Ok guys, I think I have the rirght to say something useful here. I used the SOK army in the first edition and NEVER won a battle. I used them in the second edition and the story has changed. My foes are very skilled players, and they use extremely powerful armies such as devouts and blackbloods.
What I learnt about SOK combos to use is the following:
BERSERKERS
Berserkers are very expensive, their armor is ridiculous, and the real danger (as for all the army) is not the risk of arrows but the template attacks. A soulflayer deleted my berserker wb just landing in front of them and blowing its fire. Flambč. Five models, more than 250pts burnt in one action. In the same battle, anyway, I made my enemy shiver by killing the soulflayer with this combo: a gust of wind to crush it on the ground, savage roots (12 damage residual is not a joke) and the coup de grace of the Monarch, leaping in charge with it's terrific damage.
So, I'm very skeptic about berserkers, whose real strenght lies probably in the "indomitable will" against certain spells. I have yet to appreciate them.
BLADE MAIDENS
To tell you the truth, I often prefer to place heartguard instead of blade maidens. Ok, the maidens are steadfast and have killing stroke, but the damage of a heartguard is high enough to do the work, and their cost is a lot lower.
TRIBE WARRIORS
Tribe warriors are something completely different in use. Remember that a thrown weapon can be thrown in countercharge (or a stand fast action) BEFORE any other attack, including trample. In an army with a low armor, trample is one of the worst things to face after template effects. But a warband of warriors on wait can throw the spear before being smashed. The high LD of the troops often leads to win the countercharge and attack first. Also, you should remember that the spears are no more something you throw on charge only, like in the first edition, but something you can throw six inches away! This means you can attack units at nine inches of distance by moving one action and throw the spear. The damage is low, ok, and there is not the x2 modifier of the first edition, but it's always a possibility. The sword damage is low too, but don't forget they're made for charging (or countercharging) and this means they have a damage of nine (ferocity), which is not so bad.
Last but not least, mini warbands of warriors (two plus a leader) are the cheapest group you can place on the field to get a great number of heroes, when required.
And here i suggest you my favourite combos.
I don't like to play the allies of the tribes with pieces like chronomancers or necromancers. I'm playing SOK army with some help, not devouts with savage troops or Firstborns with nude warriors. So I reduced to the minimum the integrations of allied troops. But the minimum has to be intelligent.
SHADOW TRIBE:
You MUST play the Unholy Champion with its standard. It has the same cost (standard included) of a Monarch, but it grants you the following: The increased command distance means you can build a line of twelve unlivings with the champion in the middle. This is your anti-arrows shield. The standard gives you one inch more of movement; this means your unlivings march at a standard rate of three, not two, and it's something very important for a unit who cannot run. Lastly, it adds a point to the strenght. If you want to get a boost to the army, get in some cursed instead of the heartguard. Same cost, but with the standard of the champion they have a movement of four and a damage of fifteen. In a 1000pts army you can place the Unholy with standard and seven cursed. There's still place for a wird, a Monarch, a little wb of heartguard or berserkers... Try it.
TRIBE OF THE DAWN:
The tribe of the dawn has the best combo, in my opinion, by using three heroes from the firstborn, and I usually match them with the proper warband. A judge placed close to a wb of heartguard will prevent them from panic, and adds a final blow to their charges.
A repulsar knight with a wb of warriors will grant an improved skill of 15 CC and 10 RC, and placed behind them can do his work in case of powerful heroes charging the wb (such as the hated ogre mirmidon bull cavalry with its tremendous trample).
The Night Walker is perfect to be placed close to an inflitrated unit of slingers. It has no commanding presence, ok, but he can hide in outmaneuver with them and protect them in melee when they emerge with the proper cursed shot (always use a cursed shot, they gave a completely new power to the slingers!!!).
No one more than this three elements. In some battles, where to inflict fear can be important but you don't want to loose your ice and forest abilityes, you can consider the possibility to place on field even a warband of burning blades, maybe accompanied by the repulsar. But they're quite expensive.
TRIBE OF THE GODDESS:
If you're using the tribe of the goddess, the chariot is something cool; move it towards the wbs of basic soldiers to have fun. Be careful of arrows. A blessing of the goddess on it, is a wise choice. Viridians are very strong but very expensive too, even if a throwing damage of 15 is something awesome. The champion, instead, is a killing machine but a very bad commander, he can give orders to no one in the army (so I wonder why it has commanding presence), that's why I always prefer a blade maiden champion if I have to choose between the two.
The only piece I'm very deluded of, in the passage from the first to the second edition, is the hunter. Before, he was a very cheap and useful hero, I always had one (or more) on the battlefield, with or without dogs and hawks. Now, it costs more than a judge but with a ridiculous damage. I use it no more unless I need the beasts to be placed (particularly the hawks, to fight against other flying creatures or to fly high over the enemy army to duck down on the magician (the stigian priestess, for instance, having them no archers to pierce my hawks in flight...)
Ok, forgive me for the lenght, but SOK became definetly my favourite army in the second edition and I hope I gave some useful ideas to the others who like 'em too.
Cheers.
