Post by Saynt on May 18, 2015 2:59:14 GMT
I do not claim credit for any of the AotW thread, that honor goes to the original authors from the en-forums on Rackham's old website.
This one is from forum member Cyberknight
Alchemists of Dirz
For me, playing Dirz is all about variety, flexibility, and adaptability. That and big ugly mutated clones. Very Happy Their strongest suit is large mutagenic beat sticks, but the Dirz have a wide range of troops with something useful in almost every category. Their racial ability is Mutagenic/X, which gives you one die for every partial 100ap on the field with the ability. These dice are assigned to fighters before the tactical roll each round. Roll the die, add your mutagenic value, and that’s how many points that fighter can distribute between MOV, INI, ATK, DEF, STR, or RES for that round (limited to 2+X to any one stat, but you can always assign at least 2). Another thing you’ll see on some of the Dirz troops are Sword-Axes. These nasty little weapons will upgrade a wound that comes up “Critical” as the final result on the wound chart to a “KO”. Something a Master-striking character can use to great effect.
Additionally, Dirz troops have access to treatments. These add to the cost of a fighter, but can have some impressive effects. The most noteworthy is Atlas at 5ap, which forfeits a normal mutagenic die for a 1d6 bonus on each roll involving STR or RES for the round. This is great for troops with a low mutagenic value. Others include Endocrinal Treatment for 12ap, which lets you roll 2d6 for an assigned mutagenic die, but doubles result in an immediate wound as if it had been a damage roll. Anthemis gives War Fury, but you have to declare it at the beginning of the turn and attack last in each fray if you use it. Note, for tournament lists, you’re limited to one of each treatment in a 400ap force.
You can play Dirz just about anyway you can think up. You can go caster heavy, you can field heavy hitters, you can play swarms of cheap clones. As a shooty army Dirz isn’t terribly effective, but there are a couple of options if to want to try it. The only two things they completely lack are Artillery and Flyers. The current faithful are pretty weak, but a couple of releases in the next few months should solve that.
Characters:
Arkeon Sanath: (89ap)
Arkeon is one of those characters that can single handedly win a game if your opponent doesn’t know how to deal with him, or die horribly if you get a few poorly timed bad dice rolls. He's got a good COU and DIS at 7, but lacks leadership. Where he shines is in hand to hand combat. He’s a dawn warrior character, so he comes equipped with a Sword-Axe. His special capacity, Rage of the Desert, gives him unlimited pursuits if he assigns mutagenic points, but he can’t place dice in defense for the rest of the round. A massive Mutagenic/3 means that a decent mutagenic roll can result in some powerful Master strikes (up to STR 18 if you’ve got enough muta) while still being able to pump up his RES to cover his lack of defense. With an attack and defense of 6, he can easily afford to Sequence if you need more dice to get the job done. Set up your frays right and he can cause a world of hurt. Just watch out for fierce models.
Thissen Ka: (110ap)
What Arkeon is to Offense, Thissen is to Defense. He has similar stats (INI 5, 6/7, 5/9, COU 7, DIS 8) and a Sword Axe, so he's just as capable in melee. Since Thissen is a warrior character with Counter Attack on his card, he only has to beat the attack roll by one to get that defense die back as an extra attack die. His mutagenic is lower at 1, but he has Leadership/10, making him an excellent commander. His special capacity gives himself or any Sentinel of Danakil Fierce if they put 2 mutagenic points in RES. He comes with a 10ap artifact shield that can heal him on a successful counter-attack, but under 3.5 it’s been declared unusable until it’s been errattaed. He’s bound to Lab Danakil.
Sethin: (59ap)
A cheaper dawn warrior character with Survival Instinct and Fencer.
Ysis: (70ap)
Ysis has always been a good cheap character if used carefully, but the 3.5 rule change gave her a nice boost. Her stats aren’t bad (INI 5, 5/7, 4/6, COU 5, DIS 4) but she also has Aim 3 with a STR 6, range 15-30-45 crossbow. Improved Bull’s eye makes her a threat at short to medium range, and improved Assault fire gives her a good chance of facing wounded opponents before hand to hand even starts. On top of that she has Toxic/3 and Assassin, if you manage to get Assassin’s 3 dice on the damage roll for the toxic attack, they’re going to be hurting afterwards. She also comes with a 20ap artifact, the Hexalid crossbow. If she doesn’t move she can benefit from +2 Aim or 3d6 on the shot’s damage roll. The Hexalid is an artifact I had sort of dismissed that might be worth its points now, but considering the short range and her incentives for charging into the fray, I still think it’s over priced.
Azhyan Adjarn (74ap)
Another good low cost character. He’s a neuromancer character from the Laboratories of Dirz card pack. With Leadership and DIS 7, A.A. is a great commander for his AP. His stats are ok (INI 4, 5/6, 5/7, COU 5) but he’s really not geared for combat. Even with Aim 4, his STR 5, 10-20-40 crossbow isn’t going to get much out of Assault fire or bull’s-eye unless you get a lucky roll. He benefits from the neuromancer’s special capacities, but can take much better advantage of them with his higher DIS. Passing out survival instinct (or improving it to succeed on 5+ for those that have it already) on 2 or 3 models is handy. Strongly consider fielding him with a Ring of Fortune artifact (grants Luck) despite the 20ap cost. Being able to re-roll a failed psychic power roll is worth it.
Cypher Lukan (2nd Incarnation) (140ap)
Cypher is a costly brute, but you get what you pay for. He’s MOV 12.5, INI 4, 6/13, 5/9, FEAR 7, DIS 5, Mutagenic/1, Hard-boiled, and as a bonus has Authority. He’s hard to hurt, and can dish out the punishment. He comes with a special capacity that lets any Keratis Warriors within 12.5cm use his courage or discipline. In addition, for 13ap you can give him toxic/3. Since Toxic dice generation works like Mutagenic he’ll give you two toxic dice all by himself. You might consider putting a Belasarius clone or two in your list so it won’t be wasted. He can join Lab Tenseth for free, as the Head of that Lab.
