WARHAMMER TACTICA By
Deathless Draich If you found this book useful and would like to make a donation for its upkeep, the PayPal Account where this can be done is
[email protected] COPYRIGHT © DEATHLESS DRAICH 2009 1
CONTENTS Page
1. ESTIMATING DISTANCES Using known distances Perspective and angle of sight Using measured distances and terrain
2. DEPLOYMENT
7 7 9 10
12
Choosing the right spells Order of deployment Types of Deployment Standard Central Refused Flank Weakened Flank Abandoned Flank Chequerboard and Screens Gun lines Gambit deployment Defensive bubble Deployment and terrain Positioning the general, characters and the army centre
3. SELECTING & USING TERRAIN Cover, LOS and Exposure LOS and unhindered movement Combat and terrain Buildings
4. TURN 1
12 12 13 14 15 16 16 17 18 20 21 22 22
23 23 24 25 25
27
Re-deployment and Closest proximity comparison Formulating a general strategy
2
27 29
Assessing strengths and weaknesses 30 Speed, Obvious sacrificials Balance of magical power Number of shots and number of shooting casualties Characters
5. CHECKS & MANOUEVRES
32
The 4 negative checks The 3 positive checks Charge or not to charge Initiative and the next combat round Hold or Flee? Pre-calculations
32 34 34 39 39 43
The importance of Static CR How many moves ahead?
Space, front line and maximising manoeuvrability
45
Why is space important? Increasing your space and reducing the enemy’s Sacrificing a charge to make space
Advancing limitations and retreating Planning pursuits and fleeing
6. MAGIC
54 61
65
Which spells and the default spell 65 Lores of magic, strengths and weaknesses summary 67 How many power dice should be used and which 95 spells should be cast Defending against magic 99 Selecting spell targets 101 Magic at the start and in the latter half 102
7. SHOOTING
106
Move or shoot Target selection Concentrated shooting Rounds of available shooting 3
106 106 108 109
Terrain and shooting
109
Hills Buildings Shooting in Cover
Warmachines
112
Protecting warmachines Shoot or escape Distance estimates Foregoing shooting with artillery dice
Defending against shooting
115
Using Large units Multiple unit exposure Several small units of low point value Screening units Tunnellers, Miners, Ambushing units and Flyers
8. COMBAT MANOEUVRES Winning a flank Anchoring a won flank Lure and Ambush Behind enemy lines
120 120 120 121 122
Destroying enemy fleers Cutting off retreats
The Barn Dance General’s Position and Rallying Order Breaking through the enemy
124 127 129
Support or reserve troops, thicker front line Wall of troops moved forward
Increasing Attacks Reinforcing a weakened unit Slowing down the enemy
131 132 133
Swarms, Unbreakable, Undead and Stubborn units Deflecting charges and blocking chargers March blocking and Skirmishers
9. COMMON TRAPS
141
Anvil and Hammer Double charge from the refused bait Charge or be charged Basic Fast Cavalry
4
141 141 143
Skirmishers
Wheeling arc trap EITW traps
147 148
Fleeing into a charge path Large Targets
Feigned Flanking moves Forced Clipping
150 151
Character in the corner Minimising attacks back
Failed charge traps
153
Tempt into a failed charge using terrain Denying space for charge completion Wide unit versus the long unit
Creating ambush areas
156
10. USING PSYCHOLOGY Fearful armies and Immunity to Psychology Fear, Panic and Low Leadership
Cascading Mass Panic Feeding the Frenzied Stupidity Other tests
11. ENDGAME
157 157 157 158 158 160 161
162
Decisions in turn 5 Changing tactics in the last turn
12. PROBABILITY
162 163
165
Rule of a quarter
166
13. PREPARING A TOURNAMENT ARMY LIST Strength and Weaknesses of Armies Types of Tournament Lists Some examples of Extreme and Dangerous lists
5
168 170 183 185
Fighting Deathstar armies Choosing units
201 203
Appendix
205
Probability tables Probability when rolling 5 or 10 dice at the same time Improving your dice rolls
6
1. ESTIMATING DISTANCES One of the most important basic skills of Warhammer. Games are lost or won on the basis of good distance estimates. Indeed, the best players are able to estimate distances to an error of less than 5%. How would you improve your distance judgement skills? Practice is a certain but slow way. Here are a few short cuts based on common sense.
Using known distances 1) A ranked up unit of 20mm models, 5 wide is 4” wide. 2) The length of a Warhammer army book is just under 11” whereas an A4 sheet of paper is about 11.5”. 3) A Bretonnian lance formation is just under 6”. 4) The distance between deployment zones is 24”. If you use a movement tray for these units then use the tray to help you with distances. The standard five 2cm model wide tray is 4” wide. You can use this distance to estimate other distances. 8” would be twice the width of the movement tray. 10” would be twice plus half, 12” would be three times etc. Sometimes it is best to split long distances in half. Place your finger at the midpoint of a long distance. Now estimate the distance from your finger to your unit. You will find that estimating this half distance is much easier. Simply double that estimate to get the full distance. Try this and you will notice it works well. You could also extend the principle to very long distances by splitting the distance to half and then a quarter and quadrupling your estimate. Your estimates of short distances will improve and eventually so will your estimates of long distances. 7
Let’s try a few examples: Example 1
U
U 4”
B A
A
You are required to estimate the distance between unit (U) and the line (A). The width of unit (U) is 4” wide and this could be used to assist your estimate. There is a better method outlined below. Place your finger at the midpoint between U and line (A). The line (B) represents this mid point between the front of the unit and line (A). By comparing the known 4” width and the distance of the unit to (B), it can be seen that (A) is in fact 8” away. I am not of course suggesting that you draw lines on the battle table but no one would object if you place a finger at point (B) as you estimate the distance.
Wheeling distances In the diagram below, the player is trying to find out whether a charge declaration for unit (A) would succeed. The charging distance includes a wheel of 45o plus the shortest distance from the (A) to (B)
E
B
D A
C
The shortest distance from (A) to (B) is 4” and referring to the table below, the 45o wheel adds another 3.1”. 8
The charging distance is 7.1” and will succeed if the unit has M4 or better. If the wheel needed is slightly less than 30o, the wheeling distance is two inches giving a total charge distance of six inches.
Width of unit 5 wide 20mm (4”) 6 wide 20mm (4.7”) 7 wide 20mm (5.5”) 5 wide 25mm or cavalry (5”) 6 wide 25mm (5.9”) Ogres 3 wide (3.6”)
TABLE 1.1 Angle of the wheeling arc o 30 45o 60o 2” 3.1 4.2 2.5” 3.7” 5” 2.9” 4.3” 5.8” 2.6” 4” 5.2”
90o 6.3 7.4” 8.6” 7.9”
3.1” 1.9”
9.3” 5.7”
4.6” 2.9”
6.2” 3.8”
The table above is a useful summary of distances moved by various units as it wheels. The wheeling arc normally cannot exceed 45o but sometimes EITW might require a bigger wheeling arc. Notice that a 30o wheel moves a unit to exactly half its width. This is worth remembering
Perspective and angle of sight Have you noticed why many players stand up while playing? This is not merely force of habit or a personal preference but a useful way of improving distance estimates.
A2 A1
A1
A1
A1
A2
A2
A2
A more vertical point of view is essential in reducing perspective. The diagram on the left is the view of a player standing up whilst that on the right is that of a player sitting down.
9
In both cases, the distance between A1 and A2 are identical Perspective, for the diagram on the right, and a small angle of sight causes A1 and A2 to appear to be closer together. The diagram on the right shows that perspective is exacerbated for small angles of sight. This may not be important for small distances, 4” 8” but becomes very significant for longer distances, 12” or more. Try sitting down close to the board and estimate the 20” distance for flyers on your side and on the opposite side. Chances are you will be more accurate with the distance estimate that is closer to you. It might be necessary sometimes to move over to your opponent’s side of the board for a crucial measurement. Do so, but be warned that some players may find this an annoyance.
Using measured distances and terrain Before deployment is made, look at strategic points on the battlefield and remember their distances. This might be the closest distance between 2 bits of terrain, the distance between two terrain features like a road and a tower, or the size of a terrain itself like the width or length of a rectangular building. In the diagram below, D are distances worth remembering while F is a distance of little use. Deployment zone D Buiding D
D
D D
Woods F
Deployment zone
Warmachines tend to remain where they are for most, if not all of the game. Every time a distance is measured by you or the other player, remember this distance and the two points they were measured from. This will help you in estimating similar or possibly the same distance in subsequent rounds, especially for your own warmachine or archers. Many players tend to ignore the measurement of a ranged attack when it is obviously in range. There is nothing to stop you from checking that range and using that information in the next turn.
10
For instance, a unit of archers with short bows targets a unit of cavalry. The short bows have a range of 16”. If their shooting is within range then the cavalry unit can use this known distance in the next round. In the diagram below, the cavalry unit will know whether it can successfully charge the warmachine after the targeting distance of 16” from the archers is measured.
Cavalry
Archers
Warmachine
Many players are only too aware of this and will make the targeting measurement very quickly allowing very little time to compare the tape measure with other distances. There is no harm and it is perfectly fair to verify these distances yourself, especially since the rules state that this distance must be checked.
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2. DEPLOYMENT Choosing the right spells This is undertaken just before deployment. If you have a choice of spells, then choose the ones that are most effective against your opponents. Do not stick with a favourite spell but always assess the enemy’s weaknesses and strengths To illustrate this with a few examples: Lore of Light is stronger against Undead and Daemons. Against Bretonnians, spells with hits that negate armour saves are preferable. Rain Lord and Howler Wind are effective against shooting armies. A low Leadership army is susceptible to Panic or Fear causing magic. There are more details in the chapter on Magic.
Order of deployment Deployment is a cat and mouse game that will affect the entire battle. The maxim of deployment is: “Wait and see” i.e. watch what and where your opponent deploys. The most dangerous units or the unit most likely to be targeted in the first few rounds should be deployed last. Similarly there will be units that have to defend against these enemy units. Wait and see! Do not be too proactive but react to your opponent’s deployment. There is no need to take the initiative here. Both you and your opponent will be hoping for easy units to blast away with shooting; or weak, but points heavy, units within easy reach of strong elites. There are three important considerations during deployment: A) Shooting: How effective is the enemy shooting and how susceptible is the enemy to your shooting? If you are deploying a gun-line, wait until the favoured targets have been deployed. If facing a gun-line deploy the units out of range, sheltered or deploy the ‘shooting absorbent’ units first. On the other hand if the gun-line has not been deployed you could pre-empt its deployment by temptingly exposing a unit. Large targets must be deployed so that they can move quickly and at the same time not be unduly exposed to shooting. You might want to shelter a chariot from potential S7 hits, but it will be absolutely useless stuck behind some woods. 12
B) Speed: How fast is the enemy in general and what problems will its fast units pose? Conversely how effective are your fast units. This is the most crucial consideration as it is the most difficult to rectify if you have made a mistake. Flyers can easily spoil any good deployment. Fast heavy cavalry could easily dominate one flank and sweep through the centre. Pick the unit to defend against them (usually another cavalry unit) and deploy this unit after the fast moving enemy unit has been deployed. C) Combining forces: Some units have to be deployed close together to be effective. Three blocks of infantry marching abreast down the battlefield is a common feature and sometimes very effective. As soon as you have deployed one combat unit, create a mental picture of where the other units should go. Make sure you have left sufficient space for them and no units are unintentionally isolated.
Types of deployment Key for diagrams in this section:
C
= Cavalry unit
HC
= Heavy cavalry
W
= Warmachines
I
= Infantry unit
A
= Archers
S
= Skirmishers
F
= Flyers
13
Standard Central This is the common deployment for balanced armies with a mixture of fast units, slow units, shooting, magic and combat.
C
W
I
I
I
I
A
C
W
The fast units (usually cavalry) are deployed on one or more flanks. The central units are expected to hold against early attacks. The objective of this deployment is to dominate one or more flanks early and then to assist the ranked up central units in later turns. Although, this is a common form of deployment, it is by no means rigid. One cavalry unit for instance may be deployed more centrally if it has a good chance of breaking certain enemy units or sometimes to support the infantry units. (See Retreat Limitations in Checks and Manoeuvres). If this deployment option is viable, then it is also possible to incorporate the strengths of other types of deployment below and modify this deployment if appropriate.
Two prong flank This is similar to the standard central except two groups of strong units are deployed on each flank. The central units could be an unimportant group of archers, weak sacrificial units etc. The idea here is to avoid combat in the centre and surround the enemy by winning a flank. See also Gambit deployment below.
14
Refused Flank If the opposing army moves reasonably fast (or faster) and has more units, then this deployment is a suitable option.
I
C W
I
I
HC
A
The units may be slightly clustered as shown above or in a line at one end of the deployment zone. The other end or flank is left vacant and is the refused flank. As in all other deployments, terrain and the deployment objectives will determine exactly where each unit is placed. Deploy the more central units first so that your opponent does not read your intentions. Hopefully he or she will deploy a few units in the flank that you wish to vacate. Continue deploying the more central units until as many enemy units are deployed in the refused flank. The army is stronger in left flank of the diagram above. Therefore it can easily dominate this flank early in the game. To do this, it must move swiftly move down the left flank and dominate it with a superior number of units. This is why there is a cavalry unit on the extreme left. (See also Anchoring a flank in the Combat Manoeuvres chapter) If the opposing army is much faster than yours, then this deployment will only work if you dominate the strong flank in the first two turns. Notice a single unit of heavy cavalry in the diagram above faces the refused flank. This unit serves to slow down any fast but weak, cavalry or flyers or similar units. Alternatively, a unit that will slow attackers, like swarms or a cheap Unbreakable unit could be placed here for the same purpose.
15
Weakened Flank This is a different version of the Refused flank. One or two units are placed in one flank while the majority of the army is deployed on the other side of the deployment zone.
C
I
W
C
I
I
I
S S
The units placed in the weakened flank are either skirmishers which can move easily through the difficult terrain ahead, fast and cheap light cavalry or flyers. In the diagram above (S) represents these units. Their purpose is to slow down the oncoming enemy units in this flank. This is achieved by either march blocking, luring and fleeing or when everything else fails, allowing the enemy to charge them. The skirmisher units must not be too close to the side of the table as they move forward. They must be able to flee without leaving the battlefield. When they engage in a battle which they are meant to lose, care must be taken in ensuring that the pursuit or overrun lines takes the enemy unit away from the centre. (See Line of pursuit and fleeing in the Movement Chapter). The Skirmishers could easily be used on either or both flanks for the same purposes of march-blocking and slowing down the enemy.
Abandoned Flank This may appear to be similar to the Weakened and Gambit deployment but has important differences. It is a tactic most suitable for armies with at least one or two flying units or fast or manoeuvrable cavalry.
16
The idea here is to trick your opponent into thinking that the majority of your units will be placed in the later abandoned flank, on the right in this case. No units should be deployed in the other flank until all the units in the abandoned flank have been deployed.
