Sphinx

When you ask if there are better deals out there do you mean in the Tomb Kings book or do you mean in all armies?

One interesting thing about the Sphinx is that it's a special choice. Most other armies as far as I know get their monsters from Lord or Rare points. We also have other interesting options in the rares as well.

Personally, If I am going to take a sphinx at all, I am taking at least 3. People always say he dies to easily. I agree, but their are ways around that problem. One way is to give your sphinx 15 wounds instead of 5.

For the triple of its price

the sphinx has gained reknown for its own. yet, I wonder, how would he compare to a hellpit, a hydra, a giant or a bonegiant (for the internal choice let's say )
and the sphinx being special is a good point indeed; hadn't considered that.

as a note, hellpit and hydra are 7th edition while sphinx is 8th. An interesting find- while most monsters with handlers got cheaper for the Storm of magic by about 30 points, the hydra just UP by about 30 or so for NO handlers...

As others have mentioned, taking several makes sense. Very few things do I take one, or the minimium, and have it excel.

2 or 3 running across the board helps ensure some make it. And when workign with another unit, this likewise helps keep it alive.

Jay

So what you're both saying is "I know its crap that's why I take three."

Seriously, 690 points to "ensure" one gets into combat while the other two are cannon fodder to "Insert Warmachine/Poison/lots of S3 Shooting Here" is madness.

460 points of special chaff to support one 230 monster (which isn't very good anyway) seems a terrible idea on paper, let alone the tabletop. for 650 points you can get 10 necrosnakes. 2 units of 5 or deathstar it up. Even put some command in there for underdog challenge and still come under 690 for the cats.

3 Sphinxes = 15 wounds, 5+ AS, 24 attacks, and 3 flame breaths. Oh and 3 thunderstomps.
2 x 5 (10) Necroknights w/ FC = 30 Wounds, 3+ AS, 52 attacks, S5 poison snakes, 10 stomps, possible underdog challenge too.

It really is a no-brainer. It sucks that the models for both sphinxes are so beautiful but in reality don't hold up to their point costings. Not to mention its only strength is its T8 which doesn't account for anything if you crumble... and 5 wounds isn't that much unless you're sure of winning combat. Getting charged, and taking 2 wounds is enough to make you crumble if the thing charging you has a solid ward save.

Having said all that, if you come up against an opponent who is all infantry no shooting no warmachines then you'll have fun, but I doubt you'll see to many.

I say if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Chaos (demons) now get a new monster that has a better armor save, a ward save, more wounds, moves waaaay faster, has a higher S Tstomp, is more effective at killing single models and heroes in units, has more options, can act like a war machine of choice and more, and the only "negative" compared to the sphinx is that it's "only" T7.

Seems to me that GW is continuing to show that they can learn from the mistakes of the TK book. It's just too late for the TK.


Ok, so, gloom aside, the new Soulgrinder does show how a monster should be done in 8th and it has come as part of a WD release. Maybe, just maybe, there will be a TK 'revitalization' when they eventually make a kit for the colossus/titan.


Sorry, but that's about as positive as I can be after seeing the soulgrinder.

Tonberry-
It's not a matter of "it sucks so take 2 or 3"
If it sucked you shouldnt be taking ANY!!!! Not more!

Its a matter that many things that are good you take more than one for better chance of success, cover more ground, etc.

Empire- take one cannon, or 2 or 3?

DElves take one Hydra, or 2?

Lizzies- take one Steggie, or 2 or 3?

VC- one Terroghiest, or 2? One wraith, or several?

Most successful lists I see enjoy taking several of a monster, warmachine, etc. This can help should you be out-deployed, facing a gun-line, whatever.

Much like minimum unit size. Take 10 TGuard? 10 skeles? You take more for better resilience, more options on the battlefield.

I agree with Scarab Lord, taking one unit of say 200 points to fulfill a specific, necessary roll in any competitive army is just asking for trouble. If your unit is neutralized, your gameplan is shot. The key is to go to with a large unit which cannot be easily destroyed or offering multiple unit which provide a similar threat so that your opponent has to destroy multiples. The chance of two ironblasters or two cannons destroying 2 sphynxes in two rounds is minimal. Add some other good targets (like Necroknights) and the choice for the opposing player becomes more difficult. By offering multiple similar threats you are putting much more pressure on your opponent and denying him easy decisions.

As far as monsters go, I here the same complaints from Ogre players. Monsters are generally considered subpar because they are easier to take out in one round than other units are. And those monsters march. The Necrosphynx (whatever else you might say about it) might as well march with its movement and attack range.

Maybe there'll be a WD supliment to let us use neron models. But yeah, I doubt this very much now that we're 8th. I was expecting all other races to have a "nerf" to being them into line with TKs, but we'll see.


At least the steam tank dropped to T6 from T10!

I agree with this as well, which is a factor in why I did my army Action Figure style.

I think most of us agree that spellcasting is vital to our success and that the Titan is one of two primary ways to make our spellcasting (in inherently risky part of the game) work better.

By flooding my field with Action Figures, my whole entire desire is that my opponents ignore the little man behind the curtain and focus on the stuff that's advancing. When my opponent has half a brain, he kills the Titan first and the rest of the game is pretty much downhill.

It's a real bummer to know that it's a bad idea to make your tournament success come down to one model, but to realize that you have to try anyway.

The idea is to have as many threats as possible. Similar to the concept of target saturation in 40k. In our army the hierophant is a good target. So is the hierotitan, sphinxes, chariots, etc.

When I look through other army books I think to myself "Wow, I can't believe how good some of these units are compared to my options." Those things in the enemy army that really scare you are prime targets for Magic, Cannons, assassination whatever.

When I make my lists I think to myself "what can I take that will truly scare my opponent." Now many people on this forum will laugh at that statement, but many people on this forum aren't winning either.

Finding a way to win with Tomb Kings requires great synergy, and a ton of experimenting. I haven't found all the answers myself either, but I'm working on it.

Just not right now, I'm in Hawaii.

I agree with this as well, which is a factor in why I did my army Action Figure style.

I think most of us agree that spellcasting is vital to our success and that at Titan is one of two primary ways to make our spellcasting (in inherently risky part of the game) work better.

By flooding my field with Action Figures, my whole entire desire is that my opponents ignore the little man behind the curtain and focus on the stuff that's advancing. When my opponent has half a brain, he kills the Titan first and the rest of the game is pretty much downhill.

It's a real bummer to know that it's a bad idea to make your tournament success come down to one model, but to realize that you have to try anyway.

I'm not sure the death of the Hierotitan can ruin a magic phase. I also think if your opponent is going to destroy yours then he is passing up more dangerous targets in close combat. I will agree with you though that its not worth it to duplicate the effects of the Hierotitan, since having 2 on the board is often no efficient.