Post by Atreju on May 23, 2015 14:07:47 GMT
Originaly posted by Roddo on the Confrontation forum Wed Dec 06, 2006.
Edited by Dangereux and posted on Dragonpainting.org on Wed Oct 28, 2009.
Mid Nor
Effects of 3.5 on Mid-nor
Every faction in the game was affected by the new rule set. Mid-Nor was no different. The shooting rules didn't help offensively as firespitters and the castles aren't in the position to take advantage of the new rules as some other shooters are. From a defensive standpoint the Middies took one on the chin, as they were already susceptible to shooting due to slower than average movement, the LoS rules didn't help anyone and Middies are no exception.
From a magic and faith standpoint Mid-nor came out pretty good. With an excellent zealot in kelzeral, excellent devout in neran, and a warrior priest with some cool abilities already in the collector middies faith is stronger than ever. Mid-nor has access to 2 excellent adepts, Mahal and Akkadhlet. Akkadhlet can also be taken in a more economical and equally useful initiate version. Masters of puppets are good warrior-mages with a cool ability. All in all the new rules just made all of these guys better. You can summon darkness elementals (new fear rules make this a good choice) and IT's for free. Some good damage and utility spells are available to middies and they are in a good position to take advantage.
Strengthes
Mid-Nor like every faction has strengthes and weaknesses. The middies racial ability is possessed, which allows them to ignore 1 level of wounds. This makes them almost as deadly wounded as they are unhurt, and makes a slow fight not necessarily a good option for an opponent, these guys just don't die easily. Middies also have excellent faithful, who have been blessed with the illuminated ability which provides the ability to roll up 5's and 6's on divination tests. Middies are also blessed with some excellent cheap troops, and also a diverse group of characters.
Weaknesses
Middies have a few weaknesses, but nothing really staggering in my opinion. They tend to have low discipline and lack cheap leadership. Fortunately theres some help in the faction packs for this. One percieved weakness is the slow movement of the middies. This can be misleading, as middies have options such as prowlers, sentinels, knights of ruin, larva and the cyclops that all can move at average or above speed, and also have 2 types of flyers in the reapers and satyrs that can help with movement and objective taking. Until recently the middies lacked decent elite melee fighters, but the hydra warriors should fill that role. They don't have the best shooters in the game, so thats one area where they are truly lacking, even though they have 2 shooting options the low aim scores and relatively high ap values make them a waste of points in my opinion.
Play style
In my experience Middies tend to be able to play multiple styles, depending on opponent and whether or not you like swarms, flyers, mages or faithful, and lets not forget big gribblies like the cyclops. My favorite is some form of horde, as middies have lots of good cheap units to throw in a list. I tend to have a faithful in my list, but with the new rule set thats starting to change. As long as your not looking for lots of cheap ranged units middies can be played in a style that fits virtually every player.
Basic Troops
Warrior of Midnor 7.5 2 3 / 4 2 / 4 0 -4 1 0 8ap
Possessed
Your basic grunt, best used as fodder or a points filler. If you have the points upgrade to the warriors of the abyss.
My rating 3/5 points
halberdier of Midnor 7.5 2 3 / 5 2 / 3 0 -4 1 0 8ap
Possessed
Another basic grunt, this ones a bit more offensive, at the expense of defense. Upgrade to WoA if you can, but take these before basic warriors since they aren't brought for defense anyways. 3/5 attack stats for 8 ap are really good.
3.5/5
Warriors of the abyss 7.5 2 3 / 4 2 / 4 0 -4 1 0 10ap
Possessed
More basic grunts, these guys come with modular weapons. The pick axe version is my favorite as it gives 3/6 attack stats, which once again is excellent for 10ap. Swords add 1 def, kukri adds 1 ini. I take the str bonus everytime, otherwise the halberdiers are a better bang for your buck in my opinion. These guys make excellent bodyguards for faithful as the low points lets you get lots of TF, I typically take 3 WOA with consecration with kelzeral as a bodyguard.
3/5 sword version
3/5 kukri version
4.5/5 pickaxe version (I love these guys!)
Lost warrior 10 2 3 / 5 3 / 5 0 -4 0 0 13ap
Possessed, Medium Size *colony azahir only
A slightly more mobile warrior of the abyss with better res, these guys are not a bad option if playing colony azahir. They probably aren't worth the 3 extra points, but rackham seems to charge alot for movement. I play these guys with the azahir colony horde of the lost ability, where you get one of these guys for each 50ap of your opponent you kill.
3/5
Skinner 7.5 3 2 / 3 2 / 4 0 -3 0 0 10ap
Possessed, Devotion / 1
Skinner 7.5 3 2 / 3 2 / 4 0 -3 0 0 10ap
Possessed, Martyr / 1
I can't really give these guys a score objectively as I've never used them. With the new rules they should be alot more useful as more armies take mages and faithful.
Veteran of the Abyss 7.5 2 4 / 5 2 / 5 0 -5 1 0 16ap
Possessed, Brutal
More expensive versions of the WoA's, these guys don't seem worth the points, for 2ap more you get scourgebearers, the modular profile doesn't allow pickaxes, (swords +1 def, kukri +1 ini) and WoA are very close but 6ap cheaper. Not to mention I'd take 2 halberdiers over one of these guys any day.
Scourgebearers 7.5 2 4 / 8 3 / 5 0 -5 1 0 18ap
Possessed, Hard-Boiled
*special ability:Before the beginning of a game, for each Reference card (in Confrontation) or Unit (in Rag'Narok) of Scourge Bearers of Mid-Nor present in your army, pick a Reference card at random among those of your opponent. If more than one card must be chosen, put each card back into the deck before picking the next one. The same card can thus be picked several times. The Scourge Bearers represented by the chosen Referenc card is Confrontation or that are members of the same unit in Rag'Narok all gain the Bane Ability against the type of figurine picked at random. This effect lasts until the end of the game.
Excellent combat troops for the ap, the main weakness being low move and average ini. Don't let that res 5 fool you, with hard-boiled its an effectively 7 res fighter that needs to be charged by force 2 or higher to take a charge bonus. 4/8 is very good for the price, and combined with their special bane ability can make them quite effective against troops within twice the ap range. These guys are in my don't leave home without them pile, right next to the woa's.
4.5/5
Incubus 7.5 2 4 / 6 4 / 6 0 -5 0 0 25ap
Possessed, Survival instinct, Toxic /2
* special ability: The Incubuses secrete various physiological substances. In each turn during which it is activated the Incubus can choose to do one of the following:
- coat its weapon with corrosive spit : its Strength is increased by 2 points until the end of the round.
- concentrate its vital fluids on its wounds : it benefits from the Regeneration / 5 Ability until the end of the round.
I haven't used these guys alot, but have played against them more than I've played them. Toxic is nice, but its limited use isn't worth the points in my opinion. I'd rather have scourge bearers at 7 ap cheaper. The fact i can't make a regen or survival instinct roll has alot to do with this choice.
