How to Beat; Beastmen

That's right folks, it's back to me desperately trying to get my view count up with a new series, and that is; How to Beat (insert name of army here). I thought I'd do us all a favor and offer my tactical knowledge to some of the newer players out there and  maybe start a debate with some of veterans among us. So how this works is that I'm going to list the five things that make each of these army's strong, and the best to mitigate if not nullify these advantages. This is going to start out really obvious with the first couple of armies, but I promise it will get better as we go along. For now, let's explain the format. I'm going to list in ascending order the things that I think make the army strong, with their primary strength at the bottom and their lesser strengths at the top. After that's we'll review the topics and go into more detail about how to counter these strengths. Without further ado, let's get started.

#5: Special Armory
Beastmen are for once blessed by having an older book because it gives them access to more than just two pages of magical items. They practically have a page worth of each type of magic items available to them, plus a whole page of mutant abilities you can put on your characters! This often leads to the Beastmen relying on a wonky or almost unknown piece of gear that is actually really, really damn powerful. I'll list specific examples later, but just something to remember when playing these bizarre children of Chaos.

#4: Chaff
This is a very pivotal strength that the Beastmen have and it's arguably the only thing that keeps them viable in the current meta. Units that were once considered to be not worth the ink they were written with are now being used for very complex and frustrating tactical maneuvers which now dominate the current culture of Warhammer Fantasy.

#3: Magic
While by no means the most infamous of magic users, Beastmen can still really Rick-roll in the magic phase with their access to three excellent lores and perhaps the most broken piece of war gear in the entire game, barring the Chalice of Blood and Darkness. Their signature lore is pretty shitty all in all, but there are a few nice spells in it that you should really be on the up and up if you want to rock out to Lore of the Wilds. However, the lores of Beasts, Shadow, and Death make the Beastmen a dangerous opponent in the magic phase to be sure.    

#2: Army Special Rules
I'm going to be focusing on two of their special rules in particular, Primal Fury and Beastmen Ambush. Both of these rules are very, very powerful and can really make the Beastmen very dangerous on the board despite their archaic book and rule set.

#1: Obscurity
Much like Bretonnia and Chaos Dwarves, most of what makes the Beastmen a threat to other armies who are technically better than they are is that very few people actually know that they exist. Sure, they've been around for a few editions in various different forms and books. But they appear so infrequntly in Grand Tournaments and even in casual games that people seem to forget that they're still around. And this lack of knowledge aids them in a way. Again, I'll explain more in a little bit.

HTB: Special Armory
This is one of those things that can't be completely mitigated but the lack of knowledge regarding these items can be avoided if you do proper research. Now even these older books, like the Beastmen, still have mostly 75% of their items are overpriced and/or not remotely useful, but the 25% that remain are exceptionally dangerous items. The most common ones you'll see will most likely be the Hunting Spear, Ramhorn Helm, Shard of the Herdstone, the Beast Banner (the last three are almost Auto-Includes in any Beastmen list), and in tournaments I've often see Beastmen bring the Chalice of Dark Rain to nerf Gun Lines. The best way to take the power away from these items is to learn what they do and make a plan that will not allow the Beastmen player to use these items to their fullest extent. Either buy the book, which isn't that much an investment due to it's age and lack of demand, or just borrow it from someone who already owns it and memorize what they do. I know that seems really generic advice, but you know what GI Joe says; "Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!"

HTB: Chaff
If Beastmen have gained power anywhere in the meta it's most certainly in the chaff department. In their core section alone there are two viable choices in the form(s) of Ungor Raiders and Warhounds. You're most likely to see Ungor Raiders over the Warhounds because the Ungors have a bow, something that you won't see too much in this army, and they actually count towards the minimum core allotment in the army, unlike the Warhounds. The other big options you'll see come in the form of Razorgors and Harpies, both are good for different reasons. Razorgors will fuck up other chaff and Harpies can Fly, meaning they're adept at Artillery hunting. So how do you stop them from redirecting you're own units? Well, Beastmen have almost no ability to shoot, meaning they can't return any serious fire power. Some regular BS based shooting units will clear these guys out like nothing else. They're still Beastmen, so average Toughness and practically no saves of any kind means they will get shredded when shot at. The other thing you can do is counter their chaff with your own. Harpies and Ungors will fold when charged, and provided you don't get charged by them Razorgors and Warhounds will go down pretty easy too. However, if you're not a believer in either chaff or shooting, then this will be a tough game for you unless you've got some serious numbers of MM and DD spells on you.

HTB: Magic
Beastmen have access to two things that make them very dangerous in the magic phase. The first is access to three lores that are immensely useful to Beastmen in the forms of Beasts, Shadow, and Death. The second in the Shard of the Herdstone. These two things lead to Beastmen being able to have very powerful magic phases that result in them getting lots of things done, particularly Wyssan's Wildform and Okkam's Mindrazor, though almost never on the same unit obviously. So, the question remains how to stop them from steamrolling in the magic phase. The answer is in the form of their greatest strength. If all the casters are dancing around the Herdstone, then you can take them out with shooting, war machines, chaff, etc. They're vulnerable without bodies to protect them from things most wizards would be shielded from. If they aren't doing that, then your best bet is to try and take them out the old fashioned way. be warned though, these guys are tougher then most casters, although enough attacks directed at them will take those guys out.

HTB: Army Special Rules
So first, how do you deal with having to deal with Frenzy (and possibly Hatred) every single solitary round that you get into combat! Well, the answer is actually a lot simpler than you might imagine. See, Beastmen need to pass a Leadership test every round in order to get Frenzy off on your units. However, Beastmen have low Leadership and they absolutely need their characters their in order to reliably pass these tests. Beastmen are also a combat army that needs to be able to win in combat, +1 Attack and the possibility of re-rolls to-hit are absolutely huge for a combat army. So, you take out the characters. Which, with their lack of defensive attributes makes them very susceptible to being KO'd. As for the Beastmen Ambush, there's almost nothing you can do to stop it. Bad rolling will mitigate effectiveness as will good positioning. However, the Beastmen need to sacrifice a block of their own troops in order to do this meaning, they start off in worse positioning in terms of bodies on the board. Press this advantage as much as you can and make sure you can kick as much ass you possibly can. Other then that, I got nothing, other than your war machines are going to be fucked over if the Beastmen are using this rule.

HTB: Obscurity
As with their Armory, the best way to stop this is to just buy the damn book. Beastmen aren't something that you see all that often and as a result when people do encounter them, they very rarely know exactly what to do against them. Most of their stuff is overpriced and does way too little for what it costs. However, they are still a viable army (barely) and they can still pull a lot of tricky shit that people aren't prepared for. Knowing them through can give you the key to avoiding half that shit. That, or play them enough to the point that you are guaranteed to learn their means and ways. This may be difficult if you live in a smaller area though, as it is unlikely there will be too many people who actually play Beastmen.

So that's it folks, let me know as to how much you enjoy these and if you would like me to keep going with them.   

In a Nutshell; The Lore of Nurgle

Lore Attribute(s):

Children of Nurgle (Daemons of Chaos):
If a spell from this lore causes one or more unsaved wounds, choose a unit of Plaguebearers or Nurglings within 12"of the caster and roll a D6 for each unsaved wound caused. For every roll of a 5 or 6, add another model to the Plaguebearers. For every roll of a 6, add one base of Nurglings. These new units have no upgrades and they do not count towards victory points. The placement works the same as the Tzeentch attribute. Considering that Nurgle is the most popular and easily the most useful of the Chaos Gods, I can really see this helping keep that anvil unit of Plaguebearers up for an attrition game that will make your opponent tear his own hair out in frustration.