Sasia Samaris (2nd Incarnation) (84ap, 162ap w/ Crawling Cloak)
Sasia is Dirz’s most powerful magician. She is an Adept of the elements Darkness and Earth, with the Technomancy and Chtonian paths giving her access to a strong variety of buff spells and direct damage. On foot, she’s MOV 10, INI 4, 4/5, 4/6, COU 7, DIS 6, POW6. With her Cloak, she becomes MOV 12.5, INI 5, 4/6, 5/7, FEAR 7 DIS 6, POW 7. The cloak also gives her 4 Dorsal Blade attack dice, capped at STR 7, and removes the hand to hand penalties for being a pure magician. Her cloaked form makes her a power house in both spell casting and hand-to-hand, but at 162ap, it’s hard to field her in 400 point games. Sasia is more than capable of handling a summoned Darkness or Earth elemental, so that can help if you want to go that route. Other good spells for her are Chthonian Eruption, Star of the Abyss, Warrior of Alaphax, and Intoxication of Darkness. She comes with several artifacts, none of which seem worth it to me. Sasia is the head of Lab SO78, so she’s able to join it for free.
Kayl Kartan (1st incarnation: 56ap, 2nd Incarnation 74ap)
Kayl’s 1st incarnation is a POW4 initiate of darkness, while his second is a POW 5 adept of darkness and fire. The upgrade is well worth the increased cost, with increased mana recovery, easier spell casting, and access to fire’s damage spells. Kayl is capable of handling a summoned elemental, but it can be risky. One failed mana recovery can spell disaster. Spells like Immolation, Ball of Flames, either Primal attack, Assimilation Serum, or the difficulty 9 and below spells from Technomancy (most of which deal with mutagenic) are all good choices. Kayl is also equipped with dorsal blades, but only gets 2 additional attack dice.
Salias Yesod (72ap)
I sort of like Salias’ sculpt, but for some reason I've never picked him up. He’s a character version of the Biopsist. Scout and Immunity/Fear would make him great for picking off soft targets behind enemy lines, though he’s a bit expensive for that role. His stat line isn’t bad for a Warrior-Mage, INI 5, 6/8, 5/6, COU6, DIS4, POW4. He’d have trouble casting anything more difficult than 8 (plus he can only bring 4 intensity of spells as a warrior-mage), but Primal attack Darkness, Assimilation Serum, or Putrescence are all useful.
Sykho Volestrus (27ap)
Until recently, he was the only option for a character Dirz faithful. He’s cheap, fervor 3 devout with abysmal combat stats (3/3, 3/4), but a decent fear 5, DIS 6. But he suffers from Iconoclast even more than the Vicar, since you don’t want this guy near the fighting at all. He does have a pretty good miracle, Tunic of Blood. Any regular ranked troop can gain +3 STR and RES until the end of game, but cannot defend anymore. The only way I’ve used him is geared up with his Companion of torments (A TF battery of sorts, wounds caused within 10cm give it points. Once it reaches 6 points, any more than that can be siphoned off as TF) and Liturgical instruments, then bound to Tenseth, which has a solo that gets rid of iconoclast.
Lady Claudia Nessalith (65ap) *Updated*
A fervor 5 zealot for 65 ap fills in what’s always been an odd (to me anyway) weakness fluff wise in the Dirz army. They couldn’t have burned out ALL the dirz faithful in the Dawn ritual. She has a reserved miracle, The Caress of Arh-Tolth, that costs her nothing to cast at difficulty 7, then she can heal one wound level on the target for every 2 T.F. spent after successfully called. The range is her aura of faith (17.5cm) and she’s also a Thaumaturgist, so each wound increases its range! Using Perseverance on this miracle will turn her into a healing machine. Along with the Crimson servants, she is also allowed to count crimson furies in her aura of faith, and field them outside of their SO 78 allegiance. (see their description later on)
Kheris: (44ap)
Generic warstaff box character. Average stats, DIS 5, leadership/10. Yawn.
Vargas Metatron: (1st Incarnation 49ap, 2nd Incarnation 61ap)
Pretty much in the same boat with Kheris. Vargas has slightly better stats in his second incarnation, but he’s basically a budget character to build into a warstaff. I don’t even own this model, since I dislike the sculpt on all the Halberdiers, him included.
Cheap troops (AP < 20):
Clones of Dirz (11ap)
Basic grunts with a modular profile. They can be given Axes (+1 ATK), Swords(+1 INI), or Maces(+2 STR). Not bad for their cost, it never hurts to include a few cheap targets as charge bait, to split frays to your advantage, or for numbers in a zone control scenario.
Alchemical Veterans (14ap)
An upgraded version of the basic Clones. They benefit from +1 ATK, STR, COU, and Mutagenic for a mere 3ap. Plus they get Survival Instinct. Unless you’re trying to save a few points I’d go with the Veterans over the Regulars.
Pests of Flesh(12ap)
I can’t think about these guys without chuckling. Pathetic stats, but they’re constructs (making them immune to fear and Toxic) and have MOV 12.5. What makes them fun is that voluntarily or when killed they explode and do a STR 5 hit to everything in Base to base contact with them. People tend to shoot at them trying to keep them out of hand to hand, rather than more important troops behind them. And if they don’t, you’ve got fast, cheap throwaway troops to tie up high fear models. Blow them up before their fray, and whatever they we’re fighting get no pursuits.
Dirz Halberdiers (9ap)
Similar base stats to the 11ap clones, but no modular choices. I don’t see much point to them compared to the Clones.
Crossbowmen (13ap)
One of two poor choices for ranged troops. Their melee stats are pathetic, but their Aim 3/STR 6 crossbow is about average for a shooter. Except that their range is only 15-30-45. You sure don’t want to assault fire with them, and even standing still they only have a 50/50 chance of hitting at mid range. Unless you’re lucky, willing to shoot into frays, or your opponent comes up short on a charge, you’re not likely to get a shot at short range.
Dawn Warriors (17ap)
Great melee troops for their cost. INI 3, 3/7, 3/7, and they come equipped with a Sword-Axe. Their only weakpoint is a courage of 3, so you might consider keeping them close to a character with Leadership, or bringing a warstaff if you tend to face fear heavy armies.
Crimson servant (12ap) *Updated*
Their combat stats are slightly lower than the regular Clones (2/4, 2/5), but the have Cure/5 (heal one wound level on themselves or anyone in base to base on a 5+ roll). They also count in the aura of faith of the Dirz Faithful, lessening the sting of them being Iconoclasts. In what I consider to be a sort of dirty trick, it looks like these come one to a blister with a Crimson fury model. I’ll probably want 3 of each, meaning buying 3 blisters and getting 3 of the exact same sculpts for each.
Midrange troops (AP 20-50):
Keratis Warriors (26 or 33ap) Profile 1, Profile 2, Profile 3
There are 3 profiles for the Keratis. All 3 have Mutagenic/1, MOV 12.5, FEAR 5. The 26ap version is STR 10, making them amazing melee troops for that cost. The other two profiles cost 33ap, lose a couple of points of STR, but gain Brutal and either Ambidextrous or Fierce. Fierce isn’t quite as good after the 3.5 rule change, but the Ambidex (a successful defense gets you an extra attack die) version got a nice boost. A few points of mutagenic into defense, and they will block most incoming strikes and still get attacks.
