On Tomb Kings and the learning curve

Tomb Kings are a difficult army to learn: they're slow, they're highly dependant on their magic, more even than Vampire Counts; and, even their strong stuff can be killed off just by being outnumbered at the end of a fight. They both suffer and benefit from a need for synergy between units that I'm just not used to, though longtime Empire players might have better luck with it than me.

Just to be clear: I love this. I love the learning curve on this army. I can usually get a bead on how an army works pretty early on but this one is giving me so many chances to experiment before I find my feet, which I hopefully will.

This afternoon I'm having my third game with the Tomb Kings and after my first two crushing loses I'm looking forward to testing out some new units and tactics on my way to probably my third crushing loss.

This will be my Tomb Kings' first 2,000 points game and with that extra space comes the confidence to use my Tomb Scorpion's Entombed Beneath The Sands rule unafraid that it'll emerge somewhere useless again. I'm taking a third Liche Priest to road test the Lore Of Light as well as a Casket Of Souls, though I admit that five magic levels and a bound spell might be too much magic even for this army. I've also finished building my Tomb Guard so I shove my Tomb King in there and keep the Necrotect with the Skeleton Spearmen so I have a buffing character in both infantry units.

And I really, really need to remember that the large constructs need support when they move in for the kill. They're strong but they're slow and that Unstable rule is a bastard, especially as I'm facing Matt's Orcs & Goblins. I'm pretty sure I'll lose. Matt has strength, speed and Fanatics on his side, not to mention experience but it will be a learning exercise and that's fun for me all by itself.

Plus, now I'm up to 2,000 points I can debut my Tomb King. After the dismal failure of my Tomb Prince Rastaph to cleanse the stone mines around Mortis Tarn of their Dwarven occupiers it is time for his honoured father Amanhotep the Intolerant to take command as a horde of greenskins bears down on Zandri from the barbarian north. At his side marches his daughter, Rastaph's sister, Zandri's Priestess of Ptra, Oili (aka my Lore Of Light wizard), his favoured child.

So Rastaph licks his wounds in Zandri, snubbed by his father, waiting to see if he will have to welcome his sire home in glorious victory or ignominious defeat.