Bloated with Disease (Warriors of Chaos):
For every spell you cast from the Lore of Nurgle, roll a D6. If you roll a 6  then the caster gets +1 Wound and +1 Toughness for the rest of the game. In any other army, this would be practically an auto-win. However in this army, it's not as needed as it may seem. See, Warriors of Chaos can take casters with armor so that usual problem of worrying about your caster getting shanked by even rank-and-file troops. However, if you are playing an opponent who uses a lot of Snipers, Assassins, Death Magic, etc. then this is really nice to have on any of your casters. It's pretty nice, and the spells in this lore are pretty decent overall, so I can really see this being used to make just insanely tough characters.

Signature Spell: Stream of Corruption
A Direct Damage spell with a casting value of 7+ that uses the flame template at the base of the caster's front base with the larger end placed over the target. All models covered by the template must pass a Toughness test or be slain with no armor saves allowed. This spell is really nice to have, because it's like a shotgun you can hide behind your back that you can pull out and then use to just scythe through infantry. One of the problems you can run into as both Daemons and Warriors is that you will find yourself rather susceptible to being tar-pitted. This is a great way to circumvent that issue. It's also really nice to have with the rising popularity of the Witch Elf horde. I give it a 3 out of 5, and a recommendation to hold off before switching for this spell, because there are some really good spells in this lore.

Spell #1: Miasma of Pestilance
An Augment spell that I really think confused itself and is actually a Hex spell that was adopted by Wyssan's Wildform. It has a range of 18" and a base casting value of 5+. Until the start of the caster's next magic phase, all enemy units in base contact with the targeted unit have their Weapon Skill and Initiative reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 1). This spell can be boosted to reduce the enemy's Weapon Skill and Initiative by D3 (roll once and apply that result to all enemies) for an increased casting value of 10+. This spell seemse pretty mediocre until you remember that you're playing Nurgle. Your opponent is already at -1 to-hit, so dropping his Weapon Skill is like peeing in an open wound of a dying man. As for dropping I, that's pretty nice but against Elves and other stuff like that it kind of loses it's luster. It's also pretty damned cheap to cast, so it's a spell you can use to draw out a Dispel Scroll or some dice in case you want to really gun for a different spell and don't want him stopping it. I give it a 4 out of 5, and a recommendation to keep this spell if you roll it up. And remember, it's an Augment spell, no matter how much it seems like a Hex!

Spell #2: Blades of Putrefacation
An Augment spell that gives the targeted unit Poisoned attacks until the start of the caster's next magic phase. This spell has a range of 12" and a base casting value of 8+. In addition, if the targeted unit already has Poisoned attacks, it's attacks automatically wound on a to-hit roll of both 5 and 6. This spell is obviously very nice, because it can be combined with Miasama of Pestilance for a devastating one-two punch. Drop their Weapon Skill and Initiative and then make yourself automatically wound 1/3rd of the time you roll to-hit. I have seen a horde of Plaguebearers sandwiched between a unit of Blackguard and a unit of Cold One Knights, and with these two spells, it absolutely obliterated the Dark Elf units. I give it a 4 out of 5, with a recommendation to combo it with Miasama of Pestilance.

Spell #3: Curse of the Leper
This is one of those spells I really wish that in 9th edition we see more and more of. If targeted at a friendly unit, then this spell is an Augment. If it targets a foe, it is a Hex. It will respectively either increase or decrease the targeted unit's Toughness by D3 until the start of the caster's next magic phase. This spell has a range of 18" and a base casting value of 10+. It can be boosted to have an increased casting value of 13+, but it also increases the range of the spell to 36". This spell is really nice and very utilitarian. It's not as good as say some Shadow or  Death Hexes and Nurgle stuff is pretty tough all in all, so it may seem unnecessary at times. However, if you play a lot of stuff that hits hard or against a lot of artillery, then this spell has its uses. I give it a 3 out of 5, and a recommendation to swap for it more often then not. Again, it's not a bad spell, but it can feel very unwieldy at times.

Spell #4: Rancid Visitations
A Magic Missile spell that has a range of 18" and a casting value of 10+. It inflicts D6 Strength 5 hits, and in addition the targeted unit must then pass a Toughness test immediately suffers an additional D6 Strength 5 hits. This continues until a Toughness test is passed or the target is removed as a causality. This spell is the best way for you to avoid those annoying little pests like Skaven Slaves, Zombies, Skeleton Warriors, Skinks, etc. It's also a great way to clear chaff and thin down rank-and-file hordes of core infantry. If I have one complaint with this spell, it's the range of it. However, if it was any further, it probably would be the best Magic Missile spell in the game. I give it a 4 out 5 and a recommendation to jump up in joy should you roll for it.

Spell #5: Fleshy Abundance
Here we go, getting back to the bread and butter of Nurgle magic! This is an Augment spell that has a base casting value of 11+ and a range of 18". It grants the targeted unit 5+ Regeneration and should the unit already have Regeneration of any kind, it adds +1 to that save (maximum is a 2+). These effects last until the start of the caster's next magic phase. It can be boosted to effect all friendly characters within 18" for an increased casting value of 22+. This spell is kind of a double edged sword if you play Daemons. The problem with Daemons is that you already have a 5+ Ward Save universally. And given 8th edition rules, Regeneration and Ward Saves cannot stack as they once did. If you play Warriors of Chaos however, then this spell is freaking beautiful. Especially if you're that jackass who plays Throgg and his Troll Horde. Also, if you play with a lot of monsters, then this spell can really help you deal with any artillery that isn't Dwarf artillery. Good spell to have, I give it a 4 out of 5, but if you play Daemons, again keep in mind who's going to be the benefactor of this spell.

Spell #6: Plague Wind
I can just see those little Skaven fuckers squeaking copyright infringement over this one. It's a Magical Vortex and works like every other friggin Magical Vortex every put to words. Any model touched by the template must pass a Toughness test or suffer a wound with no armor saves allowed. It works in subsequent turns like Purple Sun. It has a base casting value of 15+ and can be boosted to use the large round template for a new casting value of 25+. I don't like it all that much, and it's kind of misplaced in a lore dominated by Hexes and Augments. The important thing to note is that is doesn't scatter farther when it's boosted, making it the second most accurate Vortex spell besides the Dark Magic spell Black Horror. I give it a 2 out of 5 though because I simply do not like Vortex spells all that much in general.

So that's the Lore of Nurgle, and it's arguably the best lore out of the three Chaos lores in general. It doesn't really have any power spells like the other two, but it's combination of spells and synergy gives it an advantage that the lores of Tzeentch and Slaanesh simply do not have. Without further ado, let's talk about strategy.

Daemons of Chaos: This lore is the best one you can take save perhaps Death and Shadow. In an all Nurgle list (aka; a competitive Daemons list) this is certainly a lore that you want to take into consideration. Death has it's range issues and Daemons really do not a lot of support, even Nurgle stuff that's tough as rocks is in serious need of support in terms of Weapon Skill and Initiative. Plus, it has Augments and Hexes which lore of Death does not. Bottom line, I highly suggest this lore because it is very useful for the Daemons and makes a brick of Plaguebearers the tar-pit unit from hell.

Warriors of Chaos: Since Lore of Beasts is not accessible to the WoC, then might I highly suggest taking this lore if you want to trick out your Chaos Warriors even more then a 4+ base armor save and a stat line that allows them to dickslap pretty much any other infantry, especially when marked to Nurgle. If you're more one for Augments then Magic Missiles or Direct Damage and/or you really have a hankering for taking one of their Signature Lores then this is certainly the lore to take. Plus, you can make your casters pretty much invincible with a successful casting phase.  

