia is in a really weird spot for magic because the lores we have access to are very good, but not necessarily for the Bretonnians specifically. However, we'll be looking at what I think, as a relatively expierenced Bretonnian player, is the best magical lores to roll with. So first off, unless you're wanting to rock the Damsel in the Men-At-Arms horde with the Prayer Icon, I must thoroughly suggest you mount your casters and put them in a Lance of knights (preferably not Errant Knights). Barding is optional since they're already rocking a decent Blessing Save comboed with their MR, and a 6+ armor save is about as useful as a bucket of warm spit. On your Level 4, bring her in the lance that's going to be the one with the most damage output, since that will inevitably be the on with your 1+ re-rollable armor save, HKB Knight Lord. The best option for the Level 4 is to run on her Life with the Verdant Heart to make her a baller caster. Regrowing knights can be a really pivotal if you play Bretonnia, so make sure you can Throne of Vines up before anything else. You can give her a better Ward Save, but personally, I feel she's got enough protection for her price, so either spend those points elsewhere or give her some other really wicked equipment. As for your Level 1's and 2's, running them on Life is a waste, so you're pretty much locked into rocking out with Beasts on your Damsels. Wyssan's is a must have, kit them out as scroll-caddies and the Ruby Ring is pretty nice to have as well. Running the Level 4 on Heavens is kind of a waste, but if you need to clear chaff out of the way and take care of artillery pieces, than I would certainly rely on that. So in conclusion, Level 4 on Life with the Verdant Hear, and Hero-Level casters on Beasts magic. Level 4 on Heavens is a viable option, but I do not believe it's an option that's every bit as effective as a Level 4 on Life.

Daemons of Chaos:
So most people would think that Tzeentch, being the all-powerful Chaos God of Magic, would have the best possible Lore out of all the magical lores out there. That is regrettably not the case. In fact out of the three Chaos Lores, I argue that the Lore of Tzeentch is the worst of all of them. So, Chaos casters act a little differently then most casters. There's no base casting lores for Chaos. Tzeentch, Nurgle, and Slaanesh each have a caster that has access to different lores. For example, Tzeentch casters can cast from either the Lore of Tzeentch or the Lore of Metal. Nurgle casters can cast from either the Lore of Nurgle or the Lore of Death. Slaanesh casters can cast from either the the Lore of Slaanesh or the Lore of Shadow. So for Daemons, the rule should be to keep all your stuff as singular as possible. Thus, if you have a lot Nurgle stuff, take a Nurgle caster. Nurgle means getting up close and personal, so both Death and Nurgle are great for this. Nurgle has a lot nice Hexes and Augments like Curse of the Leper and Fleshy Abundance and Death has some really nice sniping spell and more great Hexes. Considering that Nurgle is already -1 to-hit, anything that targets WS or the to-hit spectrum of Nurgle is really, really scary. However, taking a Level 4 Slaanesh or Shadow is also very dangerous. Cacaphonic Choir is perhaps the most dangerous spell in all of Warhammer Fantasy, and the rest of its spells are pretty damned nice too. However, if it's down to my personal recommendation, I would run one Level 4 Keeper of Secrets on Shadow with two Hero-level Nurgle casters, one on Lore of Nurgle, and the other on Death.

Dark Elves:
As with all the 8th edition Elf books, Dark Elves are now rocking access to all 8 lores and have kept the Lore of Dark Magic in addition to that. Their special rule for their casters makes taking a Sorceress of some kind on Dark Magic a very preferable choice for a competitive army (gives them +1 to cast when using Dark magic). The Sacrificial Dagger now also helps them push magic down their enemies throat at the expense of some of their own units, offering a unique tactical choice. What are my recommendations? Well first off, you should only need two casters because you will have a unit of five Doomfire Warlocks in every 2000 point list and above. They are perhaps the best addition to the Dark Elf Codex ever to make into the book. Doomfires now make it possible to cut down on magic users and conserve some extra points for more Executioners or perhaps another Master. First off, take a Level 4 on Dark Magic and always make sure you have her rocking Dark Magic. Being a Level 5 caster is a huge boon to anybody who wants to have a strong magic phase. You will also make sure she is well protected within a bunker of elite troops, (Black Guard work the best for this in my personal opinion) has the Talisman of Preservation (4+ Ward Save), and also must have Power of Darkness as one of her spells. That spell can allow the Dark Elf player domination in the Magic Phase every single time. As for your secondary caster, I'd be rocking her out in a bunker of Dark Shards with the Sacrificial Dagger and have her rocking Shadow magic. With the ability to just trade bodies for power dice, spells like Okkam's and Pit of Shades become a lot less difficult to put up, and Okkam's on LD 10 Elves is a nightmare from which there is no escape. You can skimp on keeping the Level 1 or 2 safe since she'll be far away in a block of troops you really don't care, so miscasts and even casualties. Just use the Brolocks to pick off lone characters and troops. The rest is just you deciding what spells to use when they need to be used.

