I can't play Tzeench. help?

overtaker40#8926

At 2500 hours In game 2-3 consider my self fairly accomplished. I rarely have to restart and never more than once. I have adapted my play style to suit numerous factions and excell with all elves, skaven, lizard men and orcs. I usually play on VH/H

Yet after 4 campaigns of Tzench (3 attempts are RoC and one IE) I can safely say I don't know what to do.

The infantry is all to squishy and I never seem to be able to afford enough units. I don't like to spam op units. But have tried taking lots of pink horrors problem is my heroes and lords keep getting killed and infantry smashed through. I'm never even making it to the big units.

I love a good challenge and want to get this but would love some advice.

BaronRodney#9956

I have found that Tzeentch's strength is entirely in its range. As such where I've struggled in battles i've found the biggest improvement comes when you manage this element better.

For example, making sure to not waste ammunition by firing at max range but saving shots for closer targets.

Ensuring that I position my troops perfectly (I can't think of another faction that can lose so hard from slightly off positioning). This involves having collapsing layers that can sort of 'barn door' open to allow troops to come in, get stuck on one side and then shot in the back by the other.

Timing magic to coincide with these blobs is also key, making sure that I keep the enemy pinned down (even if only for a few seconds) in a straight line makes Tzeentch magic devastating.

Also the skirmish game is very important here, delay as much of the enemy as possible and focus fire down their army piecemeal, if you try and take it on all at once you are spreading your fire too much I've found.

I haven't played Tzeentch with the new DLC yet but having Chaos warriors should help with the hammer and anvil too! (just remember with tzeench you aren't so much striking the anvil with the hammer as much as throwing it at it!)

As for cost and near enough anything on the campaign map, I've found that the changer of the ways mechanic is vital here. Sabotaging your enemy at the crucial moment right before a strike, in other words winning a battle on the campaign map, is a very viable strategy with Tzeentch.

In short, collapsible lines, heavy micro on ranged troops (ensure they are never obstructed, even partially) and well executed timings as to when and where the enemy line engages you.

overtaker40#8926

I appreciate this answer. It makes sense, intense micro is an area I still need to work on, I have been quite lazy on it in the past. Into the fold once more I go.

HarveyJames#1968

i found having flamers close behind horrors very powerful as they can shoot over the horrors into the unit they fight in combat and at range, chariot is good char sniper, lots of magic barriers for hit and runs doom knights, now u have some Chaos warriors too, exploiting the flame weakness u can add too units with your flaming attacks etc.. seemed easy enough too me, play too the strengths dont try to force them into a melee brawl cos at least until chaos warriors u were never going too win that type of fight..

#28957

Lol, weren't you against giving Tzeench better replenishment back in the day and said "just don't take casualties" as an excuse?

damon40000#7640

play Nurgle in stead, i hope i helped you with my brilliant advise

Pede#6322

95% of your army consists of Kairos himself. Just fly around and nuke the enemy.

That said, get some chaos warriors frontline and a couple Flamers. All you need to win everything really.

Ben1990#8909

Tzeentch is more about ranged and magic. Your melee infantry exists to keep the enemy army away from your ranged and spellcaster troops while your cavalry makes sure your enemy won't flank you...or to keep the enemy in place for the ranged troops to shoot them better.

jimjam81

Just finished a tzeentch Immortal empires campaign ultimate victory. vh / h

Pretty much used 5-6 blue horrors and 5-6 pink horrors with marauder spearmen and furies as support early game. Then blob ai and overcast infernal gateway does the rest.

That carried me to chaos warriors and exalted pink horrors which you can then finish the campaign with. Chosen just the cherry on top.

Changer of ways helps a lot, halt faction can be a life saver and forcing wars is useful. Did not swap settlements that much though. Teleport stance is also very good.

I found a lot of the roster redundant, by the time I was able to build flaming chariots, soulgrinders, doom knights and the big bird demons I did not need them as chaos warrior spam and chosen can auto resolve you through most problems.

What’s point of waiting 4 turns for a soul grinder on global recruitment when you can recruit 2 full stack of chosen on global in that time. Any unit that takes longer than 2 turns on GR is redundant to me in campaigns.

Also demon price lords are no good, get the exalted lords as much as possible and keep chaos sorcerers in normal form.

With regards to start of IM campaign, you need to wipe out the starting elves and lizards you are at war with within first 10 turns, if not 7 or 8.

Watch out for Oxy as he is the big threat and will come at you by turn 30.

GBone#4408

I like Spawn of Tzeentch, they've got Armour Sundering so they'll significantly increase the damage output of units they're fighting alongside, particularly non AP units like sword n shield Chaos Warriors or Forsaken.

Or you can use them in a loose line to halt the advancing enemy units, blob them up and hold them in place, debuffing their armour while your Horrors and magic melt them.

overtaker40#8926

#28957 said:

Lol, weren't you against giving Tzeench better replenishment back in the day and said "just don't take casualties" as an excuse?

I stand by that. Replenishment is not an issue I have faced playing as tzeench. This is me getting better. I don't want them to change him to be easier I wanted some advice fur how to improve to meet the challenge.

#28957

overtaker40#8926 said:

#28957 said:

Lol, weren't you against giving Tzeench better replenishment back in the day and said "just don't take casualties" as an excuse?

I stand by that. Replenishment is not an issue I have faced playing as tzeench. This is me getting better. I don't want them to change him to be easier I wanted some advice fur how to improve to meet the challenge.

That's because the replenishment was buffed already.

overtaker40#8926 said:

The infantry is all to squishy and I never seem to be able to afford enough units. I don't like to spam op units. But have tried taking lots of pink horrors problem is my heroes and lords keep getting killed and infantry smashed through. I'm never even making it to the big units.

Well, just don't get your units killed then.

overtaker40#8926

#28957 said:

overtaker40#8926 said:

#28957 said:

Lol, weren't you against giving Tzeench better replenishment back in the day and said "just don't take casualties" as an excuse?

I stand by that. Replenishment is not an issue I have faced playing as tzeench. This is me getting better. I don't want them to change him to be easier I wanted some advice fur how to improve to meet the challenge.

That's because the replenishment was buffed already.

overtaker40#8926 said:

The infantry is all to squishy and I never seem to be able to afford enough units. I don't like to spam op units. But have tried taking lots of pink horrors problem is my heroes and lords keep getting killed and infantry smashed through. I'm never even making it to the big units.

Well, just don't get your units killed then.

hahaha, I realise it can be hard to distinguish the differences in our arguments.

Phenex77#4577

What army compositions are you guys using? With how dynamic tzeentch gameplay is im sure everybody's armies probably vary quite a bit.

My 20 stacks mid late game usually look like this.

1 lord(tzeentch)
1 iridescent horror(metal)
1 cultist
5 chaos warriors
2 forsaken
5 pink/exalted horrors
2 chaos knights/chariots
3 reg/exalted flamers

My strat usually revolves around holding the line with chaos warriors, flanking with the forsaken.

Once melee is engaged and they decide they arent going to flank, I move the knights and hit the back lines of missile troops. Using the cultist to cast flaming sword on my horrors and flamers to just melt everything.

All the while keeping an eye out for blobs and casting infernal gateway.

I never really have use for soul grinders or lords of change as It takes waay too long to recruit them, and I can make a much cheaper army without them. I wish screamers were better because I love the way they look, but they just get stuck and cant disengage.

The only armies I struggle with are ogres, as I simply just auto resolve those to avoid massive losses.