F
C
W
I
I
I1
I1
F1 F2
A unit, flying or fast (F2) is deployed in the abandoned flank first (on the right in the diagram) or at least early during deployment. Unit (I1) should be deployed next followed by another unit (F1). These units should be facing at an angle towards the centre, if it is not a skirmisher and preferably should be partially or fully sheltered. This should tempt the opponent to place some elite units or war machines , archers, gun lines etc directly opposite. As soon as this is done, the rest of the army is deployed in the other half – units (F), (C) and (W) etc. In the first turn the flyers or fast moving units, (F1) and (F2) will move right across to the left half of the battlefield. A flank has therefore been abandoned and the opposing army faces the task of a long march before it can engage the enemy. (See also pg 135 March blocking)
Chequerboard and Screens This is necessary and commonly used in horde armies. Placing a unit behind another restricts the movement options of the unit at the back. The chequerboard formation allows both the unit in front and behind to move fairly freely. The faster units are not necessarily deployed in front to ‘free’ the units behind. A unit of fast cavalry could easily be deployed at the back and squeeze past a choice of units. Fast units (C1) and (I2) could also be
17
deployed in front of long range warmachines and then open up to reveal these big guns and enlarge their shooting arc.
C1 C
I
I
I2 W
I
C A
I
I
Instead of a chequerboard formation, some units may be intentionally placed in front of another unit as shown in the diagram below. They act as a Screen and must therefore cover as much area as possible and are deployed directly in front of enemy shooting. Unit (S) in the diagram below screens both I1 and I2. It will move in tandem with the unit it protects until destroyed or when a screen is no longer needed.
S
C1 C2
W
S
I1
S
S
S
I2
I
I I
C A
Gun lines Many of the principles here apply to shooting units in general and not just gun-lines. There are some obvious rules in deploying gun lines: 18
i) Do not crowd every shooting unit on a hill if it is available unless your gun line is small. ii) Do not arrange the gun lines units in a perfect straight line so that an enemy unit can sweep right through them, overrunning one unit after another, shown by the diagram on the left.
W2 C1
Charge W1
C1
Overrun A1
W2
A2
A1 W1 A2
The staggered V or (inverted V as in the diagram above, right) formation is a better gun line formation. This of course restricts LOS slightly but prevents the obliteration of every shooting unit in consecutive turns. Adjust each unit so that no 3 units are in a straight line as far as possible. iii) Study the terrain and identify the areas of enemy infiltration. Your shooting units must be within range of these important areas. The bigger this area, the more effective gun line becomes.
Woods Woods
Building Region of enemy infiltration
W
Building Hill
A
Impenetrabl e
G G
The warmachines, W and G and the Archers (A), have been positioned so that their LOS to the area of enemy infiltration is maximised.
19
iv) Balance the need to protect the gun line and to support your combat troops. This balance will be in constant flux throughout the game. A Slayer character for instance, might be initially deployed to protect Dwarven cannon and Bolt throwers. If these warmachines face imminent destruction, then it might be better off for the Slayer to support combat elsewhere.
Gambit deployment This again appears to be similar to the Weakened and Abandoned flank deployments but has important differences. The solitary unit, the Gambit, is placed in this flank acting merely as an annoying thorn to draw away the enemy. Its survival is secondary as its main function is to distract the enemy. To do this, it cannot merely be a weak sacrificial unit e.g. Snotlings. It has to constantly harass the enemy so that they feel compelled to destroy it.
I
W
A
C
I
I G
A single cheap Bolt thrower could do this or a unit of two of Night Runners with slings or a small unit of Skinks etc. Terrain plays an important part here. If the gambit is placed behind impenetrable terrain it will be doubly annoying as it would be difficult to get to them. On the other hand, it might be necessary to deploy the gambit in open ground so that the rest of the army is sheltered. In this case, the gambit should be placed as close as possible to a table corner. The Gambit unit (G) will constantly harass the enemy by shooting etc. If the enemy ignores this gambit, then it is possible that one or two enemy units will dwindle in numbers. If the Gambit is ‘taken’ then a combat unit has been successfully removed from the main combat arena. 20
Defensive bubble This army is centred around an important unit or character e.g. the Hierophant of a Tomb King army, the Vampire Lord or possibly the Cauldron of Blood. The protected unit is (H) in the diagram below. It is protected on all sides from shooting and does not have to engage in combat. It usually improves the ability of some or all units around it or in the case of a Hierophant, is too fragile and must be protected at all costs. The idea of the defensive bubble is to maximise the benefits of the central unit at the same time protecting it from attacks. The army does not have to remain static and could actually move forward while still retaining the bubble formation.
I
C W
I H
C I
Deployment and terrain Terrain is all important during deployment and in the first few turns. While it is important to protect and shelter your units whenever possible, it is important too, that they can move freely in the following turns. It is impossible to cover various placements of terrain and deployment but the principles above should be used. The next chapter deals with terrain in more detail.
Positioning the general, characters and the army centre Since characters are deployed last, there is every chance that the general might not be in the right place or even in the right unit.
21
As soon as you have decided which deployment type to employ, create a mental picture of the army and place a dice at the army centre. This is usually where the general will be deployed if he is on foot. Since he is moving at the same rate as the slow unit he is in, it makes sense that he starts centrally, relative to the army A flying general, a lord on a dragon, could easily be drawn away from the main combat arena and so could a general in a cavalry unit. They will not necessarily be deployed centrally. Wizards are best sheltered in large infantry blocks. Fighting characters in a unit or on their own must not be blocked by friendly units or terrain and must have sufficient freedom to move quickly into combat. Characters’ ability to move from one unit to another could also be used to bolster any weaknesses or dominate any area. A BSB supports other units and must also be sufficiently sheltered so that it can get into the main combat arena quickly without being wounded.
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3. SELECTING & USING TERRAIN Have you been subjected to the common boast of the experienced player? – “Just pick and place any terrain. I’ll play with any terrain you choose.” These players are not intentionally neglecting the importance of terrain as they know fully well the importance of terrain distribution on the battlefield. If you follow the recommendations for terrain outlined in the seventh edition rule book, then the placement of terrain is even more crucial. There are five main principles governing the placement of terrain: 1) Cover from ranged attacks i.e. shooting and magic 2) Enhancing your LOS while reducing your opponent’s 3) Stifling your opponents manoeuvrability without reducing yours 4) Protection from unwanted combat/charges 5) Creating regions of ambush Before the game starts, you have a choice on how each terrain feature will affect LOS and whether they will be considered to be difficult or normal terrain. Use the five principles above as guidance. Difficult terrain will slow down your opponent while not restricting LOS. Woods and hills always block LOS but you could specify whether some walls, ruins etc block LOS or not.
Cover, LOS and exposure This is a fine balance. Placing archers and warmachines on a hill maximises their LOS. They can shoot over all intervening units. Place these units on the edge or crest of hills if possible. In combat they would then gain from being on higher ground. However if you are more likely to be wiped out from a single volley of enemy shooting, then it is far better to choose terrain that shelters you rather than enhances your LOS. Buildings (more below) are perfect in this respect since they have a -3 modifier to shooting and negate static combat resolution (see Combat Manoeuvres) bonuses i.e. no ranks, standard or outnumber.
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It will be impossible to provide cover for all your units behind one piece of terrain. Partial cover may be good enough as it still benefits from the Soft or Hard Cover rules. “A unit is considered to be in cover if at least half of its models are in cover”. Archers
Woods C1
W
In the diagram above, both W and C1 gain from cover. This is covered in the Shooting chapter.
LOS and unhindered movement Hills are the only terrain that provides decent cover without hindering movement. It is ironic that gunlines loves hills but a non shooting army greatly benefits from hills just outside the deployment zone or close to the centre of the battlefield. Units are able to shelter behind the hill initially and move over them in later turns. If you are fortunate to have skirmishers, then woods provide the same protection without slowing down your troops. The spaces between impassable or difficult terrain are crucial. If they are too small, your units could easily get bogged down as they move towards the combat zone. Identify these crucial areas and try to control them early in the game. I1
I2 Woods
D3
D1
Building
D2
Building
W
Hil
24
Woods
I2 can easily pass through D1. I1 is blocked by D3 and should not have been deployed there. It now has to either go through the woods partially or around it, wasting a few turns of movement. The warmachine (W) seems to be in a poor location but it is not badly deployed since protection from enemy charges is an important factor. Although its LOS is restricted, its right flank is protected from long range charges by the hill and its left by the building Wood elves tree-singing always aims at closing down these areas (D1 and D3 in the diagram) and forcing the enemy into their ambushing zones.
Combat and Terrain Terrain is also set up to protect units from a direct assault. The protected warmachine has already been discussed above but any unit could use terrain in the same way to protect its flank. In the diagram in the above, both I1 and I2 have to move around terrain. They have been slowed down in trying to get to the important central zone, fringed by D1, D2 and D3. This central zone could also serve as an ambushing spot. (see Common Traps). Of course the same terrain will slow down your units so it is important to deploy correctly relative to the terrain. Calculate how fast the enemy units will move relative to your army and asses the space they will control. Refer to the section on Space in the Chapter on Manoeuvrability.
Buildings The bane of an all cavalry army. Buildings are not only conducive to shooting units but some combat units as well. A small unit of elite skirmishers placed in a building is almost invincible. Their main disadvantage of not having ranks etc has been removed and combat is determined solely by the number of wounds inflicted. On the other hand, such a unit can easily be ignored as it cannot charge out of a building. Slow moving units also benefit by moving in and out of a large building rather than around them in consecutive turns. Unit I1 moves D1 into the building. In the next turn, it moves out of the other side and proceeds a further distance D2. The total distance it has moved from A to B is further than the distance it would have marched in 2 turns. At the same time it gains from the shelter of a building.
25
D2 A
D1
Building
B
I1
See also The Barn Dance in the Combat Manoeuvres Chapter.
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4. TURN 1 Re-deployment and Closest proximity comparison The first step after deployment is to re-assess your deployment. It is unlikely that your deployment would have been perfect and some fine adjustments are needed. For instance some units will be too exposed, some units could be too far away and your elite units could face the prospect of having to take on worthless sacrificial units. What are your options? Changing your deployment might wreck your whole battle plan but some changes in the initial position of some units may have to be made. Before rushing to make these adjustments, there are two simple checks. 1) Check your warmachines and shooters. They must have as at least one viable target and as many shooting rounds as possible. Make sure they have targets or enemy units that will move into their shooting arc (see Gun line diagram) in future rounds. If not, they have to be moved. The first turn is probably the only time when your targets may be out of range and is therefore the best turn to move your shooting units if necessary. 2) Next is the more important aspect of closest proximity comparison. Mentally move all your units and enemy units the maximum distance they can move straight ahead. For each of your units, look at the enemy unit immediately in front of it. Compare the strength of your unit with the enemy unit in combat. Repeat this with all you other units If you are stronger all along the front line, a straight forward frontal rush seems appropriate but this would be highly unlikely. You will probably be stronger in some areas and weaker in others. Your strategy is to take maximum advantage of your strengths and simultaneously reduce or overcome any weakness by changing the position of certain units in turn 1 which I shall term re-deployment. The simple example below will illustrate this.
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PLAYER B C
W
W
I
I
I
I
IE
IU
I
I
I1
C
I2
I3
I4
I1
C
C4
W
I2
I3
I4
A
C
C5
C
C2
C1
C2
PLAYER A The final positions of all units that are expected to move in the first turn are shown when they move their maximum distance. Warmachines and archers are ignored for the moment. Terrain has been ignored for simplicity. Compare each unit with the enemy unit immediately opposite. Let us consider one army at a time and take the case of the army on the lower side of the board, Player A. Proceeding from right to left, C1 and C2 have to be compared, in close combat, to enemy unit (C5) on the right. If they can hold or possibly defeat the single enemy cavalry unit, then their deployment is sound. I4, I3,I2 and C3 have to be compared to the four enemy infantry units (IE, IU etc). Player (A) can see obvious strengths in his deployment. I1 for instance faces no opposition and can march unchallenged into enemy territory or support a neighbouring friendly unit. (C1) and (C2) could overwhelm the right flank. The only apparent weakness is the left flank where the enemy cavalry unit (C4) threatens the warmachine near the bottom corner. Other than units, I1, C3 and the warmachine, there is no other ‘redeployment’ needed for player A’s units. Now, let us consider player B’s position. Although Player B’s position may look weaker, Player B actually has more options.
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Again he has to compare the strength of his 4 central units against the 4 immediately opposite and the two cavalry units on each flank with the enemy units they face directly. The result of the closest proximity comparison for player B is opposite to the result for A. Player (B) has an obvious weakness in its left flank. He is also stronger on the right but has a gap against enemy unit I1. The ‘redeployment’ for player (B) could be swapping places for unit (IE) with a more resilient unit (IU), a re-positioning of one or two central units towards either flank. An extreme case of swinging C4 right over to the centre or the left flank is also possible. I shall examine the possibilities in the next section.
Formulating a general strategy The closest proximity comparison will enable each player to produce a general strategy. Using the example above: Player A must make these decisions: 1) Abandoning the left flank and use I1 for the central attack 2) Protecting the left flank with I1 3) Moving I1 right into the depths of enemy territory and taking out the warmachines, or surround the enemy, threatening the flanks of (IE) or (C4). 4) Protecting the left flank with cavalry unit C3. 5) Challenging the right flank with both (C1) and (C2) or with just one unit while the other performs the same function as (3) above. Player B must decide: 1) How to take full advantage of unit (C4)’s position by: a) Moving behind enemy lines and threatening a rear charge b) Destroying the warmachine first and then supporting his centre from the back c) Nullify the threat of I1 by guarding that flank or threatening a flank charge (see Anchoring a flank in Combat Manoeuvres) 2) Overcome his weakness on the opposite flank by slowing down (See Slowing down the enemy) or diverting (C1) and (C2) (see Deflecting Charges). (C5) could also attempt to lure and ambush (C1) and (C2) by possibly using the archers (A). 3) Prevent a flank charge in the centre or sacrificing a flank charge. 4) Abandoning the left flank and use (C5) to support the centre
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5) Plug the gap (next to I1) in his right flank with a rightward shift of units as they move forward or ignoring that gap and hope to break through the centre with fewer units than the enemy. How the above can be carried out is discussed in isolation in future chapters. Once you are conversant with the basic strategies, come back to this section and try to produce a good general strategy. A complete strategy of course will depend on the army you are facing.
Assessing strengths and weaknesses For the moment I shall present an overview of what has to be noted during the process of re-deployment. It may be an idea to come back to this section later once you have familiarised yourself with the other basic game strategies.
Speed If your opponent’s units are faster and more manoeuvrable (Skirmishers are more manoeuvrable than ranked up infantry while Fast cavalry is more manoeuvrable than heavy cavalry), then your scope for re-deployment is limited. In this case your strategy must be to slow down the enemy while you prepare your traps and ambushes. (see Combat manoeuvres and Common Traps). At the same time use your fast units to bait the enemy, win a flank, move behind their lines, dominate or restrict space and support your slower units.
Obvious sacrificials It might not be your intention to sacrifice any unit/s but after deployment it may be obvious that a unit or two has to be left unprotected.
Balance of magical power This is covered in the first part of the chapter on magic.