High Elves:
Very similar to Dark Elves put instead flipped. Same as Dark Elves, you should have a Level 4 on High Magic put in a brick of Phoenix Guard or White Lions carrying the Banner of the World Dragon equipped with the Book of Hoeth. This makes the unit next to immune to miscast results and actual physical attacks, meaning your caster, coupled with the Shield of Saphery (Lore of High Magic's Lore Attribute), you'll then have a super high Ward Save with the potential to withstand direct shots from even Chaos Knights. After you set that up, you can then turn to your support casters. If you want to run two support-level casters my recommendation to you would be the following. First, look at what your Level 4 is running. High Magic has some really badass Augments and utility spells, but really lacks in the ability to Hex and put down large numbers of troops in a single phase. A simple fix to that would be to take something a lot more direct than High Magic. High Magic is like an air compressor, most often used to power other tools or provide energy for other tasks. Other lores, say Fire or Metal, are jackhammers. You need to take down a boulder made out of solid granite. You will use the jackhammer and most likely not an air compressor. I myself would certainly suggest Metal because S3 Elves can find it very difficult to get through high Armor Saves. A Level 2 on Metal, and this one may be a bit biased, but I don't see why every High Elf list does not have at least a single Loremaster of Hoeth. There are no bad Signature Spells, and the sheer amount of spells and flexibility that this character gives you allow you a tactical edge that is not seen by too many other armies. So, Level 4 on High Magic with a book of Hoeth in a brick of White Lions or Phoenix Guard, Level 1 or 2 on Metal magic, and a Loremaster.

Empire:
When the discussion comes to magic and the Empire, the first obvious conclusion is the infamous Light Counsel with the War Altar of Hysh. I understand the power of the Light Counsel, but to me the tactic is too selective and narrow to make it useful in a tournament scene where you will run into opponents who are not Undead and Daemonic in nature. An Empire Gun Line is better built to deal with a variety of threats than a Light Counsel is. So my suggestion for building a magic list for the Empire is kind of complicated, so try to follow me here. When building an Empire list, save your magical selections until you figure out what kind of list you want to run. I'll give you three examples to prove my point here. So let's use the Gun Line as our first example. In a Gun Line build, you'll want to reduce the # of casters in your heroes category to make room for Imperial Engineers. So I'd be taking a Level 4 on Life or Shadow, or pretty much any lore filled primarily with Augments and Hexes, and putting him in the biggest, meanest, toughest unit that you have in the army and make it a super unit that can fend off any encroaching opponent. If you were to take a hero level caster, I'd be rocking Beasts, because Beasts and Gun Lines go together like hot dogs and mustard. Why? Two reasons, Wyssan's on your troops and Curse of Anraheir on the enemy. Let's say you're running an infantry list, what kind of magic build would you do for that? Well, my best recommendation is this. Only take a Level 4, because loading up on War Priests is completely worth the effort and is much better than any Level 1 or 2 just in terms of boosting your units. This Level 4 should be in a bunker, well protected, and should be carrying the Dispel Scroll. What should you be rolling with this guy? My best suggestion is a Lore that will deal massive, massive, damage to the enemy. Your Warrior Priests will boost your units well enough by themselves. The Level 4 should have two primary purposes in this build. One, they add +4 to all your dispel attempts, which in and of itself pays for the cost of him. Two, he allows you to do the work that cannons would normally do in the shooting phase. So what kinds of lores should the Level 4 be taking? Well, Empire has a pretty weak stat line all in all, so you should probably be leaning heavily on Lore of Metal or Death. Use Metal to help deal with all the high armor save stuff out there, and Death to take out enemy characters, nuke the enemy's stat line, and just blow the shit outta stuff with Purple Sun. I have heard some arguments for Shadow, but Shadow relies on a lot of stuff that just doesn't deliver enough punch in my mind (sans Pit of Shades of course) and you have no need for Okkam's since you have Warrior Priests in the units anyway. Finally, we get to the final example and it comes in the form of the official Empire tournament list. You've all seen it. A Steam Tank, a horde of Greatswords, a horde of Halberdiers, two Great Cannons, a Hellblaster Volleygun or two, a brick of Demigryph Knights, some Pistoliers, and of course a random scatter of characters, casters, Warrior Priests, Engineers, and Witch Hunters. From what I've seen several of my Empire buddies run actually makes a lot of sense to me. Metal seems to roll really well with Empire, so usually I see a mini-Balthasar Gelt (Level 2 on Metal mounted on a Pegasus) and a Level 4 on Light carrying the scroll and some other stuff. Net can slow down some nasty stuff so it can get blown apart by artillery, Timewarp gives ASF and extra attacks, Light of Battle allows you to spread your battle lines thin as you please, the list goes on and on. I haven't found a better combo of magic for a balanced Empire list, so I'm rolling with it. Just remember that the Empire is the jack-of-all-trades army, it can do a lot of things but it doesn't do them better than others, and magic is no exception.

