Shadow Wars Wych Cult tactics

Has anyone got a game in yet? Blade venom seems really useful in a close combat oriented s3 force. Also, given that splinter pistols are 20 points are they going to be worth it for a starting force?

Provided it was up for 10 minutes on sale? Nope, hasnt got it, and there will be some time till i will. Probably im not the only one with such situation.

I was looking at that too! It seemed like spamming chain hooks with blade venom would be the most efficient tactic. It becomes a rend -3, re roll wound, unparryable weapon. Vs a razorflail. which is -1, re roll wound, unparryable weapon for 10 more points and only available to blood brides.

Got a couple games in this weekend. You are pretty much right on the money.

Every model should just be rocking chainhook, blade venom, and mirrorhelm for max efficiency.

We are still debating how the parry works vs Chainhood/wych knife combo. We rolled the extra attack as a seperate die that could be parried. You could just splurge on the extra chainhook to get around it.

I think with that in mind, I'd probably only ever run the Haemonculus SpecOp for the extra combat drug.

I'm also thinking that upgrading to shardnet/impaler would be better later in campaigns when you start seeing more specialty weapons/models, but not to start with.

My GW had a 'demo' of it yesterday. Seems pretty decent but I watched a harlie kill team get gunned down rather quickly. I think spamming cheap units backed up by a few hard hitters could work well.

Do we have a mac unit count?

Is parry worth the 20pt mirror helm? Idk how parrys work

We should just run a lot of recruit wyches as fodder to get siren into combat, and have her supported by wyches with venom chain hooks.

Am I wrong or do wyches lack both fnp and Dodge?

I'm dumb. Found it on the wychsuit.

Going to be doing a learning event at my LGS on Saturday. Anyone with the core book who can tell me if my list is legal?

Looking at the pdf of rules for other army kil teams, only certain ones have a kill team unit min/max Genestealers have a 3-15 model while wych cults don't have that number at all. Not sure if this means they have no max numbers or what though. Skitarii as well have a 3-15 but chaos marines again have no min max numbers. It's strange but maybe we'll get told why certain armies do and why others don't have this limitation.

Pdf for reference

https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/ShadowWar/SWA_Killteams_ENG.pdf

In that case, I think we will want at least 9 models, that way we don't have to bottle test until 3 wyches are downed.

Also, the rules make combat drugs better, leadership for bottle tests and initiative for falling.

At 1000 points you'd be pretty bare bone to bring 9 girls.

siren w agoniser 195
wych w venom chain hook 100
wych w venom chain hook 100
wych w venom chain hook 100
wych w venom chain hook 100
recruit 70
recruit 70
recruit 70
recruit 70

leaves 125 points to play around with. run them in pairs, stay in cover until the charge, where the recruit goes first to soak bullets.

Mind you, ive never played so this could be a terrible strategy

I personally can't be happy giving no guns to them.

didnt even realize they didnt get splinter pistols standard. but honestly they are going to be running most of the time. I'm more annoyed that I'll either have to model them with pistols only to say they have no guns or model them without and then they dont work for 40k

Actually, you're probably right. Having some shooting will help keep enemies pinned. Forgot about that rule. Too bad we can't hit the 9 for some nice MSU but pistols seem the best way to keep us alive while we reach CC

Unless stated otherwise, kill teams are 3-10 models if I remember correctly. 1 leader, up to 2 specialists (blood brides), and up to half can be recruits.

Here's a quick run down of combat so you can decide for yourself.
Each model rolls D6 equal to Attacks
Add WS
Add modifiers( +1 charge, +1 higher ground, +1 each 6 rolled +1 each 1 opponent rolls)
Compare the totals, the winner inflicts the difference in hits.
roll to wound
make saves

You can get an additional D6 for pair weapons, BUT then hits have to be split between the weapons.

Parry, allows you to have an opponent re-roll the highest dice only if their dice roll is higher than yours.

If you are in 1v1 combat, when someone takes their last unsaved wound, they are out, no rolling on the chart like shooting.

So the Agoniser does d3 damage, but you often overrun with hits and wounds. It would always put an opponent wounded by it out, but 1v1 that happens anyhow. So it really is a bad buy compared to a chain hook and blade venom that allows a re-roll to wound.

So I think just double chain hook and blade venom is optimal, the mirror helm is just helpful to make sure you win more combats.

pistols don't give an additional attack in close combat right? Might be some benefit to having "Shooty" wyches to pin enemies and the others to fight melee

I was actually more swayed by your thinking of dropping all guns because they will be running.

I think a middle ground will be best. Half a force of melee equipped debutante and half will be fully loaded wyches.

A first wave second wave approach where debutante run ahead while wyches advance while trying to keep as many pinned as they can. Also, knowing now how CC works, ws 3 is not a huge hindrance, thus I would really only use wyches for pistol duty. That being said, in a campaign just replace your debutante as they become wyches.

Quick list concept at 1000 points

Syren with blade venom chain hook and splinter pistol

5 debutante with blade venom chain hook

3 wyches with blade venom chain hook and splinter pistol

That's 4 shooting models and 5 distractions with every model a capable melee threat. Which also reaches the 9 man sweet spot. Well darn, from what I'm reading (haven't seen it myself) you can't have more than half your team be recruits? Anyone can confirm?

Here's mine

Syren with Shardnet and Impaler
Wych with Splinter Pistol, Chain Hook and Blade Venom
3 x Wych with Splinter Pistol and Blade Venom
4 x Debutantes with Chain Hook and Blade Venom

Debutantes in first line, in pairs, running and/or moving through cover until charging. Wyches behind, in cover while moving and shooting until charging. Syren goes hunting CC specialists, maybe leaders, or simply joins multiple combat.

I can't say how I will change mine because of my uncertainty about the number of new recruits.Even if it is half is it rounded up or down? I mean half of 9 is 4.5 after all.

RedRegicide wrote:

didnt even realize they didnt get splinter pistols standard. but honestly they are going to be running most of the time. I'm more annoyed that I'll either have to model them with pistols only to say they have no guns or model them without and then they dont work for 40k

That's not a problem. Wyches don't work in 40K anyway!

So in light of not being able to have more than half your team be new recruits this will be my list.

Syren 150
-chain hook 10
-blade venom 10
-blast pistol 50
-220

Debutant 70 ×4
-chain hook 10
- blade venom 10
-90

Wyches 80 x2
-chain hook 10
-splinter pistol 20
-110

Wyches 80 x2
-chain hook 10
- blade venom 10
-100

The 2 pistol wyches drop the blade venom and move with the syren up the board preceded by the 4 recruits. The 2 melee wyches take flanks or skulk looking to charge or counter charge.

Thoughts?

Considering the penalties to shooting hit rolls due to cover, running, etc, the fact that you can go "undetectable" and still move 6", and that you can charge 12" even from out of LOS (initiative 6, movement 6), I feel it will be a pleasure to play wyches in this game.

Pistols do give an extra attack, but I believe they are just considered a straight strength weapon.

The other thing to consider when building your kill team, is if you only have recruits left on the table, they automatically bottle; and if for some strange reason you only have recruits left in your kill team after a game, it disbands.

Well the enemy has to shoot the closest model. You should never only have recruits left.

Not really strange new recruits cutting and bailing after a defeat, they've no experience and no one to keep them in line.