2.5/5
Crusader of the abyss 7.5 3 5 / 8 4 / 7 0 -6 3 0 28ap
Possessed, Counter-Attack
At 3 ap more than an incubus I like these guys better, the reason being they have ini 3, att 5 and counter-attack. These guys hold their own against cheap troops quite nicely, and can do decent damage against more expensive troops. Still at 10 ap cheaper the scourge bearers are a better choice. The new hydra warriors make these guys obsolete for the most part anyways.
3.5/5
Scouts and Flyers
Reaper of Mid-Nor 7.5/15 3 2 / 2 2 / 1 0 -3 0 0 13ap
Possessed, Scout, Flight
lousy stats but they have redeeming qualities, mainly high movement when in flight, and scout. And don't underestimate a diving charge to help out some big guys with ini or flying around and stealing objectives. These guys are also good for annoying opponents casters and shooters by causing charge penalties and casting penalties by getting into btb contact. Any damage done is a bonus, they are in a list to annoy, disrupt and take objectives.
3/5
Demonic satyrs 10/15 3 3 / 3 3 / 2 0 -3 0 0 18ap
Possessed, Flight, Survival instinct
a slightly better statistical version of the reapers, with survival instinct but they lose scout. not as useful as the reapers because of the lack of scout, their stats still suck. I'd take reapers first and save the points. One of the worst options in the army in my opinion because of the price disparity between the reapers and lack of scout.
1/5
Sentinel of Mid-Nor 12.5 3 4 / 6 3 / 7 0 -5 1 0 21ap
Possessed, Scout
These guys are staples in my list. Excellent movement for middies, decent res, 4/6 att and scout all for 21 ap? I'll take it. These guys are great at disrupting your opponents plans, and are cheap to boot. Nothing better than charging Hybrids Knight with 2 of these and double sixing him.
4.5/5
Knight of Ruin 15 3 4 / 6 4 / 8 0 -5 2 0 27ap
Possessed, Scout
for 6 ap you get 2.5 mov, 1 def, 1 res over the sentinels. I'm still undecided if i really like these guys better than sentinels, but they look cooler so they'll always have a spot in my bag. if you have 6 ap to spare and only 1 sentinel in a list, grab one of these, never underestimate 1 def and 1 res. Not to mention +5 charge range.
4/5
Elites, big guys and cavalry
Chthonian Larva 10 2 4 / 8 2 / 11 0 -7 0 0 54ap
Possessed, Immunity / Fear , Regeneration / 5 , Cure / 4
These guys are anchors for a Mid-nor Horde. Any small size fighter within 10cm of a larvae gets reg/6, if they have reg/6 already it drops to reg/5. they also have the cure ability, and can resurect a small size fighter once per round who was within 10cm when he died on a 5 or 6. Decent mov, 4/8 att and res 11 mean he can hold his own in combat, and take a beating as well. I haven't had alot of luck with mine due to bad dice rolls and my opponents swarming them, but they are really good if you roll well. Something I need in my lists more, as My experience with them is not as good as with other troops.
4/5
Prowler of the Abyss 15 3 4 / 9 5 / 7 0 -6 2 0 31ap
Possessed, Implacable / 1 , Leap
Prowler of the Abyss 15 3 5 / 8 5 / 6 0 -6 2 0 31ap
Possessed, Brutish Charge, Leap
Prowler of the Abyss 15 4 5 / 7 4 / 6 0 -6 2 0 31ap
Possessed, War Fury, Leap
middies version of light cavalry. You can't go wrong with any version, although implacable has less utility. i like brutish charge, cast the new spell that grants war fury and you got an offensive fighter that can move, and at a cheap price. I run these guys in pairs, and I avoid getting bogged down. A favorite tactic is to stick to a table edge, double team a weak opponent and pursue away from my opponent, and repeat the next turn. Low res means i avoid shooters and the center of the field with these guys, you don't want them bogged down by overwhelming numbers. These guys see alot of action for me, as the movement alone is worth feilding a pair.
4.5/5
Cyclops of Mid-Nor 12.5 3 6 / 14 4 / 11 0 -8 2 0 81ap
Possessed, Loyal / 1 , Sequence, Implacable / 1
Big dumb and ugly, these guys bring the pain. My favorite cyclops moment was when a formor horde player charged him with balkron, after balkron died he pursued into a formor, killed it and got a second formor to serious before succumbing to his wounds. 200ap killed in one round (the first round at that) is not out of the question for these guys. My biggest problem is sending him off without support and him getting swarmed, but when supported this guy needs another big nasty or a double 6 to kill. With the new sequence rules and a mage around to cast greedy doll on this fatty hes a killing machine. Support him and send him right up the middle, your opponent won't like you much when this flesh golem kills his points back fast.
5/5 (only non character i'll rate a 5)
Hydra warriors 7.5 2 6/9 5/8 - 6 3 32ap
possessed, ambidextrous, implacable/1
These guys aren't out yet in english, and i haven't played them yet. They make crusaders obsolete in my opinion, and a pair of these probably becomes a must have in my lists, especially if its an all melee list. Not going to rate them, but I love em already, and the sculpts are awesome.
Shooters
Castle of Desolation 5 0 3 / 4 3 / 9 2 -4 3 0 39ap
Possessed STR 7, Range 30-50-70
Not the best ranged option in the game, but like the firespitters its all mid-nor has. The long range kind of makes up for the low aim score, at least from 30 and in. Str 7 isn't that great for 39ap in my opinion. They can still shoot while in hth, and with res 9 they can take a hit. The model looks cool at least, like most of the middie line. I own one but have never used it due to the high ap cost and low aim.
no score
Fire Spitter of Mid-Nor 5 1 2 / 3 2 / 7 2 -4 3 0 29ap
Possessed, Light Artillery Zone, Fire-shooter / STR 8 / 20-40-60
I like these better than the castles, and have used them. They are however better suited to rag than confrontation due to the scatter rules. They still can't hit the broadside of a dwarven chariot, but at least the hit harder when they hit the trees in the background, and they cost less. Cool looking models at least. Not a bad idea to have one in your list just to have some shooting, but realize your going to need a 5+ to hit anything further away than 20cm. (ouch)
2/5
Warstaffs
Gallows Bearer of Mid-Nor 7.5 2 3 / 4 2 / 3 0 -5 1 0 12ap
Possessed, Leadership / 10
Your typical crappy stat standard bearer. Comes with a cool artifact, that for 11ap allows one fighter 9no characters) within leadership range to add the defense score to his attack, making for a defense score of 0. Roll a d6, on a 4 or 5 a light wound is inflicted. This guy at least looks cooler than the other option. Also cheaper for basically the same stats.
3/5
Standard-Bearer of the Abyss 7.5 2 3 / 4 3 / 4 0 -5 1 0 15ap
Possessed, Leadership / 10
A more expensive gallows bearer with 1 res and 1 def. Doesn't come with an artifact like the gallows bearer. Slightly increased survivability is probably worth the points if you have them.
3.5/5
Organist of Mid-Nor (1) 7.5 2 3 / 4 2 / 3 0 -4 2 0 12ap
Possessed, Leadership / 10
Your typical musician. No fancy artifacts like the gallows bearer however.