In a Nutshell; The Lore of Tzeentch

Lore Attribute(s);

Fires of Change (Daemons of Chaos):
When a Daemon casts a spell from the Lore of Tzeentch causes one or more unsaved wounds you may choose a unit of Pink Horrors or Screamers within 12" of the caster. Roll a D6 for each wound caused by the spell. on a roll of a 4, 5, or 6, you may add another Pink Screamer. If you roll a 6, you may add another Screamer. Models added in this way are put in the back rank and if the back rank is full then start another rank in the back. Units spawned like this way have no upgrades and confer no additional victory points. If there is no room for the models and/or you don't have the models then they are considered to be lost. This attribute is worthless because Tzeentch is the worst possible Chaos God to run. However, if you like Screamers, then I would suggest using this to people who want to run a lot of chaff in that form.

Boon of Magic (Warriors of Chaos):
For every roll of a 6 on the power dice used to cast the spell, you get another power dice back. Sounds awesome, but the bad thing is that only the Tzeentch caster who cast the spell originally can use the generated power die. Meaning, you can't use a Tzeentch caster to just jerk off and give you more power dice for your other casters to use freely. But if you are running a Level 4 to Tzeentch. then this lore attribute can really help you generate more and more to fuel your magic phases, and more importantly Infernal Gateway. Not bad, but pretty damned nice in comparison to most other lore attributes floating around. 

Special Rule: Warpflame
So pay attention folks, because this is how pretty much why the entire Lore of Tzeentch just collapses upon itself. At the end of each phase any unit that suffered one or more unsaved wounds from an attack with this special rule during the phase must take a Toughness test. If the test is failed, the unit suffers D3 wounds immediately. If the test is passed however then every model in the unit gets a 6+ Regeneration. Any unit targeted again or already has Regeneration adds +1 to their Regen save. Yeah, you know what else sucks? Despite having the word 'flame' in the title, there is no mention of these attacks being FLAMING! Yes, you can literally fuck yourself repeatedly by casting Tzeentch magic on the same target. Knowing this, it kind of makes the entire lore just collapse in on itself, because every spell in the lore save the #2 spell is a Direct Damage or a Magic Missile spell. There's no real way to get away from it, and if you're playing Daemons, there's no way to take a Flaming Banner, which means combats are going to be much harder then usual.

Signature Spell: Blue Fire of Tzeentch
This is a Magic Missile with a rage of 24" and a casting value of 5+ with the Warpflame special rule. It inflicts D6 number of D6 Strength hits. It can be boosted to have a range of 48" and an increased casting value 8+. Again, this thing has two main issues with it. First, it's a Warpflame attack, so basically unless you're hitting humans or elves, you're just going to give whatever you're hitting a Regen save. Second, it's a random D6 Strength of a random D6 number of hits. Unless you are a god of rolling dice, then this spell is going to be worth jack shit. I give it a 2 out of 5, and not necessarily a recommendation to swap for it.

Spell #1: Treason of Tzeentch
A Hex spell with a range of 24" and a casting value of 7+, this spell lasts until the start of the caster's next magic phase. The targeted unit must use the lowest leadership value in the unit, and cannot benefit from the Inspiring Presence and/or the Hold Your Ground! special rules. You can boost the spell to have a range of 48" and a casting value of 10+. This spell is very nice to have in your toolbox. Especially if you're playing Daemons or a Warriors Monster Mash list with lots of Fear and Terror causers in your list. Plus, it can't ever hurt to stop your enemy's units from getting their highest Leadership and a re-roll. I really like this spell because it's got a tactical edge that just really appeals to me. I give it a 3 out of 5, because you will run into Stubborn, Steadfast, and exceptionally high Leadership values where this spell won't really matter at the end of the day. However, people may like this or hate it but it take it for what its worth.

Spell #2: Pink of Fire Tzeentch
A Direct Damage spell with a casting value of 8+ that uses the flame template. You place the template down with it's narrow end touching the front of the caster's base with the large end of the template facing towards the targeted unit. Roll the artillery dice and move the template forwards the number of inches equal to total rolled. If a misfire is rolled, the template remains as it does prior to moving it with the roll of the artillery dice. All models beneath the template suffer a D6 Strength hit with the Warpflame special rule. Yeah, this thing is kind of stupid. While no means as bad as Blue Fire, Pink Fire still suffers from Warpflame useless syndrome. I give it a 2 out of 5. No more, no less.

Spell #3: Bolt of Change
A Magic Missile with a range of 24" and a casting value of 8+. It inflicts a single Strength D6+4 hit with the D3 Multiple Wounds with the Warpflame special rules. This thing penetrates ranks in the same manner as a bolt thrower. No armor saves are allowed against wounds from the Bolt of Change spell. This is really one of the best spells in this lore next to Infernal Gateway. I really like this spell though, and if you are going to be running Tzeentch magic I highly suggest you make a beeline for this spell if you can. I give it a 4 out of 5, and a recommendation to always take it if you play Daemons, that way you can get a little bit more shooting in an army that has almost no ability to clear chaff.

Spell #4: Glean Magic
A Direct Damage spell with a range of 18" and a casting value of 8+. Before I go any further, this spell is fucking beautiful and I wish I had in High Magic. The caster and the target (which must be a Wizard) both roll a D6 and add their Wizard levels. If the target's total is high then the caster's then nothing happens. If your caster's roll is higher then the opponent suffers a Strength 3 hit with the Warpflame special rule, he/she loses a single Wizard level (to a minimum of 0) and forgets one randomly determined spell. The caster then immediately gains the spell and can cast it just like any other spell. Simply swap their lore attribute for the attribute of Lore of Tzeentch. This spell is so damned beautiful I want it so bad! The ability to not only neuter an enemy caster but to also turn his own spell against him is just so awesome! I give it a 5 out of 5, because apart from the Lizardmen, no other army can really do anything like this.

Spell #5: Tzeentch's Firestorm
A Direct Damage spell that uses the small round template and has a casting value of 13+ and a range of 30". Works like every other vortex spell in terms of scattering. All models under the template suffer a Strength D6 Warpflame hit (use the same roll for all models). It can be boosted to use the large template instead and scatter 2D6" for an increased casting value of 16+. You all know my feelings on Flame Storm, this is basically the same as Flame Storm barring it may be higher Strength, isn't Flaming, and may still give Regen to your enemy. I give it a 2 out of 5, because there is that chance to roll really well and just destory. But it's too random for me to really say it's a useful spell. Onto the next one!

Spell #6: Infernal Gateway
This is the final spell in the Lore of Tzeentch, and it is glorious! This is a Direct Damage spell with a range of 24" and a base casting value of 16+. The targeted unit suffers 2D6 numbers of hits resolved at Strength 2D6 with the Warpflame special rule. If an 11 or 12 is rolled for the Strength value, then the unit suffers a 3D6 number of hits rather then 2D6. I like this spell in the same way I like Dwellers Below and Final Transmutation. It's not the random, will of fate, uber-killer that spells like Pit of Shades or Purple Sun. It is still Warpflame, which I think really just makes this lore so damned terrible but the ability to inflict a really high number of hits at a really high Strength make it worth taking. I will give it a 3 out of 5 though because of two issues. The first is still Warpflame, the second is that it's still random in terms of the number of hits and strength that you're going to be hitting at. But it's 2D6 for both the # of hits and the S of said hits, so it's not like you can be rolling  1's and just completely waste this spell. However, it is defininatly one of the more powerful spells in Tzeentch magic so I do recommend to make a run for it if you can.

