Editing Warhammer/Tactics/8th Edition/Legion of Azgorh (section)

==Unit Analysis and Summary==

===Lords and Heroes===

====Named Characters====

'''Note:''' Under the current edition, named characters tend to be overpriced; you can pretty easily emulate most named characters from scratch and save yourself some points. That said, a few named characters do have abilities and wargear or wargear combos unique to them, so if you need to have them, go ahead. Just make sure you're really getting your points worth.

*'''Drazhoath the Ashen, Prophet of Hashut:''' Drazhoath has the same problems a regular Sorcerer Prophet has: He is just not as tough as the Lords from other armies, neither offensively nor defensively. On top of that, you can kit out a regular Sorcerer Prophet to be a better tank (2+/4++) or have T6. On the other hand, Drazhoath has an increased profile, confers a unique combat resolution buff, is a superior caster (even the Darkforged Weapon abilities cannot compare) with the potential to be downright terrifying (Crucible) and Cinderbreath dishes out a S5 breath weapon once in the game. You're still going to take an ordinary Sorcerer Prophet 99% of the time though because Drazhoath costs 570 points. Sure for a kitted-out Sorcerer-Prophet on Bale Taurus it's relatively cheap, and as far as Sorcerer-Prophets on flying monsters go, he isn't the worst option, but putting a Sorcerer-Prophet on a flying monster isn't a good idea to begin with. He will be a valuable target for your opponent (cannons and other war machines, first and foremost, but also other flying character hunters will be gunning for him) and he needs a solid battle plan and careful placement and his points cost makes it extremely hard for him to have a good return on investment, as is usual for Sorcerer-Prophets on flying monsters. At least his model is gorgeous.
::If you're still bringing him then remember this: he's not Karl Franz, and you definitely cannot just send him into combat with anything and expect success. His boosted WS and Wound should be seen as something to help him survive, not win in fights. Most importantly is not to place too much emphasis on the Daemonspite Crucible. Getting +1 to all casting attempts is great, putting Drazoath offensively on Level 5 and on par with Teclis or Nagash, and getting +2 by killing a wizard in close combat would be even better, but despite the huge bonus this also isn't something you should go out of your way to accomplish. As a quick example, if you see an Empire list field a Wizard on his own in the open, leave him alone unless you want Drazhoath and Cinderbreath to be blown to bits by cannons as soon as that wizard's dead (and it's a guarantee that Drazhaoth costs a hell of a lot more than that wizard does). Even against other armies you need to watch out for anything that can charge/hit you hard as soon as the combat's over as the list of things that can crush Drazhoath is very long. 

====Generic Characters====

'''Note:''' While named characters are judged against their generic counterparts, generic characters are examined based on their role in your army.

*'''Sorcerer-Prophet:''' The only regular Lord choice for the army. He is a Level 3 Sorcerer with L4 upgrade. Has all the regular Chaos Dwarf stuff, and also a special weapon that has his own table of minor special abilities (as Daemons do now). They have access to the Lore of Hashut (Heroes don't), Metal, Fire or Death. So, what Lore do you choose?
*#'''Hashut''': If you have just one Prophet, think about who you play against and what would support you the most, but if you have 2 or more Lords in the army (aka playing big game), Lore of Hashut is a MUST TAKE. If you're playing seriously, consider using the End Times: Khaine for its magical rules since it'll guarantee you get Ash Storm, and that's easily the most powerful spell you have access to.
*#'''Metal''': Always if you play against enemies who rely on armour saves (Dwarfs, Empire, Chaos, Bretonnia) and you can always use it as a flaming attack combined with Ash Storm, or just use glittering scales. There is always at least one gap to fill with Metal; 3 spells in this lore are solid gold (pun intended); Chaos Dwarfs are expensive and need every bit of armour they can get their hands on. +2 to their save with Glittering Robe means that can go into that Witch Elf block and laugh at the other side covered in bits of elf skank (maybe a slight exaggeration, but they become very, very gnarly). Enchanted Blades gives them magical attacks and +1 to hit, fantastic for an Iron Daemon or that horde of bow armed Hobgoblins. Lastly, Final Transmutation. A phenomenal spell that can be used to thin the ranks of those units that would cause you trouble (those witch elves for example). If you're bringing in multiple casters (ie one Sorcerer-Prophet and several Daemonsmiths) then consider using the Lore of Hashut instead for the Sorcerer-Prophet and giving Metal to the other(s).
*#'''Death''': Good, might be great in sniping characters (not many casters can pull off Spirit Leech at LD9 or even LD10!) - and purple sun makes a mockery out of low Initiative armies such as Dwarfs and Lizardmen. Of course the downside is you're also stuck with Dwarf Initiative, so if you miss the spell and it goes over your own army, then that could cost you the game. Aside from that it combos with other aspects relatively well, Hell Cannon causing panic tests at -4 LD FTW -- however the lore of Hashut can be better in static gunline lists with ample artillery.  
*#'''Fire''': Fireball is good at clearing enemy redirectors that your monsters might otherwise struggle to get around (dark riders, giant eagles, etc). For an army that enjoys the grind, cascading fire cloak is strong and the plus one to wound from Flaming Sword can be massive on the magma cannon, then there's how it stacks with Ash Storm... some players mount a Prophet on Bale Taurus, giving him Lore of fire, and keep casting it on themselves, each time Taurus would be wounded (Fire Lore cures its wounds), but really? Would you waste one of the better lores for the Lore of Fire?
*Aside from magic it is recommended to buy them 2+/4++ saves, and leave them on foot. Despite having three mounts to choose from, putting them on a flying monster not only vastly increases their already high cost, but it makes them a massive target for war machines, other flying monsters, character hunters (especially those on flying monsters) and so on. If he's on a flying monster and gets charged by another flying monster with a decent beatstick riding it, he is '''doomed'''.

