Skorne Errata – First impressions

Ok, The errata is finally here!

To start off with: This seems like a great job from PP, a lot more things seems viable in the faction and I really like it overall. This is my thoughts on the errata after very little discussion and no table time, I hope to get back to it in a month or so to give a rundown of how it all worked out.

I will start with my dissapointments to get them out of the way:

Reptile hound nerf seems unessecary. I have never seen them or considered them, could probably be 3 points?

The desert Hydra that I was looking forward to putting on the table is a lot less likely to see table time from me now. It was buffed against most things but the only thing I wanted from it was an actual counter to sprays (yes sprays I my new favourite thing to whine about… Get some F-ing counterplay to it into the game PP! Dont keep on taking away the few options that exist..). I was for the first time seeing mysef bringing an agonizer in a serious list but with this change it can not be kept alive anymore. I will see if my view changes over time though but first impression is sad.

Hexeris1. My old love and first Skorne caster that I got back in mk1. Played him a lot in mk2 and saw good uses for him. He is clearly improved but I still dont think he brings any value that can not be done better by others (right now Rashet seems like Hexy with better fury and a feat). And was it necessary to remove WB points from possibly the worst caster in the game?

And for the sake of the game as a whole I was really hoping Skorne would get a very solid counter to Una2 to push her down a bit. I dont see anything that indicates that to be the case so back to hoping not to lose the starting roll to get an actual game vs her.

Im really hoping these are overreaction and I will be proven wrong, but there is a lot mroe to follow so on to the happier things! I will go in order with the developer notes to give my view on things!

Hexy1: As noted Im dissapointed. He is improved a lot, has some actual usefull spells but with marketh not getting the arcnode spell up and the feat being more or less useless in 90% of games in todays meta I still don’t feel like he has a place.

Makeda1: Nice! Looking forward to trying her out. Probably has one of the kits that seems most easily abusable. She looks very interesting and I think she is a strong choice for Skorne! Field marshall, improved spell list and an good and interesting feat.

Makeda2: The caster I have been playing most in Skorne in mk3. And simply put the best caster BY FAR in the faction pre errata (I still think she keeps the throne with big margin). Stay death is noted as buffed in the notes but I think it is a sideways change. The void spirit with stay death was one of the more abusable things in skorne before, and it is no longer there. I can clearly see why (a model that some armies can simply never kill isn’t really fair..). To compensate for that she can now stay death characters and got some extra points. Will be interesting to see how it plays out in the long run.

Morghul2: Another clearly improved wralock that I think still falls a little short. A problem here is that he now feels like a clearly superior Xekaar. The assassination theme is also not something that appeals to me, but we will see how much use he can get out of the incorpreal spell. Some comments on the forums had be thinking they could actually be incorp during the opponents turn which would instantly put him close to the tope, but its only during my own turn so seems good but not over the top. Waiting for someone else to unlock him and I might give him a go.

Naresh: Would have been a lot more impressive before the beasthandler changes. Now it seems like he doesn’t really bring anything new? Some seem to think he was among our better choices before though so I hope they will still enjoy him. Probably nothing for me. The implication of upcoming non-living warbeast seems interesting though!

Rashet: Can now arc mutiple times which is really nice! I still don’t really see him closing out games in any way. Might give him a run with the new theme at some point but I can’t really shake the feel of a slow playing warlock with 0 endgame…

Xerxis1: Removed a bad spell for a situational spell. Seems interesting and will be nice to try out!

Xerxis2: Not as good as I had hoped with the spoilers. Improved overall and brings a very fast army. Will just have to see if I can manage to keep him alive somehow. Stranglehold instead of a blast on a fury5 warlock isnt that interesting though, even if that stranglehold will probably win some games when he manages to hit something.

Zaal1: Skornergy removed. Other changes will probably make him more interesting, see below.

Zaal2: Yay, no longer 2 def 10 spd 4 casters in faction! Not that excited unless that non-living warbeast hinted at makes a big impact.

Agonizer: Cheaper is better I guess. The change to the Hydra probably makes sure he will not see any lists still though. Dies too easily to be consistent.

Sentinel: Nice improvement, I already considered him in some lists and actually having an animus together with Scather will probably push him in in some places.

Soldier: Cheaper again, looks interesting for Zadesh2 but speed 3 melee beast is still miserable.

Archidon: Huge improvements. Will probably have to try him out. Convinced he will see the table in some lists, might even be good in multiples? Really liking the chagnes!

Drake: As noted pathfinder for casters could be nice (if you dont want to bring TyCom). I was hoping for a slight survivability buff here but I guess the improved Krea might bring that. The basilisk combo might be back?

Krea: Ah, the Krea! I was a bit afraid the area would shrink but it stayed at 3 and also gives arm! No blast immunity though but with the extra arm that would have been very cornercase usefull. Anyway this brings back skorne in a huge way overall. Will be seen in at least one of the lists in a pair for most tournament players. One of the most important changes to the faction as a whole and a well needed one. Might need to reevaluate a lot of other models after I have got the feel for how big this is. Skorne is suddenly not shot of the table again 🙂

Bronzeback: The bronzback is also back! Free charges and fury5 sounds faimiliar. Didn’t use him that much in mk2 but it is always good that you have some option to bring if you simply need huge melee output.

