Tomb Kings, What to do what to do

Greetings all,

I have a game coming up with a tomb king army. Frankly I haven't faced one in years and the last time wasnt with my Daemon lists. What should I look out for?

Thanks!

Il post my list easier to look at

2250 Pts

Bloodthirster
Obsidian Armour
Immortal Fury
Spell Breaker

Herald of Khorne (BSB)
Armour of Khorne
Firestorm Blade
Juggernaut


Herald of Tzeentch
Spell Breaker


Herald of Tzeentch
Power Vortex

10 Pink Horrors of Tzeentch
10 Pink Horrors of Tzeentch
10 Pink Horrors of Tzeentch
5 Flesh Hounds of Khorne
5 Flesh Hounds of Khorne
4 Screamers of Tzeentch

3 Bloodcrushers of Khorne

4 Flamers of Tzeench

Casting Pool: 10
Dispel Pool: 7

Bottom line Tomb Kings are all about the movement type magic. Pick your dispells carefully (though with 6 dice and a scroll you aren't going to struggle) and you should be okay.

Obviously the screaming skull catapult with multiple chances to shoot due to the magic phase is going to make your thirster and jugger herald nervous.


Scorpions have killing blow and if they get lucky can do some serious hurt to flesh hounds or the jugger herald.

Kill the catapults, kill the hierophant that's your goal

Thanks so its the same as its always been, I can deal with that. I was pretty sure there wasn't anything different but I don't play against Tomb Kings enough. (which is a shame)

I'm wondering if you need some furies to get the catapult and/or hieraphant

Good point shadow.
Tomb kings are the classic top table GT warhammer isn't the same as newbie warhammer army list.

In the hands of a very good player they are quite good in the hands of a bad player they are terrible. First time someone faces them - they are bewildering - after you get the hang of playing against them it's easier.

I'd actually be tempted to drop one of the heralds of Tzeentch as neither of them have Master of Sorcery and only one carries a scroll

Well, i am a TK player, lemme see...

First off, charge the thirster in something that matters. TK don't run. If you charge him in a skeleton block, with tk abality to raise, and of he's smart enough to challenge with a champion, your thirster will most likely spend the rest of the game fighting those skeletons.(he can raise the champion back and challenge again).

However, as a TK player, i weep at the sight of such magic defence. It is unlikely he'll get any relevant magic through. Always remember movement is the most important to dispel, although the extra catapult shot, or 20 extra shots from skeleton archers are prbably worth dispelling too.

I would advise you to take firestorm on you thirster too, instead of the breaker. TK play a lot of chariots, so S7 is 'crack'. Tomb kings and princes are flammable as well.

Asice from a skeleton tarpit for CR and the catapult, TK simply can't take out your bloodthirster. 150 bowshots could do the trick too, but thats a lot of bowshots. Their other option would be the flail of skulls, but obsidean armour's got that covered. You would indeed want to take out the catapult as soon as possible. Don't be afraid to charge screamers in, the skeleton crew has actually worse stats then a screamer. Bear in mind though it's unlikely the screamers will win in 1 combat round, the CR wounds can be taken on the catapult. Yet, as long as it's in combat it cant fire at your bloodthirster.

A scorpion could indeed get a lucky killing blow on your herald of khorne, but will inevitable die to the hounds he's with, if it goes in alone.

The heirophant is your prime target of course. It is however pretty standard for TK to give him 2 items. 1 that enables him to fly and another for a 4+ ward save. TK aren't vampires. The loss of the hierophant isn't really dramatic if their general is still alive and can pass his ld9 or 10 to the troops for crumble tests. Killing the hierophant is good, but you shouldn't do it at all costs.

I believe the chariots could be the most dangerous. Especially if they get a flank charge with the movement spell or the fact you failed to rip through a skeleton tarpit.

You will need to advance, tk rarely do. They shoot, and when your close enough steal your charges with the movemnt spell. Luckily your lists is effective to counter that tactic. High movement and good magic defence should do the trick. But do advance. TK shooting is good and they can raise their own losses. They will win the staring contest.

Now, anyway, I'd say odds are in your favour. TK are a difficult army to play, and against a list like yours he'll only need 1 or 2 bad decisions to lose.

Whenever possible, take out the characters. They are the backbone of a TK army, with only 2 of them gone, all they have left is an army of slow, rather bad fighting troops.

There's a recent podhammer episode (51? Walk like an egyptian) that gives a very nice overview of the TK book and current tactics

thanks again for the input all it worked out rather well. I moved some things around and added a couple of different gifts. I ended up beating up by some 800 or so points.

question thou, and I didn't get a chance to look in the tk book. can a tk unit do its free reform and then charge? or does it have to have los first?

It was a fun game, strange magic phases and even with some really bad dispel rolls on my side

if I remember he took

1 prince (slain by my khorne herald)
3 mages (1 high priest)
1 alter
2 large units of archers
1 catapult which did nothing all game; killed by the bloodthurster
3 chariots (which killed a unit of flesh hounds on a magic charge but in turn killed by the other unit of hounds)
12 or so man unit of skeleton cav (killed in hand to hand with my flamers, which also killed one of the priests that lead the unit)
2 scorpions (1 killed by the thurster)
20 man temple guard, lead by the prince (wiped out by the herald of khorne and crushers)

yep, the reform is taken at the start of turn, before anything alse happens. While most TK banners aren't that great, the icon of rakaph is simply insane. Only tomb guard can take it though.

The TK player doesn't seem all that experienced, bringing a list like that...

Hey guys,

Having seen a thread about TK, I just HAD to post something

I've been playing TK for going on 10 years now and there are a couple of key behaviors that can produce and easy win, especially with Daemons.

1. As Gary mentioned earlier, pick your battles in the magic phase. I normally go to a 5 rounder with somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 casting dice. That being said, I can't remember the last time somebody stopped me from doing exactly what I wanted in the magic phase. I would just plan on spells going off. Count on movement magic and stay out of compromising positions, especially watch the Bone Giant, he's like lightning.

2. As with any undead the name of the game is killing characters. If you kill my characters i lose, if you don't, well, let's just say your going to have a horrific game. Use the normal tricks, suicide units and press them best you can. Pick of the liches first if possible. My list with one less liche is a completely different animal.

you can take Rakaph on the BSB as well, watch out for this because whatever unit he joins can then use the reform ability. Granted this is a very rare occurrence and is not the strongest build possible.

you can take Rakaph on the BSB as well, watch out for this because whatever unit he joins can then use the reform ability. Granted this is a very rare occurrence and is not the strongest build possible.

Is that so? I thought the limitation of 'tomb guard and skeleton warriors only' meant it only works on those 2.

I knew an icon bearer could take it and then join a unit of regular skeletons, but who ever uses an icon bearer?

you can take Rakaph on the BSB as well, watch out for this because whatever unit he joins can then use the reform ability. Granted this is a very rare occurrence and is not the strongest build possible.

Is that so? I thought the limitation of 'tomb guard and skeleton warriors only' meant it only works on those 2.

I knew an icon bearer could take it and then join a unit of regular skeletons, but who ever uses an icon bearer?

I've used him in the past. Having him inside of a 25 man unit of bowman who are deployed in a single line can be problematic. you're looking at 50 shots per turn and just when you get close they reform only to have everything behind them charge through...