*'''Daemonsmith Sorcerer:''' Wizard-Engineer too. Has access to Fire, Metal and Death. May upgrade to Level 2 Wizard and comes with a S5 magic weapon by default. Everything that goes for the Sorcerer-Prophet's magic choices goes here, with the exception that Daemonsmiths can't get the Lore of Hashut. In short, give them fire to get rid of redirectors, metal if you want a useful scroll caddy, or death if you want LD debuffs, LD 9 Spirit Leech, or chancing Purple Sun.

*'''Infernal Castellan:''' The only BSB choice, so you will need one. He has access to 75 points of magic items and can get a shield even when BSB, so you can protect him easily. This hero is tough, with a 2+/4++ save, T5 and 3 attacks, so make the most of it. Do note that if you're looking for a little extra melee output, you should look at the Hobgoblin Khan first (yes, seriously).

*'''Hobgoblin Khan:''' This is the cheapest Hero choice in the army, so make sure to take full advantage of that if you want just a little extra melee output. As an example, a Hobgoblin with the Sword of Might costs relatively little, yet puts out the same amount of hurt with it as a Castellan could, while also striking sooner thanks to his higher Initiative. Pay 5 points more for a Potion of Foolhardiness and you now have 4 S5 attacks coming from him, which could make the difference in combat. Don't think about putting him in a Hobgoblin unit though, they don't need his Leadership since they should be benefiting from Inspiring Presence, and while Contempt might prevent Chaos Dwarfs from joining Hobgoblin units it doesn't go the other way, so you can put him in with Blunderbuss blocks or even just regular infantry blocks. Oddly enough those CD's can and will sacrifice themselves to save him via LoS even though they hate his guts. You can also mount him on a Wolf, give him a few upgrades (light armor, shield, and spear) and send him to hunt war machines for little more than 50 points. He can also be used to redirect charges, just like HE eagles.

*'''Bull Centaur Taur'ruk:''' A Centaur hero, he is considered a Monstrous Beast, and his profile is appealing for a Hero choice, with 4 Wounds, Weapon Skill, Strength and Toughness 5 among other things. For 20 points (Blackshard Armour plus Shield) you can get him to 1+ without magic items. The only catch is that to get this guy in your army you have to get a unit of Bull Centaurs too. You might as well learn to like them if you want him, so put him up with them and let fly against anything that isn't a horde benefitting from Steadfast. Consider Fencer's Blades and Dragonhelm for 5 WS10 S5 attacks and he is almost never hit on worse than 4+, 5+ against regular units. A Taur'ruk with full armour is also a great recipient of a Dawnstone and Sword of Might for a solid flanking threat. Also works well with a simple Great Weapon.

===Special Equipment===

Sorcerer Prophets and Daemonsmiths come with or have access to several special items besides magic items.

*'''Blood of Hashut''' (Sorcerer Prophet): One time use for 20pts. So, while in CC, INSTEAD of throwing standard attacks, you may use Blood of Hashut. You pick a single model in direct contact with yours, declare usage and roll a dice. Result different than 1 means success. It gives you D6 auto hits at a strength equal to the opponents armour save. So a Chaos Lord with Chaos Armour and Enchanted Shield (AS 2+ in total) is being wounded at 2+. No Armour Saves allowed against, damage inflicted as per usage of magic weapon and also count as Flaming Attack. Nice, if you expect your Prophet to be engaged in close combat. Actually brutal.