So that was the Lore of Tzeentch, and to be honest, it's actually pretty fucking awful. There are four spells in this lore that I really like and they are as follows; Treason of Tzeentch, Bolt of Change, Glean Magic, and of course Infernal Gateway. Now what's the problem with that? Well, note that the Signature Spell is not in that list. In my opinion, the way you judge a magical lore as a whole is to look at it's signature spell. Think of it this way. Lore of Fire has Fireball, which tells you the lore uses mostly Direct Damage and Magic Missile spells. Lore of Beasts has Wyssan's Wildform, which tells you that Augments will be the focus of that lore. If you applied that concept to the Lore of Tzeentch, you would come up with the fact that this lore is random, this lore is awkward, and this lore is not worth taking in comparison to others. I will still list optimal uses for both DoC and WoC, as few of them as there are.

Daemons of Chaos: First off, if you're taking this lore, it means you have messed up royally because Daemons of Chaos are a mono-god list apart from their cannons, and if you're taking this lore, then it means you're running an all-Tzeentch list. That in and of itself is a big issue, because Tzeentch daemons are not designed to be in combat, they also have very little mobility and very little protection other their Ward Save. However, if you were just to run a Tzeentch caster on Tzeentch magic, I would highly suggest taking this for magic defense, but only if you manage to get Glean Magic. Daemons don't have access to a Dispel Scroll, so this can kind of make up for it. But if you can't roll that spell, than this strategy just completely collapses in on itself.

Warriors of Chaos: ... Yeah, taking this lore in place of any of the others you have access to doesn't really make all that much sense. Unless you have a hard on for Tzeentch (I know, Tzeentch protects with his bullshit 5+ Parry Save) then I wouldn't really bother taking this lore all that much. Again, if you want to take some more magic defense in the form of Glean Magic, I still don't see too much use for this magical lore.    

  

In a Nutshell: The Lore of Dark Magic

Lore Atteibute(s):
Spiteful Conjurations (Dark Elves):
This one is kind of bad. It can be nice, but it's not all that useful. Every time you cast a spell on your enemy (I believe everything but an Augment spell) it inflicts 2D6 S1 Armor Piercing hit on the unit distributed as per shooting, provided you roll a double on the power dice when casting. 3D6 if you roll triple. It can be nice, but it's not really something you should be banking on ever. It's like getting a free Flock of Doom every time you cast hurtful magic at someone. I've seen it take off a whole Ogre before, but that's literally best case scenario. Can be nice, more often then not blows cock. It's no Shield of Saphery to be sure.

Warth of the Wood (Wood Elves):
Whenever a Wood Elf successfully casts a spell from this lore, and the spell is not dispelled, place a Vengeance Counter (I just love that phrase! Sounds like a spell from Final Fantasy!) next to each target once the spell has been resolved. Whenever a unit with a Vengeance Counter suffers a hit(s) from a spell in the Lore of Dark Magic remove the counters and increased the number of hit inflicted by D3 for each Vengeance Counter removed (roll separately for each counter). Remember how I said Lore of High Magic works best with a combat Wood Elf army? Well, Dark Magic works best with that hardcore guerrilla fighting style army. The ability to use these things to just nuke an enemy unit to dust in the Magic Phase is very helpful in that kind of build, because your shooting is good, but the meta is really working against you full force if you're relying on the shooting phase to carry you to victory. Remember, only a Level 3 or 4 can take this lore for the Woodies, so this attribute is going to be more useful then you might initially think.

Signature Spell #1: Power of Darkness
God! All these things sound like they belong in a Final Fantasy game! This spell is every bit as useful as it's snobby cousin in the High Magic department. For a casting value of 8+, the caster targets the unit she/he is in and they get +1 Strength until the start of the caster's next magic phase. This is really, really nice, but it gets way better! Additionally, you may add D3 power dice to your power pool. If three dice are generated, the caster suffers a wound with no armor saves allowed. Two things make this spell incredibly awesome. First, it's perhaps the best spell in the game to open up a magic phase. From here one of three things will happen. First, you throw two dice on it and get it it off (assume we're using a Level 4). Your opponent must either waste dice to stop it, burn his dispel scroll, or suffer because you've just prolonged the magic phase and made your unit much scarier. Second, you get it off and roll a 5 or 6 to generate more power dice. Your casters should have Ward Saves, and in a Wood Elf army the Lore of Life is very accessible. Meaning you can heal your casters who do suffer a wound. Dark Elves have access to Life magic as well, although I poo-poo any Dark Elf player who takes an order-based magical lore like Heavens, Life, or Light. Third, you roll a single die and miss it. It's a single die, not all that big of a deal really. This spell is very powerful, and with some of the less impressive ones, I would highly suggest swapping for this bad boy right here. I give it an easy 4 out of 5, and a recommendation to swap for it when necessary.

Signature Spell #2: Doombolt
This is the utility MM spell out of the lore and a damned fine Signature Spell at that. It's got a base casting value of 12+ and a range of 18". It inflicts 2D6 S5 hits, but it can be boosted to inflict 4D6 S5 hits for an increased casting value of 24+. This spell is basically the utility killer out of the Lore of Dark magic. It can be used to take out chaff and thin enemy ranks alike. S5 is pretty damn powerful, but this spell's obvious drawback is it's casting value. I've never seen it boosted before, but I'm sure if you need to clear out rank-and-file infantry than this is the spell for you. I give it a 3 out of 5 due to it's high casting value, but it is still a very powerful spell. If you're playing an army that isn't going to be all that affected by the #6 spell in this lore, then I suggest you take this one instead.

Spell #1: Chillwind
This spell is a Magic Missile with a range of 24" and a base casting value of 5+ that inflicts 2D6 S2 hits. If the target suffers any unsaved wounds, all the models in the unit suffer a -1 penalty to their Ballistic Skill until the start of the caster's next magic phase. The only good thing about this spell is the ridiculously low casting value paired with it's 24" range. If you remember I managed to rage pretty hard about the uselessness of The Flock of Doom. This is half of a step up from Flock, but this is still pretty fucking awful. Switch for Doombolt if you roll this POS. 1 out of 5. It's a godawful spell people, it really is that bad.

Spell #2: Word of Pain
A Hex spell with a range of 24" and a base casting value of 9+. All models in the targeted unit suffer -D3 to their Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill until the start of the caster's next magic phase. Roll once for both stats. It can be boosted to have a casting value of 12+ but now the spell also effect the targets' Strength and Initiative. This spell is what allows elves to just fillet through entire hordes of infantry without getting so much as a scratch on them. I highly recommend this spell, especially if you're running a combat style army (this is the only time I go back on what I said, I promise). I give it a 4 out of 5, I've had entire hordes decimated because a Supreme Sorceress jammed this down my throat in combat with a horde of Executioners.

Spell #3: Bladewind
This is a Direct Damage spell with a range of 24" and a base casting value of 9+. Every model in the targeted unit must pass a Weapon Skill test or suffer a Strength 4 hit with the Armor Piercing special rule. This is a really nasty spell when combined with Word of Pain. Throw this on turn 1 when your combat blocks are still far away from each other. The guy lets it go because he's waiting for the nastier spells, then boom! Bladewind comes in and decimates the unit. Really freaking great against Orcs and Goblins, makes Night Goblin buses disappear like Houdini. It's also good because it targets a rather obscure stat, something that I think a lot of people really underestimate. If your Woodies, use this on the Death Star units you can't take out with bows. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Spell #4: Shroud of Despair:
A Hex spell with a range of 12" and a casting value of 10+. Until the start of the caster's next magic phase, the targeted unit cannot benefit from either the Hold your Ground or Inspiring Presence rules. In addition, whenever a target fails a Leadership test, that unit suffers a -1 to their Ledaership until the start of the caster's next magic phase. This spell is very kinda, sorta useful. The first part is absolutely amazing, and finally puts an end to those fucking Skaven Slaves rolling around at Leadership 10 with a re-roll. As for the Leadership shenanigans, eh I could honestly leave that for a cheaper casting value and some more range. Not a bad spell to have if you have a lot of monsters or Fear/Terror causers, but as a whole I am not too impressed. I give it a 2 out of 5, but not a recommendation to skip it completely because again negating high Leadership from the General and re-rolls from the BSB can be a very pivotal tactical edge.