Number of shots and number of shooting casualties Some units will have to be exposed to shooting as they march towards combat. Count the number of shots and the number of likely casualties. If the number of casualties will not affect the unit’s combat performance, then it can march on with impunity. However if there are too many casualties then the enemy shooters will have to be destroyed or reduced in numbers early in the game.
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If you have shooting units their main function has to be similarly assessed. Shooting is used to offset weaknesses in combat by thinning down some units, possibly eradicating small units, weakening or destroying particular units like chariots, other shooting units, Large targets, fast moving units or dangerous units. The section on Target selection in the Shooting chapter deals with this in more detail.
Characters Since they are deployed last and because of their obvious strength, characters can easily distort the balance of power in Turn 1. It is best to be out of range of certain characters who have nasty special abilities like an Alter Noble, Vampires or Charm of Jaguar Scar Veteran. Always note where they are in every turn and if you have them, they have to be preserved and sheltered to make full use of their abilities. I have not included combat considerations as this would be obvious once Close proximity comparisons is completed.
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5. CHECKS & MANOUEVRES During your Movement phase and especially the Remaining Moves phase, before you finalise all moves, it is wise to make the following checks. Since you might change your mind quite easily during this phase, it is advisable that you place markers (I use dice) at the positions of each unit, either at the original position or at the point where you want to move them. This then helps you to visualise the final position of all your units
The 4 negative checks (for each unit whether moved or not) 1) Is the unit within enemy charge range or will be within enemy charge range at the end of the move. 2) Will it expose itself or other units to attacks from magic or shooting? 3) Will it block the future movement of other units, your shooting or magic intended in this turn? 4) Can it retreat easily in the next round or flee without causing Panic? 1) The most obvious and important check. (See also Charge or not to charge)
C3
B1 B2
I
I
I
I1
I2
I3
The diagram above shows a player who simply moves all his units straight up without checking. He hopes to engage each one of his units with one enemy unit. All 3 units could be charged but the combat is not necessarily a one to one combat. By not closing the gap between itself and I2, I3 has exposed I2 to another charge. I3 has allowed I2 to be flanked charged by C3.
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One important check which is often missed is the 360 check for some enemy units especially Flyers.
LOS
F Building
I1
C1
F
I2
W
Flyer (F) has flown into the midst of the enemy. It may seem that the flyer is threatening to rear charge I1, flank charge, cavalry unit C1 or charge the warmachine (W).
I1 F
C1
Building
I2
W
However if all possible charges are checked, then it will be apparent that the Flyer intends to flank charge the weaker unit I2! If there are any enemy units with 360 LOS, especially dangerous flyers, then draw an imaginary circle around that unit for negative check (1). Some or all friendly units within that circle can be charged. 2) The second check is quite straight forward. Simply note the positions of all wizards and shooting units and the range of their attacks. 3) This check is made easier by visualising the final positions for all the units that you intend to move (or placing markers). Fortunately the magic phase follows Movement and therefore it will be quite easy to move Wizards within or between units as necessary so that they will be within the needed range.
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4) Some units could be pushed quite far into enemy charging range as sacrificials or to bait the enemy. (See Common Traps). Make sure that they are orientated so that they minimise Panic if they have to flee through friendly units. (See Lines of Pursuit and fleeing) Retreat is a finely balanced consideration and depends on the speed of your enemy units. If the unit has to be selective in combat, then it must be able to retreat easily from the advance of dangerous enemy units in the next turn. (see Retreating and Advancing options).
The 3 positive checks 1) Will the move enhance the range and arc of sight of shooting and magic of the unit moved or other units close by 2) Will the move enable the unit (or other units) to charge effectively in the next turn? 3) Will the move increase the space the army controls? 1) A movement which unblocks shooting or magic creates more choices during those phases. B2
C3
I1 I3 I1
I3 A2
Units I2 and I3 initially shield the archers from the enemy. When it moves the archers can now shoot at their full strength 2) This requires some forward planning. Rather than charging at the first opportunity, it is better to move into position for a flank charge in later turns. This check probably wins the game if done properly and requires a good knowledge of all the strategies outlined in this book. 3) Any forward movement will immediately increase the space your army controls. Increasing this space ensures greater manoeuvrability and a wider arc for shooting and magic. However there is no real gain in space
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if units cannot retreat if they want to. This is covered in more detail in the sub section on Space below. In you next game, go through the 7 checks as you are planning your moves. It will slow down your game somewhat but you will be assured of not making some obvious mistakes. I am sure you will have heard stories of how a player or perhaps you yourself overlooked an obvious charge or threat which cost him or you, the game. Take your time at the start of the movement phase. The best military strategy will be ruined from an obvious oversight. So check, check and check again before moving! After sometime these checks will be second nature to you and will greatly assist your planning.
Charge or not to charge This is straight forward in execution but is the most complex tactically. Skill is required in moving each unit the right distances with the right facing. Start with your units that can charge. If there is more than one unit that can charge, then start with the most critical charge (usually the central charge). Do not declare any charges until you have assessed what will probably happen after the ensuing combat. Winning in the first round of combat is the best result. If you anticipate a protracted combat, then you have to plan further ahead. Do not merely focus on what will happen if you charge successfully. REMEMBER – Charge response is important. The charged unit could flee or Stand and shoot! Roughly estimate all the enemy units that are within charge range of the combat area. Assess the charging unit’s position if the charge fails. Only then do you go on to a successful charge and calculate what could happen after the first round of combat. Analyse one future combat at a time and then combine each probable outcome to give you a clear overall picture of the battlefield. Your decisions should be based on a detailed assessment of each situation. The analysis will be complex but worth it. Let me illustrate these points with the example below.
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C3
B1 B2
I2 I1 I3
In the diagram above, before declaring that I2 will charge B2, consider what will happen if C3 and B1 charges in the next round. It may seem that I2 will be overwhelmed if they do. There are 5 choices here: A) Assuming that I2 will probably hold in the ensuing combat. Support I2’s charge by moving I1 and I3 to cover I2’s flanks. This will succeed only if I1 and I3 can both hold when charged by B1 and C3. Three individual combats will have to be assessed, making this the most dangerous and probably the least effective choice.
C3
B1 B2 I1
I2
I3 I2
I1 I3
B) Ignore I2’s plight and assume that it breaks. Position I1 and I3 to take on B2 when it breaks and pursues I2. Alternatively only I1 is positioned to flank charge B2 while I3 moves up to deter C3.
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C3
B1 B2 I1 remains where it is or moves here
I3 moves here
I2 I3
I2 I3
I
I3
I1
C) Assume that I2 will probably hold in the ensuing combat. Move I1 and I3 out of the charge range of all enemy units (in this case B2 and C3) but position/orientate them so that they can combine and charge B2 (or any other enemy unit). This is a defensive choice. C3
B1 B2 I I2 I1
I I3
I1
D) This is the most defensive option. Do not charge with I2 but move all three units, I1, I2 and I3 out of enemy charge range. C3
B1 B2
I2 I1 I1
I2
I3
I3
E) This choice sacrifices a unit for a stronger charge option in future rounds. Move one unit (I3 in this case) as far as possible to tempt and lure
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the enemy and position the other two units to combine charges and flank charge in your next turn. (See Common Traps)
C3
B1 B2 I3 I2 I
I2
I1
I3
F) The last option is what happens if the enemy flees! This is quite easily overlooked by a beginner who is eager to crush a seemingly weak unit. First of all, do you think unit B2 is likely to flee. Remember that if it is Immune to psychology it cannot. The reasons for fleeing are explained in the next section. You have to balance the prospect of losing I2 in the next round with forcing B2 to flee. If you do not want to lose I2 easily, then do not declare a charge. If B2) does flee, all is not lost. You could still make it dangerous for B1 and C3 to flank charge I2. B2 Flee!
B1
Too dangerous to move here or charge?
B2
Too dangerous to move here or charge?
I2 I1 1
C3
I2
I3
I1 I3
I1 and I3 have moved up in anticipation of a flank charge by either B1 or C3. If B1 and C3 do charge they risk a flank charge in the next turn. It is important to note that I2 itself could flee if the enemy declares charges and flank charges for I1 and I3 could be set up.
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Initiative and the next combat round Most combats tend to last more than 1 round. After the first round of combat, the unit with a higher Initiative strikes first. After you have made all the calculations (see the Pre-calculations section below), you will have an idea whether combat is likely to last one round or many. Compare Initiatives for any combat that will probably last more than one round. Do this before you make a decision to charge or to hold as a charge response. Some units/weapons get a bonus only while charging e.g. Cavalry spears or lances, Choppas, Impact hits, Strike first, Great weapons striking last etc. Remember to include this factor if a combat is expected to last more than 1 round. See also (f) in the next section.
Hold or Flee? The third option for charge responses is Stand and Shoot. There is no reason why a unit should not Stand and Shoot in preference to a Hold charge response. The main dangers of fleeing are being caught, failing to rally or causing Panic. I have omitted detailed considerations of Panic below because that will depend on the positions and Unit strengths of the units involved and their Leadership values but keep Panic in mind when you make your decision. (See lines of Flight and Pursuit) There are 6 reasons for a unit to elect to flee: a) It will lose combat easily As the Skaven wise men say “he who runs away lives to fight another day”. Instead of being slain too easily and quickly, a fleeing unit has at least a chance of rallying in the next round. This has to be balanced with reason (b) for holding. See below. b) It has to avoid combat and has sufficient distance or speed to escape Sometimes it is necessary to flee just to evade combat e.g. it is too risky to engage in combat at the moment or the line of flight might take the unit into a favourable area (fleeing into difficult terrain against a charging chariot) or it is turn 6 and other considerations have to be weighed. See the Endgame Chapter. The underlying principle here is to flee successfully and try to rally in the next round.
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Maximum fleeing distance
Average fleeing distance I
I
Charging distance
Charging distance
C C
The unit can flee successfully if it is far enough from the chargers as shown above. Unit (I) has a better chance of not getting caught in the left diagram whereas the diagram on the right shows that unit (I) has no chance of escaping. It should hold as a charge response unless it is being used as bait. A successful flight could also be achieved if the fleers are fast movers and use three dice for fleeing. Compare the charge distance with the most probable dice roll. (Table 12.5) c) It is an obvious sacrificial or diversionary unit The same principle as (b) applies. Flee if the unit can escape and hopefully rally. If the unit’s sole function is to divert dangerous enemy units, it is normally not a unit that is strong in combat. Fleeing and rallying gives it a chance of creating another diversion in the next round. d) It is a warmachine This is one of the consequences of the 7th edition rules. A warmachine crew that elects to flee is never caught, at least initially. The chargers have to end up in base contact with the ‘machine’. It will of course overrun and could then force the crew to flee again or catch them Charging unit must stop and attack the machine
Crewmen in combat A A A
C C C
A
W
W
Fleeing crewmen C C
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C
if they are within range. Of course this does not mean that warmachines must always flee as a charge reaction. Some warmachines might have a reasonable or very good close combat abilities e.g. it has been joined by a character or has a strong model like an Orc bully or it might be an entrenched Dwarf warmachine. If you are certain that the crew will lose the ensuing combat and the fleeing line will not take the crewmen off the board, then a flee response is much better than holding. The crewmen could then rally to crew another warmachine or being a skirmisher unit it can still march block or divert future charges. e) It will set up a more dangerous counter attack in the next round. This is dealt with in detail in the Combat Manoeuvres and Common Traps chapters. f) It will divert multiple chargers This could happen in situations with multiple charges. It is simply a way of capitalising on your opponent’s mistake when he declares the wrong order of his charges.
C
I S S S S
C
I
SS S S S S
A
C SS
A
The order of the charge declaration made above is, (C) charges the Skirmishers (S) followed by (I) charging (A). By fleeing unit (S) has forced (C) to end up in (I)’s charge path. (I)’s charge now fails. Some delicate estimates have to be made to arrive at this situation. (S) has to have sufficient distance to escape and (C)’s failed charge has to be estimated correctly to take it into (I)’s path. In a different scenario with the units at different distances, it is also possible for (S) to flee so that it is caught. (C) would then move its full distance which would take it into (I)’s path.. This is much easier to estimate since no fleeing dice is used. The correct sequence of charges above should have been 1) (I) charges (A) followed by 2) (C) charges (S). See also EITW Traps. 41
g) The charging unit is forced off the board. If the charging unit is a dangerous unit like a Lord on a Dragon, then making it flee off the board, prevents it from charging in the next round. Maximum fleeing distance
Average fleeing distance
W
I
Charging distance
Charging distance
C
C
In the diagram on the left, the unit (W) will be obviously caught and the charger (C) is now off the board. The diagram on the right shows the failed charge distance falling just short of the board edge. This has the same effect as the diagram on the left, if the charger does not have 360 Line of Sight. Charger (C) will not be facing any enemy units and cannot charge in the next round. The reasons for holding as a charge response are simply opposite to that for fleeing. A unit will hold as a charge response if: a) It will win combat b) It will be destroyed if it flees
F
Flee A
Charge C
Unit (A) above is automatically destroyed if it flees. Since enemy unit (F) lies directly in its path of flight, (A) has to move through an enemy unit of Unit strength>5 and is consequently destroyed. 42
This is explained again in Cutting off Retreats The unit could also be destroyed by fleeing off the board. c) It will cause Panic in other friendly units. This is similar to the diagram above except (F) is now a friendly unit. Of course this is not a problem if (F) is Immune to Psychology. Sometimes, you may want to risk the Panic test because the Leadership of unit (F) is high. A flee charge reaction might be feasible if you want to take the small risk involved. Consult the Probability tables in the Probability chapter to see what Leadership value is high enough. d) It cannot flee far enough or might inflict a few wounds on the charger. A unit that is too close to the charger may have no chance of escaping. It is best then to hold and hope to inflict a few wounds at least. If the unit has just rallied then it cannot move. It could still retreat but again the probable flee distance might not be far enough to escape. This unit’s best charge response is to hold in combat. Hold and hope! After the last turn 6, fleeing units cannot rally and count as being killed. A hold reaction is necessary in the very last turn. e) It will set up charges in the next round. This may seem contradictory to reason (e) for Fleeing but is fully explained in Common Traps, where units flee or hold to trap the charging enemy unit in various ways. f) It has a good chance of not breaking and has good Initiative. After the first round, units in a combat fight in Initiative order. Superior Initiative enables a unit to gain the upper hand in combat after the first round. This is one of the reasons why Elves of T3 sometimes fare better in prolonged combats than Orcs or Saurus even though they (Orcs) have a higher Toughness.
Pre-calculations The importance of Static Combat Resolution It is important to note that it is Combat Resolution (CR) which wins combat and not killing as many models as possible. The enemy breaks after combat resolution which involves several factors other than wounds inflicted. Static combat resolution is a calculation of combat bonuses before combat commences.