2.5/5
Musician of the Abyss 7.5 2 3 / 4 3 / 4 0 -4 2 0 15ap
Possessed, Leadership / 10
A slightly more resilient organist. Cooler looking mini also.
3/5
Warrior monks and mages
Collector of Mid-Nor 7.5 3 4 / 6 3 / 5 0 -5 2 0 25ap
Possessed, War Fury, Warrior-Monk, Faithful / 10 1-1-0
*special ability: if an opponent is eliminated within the collectors aura of faith than a collection counter is generated. Once per round in the maintenance phase a counter can be used to heal 1 wound level of a fighter within the aura of faith. up to 2 counters can be held.
these guys rock. decent melee stats for a warrior monk, and a cool ability to boot. They can summon IT's and give out sequence to a friendly fighter and numerous other cool miracles. They are cheap, and well worth the points.
4.5/5
Master of Puppets 7.5 2 4 / 6 4 / 7 0 -5 1 2 24ap
Possessed, Warrior-Mage, Initiate of Darkness, Survival instinct Pow 2
Special ability: they get to choose between 3 different acolytes:
Cabalistic acolyte:roll 1 extra die for a spell call and keep die that you want.
acolyte of devestation: roll 1 extra die for an attack test
acolyte of domination: a friendly character within 10 cm gains ambidextrous for the round.
each time an acolyte is used roll a d6, on a 1 the acolyte is destroyed and can no longer be used that game.
These guys are really cool. Good combat stats for a warrior mage, cool abilities and the ability to cast some cool spells such as greedy doll, authority etc. Like the collectors these guys should be considered for every middie list where a pure mage or faithful isn't taken.
4.5/5
Characters
I'm going to be dividing characters up into 1 of 4 categories, mages, priests, fighters and leaders (characters with leadership). Dividing them up should make it easier to decide what character you want for the task you want a character to fill.
Fighter characters
Akaranseth 7.5 4 6 / 9 6 / 7 0 -6 5 0 84ap
Possessed, Hard-Boiled, War Fury, Loyal / 1 (counts as a scourge bearer, so benefits from scourgebearers special ability)
This guys a pure beater, plain and simple. Add in sequence and counter attack for being a character and hes got a good range of abilities to get himself plenty of attack dice and dish out some pain. And don't forget he gets masterstrike also. Compare him to the cyclops though at 81ap and hes not as good, even with all the abilities. Still not a bad guy to field.
3.5/5
Asturath the Destroyer 12.5 4 7 / 15 5 / 11 0 -9 3 0 139ap
Possessed, Born Killer, Loyal / 1 , Implacable / 2 , Large Size
this guys a friggin brute, great combat stats across the board. He can easily sequence twice and still have 5 attack for 5 attack dice. Cast greedy doll on him and hes got 6 attack dice, masterstrikes at str 20 3 times and generally kicks some major butt. And with fear 9 hes gonna scare the bejesus out of low courage armies like orcs and goblins. The only downsides are his cost and his ability to get shot to pieces due to being large.
4/5
Azahir the Mad 7.5 3 4 / 5 6 / 10 0 -4 2 0 45ap
Possessed, Mutagenic / 0
A cheap little fighter character, azahir gets mutagenic to raise his relatively low att stats. I wouldn't take him with the thought hes going to be your beatstick, as hes not really up to the task, even with mutagenic his strength maxes out at 7. he also gets a 10 ap artifact that allows him to sacrifice a fellow fighter to heal 1 wound level. His second incarnation is better, but its pricy.
Yh-Azahir The Mad (2nd Inc) 7.5 4 5 / 7 6 / 10 0 -5 4 0 75ap
Possessed, Mutagenic / 0 , Fierce
for 30 ap he gains 1 ini, 1 att, 2 str, and 1 fear, as well as fierce. Not really worth it, especially with the changes to fierce.
1st incarn 3/5
2nd 2.5/5
Kanizhar the Cannibal 7.5 4 5 / 7 5 / 7 0 -6 2 0 68ap
Possessed, Survival instinct, Toxic / 3
this guys the incubus character. Stats are very similiar, but he of course gets the character abilities. Still for 43 ap you gain 1 each of att/str, def/res and fear, and 2 of ini while gaining sequence, masterstrike and counter attack. To me he seems a tad pricy for what he does, but your milage may vary. If taking 3 incubus hes not a bad guy to have around for the extra toxic die.
3.5/5
As a group the fighters offer some interesting options, but to me the leader group is way better, as it has some good offense and leadership.
Leaders
Araqsalil the Skinner 7.5 3 5 / 7 5 / 5 0 -5 3 0 43ap
Possessed, Leadership / 10
Araqsalil the Skinner (2nd Inc.) 7.5 4 6 / 8 5 / 6 0 -5 4 0 60ap
Possessed, Leadership / 10 , Sequence
A nice cheap character, the second incarnation offers a bit more as its more able to use sequence and still get an attack off, as well as having 4 dis. For the points Ariqsalil is an excellent choice, although if on a budget the first incarn isn't to bad.
1st incarn 3.5/5
2nd 4/5
Esikail, Scourge Bearer 7.5 3 5 / 8 4 / 5 0 -6 2 0 51ap
Possessed, Hard-Boiled, Leadership / 10
The cheaper of the 2 scourge bearer characters (akaranseth the other) this guys stats are on par with a normal scourge bearer. Hes a pretty cheap leadership character, but dis 2 really sucks. I'd take ariqsalil 2nd over this guy based on dis alone.
3/5
Nilarakh the Evildoer 7.5 3 5 / 6 5 / 6 0 -5 3 0 43ap
Possessed, Leadership / 10
This guy comes in the warstaff box. Not a bad little character for the ap. Dis 3 isn't the best, but what do you expect for 43 ap? Hes got decent attack and def values, so taking him and using him to counter attack isn't a bad idea against lower level guys. slightly worse str than ariq 1st, but better res. Otherwise they could be twins.
3.5/5
Yh-Ibenseth, Dominant 7.5 5 8 / 11 6 / 10 0 -7 6 0 137ap
Possessed, Ambidextrous, Leadership / 15 , Implacable / 1
this guys pure whoop ass, the one drawback being only 2 dice without sequence, but with the changes hes got 4 now and still has att 6 and def 4. With the boost to ambidextrous i'd sequence once based on my opponent, and just try to block everything. If he blocks enough to get 3 attack dice in a 1-1 fight than masterstrike once and finish em off with the last dice. Hes the second best leader the middies got, behind the king in my opinion. (authority being the trump card)
4.5/5
Yh-Karas, King of the Abyss 7.5 4 7 / 8 6 / 8 0 -6 6 0 115ap
Possessed, Leadership / 15 , Bane / Leadership , Master Strike / 5 , Authority
This guys a great leader. and if you take the crown of conquerors (15ap, reserved to yh-karas) he gets 2 authority counters, and adds +5 to his leadership. he can masterstrike at str 20, control the movement phase and generally kicks alot of butt. hes the creme de la creme of the middies leaders/fighters characters. The only problem is hes tied to colony of ephorath. Still he gets 2 thumbs up from me.