Spell #5: Soul Stealer
A Direct Damage spell with a range of 18" and a casting value of 11+. It's a Magic Vortex that uses the small round template, scatters D6", and inflicts a S2 on any model under it with no armor saves allowed. Now, up until now, this spell is kind of crappy, but here's where it gets interesting! Roll a D6 for each unsaved wound inflicted by this spell. For every roll of a 4+, the caster gains a single Wound (to a maximum of 10). You can boost this spell to have a range of 36" for an increased casting value of 14+. If you're a Dark Elf player, swap for Doombolt. If you're a Wood Elf player, use this to annihilate those hordes of T3 infantry you can't take out just with arrows and make your caster MUCH more survivable. I give it a 2 out of 5 with a recommendation to look at what you're playing against before swapping for it, especially if you're an Eco Terrorist.

Spell #6: Arnzipal's Black Horror (AKA; the spell no one of the human race can pronounce) 
A Magical Vortex with a casting value of 15+ that Remains in Play and uses the small round template. However, unlike other Vortexes, I dig the shit out of this spell! You get to pick what direction it moves in by rolling the Artillery Dice and multiply your caster's level by it and that's how far it goes. Any model under the template must suffer a Strength test or be slain outright, although the model may take a single Ward Save if it has it. If a misfire is rolled, center the template over top of the caster and then scatter it D6". Regardless of a misfire or not, in the subsequent turns (which I presume to be every magic phase), it scatters and moves the distance equal to a rolled artillery die. If a misfire is rolled, it collapses in on itself and is removed from play. It can be boosted to use the large round template for an insane casting value of 25+. This is proof that the Dark Elves are absolute insane sons of bitches. I can just picture Malekith and Morathi sitting in their tower and being like (most likely Morathi I think); "Wait a minute! What if we take the precision and reliability of Dwellers Below and combine it with the sheer power and insane range of the Purple Sun of Xerseus?" This spell is fucking metal. It is the only Vortex spell in the game  I actually like, and think about that people, think about how much I rant, rave, and hate on Magical Vortexes! I give it a 5 out of 5, it's a fucking beautiful spell that would be very difficult to decide it needed to be swapped for.

So that's Dark Magic, and what do I think? Well, much like High Magic it depends which army you're playing that has access to it.

Dark Elves; This lore is really great in the same way High Magic is great for High Elves. Getting the +1 to cast is really a powerhouse in terms of just getting shit done in the magic phase. Plus, there's a lot of spells that can neuter much tougher opponents, allowing the faster and more skilled Dark Elves to cut them into ribbons at a whim. The one caution I would give Dark Elf player about this lore is that it is NOT a direct replacement for the Lore of Shadow. I've seen a lot of people run it as such, and then forget that there's no Miasama or Okkam's in this lore. It also has a lot of synergy with the lores of Shadow and Death, which are always mainstays of a Dark Elf army. Other then that, I highly recommend rolling with this on your Level 4 while using your support casters to snipe characters and bubble out really nice Augment and Hex spells with Death and Shadow respectively.

Wood Elves: If you're running an army very heavily reliant upon shooting and avoidance style fighting, then I highly suggest that you take this lore to assist with scything down those annoyingly protected characters and elite units. Things that most Ballistic Skill based shooting can't take out with some major nice rolling. Now, this will be a bit of a trade off since you're trading the ability to protect yourself with most Augments that other lores have access to for a much higher rate of firepower. Again, remember that only your Level 4 has access to the Lore of Dark Magic. So keep him in a forest and keep him very well protected. That's the only thing I can suggest, other then that it's up to you.

Special Characters

So I decided to take a break from doing lists and bitching about magic to do an actual blog for once! As you probably guessed form the title, this post is going to be on special characters and the ethics of taking them. In my mind, special characters fall into two categories as to why they are taken. The first is the uber-competitive GT cruisers who take a Teclis/White Lion Death Start with the Banner of the World Dragon. The second category are the characters there to work with and buff out a fluffy themed army. For example, I have a 3000 point all Skink (save for some Kroxigor and monsters obviously) that includes both Tehenhauin and Tetto'Eko. I know that the former of the two is not all that scary, but the latter is certainly a competitive choice that a lot of exceptional Lizardmen players will swear by. I take these guys because the rest of my army is sitting at mostly T2 and Ld5 with almost no armor save. It's the closest thing to Skaven that I will ever consider fielding. So the extreme power of Tetto is balanced out by the relative weakness of the rest of my army. In my mind that is how special characters are designed to be run. They're supposed to be overpriced and underpowered but with some interesting abilities that make the army run in a different way then it would if you didn't have the special character. The problem now is that with End Times, the temptation to take that really powerful character with the absolutely beautiful model is becoming more and more irresistible. However, now it can be fielded in a competitive army which really brings into question the ethical issues regarding some of these characters. Even in the community, you have a big split over the issue of special characters. Some people, most notably Anthony from the Sustainable Center, absolutely despise the use of special characters and even refuse to go over them in his book reviews. Others side with the former legend of the game, Malorian, who have taken special characters on occasion to see if they are actually viable in a competitive army and very much enjoy the fluff and insanity that comes with taking these named characters. I fall right in the middle, and I've met people who are just like me in that regard. My philosophy for taking special characters is very simple. If you have an army that is fluffy or follows a theme at the cost of taking more competitive choices, then I believe you are entitled to take a/multiple special characters. If you really have a hard on for one of the main clans in the Skaven fluff, I think taking one of their special characters is completely within reason. If you really like Clan Pestilins, then take Skrolk and his busted ass ability to move Plague Monks from Special to Core. Take all the Plague Claw Catapults and Plague Furnaces that you want. However, the moment you substitute the theme for competitive choices (Hell Pit Abominations, Warp Lightning Cannons, etc.) is the moment you lose the right to take a special character. Another one that I'm very familiar with is my buddy Dave and his Maneater themed unit. Yes, the Maneaters with Golgfang is a very powerful combination, but when the rest of your army is comprised of Gnoblars and other hilarious things, then it takes away from the win-at-all-costs mentality that I see a lot of people, more so in 40K then in Fantasy, still have. The other big draw is that 9 out of 10 times, the model for the special characters is absolutely gorgeous in comparison to the standard model. I cannot tell you how many Empire players I've seen use the Marius Leitdorf model as their Empire General mounted on a horse. Or how many Dwarf players use the Grimm Burloksson model for their Master Engineer. The models look absolutely fucking amazing, and I can't fault them for wanting to display those gorgeous babies. There are also some characters that fall into a naturally fluffy area that you will almost always see in their signature unit in both fluff and competitive lists. The best and most renown example of which are Kouran Darkhand and Tullaris Dreadbringer, the Dark Elf special characters representing the Black Guard and the Executioners respectively. I absolutely love these kinds of characters, because their existence almost encourages people to take more fluffly themed lists then anything else. Sure, Kouran makes an already tough unit even more powerful by making them Unbreakable, but he's now coming out of a section that you could use to run a really nasty generic character. These unit inspired characters have been coming up more and more in 8th edition books, and I really like that a lot. In fact, it's hard to find a book that has special characters not attached to a particular unit. Bretonnians fit that because they have only three special characters and are two editions overdue for a book. Another build that I really enjoy is an all Black Ark Corsair list with Lokhir Fellheart, Sorceresses, Black Ark Corsairs, Assassin(s), Dark Riders, and Reaper Bolt Throwers. Something I threw together for my fiance to bring to one of our local tournaments. Does that sounds like a list that would clobber at a GT to you? I didn't think so. Guess what, she kicked my ass up and down the field (though to be fair I was rolling with a very fluffy Bretonnian army filled with mostly Questing Knights and a Grail Reliquae). However, I do not condone taking a special character just to win. I know that in a GT you're going there not to lose, but have the fun of taking a special character is making a theme that the entire army is going on. Teclis in a horde of White Lions is not fluffy, that's a rape train. You know the difference. Again, I have no problem with special characters. I do have a problem when you're taking a special character just to rick-roll your opponents with no thought towards the enjoyment of the battle. Which is why we play Fantasy in the first place and not 40K. So please, remember that there's a difference between a themed army and being a dick. Don't be a dick, no one likes to play a dick.