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This alone could determine whether combat is lost or won. A fully ranked up unit with full Command starts with a Combat resolution bonus of 5. 3 ranks, Standard and Outnumber. Any smaller unit without a Standard and no rank bonuses starts combat with a -5 disadvantage. This smaller unit has to inflict 6 more wounds than its bigger enemy to win combat. Not an easy task if both combatants are fairly equal. 5 wounds are insufficient because of the Musician. This is one of the main reasons why ranked up infantry units features so strongly in Warhammer Fantasy. Unless a Skirmisher unit or a Cavalry unit is certain of inflicting many more wounds, most of them cannot win combat in the first turn against the ranked up unit. With a Standard or full Command group and if they outnumber, a cavalry or skirmisher unit will still probably face a rank disadvantage of at least one or two. Rank bonuses also explain why a flank charge is highly desirable. A flank or rear charge from a non Skirmisher unit with Unit Strength>5 will negate rank bonuses. The flanking unit starts combat with a possible advantage of +4 (ranks plus flank) in combat resolution. Before declaring charges or moving, always check the static CR of units which could engage in combat in this or the next turn.
How many moves ahead? In deciding both charge declarations and charge reactions, the probable number of wounds should be calculated first. You can use the Probability tables in the last Chapter to calculate the number of likely wounds or resort to the Rule of a Quarter, a shortcut explained in the same chapter. It is important that you place yourself in your opponent’s shoes while you are analysing the battle situation and ask yourself what you would do, in his place, when faced with your moves. However there is a limit to how much you can analyse. Since this game has a substantial chance element, planning too far ahead is counter-productive. It is possible to anticipate some of your opponent’s future moves based on: a) The likely combat, shooting or magic outcome b) The maximum distance each unit can make. Close combats which are finely balanced are best left alone. Anything could happen here. Analysing all possibilities is complex enough so it is advisable to leave out the outcome of combats with a large element of uncertainty.
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Space, front line and maximising manoeuvrability In many games involving experienced players, there is often a great deal of manoeuvring and quite often charges are avoided in preference to setting up units in favourable positions. I have often seen the novice mimic an experienced club player by simply pushing all his units as far up the table without considering space and the army’s front line. The final result is inevitably disastrous. First, an explanation of the terms, controlled space and dead or neutral space as it is to be used in the next sections. The space you control is any region where at least one of your units can move into without being repulsed by the enemy.
Area controlled by A
A
Area controlled by A
A Hill
Hill
Dead Space C
Area controlled by C
The diagram on the left shows unit (A) and its controlled space. (For simplicity I have used a semicircle instead of the correct segment) The diagram on the right shows an introduction of an enemy unit. Both units are equally strong but possibly in different ways. (C) might be a Cavalry unit armed with lances. It can inflict many wounds when it charges but not many when being charged. (A) might be a fully ranked up unit with Great weapons and again will inflict more wounds when charging but will probably lose its number of attacks when being charged. Neither unit wants to risk being charged. Therefore neither unit can venture into the square-shaded area. This now becomes dead space Sometimes shooting (or magic) units could create dead space. If unit A has very effective shooting, then it has LOS to any enemy unit on the hill. If unit (C) cannot withstand this shooting, the hill now becomes dead space, controlled by neither unit.
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Area controlled by A
A Hill
Dead Space
Area controlled by C
C
Dead space is an area controlled by neither player but within reach of opposing units. It is too dangerous for either unit/s to venture into.
Why is space important? 1) For movement Units require space to manoeuvre – wheel, turn or march. In addition adequate space is needed to set up combined charges or flank charges. 2) For Shooting and magic Controlling more space maximises the number of turns available for shooting or magic. 3) It restricts the movement of opposing units Before going on to the next point let me illustrate the first three points with an example. E1
E3
E2
P
P E1
E3
E2
C
B
C A
A
B
The diagram on the left shows the enemy front line is far away from shooting units (A) and (B). The movement of (E1), (E2) and (E3) has been hindered because some of the space in front of them is controlled by enemy unit (C). (C) is not march blocking the enemy but still discourages them from advancing.
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(C) also has a good chance of reaching area (P) which would be highly dangerous to army (E). Units (E1), (E2) and (E3) have a bigger distance to travel and will therefore be subjected to more shooting and magic. The diagram on the right shows (C) remaining where it is after deployment. (E1), (E2) and (E3)’s unfettered march has increased the space they control and reduced (C)’s space. Fewer rounds of shooting are available and more importantly (C) is stuck and unable to move to its highly prized area (P). 4) For Fleeing and Retreats There will be some units in your army which you do not want to engage in combat with some or most enemy units. These very same units will be soft targets which the opposing player will relish disposing off quickly and easily. Therefore your opponent will move as close to them as possible. If these units cannot retreat or flee, then they would be killed too easily. Flee E1 E2
Flee
Charge
E2
Charge
E1 C
C C
C
Looking at the left diagram, unit (C) positions itself in preparation for a charge in the next turn. If (E1) and (E2) are too close to the board edge, they have to hold against (C)’s charge declaration. (C) would then destroy unit (E2) and then overrun into (E1) effectively killing two badly spaced birds with one stone. The diagram on the right shows (E1) and (E2) in more space. By moving slightly closer to the centre and separating themselves slightly, (E1) and (E2) have both given themselves sufficient space to retreat or flee. (C)’s task of destroying both units has been made harder. It has to declare a charge against (E1) or (E2) and cannot hope to destroy both of the at once. It will now take (C) at least 2 turns if not more to achieve its objective.
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Increasing your space and reducing the enemy’s Since space is important for successful manoeuvres, gaining as much as you can in the early stages of the game is an important strategy. The diagram below shows units just after deployment.
C1
W
W
I
I
I
I
A
C
Notice, units with faster movement control more space – (C1) and (C). The space controlled by units extends sideways as well as forwards which will be highlighted later. The shooting range of the 2 warmachines extends the area controlled backwards. Strictly speaking this area is not controlled but let us assume that the warmachines’ shooting is so effective at short range that enemy units will be reluctant to venture into that area and therefore this area can be regarded as being in control of the army shown.
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The next diagram shows the army advancing a small distance
C1
W
W
C1
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
A
C C
The area behind (I), (A) and (C) is shaded slightly differently because it is not actually controlled by the army but is too far from the enemy to be of any consequence. The advance of the units has nearly doubled the total area controlled. They now have more freedom to turn, retreat or march. The next diagram shows what would happen if they marched their full distance. The area controlled is even bigger.
C
W
W
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
C
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A
C
C
Notice as well that the two cavalry units have moved inwards slightly. This enables them to maximise the space they control towards the centre. Any increase in the space you control, automatically reduces the space available to the enemy. The simplest way of achieving this is by moving straight ahead and spreading your units out but doing just this without considering where the enemy is and where they could move will be a fatal error. The space that is within reach of your units is not the space it controls. It is only a controlled space if it deters enemy incursions. When advancing to increase space watch out for the following: 1) The front line must be preserved and impossible for the enemy to break through. 2) Enemy flyers/fast movers must be taken into account 3) The strength of enemy ranged attacks. If it overlaps with the area of one or more units, then the unit can only be in control of that area if it can withstand the ranged attacks. 4) Inability to retreat The diagram below shows the first 3 points: W C I
W F
P
I I
I
I C
I
F
1) A unit of Fast Cavalry (C) slipping in between 2 units, (I). 2) A unit of flyers (F) flying behind the battle lines. 3) Warmachine (W) suddenly able to shoot as a result of (1) and (2) 4) While the space a unit controls is maximised by moving as far forward as possible, this may strangely enough, sometimes prevent it from retreating safely.
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B2
C3
Charge range of B2
B2
C3
I
I
I1
I2
Charge range of C3
Units I1 and (I2) have advanced as far forward as possible and seems relatively safe. However if (B2) and (C3) march far enough they could prevent (I1) and (I2) from retreating. The advance of (I1) and (I2) in this case has proven to be disastrous. This is covered in more detail in Advancing limitations and Retreat later in this chapter. Other ways of increasing the space controlled are: 1) Using more units Simply move more units into an area. (E1) can only contest one of the dead areas in the diagram below. Therefore the other is controlled by one of the (I) units. E1
Dead areas simplified I
I I
I
2) Positioning fast moving units wide of the area. A space guarded by two or more wide friendly units is effective in preventing any enemy incursion. Any enemy unit venturing into that area runs the risk of a double charge including a flank charge. This is also shown in the previous diagram with both units (I) moving wide and extending their areas of control. In the examples above, I have omitted the presence of terrain but do not forget to include the effects of terrain on movement. With a little practice, spotting the controlled areas and dead space should become easy and help to improve your strategy. 51
Sacrificing charges to make space A deadlock or dead space has to be broken by the army sometimes. A single sacrificial move might also be necessary to create space elsewhere. In the diagram below, it is assumed that all units are fairly evenly matched in terms of static CR and ability in combat.
E1
E2
E4
E2 E4
E3 A3 A1
A2
A4
Unit (A3) is on the verge of breaking. Army (E) has anticipated this and moved units (E2) and (E4) aggressively. Army (A) faces the prospect of losing combat and being overwhelmed in the centre. This could be followed by (E1) and (E2) swamping the left flank with superior numbers. They could win that flank and later swing towards the centre destroying army (A) completely. (E4) meanwhile holds the other flank in check. None of the units are within enemy charging distance so far. Without looking at the next diagram see if you can find a way out of this quandary. The diagram below shows how space could be created through careful placement and reducing the obvious dangers above. E1
E2
E4
E2
A1 A2
E4
E3 A3
A2
A4 A4
It shows how unit (A1) sacrifices itself to create space on the left for another unit (A2) which now threatens the centre. Notice how (A1) orientates itself so that the double charge of (E1) and (E2) will progress 52
away from the centre. (E1) and (E2) are being channelled away from the main combat arena. Although unit (A1) will be destroyed, it will take 2 units to remove it. Space has been created in (A)’s left flank. (A2) can now safely swing around to the left and threaten the centre. It can flank charge (E3) if it breaks (A3) and pursues; or it can simply create even more space by moving behind enemy lines, a very dangerous manoeuvre for army (E). Notice too that (A4) simply slips out of charge range of (E4) while still threatening (E3) and guarding the right flank. Without looking at the next diagram decide what you would now do if you are playing army (E) The overall situation is army (A) now threatens to wrest the centre away and then sweep right E4
E1 E1 E2 E2 A1 A2
E4 E4
E3 E3 A4
The other units of army E now has to take this into account. (E1) and (E2) will have to charge (A1) and hope for an immediate victory. This is better than charging with only (E1) as (E2) still cannot manoeuvre past (A1). Charging with both units also guarantees +1 for outnumbering. Both (E1) and (E2) should pursue when (A1) breaks doubling the chance of catching it and also enables both units to swing around behind army (A) in the latter half of the game. It is likely that unit (E4) will turn to face (A2). It should move as far towards the centre as possible again to regain some of the space that (E3) has lost. It should threaten (A4)’s flank if (A4) charges (E3). At the same time it should not be within (A4)’s charge range. This move by (E4) is crucial to army (E) and has to be precise. Unit (E3) will pursue when (A3) breaks and hope that it will somehow hold against a flank (or rear charge!). Army (A) is dominating the central space at the moment but it will be more evenly contested when (E1) and (E2) enters the fray. 53
Army (A) has averted disaster and gained the upper hand temporarily all because (A2) has gained space through (A1)’s sacrificial move. Gaining and using space correctly as you can see is imperative.
Advancing limitations and Retreating This section explains why a M4 unit facing a M6 unit cannot escape from being charged or a M5 cannot escape from being charged when facing a M7 unit. The first few sections explain the use of the tables provided but you may wish to skip this and simply study the main conclusions given in italics at the end.
The two inch shuffle An infantry unit of movement 4” can perform this manoeuvre. It turns and faces back (1”), moves 2” and then turn and faces the forward direction (1”). Effectively it is still facing the same direction but has shuffled 2” backwards. This is a common form of retreating without compromising the front line. Note however that units with faster movement shuffle a further distance. I have incorporated the shuffle in the tables below
Advancing safely Units need to advance to get into combat quickly; increase the space controlled by their army while reducing the enemy’s and set up a good charge for itself or other units. In order to advance successfully, a unit must estimate 1) The charging distance of the nearest enemy unit 2) The distance it can retreat. All this may seem too obvious but once you have gone through the examples below you will fully appreciate the importance of advancing safely. The tables below summarises this for units with different movement rates (M). Fast units have a huge advantage in advancing forward as can be seen in the table below The table below shows how close to the enemy a unit of movement rate (M) can move.
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TABLE 5.1
M4 MINIMUM M5 SAFE DISTANCE M6 FROM THE ENEMY M7 AFTER M8 MOVING (Shuffle M9 retreat) (Minimum 1 M10 rank of 5 models) Fly
MOVEMENT RATE OF CLOSEST ENEMY UNIT M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9
M10
Fly
8”
10” 22”
38”
38”
8”
10” 12” 25.5” 29.5” 33.5” 37.5” 37.5”
8”
10” 12”
14”
29”
8”
10” 12”
14”
16”
8”
10” 12”
14”
16”
18”
36”
36”
8”
10” 12”
14”
16”
18”
20”
20”
8”
10” 12”
14”
16”
18”
20”
20”
8”
10” 12”
14”
16”
18”
20”+ 20”+
26”
30”
34”
33”
37”
37”
32.5” 36.5” 36.5”
First the easy case of (M4) advancing against (M4): Unit (I) advances to just under 8” of unit (E). In the next turn unit (E) cannot threaten (I) no matter how and where it moves. Therefore the advance is successful
E
Slightly bigger than 8”
I
I
Next M4 versus M5: The diagram below, on the left, shows (I) advancing towards (E1) which has M5. (I) advances to just outside (E1)’s charge range of 10”. The diagram to its right shows what happens next. (E1) advances safely. (E1) moves almost 2” and is just over 8” from (I). It cannot be charged by (I) and has advanced safely. 55
E1 Slightly bigger than 10”
Bigger than 10” charge range
I
Slightly bigger than 8”
E1 I
Backward shuffle of 2”
I I
(E1) however, could charge (I) in its next turn. It may appear that (I)’s movement has put it in jeopardy but this is not so. (I) can safely shuffle back 2” out of (E1)’s charge range in the following turn as shown in the diagram on the right. Therefore its advance in the previous turn has been safely executed. M4 advancing towards M6: Notice however that if (E1) has M6 the backward shuffle is insufficient. Table 5.1 shows that a M4 unit can only advance to within 22” of a M6 unit. This may seem unnecessarily large and simply moving out of the charge range of 12” is sufficient for the M4 unit. This is tactically unsound as the M4 unit will be trapped in the next turn! The example below illustrates this. (I), which has M4, in the diagram below has decided to move just out of the charge range of (E2) which has M6 i.e. 12” (Left Diagram) Mo
E1
Slightly bigger than 12”
12” charge range
I
I I
I
Slightly bigger than 8” Backward shuffle of 2”
The diagram on the right shows how the M6 unit easily counters this by moving to just outside (I)’s charge range, 8”, in the next turn. (I)’s backward shuffle now does not take it out of (E1)’s charge range! (I) is now trapped and cannot safely shuffle backwards or move out of charge range. (I) has not advanced safely and has exposed itself to a
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charge. The player controlling (E1) could charge (I) in the next round or choose a more dangerous option. (E1) could simply manoeuvre to a more favourable charging position! This can be done because (E1) should always be able to charge (I) in all future rounds. (I) cannot escape from this predicament without the aid of terrain or other friendly units. Place the two units on the gaming table and experiment and you will find that it is true that (I) cannot prevent a future charge by (E1) no matter how or where it moves. It cannot march out of charge range unless (E1) makes an error in movement as shown below.