*'''Naphtha Bombs''' (Sorcerer Prophet and Daemonsmith): Small throwing weapon, hit causes D3 S3 hits, armour piercing and flaming attacks. 1 on to-hit roll causes automatic flaming wound on the bearer. Not really that great, units won't really care about D3 hits and monsters usually have high toughness. Can be nice on something flammable (hello Ash Storm) but still has only S3. Only if you have the 15pts to spare. Can also be taken by the Infernal Guard Overseer for 5pts!
:*There ''is'' one very good reason to take Naphtha Bombs: Combining them with Fireglaives for a better Stand & Shoot reaction. If a stand & shoot charge reaction is made against a unit that starts its charge outside the maximum range, "''the shooting is resolved normally assuming the enemy is just within maximum range of the shooting unit's shortest-ranged weapon''" - that means the 6" from the Naphtha Bombs, and well within the 9" short-range of the Fireglaives! And even any pistols which might be in the unit. Technically it also applies to the Blunderbuss, but you ignore modifiers anyway so long range as long as 10 of those models are firing. A very neat trick, also worth giving the Overseer the Naphtha Bombs, even if it means that you lose one shot from a Fireglaive. You can decide: If the enemy is outside 9", use the bomb, if he is within, use the Fireglaive. (''Shoutout to Nalgrund over at CDO for this spot'')

*'''Darkforged Weapon''' (default weapon for Sorcerer Prophet): Magic attacks, roll at the beginning of the game for a special ability. If you have multiple Sorcerer Prophets, duplicates must be re-rolled. You will hardly be able to get your Sorcerer Prophet to be a real fighter Lord, even with 100pts magic items. And if you buy a magic weapon, your Darkforged Weapon is lost, so you might as well keep it. Two special abilities add to your magic capabilities (+1 to channeling or +1 to dispel, yay!), one is a S3 flaming breath weapon (hooray) and three have effects in close combat. You get either Eternal Hatred (see ''[[Warhammer/Tactics/8th_Edition/Dark_Elves#Army_Rules|Dark Elves]]''), Multiple Wounds (D3) or always wound on 2+, with the huge caveat that 1's on to-wound rolls inflict a wound on the Prophet instead (no saves!). Ouch. All in all, even with one of the three abilities for close combat, your Sorcerer Prophet is still not a fearsome adversary.

*'''Ensorcelled Weapon''' (default weapon for Daemonsmith): +1S in close combat, magic attacks, can be used with shield for parry save. So a Daemonsmith comes with S5 out of the box but can't really be made into a strong fighter anyway, so no need to spend points on a magic weapon, very welcome!

====Mounts====

*'''Great/Bale Taurus:''' Your principal mount for hitting the enemy hard is a powerful flying monster with flaming attacks. It cannot be wounded by spells from the Lore of Fire and it heals D3 wounds if hit by one; they also hit everyone in close combat with them automatically with S4 (save the rider), and successful non-magical wounds done to it must be re-rolled (thanks FAQ). A Bale Taurus has +1T and +1W and also features a flaming S4 Breath Weapon for 80pts extra, but unfortunately it shares the same issue as the regular Taurus: the only character who can take them shouldn't be taking them. If you're using them anyway, just shell out the extra points for the Bale Taurus and melt something, you might as well have fun with it while it lasts.

*'''Lammasu:''' This little guy is taken from the Storm of Magic book, and has a nasty CC aura (all magic weapons aside from the rider's in base contact do not function). Watch as big boss-man Karl Franz goes from being the Teddy Roosevelt of Warhammer to George Bush reading fairy tales to Kindergartners. It is a Level 1 caster and has access to Lore of Shadow, so you can get a sorcerer mount for your sorcerer (yo dog). However, as he will only get level 2 don't count on Mindrazor, but you can get access to some Hexes. Unfortunately has the exact same issue as the Taurus': the only character who can take them shouldn't be taking them, they're way too vulnerable on a flying monster. That being said, they are the army's only access to lore of shadow, and as of the FAQ he can get the Mace Tail (extra attack at +1 Strength), Sorcerous Exhalation (S4 breath attack) and Level 2 upgrades, and you might as well take them if you're still getting a Lammasu.