Sentinels of Danakil (25ap)
These are an upgraded version of the Dawn Warrior. You pay 8ap more each for +1 to their Atk, Cou, and Mutagenic plus Survival Instinct. In general I go with the cheaper dawn warriors, but if you’re fielding Neuromancers (boost their survival instinct) or Thissen Ka (gives them fierce if they spend 2 mutagenic in RES) then the upgrade can be worth it.
Biopsists of Dirz(31ap) Biopsist 1, Biopsist 2
The biopsists are power 3 initiate of darkness warrior-mages with scout. The spells they come with aren’t terribly useful, but they can take some of less difficult ones from the primagic and biopsy lines, or primal attack darkness. These guys are ok on their own, but pair them up with a Skorize Warrior or a scouting Tiger of Dirz and you’ve got a dangerous Scout contingent.
Vicars of Dirz (29ap)
A fervor 2 devout warrior monk with mediocre stats and masterstrike\0. The miracles they come with aren’t so hot either. Dark Will allows you to deflect/reflect ranged attacks aimed at the vicar, but the difficulty is the strength of the shot (+3 difficulty if you want to try and reflect it back at the shooter). The Dark Blades halves the targets resistance IF the vicar lands a masterstrike. With fervor 2, they're not even very good for summoning Ira Tenebrea. Plus they’re iconoclast, so they’re not likely to have the TF to summon them until the fighting has already started anyway. Their only real redeeming factor is that they bind to a character at the start of the game and can give out one of 3 bonuses to that character each round, Survival Instinct, ignores charge penalties, or +2 courage.
Skorize Warriors (32ap)
Make sure to check the C3 errata on these guys. Their stats are pretty average, but they have a great combination of abilities. Scout, Brutish Charge, Fierce, and +1 force on the charge make them great for ambushing soft targets such as shooting troops and casters. It’s a touch expensive, but a pair of these and a Biopsist make for a strong scouting trio.
Jadharis Clones (33ap)
A construct with good combat stats (INI 4, 5/6, 4/7) and hardboiled. For 5ap, they can be given Assassin if bound to Shamir, or War fury if bound to Inuka. They’re solid defensive troops. Personally, I have a hard time choosing these over the Keratis Warriors.
Belisarius Clones / Warriors (22ap)
These are an alternative to the Sentinels for a few points cheaper. Their stats are comparable, a touch stronger, but slightly less RES. The main difference is they’re Toxic/3, making them good for pairing up with Ysis or Cypher Lukan if you’re working the Toxic angle. The Warrior version from the Lab cardpack gives up Toxic and a point of mutagenic for Counter-Attack.
Hybrids (20ap)
Hybrids are the only other ranged troop choice for the Dirz. They cost more than the crossbowmen, but they have decent melee stats (3/6, 3/6) and a 20-40-60 range. So what’s the problem? They’re Aim 2. Standing still for a clear shot at medium range, they still need a 5 to hit. Same situation for an Assault fire. If I take shooting troops, it’s usually these, but it’s a rare case where they actually earn their keep.
Neuromancer (33ap)
Ok, ok, so the hybrids and the x-bowmen aren’t the only ranged options. These guys have aim 3, on a STR 5, 10-20-40 crossbow. Pfft. They’re stats are about average, but the reason to bring these is their Psychic abilities. You roll a DIS test at whatever difficulty you feel like risking, then they get psychic points equal to that difficulty for the round. Fail the test and he stands still, does nothing, and can only defend in combat for the round. For 4 psychic points he can give/improve survival instinct. For 5 he can force a target to put a die in defense in the next HtH (this prevents warfury!). For 8 he can hand out Sequence and for 9 give/improve counter attack. At DIS 4 you can forget the last two, unless you have a Centurus to use as a relay, and are both gutsy and lucky on that DIS test. To be honest though, I’ve never fielded the basic Neuromancer. I only bought the model so I’d have one to use for A.A.
Crimson fury (26ap) *Updated*
These are the Mr. Hyde to the Crimson Servant’s Dr. Jekyll. They lose cure, but gain counter attack, feint, and fanaticism. They also get a big jump in attack and defense (4/4, 6/5). As a special capacity, they act as bodyguards for Sasia Samaris, and will take a damage roll for her if they’re in base to base contact with the one damaging her. They can also use her COU and DIS if she’s present. If fielded with Lady Nessalith, this capacity is replaced by them counting in her Aura of Faith. Lady Nessalith, 3 of these, and 3 of the 12ap servants work quite well together.
The heavy hitters (AP > 50)
Tigers of Dirz (51ap)
The Tigers of Dirz come in 3 profiles, one with Scout, one with Leap, and one with Consciousness. They all have Brutish Charge, getting them an extra combat die if they successfully charge. And with a 17.5 MOV, you shouldn’t have any trouble with that. I love the models, but I rarely field these because they are the only Dirz models without mutagenic! Taking a 51ap hit in your mutagenic total doesn’t lose you a dice immediately, but it does mean you’re likely to lose one earlier. The solution? Pay 9ap more for the Tiger of Shamir (another profile from the Laboratories card pack).
Tiger of Shamir(60ap)
The Shamir version of the Tiger has Implacable/1 instead of one of the 3 abilities above. It also has mutagenic/-2 (yes, negative 2), so it can’t make much use of a Muta die, but at least it counts toward your total. The low muta score, great speed, and good combat stats make the Tiger of Shamir a perfect candidate for an Atlas Treatment. The only drawback is it’s bound to Lab Shamir, so it can only be used with that lab or an unbound list.
Centurus Clone (56ap)
The Centurus Clones come in two varieties, w/Claws and w/Voulge. The clawed version gets +1Atk, but -1 INI compared to the Voulge version. STR and RES of 10, Possessed (wound penalty reduced by 1), and Mutagenic/1 make these guys powerful and durable beatsticks. Brutal and Large Size means there’s not much that they can’t put a charge penalty on. They also act as relays for neuromancer powers, making each effect cost 1 less and extending their range and LoS.
Nemesis Clone: (80ap)
I unfortunately don’t own this model. Since I never played Hybrid, I haven’t bought the Nemesis expansion. It looks slick, and fits into a niche just below the Dasyatis cost and stat wise. But it is a construct, with all their benefits, and it has an interesting special treatment. If any ranged effect directly targets the Nemesis, the enemy player has to roll a d6 to “spot” it. The difficulty varies based on range, a 1 succeeds at <10cm, +1 for every partial 10cm beyond that. At >60cm, it’s untargetable.