Lizardmen:
After spending what felt like hours on the Empire, I finally get to the army that I know like my own bed. So for Lizardmen, there's only one way to roll for your Slann (Level 4). You take him on High Magic and you give him the Discipline of the Ancients that makes him a Loremaster of High Magic. Why do this? Because the Lore Attribute for Lizardmen High Magic is fucking awesome! I won't go into too much detail, but it basically allows you to drop a spell you cast for another spell out of any of the 8 standard lores. In a tournament, magical flexibility like this is the best tool in a magical toolbox that you can have. Dealing with Ogres? Change for a Death spell. Dealing with High Elves? Try your luck at getting Dwellers Below. If for some reason you don't want to do that (a reason that would be beyond my mortal comprehension), then my suggestion is to take either the Discipline that makes him a High Elf Loremaster with a +4 casting value, or run him on Life magic. He's also pretty well defended in a brick of Temple Guard and a 4+ Ward Save, so don't be afraid to run him as the BSB. As for the support casters, adding Lore of Beasts to the Skink Priests repertoire was the single best thing that the new book granted the Lizardmen apart from perhaps dumping the point cost of Saurus Warriors. Putting a Skink Priests in horde or brick of Saurus Warriors has two key advantages. First, it allows you to spam Wyssan's, which is how Lizardmen win in this day and age. Second, it allows you to prevent the required overrun clause in the Saurus Warriors' Predatory Fighter special rule. As for the second Skink, put him on top of a Ancient Stegadon with the Engine of the Gods and have him run Heavens. That way he can be all-purpose mage who's very well protected and uses a lore that has got a lot of variety in terms of spell types. So, in total this is what the optimal Lizardmen magic layout looks like. Slann BSB who's a loremaster of High Magic in a brick of Temple Guard, Skink Priest on Beasts spamming Wyssan's on Saurus, and a Skink Priest on top of an Ancient Stegadon with the Engine of the Gods rocking out with Heavens Magic. Pick casting levels for your Skinks as you see fit and make the one in the Saurus brick carry the Dispel Scroll. Now, onto the next one!

Ogre Kingdoms:
Ogres are certainly fortunate when it comes to the contents of their 8th edition book. Even though I hear a lot of people say it's aging, I think the Ogres are still as powerful as they were when they first came out! And their magical prowess is testament to that. So much like Tomb Kings, the Ogres do have a magical regulation that they must adhere to. Commonly called the Gut Tax, this rule stipulates that at least one of your casters must cast out of the Lore of the Great Maw. However, fortunately for the Ogres, this rule has two key factors that make it not so much of an issue. First off, the rule specifically states that at least one caster must take Gut Magic, but it doesn't specify what level, meaning you can have a level 1 caster (most likely the scroll-caddie) take it and go play with himself for the rest of the game for all you care. However, due to reason #2, that might not be the case. See, unlike the Daemons, Ogres actually have a signature lore that's pretty damned good. Gut Magic is a very versatile lore and filled with all kinds of spells that can be useful in a variety of situations. The have a snipe spell, a Magical Vortex spell, a couple of Augment spells, hell they pretty much have at least one of every kind of spell out there! So honestly, if you want to take your Level 4 on Gut Magic, knock yourself the hell out. For your Slaughtermaster (Level 4), you can take Gut Magic or Death Magic respectively, just remember that if you take Shadow then you're support caster will have to take the Lore of the Great Maw. Note that Ogre stuff is expensive though, so in a 3K point list, I'd say a Level 4 and a Level 2 are all you'll really need. As for the hero-level caster, I'd suggest taking either a Butcher on Beasts or a Firebelly (Ogre Fire-Mage character) so you can boost your already rock tough units or punish anyone who brings a Banner of Eternal Flame, which is effectively everybody in a competitive tournament. Heavens on Ogres is pretty damned fun, but in comparison to Gut Magic and Death, it doesn't stand out enough to warrant attention.

Orcs and Goblins:
Oh boy, here is one I've been waiting to do for quite some time indeed! So without further ado let's get started. Orcs and Goblins are one of the two armies that are specifically locked (not counting special characters) into their own signature lores. They also have two distinct lores, which we will refer to as Orc Magic and Goblin Magic because I refuse to type the word 'Waghh!' over and over again. Both reflect the natures of the creatures that use them, and thus both have their practical uses. Orc Magic is very, well let's say direct. Much like the Orcs there is nothing subtle about the spells in this lore. Look no further than their #6 bomb spell, the Foot of Gork. As strange as this may sound, despite the fact that I think Goblin Magic is better, I would suggest taking a Level 4 Savage Orc Shaman (in a horde of Savage Orcs with the Lucky Shrunken Head). Why? Because that way you have more of a chance of rolling up Hand of Gork. Hand of Gork is basically the win button. Think of it as a way better version of Walk Between Worlds. While out of the two lores, Orc magic has the best spell, Goblin magic has the most usable spells of the two. Every spell in their lore is useful and their lore attribute just punishes people who try to save their dispel dice for the big spell they know is coming. In fact, there's a lot of synergy between the two, like casting Hex and Magic Missile spells from Goblins and then using the stolen power dice to ram Foot of Gork down the opponent's throat. The best strategy I can see is the Level 4 Savage Orc Shaman mentioned above, and then either two level 2 Goblin casters, or a singe level 2 Goblin Caster on the Arachnorock (Giant Spider) with the kit that makes him a loremaster of Goblin magic. Seriously folks, Goblin magic is that good!