*'''Giant Wolf:''' The only mount option for a Hobgoblin Khan, confers Fast Cavalry rule on the Khan, which is lost when he takes a shield (like the regular wolf riders). Get it if you want a warmachine hunter/redirector, skip it otherwise.

===Core Units===

*'''Infernal Guard:''' This unit is the core of your army. Better than their Dawi hold dwelling cousins, they have a good profile and come with 3+ armour save and a 5+ ward save against flaming attacks, and a regular 6++ parry save due to their shields (not to mention a base Strength of 4). However, such a sweet statline doesn't come cheap, and units between 20 and 25 is usually the way to go. The warriors have additional 3 weapon options, and these really dictate what you do with the unit.
**'''Great Weapons''' are a great choice for a hammer/anvil unit. It makes them strike at S6 (with easy access to hatred) and as they are I2 anyway, you're not giving up much to attack last. The only really cost if the loss of the shield, but being T4 with a 4+ makes them pretty durable. As Chaos Dwarfs are only M3, they make a great anvil unit, but your opponent will easily be able to avoid them, unless you force them to come at you (so grab some rockets, mortars or cannons). For the Dawi Zhar lord that wants a combat army... yes please to 24 with great weapons.
**'''Fireglaives''' are your 'mid' option. It allows you to fire at a relatively close range, but at S4 with armour piercing, which is nice, and also acts as a halberd in close combat. This is a great choice, the only downside being it's points. You'll want to make sure everyone can fire (so 2 ranks) but the unit is also a combat one (so 4 ranks). This puts it in an awkward spot of doing two things decently but doing neither of them well; if you want you could get your opponent to charge a 2 rank unit, rely on your Ld10 stubborn hero to make sure you stay, and then reform for the next turn of combat but that is a costly maneuver and vulnerable to hero-hunting. On the plus side, they are very effective against flanking units and they'll take charges from traditional warmachine hunters like champs, so if you want them then get a big, steadfast block of Hobgoblins for the center and some warmachines in your backline.
**'''Blunderbusses''' are your final option, and they make the unit horrendously expensive, especially as the guns are only really worth their points if you're firing 20 or more. This means you need to be taking units of at least 24 and at 18 points per model that unit get expensive FAST! So why are they good? Easy, 20 models firing D3 shots give you an average of 40 shots that basically ignore all to hit penalties and re-roll to wound. In addition, if you get into combat you keep you shield for that fantastic 3+ 6++. Get these guys in a building, and just delete anyone that comes within 12". All that said, their short range, huge drop off when the unit gets to 19 minis and the humongous points cost means these should be reserved for fun games (and more often than not, left on the shelf).

*'''Hobgoblin Cutthroats:''' These guys are small, sneaky, and can be spammed for a relative low cost. They come with Throwing Knives and Light Armour by default. You can give them shields at 0.5 points a piece, so it's recommended as it makes them much harder to kill in combat. You can buy them bows for 1 point, or an additional hand weapon for 0.5, so you have many options available with them. They benefit from your General's Inspiring Presence so they can be used as a tarpit.
::Do note that taking them as-is would not be a stupid idea, since you can use them to screen your Guard to two purposes: A) making them harder to shoot, and B) force-failing enemy charges. If something charges your Hobgoblins and you choose to flee, your Chaos Dwarfs won't give a shit. If that something isn't comfortably within range of your CD's but they are of another Hobgoblin unit, that one can flee too once it's charged, and now your opponent has automatically failed their charge and is stumbling forward, setting themselves up for an easy counter-charge or round of shooting from your dudes. Sneaky, as it should be.

===Special Units===

*'''Infernal Ironsworn:''' Think of these guys as Chaos Warriors that suck. They come by default with Ensorcelled Hand Weapons (S5, magical attacks), have WS5 and 3+ armour, but you can't give them any different gear and they're rather expensive. Sharing the special allowance with many of your best units and war machines doesn't help either. Outperformed in nearly every way by Infernal Guard with either fireglaives (which cost the same) or great weapons (which even cost less), give them a hard pass and try not to think about how the Forge World FAQ actually nerfed them by increasing the cost of their command group, as if they didn't suck enough already.