E1
Safe region
Movement or marching allowance must be at least this distance
I
The diagram above shows the only possible mistake. Unit (I) slips past (E1)’s closest approach because (E1) has not moved to the correct final position. It is too far to the right. When (I) moves to the Safe region, it not only has escaped from (E1) but could seriously threaten a flank charge. The charging arc must be correctly estimated while advancing and it is vital that enemy units do not ‘slip past’ this arc. The movement needed to escape and get to the safe zone, i.e. (I)’s marching distance, is measure from the back of (I). The whole of unit (I) must get to this zone and not just its front. The diagram shows this important distance that you have to estimate. Notice, in the diagram above, that if (I) is a small cavalry/fast cavalry unit e.g. has less than 5 models, it could escape from (E1)’s approach even more easily.
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Example: Unit (A) approaches to within 16” of unit (B) which has M8. Table 5.1 shows that this approach is the closest safe approach if unit (B) has 5 models in 1 rank. However if unit (B) has only 3 models or less, it can slip past unit (A) to the safe zone shown in the diagram above even if unit (A) is correctly positioned right at the centre. Wheeling distance = 2.4” Length of unit = 2” Straight Distance to reach the safe zone = 11.3” This gives a total of 15.7” – just under the marching distance of 16”. TABLE 5.2 Movement Rate of unit Maximum number of models allowed in order to escape to the ‘safe zone’
M7 M8 M9 M10 Fly 2 3 4 4 Var.
The table above shows the maximum number of models needed in a unit for this to occur. Flyers are normally skirmishers and have different base sizes and therefore their abilities vary but in general they have a better chance than cavalry units of escaping using the method shown above. Skirmishers have an advantage in this situation as each model moves directly to the safe zone. The model furthest from the safe zone is the critical model. The whole unit will be safe if this model can reach the safe zone. One note of warning if you are facing this type of move by skirmishers i.e. you are controlling unit (E1). Make sure your opponent measures the distance moved by the furthest skirmisher model. Quite a few players are lax in making sure that skirmishers move properly and often inadvertently allow some models to move further than their movement allowance. Going back to Table 5.2, it can be seen that M6 units are more dangerous to a M4 unit than to a M5 unit. If you observe the movement phase of an Ogre Kingdom army (nearly all M6) against Orcs (nearly all 58
M4), you will find that, in a one on one confrontation, the Ogres could easily charge, pulling off a Bull charge, dominate space and restrict the Orc army. However in an Ogre Kingdom army versus Elves battle, the Elves could more easily avoid being charged. In Table 5.1, the advancing unit is prepared to only shuffle backwards as a retreat. A unit could also turn and move backwards. Table 5.2 shows the corrected distance of closest approach for the maximum possible retreat. The difference is small as you can see but you also run the risk of being charged in the rear if you wrongly estimate the enemy’s charge distance. N.B. The two tables for closest approach are for units of at least 1 complete rank of 5 and assume that only cavalry size bases can move 7” or more. TABLE 5.3 MOVEMENT RATE OF CLOSEST ENEMY UNIT M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9
M10
Fly
M4
8”
10” 21”
37”
37”
MINIMUM M5 SAFE M6 DISTANCE FROM THE M7 ENEMY M8 AFTER MOVING (Maximum M9 retreat) M10 (Minimum 1 rank of 5 Fly models)
8”
10” 12” 24.3” 28.3” 32.3” 36.3” 36.3”
8”
10” 12”
14”
8”
10” 12”
14”
16”
8”
10” 12”
14”
16”
18”
36”
36”
8”
10” 12”
14”
16”
18”
20”
20”
8”
10” 12”
14”
16”
18”
20”
20”
8”
10” 12”
14”
16”
18”
20”+ 20”+
25”
29”
33”
27.5” 31.5” 35.5” 35.5” 30.8” 34.8” 34.8”
It may seem that slower units have little chance of avoiding being charged by significantly faster units. This is true in the main, but slower units are usually cheaper and can be fully ranked up. They will have +3 ranks and outnumber against a fast unit like cavalry with one exception -
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The Bret lance formation will have 2 ranks usually but since it requires more points, there will be fewer such units. Fast moving units could maximise their movement advantage by moving as fast as possible. They could be in enemy territory and challenging enemy space within 1 turn. Looking at the table again and using M5 as an example, there is a huge difference when a M5 unit has to advance towards M7 than when it advances towards M6. A M5 can approach to 12” of a M6 unit but must stay away double that distance, 24.3” from a M7 unit. This is bigger than the separation at deployment. Does this mean that a M4 unit should not be deployed directly in front of an M7 unit with only flat open terrain in between? Yes and No. Yes, if it does not want to be charged within 2 turns and does not want to retreat in the first turn. No, if it can withstand a charge or can retreat, instead of advancing or fleeing to set up other charges. Notice as well that it is practically impossible for M4 or M5 units, which will include nearly all warmachines, to avoid M10 or Flyers without appropriate terrain or intervening units. M10 and Flyers will be within charge range of these units after 1 turn of safe advance. One simple but very important rule emerges from all this: A unit can advance as close as possible to the charging distance of the closest enemy unit which exceeds its M allowance by 1” i.e. a M6 unit can safely approach to just over 14” of a M7unit a M5unit can safely approach to just over 12” of a M6 unit etc. Against much faster enemy units, the first move after deployment needed to avoid being charged, is to retreat! i.e. a M5 unit directly facing a M7(or faster) enemy unit, at deployment, cannot stop being charged by the M7 enemy unit by turn 2 unless it retreats in the first turn.
Terrain, Obstacles and hindrances to an advance a) Terrain Terrain slows down units, diverts movement directions and obstructs Line of Sight. The presence of terrain enables units to move much closer than Table 5.2 shows, provided the terrain provides adequate shelter.
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b) Ranged attacks This always deters any incursions. The ways of dealing with this is covered in the Shooting chapter c) Diversionary units Horde armies often incorporate these units with or without shooting. They can either march block or divert charges by sacrificing themselves. (See Combat Manoeuvres Chapter) d) Neighbouring units Placing a M7 unit next to a M4 unit is an effective way of discouraging any enemy unit from advancing to within 8” of the M4 unit. e) Relative strengths and weaknesses of units, in combat have to be balanced against its ability to advance safely. As I stated at the start of this section, I have omitted the case of a powerful elite unit that is certain of winning combat. A unit like that does not have to worry about closest approach against weak enemy units.
Planning pursuits and fleeing The same checks for movement should be used when planning pursuits of fleeing. If you are fortunate to be in a combat with a good chance of winning then any very probable pursuits should be incorporated into your movement plans. Pursuits have two basic functions: a) To destroy the enemy A fleer which is caught is automatically destroyed. If the pursuers have M7 then the extra dice used in pursuit is an incentive to pursue. b) To improve the positions of the units Pursuit may sometimes take the pursuers into a region where they might be flanked charged. In a multiple combat situation, it is important to pursue or restrain pursuit depending on whether the pursuers end up in a better position.
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E1 E2
G B
A
Unit (A) and (B) have broken unit (E2). If both units pursue they could easily be flanked charged by (E1). Pursuit is then best avoided. However if (E1) is at (G) then pursuit may well take both (A) and (B) out of the charging arc. The pursuit direction is relative to the unit with the biggest Unit Strength. Units (A) and (B) can use this fact to their advantage. E2’s failed charge
E2
E1
B
B flees
E2 1 Move 1
A
E2 1 B B’s pursuit
B
By pursuing with the weaker unit (B) (right diagram), a trap has been laid for unit (E2). If (E2) declares a charge, then (B) should flee and (A) would flank charge (E1). It is often better to pursue in the game’s early stages as it could create a break in the enemy’s frontline or enable a unit to move to the rear of the enemy’s frontline. This as usual depends on the situation. The basic criteria to assist you in making a decision are covered in the next example.
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E2
E1
E1 E3
E3
E2
A
A
A B
Unit (A) breaks unit (E1) and pursues safely through. (A) ends up in a safe zone regardless of whether it catches (E1) or not. (Left diagram). Your analysis should not end there. Try to think why before reading on. The diagram on the right shows the limitations of the decision to pursue. Unit (E1) has rallied and unit (E2) and (E3) have positioned themselves for a flank charge in the next turn. Pursuing with (A) does not look an obvious choice now. Therefore before deciding to pursue, you should visualise how your opponent will move his units in the next turn. It is quite easy for the pursuing unit to be isolated and therefore susceptible to multiple chargers as shown in the diagram. Once again your analysis should not end there. Analyse the situation again more carefully before reading on. After visualising the situation in the diagram on the right, these possible outcomes have to be balanced: i) (A) could declare a charge against (E1) in the next turn. which might lead to (A) being destroyed by a flank charge by (E2) if (E1) does not break. ii) (A) could charge (E1) and most likely destroy it, pursuing out of (E2)’s range iii) (A) charges or stays in position with the intent of drawing (E1), and either or both (E2) and (E3) out of combat in other places or set up charges of other units e.g. unit (B). Pursuing (A) may not be as bad as it looks. All 3 possibilities have to be finely balanced before deciding to pursue with (A) in the first combat.
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Fleeing has already been covered in the section of Hold or Flee. If you have decided to move a unit so that it flees in the next round, the position and orientation of the fleeing unit and all other units involved in the manoeuvre are just as important. The diagram shows the correct orientations of (A) and (F). (F) is orientated to ensure that (A) gets a flank charge if (E1) charges. (A) is also outside the possible fleeing lines of (F) and would not be panicked.
E1
E1
E2
A
Flee direction when E2 charges
F
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E2 F
A
Flee direction Safe region
6. MAGIC Magic is somewhat fickle in Warhammer and any over reliance on magic is often frowned upon. However some armies especially Tomb Kings rely heavily on magic for success and it should be viewed as an integral part of the game. Games can be won or lost solely because of magic.
Which spells and the default spell The following armies can choose spells from all the 8 main Lores: 1) Lizardmen – Skink priests choose Lore of Heavens only 2) High Elves 3) Empire The following can choose spells from some of the 8 main Lores or their own Lore: 1) Beasts of Chaos Bray Shamans – Lore of Beasts, Death, Shadow, Lore of Slaanesh, Lore of Nurgle (depending on their Chaos mark) Beast character (not Shamans) -Lore of Tzeentch if they have this mark 2) Bretonnians – Prophetess - Lore of Heavens, Life or Beasts Damsel - Lore of Life or Beasts 3) Daemons Tzeentchian spellcasters with the Master of Sorcery Gift knows all the common lore spells Greater Daemons, Daemon Prince and Heralds - Lore of Tzeentch, Lore of Nurgle, Lore of Slaanesh. Horror units bigger than 5 know the Lore of Tzeentch 4) Dark Elves – Dark Magic, Lore of Shadow, Lore of Death 5) Vampire Counts –
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Vampires - Lore of Vampires or if they have the Forbidden lore ability they know all the spells from the Common lores except Lore of Light Necromancers – Choose these spells from the Lore of Vampires, Invocation of Nehek, Raise Dead or Vanhel’s Danse Macabre. If they are upgraded they choose spells from the Lore of Vampires. 6) Wood Elves Spellweaver – Lore of Life or Beasts or Athel Loren Other wizards – Lore of Athel Loren The following may only use their own special lores: 1) Orcs and Goblins Orc Shamans – Big Waagh Goblin Shamans – Little Waagh 3) Ogres – Gut Magic 4) Skaven – Skaven magic 5) Tomb Kings – Nehekharan Incantations 6) Warriors of Chaos – Lore of Nurgle, Slaanesh and Tzeentch It is best to formulate your tactics for the magic phase against all armies instead of a particular army unless you already know which army you are playing against or if you can choose your spells – Lizardmen Slann and High Elves. The Slann and High elf mages are the most versatile and can tailor their magic phase to suit the enemy. If you are using them, then study the opposing armies’ weaknesses carefully and exploit them before selecting the lores and/or spells. Conversely if you have to face Slanns or High Elf mages, beware of the enemy’s magic phase. Tomb Kings is another army whose magic phase has to be treated with respect mainly because of the large number of spells cast per magic phase. For all other armies it is mainly a matter of how many power and dispel dice are at their disposal. Tzeentchian, Vampire Counts, Lizardmen with Slanns and Skaven could have a disproportionate number of power dice available. Orcs and Goblins power dice increases as more units engage in combat. Beware of all these armies’ magic phases as well The default spell is the most important spell since you know you can get this spell. Except for Wood Elves, Tomb Kings, Vampire Black Art, Skaven and Bretonnians, the other armies have or can have a magic missile as the default spell. Magic missiles are probably the easiest spell
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to help you plan a general strategy that combines shooting, magic and combat. I shall first briefly summarise the strengths and weaknesses of each lore of magic before going on to discuss strategies used in the magic phase.
Lores of magic strengths and weaknesses summary: I shall use the following attributes in assessing a Lore and its spells’ strengths and weaknesses: A) Casting value A low casting value enables a spell to be cast with the minimum of dice. A casting value of 5 has a 72% probability of being successfully cast with just 2 dice while a casting value of 8 has only 48% probability. B) Default spell A good default spell makes a Lore more desirable especially if you have to roll for spells. C) Opportunity to cast This is a measure of how many times the spell can be cast in a game. Range is therefore an important consideration. A tabletop spell inflicting wounds is the best spell in this respect as it can be cast from anywhere and at anytime. A spell which is highly specialised and can only be cast on certain units is less effective overall than a spell which can be cast on any unit. This aspect is also covered in (E). D) Level of effectiveness against the enemy Spells which inflict wounds are the easiest to assess. However spells which affect movement, combat effectiveness, Leadership etc are also very powerful spells. Balancing between the two types is almost impossible and depends on the army they are used against. E) Dependency on other factors for success A spell which affects only monsters will be useless if there are no monsters in the enemy unit. There is also a danger of executing manoeuvres to suit a spell. E.g. It is a mistake to move a unit close to an enemy unit’s charge range and anticipate that you can prevent the enemy charging by magic e.g. using Titillating Delusions. You have to overcome the 3 obstacles of rolling the casting value, preventing a miscast and your opponent failing to dispel.
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This does not mean that Titillating Delusions is not a good spell but an attempt to incorporate a particular spell into your strategy needs some care. Magic missiles however can be cast without any consideration of this factor as only its range matters and it will not enhance or be enhanced by any special manoeuvres. F) Overall assessment and good spell combinations The total effect of the lore’s spells on a normal game, how much they complement or support the army, how they restrict the enemy or inflict wounds etc. will be assessed here. The so-called ‘buff’ spells which do not affect the opposing army will be discussed here. Some of these spells, e.g. summoning Undead are extremely powerful in their own right. Remains in Play spells may seem very good but they are negated when the caster attempts to cast another spell. Therefore they are best used by a caster who does not intend to cast in the next turn. Although they can be dispelled in your opponent’s magic phase, this will use up some of your opponent’s power dice. I shall also briefly touch on spell choices here, how to use particular spells and mention against which army, if any, the spell or Lore is most dangerous.