5/5
Mages
Ezalyth, Queen of the Damned 10 5 6 / 6 5 / 6 0 -5 4 4 95ap
Possessed, War Fury, Consciousness, Survival instinct, Warrior-Mage, Initiate of Darkness
As a warrior mage she gets all the cool abilities as the warriors, and intensity 4 of spells. Shes pricy for an initiate, but has some decent stats and cool abilities. She won't be in many of my lists however, as there are alot better options for mages or characters at her price range or even cheaper. The sculpt is pretty damn cool however.
2/5
Akkadhalet 7.5 3 4 / 3 3 / 6 2 -6 3 4 48ap
Possessed, Initiate of Darkness
Akkadhalet (2nd Ed.) 7.5 3 4 / 3 3 / 6 0 -6 3 5 55ap
Possessed, Adept of Darkness Element, Adept of Earth Element
Heres 2 of those options that are better than the queen as far as mages go. The combat stats aren't great, but who really cares? a pow 5 adept for 55 ap? I'll take 1 thank you very much. Playing a tourney and just can't live without taking kelzeral? than take the 48ap initiate. Akkad is one character that really benefits from the new rules. Earth provides some good buffs (breastplate of earth on a cyclops? how about boe and greedy doll?) and darkness adds arguably the best elemental in the game. Either version is great for what they bring, although i'd take the adept in most cases.
both versions 5/5
Mahal the Enchanter 7.5 3 3 / 3 4 / 6 0 -5 5 6 70ap
Possessed, Regeneration / 5 , Additional Limb, Adept of Darkness Element, Adept of Water Element
Another excellent mage the middies have access to. The one downfall is the lack of water elemental and fewer water spells than other paths. I'd take akkad 2nd over him most of the time, but its not mahals fault. 12 intensity of spells for 70ap, he can take such spells as veil of fog (great against shooty armies), darkness elemental summoning, greedy doll, and the spell from nurbald that silences casters and hes a power house.
4.5/5
Priests
Mid nor has the best darkness priests, as they aren't iconoclast. Combined with illuminated and they might just be the best group of priests in the game. In my opinion they are.
Ysilthan, Bishop of Ymsur 7.5 3 5 / 7 4 / 5 0 -5 3 0 56ap
Possessed, Warrior-Monk, Faith / 10 , Thaumaturgist aspects 1-0-2
As a warrior monk hes got good stats, some good combat abilities and still retains the ability to call miracles. His ap cost is pretty reasonable as well.
3.5/5
Neran the Scary 7.5 4 3 / 4 3 / 5 0 -7 3 0 35ap
Possessed, Faithful / 10 1-1-1 aspects
An excellent choice for a pure faithful devout. Hes cheap, and has a good aspect breakdown so he can call lots of cheap miracles. He can easily be taken with a second character due to his low ap.
4/5
Kelzaral the Diabolical 7.5 4 4 / 4 5 / 7 0 -7 5 0 82ap
Possessed, Regeneration / 5 , Thaumaturgist, Faith / 15 1-2-2 aspects
This is the best priest mid-nor has to offer. He has done great things for me in the past, and has an impressive array of miracles to call, and can also use the talisman of the hydra god, which allows him to run and cast, and 1 turn a game double his tf to a max of 20. If 5 IT's were better than 1 darkness elemental he'd be a guaranteed member of all my mid nor tourney lists (he was pre 3.5). I can't pump this guy up enough, he rules.
6/5 (thats right he gets a 6, I love him)
Sample army lists
Most of these are pure melee, or based off 3.0 rules. I'll also write up a 3.5 list in my next post. I'll try and come up with some tactics for the lists I've played, as not all of these are playtested, but they look good on paper to me at least.
Incubus list
kanizhar 68ap
3x incubus 25ap
larvae 54ap
collector 25ap
2x scourge bearers 36ap
2x prowlers (brutish charge) 62ap
2x sentinels (scout version) 42ap
colony azahir 13 ap
13 fighters, 400ap.
Pretty straight forward tactics, keep everyone but the prowlers and sentinels close to the larvae, use the scouts and cavalry to harass the opponent and capture objectives, kill hostages etc. Collector gets rage of the despot miracle, he can be swapped for master of puppets and greedy doll also.
Akaranseth list
Akaranseth 84ap
cyclops 81ap
Larvae 54ap
gallows bearer 12ap
organist 12ap
2x scourge bearer 36ap
2x sentinel (scout) 42ap
3x warrior of the abyss (pickaxe) 30ap
Master of puppets 24ap
Colony of azahir 13ap
leadership solo for akaranseth 11p
13 fighters, 399ap
Same general tactics as kanizhar list, but with a bit more punch from akaranseth and the clops. Lacks movement however, still a good list unless facing a ton of shooting or a really nasty caster.
Kelzeral list(3.0 version from tourneys including Montreal
Kelzeral 82ap
Liturgical instrument 8ap
demons claws 8ap
perseverance 8ap
it summoning 12ap
talisman of the hydra god 20ap
Cyclops 81ap
2x prowler brutish charge 62ap
2x sentinel (scout) 42ap
2x scourge bearer 36ap
3x warrior of the abyss (consecrated with war picks) 39ap
11 fighters, 398ap with the ability to summon 5 more
This is a pretty nasty list, took it to 3 tourneys and had a first place and 2 2nds. WoA were kels bodyguards, and helped generate TF. Summon It's like mad with kel and keep moving with help of hydra god talisman. faster units like prowlers, clops and sentinels cause chaos and run up each side of the opponent and meet in the middle about the time kel gets there. Usually around turn 3-4 I'd use the talisman to double my tf and destroy my 2 nastiest opponents on the same turn.
kelzeral 3.5 list
For 3.5 I'll obviously be changing a fe things, not quite sure on all the miracles.
Kelzeral 82ap
perseverance (demon's claws) 8ap
lVeneration 4ap
talisman of the hydra god 20ap
Demons claws
It summoning
inferno of damnation
prayer of the warrior
rage of the despot
cyclops 81ap
master of puppets 24ap
greedy doll
2x prowlers 62ap
2x sentinels (scout) 42ap
2x scourge bearers 36ap
3x warrior of the abyss (consecrated with pickaxes) 39ap
12 fighters, 400ap
same tactics as before, but now the MoP is casting greedy doll on the clops and one prowler, once they get out of range he'll cast it on the scourge bearers until the prowlers and clops meet in the middle of the board. kelzeral is dropping damage spells and buffs while calling forth It's.
Caster nastiness
Akkadhlet 2nd 55ap
primal of darkness
heir of the hydra
summoning of darkness
putrescence
hand of the puppeteer
Neran the scary 35ap
lit instrument 8ap
talisman of the hydra god
devotion 8ap
demons claws
It summoning
miraculous reprieve
Master of puppets 24ap
greedy doll
collector 25ap
rage of the despot
cyclops 81ap
3x sentinels (scout) 63ap
2x prowlers 62ap
3x warriors of the abyss (consecrated with pickaxes) 39ap
12 fighters for 399ap
similiar tactics to my kelzeral lists, but there will be an elemental of darkness anchoring the center of the line. Casters all stay in nerans aura of faith to help add more tf. he should be able to pop out 7 tf a turn or more, and with the talisman doubling his tf hopefully he can get to 15 or higher if he saves up 2 the previous turn.
