CoC Tactics: Archetypes—Beating the skew

            WMH MK3 has been a wild ride these past six months. Navigating the meta without CoC theme lists (which will likely be the norm for another year or so) has been interesting, with TEP/floater spam carrying CoC to the top in tournaments. As I try to be more active in my local hobby scene, I started researching other factions and how my killer robots could kill them more effectively. A great resource for this has been the Chain Attack podcast, which has done a series on the various ways armies can be constructed (assassination, control, etc.). In this tactics series, I’ll look at those archetypes in the context of the Convergence. How can CoC build these archetypes, and how can they beat them in another faction? Today, we’ll start by looking at the “Skew.”

What is “Skew?”

Skew can be two things: ARM skew and wound/HP skew. Basically, skewing ARM or HP means increasing it to a high enough level that your units are impervious to attack and can work on attrition. Some armies can do one skew or another, and few can do both well.

ARM is skewed around 21-22, with values above 23 being heavily skewed. High ARM nullifies all but the most powerful attacks. Almost all shooting is rendered useless, and attacks that normally aren’t boosted must be just to leave a mark.

Wound skew comes from selecting models that have a high number of boxes/point. For example, the Galvanizer is 20 boxes for 5 points, while the Cipher costs three times as much yet only has 32 boxes. Wound skew typically comes from spamming lights, though elite infantry can fit here as well. Just like ARM skew, it takes a lot of effort to break down high-wound armies, and it’s usually at the risk of losing on attrition.

How CoC skews

Convergence doesn’t skew very well. Our primary skew caster, Lucant, has Deceleration (+2 ARM versus range attacks), and Enigma Foundries have recently (12-21-16) been reduced to 6 points. CoC skew works best against ranged attacks, but eventually you're going to have to deliver in melee. Reciprocators can get skew-level ARM during Lucant’s feat, but that’s not a good tactic to build your force as the opponent will simply wait you out. While Convergence can light spam as well as any other faction (the idea of Syntherion hitting the field with 20 Galvanizers is funny), they haven’t improved enough from MK2 to carry a force on their own.

To the credit of the Convergence, they can “skew” wounds by repairing models. Most CoC models can be repaired, and many faction models can repair 2-4 wounds (some more) each turn. Even if it’s not reflected in the point cost, vectors and elite infantry can easily take more hits than expected when supported. Most notably, Syntherion’s battlegroup heals d3 wounds each round. That means any vector that isn’t trashed can easily be made fully operational during the Control Phase.

How CoC beats the skew

There are a few general tactics to take on a skewed list, and Convergence has a special tool in the fight as well: Puncture. Below are some general tips for fighting skewed lists and how the Convergence can utilize them.

·      Remove/bypass buffs: ARM isn’t skewed by default; it needs another effect to push it into skew territory. This is usually a spell, but can be another type of effect. Lucant lost Purification, but his new spell Discontinuity allows vectors to remove opponents’ buffs in a surgical fashion.

·      Get around the shields: Models with Bucklers, Shields, and Shield Wall are vulnerable in their back arc. Obstructors and Inverters have chain weapons to ignore shield effects, and Eradicators can uses sidestep to enter an opponent's back arc.

·      Armor Piercing: Perforators have an AP ranged weapon, which halves armor. Depending on how you set the Protean Javelin, a  max-squad can inflict 11-20 points of damage on a typically skewed ‘jack/beast. This will likely kill a light or cripple a heavy.

·      Puncture: This rule is special to the Convergence, and delivers one point of damage to a model hit regardless of ARM. If an opponent tries to skew their infantry (i.e. Shock Troopers, Dawnguard), Elimination Servitors and Mitigators are your best bet to bring them down efficiently. Speaking of Mitigators…

·      Knock ‘em down! Prone models are easier to hit, which means focus can be spent on pushing damage through. Knocked down models also either lose actions or must spend focus/fury to get back into the fight.

·      Outlast and outplay: Some skew effects result from feats that add to models’ ARM. Since these last for a round, you can simply not engage the skewed models until they are vulnerable again. Also, skewed models tend to be slow, especially ‘jacks and beasts. Take advantage of this and control the scenario early on. Slams and Throws can keep skewed models out of zones, and slowing them down with Cipher craters or Axis’ feat my give you the upper hand in positioning. You won’t have to worry about grinding through all that ARM and/or wounds when you win on points!

How other factions skew

Skew is much more feasible in other factions, with some models getting ARM up to 24-25 after buffs or by spamming their own lights. By recognizing where the skew comes from in other factions, you can counter it effectively and not lose to attrition. Here are some things to watch out for in each faction:

·      Cygnar: the Arcane Shield spell can push many models/units into ARM skew territory, and the Centurion heavy ‘jack has a shield that makes it very easy to hit ARM 24. Factor in Polarity Shield and it’s hard to take on a buffed centurion. Your best shot at taking this skewed model down is using an Inverter. Knock the Centurion down with the Macropummeler and then get around the shield with the Meteor Hammer. If Lucant’s Discontinuity is up, the Centurion is effectively helpless.

·      Khador: Iron Flesh on trooper models can push them towards skew-level ARM, so if you see this in your playgroup try Elimination Servitors or a Mitigator. Also, Juggernauts are gaining popularity in MK3, but they are still slow with no innate access to Pathfinder. If the Khador player doesn’t plan for it, the Cipher can create craters and make sure the Juggernauts don’t get to where they need to be.

·      Menoth: Models with Defenders Ward will make things difficult unless you can dispel the buff. Severius2 with Templars can be tricky, and the Choir can make targeting ‘jacks difficult. Take down the Choir with blast damage/sniping when you can, and the Inverter supported by Lucant is yet again your best bet against the shield-wielding Templars.

·      Cryx: not the best at skew, but Asphyxious3 and Mortenebra can build resilient forces. Work on lowering their DEF and focus fire.

·      Retribution: HP skew can be done with a Vyros2 list that spams Griffons, which has done very well recently. Like any ‘jack with shields, Chain Weapons are your best friend and let you cut through HP quicker.

·      CoC: The mirror match has a few options for skew since the December 21 update. Reciprocators can be made nearly impervious to most ranged attacks, and can ARM skew heavily on Lucant’s feat before unleashing an empowered counterattack. Also, floater-chassis spam is common in most competitive lists, so be prepared for lots of Conservators (with Lucant), Assimilators (with Directrix), and fortified TEPs (with both).

·      Mercenary: Mercenaries are rare in that they can do both skews very well. Nomads, Drillers, and others backed by Magnus2 leads to a high ARM list with a lot of boxes. Luckily, these lists are also very slow, so work on scenario and denial for the win.

·      Circle: Baldur2 and the Worldwrath can be a very skewed combination. Dedicated armor cracking (Perforators) may be helpful in bringing the gargantuan down. Note that since the latest update huge bases can no longer be afflicted with Grievous Wounds!

·      Legion: Legion lists are effective at HP-skewing, especially since Thagrosh1 can return a slain heavy warbeast to play. Beast-centric warlocks such as Absylonia2 also pair well with a few Carniveans. Focus fire and work around higher than usual DEF values.

·      Skorne: Skorne has a unique mechanism for ARM skew: the Agonizer. The tortured baby elephant saps your models of strength, effectively increasing the ARM of Cyclops Brutes and Titan Sentries. The agonizer can die very easily if the opponent is careless, so try to pick it off with an opportunistic range attack.

·      Minions: Minions can’t skew much, but keep an eye for light beast spam a la Battleboars backed by Lord Carver. Focus fire where you can and watch out for boars using the Primal animus.

Have you seen any other skewed lists? Let me know in the comments!