Dasyatis Clone / Dasyatis Guard (89ap)
Nothing says blind, destructive power like a D-Clone. INI 3, 6/12, 3/11, FEAR 8, Muta/2 is a decent step up from the Centurus’ stat line, and they also get Born Killer (1 extra combat die). The Guard version can only be fielded in a Theben list, and exchanges Possessed and one lower Mutagenic for Fierce. The D-clones also have access to a reserved treatment, Antiome, which gives them Sequence/1 for 8ap. This allows them to gain an extra combat die by lowering their ATK and DEF by 1. Four combat dice (Him, opponent, Born Killer, Sequence) in a 1-on-1 fight is a huge advantage.
Nefarius Clone: (105ap)
Others disagree, but I have a hard time justifying the cost of a Nefarius over a Dasyatis. For one, the INI 6 on its card is a misprint and it’s supposed to be 4 (still, +1 over the D-Clone). The Nefarius is also -2 STR and RES versus the Dasyatis. In exchange, it has 2 STR 10 Dorsal Blades (2 extra attack dice), Implacable/1, is 2.5 MOV faster, and is a Construct. To me, a 97ap D-Clone with Antiome (four combat dice in a 1-on-1 without the dorsal blade’s restrictions) is a better choice. These guys also come with a couple of reserved solos. If bound to Theben, you can buy +1 STR and Possessed for 5ap. If bound to SO78, the same 5ap will buy you Target +1 and +1 RES.
Aberration: (120ap)
At 120ap, the Aberration is a little expensive for 400ap games. His stats and abilities are worth the cost (MOV 20, INI 5, 7/11, 5/10, FEAR 8, Mutagenic / 2 , Fierce, Born Killer, Brutish Charge, Construct), but he’s solidly in the “Too many points to lose to a lucky headshot” category. They also get a blood token for each enemy it killed, which increases its next mutagenic roll by 1 each (max +3) then are discarded. This model comes in the Hybrid game, if you’re looking for him.
Aberration Prime: (180ap) *Updated*
This is the Dirz response to the Dwarven Mountain Warrior and the Cynwall Dragon. Obviously tough to fit into a 400ap game, but in larger games this will be a force to be reckoned with. MOV 20, INI 5, 8/13, 5/10, FEAR 8. The abilities on his card are Mutagenic/2, Brutish Charge, Construct, Enormous (+1 wound level), Born Killer, Implacable/2, and Fierce. In addition, you get to pick one from each category below. On top of that, you can buy feint and sequence/1 for 5ap each.
Code:
Heads: Arms:
- Survival Instinct - Atk + 2
- Master Strike/0 - STR + 3
- Conciousness
- Mov + 2.5
Thorax: Crete Dorsal (back spines?):
- Fear +2 - - Rapidity
- Res +1, Fear +1 - 1's don't fail on mutagenic rolls
- Res +2
It also gets the original Aberration’s blood token ability.
This thing is a true monster on the battlefield, but you need to watch out for things like eternal cycle, banishment, and rejection.
Despite my reservations about it being plastic, the sculpt looks great. Aside from a few easily avoidable assembly hassles (a few pieces are too big to fit in their slots), I'm pretty happy with it.
Sample Army lists.
Code:
Dirz 101:
Thissen Ka 110
Musician of Dirz 14
Standard Bearer 14
3 Alchemical Vets 42
4 Sentinels of Danakil 100
2 Centurus Clones 112
Total 392ap, 12 models on 6 cards. Spend the 8ap left over on a potion or cure rune for Thissan.
Description:
A cheap, easy, and effective force for someone just learning the Dirz. To field this list, all you’d need is The Sentinels of Danakil Box, The Warstaff box, and a blister of whichever Centurus type you like better. On Rackham’s store that’s ~74 Euro.
On the field:
Thissen Ka is a great leader, and with the musician and standard bearer, forms a warstaff that gives you +2 DIS and COU for anything in their leadership range. That means the better of 2 dice + 10 on the tactical rolls, and any of your troops in leadership range make fear checks at courage 9. The Centurus are there to deal with any larger threats, with the Vets and the Sentinels should be a good match for any midrange troops your opponent fields. This force is lacking in the ranged department, so get into melee range asap. Hopefully your play group uses terrain; the game is much more interesting that way. Use it to your advantage as you close the gap. Use Thissen wisely. He’s not the strongest character in the world, but take advantage of mutagenic to pump up his defense and go for counter attacks. Since he’s a character with Counter Attack on the card, he only has to beat them by 1 to get an attack die. I’ve had Thissen hold off multiple opponents for several rounds, just wearing them down. A well timed Masterstrike combined with his sword-axe has a great chance of KOing his opponents in a single swing.
List 2:
Code:
Ysis 70
Dasyatis w/ Antiome 97
Tiger of Shamir w/ Atlas 65
Dirz Biopsist 31
Skorize Warrior 32
3 Dawn Warriors 51
2 Keratis Warriors (Str 10) 52
398ap, 7cards, 10 models
Description:
Something a little different to show off some of the bigger stuff and a few tricks. Introduces Shooting, Scouts, Treatments, and spellcasting into the mix. Basically, you’ve got 2 great beatsticks in the D-clone and the Tiger, a character that can do decent damage if used well, 5 more good melee troops and a pair of utilitarian scouts.
On the Field:
This list has a few tricks up its sleeves, but smashing the enemy in melee is still the focus. Ysis is not much of a leader (Dis 4, no leadership) so don’t count on winning the Tactical rolls. She should spend the first turn or two trying to get a good assault fire lined up. Remember she has Toxic and Assassin. You can either go for a toxic assault fire (at difficulty 4, since she’s a character) or hold the toxic for her first hit after the charge so you get a better chance of it kicking in on the 3d6 damage roll. You can surprise an unsuspecting opponent by using mutagenic points in her movement to extend her charge range. Speeding up a Dasyatis this way can often come in handy as well. As described earlier, Antiome Treatment gives the Dasyatis Sequence/1, which is helpful when your opponents manage to beat his fear 8. The Tiger and the Dasyatis can cover a lot of ground, so be careful not to get them too far out on their own. They’re good, but their better if the rest of your troops are backing them up. Use the Tiger’s 17.5 movement to keep him back out of your opponents charge range and charge him into the frays he can do the most damage. Brutish charge and warfury will get him a big dice advantage in combat, and the Atlas treatment will he
This one is from forum member Cyberknight
Alchemists of Dirz
For me, playing Dirz is all about variety, flexibility, and adaptability. That and big ugly mutated clones. Very Happy Their strongest suit is large mutagenic beat sticks, but the Dirz have a wide range of troops with something useful in almost every category. Their racial ability is Mutagenic/X, which gives you one die for every partial 100ap on the field with the ability. These dice are assigned to fighters before the tactical roll each round. Roll the die, add your mutagenic value, and that’s how many points that fighter can distribute between MOV, INI, ATK, DEF, STR, or RES for that round (limited to 2+X to any one stat, but you can always assign at least 2). Another thing you’ll see on some of the Dirz troops are Sword-Axes. These nasty little weapons will upgrade a wound that comes up “Critical” as the final result on the wound chart to a “KO”. Something a Master-striking character can use to great effect.