Top 5 Worst Lords

#5: General of the Empire (Empire)
I know as a Bretonnian player I shouldn't laugh at Empire troops, but whenever I see this guy across the table from me it just tickles me so fucking much. I really do not get this guy at all. Apart from contributing Hold the Line (which really isn't all the good in the first place) and a high Leadership value, this guy is kind of a conundrum for me. At his base cost, he's very affordable. That is, before you tack on armor, weapons, magic items, mounts, etc. Then you wind up with an expensive as all hell unit that cannot compete with other Lords in his category like, say; Oldbloods, Chaos Champions, Dwarf Lords, etc. While by no means beyond the hope of salvation and I have seen a few builds for him that make him very useful in particular Empire armies, as whole this guy simply isn't wort the time and points it takes to use him. You're better off fully kitting a Battle Wizard Lord up and putting an Arch Lector on a War Altar then fielding this guy in an Empire army. It's also kind of shame, because the models of this guy on various mounts are some of the best that I think GW makes, making this guy a perfect paper weight and a perfect cannon magnet as well.

#4: Warlord (Skaven)
A wise man once said you can't polish a turd. The Skaven competing in the combat phase is a turd, the Warlord is the attempt to polish it. I knew this character existed, but out of the many times I played Skaven I could not once recall actually seeing this guy in any army I had encountered. It makes perfect sense to me, because when Skaven fight it's only to delay your units so they have more chances to shoot it, magic it, and throw annoying as all hell items at it. Now, to be fair, many armies no longer field a Combat Lord, because the meta is not quite going back to the point where they're useful yet. It's coming back slowly, but a Level 4 full kitted out is still more useful than a Combat Lord at this current moment. However, this guy can't even really call himself a Combat Lord. His stats are more comparable to a Hero choice then anything else, and his defensive capabilities are poor to say the least. The only build I actually see being competitive is a Skaven Warlord with the Fellblade, because he's so cheap and because the Fellblade is fucking terrifying to Monster Cav and Daemon Princes. He's cheaper then a well kitted out Empire General, but he's not quite as powerful or useful, so thus I stick him here. Which I think is a fair placement at the end of the day.

#3: Daemon Slayer (Dwarfs)
Now I know this may seem like a bit of copout considering I placed the Hero level of this guy on the Top 5 Worst Heroes list. However, the reason he's two places higher then his counter-part is the following. First, he does make a great character killer, what with his ability to force successful Ward Saves to be re-rolled and his pretty banging stat line he's not going to be as easy to remove off the board as his weaker brother in the Hero section. However, he still does run into a couple of problems. First, he is 2.5 Skaven Slaves more expensive than a Dwarf Lord, who is about a million times more practical than this guy is. Second, he's still a Slayer, which means he's got no defensive capabilities apart from his Weapon Skill and Toughness. Third, he's Movement 3, which means he can't streak down the battlefield and just dickslap whatever his target is. He's going to get chaffed, shot at, magicked, and all other kinds of things that will most likely end up with him dying before he actually gets into combat. Fourth, he can't be your army's general, which in and of itself is a huge problem when you start dumping assloads of points into this guy. I've heard of people giving him the rune that makes him ASF and higher Initiative, but I just don't see it as being all that worth it. Bottom line, he's a lot of points, you can get better for cheaper, and he's just not all that worth it in the end.

#2: Treeman Ancient (Wood Elves)
When I first read the White Dwarf issue that had the sneak peaks of the 8th edition Wood Elves one of the first things that caught my attention was Durthu. My buddies and I all had our issue and we were shooting the shit about some possible builds and making fun of both myself, Art, and Will who play Bretonnians and Beastmen respectively. A Treeman special character was a really neat idea. Hell, the Daemons book was full of them and I can't think of a single army that doesn't have some enormous special character on a ridiculous mount, so a big scary monster sized character really hinted that the Woodies would be moving away from BS based shooting into more of a combat style army. Then their book came out and we saw that in addition to the Gladelord and Spellweaver, there was another generic Lord choice. The Treeman Ancient is an answer looking for a question. He's a monster, but I could take generic Treemen and Treekin for cheaper and in sections that won't compete with my Lords. He can be a Level 1 or 2 caster on Life. First off, that's fucking useless because Life is only really optimized when run on a Level 4. Second, why not just take a Spellweaver who's cheaper, much more defensive, and much better at casting magic? Well he's got a better armor save then any other generic lord in the book. Cool, but if you're playing Woodies I really don't think you're going to be putting much of an emphasis on armor. Ward Saves are better anyway and your characters are pretty damned survivable when you stick in them shit-tons of forests you're going to have. Apart from being just a really cool model I don't see too much of an application for these guys, especially since there are so many cannons and Flaming Attacks all over the fucking place. Also, props to anyone who uses the Ent models from the Lord of the Rings game to proxy as Treemen and Treekin. They look fucking beautiful.

#1: High Beastmaster (Dark Elves)
I almost busted a nut when I read these guys in the 8th edition Dark Elves book. Talk about an absolutely useless model! I mean, everything about it is such a waste. The special chariot it can take makes no fucking sense and is so overcosted it's tragic. The base point cost for this model is so hilarious that I've never actually seen one fielded before, even in our Friday Night WTF games that we have at my apartment. It's easily one of the most unimpressive units if the entire army in terms of model aesthetics. Even it's special rule to make Monsters better is so useless, it makes the Hold the Line special rule from Empire Generals and Captains look like Unbreakable in comparison. I would say 90% of the problem with this model is that the meta is so pro-artillery and pro-magic that monsters simply cannot survive in a Dark Elf army. Especially since they can't really effectively spam the board with monsters. Even if you could, and let's say you put a Dreadlord on a Dragon, and you field it with a Manticore, a Hydra, and a Kharibdyis, your Lord points are all spent up and anyone with a Level 4 (aka everyone else) will just buttrape you in the magic phase and pick your monsters apart. I know I'm being needlessly cruel, but in an army that is widely considered to one of the most competitive on the board this thing just makes you laugh so damned hard. I mean, this thing is in the same book as Witch Elves, Executioners, Warlock Riders, Dark Riders, Cold One Knights, and the Sacrificial Dagger? I mean, I'm all for crazy new Lord and Hero combinations that are basically just an extension of just the fluff and may contribute next to nothing in tems of tactical use. I love Loremasters, I love Death Hags, I love Waystalkers, I love these characters! Hell, I was upset that in the newest Lizardmen book we didn't get a generic Lord or Hero version of a Chameleon Skink or a Kroxigor or something! But this? This thing is just ridiculous. I seriously question what kind of drugs the person at GW who created this thing was on.