Lore of Fire A) Except for the default spell, all spells have a high casting value. B) A standard magic missile which is a good default spell. C) All the spells have long ranges and it is possible to cast them in nearly every turn D) One of the best Lores in inflicting wounds against the enemy as all but one spell does this. Rolling for spells should not cause much disappointment. E) This is one of the best lores for its non dependency. All the spells are effective without any consideration to other factors. F) Five good spells and one mediocre spell, Burning Head, makes this a good lore. Conflagration of Doom is one of the very few tabletop spells
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that can inflict wounds against the enemy but has a very high casting value. Use it to target units or characters who are hiding behind terrain and are not within LOS. Wall of Fire is a Remains in Play spell and if you manage to cast this, it could destroy a whole unit as every model takes a hit every time the unit moves. Flaming Sword is also a Remains in Play spell and is most dangerous when cast on a lord who is also a spell caster e.g. a Daemon Prince. +3S, hitting on 2s and a +1A will transform any character into a model that can inflict many wounds. Lore of Fire is very effective against enemy units of low Toughness – 3 or less. If the objective is to maximise on inflicting wounds, then Fiery Blast and Fireball together is a dangerous combination. All the spells have Flaming attacks. This causes double wounds against Flammable models and prevents regeneration but High Elf Dragon armour is immune to this lore.
Lore of Metal A) Low casting values except for Spirit of the Forge B) Rule of Burning Iron is one of the best default spells in the game. It can be used to snipe characters, especially those with good armour saves e.g. Character geared for combat on a barded steed. There is no Armour save against this spell. Unfortunately its strength is reduced by a lack of armour. It is not as useful against wizards who normally do not have any armour C) All spell ranges are good – 24”. Commandment of Brass affects only chariots and warmachines while Law of Gold affects only a unit or character with a magic item but is still generally a good spell. D) A good default spell and Distillation of Molten Silver is a powerful magic missile. E) Transmutation of Lead requires units to be in combat and lasts for only that turn. Both Rule of Burning Iron and Spirit of the Forge should be cast on units/models with good armour saves. Commandment of Brass has been mentioned above. F) Therefore there are three good spells – Rule of Burning Iron and Distillation of Molten Silver, Law of Gold (if used correctly), two 69
mediocre spells Transmutation of Lead and Spirit of the Forge and one below average spell, Commandment of Brass. Spirit of the Forge is very good but like all highest level spell, its casting value is very high. If you have sufficient power dice then choose it as it could potentially devastate a unit of heavy cavalry with 2D6 hits. The strength is reduced by a lack of armour like the default spell. Although I have categorised Commandment of Brass as below average, it is obvious that you should choose this spell when facing armies with many warmachines and/or chariots. Most armies will have at least one of these but if there are not, then you have to substitute this with the default spell. Law of Gold should either be used against characters with the popular magic item e.g. Wood Elves – Helm of the Hunt, Bow of Loren, Dark Elves – Pendant of Khaeleth, Dwarves – Runes on characters and Warmachines etc. A list of popular magic items can be found in the last chapter. If you are uncertain, then targeting a magic user and getting rid of Dispel Scrolls is a useful ploy. Lore of metal is effective against Bretonnians, other cavalry dependent armies and Dwarves with Ironbreakers
Lore of Shadow A) Casting values are evenly distributed 5,6,8,9,11 and 12. B) An unusual but good default spell because of its huge surprise factor. It can be used defensively to remove a character in danger or offensively to enable a character to charge a long distance in the magic phase. Beware that this will expose your isolated charging character. C) One spell can be cast at any time and Remains in Play – Shades of Death. Two spells have good ranges – Pit of Shades and Creeping death while two have short ranges – Unseen Lurker and Crown of Taidron. D) Shades of Death is best cast by a wizard who probably will not be casting many spells for the rest of the game. Unseen Lurker and Steed of Shadows have to be used with careful consideration but would then be devastating. This is discussed in (F). The target of Pit of Shades should be units of low Initiative if there are any.
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E) Creeping death is chance dependent but has a good probability of destroying one or two armoured models e.g. heavy cavalry. Note that it has no effect against S5 or more. Crown of Taidron has a very short range but will work well against horde armies as every unit takes D6 S4 hits. However friendly units are also affected making this a poor spell overall. F) Shades of death could create a few Terror causers in one army. It could help a huge block of infantry win outright by the Outnumbering Fear causer rule or could prevent it. It is useful when facing a low Leadership non Fear causing unit or when facing an army of Fear causers. Unseen Lurker a very dangerous spell, could sometimes be the turning point that wins a game! However do not move a unit to the enemy’s flank and expect to charge with Unseen Lurker or Steed of Shadows. Use Unseen Lurker when the moment is right and do not plan your movement phase with Unseen Lurker in mind. It is very possible that your opponent will dispel it and that might leave one of your units horribly exposed. If you do manage to get Unseen Lurker, your opponent will probably concentrate on dispelling it. This will enable you to pull off other spells. Combine Unseen Lurker with Steed of Shadows by moving a unit with a good fighting character into a threatening position. Your opponent will focus on dispelling these two spells which will enable you to cast the other spells. Pit of shades is very effective against units of low Initiative e.g. Orcs and Lizards but even armies or models with a high Initiative will not risk losing most of a unit or an important character e.g. a Vampire Lord of Initiative 8. The Lore of Shadows has one poor spell, Crown of Taidron which few players will risk using and 3 good spells, Steed of Shadows, Unseen Lurker and Pit of Shades which must be dispelled. This necessity to dispel then makes it easier for the other 2 mediocre spells to be successfully cast. The main strength of this lore is its ability to draw out dispel scrolls and dispel dice but only if you do manage to get the right spells. Its weakness is the high casting value of two of its best spells.
Lore of Beasts A) Excellent for this category. Casting values range from just 4 to 9. B) A very good default spell. Remains in play and will turn any character including wizards into a fighting machine with a minimum of 4 S5 71
attacks. The +1T improves the model’s capability in withstanding combat. However it cannot be combined with magic weapons. C) Oxen Stands can only be cast on a fleeing unit. Being a tabletop spell improves it. Beast Cowers can only be cast on cavalry, swarms, chariots and ridden or un-ridden monsters. Good ranges for the Crows Feast, Hunter’s spear and Wolf hunts. D) Oxen stands and Beast Cowers have been mentioned above. E) Crow’s Feast is only S3 but Hunter’s spear works as a bolt thrower. F) It is easier to cast Wolf Hunts than the Unseen Lurker but a 2D6” movement is hardly dependable. There are two good spells, Bear’s Anger and Hunter’s spear but Oxen stands comes close to being a good spell. For armies of low Leadership with little choice of other lores e.g. Beastmen, Oxen stands is invaluable. Crows Feast and Wolf Hunts are mediocre. Beast Cowers is a tabletop spell that can be cast into combat with an average casting value. This makes it very strong against an army which is full of cavalry or chariots or has a monster but useless if there are none. Since most armies tend to have at least one such unit, Beast Cowers overall is a good spell especially against Bretonnians, Tomb Kings with many chariot units, and armies with lords on Dragons or monstrous mounts. Unless you have a very good chance of getting Beast Cowers, it is not a good idea to choose the Lore of Beasts if you are facing the armies mentioned above. Against Tomb Kings it would be better to choose Lore of light and against Bretonnians, Lore of metal is far better.
Lore of Heavens A) A normal spread of casting values but low values for the lowest 3 spells. B) A below average default spell. Re-rolling 1s is only effective if a unit has many dice to roll. C) The wound-inflicting spells is only limited in range by LOS. All the spells except possibly Portent of Far can be cast from turn 1. This makes the Lore of Heavens one of the best for range and availability to cast.
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D) Two spells which are very good at inflicting wounds. Fork Lightning requires only 6 to cast but its LOS range enables the target to be a unit of the spellcaster’s choice. Uranon’s Thunderbolt has a similar range with a great bonus of negating Armour saves. E) The Comet has to be cast with some care. If the comet does not strike, it creates a region to be avoided by both armies and could endanger one of the caster’s units. Portent of Far has been mentioned in part (B). F) Four good spells, Second sign, Celestial shield, Forked Lightning and Uranon’s Thunderbolt. Second sign enables D3 re-rolls which can be used for any unit during any phase. Comet of Casandora is capricious and its high casting value makes it a mediocre spell. Like other high casting value spells, it becomes more viable with more power dice and higher level wizards. It is worth noting that Portent of Far can also be used by shooting units but the problem is you cannot predict which unit is going to roll that disappointing 1! The Lore of Heavens is a very balanced lore overall in terms of attack and defence. The two offensive spells are the best but if you fail to get them, Celestial shield, which grants a whole unit a 4+ Ward save is very good defensively while Second Sign can affect both defence and offence.
Lore of Light A) Excellent casting values for the first four spells and reasonably low values for the last two. B) Good default spell which is excellent against Undead and Daemons C) All the spell have short ranges except for the default spell. This is not a problem considering the nature of these spells. Dazzling brightness can only be cast on a unit engaged in combat. Healing energy is only worth casting after a model suffers wounds. This makes only 3 spells that can be possibly cast from turn 1 onwards D) Two good wound inflicting spells which are elaborated in (F). E) Both Pha’s Illumination and Guardian Light are Remains in play spells while both Dazzling Brightness and Guardian Light do not require LOS. Healing energy is a tabletop spell. This greatly simplifies the tactics required when using this Lore. Not much movement on open ground is 73
required of the spell caster. The short range of some spells is also compensated. Spell casters could be sheltered and do not have to undergo complicated manoeuvres to be within range. F) D6 S4 from Burning Gaze and D6 S5 per unit from Cleansing Flare. Both benefit from S6 against Daemons and Undead making them almost a must against these armies. Cleansing Flare has two additional huge bonuses of affecting units in combat and affecting all units within 12” range. Pha’s Illumination is a weaker version of Bear’s Anger or Flaming sword but with a poor bonus of negating magic weapons. It is unlikely that you will cast this on a fighting character and just as unlikely that you will hazard a combat between a wizard with this spell and an enemy fighting character even without his magic weapon. Healing energy is often underestimated but it has a very low casting value and in addition to characters and the obvious multi-wound models, it will also benefit warmachines and chariots. Guardian Light is useful when your army has to face Fear causers or your army has some units which are low in Leadership and susceptible to Panic. There are two very good spells, Burning Gaze and Cleansing Flare and three mediocre spells with Guardian Light being good under certain conditions. This a good lore against Daemons and Undead especially.
Lore of Life A) A normal spread of casting values but the last three spells have a low casting value – opposite to the Lore of Heavens B) A below average default spell since water features are rarely chosen as terrain. The 12” range without the water feature does not improve this spell as the caster has to move close to the unit that he intends to target. Cavalry can easily cover this distance and so can many Ogre sized units. Flyers and Ethereal units are not affected by this spell. It could be of some use to a Wizard who is mounted or moves quickly and can get close to the enemy or even behind enemy lines. C) Rain lord has a good range and with the right terrain so do Master of Stone and Master of the Wood. Howler Wind and Rain Lord are useful defensive spells against heavy shooting. The Gift of life cannot be used for chariots or warmachines and is limited to other multi wound models.
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D) There are two wound inflicting spells - Master of the Wood and Master of Stone. If enemy units steer clear of hills and woods then they can still be cast at a range of 12” E) Keep units that are easily destroyed by shooting, close to the caster of Howling wind or alternatively keep a unit that is meant to charge enemy shooters under this protective umbrella. If you intend to use this lore and can choose terrain, then choose appropriate types - water feature placed as close to the centre as possible, ruins, at least one wood and one hill. F) There are 2 definite good spells, Master of Wood and Master of Stone with a possibility of two more against shooting armies – Rain Lord and Howler Wind. Rain Lord is better than Howler wind if the enemy can shoot. It has a 50% chance of making a warmachine half as effective or causes a -1 modifier to shooting hits. It also lasts the whole battle while Howler wind is a Remains in Play spell affecting only S4 or less shooting. Gift of Life is much weaker than Healing energy from the Lore of Light since it has a very short range and a higher casting value even though all wounds are restored. This Lore could potentially be very good if defence against shooting is needed but only if you manage to get the last three spells. Master of Stone will deter the enemy from deploying close to a hill and Master of the Wood is always a danger to hiding skirmishers like Skinks, Beast herds, Scouts who shoot and a thorn in any Wood elf army. However, for this lore, the danger of not rolling for at least one of the four good spells is an almost useless default spell.
Lore of Death A) High casting values for the intermediate spells but a relatively low casting value for the last spell. Five spells require 8+. B) A good default spell which is a standard D6 S4. C) Three spells have good ranges, two of which Dark hand of Death and Wind of Death are magic missiles. Doom and Darkness also has a range of 24” but is only worth casting if it is known that the target unit will be taking a Leadership test. Steal Soul, Walking Death and Drain life all have a short range of 12”. Therefore only the two magic missiles can be possibly cast from turn 1 onwards.
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D) Dark hand of Death, Wind of Death and Drain life inflict wounds. Doom and Darkness does not affect units that are Immune to psychology. Walking Death is identical to Shades of Death from Lore of Shadows. Other than Doom and Darkness which requires some form of prediction for its target, the other spells simply require proximity for effectiveness. E) Four spells could inflict wounds on the enemy. The two magic missiles are S4. Drain Life is S3 with no armour saves. Steal Soul automatically inflicts a wound with no armour saves. F) Four good spells here, Dark hand of Darkness, Steal Soul, Wind of Death and Drain Life and two mediocre spells, Walking Death and Doom and Darkness. Steal Soul is especially dangerous and could slay characters since it has no targeting restrictions or any rolls to wound. If there are no characters close by, unit champions or indeed any model will suffice. Wind of Death and Dark Hand of Death are the equivalent of Fireball and Fiery Blast from the Lore of fire. However they do not benefit from being Flaming attacks but could be used against High elves Dragon armour. Drain Life, S3, is a weaker version of Cleansing Flare, S5 or S6, but it is still a good spell since it has the same bonuses of being able to cast into combat and it affects all units within 12”. The two mediocre spells are very effective against low Leadership armies. Walking death could create a few Terror causers in one army. It could help a huge block of infantry win outright by the Outnumbering Fear causer rule or could prevent it. It is useful when facing a low Leadership non Fear causing unit or when facing an army of Fear causers. Doom and Darkness is best cast on an enemy unit that would predictably lose combat in that turn. However it can also complement some Daemon Gifts, Banshee targets, Lizardmen Rod of Storms etc i.e. any ability or magic item that requires a Leadership test is enhanced by this spell. In addition if you are certain that a unit would have to take a Panic test from shooting etc, Doom and Darkness can similarly increase the chance of Panic. The Lore of Death has similarities to other laws like Lore of Fire, Lore of Shadows and Lore of Light. It is best used by spell casters of at least level two and above since all the spells except the default spell requires a casting value of 8 -10. Some armies that can use this Lore tend to ignore it because it really has only 2 unique spells – Steal Soul and Doom and Darkness. For Dark Elves, only Doom and Darkness is unique as Steal Soul is the same as Dark magic’s Soul stealer. Vampire counts are more effective if they 76
use the Black art. Chaos armies sometimes have to use their own lore because of their restrictions. High Elves, Empire and Lizardmen can choose other lores but should consider whether they want Steal Soul and/or Doom and Darkness.
