List Building: Ships in the Night Revision

I posted my pseudo battle report the other day on my first game with Cryx and my first game with the pSkarre Ships in the Night theme list.  It was a fun game but I also learned a lot about the list.  I also made an error during the game: I assumed that if a warjack could get focus via a warwitch siren, that it could still spend that focus even with a busted cortex.  While this ended up helping me put some damage on Durgen, seeing as I won by scenario, I don't feel like a complete jerk.  Part of the reason why I played with my particular list, however, was due to a lack of models and so now I want to reflect on an updated list based on the suggestions and my experience with the list the other day.


Let's start this time by looking at the list that I'd run now in 35 points:
Ships in the Night (35 points)

pSkarre (+6)
- Freebooter (6)
- Stalker (4)
- Stalker (4)
- Scavenger (4)
- Skarlock Thrall (2)
Blackbane's Ghost Raiders (full, 9)
Press Gangers (full, 5*)
Press Gangers (full, 5*)
Sea Dog Deck Gun (1*)
Sea Dog Deck Gun (1*)
Theme benefits:
Revenant units get Advance Move
Bonejacks gain Advance Deployment 

There are a lot of great features to pSkarre's theme list that allow it to position itself well for scenario wins, as I discovered.  Seeing as the Blackbane's raiders are incorporeal, their advance move can allow them to get to places that you really want them to be, regardless of the fact that you'll be putting 40 models on the table in 35 points.  Since the bonejacks have advance deploy, they will also be able to position themselves quite well and you can line them up for solo-hunting on the flanks or see where you enemy is placing everything.  Well how is this list different than the last one and why did I make the changes that I did?

I removed the Sea Dog crew because while the theme list makes them cheaper, they really aren't impressive at all without their crazy solo support that the pirates are known for.  They are just too expensive and I decided that I could use those 7 points elsewhere.  Instead, I bumped the other unit of Press Gangers to full, as these guys are dirt cheap and tough is fantastically annoying when you have so many bodies on the table!  While you miss out on their Shanghai ability without any Sea Dog Crew around, I rarely see that ability come into play anyway, and I already mentioned that Sea Dog Crew are rather "meh" anyway since Blackbane's Ghost Raiders can spawn new members just by killing stuff.

Lastly, since I realized that a busted cortex can't spend focus either, I decided that at 35 points the warwitch siren was less important.  If the warjacks were featured more prominently, I might change my mind for dealing with the occasional disruption, but the enemy will be dealing with so many infantry models that they probably won't be able to land the disruption attack anyway, nor will it really matter since this list relies on hitting hard with all of the infantry.  I could drop the two deck guns for a siren, but the opportunity to have a 1 point artillery piece is just too funny to pass up, and two POW 13 AOEs can't hurt.  In a pinch, Skarre can even sacrifice the spotter.  No, the Skarlock is a better choice over the siren at this level to throw out a free Ritual Sacrifice each turn to give Skarre the focus she needs.

Lastly, I bumped the Ghost Raiders to full because why not.  Incorporeal is obnoxious to some armies and at the very least these guys can use that ability to get past your own clump of Press Gangers and get where they need to be.  Being able to light stuff on fire is also nice as it can help deal with heavy infantry (like Gators) since that will be a difficult match-up for this army as it is.  Plus, the ghosts can replenish their numbers should they kill enemy models, meaning that they can make some good Ritual Sacrifice targets if you need them.

Revenant Crew would also be a good consideration instead of the Ghost Raiders, but since Skarre's Ritual Sacrifice removes the model from play, that means it can't return like it would normally.  Since the ghosts add a model to the unit, they're better for sacrificing, since you can effectively get the model back.  Ultimately I also decided that incorporeal in a list with so many infantry is a more valuable asset at 35 points, but further playtesting might prove me wrong.  I will include the revenant crew in 50 points, however, so let's take a look at that list.

Ships in the Night (50 points)
pSkarre (+6)
- Freebooter (6)
- Stalker (4)
- Stalker (4)
- Scavenger (4)
- Skarlock Thrall (2)
Blackbane's Ghost Raiders (full, 9)
Revenant Crew (full, 9)
Black Ogrun Boarding Party (full, 6)
Press Gangers (full, 5*)
Press Gangers (full, 5*)
Sea Dog Deck Gun (1*)

Sea Dog Deck Gun (1*)
Theme benefits:
Revenant units get Advance Move
Bonejacks gain Advance Deployment 

The addition of the Black Ogrun stays the same, as I still think that they are a ridiculously awesome unit for their cost.  They have 8 damage boxes each, a ranged attack with drag and can CRA, AND a solid P+S 13 melee attack!  They're pretty awesome and they add some punch to the list without taking up too much real estate on already crowded board.

So underrated

I also added the revenant crew at 50 points for the reasons mentioned above and since there will be more infantry on the board at 50 points, these guys will still have plenty of targets to kill.  These guys will be great for sitting behind the press gangers towards the front, allowing the ghost raiders to pounce only when they need to.  I'll need to play around with it but maybe I can find points somewhere to include Rengrave, but I think that at 50 points this will be a solid list as it is.

I love the model with the diver's helmet!