Additionally, Dirz troops have access to treatments. These add to the cost of a fighter, but can have some impressive effects. The most noteworthy is Atlas at 5ap, which forfeits a normal mutagenic die for a 1d6 bonus on each roll involving STR or RES for the round. This is great for troops with a low mutagenic value. Others include Endocrinal Treatment for 12ap, which lets you roll 2d6 for an assigned mutagenic die, but doubles result in an immediate wound as if it had been a damage roll. Anthemis gives War Fury, but you have to declare it at the beginning of the turn and attack last in each fray if you use it. Note, for tournament lists, you’re limited to one of each treatment in a 400ap force.
You can play Dirz just about anyway you can think up. You can go caster heavy, you can field heavy hitters, you can play swarms of cheap clones. As a shooty army Dirz isn’t terribly effective, but there are a couple of options if to want to try it. The only two things they completely lack are Artillery and Flyers. The current faithful are pretty weak, but a couple of releases in the next few months should solve that.
Characters:
Arkeon Sanath: (89ap)
Arkeon is one of those characters that can single handedly win a game if your opponent doesn’t know how to deal with him, or die horribly if you get a few poorly timed bad dice rolls. He's got a good COU and DIS at 7, but lacks leadership. Where he shines is in hand to hand combat. He’s a dawn warrior character, so he comes equipped with a Sword-Axe. His special capacity, Rage of the Desert, gives him unlimited pursuits if he assigns mutagenic points, but he can’t place dice in defense for the rest of the round. A massive Mutagenic/3 means that a decent mutagenic roll can result in some powerful Master strikes (up to STR 18 if you’ve got enough muta) while still being able to pump up his RES to cover his lack of defense. With an attack and defense of 6, he can easily afford to Sequence if you need more dice to get the job done. Set up your frays right and he can cause a world of hurt. Just watch out for fierce models.
Thissen Ka: (110ap)
What Arkeon is to Offense, Thissen is to Defense. He has similar stats (INI 5, 6/7, 5/9, COU 7, DIS 8) and a Sword Axe, so he's just as capable in melee. Since Thissen is a warrior character with Counter Attack on his card, he only has to beat the attack roll by one to get that defense die back as an extra attack die. His mutagenic is lower at 1, but he has Leadership/10, making him an excellent commander. His special capacity gives himself or any Sentinel of Danakil Fierce if they put 2 mutagenic points in RES. He comes with a 10ap artifact shield that can heal him on a successful counter-attack, but under 3.5 it’s been declared unusable until it’s been errattaed. He’s bound to Lab Danakil.
Sethin: (59ap)
A cheaper dawn warrior character with Survival Instinct and Fencer.
Ysis: (70ap)
Ysis has always been a good cheap character if used carefully, but the 3.5 rule change gave her a nice boost. Her stats aren’t bad (INI 5, 5/7, 4/6, COU 5, DIS 4) but she also has Aim 3 with a STR 6, range 15-30-45 crossbow. Improved Bull’s eye makes her a threat at short to medium range, and improved Assault fire gives her a good chance of facing wounded opponents before hand to hand even starts. On top of that she has Toxic/3 and Assassin, if you manage to get Assassin’s 3 dice on the damage roll for the toxic attack, they’re going to be hurting afterwards. She also comes with a 20ap artifact, the Hexalid crossbow. If she doesn’t move she can benefit from +2 Aim or 3d6 on the shot’s damage roll. The Hexalid is an artifact I had sort of dismissed that might be worth its points now, but considering the short range and her incentives for charging into the fray, I still think it’s over priced.
Azhyan Adjarn (74ap)
Another good low cost character. He’s a neuromancer character from the Laboratories of Dirz card pack. With Leadership and DIS 7, A.A. is a great commander for his AP. His stats are ok (INI 4, 5/6, 5/7, COU 5) but he’s really not geared for combat. Even with Aim 4, his STR 5, 10-20-40 crossbow isn’t going to get much out of Assault fire or bull’s-eye unless you get a lucky roll. He benefits from the neuromancer’s special capacities, but can take much better advantage of them with his higher DIS. Passing out survival instinct (or improving it to succeed on 5+ for those that have it already) on 2 or 3 models is handy. Strongly consider fielding him with a Ring of Fortune artifact (grants Luck) despite the 20ap cost. Being able to re-roll a failed psychic power roll is worth it.
Cypher Lukan (2nd Incarnation) (140ap)
Cypher is a costly brute, but you get what you pay for. He’s MOV 12.5, INI 4, 6/13, 5/9, FEAR 7, DIS 5, Mutagenic/1, Hard-boiled, and as a bonus has Authority. He’s hard to hurt, and can dish out the punishment. He comes with a special capacity that lets any Keratis Warriors within 12.5cm use his courage or discipline. In addition, for 13ap you can give him toxic/3. Since Toxic dice generation works like Mutagenic he’ll give you two toxic dice all by himself. You might consider putting a Belasarius clone or two in your list so it won’t be wasted. He can join Lab Tenseth for free, as the Head of that Lab.
Sasia Samaris (2nd Incarnation) (84ap, 162ap w/ Crawling Cloak)
Sasia is Dirz’s most powerful magician. She is an Adept of the elements Darkness and Earth, with the Technomancy and Chtonian paths giving her access to a strong variety of buff spells and direct damage. On foot, she’s MOV 10, INI 4, 4/5, 4/6, COU 7, DIS 6, POW6. With her Cloak, she becomes MOV 12.5, INI 5, 4/6, 5/7, FEAR 7 DIS 6, POW 7. The cloak also gives her 4 Dorsal Blade attack dice, capped at STR 7, and removes the hand to hand penalties for being a pure magician. Her cloaked form makes her a power house in both spell casting and hand-to-hand, but at 162ap, it’s hard to field her in 400 point games. Sasia is more than capable of handling a summoned Darkness or Earth elemental, so that can help if you want to go that route. Other good spells for her are Chthonian Eruption, Star of the Abyss, Warrior of Alaphax, and Intoxication of Darkness. She comes with several artifacts, none of which seem worth it to me. Sasia is the head of Lab SO78, so she’s able to join it for free.
