Goatboy’s Monday Punch Fight! – Fear the Screamer Star!!!
Goatboy here again and today I want to go over a newish list that is going to give armies fits of verbal rage – The Screamer Star!!!
I finally got a game in with it and I can see where I want to tweak and change things. It is a solid tournament list and should be thought of as one of the paper, rock, scissors, lizard, and Spock lists in the current competitive scene of 40k. It has some solid match ups versus the new field of Xenos heavy armies and I still think it will have some legs with the shiny new Space Marines.
The list has been labeled the Screamer Star and while it isn’t a terrible name – I think it fits better as The Burniator Star. Either way the build is basically using Heralds of Tzeentch mixed with screamers to create a reroll 2++ unit that is not completely terrible in combat and can shoot out 12d6 Str 6 Ap 4 shots a turn. Frontline talked about it earlier and I spoke with the writer, Rob, at ATC. We brainstormed a bit on lists and this is what I came up with to test out.
Screamer/Burniator/Butt Hurt Makers Star! V1.0
HQ: Fateweaver
If you are playing Daemons and are not playing Fateweaver – you are doing something wrong or have a theme the two headed chicken doesn’t fit. He is a force multiplier and helps make the army perform normally. His reroll and bag of tricks help justify his 300 points. It is crazy that this version is a lot stronger then his old one due to the change of not needing Mr. Fate right near all your business units. This army wouldn’t work without the chicken so thus he is there.
HQ: Herald of Tzeentch, Lvl 3, Disc, Locus of Conjuration
HQ: Herald of Tzeentch, Lvl 3, Disc, Exalted Gift
HQ: Herald of Tzeentch, Lvl 3, Disc, Exalted Gift
HQ: Herald of Tzeentch, Lvl 3, Disc
Here is the beats for the Star. You have 8 rolls on Divination and you are looking for Forewarning and Perfect Timing. Misfortune is good too but those are the two that are needed at minimum. Prescience is easy to get so yes it is important but it isn’t something you need to roll right away. The 2 Exalted Gifts are for the Portal and the Book. He can give the book to his unit but that one Herald can never get the benefit of it. Just remember this and make sure to hide him so he doesn’t get shot as the closest.
Troops: Pink Horrors X 10
Troops: Pink Horrors X 10
Troops: Pink Horrors X 10
I need troops and I like Pink Horrors because they can run and always do something. Also if they go to ground they will get a 3+ in most area terrain and with reroll 1’s they become the same as Plague Bearers with the added benefit of always being able to shoot and running. The Portal I usually summon Horrors of Daemonettes. The Daemonettes are helpful with the ability to run fast and get to an objective in a hurry.
FA: Screamers of Tzeentch X 8
These guys are 16 extra wounds for the Heralds as well as some muscle when they get locked into combat. I know the change to their rules made them “weaker” but in reality it just made them fair. These guys are amazing because they can hit in close combat without actually getting into combat with their turbo boost attack. This is amazing as the end turns of the game they help get somewhere, contest an objective, and can still hurt the guys who are sitting on it with their 24 inch move. I almost want to add another unit but the list is so strapped on points it is a lot more difficult.
Heavy: Soul Grinder, MoN, Baleful Torrent
Heavy: Soul Grinder, MoN, Baleful Torrent
I used these guys instead of Daemon Princes. I start the game with a lot on the table so I leave these two to Deep Strike in and cause problems. I land them in cover and with the change out in Xenos and it’s lack of 3+ armor makes these guys flamer very powerful. They are also my only answer to Land Raiders as they can charge, attack, and hopefully give it the business end of its bad touch claw.
Fortification: Vengeance Launcher X 2 – Battle Cannon upgrade.
I used two of these as I wanted the new kit. I didn’t like them in my test game I will talk about below and think you can drop them for another Grinder or if you go up to 2000 pts, a CSM add on with a Dragon, Sorcerer and some Cultists.
An Easier-reading version of the list.
HQ: Fateweaver
HQ: Herald of Tzeentch, Lvl 3, Disc, Locus of Conjuration
HQ: Herald of Tzeentch, Lvl 3, Disc, Exalted Gift
HQ: Herald of Tzeentch, Lvl 3, Disc, Exalted Gift
HQ: Herald of Tzeentch, Lvl 3, Disc
Troops: Pink Horrors X 10
Troops: Pink Horrors X 10
Troops: Pink Horrors X 10
FA: Screamers of Tzeentch X 8
Heavy: Soul Grinder, MoN, Baleful Torrent
Heavy: Soul Grinder, MoN, Baleful Torrent
Fortification: Vengeance Launcher X 2 – Battle Cannon upgrade.Subscribe to our newsletter!Get Tabletop, RPG & Pop Culture news delivered directly to your inbox.By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
1850 points
The list is designed to give an extremely fast and difficult star to deal with. It shoots a lot and with a good spell build out it can easily remove big units quickly. The massed Str 6 helps kill a lot of the horde groups that plague the table tops and is still good enough to kill most flyers. It’s ability to get away if needed and hide is a great asset when dealing with bad turns (4 on the warpstorm, failed grim, misfortune).