*'''Bull Centaur Renders:''' M7 Monstrous Beasts that combine Heavy Armour with Scaly Skin and get 3+ base armour. They have a low number of Attacks (2), but they compensate with T5 and very good armour. They are not ''mounted'', despite their cavalryish demeanour, so they benefit from a parry save when carrying shields. It also means that Spears only give them supporting attacks from an additional rank (rather than an actually useful +1S on the charge), so never give them spears. Great Weapons, additional HtH weapons and Shields are all much better choices (especially since monstrous beasts can make up to three supporting attacks). They make for great flank protection or, in bigger units, flank crushing. They can have a magic banner, so they're great for an extra inch of move or classic flaming attack to hunt down hydras and trolls. Do remember that one of the main reasons you'll be running these guys is to unlock your Taur'ruk, who is almost always going to be with this unit. He helps giving the extra attacks the unit sorely lacks base, and more than makes them into the monster hunters they're almost meant to be. Bull Centaurs really benefit from some magic augmentation: Breath of Hatred (Lore of Hashut for, well, hatred), Flaming Sword of Rhuin (Lore of Fire for +1 on to wound rolls, magic and flaming attacks) and Enchanted Blades of Aiban (Lore of Metal for +1 on to hit rolls, magic attacks and armour piercing) are all great choices.

*'''K'daai Fireborn:''' Monstrous Infantry unit. They share Unbreakable and Unstable with Vampires and Tomb Kings. Their rules make it so that they end up killing themselves a lot of times, and the longer the game, the weaker they will get. Since you roll for every unit separately to check whether they burn out, it is advisable to get one large one rather than two small ones. Other than that they're S5 and can dish out a fair number of attacks and wounds. Keep in mind they are Flaming, so any of the 2+ Ward against Flaming attacks will keep them locked forever, or until they kill themselves.

*'''Iron Daemon War Engine:''' This expensive unit has 2 setups and uses, depending on what upgrades you get. It has a whopping S8, T7, and 7 Wounds (always Hellbind for S8, T8, W8), and a base movement of 6. It can move normally (6") or roll 2D6 and add them to the movement. Obstacles lower than the ID don't slow it. If a double 1 is rolled it doesn't move that turn.
:*The first version is the default one. It comes with a Steam Cannonade. This weapon is the bane of Monsters, War Machines and lone characters up till 18" range, because you roll 2 artillery dice, and choose the best result (if double problems are rolled, then roll in the table). Roll To Hit (no penalty for moving) and To Wound with S6, armour piercing shots and Multiple Wounds (D3). This version deals D6+2 Impact Hits and can thunderstomp in following turns with S8
:*The second version is the Skullcracker upgrade and it substitutes the Steam Cannonade. It deals 2D6+2 Impact Hits, then 2D6 Thunderstomp, and gains +1 To Wound against fortifications and buildings. It's not nearly as useful as the gun in most matchups and costs more to boot, so consider skipping it.
:Both versions can also haul other war machines that have purchased the Steam Carriage upgrade with it. One won't slow it, if it tows 2, its movement is reduced to 3". Towed war machines must be targeted separately for shooting and charging, but are only locked in combat if the Iron Daemon is also engaged. Towed war machines may only fire their weapons if the carriage remained stationary that turn. A War Machine being towed may be untowed during the Movement Phase, but cannot be towed again for the remainder of the game. This is of fairly variable usage depending on your opponent and the terrain. It's probably not something you'll want to do every game but but it's a nice fringe benefit all the same. Being able to move a war machine to cover a choke point or to screen it from return fire while you pummel important units can be a big deal but on some tables there just won't be a reason to do it. Still, don't forget about it.
:The Iron Daemon is a unique unit, so it doesn't benefit from our Daemonsmith re-rolling abilities. Note that as per the FAQ, Iron Daemons cannot wheel on the charge. When the Iron Daemon charges, it moves directly forward, no wheels to maximize, but it still "closes the door". When it shoots, it only shoots directly ahead, no forward arc. This can make usage tricky. (''see the FAQ for more on this'').

*'''Deathshrieker Rocket Launcher:''' This machine comes cheap at 100 points. It works roughly as a Stone Thrower with a Large Blast at Strength 3, but without double Strength or Multiple Wounds in the center and it cannot fire indirectly. If the center of the Large Blast misses the unit (note: the center), roll an artillery dice, change the template for the small one and move it towards the center of the closest unit (friend or foe) by that amount of inches. If a Misfire is rolled, then the shot explodes in the air without doing any damage. It also has an alternative firing mode at S8, Multiple Wounds (D6) without Blast, doubling as a Monster hunter, especially when we take re-rolls via an ''Infernal Engineer'' into account. That being said it's still incredibly unreliable, so it's not uncommon to be shooting at a monster the entire game and be unable to kill it (or even hit it).
**Do note that the Deathshrieker can technically be fired into combat by deliberately "missing" your original target and redirecting into the combat with their heat-seeking ability. That being said you don't want to do this unless you're holding the enemy there with steadfast Hobgoblins as your Infernal Guard just cost way too much to justify the risk.

