The Return of The Coven - T9A 2.0

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Avicii
Posts: 304
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 2:11 am
Location: QLD, Australia

The Return of The Coven - T9A 2.0

#1 Post by Avicii »

G'Day All,

It has been a really long time since I have posted on Ulthuan. Like many I left the game with the death of 8th edition as I was unsure of the transition to AoS or T9A. I have since been keeping an eye on the movement of T9A from time to time and as I see support growing and rules settling I decided to finally learn the new rules and return to the battle field.

now I will mention I feel nowhere near as experienced with T9A as I was the day I left 8th ed so my rules knowledge and general opinions are a little uneducated.

I am writing this thread to hopefully build on a competitive list that I will enjoy playing. I am very much a lover of Magic so my list will initial be strongly reliant on this phase of the game. From my understanding the common competitive lists for HBE at this point involves the use of a "FW block" which is not really my style.
The idea of the "Coven of Light" for HE was originally born here on Ulthuan most commonly document by the user Brewmaster D. It started in 8th ed (7th ed Army book) and had excellent synergy for the HE. Some would place the original list into the "broken" basket, nevertheless it was enjoyable to play so I have therefore based my first T9Alist around this build.

the List:

Mage(Master)
Honor:Asfad Scholar, Path: Divination, Armour: Gleaming Robe, Artefacts: Book of Meladys - 655

Mage
Path:Divination, Artefact: Sceptre of Power - 265

Mage
Path:Divination, Artefact: Binding Scroll- 280

Commander(BSB)
Shield,Dragonforged Armour - 225

Archers(12) - 206

Archers(14) Musician - 262

Sea Guard (20) Musician, Champion, Standard Bearer - 605
BannerEnchantment: Banner of Becalming

Elien Reavers (5) Bows - 190

Elien Reavers (5)Bows - 190

Sword Masters (14) Musicianand Standard - 400

Lion Guard (24)Musician, champion and Standard - 743
BannerEnchantment: Navigator's Banner

Giant Eagle - 100

Sea Guard Reaper - 185

Sea Guard Reaper - 185

Total Points: 4491

Magic

Starting with the most important topic.
Firstly Spell duplication is obviously required for this list as the number of learned spells exceeds the available. I understand that the same spell cannot be cast twice in a single magic phase, but may two Mages have the same spell?

Spells would most likely be chosen as H & 1, 2 and 3 for the Mages and 2, 4, 5 and 6 for the master.
The master will gain +12” (aura 9”) to all spells obviously increasing the effectiveness of early magic phases.

The lowest Flux card will still allow me to have +2 PD over the opponent. The BoM should see that on average I am successful with a minimum 2 spells per turn(more with the luck of the dice). Playing the percentage game spells will only require 2-3 dice to cast making for some good magic support. However with the removal of Lost Focus and the support of BoM and Spectre I can attempt some spells with one dice to draw the opponents dice.
The lackof damaging magic (in most of the Paths) is a major concern that magic may well take a back seat for most armies..

In coming posts I will aim to break down the magic phase for this list further and in particular each spell.

Unit Selection

Core is fairly standard. I find the Sea Guard a little pricey for what they provide,however I am looking to give them a trial run. The Guard will act as a primary bunker for the mages along with the archers to spread out the valuables.
I do feel a little light on shooting. I would have liked to fit in possibly another Reaper or perhaps some Queen’s bows.

Concerns

The points pit that is spent on the magic phase. hopefully I can get some bang for my buck.
The use of Divination will improve the resilience against long range armies how ever my concern is that this may not be enough pending the success of my magic phases. I have not yet looked into other armies rule books to fully break this down.

The BSB is very defenceless. The BSB will be bunkered down along with the mages.

I will leave my notes at that for now until I do more reading.
Please all feedback welcome to help me build on this list.
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SpellArcher
Green Istari
Posts: 13841
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2008 11:26 am
Location: Otherworld

Re: The Return of The Coven - T9A 2.0

#2 Post by SpellArcher »

Welcome back Avicii.

:)

As an 8th Edition player, my 9th Age knowledge is way out of date. The basic structure of your list looks familiar though. I take the point that magic might not be destructive enough to make this a strong build. So I can also see your desire to build a fair bit of shooting in. What advantages do the Sea Guard bring over more Archers as the bunker? I assume the Reavers are primarily redirectors, if so could you cut the Eagle if desperate for points? Do you need all the (magic?) standards or are these no-brainers?
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