Skaven:
So much like Greenskins, Skaven are locked into their own two signature lores, Ruin Magic and Pestilance Magic. To be honest, my experience with Skaven magic is very limited because all the Skaven players in my corner of the world all play about the same way. They have a Level 4 in a bunker in the back who's just there to play with himself, give +4 to dispel, and provide a Leaderhsip bubble. What's he running? Fuck if I know! The only spells I ever see cast by the Skaven are done by two support casters. One from each lore, and even then the only spells I can ever really recall them casting are Blessed With Filth, Scorch, Skitterleap, and an occasional Dreaded Thirteenth from the Level 4. Now I say this because it was explained to me why the play that way, and for once the explanation of why Skaven players do what they do made sense to me. See, the Skaven army is already random enough as it is what with Warp Lightning Cannons, Hellpit Abominations, Doom Wheels, and other such random-as-fuck-shit that most serious players are trying to find ways to mitigate the amount of SIW's (Self-Inflicted Wounds) that they have to deal with. Magic, especially when you roll double 6's, is very dangerous to your army. So, they seek to play as conservatively in the Magic Phase as they can, because once shit starts rolling it just starts rolling down hill. Plus, if I could conceivably run two Lightning Cannons, a Hellpit, a Doomwheel, and three hordes of fifty models a piece and still have some room to add more nasty shit, I wouldn't necessarily see a real need for too much magic either. Don't get me wrong, Skaven magic is still very dangerous (seeing as their spells have no spell types allowing for some pretty ridiculous shenanigans to go on) and should be stemmed as much as possible. However, I can't offer any advice on it one way or the other, so regrettably this is the best I can do guys.

Tomb Kings:
To say Tomb Kings rely on magic as crutch would be an understatement. Magic to a Tomb King is as necessary as carbon is for life to form. However, unfortunately for the Tomb Kings, they are not the biggest magic users on the block as they were intended to be, and they only get more and more weak in this regard with each new army  book that comes out. Now, a little disclaimer for the audience out here. I do not take End Times rules and army remixes from End Times into consideration. We don't play it here, and thus I don't take it into consideration. This will be a pre-End Times observation for both the Tomb Kings and the Vampire Counts. So right off the bat, the Tomb Kings are hit very hard with a nasty magical tax that they cannot under any circumstance get out of. They must take a Level 4 on their standard lore, the Lore of Nehekara. The bad thing is if he dies, your army crumbles and there's no stopping it, so the Hirophant is a real Achilles Heel in any Tomb King army. However, this isn't exactly the worst thing in the world since their signature lore isn't all that bad really. Its lore attribute brings back models, it has a couple of really nice Augment spells, my two personal favorites being the spells that allow you to move again and get Killing Blow respectively. In addition, Tomb Kings have access to the lores of Light and Death respectively, and this is huge! Death magic allows you to pick off those really scary characters and casters, and Light can really make the flimsy Tomb Kings a lot more tough to deal with. If I were to suggest a build with the Tomb Kings in relation to magic, I would have your Hirophant (Level 4 on Nehekara) kitted out as a defensively as possible and put very safely in a big unit of Tomb Guard. Either put a secondary caster on Death to pick out characters or on Light to buff up the Tomb Guard and Skeleton Warriors. Also, I would suggest taking a Casket of Souls because no Tomb Kings army looks good without one and when in doubt, 6-dice the casket. If you have the points, I would also consider taking a Hirotitan, the big monster-thing that GW doesn't have a model of for the Tomb Kings. Modify a War Sphinx or something, because getting as many dice in your power pool as possible is always a good thing. However, that's more a secondary addition, and a tertiary one when it comes between this and the Casket. Tomb Kings are in a very odd spot where they have powerful magic, but not much access to it, which makes them very unique and dangerous to deal with.

