Greg
As I said it was a bit of a flawed list, but the Warlock was crucial in it. It gave me farsight (triple retain), and an ‘engagement’ formation. I’m quite fond of Phantoms with twin pulsars. I’ll often use one and hang around my Blitz with it. Great Blitz guard, great BTS, enough range to effect the table from there with sniping, solid ground based AA in the rear area and a tough formation to engage. If I put it in this list, I’d like to replace other EoVs with ‘engagement’ formations - Aspects, Guardians and put in a farseer somewhere.
I usually don’t mind single EoVs, particularly Scorpions sitting at the back sniping, and pushing forward to mid table once the ground has been cleared. However, in this list, I think you’re going to have to use EoVs to clear that ground for themselves - and I don’t think single EoVs are up for the task.
I haven’t finished writing it up yet, but in the second game with Tau, that player used ‘Co-ordinated Fire’ to great effect to break single EoV formations in one activation. He won initiative turn one, activated three units with Co-ordinated fire and although I think he needed 7s to hit (and didn’t hit), he just placed the three blast markers for coming under fire and broke the formation. Then he retained and did the same thing to another single EoV...very cunning....
Sure, that’s a Tau ‘thing’ and not achievable with other armies with two activations! But it is doable over a number of activations. A 3 DC Warengine is hardier then a 3 unit formation, but only just. Because of this, I think using single EoVs to increase your activation count has a limit. Maybe it's just like a flood though and there will be too many of them to deal with adequately?
If I was to drop the Warlock, I think I’d take an EoV formation of two Storm Serpents with the Bonesinger and Farseer, two guardian formations with Farseer and three wraithguard and drop the single Scorpion. Maybe then I’d split up both of the Scorpion Formations but keep those scorpions deep and use them in a sniping role, and put the Cobras in a single EoV Formation. I think that’s ten activation's.
Not sure if that even adds up to less the 3000 points, nor am I particularly happy with it. That list would have a bunch of different flaws though as well. Almost no AA, Storm Serpents would be the BTS but also have to be up front getting shot at/engaged, still no scouts…..but I'm just playing theory-machine I suppose.
Maybe place a T&H within 30cm of the opponents Blitz and develop a Main Effort consisting of Storm Serpents and Cobras (with the Vypers and Shining Spears clearing out screens) and aim it at those two objectives? You’d really be telegraphing your intent though and I’m not sure it would work. You’d be relying on four Scorpions to hold your own blitz and objectives, protect your flanks….can’t see it at the moment….I’ll try it out though.
I might spam EoVs next time to check my theory, but I think it would be like having a whole army of 3 unit formations. I just can’t see it working at this stage. I will test though.
Ginger - you're comment has not been ignored. I'll just take some time to put my thoughts together.
Regards
Harry