Rune Priest JottW - Best Death Toll to date!

[ChainsawDR]

Hi all,

 

Just wanted to share with you the tale of my Rune Priest Kelvig, who single handedly annihilated a Tyranid army earlier today.

 

Here's the list I used...

 

5 GH with MG & Razorback with LC & TLPG & Rune Priest - LL & Jaws

5 GH with MG in Razorback with LC & TLPG & WG, PF & Combi-M

5 GH with MG in Razorback with LC & TLPG & WG, PF & Combi-M

5 GH with MG in Razorback with LC & TLPG & WG, PF & Combi-M

Lone Wolf, TDA, SS, CF & 2 Wolves

MM/HF Dreadnought with Drop Pod

5 Long Fangs with 4xML

6 Swift Claws, PF & HB AB + WG on Bike & PF

 

Total: 1497

 

and here's what I was up against...

 

HQ:

Tyranid Prime, LW/BS, Toxin Sacs, Regeneration

Tyranid Prime, LW/BS, Toxin Sacs, Regeneration

 

Elites:

Hive Guard Brood (2)

Hive Guard Brood (2)

Hive Guard Brood (2)

 

Troops:

Termagant Brood (10)

Tervigon, Onslaught, Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs

Genestealer Brood (9), Toxin Sacs

Genestealer Brood (9), Toxin Sacs

 

Heavy Support:

Carnifex Brood (1), Twin-Linked Devouers (Brainleech) *2, Regeneration

Carnifex Brood (1), Twin-Linked Devouers (Brainleech) *2, Regeneration

 

I've been REALLY successful with this army as it has a lot of threats (I used to have a smaller biker squad and a Thunderwolf Iron Priest but it was a glass hammer - so I beefed up the bikers and added a Lone Wolf). The Bikers are unbelievably effective, taking home the MVP award 9 times out of 10. But this time it was Kelvig who came away with 'MVP of ALL TIME'.

 

So the turn before RP Kelvig was standing with 5 Grey Hunters and he lined up Jaws on a Fex and Prime, only to fail his psychic test (I thought it was going to be one of those days). The following turn the Nid player poured fire into some other squads first, and then poured a lot of fire into Kelvigs squad - taking out all 5 grey hunters and a wound off Kelvig. When he was last man standing and with only one wound left, his Hive Guard caused 3 wounds - Kelvig saved them all.

 

Here was the start of my turn 2... We were playing capture and control and I rolled for my bikers from reserve and they came in, my plan was to use the bikers and Red GH squads to take out the Genes that had outflanked me before Red squad secured my objective. This only being turn 2, everything else would stall the Nid line and I could fall everything back to secure my objectve whilst my bikers turbo boosted around the board to clear my opponents objective, along with the help of the empty pod's Storm Bolter that I'd dropped there and the vast amount of Long range fire that this army has (I'd then win 1 objective to 0).

 

http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h468/ChainsawDR/40k/RP1.png

 

So I brought my bikes on, then moved the RP to line up on SEVEN Nids...

 

http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h468/ChainsawDR/40k/RP2.png

 

My opponent then rolled... 6,3,6,6,5,5,5 to leave the battlefield looking like this...

 

http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h468/ChainsawDR/40k/RP3.png

 

With my Bikes about to Rapid fire 14, rerollable bolter shots and 3 HB's into the Genes, and along with Grey Hunter Red squad ready to mop up whats left - my opponent understandably conceded at this point.

 

I felt a little bad as it was devastating, but again every codex has its strengths and weaknesses and I wouldn't have left my best units in a line without making certain that the RP was lying in the red snow.

 

Kelvig's left Ale in the corner brothers, help yourselves!

 

ChainsawDR

[ChainsawDR]

btw - I don't think Jaws is broken as it's a waste in a tourney when you come up against high Init armies like Eldar. Some armies it affects more than others... if you're a Nid player and you're up against a Rune Priest, you understandably make it a high priority target - I dont think my opponent did this and he paid a very high price for it.

