[Archive] Sorcerer prophet on foot!

Archive [Archive] Tactics, Strategy & Battle Reports
1

Bassman:

Hello,

I’d love to discuss the best set up for a Sorcerer Prophet on foot!

I love the idea to have fighting sorcerer but well, the big question is: “improve his fighting skills or use him as a magician”?

For my first battle ever with FW list I tried this setting:

Level IV

Talisman 4+ ward save, item to repeat first miscast roll, sword of might and item giving 6+ save against warmachine fire.

I found him really resilient (T5, 4+ armor save, 4+ ward save) but not a great mage nor a great fighter (3 S5 attacks are ok but not really powerfull).

I do not think there is a way to make him a killing machine even tough his combat capabilities can be boosted by Voice of Hatred (I love this spell and the augmented version). So I choose Sword of Might, it’s cheap and give a little  of punch. Do you like another weapon/no magic weapon?

Do you suggest to go magic heavy? And how?

Let the discussion begin :hat off

2

zhatan87:

Mine : Talisman 5+ ward save, heal potion, enchanted shield, item to reroll first miscast.
One of the best set up I think : 2+ save, 5+ ward. Heal and telluric item for miscast going very easily when you want to throw the 6th spell… Maybe we can try without ward save but with the item which let him reroll armour save…

3

nilbog:

5+ ward is similar to re-rolling armour saves in cost (30pts vs 25 pts). Ward save is better against: spells that you don’t get an armour save against, weapons that don’t allow armour saves, cannon sniping, killing blow; re-roll is better against: any other close combat attack at less than strength 7 (which will probably be most things). I think it’s a matter of personal taste. For my high elves BSB I always take 2+ armour and 5+ ward as the ward is another level of protection that can’t be bypassed (by most things), while others swear by the re-roll.

4

Alan the evil:

your two different ways to set sorcerer prophet are the same I already think!

I started with bassman setting swapping slowly to zathan one…

bassaman: I suggest you to don’t use your sorcerer prophet for heavy magic.

Miscast is horrible. Even if he doesn’t explode you can damage seriously infantry he joins in. Or loose magic levels (so dispel power)

SP is very expensive, he gives Ld 10, +4 to dispel… that’s the main matter.

I use him with death lore to kill enemy’s characters… and he’s very good for this

5

nilbog:

I don’t think chaos dwarfs are cut out to dominate in the magic phase; consider armies that can:

high elves - Teclis or book of hoeth (any double causes irresistable force);

dark elves and high elves - both can take an item so that their level 4 knows 5 spells, i.e. they are more or less guaranteed to get the spell they want; both can increase the number of power dice easily;

daemons - for 165 points, they can have a level 2 that chooses any lore and knows all the spells in that lore, ignores the first miscast and has a 4+ ward.

All these armies have items in their army book that can boost their magic using abilities. We have the chalice, but that’s a defensive item rahter than offensive.

Anybody can take a power scroll, but vamps can make good use of it because they can fly and can know all spells from a lore, so its always going to be useful. Power scroll is not much use for chaos dwarfs, due to randomness of spell selection.

I still think a level 4, especially with death is good though. The signature spell, with Ld 10, is amazing. shadow is also good, especially combined with earthshakers/dreadquakes, again because the signature spell can slow other troops down.

But I wouldn’t overspend trying to dominate the magic phase, so I would have your level 4 as a multi-tasker. It’s not ideal, but I think its the best use for him.

6

zhatan87:

daemons - for 165 points, they can have a level 2 that chooses any lore and knows all the spells in that lore, ignores the first miscast and has a 4+ ward.
False. Not available to the herald.
We have the chalice, but that's a defensive item rahter than offensive.
I have always thought that it was an offensive item :
4+3 dices : 7 power dices.
-1D3 --> 2 dices.
5 dices against 2 dices. If the opponent have used its dispell scroll, you are pretty sure to throw THE spell you need.
If you are in defense, that's the same : it is easier for your opponent to throw one spell...
In case of double, it is even more obvious, you completely shut the dispel phase of your opponent...

To answer to the question of level 4 or not, in the FW list, no question as there is no other lord available... Shadow isn't available.
Lord of hashut seems to be the best lore for him.

In RH list, it is very different (but not the subject of this topic), and I'm thinking on going to level 1/2 rather than one level 4, because LD10 is too important to the army, and the level 4 can die too easily or speedly (miscast for example...)
7

nilbog:

Quote:
daemons - for 165 points, they can have a level 2 that chooses any lore and knows all the spells in that lore, ignores the first miscast and has a 4+ ward.
False. Not available to the herald.
Doh! Misremembered this bit - I must have been thinking of the greater daemon of tzeentch, not the herald. But a herald can still know every spell from, say, life, has a 4+ ward for 140 points.
Quote:
We have the chalice, but that's a defensive item rahter than offensive.
I have always thought that it was an offensive item :
I really mustn't rush these things at the end of dinner break, that's another mistake! Thanks for correcting it.
8

Norngahl:

Hello,
I'd love to discuss the best set up for a Sorcerer Prophet on foot!

