The Grand Cauldron, a Screaming Bell for the Ogres

How about having a movable fulcrum, seige tower and bonus conferring unit that safely (kind of) houses your Slaughtermaster. (as long as he's Lore of the Great Maw)

On the face of it, my Grand Cauldron is a MUCH larger version of the Screaming Bell that gives the Slaughtermaster a 5+ ward save, 4+ ward save against shooting attacks and Loremaster special rule. as well as making him unbreakable (along with the unit pushing him into battle). Its main feature is its cumulative effects for destroying any Lord, Hero or Unit Champion depending on the race a different effect is added. For instance, if a high elf Unit Champion is killed in close combat then it confers a +1I, +1M and +1 Magic Resistance for the remainder of the game whilst a Beastman champion Hero or Lord will confer +1S, Frenzy and Hatred. This effect is cumulative with any other high ranking characters destroyed by the unit.

Should the Cauldron be destroyed, there is a chance that basically your entire army is engulfed in the Wrath of the Great Maw. Such is the chance you take with the unit

Sure.

Step 1: Make one...
Step 2: Post pics

Ready, Set...........Go!

Already done. I'll need to get them uploaded. I shall make it so.

Hmmm, I think this idea has potential but I think it should be more of an immobile warmachine type of unit. Kind of a support weapon for the army and not a thing the ogres push into battle. More like a Casket of Souls.

I propose the following,

One Slaughter Master, who uses Gutmagic, per army may take the Grand Cauldron for 200 points, if this is done he is treated as a character who has joined the unit, except that he may not leave until it is destroyed. Shooting attacks are randomly allocated between the Cauldron and the Slaughter Master(1-4 Cauldron, 5-6 Slaughter Master)

Unit Type: Warmachine

The Cauldron is protected by 2 Ironguts and has an armor save of 5+.

Cauldron:M-, WS-, BS-, Str-, T8, W8, Ld8
Ironguts: M-, WS3, Str4, T-, W-, I2, A3, Ld8

Special Rules: Terror,

Blessing of the Maw: The Cauldron is a holy artifact of the ravening god of the Ogres. It confers a 4+ ward save and MR(2) upon the Cauldron and the Slaughter Master while he is joined to it.

Holy Conduit: The Cauldron serves as a conduit for the Maw's power. While joined to it, the Slaughter Master gains the Loremaster special rule and all Gutmagic spells gain infinite range, but the Slaughter Master may not purchase any magic items.

Wrath of the Maw: The Cauldron is not merely an object of power, it is a direct link to the Maw, it hungers. This is a Bound Spell cast at a power level of 10. Choose an enemy unit within 36", this may be a unit in close combat. The unit suffers an artillery dice of Str3 hits with the Armor Piercing special rule. For every unsaved wound caused, add a power dice to the pool. If a misfire is rolled, the Maw has chosen its children as its meal instead. the opposing player may immediately choose one of the Ogre Player's units to be the target of the spell instead(this cannot be the Cauldron), the spell will still add dice to the power pool.

Oh yah a giant block of UNBREAKABLE ogres.... Because that is balanced.

Make it like Grey Templar said and more akin to the Cauldron of Blood

Thats where the fact that they're more than likely gonna bite the dust comes into play. They're only ogres and (despite being powerhouses) can be whittled down fairly easily. The risk that if you defeat the cauldron it'll take out. Basically you're entire army, plus the ogres lose the unbreakable rule and any other accumulated bonuses is a massive risk.

I really like The grey templar version of the Maw cauldron. Any pics?

You've given me a great idea with this for a custom Skrag, thanks so much...(now just need to get the bits...)

John M>

Thats where the fact that they're more than likely gonna bite the dust comes into play. They're only ogres and (despite being powerhouses) can be whittled down fairly easily. The risk that if you defeat the cauldron it'll take out. Basically you're entire army, plus the ogres lose the unbreakable rule and any other accumulated bonuses is a massive risk.

Except you forget that we are pretty good at grinding ourselves. Being unbreakable is just dumb.

So a immovable caster that casts bubble Great Maw spells on his army that is walking away from him? sounds like it is working against itself nor does it sound very in fluff for the more nomadic Ogre Kingdoms.

If you think unblreakable ogres are too good crunch the math ,as I did the other day, on 40 White lines (under the new prices) vs 18 Ironguts.

I like the idea of bonuses based on characters/champs killed allot and it only makes sense that those bodies are getting tossed back into the pot so yeah the pot has to move with the unit. I think your idea feels a little too much like a rip of of the Screaming Bell though currently and doesn't need to but so big. This might be a good place to have a Slaughtermaster and his huge pot walking around like a Chaos Warshrine or Empire wizard cart. So he walks next to the units giving his buffs out in a aura. Imagine the Slaughtermaster with his big cauldren surrounded my a swarm(unit) of Gnoblar helpers that go fetch the pieces of meat.

i dunno something like that

I like the idea of making the cauldron like the TK casket (unmovable with guards etc).  Making that SM's spells have unlimited range is also nice, I do think making it only 200 points is a bit cheap, maybe say if the SM takes the Cauldron for 200 points then he can't take magic items or is limited to only 50 points of magic items.

Sure, I'll change it so it takes up his entire magic allotment.