So that's the Lords, and I really do like doing these lists so please comment below what next category you'd like me tackle. I've been leaning more towards either an artillery or ballistic skill based shooting unit list. You tell me though loyal subscribers.  

Top 5 Best Lords

#5: Vampire Lord (Vampire Counts)
If he didn't make onto this list, then I would have to put myself in a straight jacket and lock myself in a padded room with no windows. Like many of the characters on this list, his reputation proceeds him and I shouldn't necessarily have to explain why. It's not often you can field a Level 4 caster that can also remove ten models a turn. Couple this with the fact that the mounts he has access to make him even more dangerous, and you have a combination that will terrify even Chaos Dwarf Gun Lines. However, he has a few major concerns that put him at the bottom (or top if you want to be a smartass) of the list. One, he's very expensive. This is kind of made up with the fact that everything else in your army is pretty cheap, but still a well kitted out Vampire Lord will easily run you over 250 Skaven Slaves in terms of points. Second, he is very hard to replace. In any Undead army once the general goes so does the rest of the army with him. Third, putting him on a mount basically makes the rest of your troops useless, because they can no longer march. There are ways to negate these problems but they are very concerning, so thus I put him at the bottom of the top. Sorry Dracula, I still love you.

#4: Slann Mage-Priest (Lizardmen)
If you have ever played a game against the Lizardmen, you know and fear the power that is the Slann. While easily no longer in his heyday, he's still one of the most competitive Lord choices available out there. He's also able to take some pretty banging abilities in terms of Disciplines of the Ancients. However, what makes the Slann the BMF that he is the fact that he can be a BSB. Besides the special Goblin character Grom, no other Lord can do that. He also has the highest Leadership in the entire army, meaning your Slann will be both your General and your Battle Standard Bearer. Stick him in a unit of Temple Guard and they will be Stubborn on a Leadership 9 re-roll. Plus, he can take a 100 point magical banner as the BSB in addition to up to 4 Disciplines of the Ancient, and 100 points of magical items. Now, this will result in your Slann quite possibly maxing your Lord allotment out on a single unit. However, the power of the Slann is so great that there is practically no downside to doing this. He also comes with a 4+ Ward Save. If you want to spend more points on support gear, then you are perfectly within reason to not spend any points to give him a better save. The amount that your Slann can do for the Lizardmen army is absolutely insane. He is perhaps the quintessential caster out of all the armies available to you in WFB. He can very easily be kitted out to be an Ethereal caster with a 2+ Ward Save, making him all but immune to Magical Attacks. He's both a master of a single trade and a very flexible character. To me, that's really all I could want in a character. Again, he is very expensive and he has absolutely no business being in combat. That's what Temple Guard are for. At the end of the day, this guy still ranks high and deserves a spot on this list.

#3: Tomb King (Tomb Kings)
God that felt weird to type! Not just because of the redundancy of the statement, but also the seemingly profound stupidity with which it was typed. See, the Tomb Kings are considered to be one of the weakest armies in the current meta. So saying anything related to the Tomb Kings are in a Top 5 list is like saying the Pinto belongs in the Top 5 Greatest Muscle Car list. Before you all go out and hang me with torches and pitchforks, let me explain. While the Vampire Lord and the Slann are both very powerful for more of a single reason, the Tomb King is powerful for a number of reasons. See, the King is Leadership 10, meaning the crumble rate for troops within his Leadership bubble is going to decrease quite significantly. He's also rocking a very impressive stat line, and perhaps the most awesome fucking rule in the entire Tomb Kings army book. The rule is called My Will Be Done, and if you've never heard of it then I implore you to read further. In addition to lending the unit he's in his leadership, the King also allows them to use his Weapon Skill value as their own. This rule was really overlooked at the beginning of 8th edition when the book came out, but now it's really starting to shine. This makes any unit the King is in (except for other characters) Weapon Skill 6 across the board. In the era of Elves surviving because of this, it's nice to see something able to do the same. Plus, the King is no pushover in combat either. Pop him in a unit of Tomb Guard with halberds, and watch them go to town on pretty much anything they get into combat with. Hell, he can make Skeleton Warriors into tar pit from hell. At WS6, very little is going to be able to touch you at that point. Wait, there's more! He's also pretty damned affordable too, making him a sweet buy for your TK army. You can mount him, but I think the optimal build is on foot in some Tomb Guard. He does have some weaknesses that almost put him at #5, but I reconsidered when I saw his price tag in comparison to both the Vampire Lords and the Slann. He is Flammable and he is only Initiative 3, meaning most things are going before he is. However, he's a tough as a bag of anvils and hits like jackhammer along with any unit he's in. Thus, for the power he can bring the Tomb Kings up to, I put him at a #3 spot.

#2: Daemon Prince (Warriors of Chaos)
The first thing I said/thought when I read the new Lord allotment for End Times was; "Fuck me, double Daemon Princes are coming." Thank god my area practically ignores End Times, so I've never had to face that terror. This guy is terrifying. He's Unbreakable. His hits are Magical. He can be marked to one of the four Chaos Gods to give him a perk that will only make him more dangerous. He can be upgraded so that he can Fly. He can very easily get a great armor and ward save without touching his magic item allotment. Unless you have lots of artillery and the person fielding the Prince has no other targets, then he's going to plink the first cannon shot off with his Charm Shield (which every Daemon Prince build should have) and then be in combat by turn two. This thing just magically fucking murders anything he gets into base contact with. He's at a base Strength of 6, meaning nothing that gets hit by him will have any form of decent armor save. The best I've ever managed was my Bretonnian Lord with a 4+ re-rollable armor save and a 5+ Blessing Save. If he's marked to Nurgle then you might as well not even fucking bother trying to hit him, because you're not going to touch him, like fucking at all! To top it off, he's expendable. Yeah, he's a shit ton of points and he's going to be your general. But Warriors of Chaos are rocking such terrific stats than I'm not really sure you even need a general in their army. Just take an Exulted Hero BSB and fucking Rick-Roll your opponent with 4+ Armor, 5+ Parry CORE CHOICES! The ability to on turn one fly up the opponent's flank, 6-dice the Purple Sun or Pit of Shades, and kill over half the opponent's battleline is such a powerful ability that you will almost never see a competitive Warriors list without a Daemon Prince. And my friends, if you play with End Times rules, then I suggest you start playing Chaos Dwarves,  cause no other army is going to be able to effectively counter the fucking Daemon Prince duo. I fucking hate this guys so much, but I do respect the power that is the Daemon Prince. Thus, only one question remains, who is the winner of the Top 5 Best Lord choices?

#1: Knight Lord (Bretonnia)
Okay, before the comments starting piling up about how much shit I'm filled with, let me make one thing perfectly clear. There is no other character in the game that can simply stroll up, roll a 6, and delete whatever is in front of him. Daemon Princes, Tomb Kings, Slann Mage-Priests, Vampire Lords, all the big bad and uglies, my Bretonnian Lord has at one point strolled up and just killed it in one shot. The best part, even kitted out with full point allotment and mount, he's cheaper than every other choice on this list. I've had Chaos Champions on Dragons marked to Khorne back off from my Bretonnian Lord. Steam Tanks, Iron Daemons, Kadai Destroyers, Giants, Great Unclean Ones, Plague Furnaces, you name it, it's fallen before Lord Ducaine, the Grail Knight with the Virtue of Heroism. I had my Vampire buddy tell me straight up he'd be terrified to field Nagash against my Lord. Hell, I even managed to kill the sisters special characters from the Wood Elves a while ago in a 1v1v1 match I had with some buddies of mine back in Baltimore, on their Dragon! Bottom line, the Bretonnian Lord is rocking a solid enough stat line and price tag to compete with some of the best, and the Heroic Killing Blow ability just makes most things he hits obsolete. On top of the fact that in an army that everyone really snubs their nose at, this guy can prove a great way to give those smug Dark Elf and Chaos Dwarf players a metaphysical middle finger. Yeah, maybe I'm a bit biased but if you've ever had your 500 point character Heroic Killing Blow'd off the table by a model that clock in at less than half his cost, you know how powerful this guy is.       
  

