I wanted to have some feedback from experts and seasoned AOS players about the Iron daemon !
Anyone of you had some experience with it?
Some interesting posts came up on internet, and sometimes thoughts were shared about CD’s miniatures !
I’ll quote Terry Pike from TGA
Iron Deamon War Engine: 200pts / unit size: 1 / wounds per model: 11
I added this one in here for completeness or the Chaos Dwarf shooting available, unfortunately I just can’t see anything good about it. The only thing is really has going for it is a 4+ save and 11 wounds. That’s really all it has to offer though. It has 3 lots of random rolls to contend with, random move, random number of shots and random number of attacks in combat. At 200pts this thing is honestly rubbish. It can be used to move the other artillery pieces I’ll be talking about next, which is situational at best, most of them have a very long shooting range anyway so it’s not really that useful unless you are trying to drag a Magma Cannon into range of something further up the table. Even if this thing gets maximum move, maximum shots and maximum attacks in close combat its still to expensive to justify putting it in a list. A Soul Grinder is 280pts and soooo much better value than this at 200!
Pros: Honestly I just can’t see anything good about this Warscroll
Cons: Random, Random, Random - to much randomness to pay good points for.
I tried to gather some information here and there, the main use looks like it is quite tanky and therefore is mainly used to block or imped your opponent movements, or to allow you to move around your magma canon.
I’ll quote ben curry :
I have a love/hate relationship with my Iron Daemon. I started off expecting far too much from The Little Engine That Could, but over time, it has become one of the stars of my army. I use it to drag my Magma Cannons into optimal shooting positions and then often use its sheer bulk to block off parts of the battlefield. You can funnel units through a gap in the terrain by parking the Iron Daemon in the right place. The enemy will have to kill it or go around it to get to the more vulnerable parts of the army. It has 11 wounds and a 4+ save, so if I get it into cover and cast Shield on it, its life expectancy becomes quite formidable. The Steam Cannonade does a good job of chipping wounds off the enemy, especially when they are up-close and you get to re-roll those missed hits.
Hi there, I hope to test it this week in a 1000 pts list. Unfortunately the formation with the ID doesnt fit in 1000 pts very well, but I plan to play the train anyway. I really like the model.<br>I will report asap.<br><br>edit: About the randomness: Your opponent doesnt know what comes up, too, so that can be an advantage. As long as the ID is unwounded you have a good chance on a reroll for all random stats, too.
Cannot help either, but my experiences from 8th and 9th are that the element of the unknown is on your side. For even when you explain all special rules and oddities, stats and synergies possible in the Chaos Dwarf army, it usually take a game or two for many opponents to truly get what the whole shebang is all about. I trust in the power of the mysterious for you in AoS as well.
This time it is different because in AoS there are not so many data involved.
It is kind of math hammer.
The Iron demon has an average of 8 (regarding the “More Power” Rule) shots at 4+/3+ (still unharmed), that are average 2,66 damage at rend -1, range 14" (under 6" distance 4,0 wounds). It costs 200 pts, has a save of 4+ and 11 wounds, move average 8" (regarding “More Power”). For mission objectives it counts as 1 model.
20 fireglaives have the same cost. They have a range of 16" which compensates a little of their slow movement of 4. But they have 20 shots on 4+/4+, that are 5,0 damage at rend-1 without the rather strong “Pyrelock” and “Bring down the beast” special rules, which bring up damage considerably. They take 20 wounds at save 4+ (9 better than the train) and can reroll saves of 1 against shooting.
In melee the ID does average 3 damage without rend (unwounded), the fireglaives depend on the situation how much of them can hit (10: average 1,66, 20: average 3,32)
So normally the fireglaives deal nearly double damage in shooting and can take nearly double wounds before they go down. Close combat maybe even. The only advantage of the train is the slightly better movement as long as it is unharmed. And fireglaives are line troops.
Sadly it isnt better and the train doesnt even have complicated special rules to hide its weaknesses ;).
edit: regarding this and the randomness it should cost max. 150 Points or it has to have much better stats (fx 2 damage per shot, 3+ save).