 

ChainsawDR

[nurglez]

I've played 2 games vs Commander Sasha's ratnids, and in my first game he asked if i had a rune priest, I do normally take one but with MH and LL, I do believe that jaws is over balanced against certain armies, hell on a 3+ his tervigon is dead, just like that.

 

Especially using it along side arjac (which I'm tempted to use vs my friend who often runs 2 daemon princes, just to annoy him :rolleyes: ).

 

is this a balanced list? do you always take jaws or did you choose it when you knew you were fighting nids? (an honest question, not implying anything ^^ )

[ChainsawDR]

fair question - I always take Living Lightning and Jaws, never even tried anything else.

[Simo429]

If I were taking two rune priests I would take Jaws one no.

 

That being said more and more Deamons armies in tournaments have 2 Greater Daemons of Nurgle and plenty of nurglings, love to have Jaws on them.

[Marshal Wilhelm]

If I were taking two rune priests I would take Jaws one no.

 

Yoda, is that you?

[The Rose Princes]

for a 1500 point list that was a horrible composition the tyranid player was using... not for space wolves, but for anyone but maybe IG. he deserved to die that badly just so he'll look over his list properly next time.

 

nice spacial awareness to see that set up, next time hope you can pick up the spare.....

[Orphus]

fair question - I always take Living Lightning and Jaws, never even tried anything else.

I've got one for you. Do you use a program to make those battle sheets or do you just scratch build them in something like paint?

...and good job on those Xenos!

[Niiai]

On a rough estamate that spill tok out 715 points of units. Eather way how he deploys you can pretty mutch garante to take out a carnifex and some guards no matter how the tyranid player deploys his units. With the exeption of all the regenration his list is actualy very good for a 1500 point list.

 

One spell takes takes out 45% of his units in one turn is not very balanced. Yes he did deploy very bad, but if you are a tyranid player vs a SW player you will notice that jaws is to good. Yes it does little against an eldar, but when one spell slaughers armies whole something is wrong. Imagine having 3 Rune Priests with Jaws in 3 rhinis sniping out of the hatch at a 2000 point game vs a tyranid it is ridicules. That spell alone is enough not to go with tyranids to a tournament. And that is just not very good for the health of the game.

[Freman Bloodglaive]

Well I generally field a rune priest with murderous hurricane, and another utility power that is generally either tempests wrath, living lightning or jaws. I haven't actually used jaws much, but dropping a Chaos Lord down a hole was good for a laugh. "6" There you go.

[MaveriK]

i love the visuals brother! thank you

[ChainsawDR]

On a rough estamate that spill tok out 715 points of units. Eather way how he deploys you can pretty mutch garante to take out a carnifex and some guards no matter how the tyranid player deploys his units. With the exeption of all the regenration his list is actualy very good for a 1500 point list.

 

One spell takes takes out 45% of his units in one turn is not very balanced. Yes he did deploy very bad, but if you are a tyranid player vs a SW player you will notice that jaws is to good. Yes it does little against an eldar, but when one spell slaughers armies whole something is wrong. Imagine having 3 Rune Priests with Jaws in 3 rhinis sniping out of the hatch at a 2000 point game vs a tyranid it is ridicules. That spell alone is enough not to go with tyranids to a tournament. And that is just not very good for the health of the game.

 

Very true, and I get the jist of what you're saying and for the most part I agree with it - but every army has models or powers that are 'too' good - saying that the potential of someone taking Jaws would stop me taking Nids to a tourney is too far for me.

 

To me, 160pts for a 6 wound model with a toughness of 6 (making it immune to instant death) and a 3+ armour save is 'too' good. Throw in that that model has the ability to generate numerous extra models - it's effectively turning equal point games into unequal point games. I've played Nids before where a Tervigon has spawned over 30 models - that turned our 1500 game into a 1650 vs 1500 game. Throw in that within 12" you have to roll the psychic test on 3 dice (making it statistically likely to fail and render Jaws useless) and any roll of double 1's or 6's means a peril of the warp and my sympathy of the situation begins to dissipate.