I love the idea to have fighting sorcerer but well, the big question is: "improve his fighting skills or use him as a magician"?

For my first battle ever with FW list I tried this setting:

Level IV
Talisman 4+ ward save, item to repeat first miscast roll, sword of might and item giving 6+ save against warmachine fire.

I found him really resilient (T5, 4+ armor save, 4+ ward save) but not a great mage nor a great fighter (3 S5 attacks are ok but not really powerfull).

I do not think there is a way to make him a killing machine even tough his combat capabilities can be boosted by Voice of Hatred (I love this spell and the augmented version). So I choose Sword of Might, it's cheap and give a little  of punch. Do you like another weapon/no magic weapon?

Do you suggest to go magic heavy? And how?

Let the discussion begin :hat off

Bassman
I guess the Sorcerer Prophet on foot and his magical battle gear really depends on the special magic rules for chaos dwarves.

If the chaos dwarves sorcerers suffer an additional wound from a misscast in exchange for +1T then the potion of healing is almost mandantory. The "reroll misscast chart"-item might be worth it as well in this case.

If they only suffer a common misscast, I wouldn´t buy that potion of healing, but simply go for the 4+ ward and a good armour save. For 50 points you could get a 2+ AS and a 4+ Ward on your caster.. Not bad in my opinion! Throw a Sword of Might on top and you have a pretty good CC-support as well!

Personally I think the common arcane stuff somehow sucks.. to expensive and beside the dispel scroll or the power scroll they are rather useless, mainly because they are one use only items..

A sorcerer Lord on food with the mentioned CC-setup might find a good place with the Infernal Guard with fireglaives.. They hang back (because of the warmachines the sorcerer lord is responsible for too), are happy for some CC-support (they are still good on their own) and with Lore of Hashut they get hatred as well. A nasty and rock solid unit, even effective at small numbers!

Sure I know we only wanted to discuss Sorcerer Prophets on foot, but what about putting him on a Lammasu? He would be pretty save fromm all magic stuff thanks to MR3 and 4+ ward, would have a breath attack from the Lammasu, could fly around and eat smaller regiments or warmachines and meanwhile cast a few spells. Expensive, but great allround unit. Biggest problem I fear are those laser-aiming cannon balls..

Best Lores should be Metal and Lore of Hashut. Lore of Hashut is really easy to cast, often on just 2 dices, with hatred it has a great support signature spell and ash storm is just great. On the other hand, Metal really supports heavy armoured chaos dwarves. Either kill the expensive stuff of the enemy, or just increase armour to 1-3+ depending on the unit, make your troops lasting longer through weakening the enemy and so on.

Personally I think the chosen lore might also depend on the circumstance if the Chaos Dwarfes get a "laser"-cannon or not. Because from what we know by know, they might have some serious problems against monsters, except you take multiple deathshriker rocket launchers.. If that´s the only answer, death might come in handy too with LD10 and the rather short-ranged fighting style CDs.
9

Groznit Goregut:

I think the Great Taurus is really cool and tough, but I think the General needs to be with the troops. I’m thinking of going with some mobs of 50 Hobgoblins and a unit with the Banner of Slavery in a nearby Chaos Dwarf unit. Make sure the BSB and General nearby and you have a really big unit of Hobgoblins who are ItP, Steadfast, Ld 10, and BSB re-rolls. Give 'em 2 hand weapons and throw the hatred on them! Maybe a lesser buff from Fire or Metal to improve their to hit or to damage.

I’ve found a Magic Resistance item can be really useful, too. It boosts the Ward Save for the character against Death Magic (or any other crazy magic bit) and also gives the unit a ward save against magic. If I have a number of Hobgoblins, I bet my opponents will focus on the CD’s.

10

Baggronor:

I was looking at Trickster’s helm for a laugh - T5/6 will make him hard to wound. 50pts is probably too pricey though.

Would try for a 4+ ward if possible, and definitely Earthing Rod - blowing up IG is not good, nor is getting sucked into the warp with a pieplate.

Will probably plump for Enchanted Shield, 4+ Ward talisman (too much Killing Blow and Death magic around), Earthing Rod and keep the Darkforged Weapon. I’m not expecting great things from him in melee, he is no Vampire Lord.

…Sword of Anti-heroes and Breath of Hatred could potentially cause some amusing surprises though… no one will expect that…

11

Groznit Goregut:

I’ve greatly amused myself and surprised others with my Savage Orc Great Shaman in a unit of Savage Big 'Uns. I’ve given him the Fencer’s Blade, Lucky Shrunken Head (unit’s wards save turns into 5+) and Obsidian Trinket. If I can get off Fists of Gork (remains in play) early on, I can usually keep it. I will get 6 attacks at S9 in the first round. That takes people by surprise!

The MR turns their ward save into 4+. It’s come in very hand. You would need MR 2 at least for a CD unit.

I like the idea of +4 Ward talisman and Enchanted Shield. It’s one of the best combos you can go defensive with. I usually save it for my BSB, but looks like Armor of Destiny is his thing now.