Screamer Star in Action
I got a game with this list against Nick (Darkwynn) and his Nova list.
Darkwynn’s Eldar
Wraithknight with no upgrades – Iyanden Warlord
Farseer on Foot
Farseer on Foot
20 Man Guardian, 2 Bright Lances
20 Man Guardian, 2 Bright Lances
3 Bikes
3 Bikes
8 Warp Spiders
8 Warp Spiders
5 Dark Reapers with Exarch with Flak Missiles
2 Wave Serpants with Shuriken Catapults
This is from memory and I think the Farseers had the wargear that allowed you to ignore perils by wasting a Warp Charge. Everything else is pretty basic
The table was set up to represent some of the pictures I have seen from Nova. I wish I could make it but it falls right on/around my wedding anniversary. I am hoping to make it one year but I like my wife and I don’t want my minis glued in a big ball of doom when I come home from throwing dice. So thus no Nova. Nick is going so we wanted to play the terrain set up similar. We had a big center piece with 4 runs/buildings in each corner.
The Mission
The mission we played was Seize Ground with 5 objectives. Nick won the 3 Objectives and place 3 in his area of the board. I place two towards one corner to help ensure I am close enough with a portal (which never made a model so meh).
My Turn 1
I won the roll to go first and place 4 Heralds, screamers, and Fateweaver towards my left. Nick set up towards the right corner to ensure I didn’t have range to shoot much with my mutating fire. I wasn’t planning on shooting him first turn as this army works well with planning and patience to push the advantage. We had night fighting turn one and I was just planning on moving up and engaging on my time. Battle Focus means you have to really plan your movement as they can easily get in range and punish your army.
Nick had set up a set of Rangers behind some ruins to make sure my Vengeance batteries shot at them without any chance for damage on his army. First game with these fortifications and I can see them acting like crap. Hooray!
I went first, cast Forewarning, Prescience on my screamer unit. Fateweaver cast Precognition and Invisibility. I moved forwarded, passed the Grim with the rerool, and rolled an 8 on the Warpstorm chart. The only unit affected was the Rangers and I killed all but one with the touch of Slaanesh’s creepy good hand. The Vengeance Battery had to shoot at the final guy, did a wound but he passed his 2+ cover save. The Ranger failed his morale and started hoofing it off the board. I turbo boosted behind some ruins and hoped for the best. The Portal scatter towards my left back corner and I failed to make any dudes.
Nick Turn 1
Nick had a bad set of luck rolling spells and failed almost all of them. He had Fortune, Guide, Misfortune, Prescience, Forwarning and I think Guide again. It was just a bad set of dice rolls that knocked it out. Nick moved forward with his Wraithknight and Wave Serpents. He shoots the Bright lances at a Vengenace battery and blows up the Kannon. Lucky for me the building is still there so no first blood loss for me. The Wave Serpents tickle the Screamers and we end the turn as he shuffles around.
Turn 1 Points – No First blood, ranger still running. I lost one Cannon.
My Turn 2
A grinder and 2 Horror units deep striked in. I put the Horrors on my back objective and the Grinder landed in terrain to flame the running Ranger and some Guardians. I cast Prescience, Perfect Timing, and Forewarning on the Star and Invisiblity on Fate. I then plan to move towards the side and see if I can start blasting the jerk face guardians. I should have done the grim First in order to see if I fail it or not. That way I have a better chance to move towards and area/corner to hide if need be. That is the big trick to the star – if things go bad, you go to 3++, or you know you could get jumped on – then turbo boost away. Your shooting will kill what you shoot at a turn so being patient with the unit will help. I didn’t fail the grim so I had the one reroll. I moved Fateweaver towards his two Wave Serpents and prepared to do some damage. I rolled the warp storm and got 2,2. Crap I rolled again and got a 1,3. Awesome. I then turbo boosted my Screamer Star away to a corner to get out of range of most of his shooting and instead of flying Fateweaver off the board I stuck to my guns and tried to kill 2 wave Serpents with Molten Beam. I immoblized one and the other I did not penetrate with my heat beam. I killed the one Ranger and burned some Guardians. First Blood is mine! Oh yeah I didn’t make any troops again! The Vengeance battery did a wound to the Wraithknight. Hooray – that’s like 35 points right?