Kayl Kartan (1st incarnation: 56ap, 2nd Incarnation 74ap)
Kayl’s 1st incarnation is a POW4 initiate of darkness, while his second is a POW 5 adept of darkness and fire. The upgrade is well worth the increased cost, with increased mana recovery, easier spell casting, and access to fire’s damage spells. Kayl is capable of handling a summoned elemental, but it can be risky. One failed mana recovery can spell disaster. Spells like Immolation, Ball of Flames, either Primal attack, Assimilation Serum, or the difficulty 9 and below spells from Technomancy (most of which deal with mutagenic) are all good choices. Kayl is also equipped with dorsal blades, but only gets 2 additional attack dice.
Salias Yesod (72ap)
I sort of like Salias’ sculpt, but for some reason I've never picked him up. He’s a character version of the Biopsist. Scout and Immunity/Fear would make him great for picking off soft targets behind enemy lines, though he’s a bit expensive for that role. His stat line isn’t bad for a Warrior-Mage, INI 5, 6/8, 5/6, COU6, DIS4, POW4. He’d have trouble casting anything more difficult than 8 (plus he can only bring 4 intensity of spells as a warrior-mage), but Primal attack Darkness, Assimilation Serum, or Putrescence are all useful.
Sykho Volestrus (27ap)
Until recently, he was the only option for a character Dirz faithful. He’s cheap, fervor 3 devout with abysmal combat stats (3/3, 3/4), but a decent fear 5, DIS 6. But he suffers from Iconoclast even more than the Vicar, since you don’t want this guy near the fighting at all. He does have a pretty good miracle, Tunic of Blood. Any regular ranked troop can gain +3 STR and RES until the end of game, but cannot defend anymore. The only way I’ve used him is geared up with his Companion of torments (A TF battery of sorts, wounds caused within 10cm give it points. Once it reaches 6 points, any more than that can be siphoned off as TF) and Liturgical instruments, then bound to Tenseth, which has a solo that gets rid of iconoclast.
Lady Claudia Nessalith (65ap) *Updated*
A fervor 5 zealot for 65 ap fills in what’s always been an odd (to me anyway) weakness fluff wise in the Dirz army. They couldn’t have burned out ALL the dirz faithful in the Dawn ritual. She has a reserved miracle, The Caress of Arh-Tolth, that costs her nothing to cast at difficulty 7, then she can heal one wound level on the target for every 2 T.F. spent after successfully called. The range is her aura of faith (17.5cm) and she’s also a Thaumaturgist, so each wound increases its range! Using Perseverance on this miracle will turn her into a healing machine. Along with the Crimson servants, she is also allowed to count crimson furies in her aura of faith, and field them outside of their SO 78 allegiance. (see their description later on)
Kheris: (44ap)
Generic warstaff box character. Average stats, DIS 5, leadership/10. Yawn.
Vargas Metatron: (1st Incarnation 49ap, 2nd Incarnation 61ap)
Pretty much in the same boat with Kheris. Vargas has slightly better stats in his second incarnation, but he’s basically a budget character to build into a warstaff. I don’t even own this model, since I dislike the sculpt on all the Halberdiers, him included.
Cheap troops (AP < 20):
Clones of Dirz (11ap)
Basic grunts with a modular profile. They can be given Axes (+1 ATK), Swords(+1 INI), or Maces(+2 STR). Not bad for their cost, it never hurts to include a few cheap targets as charge bait, to split frays to your advantage, or for numbers in a zone control scenario.
Alchemical Veterans (14ap)
An upgraded version of the basic Clones. They benefit from +1 ATK, STR, COU, and Mutagenic for a mere 3ap. Plus they get Survival Instinct. Unless you’re trying to save a few points I’d go with the Veterans over the Regulars.
Pests of Flesh(12ap)
I can’t think about these guys without chuckling. Pathetic stats, but they’re constructs (making them immune to fear and Toxic) and have MOV 12.5. What makes them fun is that voluntarily or when killed they explode and do a STR 5 hit to everything in Base to base contact with them. People tend to shoot at them trying to keep them out of hand to hand, rather than more important troops behind them. And if they don’t, you’ve got fast, cheap throwaway troops to tie up high fear models. Blow them up before their fray, and whatever they we’re fighting get no pursuits.
Dirz Halberdiers (9ap)
Similar base stats to the 11ap clones, but no modular choices. I don’t see much point to them compared to the Clones.
Crossbowmen (13ap)
One of two poor choices for ranged troops. Their melee stats are pathetic, but their Aim 3/STR 6 crossbow is about average for a shooter. Except that their range is only 15-30-45. You sure don’t want to assault fire with them, and even standing still they only have a 50/50 chance of hitting at mid range. Unless you’re lucky, willing to shoot into frays, or your opponent comes up short on a charge, you’re not likely to get a shot at short range.
Dawn Warriors (17ap)
Great melee troops for their cost. INI 3, 3/7, 3/7, and they come equipped with a Sword-Axe. Their only weakpoint is a courage of 3, so you might consider keeping them close to a character with Leadership, or bringing a warstaff if you tend to face fear heavy armies.
Crimson servant (12ap) *Updated*
Their combat stats are slightly lower than the regular Clones (2/4, 2/5), but the have Cure/5 (heal one wound level on themselves or anyone in base to base on a 5+ roll). They also count in the aura of faith of the Dirz Faithful, lessening the sting of them being Iconoclasts. In what I consider to be a sort of dirty trick, it looks like these come one to a blister with a Crimson fury model. I’ll probably want 3 of each, meaning buying 3 blisters and getting 3 of the exact same sculpts for each.
Midrange troops (AP 20-50):
Keratis Warriors (26 or 33ap) Profile 1, Profile 2, Profile 3
There are 3 profiles for the Keratis. All 3 have Mutagenic/1, MOV 12.5, FEAR 5. The 26ap version is STR 10, making them amazing melee troops for that cost. The other two profiles cost 33ap, lose a couple of points of STR, but gain Brutal and either Ambidextrous or Fierce. Fierce isn’t quite as good after the 3.5 rule change, but the Ambidex (a successful defense gets you an extra attack die) version got a nice boost. A few points of mutagenic into defense, and they will block most incoming strikes and still get attacks.