Vampire Counts:
Just like the Tomb Kings, the Vampires kind of have a tax when it comes to their magic. The General of your army must be a caster on the Lore of Vampires. Just like the Hirophant, if he dies, the whole army begins to crumble. However, there are two advantages that the VC's have in comparison to the TK's. First, if the Vampire Lord dies, the army crumbles that turn. But if you have a back up caster on the Lore of Vampires, then your army is fine unit he dies. So you can have a back-up caster to prevent crumbling from happening, which is really, really nice. Secondly, the Vampire Lord is about a hundred times better than the Hirophant. Even casting vampires are still very tough and very nasty to tangle with in close combat, much less kill outright! In addition, they have access to the lores of Death and Shadow, two very nice lores. There's also a Bloodline Ability that Vampires can take that allows them to be a caster from any of the other standard lores apart from Life, but I've never actually see it implemented, because Vampire Counts rely very heavily on the Lore of Vampires. Of course you're going to have a Level 4 on Vampires, and then for your secondary characters, you're going to want another one on Vampires as a back up for your Level 4, and then the other support caster should be rolling with either Shadow or Death, and in my personal experience I have seen more of the latter then the former. Vampires rely on their own lore to boost and/or increase their plentiful and shitty troops so they can win combat through attrition. No other lore, not even Light if you wanted to take it, can do this better for them then their own signature lore. I wouldn't mount your Level 4, because you kind of need him so that your unit can actually march and if a cannon takes him out your at a big disadvantage. But the secondary on Death magic when mounted does have a lot of potential going for it. Your secondary caster on Vampires should be in a tar-pit unit, so that he can constantly massage himself all over it with spells like Van Hell's and Rigor Mortis. I don't actually play Vampires, so please keep that in mind when you read this, and if you have a better alternative, then please list it below.

Warriors of Chaos:
Warriors are kind of like Robert Downey Junior cleaning a fake gun when it comes to magic. They aren't too certain what in the hell they are doing with their Magic Phases. Are they there to be magical war machines? Are they there to turn their already hard as balls troops into absolute gore machines? Are they supposed to mount themselves on a Chaos Dragon or a Disc of Tzeentch, fly up the enemy's flank and then 6-dice the Purple Sun? Well, since I don't actually play Warriors of Chaos, I can only talk about what I've seen played commonly in my particular corner of the world. More often then not, excluding the Daemon Prince(s) of course, I see Warriors of Chaos rolling out with more offensive-based magics like Metal, Death, Slaanesh, or Tzeentch. Warriors have some pretty badass units already, so unlike Elves or Empire they don't need magic to make their troops better. Chaos Warriors are already pretty goddamned hard core. So they can use these pseudo-magical artillery pieces in the form of Wizards. This way they can save points in the Rare section that would normally be allocated to a Hellcannon(s) of Chaos. This serves a two-fold use, as Hellcannons are expensive and unless you take Chaos Warhounds or Marauder Horsemen, then Warriors of Chaos do not deal with chaff all that well. So, lores like Tzeentch and/or Metal make clearing those annoying little shits out of your way so that the Warriors can just smash whatever they run into. Besides flying the Daemon Prince up and 6-dicing his bullshit spell, this is the most common way I see Warriors of Chaos being used in terms of magic. In my experience, the bread and butter spells for Warriors are any spells that are Direct Damage or Magic Missile spells, with a healthy scattering of Hexes and the occasional Augment spells thrown in the mix.

Wood Elves:
In terms of magical flexibility, Wood Elves are sitting at the top of pyramid right now due to the fact they have access to more lores than any other army, with their Lord level casters having officially 10 lores to choose from. This means that they're going to be able to tailor their magic to their army build very well. As usual, lore of Shadow is a serious standout lore for Elves, but I tend to see a lot of Life and Beasts in Wood Elf armies which I suppose is a norm considering that was what Wood Elf players were formally using. The one thing I haven't seen, and I am quite surprised that I haven't seen this, is Wood Elves running Lore of Metal. I know it isn't all that fluffy, but if Dark Elf players can get away with rolling with Lore of Life well then Woodies can become tech geeks! It just seems like having access to Lore of Metal would solve like 90% of the Wood Elves problems in terms of dealing with units that actually have armor saves. If you actually play Wood Elves and know why Lore of Metal is never taken by the army, then please drop a comment below. All I can say is pay attention to what particular build the Woodies player is using, and then go from there. Expect Shadow, High Magic, Dark Magic. and a distinct hinting of Beasts and Life in the mix. That is all my hommies, peace out until then.

 
  
        

       
      

In a Nutshell; The Lore of Slaanesh

Lore Attribute(s):
Born of Damnation (Daemons of Chaos):
Whenever a spell from this lore is cast and causes one or more unsaved wounds, choose a unit of Daemonettes or Fiends of Slaanesh within 12" of the caster and roll a D6 for each wound that was caused. Add 1 model of Daemonettes on a roll of a 5 and 6, or a Fiend on a roll of a 6. Given how many of these spells, even a Hex spell in this lore, can cause wounds, then this is going to have a pretty damned good chance of hurting Core infantry and/or Wood Elves. If you really like taking that all Slaanesh list, then this can be a nice thing to have.

