The Streets of Spinespur: 100 point lists, Dark Faith and GOD

Welcome to another installment of The Streets of SpineSpur!

This time, I'm taking a bit of time to talk about some introduction lists I like to play. I know some folks prefer to use a higher total in their games, but I really think 100 points is perfect for introducing people to SpineSpur. You only have a handful of models, not as many special rules to keep track of, and the games go faster. Mind you, I'm starting to find that I'd rather play 150 point games for fun, but that's a topic for another time.

To start off, let's look at the Dark Faith list:

Cardinal Anhelitus

Sisters (x2)

Torn (x3)

Thugs [Bludgeoning] (x2)

Thug [Molotov]

Central Character: Anhelitus

I picked this Cardinal over the others for a few reasons. First off all, he has Clouded which will keep him alive longer against Distance Attacks. Then there's Putrid, which means he'll hurt models that get in close. The Soul-Sucker ability also heals him a lot more than any of the other ones in the Agenda. His ability to boost Torn is cool and makes them even more deadly. The Weighted Chain can be used to slow enemies down by Toppling them. All in all, I've found him to be a good generalist Central Character.

Deployment:

For this list, I like to deploy in one particular way: Torn in front, providing Blocks to everything behind them and since they can survive a lot of damage with Undying, they'll make the enemy waste shots firing at them. Behind the Torn comes Anhelitus and the Sisters, trying to keep them in a group. Because the Sisters are immune to Putrid, they can benefit from his Clouded and also keep them alive. Lastly, I put the Thugs in the back, just outside of the Clouded/Putrid bubble.

General Tactics:

The goal of this list is to be a wave that advances on the enemy. With the Torn in front, you want to cast Virulence on one in the middle, providing Clouded protection to all of them as well adding the Putrid assistance. Since Torn don't move that fast, you'll be a bit slow but that does help you with Anhelitus maintaining Virulence. You use the Sisters and the Thugs for 'rapid response' to threats and flanking enemy models. While they aren't really great in a stand-up fight, they can help. If enemy models are trying to get up close, use the Thrown Blades from the Sisters to slow them down or wound them on the way in. Additionally, you can use the Molotov from your Thug to hit enemies that clump up.

As the game advances, you can use Anhelitus' Soul Tearing to cause some problems for the enemy Central Character or other annoying models. The fun thing about this spell is you can use it to prevent models from having Fear Tokens spent on them. If Anhelitus starts taking damage, try to make sure you've got a Thug or a Sister near him so he can Suck a Soul and gain six points of Health. Personally, I find it to be useful to do it to a Sister that's taken a few hits and is out of blades or the Molotov Thug after he's thrown it. If you're maintaining Virulence, he can also pick up some weapons to throw around at enemies.

Now, for the 'Mormons'... I mean GOD. Here's the list:

Aniel

Warriors (x2)

Fists (x2)

Central Character: Aniel

This guy is hands down my favorite character in the GOD line-up. I think he's better than Michael because you are almost guaranteed to get Round Controller due to Bullheaded. Tactician is AMAZING. No, look at it. Since you're always outnumbered by the enemy with GOD, the ability to make the them activate models until you're even can screw up their end game. Or, you can make them skip a turn while you get two turns in a row. Or, you can let a Warrior Lock-On and pop off two rounds. He's very useful in several situations. He also adds another Conciliator to the gun line and those things are nothing to sneeze at.

Deployment:

With such a small force, you have a lot of flexibility in deployment. You can clump up, keeping them in the Tactician bubble, or you can spread them out to give you more room to maneuver and deny the enemy area. I usually go for a gunline with Aniel in the middle and the Fists on the edges to engage melee enemies.

General Tactics:

Honestly, you've got a lot you can do. But, you have to think ahead and react to things as they happen. But, GOD has some things going for them. GOD is the best at long-range combat, flexibility, and teamwork. By keeping a gunline, you can bring down enemies on their way to you. The Fists can selectively switch between their modes, choosing between having Protect – 1 or doing more damage in melee, and if you use Aniel to give them an additional Half-Action, they can have that Protect up, switch modes, then do two melee combats in a turn. You can use them to screen your gunline, then charge forward and engage stuff you want to keep away. But, your Warriors aren't terrible in close combat, it's just not what you should be using them for.

One of the best things about this list is how cheap it is. For about $30, you can pick these guys up. Also, having a low model count is good for someone just starting out.

Now, both of these lists are Agenda build lists and it's kind of important. You see, without the Agenda bonus of the Dark Faith, Torn are almost useless. For GOD, the ability to spend a Fear Token instead of activating a model is extremely useful, especially in the later game, as you're going to have to earn those Tokens.