Sentinels of Danakil (25ap)
These are an upgraded version of the Dawn Warrior. You pay 8ap more each for +1 to their Atk, Cou, and Mutagenic plus Survival Instinct. In general I go with the cheaper dawn warriors, but if you’re fielding Neuromancers (boost their survival instinct) or Thissen Ka (gives them fierce if they spend 2 mutagenic in RES) then the upgrade can be worth it.
Biopsists of Dirz(31ap) Biopsist 1, Biopsist 2
The biopsists are power 3 initiate of darkness warrior-mages with scout. The spells they come with aren’t terribly useful, but they can take some of less difficult ones from the primagic and biopsy lines, or primal attack darkness. These guys are ok on their own, but pair them up with a Skorize Warrior or a scouting Tiger of Dirz and you’ve got a dangerous Scout contingent.
Vicars of Dirz (29ap)
A fervor 2 devout warrior monk with mediocre stats and masterstrike\0. The miracles they come with aren’t so hot either. Dark Will allows you to deflect/reflect ranged attacks aimed at the vicar, but the difficulty is the strength of the shot (+3 difficulty if you want to try and reflect it back at the shooter). The Dark Blades halves the targets resistance IF the vicar lands a masterstrike. With fervor 2, they're not even very good for summoning Ira Tenebrea. Plus they’re iconoclast, so they’re not likely to have the TF to summon them until the fighting has already started anyway. Their only real redeeming factor is that they bind to a character at the start of the game and can give out one of 3 bonuses to that character each round, Survival Instinct, ignores charge penalties, or +2 courage.
Skorize Warriors (32ap)
Make sure to check the C3 errata on these guys. Their stats are pretty average, but they have a great combination of abilities. Scout, Brutish Charge, Fierce, and +1 force on the charge make them great for ambushing soft targets such as shooting troops and casters. It’s a touch expensive, but a pair of these and a Biopsist make for a strong scouting trio.
Jadharis Clones (33ap)
A construct with good combat stats (INI 4, 5/6, 4/7) and hardboiled. For 5ap, they can be given Assassin if bound to Shamir, or War fury if bound to Inuka. They’re solid defensive troops. Personally, I have a hard time choosing these over the Keratis Warriors.
Belisarius Clones / Warriors (22ap)
These are an alternative to the Sentinels for a few points cheaper. Their stats are comparable, a touch stronger, but slightly less RES. The main difference is they’re Toxic/3, making them good for pairing up with Ysis or Cypher Lukan if you’re working the Toxic angle. The Warrior version from the Lab cardpack gives up Toxic and a point of mutagenic for Counter-Attack.
Hybrids (20ap)
Hybrids are the only other ranged troop choice for the Dirz. They cost more than the crossbowmen, but they have decent melee stats (3/6, 3/6) and a 20-40-60 range. So what’s the problem? They’re Aim 2. Standing still for a clear shot at medium range, they still need a 5 to hit. Same situation for an Assault fire. If I take shooting troops, it’s usually these, but it’s a rare case where they actually earn their keep.
Neuromancer (33ap)
Ok, ok, so the hybrids and the x-bowmen aren’t the only ranged options. These guys have aim 3, on a STR 5, 10-20-40 crossbow. Pfft. They’re stats are about average, but the reason to bring these is their Psychic abilities. You roll a DIS test at whatever difficulty you feel like risking, then they get psychic points equal to that difficulty for the round. Fail the test and he stands still, does nothing, and can only defend in combat for the round. For 4 psychic points he can give/improve survival instinct. For 5 he can force a target to put a die in defense in the next HtH (this prevents warfury!). For 8 he can hand out Sequence and for 9 give/improve counter attack. At DIS 4 you can forget the last two, unless you have a Centurus to use as a relay, and are both gutsy and lucky on that DIS test. To be honest though, I’ve never fielded the basic Neuromancer. I only bought the model so I’d have one to use for A.A.
Crimson fury (26ap) *Updated*
These are the Mr. Hyde to the Crimson Servant’s Dr. Jekyll. They lose cure, but gain counter attack, feint, and fanaticism. They also get a big jump in attack and defense (4/4, 6/5). As a special capacity, they act as bodyguards for Sasia Samaris, and will take a damage roll for her if they’re in base to base contact with the one damaging her. They can also use her COU and DIS if she’s present. If fielded with Lady Nessalith, this capacity is replaced by them counting in her Aura of Faith. Lady Nessalith, 3 of these, and 3 of the 12ap servants work quite well together.
The heavy hitters (AP > 50)
Tigers of Dirz (51ap)
The Tigers of Dirz come in 3 profiles, one with Scout, one with Leap, and one with Consciousness. They all have Brutish Charge, getting them an extra combat die if they successfully charge. And with a 17.5 MOV, you shouldn’t have any trouble with that. I love the models, but I rarely field these because they are the only Dirz models without mutagenic! Taking a 51ap hit in your mutagenic total doesn’t lose you a dice immediately, but it does mean you’re likely to lose one earlier. The solution? Pay 9ap more for the Tiger of Shamir (another profile from the Laboratories card pack).
Tiger of Shamir(60ap)
The Shamir version of the Tiger has Implacable/1 instead of one of the 3 abilities above. It also has mutagenic/-2 (yes, negative 2), so it can’t make much use of a Muta die, but at least it counts toward your total. The low muta score, great speed, and good combat stats make the Tiger of Shamir a perfect candidate for an Atlas Treatment. The only drawback is it’s bound to Lab Shamir, so it can only be used with that lab or an unbound list.
Centurus Clone (56ap)
The Centurus Clones come in two varieties, w/Claws and w/Voulge. The clawed version gets +1Atk, but -1 INI compared to the Voulge version. STR and RES of 10, Possessed (wound penalty reduced by 1), and Mutagenic/1 make these guys powerful and durable beatsticks. Brutal and Large Size means there’s not much that they can’t put a charge penalty on. They also act as relays for neuromancer powers, making each effect cost 1 less and extending their range and LoS.
Nemesis Clone: (80ap)
I unfortunately don’t own this model. Since I never played Hybrid, I haven’t bought the Nemesis expansion. It looks slick, and fits into a niche just below the Dasyatis cost and stat wise. But it is a construct, with all their benefits, and it has an interesting special treatment. If any ranged effect directly targets the Nemesis, the enemy player has to roll a d6 to “spot” it. The difficulty varies based on range, a 1 succeeds at <10cm, +1 for every partial 10cm beyond that. At >60cm, it’s untargetable.