Nick Turn 2
Moving the Screamer Star away saved that unit as Nick concentrated on Fateweaver. I should have flown away and forced him to move towards me more but this is the first time playing this list so I will remember to save him. Lucky for me my Dice rolls for the Warpstorm and Grim were hot so there wasn’t any issues. 1 Unit of Warp Spiders and a set of Bikes came in for Nick. Nick moved forward, put some pain into Fate and took him out. It did take a lot of his army to do. He had cast Forewarning on a unit of Guardians and got in range to charge my Grinder that came in. That was a mistake as it is extremely hard for the Farseer to kill the Grinder – Str 3 + 2d6 means he has to roll 11 on 2d6 to penetrate and have a chance of killing. the Defensive grenades saved me an extra attack and the Grinder only felt the tickle of his Armour Bane tickle stick.
Turn 2 Points – First Blood for me, Warlord for Nick. KP – Tied 1 – 1
My Turn 3
Crap I lost Fateweaver and my ability to control my “bad rolls”. Welp it is now or never and I need to remove Nick’s units. The Second Grinder comes in as well as the final unit of Horrors. I cast Forewarning, Prescience, and Perfect Timing. I should have Misfortuned his Guardian unit but I forgot as I thought I might shoot with them. The Grim went off without a hitch so that is good and I got a 2++. I then roll the Nurgle Warpstorm and no one is effected by the rotten touch of Nurgle. My second Grinder gets involved with his other Guardian unit and kills some Guardians and both Weapons Platforms. They were close to me so they took the brunt of burning damage. I also shot one Dark Reaper with the Beam power from Tzeentch and failed to do anything to the butt of the Wave Serpent. The Dark Reapers fail their Toughness check and kill another 3 with mutating effects of warp diarrhea. I shoot some Warp Spiders as well and kill 1 and another with the Mutating powers of the warp. I moved the Screamer Star up to free my Grinder and charged his unit of Guardians mixed up with my fatty gross metallic monster. I won combat, caught the unit and freed him during my turn. I moved up to engage the middle and hopefully get rid of his Wraithknight or Guardian squad.
Nick Turn 3
Nick got his second set of bikers in and the other set of Warp Spiders. He planned on killed my troops and got involved in shooting all my guys. He cast his spells of Prescience and Forewarning on his unit. The Wraith Knight moved forward and his Reapers moved around to shoot at my troop units. His Spiders got involved in killing my troops and without going to Ground I would have lost my scoring in my back field. Shooting took out a ton of guys but I still had enough left to cover 3 Objectives. The Portal ate it this turn as it did nothing for me all game. Stupid portal! More shooting was involved but I really survived a lot of it. My second Grinder did die to the Wraithknight shooting his super laser at it.
Turn 3 Points – First Blood for Me, Warlord for Nick. KP Me – 3 (Rangers, Farseer, Guardians) Nick – 3 (Grinder, Fateweaver, Portal)
My Turn 4
The Screamer Star moved to engage his Wraithknight. I cast Forewarning, Prescience, Perfect Timing and Misfortuned his Wraithknight. The Warp Storm gives me a +1 to my Invulnerable Save. The Screamer Star doesn’t fail the Grim roll and I move up to charge his Wraithknight. I shoot him and did 3 wounds plus give him a 6+ FNP. My grinders move up and I kill off the last Dark Reaper. Shooting does nothing to one Biker Squad and I kill another Warp Spider. The Mutation kills another one. I charge him with the Screamer Star in hopes to keep me from getting shot next turn and some movement plus the Warlord point. I got involved, didn’t lose a wound, and did 1 in return. Oh yeah the portal didn’t make squat this turn.
Nick Turn 4
Nick has has 2 Bike squads and 2 Warp Spiders in my business. He casts Forewarning and Prescience on his Wraith Knight and tries to misfortune me. I stop it on my Screamer Star and he moves up to try and kill my troops. The bikes remove the one squad of horrors near his objective in shooting and during the assault and the Warp Spiders do not kill my other troop squad they are near. He charges one set of Warp Spiders into one Horror and the other set into another unit. Somehow I survive and tie combat on two and lose the Horrors mixed in with the Bikers. My side has fallen but I still have the ability to hurt him. I kill his Wraithknight this turn and move over to remove his last Guardian squad.