Bliss in Torment (Warriors of Chaos):
When a spell from this lore is cast and causes a wound, roll a D6 for each wound caused. For each roll of a 6, the caster's Weapon Skill, Initiative, and Attacks are increased by one. If you like putting your Chaos Sorcerer Lord on a Dragon and surprising opponents that he isn't the typical wimpy caster, then this can be okay. It can also make him more survivable by buffing his Weapon Skill, but if you've ever seen a Chaos Lord's stat line then you know he doesn't need a buff to his stats like other caster Lords would. It's okay, but it's not going to change the game in anyway.

Signature Spell: Lash of Slaanesh
A casting value of 6+ and a range of 24" gets you a Direct Damage spell that works in a line from the front of the caster's arc directly from his base that works like a cannonball. Except this is a cannonball that only hits a strength 3 with Armor Piercing. If you play a lot of Bretonnia, then this is an okay spell. If not, then I wouldn't really bother with it. Now, normally I would be wary of a lore with a piss poor Signature Spell, but in this case fear not good readers, this lore is still pretty scary. I give it a 2 out of 5 and recommendation to very rarely switch for it.

Spell #1: Acquiescence
A Hex spell with a range of 24" and a base casting value of 6+, this spell causes the targeted unit to have Always Strikes Last and Random Movement (D6) until the start of the caster's next magic phase. It can be boosted to have an extended range of 48" for an increased casting value of 9+. For it's casting value, this is arguably the best Hex spell in the game. It will really screw with your opponent's head. ASL and Random Movement, particularly at the beginning of the game, are never a good thing to have to get over. If you roll this spell, never swap for it. It is that good. Particularly if you have a hard time catching those MSU style lists as a Warriors of Chaos army. I give it a 4 out of 5, and recommendation to never swap it.

Spell #2: Pavane of Slaanesh
A Direct Damage spell that targets a single model in a unit with a range of 24" and a casting value of 7+. If the spell is successful then then target must pass a Leadership on 3D6 or suffer a wound with no armor saves allowed. It can be boosted to have a rage of 48" and an increased casting value of 10+. This spell in and of itself shuts up the #1 criticism to running the Lore of Slaanesh. And that argument is that taking Slaanesh takes away your ability to field the Lore of Death. Well guess what? This spell is like Spirit Leech on steroids! Normally forcing a Lord or Hero to take a Leadership test isn't all that big of a deal, but on 3D6, most stuff is not going to pass! I love the casting value and the range of this spell. Absolutely great, I give it another 4 out of 5.

Spell #3: Hysterical Frenzy
Now we get into a spell that I'm not too keen on. This is a spell with a range of 24" and a casting value of 8+ that remains in play. It can be either a Hex spell (if it targets a foe) or an Augment spell (if it targets a friend). Either way, the targeted unit gains the Frenzy special rule that is not lost if the unit is defeated in combat. Should the unit already have Frenzy, their Frenzy gives them +2 Attacks instead of the normal +1. In addition, for the duration of the spell, the unit that this spell was cast on suffers D6 S3 hits at the end of the caster's magic phase. This spell can be very good. It can make Daemonettes into ghetto Witch Elves and make Warriors of Chaos into absolute gore machines. However, unless the unit that this spell is cast on is in combat then Frenzy is just too much of a risk for me. The D6 S3 hits aren't that big of a deal, as most stuff will simply shrug it off. Which means using this as a Hex kind of defeats the purpose. I give it a 3 out of 5, because it can be used to make a horde of Daemonettes no longer laughable. Compared to some of the other spell sin this lore though, it just isn't all that and a bag of chips.

Spell #4: Slicing Shards
A Magic Missile spell with a range of 24" and a casting value of 10+. This spell inflicts D6 S4 Armor Piercing hits. The target must then pass a Leadership test or suffer another round of D6 S4 Armor Piercing hits. Keep testing until the unit passes the test or is removed as a casualty. With the popularity of hordes of bullshit core infantry, this spell can be pretty damned nice. Against Elves or Dwarves, or any other army with really high Leadership, this spell is going to falter. But if you're playing say Skaven or Empire or Undead? This spell will annihilate those guys! I give this spell a 3 out of 5, and recommendation to keep it.

Spell #5: Phantasmagoria
Is that even a real word? Regardless, it's a Hex spell with a range of 24" and a casting value of 10+. Until the start of the caster's next Magic Phase, the target must roll an additional D6 when taking Leadership tests and discard the lowest rolled result. This spell can be boosted to bubble out to effect all enemy units within 24" for an increased casting value of 20+. This spell is insane when combo'd with Slicing Shards, but it's just all around good to. If you want to make sure that a unit with Stubborn or a BSB re-roll is going to actually run away when they get beaten, then this is a pretty nice way to make sure that happens. If you're also running a lot of Fear and/or Terror units (which in a Warriors and Daemons of Chaos army you should have a lot of these) then this can also proved to be very useful. I give it a 4 out of 5, and a recommendation to use it with hellish delight.

