Freakshow Tactica Part 1

Thank you

Good article man. I have used Cegorach's revenge and Dark Artisan together once. It was devastatingly close game (I won) against my buddy who plays tau competitively.

Amazing article!! Very helpful in collecting all the useful leadership debuffs together into one place. Very interested in trying this out myself.

Sigmaril wrote:

Sigmaril wrote:

Would this work?

Quote :

Cast of Players - Harlequin Formation [300]
Troupe w. 5 Harlequin's Caress (Warlord)
Death Jester w. haywire Grenades
Shadowseer w. ML 2, The Mask of Secrets

Dark Eldar - Combined Arms Detachment [550]
Archon w. Webway Portal, Phantasm Grenade Launcher, The Armour of Misery
Archon w. Phantasm Grenade Launcher, The Archangel of Pain
5 Kabalite Warriors w. Blaster, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon
5 Kabalite Warriors w. Blaster, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon
Raider w. Torment Grenade Launcher, Night Shields

Eldar - Combined Arms Detachment [767]
Farseer w. Eldar Jetbike
Warlock Council w. 5 Warlocks w. Eldar Jetbikes
Windrider Jetbike Squadron w. 3 Scatter Lasers
Windrider Jetbike Squadron w. 3 Scatter Lasers
3 Shadow Spectres w. Exarch upgrade, Shadow of Death
3 Shadow Spectres w. Exarch upgrade, Shadow of Death

Scalpel Squadron - Dark Eldar Formation [230]
5 Wracks, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon
5 Wracks, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon

Total - 1847

With everything working accordingly, this can yield a grand total of -12 to Ld!

I just tried a variation of this, but with Grotesques, aegis w. comms relay and Dark Artisan instead of Eldar (because I don't have eny Eldar models or the new codex yet).
I played against 1850 points of Tau. Riptide, 2x Broadsides w. drones, Crisis team with buff commander, 36 fire warriors, 20 pathfinders, 3 vehicles.
We played Hammer & Anvil, and he deployed far away from the board edges, because he feared the might of the Death Jester. He then had me go first. I deployed my Scalpel Squadron aggressively in order to distract him from the lone Lhamaean in the far corner with the comms relay. I didn't get first blood, and he demolished the formation with ease, but he couldn't reach the Lhamaean.
I got everything in on turn 2. Both troop venoms hit their targets, and unsurprisingly so did the 3 webway portals (1 w. dark artisan, 1 w. harlequins in raider, and 1 w. grotesques). After 2 psychic powers I fired the Archangel, and after that, the Riptide, both broadside units, both pathfinder units, and 20 fire warriors were dead. TOTALLY AWESOME!!!!! We were both quite speechless and shocked. I haden't even started shooting yet!!!
After my turn 3, all he had left were the 3 vehicles, and he surrendered.

I shudder to think what Eldar adds to this army as well.

Sure, I got lucky that he didn't bring Space Marines, and the bundling up centrally to avoid Death Jester shenanigans only to have more units in range of the Archangel were retrospectally a poor decision, but it was still amazing. I will definately try this army again.

Sigmaril - Would you mind sharing what you substituted in for the Eldar? I don't have any Eldar units either so will end up using more Dark Eldar and Harlequins instead. Although, those shadow spectres are making me want to pick up an Eldar hq and basic troops so I can drop the spectres into a list...they are brutal!

Sigmaril wrote:

Sigmaril wrote:

Would this work?

Quote :

Cast of Players - Harlequin Formation [300]
Troupe w. 5 Harlequin's Caress (Warlord)
Death Jester w. haywire Grenades
Shadowseer w. ML 2, The Mask of Secrets

Dark Eldar - Combined Arms Detachment [550]
Archon w. Webway Portal, Phantasm Grenade Launcher, The Armour of Misery
Archon w. Phantasm Grenade Launcher, The Archangel of Pain
5 Kabalite Warriors w. Blaster, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon
5 Kabalite Warriors w. Blaster, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon
Raider w. Torment Grenade Launcher, Night Shields

Eldar - Combined Arms Detachment [767]
Farseer w. Eldar Jetbike
Warlock Council w. 5 Warlocks w. Eldar Jetbikes
Windrider Jetbike Squadron w. 3 Scatter Lasers
Windrider Jetbike Squadron w. 3 Scatter Lasers
3 Shadow Spectres w. Exarch upgrade, Shadow of Death
3 Shadow Spectres w. Exarch upgrade, Shadow of Death

Scalpel Squadron - Dark Eldar Formation [230]
5 Wracks, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon
5 Wracks, in Venom w. Splinter Cannon

Total - 1847

With everything working accordingly, this can yield a grand total of -12 to Ld!

