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Screaming Bell; Ideas, Strats, Tactics, Etc.
Topic Started: 19th July 2005 - 05:57 AM (969 Views)
Sebrent
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I just received a Screaming Bell for my b-day from my wonderful little fiance. I have plenty of wonderful, stupid, crazy, etc. ideas for using a Screaming Bell but I was wondering how some other people have used their Screaming Bell(s), have thought of using their Screaming Bells, have seen others use 'em, and so forth and so on (I hope my point is clear). I know they are expensive and you could buy other things with those points, but I'm interested in what people have done, want to do (realistically), and have seen done with Screaming Bells. It's always interesting/helpful to bounce ideas around.
----Skaven Mathhammer
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Tilara
Grey Seer
I've not used my bell in this edition, but it would seem to be of pretty good benifit when faced with a lot of cavalry or war machines... like Bretonnia and Empire. The Bell + Seer would represent almost 1/4 of your army in a 2k game so I'd be reeeeaalllly careful about what other units you take if you go that route, but by the time you get to 3k you've probably got the extra room for it if you wanted to take one.

In 2k, I'd probably take the bell then about 1k in core troops to bulk up my army, then a few other 'toys' and characters to fill out the rest. Maybe like 25 clanrats x3, 20 slaves x3, 2 giant rat packs x2, 10 nightrunners /w stars x2, big ol' ratswarm ...maybe a few extra clanrats in bell unit to absorb fire. Then fill out the rest with maybe 2 weapon teams, battle standard bearer, maybe an engneer to generate more power dice, etc.

The bell/seer kinda breaks the bank in your 'extras' budget for fun stuff like weapon teams, jezzails, monks, stormverman, ogres, etc... but I guess it would depend how you wanted to build your force.

I'd prolly lay out the above like...
(NR- nightrunner, RP -ratpack, SL -slave, CR- clanrat, BL bell+clanrat...)
RP NR SL CR BL SL CR SL NR RP
Nightrunners prolly more of a forward screen as needed since they can run a bit faster to get ahead, then just march the army across the table hoping for some really good bell strikes and magic rounds until the enemy is bured under a tide of fur and teeth.

Anyhow, that's my idea based on how I used it years ago. Biggest thing I had problems with was terrain. Marching an army like that forward can be tough if there's something in the middle of the field to split your forces... I'd probably deploy to one side of it and hope to avoid while keeping the army in one giant wall.
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Grey seer Cheda the cunning
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I always use bell in 2.5k+ its awesome, i normally use grey seers in 2k and 2.5k because i love magic in warhammer, but the strategic gainsfrom it are awesome to, you become immune to pyscology whilst with it and it counts as a chariot when charging, (impact hits). It generates +2 dice as well so evn with just a grey seer and the bell + EOTHR, = 9 Power dice on its own! in 2k its 2 much of a risk really so i tend not to use the bell but anything higher and its the first thing on my list!

Huzzah, 3 cheers for skaven!
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Fool Injected
Warlord

At 2K points the bell is a huge investment in points. In a 2.5 or 3K game it would be needed or required. In larger games there is usually much magic so the bell is a nice addition to the grey seer.

Current Fantasy Armies:
Dark Elves
Empire
Skaven

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Sebrent
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Thanks for the input guys. For those giving future input though, let's talk a bit more about uses and a little less about points cost, cuz heck, when I finally get my fiance playing, I'd field the Screaming Bell against her in a 1k game just to see her smile (she always thinks I don't like the gifts she gave me ... true when I receive clothes). I'd love to even hear stories of victories and defeats you've had involving the Screaming Bell (this means you non-skaven can post how it stomped you if you'd like :P )
----Skaven Mathhammer
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Nightlord
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Ratsassin Adept
1) Sieges. The Screaming Bell can bring walls down, crumble towers, and smash those annoying war machines. Truly worth it's weight in Warpstone, always deploy it in a big unit of Clanrats and keep away from the castle. Watch out for flyers/scouts baiting a frenzied unit castlewards-a cannonball can easily send the Grey Seer to explain things to the Horned Rat, or smash the Bell itself.

2)Games against fear-causing opponents. Nurgle/Undead armies can be a real problem to Skaven, but the Bell can negate this for it's own unit (a case where Stormvermin may be a superior choice for the pushing role, due to their increased combat power and the lack of missile fire in most Chaos/VC armies) and reduce the effects on the rest of the army if Frenzy is rolled.
Remember that a roll of 13 will crumble Tomb King and Vampire Count units very effectively-Zombies and Skeletons, with Ld 2/3, are particularly screwed.

3)Games vs low Ld opponents-Goblins and other Skaven, in particular. A roll of 13 will see multiple enemy units departing the battlefield, 14-15 can see the Bell and it's unit breaking the enemy line without striking a blow (Terror), and 8 is useful against cavalry-heavy, low Ld forces (Goblin Wolf Riders are a nice example).

Times not to take it:

When allied to an army with lots of Cavalry-a roll of 8 can piss off your ally mightily, and possibly lead to a betrayal.

2000 pt games-too much of a point sink-1/4 of your points for a unit that may well do sweet f-all, or blow itself up.