Spell #6: Cacophonic Choir
If I had to pick between the most dangerous spells in all of Warhammer Fantasy that do not come from the eight standard lores, it would be a three-way tie between the Dreaded Thirteenth (Skaven), Storm of Ashes (Lore of Hashut), and this one. A Hex spell with a range of 12" and a casting value of 12+, this spell makes the targeted unit suffer 2D6 hits that automatically wound on a roll of a 4+ with no armor saves allowed. If at least one wound is suffered (which believe me, there will be) the target suffers the Always Strikes Last and Random Movement (D6) until the start of the caster's next magic phase. It can be boosted to target all enemies within 12" for an increased casting value of 24+. I have never had a spell bad touch me in such a way as this one. It has literally destroyed my battle-line and reduced my Saurus Warriors into useless piles of shit. Unless you have the Banner of the World Dragon, there is no way to fully protect yourself from the terror that is Cacophonic Choir. I give it a 5 out of 5, and a recommendation to use this spell only if you wish to never make or keep friends.

So that's the Lore of Slaanesh, and before I go into detail for the two armies that can use it I'd like to make one thing very well known. This is without a doubt the best of the three Chaos Lores available. Tzeentch is not that good. Nurgle can be very useful if you want a Beasts substitute. Slaanesh is undeniably the scariest of the three in terms of magical mayhem. I run a Slann build that really trolls in the magic phase. All he does, is rub his dick all over a magic phase and either dick slap enemy magic away or shove it down the other guy's throat. Not even people like Teclis, Mannfred, or the Changer of Ways really bother him. If I see a Level 4 on Slaanesh across from me, that is when I start to get very nervous. Everything about this lore scares me. The range, the variety, the synergy, everything about it is absolutely menacing. What's even worse is that unlike most casters, I know he doesn't have to rely on a Signature Spell to stay viable. Now, two little notes that I think should be said before you go out and start using this lore. First, it needs to be run on a Level 4. The spells are okay individually, but just like the Lore of Life, the Lore of Slaanesh really shows itself when it can combo with itself. Second, if you are new to the game then I do not suggest using this lore. Much like Lore of High Magic, this is a very tactical lore and if you're a new guy then you don't quite have the board-sense to know when, where, and whom the spell should be targeted at. Now that I have that little gush out of the way, let's elaborate.

Daemons of Chaos: This lore makes running an all Slaanesh list actually viable. It doesn't have the durability of a Nurgle list or the sheer killing power of a Khorne list, but it can be scary if it connects in the magic phase. Not to mention when combo'd with Shadow it gets even scarier! Especially vie for the spells that mess with Leadership and Pavane to help cripple the opponent's ability to keep his troops in order. Daemons are random, so make him feel that pain of Daemonic unreliability!

Warriors of Chaos: The best thing about this lore for Warriors of Chaos is that the higher range of most of these spell means running a casting Lord in the back in a bunker suddenly becomes much more viable. One of the things I've noticed about Warriors of Chaos is that their casters always seem to be a little confused as to what they're supposed to be doing. Are they supposed to be tank-like front line magic users or magical war machines? Well, if you haven't quite found a perfect fit, then you can always use this lore and that strategy as a fallback. Not to mention that Hysterical Frenzy cast on pretty much anything in the Warriors of Chaos book is not something anyone wants to deal with.

   

Top 5 Worst Artillery Pieces in the Game

#5: Gnoblar Scraplauncher (Ogre Kingdoms)
Never seen these thing? Well, there's a reason. You see, the Scraplauncher is like Luigi and the Ironblaster is like Mario. This wonky little thing isn't all that terrible really, but it is severely overshadowed by it's big brother. On top of that, it's kind of an answer looking for a question. Particularly when you look at it's main function. The Scraplauncher, at the end of the day, is meant to be used to clear out mass infantry blocks that the Ogres do not like to deal with. A good idea, until you realize that Leadbelchers can do the job better, have multiple functions, and don't take points away that you could be spending on an Ironblaster(s). And this is a shame, because I absolutely love this model. I don't even play Ogres and I own one! Hell, I payed $50 to have it painted professionally! My Scraplauncher and my Troglodon are really good friends given the amount of time they've spent holding various papers down together. Now, you may see one if not several pieces on this list that you can argue are much more powerful war machines. Well that's because for the points and payoff you get, the GS ain't all that bad but it is a bit misplaced in its particular army book. It is just a tad underwhelming.

#4: Deathshrieker Rocket (Chaos Dwarves)
Now I know what you may be thinking, how can an army made infamous by their artillery have a piece that is in a Top 5 Worst List? Well, the problem is that this thing resides in the Special section of the codex. Along with the Iron Daemon. And the Infernal Ironsworn. And a whole host of other things out there that the Chaos Dwarves can use instead of this thing. What else kind that is kind of weird about this particular piece is that it's the closest thing to a generic cannon that Chaos Dwarves have, but it really doesn't touch even a generic Empire Great Cannon in terms of performance. Now it is cheap, and it's one Sorcerer-Prophet/Daemonsmith next to it from being actually pretty damned useful. But when you do that, you then begin to ask why you don't just bring another Iron Daemon or a Magma Cannon. This is also something I have to note to all people out there. Have you ever actually seen this model? I actually have never seen a model of this thing until I looked it up on Forgeworld's website. It's the red-headed step child of Chaos Dwarf artillery.