Savage: Another model that has been on the edge of making it to some lists, and now a point cheaper! Puts him in a good place next to the more survivable brute. A usefull animus and  good output feels worth the 7 points.

Shaman: Extra arm on top of the krea change makes sure he doesnt fall over to anything that hits him. Good change and will likely be in some lists.

Hydra: Improved in most cases, but as noted above worse where it really matters. Hoping this pretty model makes it to the tables but unfortunatley I think the Krea does his role better… (bring a bronzeback and a drake or 2 as well for good measure)

Despoiler: 2″ is really big for him. Absolute first impression was that his defensive stats makes it very hard to justify 19p unless you have some very specific delivery system (see catwall) but the Krea might become his best friend to make sure he doesnt die to a stiff breeze.

Molik: Cheaper and stronger? Yes please! Could becoma Makeda1s best friend. Overall seems like a viable choice, and yet another model that the Krea enables.

Reptile hound: Never considered before and seems likely to stay that way. Double nerf on a bad model?

Rhinodon: Another big overhaul. Still not sure he can compete but I really hope so. A skorne model i might have to pick up at some point.

Scarab pack: Cornercase ability change. I already liked them so I will take it 🙂

Cannoneer: Rat increase is nice. Not sure how this influences sentry/cannoneer balance. Reasonable model overall.

Gladiator: In hordes inter-balance this makes sense. But I still think beasts are a bit too expensive compared to Jacks and from that perspective I would rather see most other beasts lowered in points rather than gladiator increased. Will still be taken in 90% of lists though.

Arcuarii: Sideways change. Short range and dies easily, probably staying on the shelf.

Certrati: Cheaper and more survivable, might be interesting with casters that can buff survivability even higher.

Incindiarii: Cheaper and higher pow is nice. Probably not enough but might give them another go into Una2

Cataaphracts overall also really enjoy the Krea change, will see how big impact that has..

Extoller Advocate: With the comeback of resonance I had a slight hope of super fast immortals crossing the board, sadly that did not happen. Makes immortals basically unplayable without AGs again but fortunatley they can now fuel the AGs with souls to the chain of dependence stops there. Dont think this change was needed but hoping to be proved wrong.

Legends of Halaak: Was almost expecting a point increase together with those changes! Big buffs and together with the changes stay death Im looking to make space for them with Makeda2. Seems like they will be usefull overall!

Beasthandlers: The second change (next to the Krea) that makes an impact all over the faction, free charges are back and skorne can once again hit like trucks! Improvement to basically all lists and a bump up for the faction. Much needed!

Bloodruners: Nice improvement. Stealth units seems good overall in mk3 so Im expecting them to make some lists.

Ferox: One of the units I considered for basically all casters and lists and that made a majority of them is now cheaper? Yes please! In line with other cavalry prices and a really solid unit. Opens up one or a couple of points in some of my existing lists!

Keltarii: Skorne the faction of speed 7 infantry? Have not looked at them much in mk3 and not sure if this is enough but a change in the right direction!

Swordsmen: Mat7 is very nice and feels right for them. Power swell makes sure they are usefull in a bigger variety of matchups. Probably interesting enough to make it into some lists now. Nice friends of zaal1 possibly?

TyCom: Already well used and tough never hurts.

Reiver UA: Reivers already seem very good, especially when the dakaar drops. This improvement makes sure they will see tabletime and also improves the theme list.

Slingers: AD is very nice to get them in position. AS one of the cheapest shooting units in the game Im hoping they will get some table time.

AG: Immortals can now get somewhere without killing my own models! Very nice improvement and Im looking forward to building some construct based lists.

Hakaar: Unfortunatley no resonance here, but the Veteran leader plays well into a construct theme list.

Master tormentor: Already considered in some lists, now brings the pain to a bigger variety of models. Nice change!

Task master: I have not really considered too many minions units in skorne, will probably have to take another look at it. Anyway an improvement and opens up for future minion units as well.

Animantarax: Big improverments together with a points decrease. If I did not consider it the ugliest model made by PP I might give it a run on the table. Still not good enough to make up for the looks.

So thats the changes! Open up a lot more choices in skorne. A bit sad is that My first impression is that I will fairly likely play basically the same lists as pre-errata.

Makeda 2 will remove the void spirit. Extra WB pints and cheaper ferox opens up some points. I have been wanting to get Orin in but he now has to fight for his space with the Legends. Probably either just Orin+Feralgeist instead of Void spirit, or possibly also min a ferox unit to get the legends in there. Some minor tweaks probably coming the next days. Still not really sure if this list gets better or worse with errata.

Hexy2: Gets free charges, loses a gobber chef. Still has enough tools to stick as my second list for the moment but Im not that hard to convince if I find a good option.

Maeda1 or some kind of contruct list are currently what Im most interested in if I would replace Hexy2 as my second list