Edited by Dangereux and posted on Dragonpainting.org on Wed Oct 28, 2009.
Mid Nor
Effects of 3.5 on Mid-nor
Every faction in the game was affected by the new rule set. Mid-Nor was no different. The shooting rules didn't help offensively as firespitters and the castles aren't in the position to take advantage of the new rules as some other shooters are. From a defensive standpoint the Middies took one on the chin, as they were already susceptible to shooting due to slower than average movement, the LoS rules didn't help anyone and Middies are no exception.
From a magic and faith standpoint Mid-nor came out pretty good. With an excellent zealot in kelzeral, excellent devout in neran, and a warrior priest with some cool abilities already in the collector middies faith is stronger than ever. Mid-nor has access to 2 excellent adepts, Mahal and Akkadhlet. Akkadhlet can also be taken in a more economical and equally useful initiate version. Masters of puppets are good warrior-mages with a cool ability. All in all the new rules just made all of these guys better. You can summon darkness elementals (new fear rules make this a good choice) and IT's for free. Some good damage and utility spells are available to middies and they are in a good position to take advantage.
Strengthes
Mid-Nor like every faction has strengthes and weaknesses. The middies racial ability is possessed, which allows them to ignore 1 level of wounds. This makes them almost as deadly wounded as they are unhurt, and makes a slow fight not necessarily a good option for an opponent, these guys just don't die easily. Middies also have excellent faithful, who have been blessed with the illuminated ability which provides the ability to roll up 5's and 6's on divination tests. Middies are also blessed with some excellent cheap troops, and also a diverse group of characters.
Weaknesses
Middies have a few weaknesses, but nothing really staggering in my opinion. They tend to have low discipline and lack cheap leadership. Fortunately theres some help in the faction packs for this. One percieved weakness is the slow movement of the middies. This can be misleading, as middies have options such as prowlers, sentinels, knights of ruin, larva and the cyclops that all can move at average or above speed, and also have 2 types of flyers in the reapers and satyrs that can help with movement and objective taking. Until recently the middies lacked decent elite melee fighters, but the hydra warriors should fill that role. They don't have the best shooters in the game, so thats one area where they are truly lacking, even though they have 2 shooting options the low aim scores and relatively high ap values make them a waste of points in my opinion.
Play style
In my experience Middies tend to be able to play multiple styles, depending on opponent and whether or not you like swarms, flyers, mages or faithful, and lets not forget big gribblies like the cyclops. My favorite is some form of horde, as middies have lots of good cheap units to throw in a list. I tend to have a faithful in my list, but with the new rule set thats starting to change. As long as your not looking for lots of cheap ranged units middies can be played in a style that fits virtually every player.
Basic Troops
Warrior of Midnor 7.5 2 3 / 4 2 / 4 0 -4 1 0 8ap
Possessed
Your basic grunt, best used as fodder or a points filler. If you have the points upgrade to the warriors of the abyss.
My rating 3/5 points
halberdier of Midnor 7.5 2 3 / 5 2 / 3 0 -4 1 0 8ap
Possessed
Another basic grunt, this ones a bit more offensive, at the expense of defense. Upgrade to WoA if you can, but take these before basic warriors since they aren't brought for defense anyways. 3/5 attack stats for 8 ap are really good.
3.5/5
Warriors of the abyss 7.5 2 3 / 4 2 / 4 0 -4 1 0 10ap
Possessed
More basic grunts, these guys come with modular weapons. The pick axe version is my favorite as it gives 3/6 attack stats, which once again is excellent for 10ap. Swords add 1 def, kukri adds 1 ini. I take the str bonus everytime, otherwise the halberdiers are a better bang for your buck in my opinion. These guys make excellent bodyguards for faithful as the low points lets you get lots of TF, I typically take 3 WOA with consecration with kelzeral as a bodyguard.
3/5 sword version
3/5 kukri version
4.5/5 pickaxe version (I love these guys!)
Lost warrior 10 2 3 / 5 3 / 5 0 -4 0 0 13ap
Possessed, Medium Size *colony azahir only
A slightly more mobile warrior of the abyss with better res, these guys are not a bad option if playing colony azahir. They probably aren't worth the 3 extra points, but rackham seems to charge alot for movement. I play these guys with the azahir colony horde of the lost ability, where you get one of these guys for each 50ap of your opponent you kill.
3/5
Skinner 7.5 3 2 / 3 2 / 4 0 -3 0 0 10ap
Possessed, Devotion / 1
Skinner 7.5 3 2 / 3 2 / 4 0 -3 0 0 10ap
Possessed, Martyr / 1
I can't really give these guys a score objectively as I've never used them. With the new rules they should be alot more useful as more armies take mages and faithful.
Veteran of the Abyss 7.5 2 4 / 5 2 / 5 0 -5 1 0 16ap
Possessed, Brutal
More expensive versions of the WoA's, these guys don't seem worth the points, for 2ap more you get scourgebearers, the modular profile doesn't allow pickaxes, (swords +1 def, kukri +1 ini) and WoA are very close but 6ap cheaper. Not to mention I'd take 2 halberdiers over one of these guys any day.
Scourgebearers 7.5 2 4 / 8 3 / 5 0 -5 1 0 18ap
Possessed, Hard-Boiled
*special ability:Before the beginning of a game, for each Reference card (in Confrontation) or Unit (in Rag'Narok) of Scourge Bearers of Mid-Nor present in your army, pick a Reference card at random among those of your opponent. If more than one card must be chosen, put each card back into the deck before picking the next one. The same card can thus be picked several times. The Scourge Bearers represented by the chosen Referenc card is Confrontation or that are members of the same unit in Rag'Narok all gain the Bane Ability against the type of figurine picked at random. This effect lasts until the end of the game.
Excellent combat troops for the ap, the main weakness being low move and average ini. Don't let that res 5 fool you, with hard-boiled its an effectively 7 res fighter that needs to be charged by force 2 or higher to take a charge bonus. 4/8 is very good for the price, and combined with their special bane ability can make them quite effective against troops within twice the ap range. These guys are in my don't leave home without them pile, right next to the woa's.
4.5/5
Incubus 7.5 2 4 / 6 4 / 6 0 -5 0 0 25ap
Possessed, Survival instinct, Toxic /2
* special ability: The Incubuses secrete various physiological substances. In each turn during which it is activated the Incubus can choose to do one of the following:
- coat its weapon with corrosive spit : its Strength is increased by 2 points until the end of the round.
- concentrate its vital fluids on its wounds : it benefits from the Regeneration / 5 Ability until the end of the round.
I haven't used these guys alot, but have played against them more than I've played them. Toxic is nice, but its limited use isn't worth the points in my opinion. I'd rather have scourge bearers at 7 ap cheaper. The fact i can't make a regen or survival instinct roll has alot to do with this choice.
2.5/5
Crusader of the abyss 7.5 3 5 / 8 4 / 7 0 -6 3 0 28ap
Possessed, Counter-Attack
At 3 ap more than an incubus I like these guys better, the reason being they have ini 3, att 5 and counter-attack. These guys hold their own against cheap troops quite nicely, and can do decent damage against more expensive troops. Still at 10 ap cheaper the scourge bearers are a better choice. The new hydra warriors make these guys obsolete for the most part anyways.