I just tried a variation of this, but with Grotesques, aegis w. comms relay and Dark Artisan instead of Eldar (because I don't have eny Eldar models or the new codex yet).
I played against 1850 points of Tau. Riptide, 2x Broadsides w. drones, Crisis team with buff commander, 36 fire warriors, 20 pathfinders, 3 vehicles.
We played Hammer & Anvil, and he deployed far away from the board edges, because he feared the might of the Death Jester. He then had me go first. I deployed my Scalpel Squadron aggressively in order to distract him from the lone Lhamaean in the far corner with the comms relay. I didn't get first blood, and he demolished the formation with ease, but he couldn't reach the Lhamaean.
I got everything in on turn 2. Both troop venoms hit their targets, and unsurprisingly so did the 3 webway portals (1 w. dark artisan, 1 w. harlequins in raider, and 1 w. grotesques). After 2 psychic powers I fired the Archangel, and after that, the Riptide, both broadside units, both pathfinder units, and 20 fire warriors were dead. TOTALLY AWESOME!!!!! We were both quite speechless and shocked. I haden't even started shooting yet!!!
After my turn 3, all he had left were the 3 vehicles, and he surrendered.

I shudder to think what Eldar adds to this army as well.

Sure, I got lucky that he didn't bring Space Marines, and the bundling up centrally to avoid Death Jester shenanigans only to have more units in range of the Archangel were retrospectally a poor decision, but it was still amazing. I will definately try this army again.

I like the list but better than the original one. Grot and DA gave you the tools to deal with a mechanized list. I fear your original list would be defeated by any list that keep his troops in transport.

Sensei wrote:

Sigmaril - Would you mind sharing what you substituted in for the Eldar? I don't have any Eldar units either so will end up using more Dark Eldar and Harlequins instead. Although, those shadow spectres are making me want to pick up an Eldar hq and basic troops so I can drop the spectres into a list...they are brutal!

I used this list:

Quote :

Cast of Players Formation
Troupe w. 5 Harlequin's Caress (Warlord, because awesome traits)
Death Jester w. Haywire Grenades
Shadowseer w. Mastery Level 2, Haywire Grenades, The Mask of Secrets

Dark Eldar CAD
Archon w. Shadow Field, Webway Portal, Phantasm Grenade Launcher, The Armour of Misery
Archon w. Shadow Field, Webway Portal, Phantasm Grenade Launcher, The Archangel of Pain
Court of the Archon w. 1 Lhamaean
5 Kabalite Warriors w. Blaster, in Venom w. Chain Snares, Splinter Cannon
5 Kabalite Warriors w. Blaster, in Venom w. Chain Snares, Splinter Cannon
4 Grotesques w. Aberration upgrade
Raider w. Dark Lance, Torment Grenade Launcher, Night Shields
Aegis Defence Line w. Comms Relay

Scalpel Squadron Formation
5 Wracks w. 2 Liquifier Guns, in Venom w. Chain Snares, Splinter Cannon
5 Wracks, in Venom w. Chain Snares, Splinter Cannon

Dark Artisan Formation
Haemonculus w. Liquifier Gun, Webway Portal
Talos
Cronos w. Spirit Probe

1st archon joins the harlequins in the empty raider, 2nd archon joins the grotesques.

I played the list again last night against Necrons (non-decurion) with a barge-lord, 10 tesla immortals, 20 gauss warriors, doomsday cannon, the spider-like walker-thing, annihilation barge, 6 wraiths and c'tan formation with 2 cryptecs giving them T8 and FNP.

We played Hammer & Anvil, and I deployed far back with only the Lhameaen behind LOS blocking terrain with the Comms Relay. I also deployed both troop choises to shield the Lhameaen, to prevent her being killed by the barge lord before comming into effect. I then gave him first turn.