Lore of Athel Loren A) A normal spread of casting values. B) A very good default spell with a low casting value of 4. C) All the spell ranges are 18” and slightly too short. Except for Hidden path they can all be cast from turn 1. D) Fury of the Forest is the only magic missile, D6 S4 but Tree singing could inflict damage if enemy units are within woods. E) Twilight Host is identical to Walking Death or Shades of Death and could create a few Terror causers in one army. It could help a huge block of infantry win outright by the Outnumbering Fear causer rule or could prevent it. It is useful when facing a low Leadership non Fear causing unit or when facing an army of Fear causers. The presence of woods will enhance Tree singing. F) This is in general a defensive lore and its main strength lies with its default spell, Tree singing. Moving woods closer together towards the centre or in the enemy’s half would create suitable ambushing areas, enhance your army’s movement while restricting the enemy’s and is especially annoying to enemy chariot units. Enemy units will be reluctant to move into woods which leaves them free for the Wood elves to exploit and occupy. Ariel’s blessing can be used to protect units vulnerable to shooting and/or some magic. It can be cast into combat so there is no need to predict which unit will be in combat as it is simply cast on a unit already in combat. Call of the Hunt is similar to the Wolf Hunts. The slightly higher casting value is offset by the added bonus of gaining +1A if cast into combat. There are two good spells in this lore, Fury of the Forest and Tree Singing and four mediocre spells, Call of the Hunt, Twilight host and Ariels’s Blessing. The effect of treating all terrain as open ground in Hidden path is sometimes redundant considering that all units can move 77
through woods and there many skirmisher units in Wood elf armies. However an immunity to all non magical missiles has an important use e.g. on the popular Alter Kindred character that wishes to charge a cannon.
Daemon Lore of Nurgle A) Normal range of casting values. B) Miasma is only useful if the Nurgle spell caster is ( or will be) in combat. However the very low casting value improves the usefulness of this spell. C) Pit of Slime, Rancid Visitation and Shrivelling Pox have a 24” range while Plague Wind has an 18” range. Casting of the default spell is limited to combat. Stream of corruption is a breath weapon and has a short range. D) All spells except Miasma and Pit of Slime inflict wounds. Stream of corruption, Shrivelling Pox and Plague Wind have the bonus of no armour saves. E) Except for Miasma there are no restrictions to casting and the other spells can be cast from turn 1. F) There is one good spell, Rancid Visitation while the other five are mediocre. Shrivelling Pox has a high casting value for what it can do. It would be effective against multi-wound single models but these models tend to have a high Toughness, making them less susceptible to the spell. Rancid visitation could potentially destroy units of low Toughness and would be very effective against mixed units like Stegadons, War Hydra, some chariots, Elf on a Dragon etc. Plague Wind is also potentially very dangerous but has a very high casting value of 13+. If it is cast on a large unit, it is very likely to create a Nurgling base. The usefulness of this Nurgling base is very debatable as it is 50 Victory points in a unit that cannot do much and cannot be increased in size. There is little opportunity of casting Stream of Corruption because of its short range and the fact that Nurgle units prefer not to shy away from combat.
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Pit of Slime again is moderately useful as it prevents the enemy from shooting or moving.
Daemon Lore of Slaanesh A) A reasonable range of casting values. B) A very good default spell which makes the enemy unit suffer from Stupidity for the duration of the battle even though its range is slightly short. C) Two spells have a range of 24”, Pavane and Slicing shards. Phantasmagoria is not limited by range while Succour and Acquiescence has a range of 18”. Cacophonic Caress has a variable range of 2D6” which averages to about 7” only. Therefore probably only 1 or 2 units will be affected by it. D) Slicing Shards is a S5 magic missile which could continue if the target fails a Leadership test. Pavane will wound only 1 model but has a bonus of no armour saves. It requires a Leadership test and is therefore useful against low Leadership multi- wound models. Cacophonic Caress inflicts D6 S3 hits but benefits from no armour saves. E) Succour requires the friendly unit to be in combat. Phantasmagoria can be cast in any turn, anywhere while the other spells are only limited by range. F) Four good spells, Acquiescence, Succour of Chaos, Slicing Shards and Phantasmagoria. Pavane and Cacophonic are mediocre spells. Phantasmagoria will enhance Fear/Terror tests when the enemy wishes to charge, Panic tests from shooting and magic and Break tests. It could easily be combined with the other spells e.g. if combined with Acquiescence, it could easily make an enemy unit suffer from Stupidity or with Slicing Shards it could easily destroy a unit. Succour of Chaos is mediocre. It enables a friendly unit to re-roll hits while in combat and gain the Always strike first rule. This is useful if it is cast on friendly Nurgle units who have low Initiative. Cacophonic Caress becomes more effective if the caster is in the middle of several enemy units. Its low S3 is improved slightly by the no armour saves bonus and will be effective against low Toughness knights. When using Slaanesh magic, it is better to have many low level spellcasters than 1 high level spellcaster. Casting Acquiescence several 79
times, especially on the enemy general’s unit will force the enemy to use up its dispel dice. The remaining power dice can then be used to cast any one of the remaining four good spells available. Overall the lore of Slaanesh is a very good and dangerous lore that supports the friendly army and is effective against most enemy armies.
Daemon Lore of Tzeentch A) A normal spread of casting values for the first 3 spells but high for the last 3. B) A mediocre range and the uncertain nature of the number of hits and Strength makes this a mediocre spell. However the slightly lower than usual casting value of 4+ improves it somewhat. C) Variable ranges. Short range for Gift of Chaos – 12”. Mediocre range of 18” for Flickering Fire and Bolt of Change and a good range for Firestorm. Glean magic has a good range and requires only LOS. D) The two magic missiles are both chance dependent but Bolt of Change is S5 or better. All spells except for Boon of Tzeentch could inflict wounds on enemy units. E) If it were not for the spell ranges, all the spells could be cast from turn 1 onwards. F) Two mediocre spells which could be good, Gift of Chaos and Bolt of Change, and a potential third good spell, Glean Magic The rest are mediocre. Tzeentch Firestorm has a very high casting value of 13+. This is poor when compared to Skaven Warplightning. The added Horrors is not really a bonus as they are T3 and would not be able to cast spells. Boon of Tzeentch is useful as it there is a good chance of casting it with 1 dice and then using the extra dice to cast better spells like Bolt of Change. Gift of Chaos inflicts D6 SD6 hits on all enemy units within 12”. The variable Strength weakens this spell but it is only one of the 2 Tzeentch spells that can be cast while in combat. The very high casting value of 12+ for Bolt of change makes it very unattractive even though it is highly dangerous. Overall Tzeentchian magic is not as good as it should be and tempts Tzeentchian spell casters into having the Master of Sorcery gift so 80
that they can choose spells from the main lores with greater effect on the enemy. Glean magic comes into its own when the enemy has good magic. If the enemy’s magic is poor or non existent, it becomes useless.
Dark Magic A) An almost normal spread of casting values with the two middle spells being slightly too high but the +1 to cast bonus makes it easier to cast. B) A good default spell, a S3 magic missile which prevents the target unit from shooting if it is wounded. C) Except for Word of Pain and Chillwind all the spells have a range less than 24”. Word of Pain is a better version of Nurgle’s Poxes. It can be cast into combat and reduces BS and WS to 1 and can therefore target enemy combat and shooting units. The enemy unit will need 6s to hit D) Doombolt, Chill wind and Black Horror will inflict wounds against the enemy. Doombolt is S5 while Black horror requires a Strength test from models under the large template. Dominion affects even units immune to psychology. E) Only range causes a problem otherwise all the spells, excepting Word of Pain, could be cast from turn 1 onwards. F) Four good spells, Chillwind, Doombolt, Dominion and Black Horror and two mediocre spells. Soul stealer is deadly if the Sorceress is close to an enemy unit as every model takes a S3 hit and the Sorceress than gains wounds up to double her original wounds. Any combination of the four good spells guarantees a good magic phase. Since there is a good chance of getting one or two of these spells, Dark Elves tend to use this lore instead of the Lore of Shadows or Death.
Gut Magic A) The best casting values possible. 3+ for every spell, doubling if already cast once and tripling etc. B) There is no choosing of spells and all spells can be cast. 81
C) Brain gobbler and Bonecruncher have a range of 18” three other spells have a range of 6”. D) Bonecruncher inflicts 2D6 S2 but no armour saves are allowed. Braingobbler forces a direct Panic test and is excellent against armies of low Leadership but not immune to psychology. E) There will always be at least one spell available for casting. F) The lasting effect of Trollguts, Toothcracker and Bullgorger is unlike Remains in Play spells and is not negated when the caster attempts to cast spells. This makes all the spells very good. There are 3 buff spells which are all conditional - Trollguts grants Regeneration and magic resistance but inflicts a wound on the caster. Toothcracker grants +1 Toughness and Stubborn to the unit with a S6 hit on the caster. Bullgorger increase Strength by 1, if the caster passes a strength test. Bonecruncher, the magic missile, inflicts a S4 hit. Although the Butcher is in danger of being wounded when casting these spells, Bloodgruel counterbalances this by enabling him to regain that wound. The main danger to the caster is the Gut magic Miscast table. Rolls of 1,2 or 3 could kill him while a roll of 4 makes him forget a spell. A roll of 6 on this table is actually beneficial and makes the caster frenzied. Braingobbler, which invokes a Panic test, is a danger to low Leadership armies while Bonecruncher, 2D6 S2 magic missile with no armour saves, could easily damage any unit of cavalry. If neither of these is present in the army, the buff spells would ensure some protection and improve combat. Toothcracker especially is important because of the low Leadership 7 in most units. Priority should be given to the general’s unit to make sure that he can always pass on his Leadership to nearby units. The lore complements Ogres in combat very well. In a 2000- 2999 pt battle, 3 butchers will ensure that the Ogre magic phase is almost as unrelenting as Tomb Kings.
High Magic A) A normal spread of casting values.
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B) Shield of Saphery which grants a 5+ Ward save, is a good default spell as it can be cast into combat. However it lasts for only one turn and has a slightly short range of 18”. Drain magic is also known by Mages and the Archmage but not by the Dragonmage. When using Drain magic, it is best to cast this last since it raises all casting values by 3. C) Flames of the Phoenix, Vaul’s Unmaking, Curse of arrow attraction and Fury of Khaine have a range of 24”. Drain magic has an unlimited range while Shield of Saphery and Courage of Aenarion have shorter ranges of 18” and 12” respectively. D) Fury of Khaine is a 2D6 S4 magic missile and causes the most direct damage. Curse of arrow attraction improves the likelihood of a target being hit by High elf arrows. Flames of the Phoenix affects the enemy unit for every turn after casting and every model suffers a S3 hit which increases to S4 in the next turn, S5 and so on. It is a Remains in Play spell and in all likelihood the High Elf opponent will want to dispel it after the first turn of casting. E) Courage of Aenarion should be cast only on units in combat. It makes the unit Stubborn but only lasts for one turn. Curse of arrow attraction requires that there is at least a bolt thrower or a unit of archers which is very likely with High elf armies. There are no problems in casting the other spells from turn 1 onwards other than range. F) There are four, possibly five good spells, Shield of Saphery, Fury of Khaine, Flames of the Phoenix and Vaul’s Unmaking. Drain magic is good as magical defence against a magic dependent enemy. Curse of arrow attraction increases in value with the number of models in the High elf shooting unit/s. It does not require LOS but affects only one unit making it mediocre overall. Courage of Aenarion is below average as it can only be cast under certain circumstances. Flames of the Phoenix and Fury of Khaine are the most damaging spells but Vaul’s Unmaking could be a potential game winner. It converts magical items into its mundane equivalent. It is more powerful than Law of Gold from the Lore of metal as the caster gets to choose the magic item and nullifies it without a dice roll.
Necromancy - The Black Art
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A) A normal spread of casting values B) Vampires know all the spells from the Lore of Vampires while Necromancers do not have a default spell but must choose one of 3 spells – Invocation, Raise Dead or Danse Macabre. They can also choose additional spells if they have that upgrade. C) Gaze of Nagash has a range of 24”. Invocation of Nehek and Curse of Years have a range of 18” while Raise Dead, Danse Macabre and Summon Undead Horde have a range of 12”. Wind of Undeath is a tabletop spell affecting even units in combat. It is likely that every spell can be cast from turn 1 onwards except maybe Curse of years. D) Gaze of Nagash inflicts 2D6 S4 hits. Curse of years is more dangerous as it a Remains in Play spell and its effects improves with every turn. It wounds on a 6+ when first cast, then on a 5+ in the next turn and so on with no armour saves. Wind of Undeath is a fearsome spell even though it has a high casting value. If cast, every enemy unit loses a wound with no armour saves on a roll of 4+. In addition a Spirit Host unit is created from these wounds. A good estimate would be a Spirit Host with wounds equal to half the number of enemy units – about 5-7 on average but much more against horde armies. E) There are no limitations to casting any of the spells. F) The Lore of Vampire is formidable with no apparent weaknesses. Every spell is good or very good. Vanhel’s Danse Macabre grants extra movement of up to 8”. It requires only 7 to cast and is available to any hero. This increases its effectiveness to be almost the same as the Tomb King’s Urgency Incantation. Curse of years requires only 8+ and is a Remains in play spell. Each model takes a wound with no armour saves on a roll of 6, reducing to 5+ on the next turn and so on. If it is cast in turn 1 it could destroy any unit and has to be dispelled. Raise dead raises a new zombie unit. It requires only 5+ to cast. Since any vampire may have this spell, it is possible to attempt to cast it several times during a magic phase increasing the chance of success. Summon Undead Horde can be used to raise 5D6 zombies or restore 3D6 wounds to the army. The new zombie unit is placed 12” from the caster but the 3D6 wounds can affect any friendly unit anywhere on the battlefield. This makes it extremely useful during the late stages of a battle. 84
It is worth noting that Vampiric powers and Arcane items can enhance some spells by increasing how many Zombie models are summoned, the number of power dice available, increase the vampire’s magic level, add 1 to casting/dispelling values or enable Ghouls, skeletons, Dire wolves, Fell Bats, Bat swarms to be increased beyond their starting size. In addition Forbidden lore enables any vampire to use all spells from one of the Lores of Magic in the Warhammer rulebook except for the Lore of Life. A vampire lord with this ability can adapt his magic phase to face any army and with a possible 8 dice at his disposal, the enemy could be devastated in the magic phase with certain combinations e.g. Doom and Darkness from Lore of Death on low Leadership armies. Beast Cowers against cavalry armies etc. The Lore of Vampires complements the Vampire count army well. The key is the 3 Necromancy spells, Invocation of Nehek, Danse Macabre and Raise Dead, which can be cast of often as possible by the same vampire. This makes it possible to attempt to cast the same spell 5 (10 Power dice) or 6 times (12 Power dice) on the same unit to ensure its success. Invocation of Nehek should be used in every turn and as often as possible. It does not require LOS and can be cast by all spell casters. Combining this with Raise Dead or Summoning Undead Horde increases the size of your army, enables you to surround enemy units with summoned units and replenishes a depleted unit. To improve your charging options, use Vanhel’s Danse macabre and to inflict wounds from a distance use Gaze of Nagash, Cures of years or Wind of Undeath. It is practically impossible for the Vampire Count magic phase not to be beneficial for the VC player and destructive to his opponent.
