Hardcore and Benelux Masters Update

OK I will throw out the update first of all, sadly my plans to attend the Benelux Masters currently looks like a no go due to personal problems meaning my intended travel partner is unable to make it, leaving the trip unfeasibly expensive to travel alone.  Disappointing, but tempered with the news that I still get one last big tourney before the end of the year and an interesting one for me, my first Hardcore 50pt tournament last weekend of November.

This represents a new experience for me, as Hardcore as a tournament format has never really kicked off here in the UK until this year, and personal commitments meant that I was forced to miss the qualifying heats for the UK Hardcore Invitational.  It also gives me plenty of incentive to finally crack on with painting my trollblood force, something which admittedly has somewhat fallen to the wayside as I have instead opted to work on painting up my Retribution in recent times.



Coincidentally the first list I have thrown together for playtesting contains a large amount of models that I have already painted, pretty much because they are models I use consistently.  Due to the challenge of keeping a low model count in a faction which traditionally relies on it's infantry to do most of the work, I have opted for a caster that I know is equally capable of dealing with silly DEF, infantry swarms and high ARM.  I have opted to focus my playtesting on the pMadrak wall of troll.

pMadrak (-6)
> Mauler (9)
> Earthborn (10)
> Mulg (12)
> Runebearer (2)
Krielstone and 3 Scribes (3)
> Stone Scribe Elder (1)
Min Kriel Warriors (4)
> Standard and Piper (2)
> 2 Caber Throwers (2)
Min Fennblades (5)
> Officer and Drummer (2)
Fell Caller Hero (3)
Swamp Gobbers (1)

OK so the general plan with this list is simple, we have pMaddy and his crew basically taking up the central area backed up by the Krielstone and Swamp Gobbers to help push the DEF and ARM to the limits.  Added to that we have Fennblades to take one flank and Kriel Warriors to take the other, this should help protect Madrak from getting flanked while also assisting with scenario play.

I am also hopeful that the relatively low model count will help limit the damage to my turn timer when it comes to my feat turn.  Added to that the fact that I only need to paint the Kriel Warrior unit, the Fennblade UA, finish off the basecoated KSB scribes, Runebearer and pMadrak in just under 3 months and I should be good to go.