Turn 4 Points – First Blood and Warlord for Me, Warlord for nick. KP Me – (Wraithknight, Rangers, Farseer, Guardians, Reapers) – 5 Nick (Grinder, Fateweaver, Portal, Horrors) – 4
My Turn 5
It is time to turn the screws and kill off Nick’s forces. I move the Screamer Star to shoot the last Guardian squad and move the Grinder to free up a troop choice. Spells are Prescience, Forwarning and Perfect Timing. I move to get in range and the Warp Storm gives me the Nurgle side and no one is effected. I shoot the last Guardian squad to death, charge the Warp Spiders with the Grinder. The Grinder helps win the combat and I have one horror left and chase down the Warp Spiders with the last Horror. The other Horror unit ties combat again with some hot rolling by the Goatboy.
Nick Turn 5
The last Horror holding an objective hides out from all of Nick’s stuff. He moves his bikes to turbo and contest an objective while the other hides in a building with another one. His movable Wave Serpent turbos to get Turn 6 and kill my last Horror if it goes there. Currently it would be a tie on Objective if it ends at turn 5 with me winning on KP’s and first Blood.
Turn 5 Points – First Blood and Warlord for Me, Warlord for Nick. KP Me (Wraithknight, Rangers, Farseer X 2, Guardians X 2, Reapers, Warp Spiders) – 8 Nick (Grinder, Fateweaver, Portal, Horrors) – 4 – Line Breaker 1-1. Objectives – 1-1 – Points would be (Objectives = 3) – 14 – 9
My Turn 6
We have a turn 6 and it is my turn to seal the deal. I cast Prescience, Forewarning, and Perfect timing. The Heralds break away and the Screamers head to remove/contest an objective with 3 bikes on it. The Grim works again on the Screamer Star (it isn’t needed now). I move forward, kill the moving Wave Serpent (Perfect Timing is the boss) and remove the bikers with the turbo boosting Screamers. I roll Double 6 on the Warp Storm and make 11 Horrors on that land on an objective. That seals the game for Nick as I also kill all but one bike with the Baleful Torrent Grinder and still stay in combat with the Warp Spiders. Nick calls it there as he has an immobilized Wave Serpent and one Bike who is on fire.
Nick calls the game there and I win and continue my winning streak against Nick. Just call me Darkwynn Kryptonite. 🙂
Final Points:
Me –
First Blood, Warlord, and Line Breaker = 3
KP (Wraithknight, Rangers, Farseer X 2, Bikers X 1, Warp Spiders X 1, Wave Serpent X 2, Reapers, Guardians X 2) – 11
Objectives – 2 X 3 = 6
Total = 20 pts
Nick
Warlord, Line Breaker = 2
KP (Portal, Fateweaver, Horrors, Grinder) = 4
Objectives = 0
Total = 6 pts
What Did I Learn?
So from what I saw this army does very well versus the new Xenos list. If you are not full of 3+ armor saves expect the Screamer Star to target a unit and make it go away. It is fast and over powers the psychic phase. And there you see where it has its failures. Obviously Space Wolves and Tyranids can quickly mess up their powers so those type of lists are going to be an uphill battle for the army. The LR build from DA and Chaos could also be a problem as this list has no way to remove them beyond getting the Screamer Star in close and hopefully to roll a 9+ on 8 2d6 rolls. I think Nids are the worst match up as you can feed the Scream Star Termagaunts all day long as your big bugs move around to remove the other parts of your army.
I think the Screamer Star is an interesting option to try and bring out and combo with other armies. It sucks that it fits in at a huge amount of points investment in what can only really kill one thing at a time. Thank goodness there is no way to give it split fire with some kind of spell or other nonsense. I know you can try 3 heralds in the mix and go for something that isn’t nearly as demanding to mess with.
Here are some other build/designs I am working on as well. They fit into the more interesting looking army which gives you a lot more fun option instead of the extremely efficient and boring build you see above.
HQ: Fateweaver
HQ: Herald of Tzeentch, Disc, Lvl 3, Exalted
HQ: Herald of Tzeentch, Disc, Lvl 3, Exalted
HQ: Herald of Tzeentch, Disc, Lvl 3, Locus of Conjuration
HQ: Herald of Khorne, Juggernaut, Greater Gift, Lesser Gift, Locus of Wrath
Troops: Pink Horrors X 10
Troops: Pink Horrors X 10
Troops: Pink Horrors X 10
FA: Screamers of Tzeentch X 7
FA: Flesh Hounds X 10
Heavy: Soul Grinder, MoN, Baleful Torrent
Heavy: Soul Grinder, MoN, Baleful Torrent
You could drop the Grinders to get more dogs and a DP of Tzeentch if you wanted too. I think the Grinders might have their place and the Dogs help get involved in some way. I am thinking it might be better to have more dogs so who knows. I also think there might be merit in adding in the Black Legion with the Nova DP, a Dragon, and of course the lovely cultists. I need to check the points on it and see.