3.5/5
Scouts and Flyers
Reaper of Mid-Nor 7.5/15 3 2 / 2 2 / 1 0 -3 0 0 13ap
Possessed, Scout, Flight
lousy stats but they have redeeming qualities, mainly high movement when in flight, and scout. And don't underestimate a diving charge to help out some big guys with ini or flying around and stealing objectives. These guys are also good for annoying opponents casters and shooters by causing charge penalties and casting penalties by getting into btb contact. Any damage done is a bonus, they are in a list to annoy, disrupt and take objectives.
3/5
Demonic satyrs 10/15 3 3 / 3 3 / 2 0 -3 0 0 18ap
Possessed, Flight, Survival instinct
a slightly better statistical version of the reapers, with survival instinct but they lose scout. not as useful as the reapers because of the lack of scout, their stats still suck. I'd take reapers first and save the points. One of the worst options in the army in my opinion because of the price disparity between the reapers and lack of scout.
1/5
Sentinel of Mid-Nor 12.5 3 4 / 6 3 / 7 0 -5 1 0 21ap
Possessed, Scout
These guys are staples in my list. Excellent movement for middies, decent res, 4/6 att and scout all for 21 ap? I'll take it. These guys are great at disrupting your opponents plans, and are cheap to boot. Nothing better than charging Hybrids Knight with 2 of these and double sixing him.
4.5/5
Knight of Ruin 15 3 4 / 6 4 / 8 0 -5 2 0 27ap
Possessed, Scout
for 6 ap you get 2.5 mov, 1 def, 1 res over the sentinels. I'm still undecided if i really like these guys better than sentinels, but they look cooler so they'll always have a spot in my bag. if you have 6 ap to spare and only 1 sentinel in a list, grab one of these, never underestimate 1 def and 1 res. Not to mention +5 charge range.
4/5
Elites, big guys and cavalry
Chthonian Larva 10 2 4 / 8 2 / 11 0 -7 0 0 54ap
Possessed, Immunity / Fear , Regeneration / 5 , Cure / 4
These guys are anchors for a Mid-nor Horde. Any small size fighter within 10cm of a larvae gets reg/6, if they have reg/6 already it drops to reg/5. they also have the cure ability, and can resurect a small size fighter once per round who was within 10cm when he died on a 5 or 6. Decent mov, 4/8 att and res 11 mean he can hold his own in combat, and take a beating as well. I haven't had alot of luck with mine due to bad dice rolls and my opponents swarming them, but they are really good if you roll well. Something I need in my lists more, as My experience with them is not as good as with other troops.
4/5
Prowler of the Abyss 15 3 4 / 9 5 / 7 0 -6 2 0 31ap
Possessed, Implacable / 1 , Leap
Prowler of the Abyss 15 3 5 / 8 5 / 6 0 -6 2 0 31ap
Possessed, Brutish Charge, Leap
Prowler of the Abyss 15 4 5 / 7 4 / 6 0 -6 2 0 31ap
Possessed, War Fury, Leap
middies version of light cavalry. You can't go wrong with any version, although implacable has less utility. i like brutish charge, cast the new spell that grants war fury and you got an offensive fighter that can move, and at a cheap price. I run these guys in pairs, and I avoid getting bogged down. A favorite tactic is to stick to a table edge, double team a weak opponent and pursue away from my opponent, and repeat the next turn. Low res means i avoid shooters and the center of the field with these guys, you don't want them bogged down by overwhelming numbers. These guys see alot of action for me, as the movement alone is worth feilding a pair.
4.5/5
Cyclops of Mid-Nor 12.5 3 6 / 14 4 / 11 0 -8 2 0 81ap
Possessed, Loyal / 1 , Sequence, Implacable / 1
Big dumb and ugly, these guys bring the pain. My favorite cyclops moment was when a formor horde player charged him with balkron, after balkron died he pursued into a formor, killed it and got a second formor to serious before succumbing to his wounds. 200ap killed in one round (the first round at that) is not out of the question for these guys. My biggest problem is sending him off without support and him getting swarmed, but when supported this guy needs another big nasty or a double 6 to kill. With the new sequence rules and a mage around to cast greedy doll on this fatty hes a killing machine. Support him and send him right up the middle, your opponent won't like you much when this flesh golem kills his points back fast.
5/5 (only non character i'll rate a 5)
Hydra warriors 7.5 2 6/9 5/8 - 6 3 32ap
possessed, ambidextrous, implacable/1
These guys aren't out yet in english, and i haven't played them yet. They make crusaders obsolete in my opinion, and a pair of these probably becomes a must have in my lists, especially if its an all melee list. Not going to rate them, but I love em already, and the sculpts are awesome.
Shooters
Castle of Desolation 5 0 3 / 4 3 / 9 2 -4 3 0 39ap
Possessed STR 7, Range 30-50-70
Not the best ranged option in the game, but like the firespitters its all mid-nor has. The long range kind of makes up for the low aim score, at least from 30 and in. Str 7 isn't that great for 39ap in my opinion. They can still shoot while in hth, and with res 9 they can take a hit. The model looks cool at least, like most of the middie line. I own one but have never used it due to the high ap cost and low aim.
no score
Fire Spitter of Mid-Nor 5 1 2 / 3 2 / 7 2 -4 3 0 29ap
Possessed, Light Artillery Zone, Fire-shooter / STR 8 / 20-40-60
I like these better than the castles, and have used them. They are however better suited to rag than confrontation due to the scatter rules. They still can't hit the broadside of a dwarven chariot, but at least the hit harder when they hit the trees in the background, and they cost less. Cool looking models at least. Not a bad idea to have one in your list just to have some shooting, but realize your going to need a 5+ to hit anything further away than 20cm. (ouch)
2/5
Warstaffs
Gallows Bearer of Mid-Nor 7.5 2 3 / 4 2 / 3 0 -5 1 0 12ap
Possessed, Leadership / 10
Your typical crappy stat standard bearer. Comes with a cool artifact, that for 11ap allows one fighter 9no characters) within leadership range to add the defense score to his attack, making for a defense score of 0. Roll a d6, on a 4 or 5 a light wound is inflicted. This guy at least looks cooler than the other option. Also cheaper for basically the same stats.
3/5
Standard-Bearer of the Abyss 7.5 2 3 / 4 3 / 4 0 -5 1 0 15ap
Possessed, Leadership / 10
A more expensive gallows bearer with 1 res and 1 def. Doesn't come with an artifact like the gallows bearer. Slightly increased survivability is probably worth the points if you have them.
3.5/5
Organist of Mid-Nor (1) 7.5 2 3 / 4 2 / 3 0 -4 2 0 12ap
Possessed, Leadership / 10
Your typical musician. No fancy artifacts like the gallows bearer however.
2.5/5
Musician of the Abyss 7.5 2 3 / 4 3 / 4 0 -4 2 0 15ap
Possessed, Leadership / 10
A slightly more resilient organist. Cooler looking mini also.