When his fist two turns had passed, I had lost one venom, 8 Wracks, and one unit of Kabalites. Then came my reserves. I missed with the psychic powers (only had Psychic scream of any worth), but it didn't matter. When my shooting phase was done, all he had left was his barge lord (which had failed to kill my charging Lhameaen, so was tied up for an additional turn on my now empty backline), his annihilation barge, the doomsday cannon (sans the big gun, which was taken out by a lucky lance), the walker, and the wraiths, since they were locked in combat with 1 fearless Wrack on the other half of the table. He did nothing on his turn 3 except win both his close combats (poor wrack and Lhameaen) and immobilize the raider. By my turn 3 I got to assault. Harlequins took out the walker easily (old-school rending is awesome), Grotesques took out the Doomsday cannon, and Dark Artisan took on the wraiths, killing a couple and taking no wounds in return. I enden up killing all but the barge lord, who decided to stay in my deployment zone to secure linebreaker and an objective, and denying me a tabling and a warlord kill.

What was your mission? Did you pull out a victory?

Anyone considered adding a Legion of the Damned detachment of 1 unit where the sergeant has the Animus Malorum?

(For those who do not know what it does; one of the 2-3 things it does is that, whenever an enemy unit w/in 12" fails a morale/pinning or fear test, one random model in that unit is removed as a casualty, with no saves of any kind allowed. (IIRC, Riptides aren't fearless   ).)

Nope, but it's a good idea for a future article!

Jimsolo wrote:

What was your mission?  Did you pull out a victory?

Around here we always play mixed missions. One eternal war and one maelstrom.
In this case Crusades and Cloak and Dagger.
It was a major win. 18 - 8

how effective is the freakshow against marines?

MarcoAvrelis wrote:

Anyone considered adding a Legion of the Damned detachment of 1 unit where the sergeant has the Animus Malorum?

(For those who do not know what it does; one of the 2-3 things it does is that, whenever an enemy unit w/in 12" fails a morale/pinning or fear test, one random model in that unit is removed as a casualty, with no saves of any kind allowed. (IIRC, Riptides aren't fearless   ).)

Problem with that is that it applies to any enemy unit and, from the LotD perspective, that includes the rest of your own units. Probably not a big deal as they aren't subject to the Ld penalties that you build your list around but still worth bearing in mind.

PainReaver wrote:

how effective is the freakshow against marines?

Soulfright doesn't work on them, and Terrify has limited effect, but most of the other abilities work just fine. Psychic Shriek, f'rex. The Ld of most SM squads is usually 8, so it can be pretty brutal.

You've also got access to lots of poison shots and AP 1-3, so it isn't hard to work marines over.

Thought I'd talk about this a second. Charges have been leveled against me since I started doing Freakshow tactics. I have been described by my charitable detractors as "gimmicky," and less charitably described as a "cheese weasel."*

It's been my experience that most lists are built around a gimmick. At least most of the good ones. Whether it's teleporting sternguard, multi-deep striking Farsight, massed AP 2, or cheap, plentiful D weapons, the best lists usually have one 'keystone' gimmick that sets them apart. And I don't think this is limited to 40k. WHFantasy, Clix, every CCG I've ever seen, all have one thing in common: building a solid list/army/deck is easy. Building one that stands out from the pack is much more difficult. It isn't enough to have a solid TAC build, you have to have something the other guy doesn't: preferably something he hasn't seen a million times before, or at least something he hasn't mastered fighting against.

I think it's sad that the Haemonculus Covens lists get singled out in this regard. Stacking Freakish Spectacle is a rule that I don't think could be clearer, (if it was only supposed to be -1 with no stacking, what would be the point?) and it certainly isn't any more 'cheesy' than Farsight Bombs, Decurions, Scatterbike Spam, Buffmander, Grimoire-demon-stars, or masses of Imperial Knights.

I think 'focus' is maybe a better word than 'gimmick.' And in that regard, I think that generic TAC lists tend to fold like cheap suits when stacked up against lists with a good focus. The challenge isn't to create a list without a focus, but to create a list that has both good focus and the ability to meet a wide variety of challenges. A focus isn't a crutch: it's what sets great lists apart from good ones.**


*(Note: although this originated with something Mush said in a different thread, no one should take this as a challenge to Mushkilla in any way. I consider his tactical advice to be both useful and well thought out, and I am certain he didn't intend any offense; I don't intend any offense either.)

**(Note: This shouldn't be construed as meaning I think Freakshow lists are automatically great, only that I'm trying to develop a great list.)

I have started to tinker with the freak show since I listened to the podcast, it was always something in my mind but I finally tried it.

I love it, I have had two games using simple leadership things and I have loved it, one was against space wolves and the shrieks worked awesome. The other against necrons! And their lack of fearless really frustrated my decurion opponent being able to pin units and get trough some of their crazy resiliency.

I can't wait to continue trying more and more and it fits really well with my one spirit army! Combination of everything.