 

A 3 Rune Priest army would love to come up against Nids, but they'd probably get eaten alive by every other army there.

 

Not trying to be arsey or anything - I enjoy a good natured debate!

[Niiai]

The 3 Rune Priest army would still be good against other armies as well. 3 might be a lott, but between them they have plenty of other powers to make them good. There are other armies they are good against as well. As a tyranid player I dare you to try to play a game with them vs 2 or more Jaws. It is really hard and a bit unfear.

 

I agree that the trevigon is a good model in the nid codex, but moastly because it fits the zynapse problem with how the current codex performs in a mech enviorment. The trevigon intself is not very good at 160 points, you need to beef it up to 185 with the feel no pain and toxic sacks. And even if you throw 7-8 krak missiles into it (or plasma shots anything will do) you not only kill the trevigon but moast of the units he has hatched as well thanks to the backlash. And with an I of 1, 3 attacks and a WS of 3 a lott of armies have a good chanche to kill it in close combat as long as they do not use dreadnoughts.

 

But a 100 point model that is very good vs moast armies, has one of the moast reliable ways to deal with psycic power that can singel handedly one shot 715 points in one shot, and he can do it again the next round and the round after that do not seem to me like a good game balance. Nothing else in the game comes closer, and that includes surounding a landraider with gargoyles and a licktor and deepstriking a mawlock in there to kill it because it does not have a place to land. That alone takes a good amount of manovering and only kills around a 450 points. And it is quite easy to awoyd.

 

Neather does a long fangs plasma cannon team that lays down pie plates on 2 5 man squads of temrinators that has just arived form deep strike and rolled a 1 on the run move.

 

Jaws is just to unbalanced. If you can't admitt it then you are in denial.

[G. A. K.]

I think we're over looking the fact that the nid player couldn't roll less than a '5' on six out of seven rolls. yeah it can kill anything but most things you really want to kill take a six. I'm sorry but a one in six shot isn't that tough. there are ways around it just like lash has ways around it too. nothing is that unstopable when you think about it. there are games that I can't even kill a carnifex with it because he rolls a one just in time, but I've also killed Scarbrand then a bloodthirster in two turn. mostly its just a shot in the dark but I do love how it can level out our lack of serious shooting options.

[Tulkas]

What did you use to show the battle report with? I assume you didn't just Photoshop that image up just to tell us about your JotWW now did you?

[Hazelnut]

Looks like Vassal to me.

[Hear da Lamentation]

I don't see Jaws is overpowered at all. There are loads of powers within the game that you could argue are "too good". The opponent shouldn't have picked so many low initiative troops, shouldn't have lined them up nciely within 24" of the RP to allow him to do Jaws. Should have been within 12" so the RP had to roll 3 dice .... etc etc etc.

 

Also as has already been said ... he rolled really really badly. The likelyhood of that happening again is ridiculously low. This was just a mix of luck and bad tactics, so well done Kelvig.

 

When I play against the Nids, the Tervigon usually is cheap, hides behind something to negate line of sight - and pumps out massive numbers of fast moving troops. Have 2 of them ... even 3 and winning an objective game against them is nigh on impossible. Is that too good?

 

Jaws is great, but it I certainly can't agree it is "broken".

[The Son of Russ]

lol i remember when i first showed my m8 jotww.he demanded to look at my codex, and believed he should have an invun. I used it against black templars and used it on his marshal or something, i think its name was wilhelm. Having the world swallow it into his jaws made me laugh. My friends reaction made it priceless.

[Freman Bloodglaive]

Jaws is a powerful ability, but to be honest I think murderous hurricane is better still. Potentially causing wounds when it hits, and then every time the target unit attempts to move and assault, and it slows them down and reduces their initiative to 1 when they charge if they don't have assault grenades? That's pretty nasty.