3/5
Warrior monks and mages
Collector of Mid-Nor 7.5 3 4 / 6 3 / 5 0 -5 2 0 25ap
Possessed, War Fury, Warrior-Monk, Faithful / 10 1-1-0
*special ability: if an opponent is eliminated within the collectors aura of faith than a collection counter is generated. Once per round in the maintenance phase a counter can be used to heal 1 wound level of a fighter within the aura of faith. up to 2 counters can be held.
these guys rock. decent melee stats for a warrior monk, and a cool ability to boot. They can summon IT's and give out sequence to a friendly fighter and numerous other cool miracles. They are cheap, and well worth the points.
4.5/5
Master of Puppets 7.5 2 4 / 6 4 / 7 0 -5 1 2 24ap
Possessed, Warrior-Mage, Initiate of Darkness, Survival instinct Pow 2
Special ability: they get to choose between 3 different acolytes:
Cabalistic acolyte:roll 1 extra die for a spell call and keep die that you want.
acolyte of devestation: roll 1 extra die for an attack test
acolyte of domination: a friendly character within 10 cm gains ambidextrous for the round.
each time an acolyte is used roll a d6, on a 1 the acolyte is destroyed and can no longer be used that game.
These guys are really cool. Good combat stats for a warrior mage, cool abilities and the ability to cast some cool spells such as greedy doll, authority etc. Like the collectors these guys should be considered for every middie list where a pure mage or faithful isn't taken.
4.5/5
Characters
I'm going to be dividing characters up into 1 of 4 categories, mages, priests, fighters and leaders (characters with leadership). Dividing them up should make it easier to decide what character you want for the task you want a character to fill.
Fighter characters
Akaranseth 7.5 4 6 / 9 6 / 7 0 -6 5 0 84ap
Possessed, Hard-Boiled, War Fury, Loyal / 1 (counts as a scourge bearer, so benefits from scourgebearers special ability)
This guys a pure beater, plain and simple. Add in sequence and counter attack for being a character and hes got a good range of abilities to get himself plenty of attack dice and dish out some pain. And don't forget he gets masterstrike also. Compare him to the cyclops though at 81ap and hes not as good, even with all the abilities. Still not a bad guy to field.
3.5/5
Asturath the Destroyer 12.5 4 7 / 15 5 / 11 0 -9 3 0 139ap
Possessed, Born Killer, Loyal / 1 , Implacable / 2 , Large Size
this guys a friggin brute, great combat stats across the board. He can easily sequence twice and still have 5 attack for 5 attack dice. Cast greedy doll on him and hes got 6 attack dice, masterstrikes at str 20 3 times and generally kicks some major butt. And with fear 9 hes gonna scare the bejesus out of low courage armies like orcs and goblins. The only downsides are his cost and his ability to get shot to pieces due to being large.
4/5
Azahir the Mad 7.5 3 4 / 5 6 / 10 0 -4 2 0 45ap
Possessed, Mutagenic / 0
A cheap little fighter character, azahir gets mutagenic to raise his relatively low att stats. I wouldn't take him with the thought hes going to be your beatstick, as hes not really up to the task, even with mutagenic his strength maxes out at 7. he also gets a 10 ap artifact that allows him to sacrifice a fellow fighter to heal 1 wound level. His second incarnation is better, but its pricy.
Yh-Azahir The Mad (2nd Inc) 7.5 4 5 / 7 6 / 10 0 -5 4 0 75ap
Possessed, Mutagenic / 0 , Fierce
for 30 ap he gains 1 ini, 1 att, 2 str, and 1 fear, as well as fierce. Not really worth it, especially with the changes to fierce.
1st incarn 3/5
2nd 2.5/5
Kanizhar the Cannibal 7.5 4 5 / 7 5 / 7 0 -6 2 0 68ap
Possessed, Survival instinct, Toxic / 3
this guys the incubus character. Stats are very similiar, but he of course gets the character abilities. Still for 43 ap you gain 1 each of att/str, def/res and fear, and 2 of ini while gaining sequence, masterstrike and counter attack. To me he seems a tad pricy for what he does, but your milage may vary. If taking 3 incubus hes not a bad guy to have around for the extra toxic die.
3.5/5
As a group the fighters offer some interesting options, but to me the leader group is way better, as it has some good offense and leadership.
Leaders
Araqsalil the Skinner 7.5 3 5 / 7 5 / 5 0 -5 3 0 43ap
Possessed, Leadership / 10
Araqsalil the Skinner (2nd Inc.) 7.5 4 6 / 8 5 / 6 0 -5 4 0 60ap
Possessed, Leadership / 10 , Sequence
A nice cheap character, the second incarnation offers a bit more as its more able to use sequence and still get an attack off, as well as having 4 dis. For the points Ariqsalil is an excellent choice, although if on a budget the first incarn isn't to bad.
1st incarn 3.5/5
2nd 4/5
Esikail, Scourge Bearer 7.5 3 5 / 8 4 / 5 0 -6 2 0 51ap
Possessed, Hard-Boiled, Leadership / 10
The cheaper of the 2 scourge bearer characters (akaranseth the other) this guys stats are on par with a normal scourge bearer. Hes a pretty cheap leadership character, but dis 2 really sucks. I'd take ariqsalil 2nd over this guy based on dis alone.
3/5
Nilarakh the Evildoer 7.5 3 5 / 6 5 / 6 0 -5 3 0 43ap
Possessed, Leadership / 10
This guy comes in the warstaff box. Not a bad little character for the ap. Dis 3 isn't the best, but what do you expect for 43 ap? Hes got decent attack and def values, so taking him and using him to counter attack isn't a bad idea against lower level guys. slightly worse str than ariq 1st, but better res. Otherwise they could be twins.
3.5/5
Yh-Ibenseth, Dominant 7.5 5 8 / 11 6 / 10 0 -7 6 0 137ap
Possessed, Ambidextrous, Leadership / 15 , Implacable / 1
this guys pure whoop ass, the one drawback being only 2 dice without sequence, but with the changes hes got 4 now and still has att 6 and def 4. With the boost to ambidextrous i'd sequence once based on my opponent, and just try to block everything. If he blocks enough to get 3 attack dice in a 1-1 fight than masterstrike once and finish em off with the last dice. Hes the second best leader the middies got, behind the king in my opinion. (authority being the trump card)
4.5/5
Yh-Karas, King of the Abyss 7.5 4 7 / 8 6 / 8 0 -6 6 0 115ap
Possessed, Leadership / 15 , Bane / Leadership , Master Strike / 5 , Authority
This guys a great leader. and if you take the crown of conquerors (15ap, reserved to yh-karas) he gets 2 authority counters, and adds +5 to his leadership. he can masterstrike at str 20, control the movement phase and generally kicks alot of butt. hes the creme de la creme of the middies leaders/fighters characters. The only problem is hes tied to colony of ephorath. Still he gets 2 thumbs up from me.