Remember the MR 2-while magic isn't too much of a problem when you have a Lvl 4 wizard and probably a scroll caddy, it can be useful against Bound spells and so on.
The Skaven language is the only one to include 32 words for "friendly fire" and none for "reliability"
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SingTheScreams
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Call me Sings

I would say take your time converting and painting it, because as previously stated a bell is a HUGE investment in 2000 points. I never take one at that level except in seiges. paint and/or convert it nicely so by the time youve got a larger army, you have a nice centerpiece.

when using the bell, ALWAYS give your grey seer twisted crown. regeneration can heal not only wounds from enemies, but also wounds from warpstone tokens, spells (warp lightning zaps), and wounds taken when you roll a double or triple with the bell.

stick it an average-sized unit of clanrats, 30 or so. DO NOT give them spears. for one, due to the bell's impact hits, you ALWAYS want to be charging, even more than usual, so you won't get the extra attacks in the crucial first round. secondly, the additional armor save means youll take less return casualties, again contributing to that initial round's CR.
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arqueek
 
no need to worry for soul, instead starts worshipping STS and slaughtering unbelievers in his holy name.
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Sebrent
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lol, you can bet I'm taking my time with the screaming bell. it's such a beautiful model (and centerpiece as you said). I'm a little confused on your comment about having a better armor save when you don't take spears. If you look in the close combat weapons section of the rulebook on page 91 ... Spears don't require two hands, thus you can use a shield the same turn you used your spear. Mine own personal thoughts (that havn't already been voiced by others ... you guys need to get out of my head btw) are that the Screaming Bell's points are spent because it essentially upgrades all those cheap units in your army as well as having a offensive capabilities. So you're paying it's point cost to upgrade all of your skaven instead of paying those point costs when buying those skaven to have those upgrades. Nightlord's comment about not using it with an ally that uses calvary actually makes me want to do that (gotta be Skaven-like Dev ).
----Skaven Mathhammer
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Warlord Gnashik
Backing Veer-myn Dreadball teams!
Sebrent
Jul 19 2005, 08:08 PM
I'm a little confused on your comment about having a better armor save when you don't take spears.

What SingThe Screams was talking about is that a hand weapon and shield gives you a further +1 armor save in h2h. So, a unit of Clanrats pushing your Bell would have a save of 4+ (L. Armor, shield & hw special rule).

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Sebrent
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oh, duh (smacks self) ... forgot about that rule ... page 88 in rulebook. Thanks.
----Skaven Mathhammer
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Grey seer White Paw
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Warlord of 7th Tactics!
Sebrent
Jul 19 2005, 10:55 AM
when I finally get my fiance playing, I'd field the Screaming Bell against her in a 1k game just to see her smile

O by the way, just so u know u cant take a lord in 1k. I gathered it was a typo, but just in case.



Which bell do u have? i personly hate the 6th ed, so i bought a 5th ed one, they look so much more like a religousd symbol of power than a piece of scaffholding
with a bell slapped in the middle.

I always make stormvermin carry the bell(in fact the bell the storvermin and a second unit of rat ogres are all that make me from 2k to 3k) With their better armour save (possibly 3+) they tend to last longer, its really ennoying when u run out of rats to push the bell:<

O and beware of cannonballs!
GW, sucking the fun out of the hobby since 1999.

Never worry. Worst case scenario you die, and then there was no point worrying anyways.

Skaven repaint overhaul Number 5! (2/5th complete)
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Sebrent
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Aye, that was a somewhat type, was just getting across that I'd use the Screaming Bell in any game she was around (sometimes you have to kiss some to get some)

I got the new 6th Edition one. I like the way it looks, I actually don't remember what the 5th edition bell looks like (wasn't into Skaven then) but I like the way the 6th edition one looks. It has plenty of detail and such for me to use various paints and such on, plus I like the way the grey seer on top of it looks.

On another note, I think any Skaven that like to use the Bell should play a game with allies and each take a Screaming Bell. Double the craziness.
----Skaven Mathhammer
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Grey seer White Paw
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Warlord of 7th Tactics!
U ever listened to f**k her gently by tenacious d, u should ud appreciate it. Any ways for mine im not using the 5th ed seer im using a 6th ed one, i just like the bell better. o and two bells would be too crazy, i mean personly i think that half the time ur gonna be undoing and overiding each others rolls anyways....
GW, sucking the fun out of the hobby since 1999.

Never worry. Worst case scenario you die, and then there was no point worrying anyways.

Skaven repaint overhaul Number 5! (2/5th complete)
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Tilara
Grey Seer
Grey seer White Paw
Jul 20 2005, 07:58 AM
Which bell do u have? i personly hate the 6th ed, so i bought a 5th ed one, they look so much more like a religousd symbol of power than a piece of scaffholding with a bell slapped in the middle.

Hah. I've almost considered replacing my 5th Ed. bell with a new one for the more compact size.
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Sebrent
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Yes, I have that Tenacious D song (as well as others). My fiance and I like to sing them together in the car.

You sure the two bells would cancel each other out? I don't have my book with me atm but I don't remember it saying that a new ring cancels out the other. Frenzies Skaven with Hatred would be great as would making your enemies panic twice.
----Skaven Mathhammer
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