 

Take a Rune Priest with both to handle every situation.

[Niiai]

Yeah murderus huricane is funn. :-) Espesialy from a rhino hatch. :cuss

 

Hear da Lamenta how big is your friends trevigon? It should be quite hard to hide. Anyway, just take jaws and aim it at the gargoyle or whaever is in front of it and you will snipe it dead. It has a I of one. ;)

[Hear da Lamentation]

Thanks Niiai. My main target for Jaws is usually his Hive Guard and the Tervigon ... which is why they are usually hiding behind a large hill or building. Good point on hitting something in front of the building .... but he usually is canny and makes sure there's no-one in front of them.

 

As we discussed in another post - a ruin totally screws Jaws over ... get onto a storey of a ruin and it's useless (which we usually have on our tables.)

 

It's good - but I also love MH. My two usual powers are MH and Jaws. I virtually never take LL now (but then I never face anyone with vehicles of AT11).

[Niiai]

I usualy never take Jaws because I do feel that it is to good, although i gues it depends in the enviorment you play your games in. My friend and I frown on bad sportmanship and things that let you lose to luck (like the doom of malentie eather it is 200 points of goodnes when the scatter dice hits or it is just 200 points of fail.) That was no ment as a rant, I understand very well why someone would take Jaws in a cheesaly competetive enviorment.

 

I usualy take living lightning and murderush huricane. I would love to try out thunderclap and fury of the wolf spirits one time as well but I never find the right list for it.

[Hear da Lamentation]

Similar for me really. If we feel a rule to be unfair, we ignore it. Until the new codex came out for the Nids, I forwent using Jaws because I feared it would be too good. I don't have that worry now with the new codex. Something I HAVE implemented though is the totally inconsistent ruling where the 12" 3d6 psychic test (can't remember the name) doesn't effect the RP if he is in a vehicle. This doesn't make any sense to me because I can't think of anything else like it. Our Runeweapon still works inside vehicles. Still affects other psych users if they are inside vehicles. The rule just makes no sense. So I ignore it.

[Decoy]

Meh. Jaws ain't bad. It's pretty much circumstantial, or the equivalent of taking a Lasgun shot at a Carnifex and hoping it does some damage. It's VERY variable, and there's a really good chance that any fun things you want to kill will need to roll a 5 or 6 to die (Unless you Hammarjac them first.)

 

Jaws -might- be considered powerful/overpowered against one thing, and one thing only. Carnifexes. If a specific power/ability is only uberpowerful against ONE armytype, that sounds pretty balanced to me.

[Niiai]

It is moastly the trevigon, carnifex, hive guard, zoanthropes and venomthropes and the tyranofex that suffers the worst from the power. Pyroworse never se play and biovores can usualy hug the back center of the board. Killing a 60 point unit is fine but if you put the rpiest in a drop pod and land him you can line up a trevigon and a hive guard no problem and then you kill 300 points of units with your 100 point almoast garanteed. At least a melta drop pod vs a landraider you usualy suecide and there is a high chanche that it will not work.

 

"Jaws -might- be considered powerful/overpowered against one thing, and one thing only. Carnifexes. If a specific power/ability is only uberpowerful against ONE armytype, that sounds pretty balanced to me. " I do not agree with you here. Jaws is decent againt moast armies, good against necrons and very good against tyranids. You measure how good the power is wrongly. If you where to only play nids vs SW and the SW takes that power 2 to 3 times depending on the point of the game you would pretty fast se how good it is. Nothing else in the game has that potensial for the small amount of points ivested. Perhaps it comes down to a badly witten nid codex since the nid codex usualy has the trevigon and the hive guards as mandatory. Hive guards because you need to stop land speeder and transports etc and the trevigon because there are very few good ways to get zynapse in the current enviorment.