*'''Magma Cannon:''' This cannon makes the Dwarf Flamethrower laugh, as it works similarly to one, but it's a little worse in nearly every aspect. You can't pull off any bizarre aiming shenanigans to maximize the amount of models hit by the template, and you do not cause panic tests by causing only a single wound (apparently getting lava dunked on you is less scary than fire). On the plus side you make up for it with range, getting a full 24" plus whatever the artillery dice says afterwards. A good rule of thumb is always to go 9" from the middle of your target, the flame template is long enough that even on a 2 or a 10 you'll hit somebody, whereas the other results will cause you to hit a lot, and do remember to take them if you're ever up against Ogres or Trolls. The multiple wounds and flaming attacks will really pay off, especially if you hit an Ogre Gutbus.

===Rare Units===

*'''Hobgoblin Wolf Raiders:''' Mediocre. They'd be a great unit if they weren't rare but they're competing with extremely powerful units. They've got Animosity and low leadership, and their speed means that they won't be within range of the General or BSB. Pass unless you're doing the Hobgoblin redirect strategy mentioned in the Hobgoblin Cutthroats entry, at least that way you can increase your chances of getting your flank charges and their extra bonus. 

*'''Dreadquake Mortar:''' A souped-up Stone Thrower. This piece of artillery has both the longest reach in the game and access to a special upgrade, the Slave Ogre. Without it, it is subject to Slow Reload (firing every 2 turns unless a 3+ roll is made). If both the Ogre and the Hellbound upgrade are purchased, the Mortar has T8 and 7 Wounds, making it into a very tough and hard to remove unit (as per FAQ). It fires like a Stone Thrower, with S5 (10 under the hole), armour piercing with range 12"-72". Any unit who takes a casualty from it has to test for Dangerous Terrain if they wish to move (charging, reforming, everything counts) or try to shoot Move or Fire weapons. War Machines count as Chariots for this, so a failed roll will make them lose D6 Wounds. On the other hand, it's very expensive, so think carefully before taking one (particularly since your Rare slot also includes the K'daai Destroyer).

*'''Hellcannon:''' It fires as a Stone Thrower with S5, and forces Panic tests (with -1Ld penalty) on units suffering casualties from it. Even better than the Warriors of Chaos version due to Daemonsmith re-rolls and is a solid choice. It's also the only officially sold model you can get for Chaos Dwarfs without having to pay Forge World prices.

*'''K'daai Destroyer:''' Remember how we said that this thing deserved a point to its own? We meant it. First, a list of things to avoid: poison, characters with the dragon helm or dragonbane gem, dragon princes, stubborn/unbreakable blocks, and don't let it overrun off the board. Otherwise, this thing will quite happily kill half an army for you. It's only downside is a lack of model and that its picture in the book is very vague. As shown as WIP in the a Games Day, it looked just like Skaarac the Bloodborn but with more shit stuck to him (in other words, it was ugly).

*'''Chaos Siege Giant:''' Your other option for a monster besides the K'daai Destroyer. It costs only 50pts less but is basically worse in every way. Giants do not attack in the normal fashion but have an attack system with a random effect depending on the size of the enemy unit, which makes it a little unreliable. But then again none of the results are really bad, and a Giant has a 1/3 chance of dishing out 2D6 automatic wounds with no armour saves against a monster, for example. Added to the slight unreliability in close combat is the threat of the Giant falling over. Siege Giants come with two upgrades: Runes of Hate which lets you re-roll the result when the Giant is called on to "roll for a random number of attacks" (important) and gives berserk rage (has to restrain himself with a LD-test if he can declare a charge like frenzy special rule, but negligible at LD10) but increases the costs to a solid 300pts - only 25pts away from the Destroyer! Scaling spikes are pretty much useless unless you're in an actual siege (Siege Giant, duh!). Siege Giants compete for your precious rare allowance, take only if you love giants and/or have your list somehow tailored to it.
**Note that it's not too clear what the "random number of attacks" is referring to. The giant never makes a "random number of attacks", it only rolls for which attack it uses, and/or inflicts a random number of automatic hits. This is probably supposed to allow you to re-roll the attack the giant rolls for rather than allowing you to re-roll how many hits you inflict, but as always with Forge World mistakes, talk it over with your gaming group first.