Theme - Oracles of Annihilation
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Theme - Oracles of Annihilation
Legion Theme Force
Fluff text placeholder.
Theme Rules[edit]
Theme Force Restrictions[edit]
An Oracles of Annihilation army can only include Legion models from the following list:
| Allowed models | Which includes Last updated 2017.04 |
|---|---|
| Legion warlocks | Too many to bother listing |
Non-character warbeasts
|
Too many to bother listing |
| Models/units with Magic Ability | |
| Spawning Vessel units | |
| Beast Mistress solos | |
| Blighted Nyss Shepherd solos | |
| Spell Martyr solos |
Theme Force Bonuses[edit]
- You can include up to one Minion solo and one Minion unit that work for the Legion.
- For every 30 points of warbeasts and battle engines in the army you can add one command attachment or solo to the army free of cost.
- These models do not also contribute to points for this bonus.
- At the beginning of your control phase, choose one non-warlock unit to gain Apparition that turn. (Apparition - During your Control Phase, place this model anywhere completely within 2" of it's current location.)
- Friendly models/units can begin the game affected by the upkeep spells of models in this army.
- These spells and their targets must be declared before either player deploys any models.
- Models in this army do not have to pay to upkeep their spells during your first turn of the game.
- Applies to Lesser Warlocks
Recent Changes[edit]
2017.06 Errata
- Battle Engines now count towards free points.
- Lesser warlocks now benefit from free upkeeps.
2017.09
- 30 points not 25
- You can have minions
Thoughts on this Theme Force[edit]
Oracles of Annihilation in a Nutshell[edit]
Oracles of Annihilation is a decent Theme Force. It's flexibile in your warbeast/battlegroup selection, thankfully, but serverely hamstrings list building in terms of infantry options. Thus far, Privateer Press has done everything possible to prevent Legion players from using some of the faction's strongest models in any of their theme lists - most notably the Hellmouth. In light of this, each of these themes have to offer enough perks to warrant the loss of full customization.
Oracles of Annihilation does indeed offer some neat perks for those who choose to impose its restrictions... but the problem is the biggest gimmick clashes directly with the stringent infantry restrictions of the theme. Apparition on demand each turn is a potent tool, but you only have a few obvious choices for it: Hex Hunters or the Blackfrost Shard (even under the Twins as it specifies "non-warlock." The less obvious choice is the Spawning Vessel, but that can feel like a bit of a waste for a subperb tool on a subpar unit. The least obvious choice is a pack of Blight Wasps. These little buggers are valid targets for the theme Apparation, as they count as a unit of beasts and the theme does not specify "warrior" unit. This is very important to keep in mind for warlocks who can really utilize Blight Wasps and make them not a paperweight (see below).
Hex Hunters are mostly likely the first choice for most cases. It strictly increases their threat or can remove them from melee engagements, allowing a little more flexibility in their attack vectors. The Shard is a good option as well. The 2" place can let them hang a bit further back from guns and AOEs, or play extra aggressive for earlier applications of Kiss of Lylyss. Giving Apparition to the Spawning Vessel is potentially very powerful as it does allow for extra length on surprise Shredder flanks, but more generally it's probably more useful just on the first turn to get an extra 2" further up the board for corpse collection.
List Building Tips[edit]
Thankfully, Oracles lets you get your free points form bringing beasts, which gives you two ways to start building an Oracles list. Go incredibly beast heavy and essentially get your support models for free, or try to go the "intended" path and make a mixed arms approach by including Hex Hunters and the Vessel. Certain warlocks will be better at certain builds in these two categories, and it's by no means a "go-to" theme. Regardless of your choice, try to bring the Shard as it can be considered essentially free as long as you bring enough beasts and the right accompanying free solos, and focus on the most expensive models possible if your list can make it work.
