DISCLAIMERI don't pretend to be an expert on Warhammer, and I certainly do not have any credentials with which to back this Theory-hammer up. I've been thinking about the Warriors of Chaos Book recently, and I thought I would take the time and effort to share my thoughts about the Daemon Prince with you all. I'm not suggesting that there is going to be anything new or particularly ground breaking in what follows, but take it for what it is. I would appreciate constructive criticism and the sharing of ideas/experience to support/debunk what I have conjectured.
The Daemon PrinceA little different to how he was last time around, eh? A strength 6, unbreakable, possibly flying monster with a potentially 2+ armour save, who is able to regain wounds in combat, and can be a Level 4 caster with 5 spells from any of 8 Lores of Magic. (Not 'The Eight', just eight).
It's undeniable that the Daemon Prince can be fairly terrifying in combat, especially against infantry. He has the manoeuvrability and survivability to hold up a block of any infantry we can field, and even though he's Unbreakable, he's more likely to be winning combat.
That's enough doom and gloom, let's focus on the Daemon Prince's [henceforth DP] drawbacks.
Not a Large TargetAlthough he is a massive model, and a monster, the DP is not a 'Large Target'. Consequently, his 'Inspiring Presence' is only 12''.
This doesn't really sound like a drawback, but considering the DP is most likely going to be moving 20'' towards you in order to get into combat as fast as possible, this does leave the rest of his troops somewhat high and dry. Considering the points increase for Chaos Marauders, you probably aren't going to be seeing many massive blocks of infantry, and with the ascendancy of the Mark of Nurgle as the “new filth”, there are unlikely to be many Immune to Pyschology (ITP) troops. It's not going to win you the game, but as the 'Will of Chaos' rule is not in the new book, Panic could well help you make a mess of his Leadership 7 to 8 battle line.
WizardSo a Daemon Prince on the Lore of Nurgle who ends up getting an extra toughness and an extra wound is undeniably a problem. It takes the Daemon Prince's rather mediocre toughness of 5 and wounds of 4 to a much scarier level. That's the down side.
The up-side is that if a Daemon Prince is a Wizard, he is subject to all the usual down-sides of being a wizard.
Miscasts:If a Daemon Prince rolls a mis-cast he has very little option but to take it on the chin. With only 25 points of magic items, you probably won't see many Earthing Rods on such a combat-orientated monster, and with the demise of the Infernal Puppet, the DP is just going to have to accept whatever he rolls.
If your opponent is savvy, he's probably cottoned on to the fact that Dimensionally cascading his 500 point model is a bad idea, and will be less likely to throw lots of dice at a spell, giving you a slightly easier time in the magic phase, or alternatively, will take a Level 2 wizard from the Heroes section, which again, gives you an advantage.
Items:Also, as a Wizard, the DP is subject to magic items that target wizards, namely; the Feedback Scroll, Sivejir's Hex Scroll, and the Trickster's Shard. Granted, these are all expensive Arcane items, that do not necessarily work, but they do have utility against the caster DP. Turning the DP who has just flown right up into your face, into a frog with Toughness 1 with no armour save and only 4 wounds is fairly decisive, in my opinion.
MonsterHow has Empire always dealt with Monsters? That's right, a cannon ball strategically applied to whatever-it-is' face. I don't think I really need to go into too much detail about this, it's something you've all thought about. A Daemon Prince can still take Wizard Levels and a Charmed Shield, but that is against the first hit only, and prohibits the DP from taking more useful articles, such as the Sword of Swift Slaying, Helm of Many eyes etc.
Furthermore, as he is such a high-point unit, the DP will most likely be the General of any Warriors of Chaos army. As he is unable to join any units, he will be unable to give him army any higher than a Leadership of 9. Although Leadership 9 is fairly solid, as has previously been stated, it is not necessarily going to be shared by the rest of the army, and largely negates the power of the Standard of Discipline.
Eye of the GodsBeing a mortal who has transcended the petty bonds of flesh by virtue of horrific and heinous deeds, the DP doesn't have much to prove to his daemonic patrons and does not have the 'Eye of the Gods' rule. Consequently, you have an interesting avenue to exploit. As a single model, the Daemon Prince doesn't have any option but to accept a challenge, and has very little to gain from doing so. You can't expect the Champion to live, but if the DP is turning him into a chunks he's a massive point investment that is not doing what he needs to do.
Magic ItemsThe Daemon Prince can only take 25 points of Magic Items, in addition to his 100 points of Chaos Mutations and Powers.
Always Strike First:One of the more popular item choices for the Daemon Prince appears to be the Sword of Swift Slaying/Helm of Many Eyes, to give the I9 Daemon Prince a re-rolls to hit in close combat. As anyone who has ever rolled any dice before will know, Lady Luck can be capricious, and although he's unbreakable, a DP who fluffs his 3+'s is not going to be putting the hurt on. The down-side of this, is that you've got a model, probably with a 2+ armour save, and only a 5+ ward save. This is what the Lore of Metal was made for.
Magic Resistance:Unless the DP is a DP of Khorne, he will be unable to afford any items that give him Magic Resistance. Although due to his high Strength, Toughness and Leadership the DP is less susceptible to spells from the Lore of Death, higher strength value spells, such as Banishment, Urannon's Thunderbolt and Amber Spear can be quite effective.
Options Available to the Empire:Artillery: Well, duh. All of the Empire artillery, with exception of the Helstorm can make a Daemon Prince run for cover.
1+ Cavalry: Without the option to Thunderstomp, the DP is relying on his 3+ to hit's in combat.
Magic Items: In addition to the Arcane Magical items that the Empire can field on a cheap wizard, there are some magic items that are worth considering.
- Runefang: Automatically wounding with no armour saves? The Runefang is best used on a Grand Master, who with the Immune to Psychology special rule, is able to effectively nullify the Terror caused by the DP. Combine this with a Potion of Speed, and well, the DP still gets his re-rolls, but that's a problem to worry about another time.
- Gold Sigil Sword: I 10 is pretty good, especially if you can create a character who is able to stand up to the DP in close combat. I'm thinking, Gold Sigil Sword, Talisman of Preservation, Potion of Toughness, Charmed Shield?
Magic: Empire have access to all the Lores of Magic, and the Augments, Direct Damage and Magic Missile spells from the Lore of Light are especially effective against the DP. The Lore of Metal can be very effective, although you could use the Ring of Volans (really?!) to get yourself a Searing Doom. The Lore of Heavens, is again a strong choice, as with the Lore Attribute, you are giving yourself even more chances for the DP to roll poorly, and the de-buffs make him less useful in combat.
The Luminark: This Wacky Wizard Wagon might be quite useful against the DP, not only because of the laser beam, but also giving you that little extra protection with the 6+ ward.
Warrior Priest Prayers: Being able to re-roll to wound, and/or giving a unit a 5+ ward save is fairly useful against something like the DP.
Concluding Remarks: Empire certainly have the tools to deal with a Daemon Prince, and although with the exception of artillery, most of these will provide an aware player with the options to beat the Daemon Prince, or the army that is trailing in its wake.
I would appreciate any thoughts/criticisms that you have.
