Yo yo! Perfect timing - was just writing up my update.
Latest EditI've played a couple more games over the holidays (Orcs and Empire), both infantry based and fairly war machine-heavy.
Wish I'd taken some photos because they were interesting games and, probably, quite typical of the current 8th metagame. In both cases I was forced to be quite aggressive with my cavalry because of the enemy machines while the noble white lions held my defensive flank, the archmage frantically trying to keep them at full strength with regeneration. Thankfully I got the first turn in both cases (few eagle drops...) and managed to overwhelm a flank by shooting up the units I was facing and then killing enough in the charge with the characters, helms and DPs (chariot got bombed on both times
alas) to overwhelm them. RBTs critical there.
Once my cavalry got in I had to find ways of silencing the empire player's machines so, while the infantry was moving up, I used my BsB and Prince to hack them up. Since the BsB only had a paltry 3+ save, he was eventually brought down. This was annoying as I was very pleased to see how useful individual cavalry characters can be... So, I made the following changes:
Prince- B. Steed, Dragon Armour, Shield, Giant Blade, Helm of Fortune, Plucker Pendant, Talisman of Loec - 286
Lvl 4 Archmage - Dispel Scroll, Lore of Life - 280
BsB- B. Steed, Great Weapon, Heavy Armour, Shield, Dragonhelm, Dawnstone, Ironcurse Icon - 180
35 Spearelves- Full Command, Gleaming Pennant - 345
13 Archers, Musician - 148 (Archmage here)
12 Archers - 132
14 Swordmasters- Bladelord - 222
12 White Lions- Guardian, Standard, Banner of Eternal Flame - 214
8 Silver Helms- Standard, Musician, Shields - 208 (Prince and BsB here)
5 Dragon Princes - 150
1 Tiranoc Chariot - 85
2 RBTs - 200
1 Eagle - 50
= 2500 points
First- the Prince. The Other Trickster's Shard is great against characters and daemons. However against most troops, who just cart around toughness and armour, it isn't in use. In terms of turns actually spent fighting (except against daemons), this is 90% of the time. The Talisman of Loec is better against characters- truly devastating with the sword- and I figure you're more likely to face characters than daemons. Also, Loec will be more useful for finishing off large monsters- note that it works on regen when the shard doesn't. Life is there to grow back the lost wound if the AM is in range.
Pigeon Plucker Pendant is a lovely item. Against most enemies, a 1+ re-rollable armour save is fine - points spent on a ward save are effectively wasted. Against characters, the prince's Str 7 loec'd attacks should have their face off before they can fight back. A ward save does begin to look attractive, however, against the biggest and baddest monsters, who'll have riders and who'll probably fly. So, against the really hard opponents you're looking at saving your prince with only a 5 point item - awesome. The rest of the time you may not be using it, but you've only spent 5 points so it doesn't matter.
Ironcurse Icon is there so the silver helms don't have to go all Light Brigade (and they bascially acted as a meat shield for the characters in the last 2 games). If it saves only one knight in 4 games, it's made its points back. As for the rest of the BsB's equipment, he now has a 2+ re-rollable AS in combat (1+ vs shooting) and is, therefore, far more versatile a combat force in his own right.
AM picks up the anti-magic slack by swapping the silver wand for a scroll. Spare points go on a musician for the helm block, which I've missed in the past- free reforms are basically guaranteed with the Prince and BsB there.
In short, better and more flexible combat ability for the loss of the World Dragon banner. I think that 8 times out of 10 I'll find the new combo more useful than the old. Since fewer magic dice are thrown, dispel scrolls have become correspondingly more powerful in 8th - at 20 points it's very useful and hopefully will do the trick along with my +5 to dispel...
Hopefully more games coming soon - and I'll remember my camera next time...
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I am planning a Cavalry list too with lots of Helms, Dragon Princes and reavers. I really like your core setup. Keep a track on how this one goes! I am impressed by this mounted prince set-up. Might try the same build.
How is Seredain, Cavalry Prince of Ulthuan doing lately?