Beast-heavy build[edit]
- Absylonia2 is a reasonable candidate for a beast heavy Oracles of Annihilation. She has no beast restrictions in this theme so can have the battlegroup she wants, sans character beasts (although her bond allows Proteus in theme). This means she essentially gets all her support for free. In Oracles, Abby2 can get enough free solos to equate the cost of a heavy warbeast. Or in other words, a free heavy warbeast. She gets something very close to a list she already would build, with an extra beast and the free upkeeps at the start of the game.
- Abby2 makes Blight Wasps far better than they appear, and since they can be affected by Apparition from the theme, she is very likely the best warlock for running a beast heavy variety of Oracles of Annihilition.
- Abyslonia1 can probably pull of similar lists her as her bigger, scarier self, but is generally inferior in basically every way to her second form. That said, as a Resourceful warlock with not enough Fury to cast all her upkeeps on the first turn, she'll appreciate that aspect of the theme benefits.
- Kallus2 building for an Overrun focused list might potentially see some use of out Oracles. A beast heavy Oracles list under Kallus2 would give him all the support he needs for free. There are probably better ways to run this warlock, but he can probably make the theme work if you want.
- Thagrosh1 runs beast bricks fairly well, so he may also be a solid candidate for an Oracles "lots of beasts and free support" style of play. He also gets to bring Typhon which increases his stock with this theme.
- If he wants can sprinkle in Hex Hunters without losing too much, but beast bricks are probably the way to go with Thagrosh1 running Oracles.
Hex Hunter build[edit]
If you prefer to find a use for the oft maligned Hex Hunters in this theme:
- Vayl1 can build a fairly strong mixed arms list and can make some use of Hex Hunters. They're not her first choice of infantry, but among Legion's warlocks, she is in the unique position to improve their accuracy and damage across the board. Incite not only improves their melee prowess but also their Hex Bolt magic attacks. Her feat combined with Apparation definitely offers the unit an impressive level of mobility. Free upkeeps streamlines some of her first turn clunkiness, since you'll likely get Bayal for free - meaning you can start them with Frost Field and not have to worry about arcing spells and your army is likely further up the field on Turn 1.
- Vayl1 currently doesn't have a character beast, so she does lose some of her favorite friends from her battlegroup.
- Lylyth1 makes strides with Oracles for similar reasons as Vayl1 and may be a good mixed arms warlock if you want to try out the theme. She also can make Hex Hunters hit hard and accurate both phsyically and magically between Parasite and her feat. Unfortunately, she lacks any friendly upkeep spells to leverage that portion of the theme bonuses, but the free solos/units and Apparition may be enough to give her a fairly mobile yet powerful brick breaker.
- Like many of Legion's warlocks, Bethayne won't be reaching for the Hex Hunters first, but with Flank, the unit can deal some reasonable damage in melee. If they're playing into enemy jam or even a hardier tarpit with Wall of Steel or Shield Wall, they may be enough to get the job done (Bayal in particular as he already has weapon master to stack with flank) and will almost gaurantee free Hex Bolts.
- With a Spawning Vessel, a Bethayne list can drop fast lesser warbeasts on demand into key flank locations for the feat.
- Kallus2 might be able to afford a unit of Hex Hunters in this theme if you don't want to focus entirely on Overrun and would like a serviceable Battle Lust target.
Theme Weaknesses & Mitigating them[edit]
- Supbar infantry selection besides the Blackfrost Shard.
- No Hellmouth or Swordsmen (or Raptors... or Striders...) - you must omit Legion's most capable close combat and flak choices, and a mainstay staple in board control from your lists.
- As with many theme lists, character warbeasts can only come with the Warlock they share bond with (like Rhyas, Sigil of Everblight and Zuriel).
- Warlocks with no or few friendly upkeeps will find themselves asking if the restrictions are worth the benefits of this theme.
Other[edit]
Rules Clarifications[edit]
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Rules Clarification: Theme Forces (Edit) | |
Mercenaries and Partisans
Theme - Scourge of the Broken Coast
Theme - Slaughter Fleet Raiders
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Rules Clarification : Apparition (Edit)
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Models in this Theme[edit]
Refer to Category: Oracles of Annihilation