Dasyatis Clone / Dasyatis Guard (89ap)
Nothing says blind, destructive power like a D-Clone. INI 3, 6/12, 3/11, FEAR 8, Muta/2 is a decent step up from the Centurus’ stat line, and they also get Born Killer (1 extra combat die). The Guard version can only be fielded in a Theben list, and exchanges Possessed and one lower Mutagenic for Fierce. The D-clones also have access to a reserved treatment, Antiome, which gives them Sequence/1 for 8ap. This allows them to gain an extra combat die by lowering their ATK and DEF by 1. Four combat dice (Him, opponent, Born Killer, Sequence) in a 1-on-1 fight is a huge advantage.
Nefarius Clone: (105ap)
Others disagree, but I have a hard time justifying the cost of a Nefarius over a Dasyatis. For one, the INI 6 on its card is a misprint and it’s supposed to be 4 (still, +1 over the D-Clone). The Nefarius is also -2 STR and RES versus the Dasyatis. In exchange, it has 2 STR 10 Dorsal Blades (2 extra attack dice), Implacable/1, is 2.5 MOV faster, and is a Construct. To me, a 97ap D-Clone with Antiome (four combat dice in a 1-on-1 without the dorsal blade’s restrictions) is a better choice. These guys also come with a couple of reserved solos. If bound to Theben, you can buy +1 STR and Possessed for 5ap. If bound to SO78, the same 5ap will buy you Target +1 and +1 RES.
Aberration: (120ap)
At 120ap, the Aberration is a little expensive for 400ap games. His stats and abilities are worth the cost (MOV 20, INI 5, 7/11, 5/10, FEAR 8, Mutagenic / 2 , Fierce, Born Killer, Brutish Charge, Construct), but he’s solidly in the “Too many points to lose to a lucky headshot” category. They also get a blood token for each enemy it killed, which increases its next mutagenic roll by 1 each (max +3) then are discarded. This model comes in the Hybrid game, if you’re looking for him.
Aberration Prime: (180ap) *Updated*
This is the Dirz response to the Dwarven Mountain Warrior and the Cynwall Dragon. Obviously tough to fit into a 400ap game, but in larger games this will be a force to be reckoned with. MOV 20, INI 5, 8/13, 5/10, FEAR 8. The abilities on his card are Mutagenic/2, Brutish Charge, Construct, Enormous (+1 wound level), Born Killer, Implacable/2, and Fierce. In addition, you get to pick one from each category below. On top of that, you can buy feint and sequence/1 for 5ap each.
Code:
Heads: Arms:
- Survival Instinct - Atk + 2
- Master Strike/0 - STR + 3
- Conciousness
- Mov + 2.5
Thorax: Crete Dorsal (back spines?):
- Fear +2 - - Rapidity
- Res +1, Fear +1 - 1's don't fail on mutagenic rolls
- Res +2
It also gets the original Aberration’s blood token ability.
This thing is a true monster on the battlefield, but you need to watch out for things like eternal cycle, banishment, and rejection.
Despite my reservations about it being plastic, the sculpt looks great. Aside from a few easily avoidable assembly hassles (a few pieces are too big to fit in their slots), I'm pretty happy with it.
Sample Army lists.
Code:
Dirz 101:
Thissen Ka 110
Musician of Dirz 14
Standard Bearer 14
3 Alchemical Vets 42
4 Sentinels of Danakil 100
2 Centurus Clones 112
Total 392ap, 12 models on 6 cards. Spend the 8ap left over on a potion or cure rune for Thissan.
Description:
A cheap, easy, and effective force for someone just learning the Dirz. To field this list, all you’d need is The Sentinels of Danakil Box, The Warstaff box, and a blister of whichever Centurus type you like better. On Rackham’s store that’s ~74 Euro.
On the field:
Thissen Ka is a great leader, and with the musician and standard bearer, forms a warstaff that gives you +2 DIS and COU for anything in their leadership range. That means the better of 2 dice + 10 on the tactical rolls, and any of your troops in leadership range make fear checks at courage 9. The Centurus are there to deal with any larger threats, with the Vets and the Sentinels should be a good match for any midrange troops your opponent fields. This force is lacking in the ranged department, so get into melee range asap. Hopefully your play group uses terrain; the game is much more interesting that way. Use it to your advantage as you close the gap. Use Thissen wisely. He’s not the strongest character in the world, but take advantage of mutagenic to pump up his defense and go for counter attacks. Since he’s a character with Counter Attack on the card, he only has to beat them by 1 to get an attack die. I’ve had Thissen hold off multiple opponents for several rounds, just wearing them down. A well timed Masterstrike combined with his sword-axe has a great chance of KOing his opponents in a single swing.
List 2:
Code:
Ysis 70
Dasyatis w/ Antiome 97
Tiger of Shamir w/ Atlas 65
Dirz Biopsist 31
Skorize Warrior 32
3 Dawn Warriors 51
2 Keratis Warriors (Str 10) 52
398ap, 7cards, 10 models
Description:
Something a little different to show off some of the bigger stuff and a few tricks. Introduces Shooting, Scouts, Treatments, and spellcasting into the mix. Basically, you’ve got 2 great beatsticks in the D-clone and the Tiger, a character that can do decent damage if used well, 5 more good melee troops and a pair of utilitarian scouts.
On the Field:
This list has a few tricks up its sleeves, but smashing the enemy in melee is still the focus. Ysis is not much of a leader (Dis 4, no leadership) so don’t count on winning the Tactical rolls. She should spend the first turn or two trying to get a good assault fire lined up. Remember she has Toxic and Assassin. You can either go for a toxic assault fire (at difficulty 4, since she’s a character) or hold the toxic for her first hit after the charge so you get a better chance of it kicking in on the 3d6 damage roll. You can surprise an unsuspecting opponent by using mutagenic points in her movement to extend her charge range. Speeding up a Dasyatis this way can often come in handy as well. As described earlier, Antiome Treatment gives the Dasyatis Sequence/1, which is helpful when your opponents manage to beat his fear 8. The Tiger and the Dasyatis can cover a lot of ground, so be careful not to get them too far out on their own. They’re good, but their better if the rest of your troops are backing them up. Use the Tiger’s 17.5 movement to keep him back out of your opponents charge range and charge him into the frays he can do the most damage. Brutish charge and warfury will get him a big dice advantage in combat, and the Atlas treatment will he