Top 5 Worst Heroes

#5: Skink Chief (Lizardmen)
Talk about a serious fall from grace between the books! I remember when a Skink Chief on a Stegadon with the Stegadon Helm and Spear ruled the fucking universe in terms of monster/rider combos. Now, he's got basically one purpose. Fly around on a Terradon and/or Ripperdactyl and eliminate lone characters, war machines, and other chaff. The problem with that is that the Lizardmen army is already filled with tons of units specifically designed to do that and do it much better than this little guy does. Chameleon Skinks, Skink Skirmishers, Terradon/Ripperdactyl Riders, etc. Why drop over a hundred points in your Hero section to make a shitty choice somewhat more usable when you could use those points to instead put your Scar-Vet on a Carnosaur? True, there is some potential to give him a javelin and spam Wyssan's, but if you're not spamming Wyssan's on your Saurus, you've done something wrong. The few saving graces this guys has is that he's dirt cheap, has much superior stats when compared to even your average Skink, he has a lot of gear he can take, and his mount options are quite diverse. Other than that, this guy is no longer a viable choice in the Lizardmen army, in my personal opinion.

#4: Shadowdancer (Wood Elves)
I'll admit, I like it when GW puts out a new book and gives a unit in an army their own unique Hero and/or Lord choice. It's fun, it's fluffy, and the models almost always look badass. The Shadowdancer, I struggle to comprehend him really. The #1 things that all Wood Elf players have told me when they build a list is to kit your characters as defensively as possible and stick them in a forest if you can. The Shadowdancer cannot do either of those things. If you've never heard of him, and there's probably a reason why, then let me exaplin what he is. He is a hero level choice that represents that War Dancer unit, a unit that has really stood the test of time for the Woodies. He's basically a Glade Captain, but with no armor and I believe an additional attack, but don't quote me on that. He also acts as a Level 1 to Shadow, and has all the same abilities that a War Dancer has. I know when the book first came out a lot of people were talking about using him to spam Okkam's on War Dancers, which actually is a terrifying thought. Except, let's look at the math here. The chances of rolling up Okkam's on a Level 1 caster is 1/6. The best strategy I've seen is a buddy of mine pointed out that you can take Melkoth's and dump the average soldiers' Weapon Skill so that you're hitting on 2's and being hit back on 6's. Which paired with the sheer number of attacks the War Dancers and Shadowdancer have and their ASF/high Initiative/high Weapon Skill, will result in quite the meat grinder against the average rank-and-file troop. He's not terribly expensive, but he does cost enough that you feel it when he goes. Besides, why would you take this asshole when you can take a Waystalker and just snipe characters out of units and have a blast of it? Bottom line, this guy is very good in the realm of theory but in practice he just doesn't hold water.

#3: Firebelly (Ogre Kingdoms)
If I could pick a character from WFB I wanted to go to a bar with an have him protect me from rowdy bikers, it would be the Firebelly. I am absolutely in love with this guy, and if I played Ogres I would have one in every army I made. However that's just because I'm a sucker for this model's fluff. In reality, he's a complete waste of points especially for an army that has god awfully expensive prices for their "baseline" troops. Of the three things that make the Firebelly an interesting and powerful, two of them are eliminated by a fifteen combination of two items. His Ward Save against Flaming Attacks can be replicated by taking a Dragonbane Gem or a Dragonhelm, and his Flaming Attacks can be instead given to the entire unit by simply taking a Flaming Banner in your unit. He does have a really cool Breath Weapon and he is still an Ogre, so he's rocking a stat line that is by far impressive, especially when compared to other casters. However, there is one irrefutable fact that the Firebelly cannot escape. He is a special Hero level caster, devoted to taking Fire magic. Fire magic just isn't all that impressive, and you'll be starting to wonder why you didn't just take another Iron Gut or two instead of this dude.

#2: Witch Hunter (Empire)
Again, I feel horrible talking about perhaps one of the coolest character units in the entire game, but this guy. I mean, this fucking guy. What makes the Assassin so good is that there's no real defense from him. It's the theory that you can't defend from a threat that you can't see. Even in an open list, there's still the ability to put him in any unit, making your opponent constantly guess where he's going to put his characters for fear of the Assassin coming out and shanking him. The Witch Hunter doesn't even really have that going for him. Yes, he can pick characters out of unit like a sniper and he can re-roll failed to-hits in a challenge with said character, but he's just so damned exposed that he's going to get killed right out. Also, at the end of the day he's a human with no armor. Also as a side note, MR is not a replacement for a Ward Save. His effect of being immune to Fear and letting a unit he's in treat Terror as Fear is nice, but again it's almost never going to change to outcome of a battle. His one saving grace, in my mind, is that he's not expensive even when fully kitted out. What puts him above the more expensive Firebelly is the fact that the Firebelly is still an ass-kicker and can cock-block a unit with the Flaming Banner. The Witch Hunter is a cheap assassin in plain sight. If I played Empire, I would take one, but only because I am such a sucker for the model and their fluff. Under no circumstance would I suggest taking this guy in a purely competitive Empire list.

#1: Dragon Slayer (Dwarfs)
Yes ladies and gents, we have reached the King of Crap, the Emperor of the Unusable, the Lord of Losers. Here he is, the Dragon Slayer. There was time when Slayers fucking ruled the universe in terms of chaff. In an army that struggled (and still kind of does even today) with chaff, the Slayer was the ultimate tool to keep your artillery pieces and flanks well protected. Now, they have fallen, and they have fallen hard. The problem with the Hero version of the Slayer, is many. First, he is 2.5 Skaven Slaves more expensive then a Thane. He has no armor and is sitting at only an Initiative of 3. He has a few nifty tricks up his sleeve, like the Slayer Axes, the Deathblow, and of course D3 wounds, but he's just so susceptible to be killed that he's a complete waste of points. BS based shooting will take this guy out. And he can't hide in a unit (unless the unit is all Slayers), so he's just going to have the shit blown out of him. Top this off with the fact that this guy is competing with two of the most viable character choices in the entire Dwarven book. The Runesmith and the Thane. Both of these choices are fucking phenomenal in practically any list you can build. The Dragon Slayer is so damned situational that he's just not really worth the points and time to stick him in the list, even if you're playing with End Times rules. What makes the Dragon Slayer the worst in this list is that unlike the other characters, he has no real purpose in the army. One can make the argument that the Skink Chief is a phenomenal war machine hunter and excellent chaff. You can argue that Shadowdancer can turn a small unit into a gore machine. You can prove that the Firebelly saves you the trouble of having to take Flaming Banner and Dragonbane Gem. You could kit out a Witch Hunter to be wizard killer and help anchor your battleline from Fear and Terror causers. The Dragon Slayer though has none of that. He doesn't improve the army, he doesn't do anything that you can't tactically go without, he's too expensive to be throwing away in a chaff role, and he's competing with two of your best characters. Bottom line, this guy is shit. Pure and simple shit. Unless you have a hard-on for the All Slayer Dwarf Army, then leave this guy at home.