5/5
Mages
Ezalyth, Queen of the Damned 10 5 6 / 6 5 / 6 0 -5 4 4 95ap
Possessed, War Fury, Consciousness, Survival instinct, Warrior-Mage, Initiate of Darkness
As a warrior mage she gets all the cool abilities as the warriors, and intensity 4 of spells. Shes pricy for an initiate, but has some decent stats and cool abilities. She won't be in many of my lists however, as there are alot better options for mages or characters at her price range or even cheaper. The sculpt is pretty damn cool however.
2/5
Akkadhalet 7.5 3 4 / 3 3 / 6 2 -6 3 4 48ap
Possessed, Initiate of Darkness
Akkadhalet (2nd Ed.) 7.5 3 4 / 3 3 / 6 0 -6 3 5 55ap
Possessed, Adept of Darkness Element, Adept of Earth Element
Heres 2 of those options that are better than the queen as far as mages go. The combat stats aren't great, but who really cares? a pow 5 adept for 55 ap? I'll take 1 thank you very much. Playing a tourney and just can't live without taking kelzeral? than take the 48ap initiate. Akkad is one character that really benefits from the new rules. Earth provides some good buffs (breastplate of earth on a cyclops? how about boe and greedy doll?) and darkness adds arguably the best elemental in the game. Either version is great for what they bring, although i'd take the adept in most cases.
both versions 5/5
Mahal the Enchanter 7.5 3 3 / 3 4 / 6 0 -5 5 6 70ap
Possessed, Regeneration / 5 , Additional Limb, Adept of Darkness Element, Adept of Water Element
Another excellent mage the middies have access to. The one downfall is the lack of water elemental and fewer water spells than other paths. I'd take akkad 2nd over him most of the time, but its not mahals fault. 12 intensity of spells for 70ap, he can take such spells as veil of fog (great against shooty armies), darkness elemental summoning, greedy doll, and the spell from nurbald that silences casters and hes a power house.
4.5/5
Priests
Mid nor has the best darkness priests, as they aren't iconoclast. Combined with illuminated and they might just be the best group of priests in the game. In my opinion they are.
Ysilthan, Bishop of Ymsur 7.5 3 5 / 7 4 / 5 0 -5 3 0 56ap
Possessed, Warrior-Monk, Faith / 10 , Thaumaturgist aspects 1-0-2
As a warrior monk hes got good stats, some good combat abilities and still retains the ability to call miracles. His ap cost is pretty reasonable as well.
3.5/5
Neran the Scary 7.5 4 3 / 4 3 / 5 0 -7 3 0 35ap
Possessed, Faithful / 10 1-1-1 aspects
An excellent choice for a pure faithful devout. Hes cheap, and has a good aspect breakdown so he can call lots of cheap miracles. He can easily be taken with a second character due to his low ap.
4/5
Kelzaral the Diabolical 7.5 4 4 / 4 5 / 7 0 -7 5 0 82ap
Possessed, Regeneration / 5 , Thaumaturgist, Faith / 15 1-2-2 aspects
This is the best priest mid-nor has to offer. He has done great things for me in the past, and has an impressive array of miracles to call, and can also use the talisman of the hydra god, which allows him to run and cast, and 1 turn a game double his tf to a max of 20. If 5 IT's were better than 1 darkness elemental he'd be a guaranteed member of all my mid nor tourney lists (he was pre 3.5). I can't pump this guy up enough, he rules.
6/5 (thats right he gets a 6, I love him)
Sample army lists
Most of these are pure melee, or based off 3.0 rules. I'll also write up a 3.5 list in my next post. I'll try and come up with some tactics for the lists I've played, as not all of these are playtested, but they look good on paper to me at least.
Incubus list
kanizhar 68ap
3x incubus 25ap
larvae 54ap
collector 25ap
2x scourge bearers 36ap
2x prowlers (brutish charge) 62ap
2x sentinels (scout version) 42ap
colony azahir 13 ap
13 fighters, 400ap.
Pretty straight forward tactics, keep everyone but the prowlers and sentinels close to the larvae, use the scouts and cavalry to harass the opponent and capture objectives, kill hostages etc. Collector gets rage of the despot miracle, he can be swapped for master of puppets and greedy doll also.
Akaranseth list
Akaranseth 84ap
cyclops 81ap
Larvae 54ap
gallows bearer 12ap
organist 12ap
2x scourge bearer 36ap
2x sentinel (scout) 42ap
3x warrior of the abyss (pickaxe) 30ap
Master of puppets 24ap
Colony of azahir 13ap
leadership solo for akaranseth 11p
13 fighters, 399ap
Same general tactics as kanizhar list, but with a bit more punch from akaranseth and the clops. Lacks movement however, still a good list unless facing a ton of shooting or a really nasty caster.
Kelzeral list(3.0 version from tourneys including Montreal
Kelzeral 82ap
Liturgical instrument 8ap
demons claws 8ap
perseverance 8ap
it summoning 12ap
talisman of the hydra god 20ap
Cyclops 81ap
2x prowler brutish charge 62ap
2x sentinel (scout) 42ap
2x scourge bearer 36ap
3x warrior of the abyss (consecrated with war picks) 39ap
11 fighters, 398ap with the ability to summon 5 more
This is a pretty nasty list, took it to 3 tourneys and had a first place and 2 2nds. WoA were kels bodyguards, and helped generate TF. Summon It's like mad with kel and keep moving with help of hydra god talisman. faster units like prowlers, clops and sentinels cause chaos and run up each side of the opponent and meet in the middle about the time kel gets there. Usually around turn 3-4 I'd use the talisman to double my tf and destroy my 2 nastiest opponents on the same turn.
kelzeral 3.5 list
For 3.5 I'll obviously be changing a fe things, not quite sure on all the miracles.
Kelzeral 82ap
perseverance (demon's claws) 8ap
lVeneration 4ap
talisman of the hydra god 20ap
Demons claws
It summoning
inferno of damnation
prayer of the warrior
rage of the despot
cyclops 81ap
master of puppets 24ap
greedy doll
2x prowlers 62ap
2x sentinels (scout) 42ap
2x scourge bearers 36ap
3x warrior of the abyss (consecrated with pickaxes) 39ap
12 fighters, 400ap
same tactics as before, but now the MoP is casting greedy doll on the clops and one prowler, once they get out of range he'll cast it on the scourge bearers until the prowlers and clops meet in the middle of the board. kelzeral is dropping damage spells and buffs while calling forth It's.
Caster nastiness
Akkadhlet 2nd 55ap
primal of darkness
heir of the hydra
summoning of darkness
putrescence
hand of the puppeteer
Neran the scary 35ap
lit instrument 8ap
talisman of the hydra god
devotion 8ap
demons claws
It summoning
miraculous reprieve
Master of puppets 24ap
greedy doll
collector 25ap
rage of the despot
cyclops 81ap
3x sentinels (scout) 63ap
2x prowlers 62ap
3x warriors of the abyss (consecrated with pickaxes) 39ap
12 fighters for 399ap
similiar tactics to my kelzeral lists, but there will be an elemental of darkness anchoring the center of the line. Casters all stay in nerans aura of faith to help add more tf. he should be able to pop out 7 tf a turn or more, and with the talisman doubling his tf hopefully he can get to 15 or higher if he saves up 2 the previous turn.