#3: Mortar (Empire)
 Ah yes, yet another one of my favorite pieces making an appearance on the shit list. Now to be fair, with the rise of Elves int he current meta the Mortar has begun to get a little bit more attention as it can still crank out the hurt on those goddamned High Elf White Lion Hordes with the Banner of the Bullshit Dragon. It's basically a shorter ranged cannon that shoots a large round template that hits at Strength 2 (Strength 6, D3 wounds under the hole) and Armor Piercing. This makes it really effective at dealing with basic rank-and-file Core infantry that are cheap and very plentiful. Against infantry heavy armies of Skaven, Vampire Counts, Tomb Kings, Goblins, Elves, and other Empire players this thing can be pretty useful. However, it has a couple of disadvantages. First off, it's a mortar which means that it is designed primarily to lob large explosive rounds at medium to short range for maximum effectiveness against infantry. So when combats start piling up or you're going up against a Gun-Line style army the Mortar can get very unwieldy very quickly. Second, it is in the same Special section as such powerhouses as the Great Cannon, Demigryph Knights, Greatswords, and Pistoliers. All of the aforementioned choices are much more tactically adaptable and can crank out a lot more punishment. The best thing to do if you are hellbent on running a Mortar(s) in your Empire army (just like me!) is to take a Level 4 on Shadow and debuff the shit out of your targets. Otherwise, this big boy is cool as all hell but I must put it at #3 sadly enough.

#2: Goblin Spear Chukka (Orcs and Goblins)
One would not think that the Orcs and Goblins would be a very shooty army. However, if you take a look at most of their artillery pieces, the Rock Lobba and the Doom Diver, they are actually petty damned awesome! True, they have some of the worst miscast charts on the planet, but they can crank out the punishment. Except for this one. I'm not going to lie, Bolt Throwers as a whole do not appeal to me as a player. Unless you're hellbent on having a way to take out a Daemon Prince or character mounted on a Dragon (maybe) in the Shooting Phase, then I just don't see the application for them. Now, there is only one reason that this POS Bolt Thrower is #2 and not #1. It is CHEAP! Oh my God is this thing ridiculous! Even if you upgrade it and give it an Orc Bully (which isn't a half bad idea if you have the points to spare) it's still punishingly cheap. Now, it has a rather bad habit of exploding and more often then not it's simply not going to earn it's points back, but much like the Bretonnian Trebuchet there is just something about the amount of damage potential over cost that just makes it appealing. Much less appealing than other Special options, but still not a complete right off. Most of the time.

#1: Repeater Bolt Thrower (High Elves)
Yup, here she is folks! The absolutely worst artillery piece in the game! Now don't get me wrong, it's in my Top 10 Thing I Hate About High Elves list for a reason. A personal, nonsensical reason, but a reason nonetheless. When compared to every other artillery piece in the game currently, the High Elf Bolt Thrower comes in dead last. And for all of those who seem to take issue with my vendetta against High Elves (Nick Fenske, I'm talking to you bro!), I apologize for putting two High Elf units at #1 on a Top 5 Worst List twice in a row. However, hear me out! Compare this thing to the other Bolt Throwers in other books. The Reaper Bolt Thrower, the Spear Chukka, the Dwarven Bolt Thrower, what do they all have in common? They all come out of the Special section of their books! Where is this thing? The Rare section! Now, at the very least this thing is not the worst thing that comes out of the High Elf Rare section, in fact if I could have a Bolt Thrower in the Rare section of my Lizardmen book, I could die a happy man. As it is however, it has to compete with the Frostheart Phoenix and when comparing the two, I know which one I would take every time. Plus, High Elf shooting is good enough to stand on it's own without the aid of a war machine. Now you might saying, "Jacob! How can Strength 3 30" bows compare to a Bolt Thrower?" Well, guess what, that horde of archers is an Okkam's Mindrazor (or Wyssan's Wildform if you're less bold) away from becoming the shooting unit from hell. Plus, think about it this way. What else in your Core section (besides Silver Helms and Reavers) are you possibly going to be fielding anyway besides either Archers or Sea Guard? More than likely you're also going to be fielding a caster on Shadow, if you're not going the High Magic route. So, it's a more natural fit in any list that a Bolt Thrower. My point is that unlike other armies that have access to artillery, High Elves don't really need it. So I guess my ultimate question is; why take a Bolt Thrower in a High Elf army? If you have a good reason, please comment below because I don't play High Elves myself so I would like to know the answer!