Skaven Magic A) Low casting values for the first few spells. B) Skitterleap is better than Steed of Shadows because of the distance moved but the skitterleapt character cannot charge. This can be used to escape from a dangerous situation (an impending charge or a back rank retreat from a combat) or to move a character to a more threatening position or to cast magic shoot or charge. Warlock engineers know only Warp lightning making it the default spell for them.
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C) A mixed bag of ranges. Vermintide has an unusual range of 4D6”. Plague has a range of 18” while Skitterleap’s range is 12”. Pestilent breath has the range of the flame template but Warp lightning has a range of 24”. Only range limits the availability of the spells. There is also the Skaven benefit of being able to cast magic into combat. D) Warp lightning is D6 S5 at a casting value of 5 or 2D6 S5 at a casting value of 9. Both versions are deadly but a roll of 1 when determining the number of hits is resolved against the caster. Plague induces a Toughness test for every model in the affected unit. The spell could then affect another enemy unit 6” away on a roll of 5-6. A roll of 1 backfires onto a Skaven unit in typical Skaven fashion. Vermintide cause 3D6 S2 hits on any unit that touches the large template as it moves 4D6”. Usually this will not do much but is effective against Horde armies or when there are many units of low Toughness close by. Pestilent breath uses the breath template inflicting S3 hits with no armour saves. E) No restrictions for this category other than range. All spells are effectively not dependent on other factors for success. F) There are three good spells, Skitterleap, Warp lightning and Death Frenzy. Plague could be good if there are many power dice available. It has a high casting value and a range of only 18”. Vermintide is mediocre while Pestilent Breath is below average. Pestilent breath would be good against cavalry but the caster has to move into a favourable position. This will probably mean exposing the unit he is with or moving as a lone model making him susceptible to attacks. Most Skaven armies will field at least two Warlock Engineers, giving them at least two Warp lightning spells. If they are fully equipped (and it is always beneficial to do so), they can use 3 dice to cast the Warp lightning spell. They also generate one extra power dice and have warpstone tokens which enable them to use an extra dice to cast per token. If you are facing Skaven it is worth dispelling at least one of these nasty magic missiles. Skaven magic is irresistible when 13 is cast. This seems too high but actually has a high probability when 3 or 4 dice are used. Death Frenzy is another dangerous spell. It causes a normal unit to be Frenzied and if cast on the same unit later gives the unit Death Frenzy which grants +2 attacks. The typical Skaven sting in the tail is that the unit suffers D3 wounds at the end of each round of Death Frenzy. 86
Prayers of Sigmar A) No casting values since they are cast like bound spells B) All spells are available. C) Two prayers are limited to the priest only, Soulfire and Unbending righteousness while the first three can be cast on champions or characters within 12”. D) Only Soulfire inflicts hits directly against the enemy. Enemy units in base contact with the priest suffer D6 S4 hits with no armour saves while Forest Spirits, Daemons and Undead are hit at S5. Hammer of Sigmar enables one model to re-roll hits and wounds. E) Soulfire requires the priest or model to be in combat while Healing hand has to be cast after the priest or model suffers a wound. Hammer of Sigmar need not necessarily be cast in combat. It could also be used for a shooting champion or Engineer. F) There are two Remains in Play spells, Hammer of Sigmar which enable re-rolls to failed hits and wounds and Armour of Contempt which grants a 4+ Ward save to the model. Prayers follow Remains in Play rules. Unbending righteousness makes the priest and his unit Unbreakable. Again how this works if the Unbreakable priest joins a unit of Flagellants and then the spell is dispelled is a debatable issue and has to be discussed. All the prayers are good bound spells and are very effective against Undead, Daemons and Forest Spirits. Two or more priests in the army improve the chances of activating these prayers. The warrior priest should be given priority when choosing which model to cast the prayers on, especially Armour of contempt, 4+ Ward save and Healing hand which heals all wounds.
Tomb King Incantations of Nehekhara A) Bound spells B) All spells are available and default spells are not applicable. 87
C) The range of the magic missile is 18”. Ranges for the other spells are 12” for Liche Priests or the High Liche Priest, 6” for the Tomb King and the Tomb Prince can only cast them on his unit. Liche Priests and the High Liche Priest can cast all the spells while The Tomb King or Prince cannot cast Djedra Summoning. At least one unit has to suffer wounds before Djedra Summoning can effectively be used. D) One magic missile of D6 S4 which has a slightly short range of 18”. However both Mankara’s Incantation of Urgency and Horekhah’s Incantation of Righteous Smiting can be used to good effect against the enemy. E) Although Urgency and Smiting Incantations can be cast several times a unit can only be affected by the spell just once. Djedra summoning however can be cast as many times as possible on the same unit. F) A great set of bound spells which complement the Tomb king army very well. Magic in fact is essential for the success of a Tomb King army. Horekhah’s Smiting can be cast for extra shooting or extra attacks in combat. It is often used on the Screaming Skull catapult. The estimated distance from this magical shooting is then finely adjusted for the same estimate in the shooting phase. If the Screaming skull previously misfired and loses a round of shooting, making it shoot in the magic phase uses up that missed round. The catapult will then be available for shooting in the shooting phase. In combat Horekhah’s smiting cast on a chariot creates 4 attacks per chariot as both crew and steeds get to attack.. Characters and champions are allowed only one attack. It is a good idea to use this against an enemy unit that is easily wounded because if the magical attacks causes enough wounds to cause a Panic test, the Tomb king unit may pursue, hopefully into another unresolved combat. Mankara’s Urgency Incantation is even more dangerous. A unit could declare a charge which fails and then charge again using this spell. It has to be attempted on the same unit as many times as possible until the enemy fails to dispel or cannot dispel. By doing this, the unit can often manoeuvre into position and then flank charge. However a careful calculation of the enemy’s dispelling options is necessary. Djedra summoning can restore wounds to all units. Since Undead units sometimes break units by outnumbering as a Fear causer, it is vital to maintaining the size of combat units. Any Tomb King army has to maximise the number of Incantations by having as many characters as possible and choosing the appropriate 88
magic items to complement this. The short range of the Incantations also forces Tomb Kings to adopt a bubble formation in the early stages of the battle. If a Casket of Souls is present it has to be protected throughout the battle as it often comes to the fore from the middle turns onwards. It has to be deployed so that it has the maximum distance between itself and enemy units. When facing a Tomb King magic phase, do not give in to the relentless magic. Try to ascertain which spell and on which unit, the Tomb King player vitally wants to succeed in casting. Focus on dispelling the spells which affect that unit. If a Casket of Souls is present, always reserve some dice to dispel it if your army has a low Leadership. Try to position units so that the minimum number of units are facing the Casket. If you are certain of dispelling it, then you may allow units to face it without further consideration. It can be destroyed in combat with a reasonable combat unit or even a lone but strong character.
Big Waagh A) A normal spread of casting values B) Standard D6 S4 magic missile is a good default spell. C) Two spells have a range of 24”, Gaze of Mork and ‘Eadbutt. Two more have a shorter range of 18”, Bash em Ladz and Fists of Gork. Gork’s warpath is a tabletop spell and range is immaterial for the last spell, Waagh. Bash ‘em Ladz can only be cast on a unit in combat which then strikes first and can re-roll missed hits. D) Four spells inflicts wounds directly. Gaze of Mork is the default spell. Fists of Gork causes every model in the enemy unit to suffer a S4 hit on a roll of 4+ (effectively half the unit). Gork’s Warpath inflicts D6 S6 on a unit with a possibility of inflicting hits on another unit on a roll of 5-6 (a roll of 1 inflicts hits on an Orc or Goblin unit). ‘Eadbutt can target a character or model within a unit but inflicts only a single hit of S5. The no armour saves bonus improves this spell. E) No significant restrictions here other than range and Bash ‘em Ladz has been discussed above.
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F) Five good spells. Bash ‘em Ladz is mediocre but has a low casting value which improves it slightly. The Waagh spell requires a 12+ to cast and units move only 2D6”. However unlike Wood elves’ Call of the Hunt or Lore of Beasts’ The Wolf hunts, it affects every unit. In addition units in combat are able to strike first and can re-roll misses. One small disadvantage is that warmachine crew have to abandon their machines. The Waagh spell, if successfully cast is less unpredictable than the Waagh as no tests are required and you will know that every unit has to move. By roughly estimating where each unit will probably end up, you will know whether it is worth attempting to cast it or not. ‘eadbutt should be used to snipe characters while the powerful Gork’s Warpath can easily be used to destroy any vulnerable unit which is sheltered, isolated characters and any unit which is hiding behind terrain. Big Waagh is very much an attacking lore which can severely injure the enemy. Its miscast table however is not forgiving and could wound or destroy the caster and sometimes other models in base contact with him. It is possible for an Orc Shaman to have two or more offensive and very damaging spells but the high casting values of Waagh and Gork’s warpath restricts these two spells. A combination of Gaze of Mork and Fists of Gork is probably best for a level two Shaman. Little Waagh A) Casting values are strangely higher than Big Waagh on average. B) D6 S2 default spell seems weak especially at a shortened range of 18”. However no armour saves are allowed and this improves the spell C) Three spells have a range of 24”, Brain Bursta; Gork will fix it and Hand of Gork. Two spells have a range of 18”, Gaze of Gork, the default spell and Mork wants ya. Foot of Gork is a tabletop spell. Gork’ll fix it can be cast into combat and changes all rolls of 6 to hit, wound and armour saves to 1s. D) There are two magic missiles, Gaze of Gork and Brain Bursta which inflicts 2D6 S4 hits. Foot of Gork is the most powerful spell from this lore inflicting D6 S6 hits on an enemy unit anywhere on the battlefield. Mork wants ya inflicts D6 S10 hits after a failed Initiative test. It has a slightly short range of 18” but there are no targeting restrictions and it could easily destroy a character in a unit.
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E) Mork wants ya is not necessarily best used on models with low Initiative and is discussed in (F). Gork’ll fix it has to be cast on units in combat or who would be hit by ranged attacks. Even then it does little as only rolls of 6s are affected. It would turn an irresistible force spell into a miscast but it is impossible to predict when this would happen or on whom it should be cast. F) Three good spells, Brain Bursta, Foot of Gork, and Hand of Gork. Two mediocre spells, Mork wants ya and Gaze of Gork and one poor spell Gork’ll fix it. Hand of Gork is a mini –Waagh spell similar to Wood elves’ Call of the Hunt or Lore of Beasts’ The Wolf hunts. If the unit charges it does not have to take any psychology tests and is therefore useful in launching units at Fear or Terror causers. The same precautions as the Unseen Lurker from the Lore of Shadows must be taken. You must not manoeuvre into a dangerous position and expect to cast the Hand of Gork. The unit it is to be cast on has to be in a safe position whether it is successfully cast or not. The last three spells all require 9-10 to cast which limits their choice to higher level Shamans. However magic mushrooms could always add a surprise factor. You could keep one of these spells and unleash it unexpectedly with the help of a magic mushroom. Although it may seem that Mork wants ya should be aimed at models of low Initiative it is unlikely that any army would risk D6 S10 hits on a strong character even on a roll of 6 i.e. a 1 in 6 chance. If the Initiative of the army as a whole is unusually high like elves, then a strong character or the general might as well be targeted. This spell will inevitably be dispelled if you have it and is a great way to draw out dispel dice or force your opponent to let lesser spells through. Any combination of spells that include Brain Bursta is good but if you do use magic mushrooms any combination without Gork’ll fix it plus one of the three good spells will also create a dangerous magic phase. The miscast table for Little Waagh is the same as Big Waagh. Rolls of 1-6 are to be avoided. A roll of 12 causes Irresistible force but you have to roll again on the table.
Warriors Lore of Nurgle A) A normal spread of casting values from 5 to 12 B) An unusual but good default spell. It is able to target characters in units and inflicts an automatic wound with no armour saves. 91
C) 3 spells have a range of only 18. However Rot Glorious rot affects all enemy units within 18” Curse of the Leper and Buboes are 24” while Plague Squall requires only LOS. Fleshy abundance and Curse of the Leper can be cast into combat. D) All the spells except Fleshy Abundance inflicts wounds on enemy units E) Magnificent Buboes requires LOS to the enemy model or character. Cloying quagmire is effective only against low armour and low Initiative units and has no effect on Flyers, Aquatic or Ethereal models. F) Three good spells, Rot Glorious Rot, Magnificent Buboes and Curse of the Leper. Rot Glorious Rot affects all units within 18”. This is a bigger range than Cleansing Flare from Lore of Light but requires a bigger casting value. D6 S6 hits with no armour saves, enables it to inflict a large number of wounds and is effective against armoured units Buboes can easily remove armoured Heroes and Wizards after 2 successful casts. Curse of the Leper is a Remains in Play spell which could easily destroy a whole unit. Its casting value is low considering it affects the whole enemy unit over several turns. If cast into combat, it enhances the probability of breaking the enemy unit in combat. The enemy is therefore compelled to dispel both Buboes and Curse whenever they are cast. One mediocre spells, Fleshy Abundance. Fleshy Abundance grants Regeneration but only until the next magic phase. Cloying Quagmire and Plague squall are also mediocre to below average spell depending on the opposing army. Cloying Quagmire requires 2 Characteristic tests and is only effective against units with low Initiative and low Armour saves. However since it affects every model in the unit, it becomes more effective against large infantry units. Plague Squall inflicts 3D6 hits with no armour saves but only at S1 and could wound the caster if it misfires. It definitely has a use against horde armies but the caster requires some form of Ward save or Regeneration.
Warriors Lore of Slaanesh
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A) A normal spread of casting values with spells (4) and (5) slightly below the normal casting value ay 8+ and 9+. B) D6 S3. Lower strength than usual but this is compensated by preventing affected units from marching. C) Two spells Aura and Hellshriek have a range of 18” only but Hellshriek affects all units within range and Aura affects friendly units. The spell range for this Lore is therefore relatively very good. Aura and Hysterical Frenzy can also be cast into combat. D) Two spells inflicts wounds on the enemy , Lash of Slaanesh, Hysterical Frenzy and Ecstatic seizures. Hellshriek incurs a Panic test while Titillating Delusions effectively removes an enemy unit from play. Overall this lore could be devastating against the enemy. E) Hysterical Frenzy and Titillating Delusions affects only units not Immune to Psychology. F) One good spell Ecstatic Seizures and two possibly good spells, Hellshriek and Titillating Delusions. Ecstatic Seizures causes every model in the unit to take a Toughness test and the model is slain outright if the test fails. With a range of 24” it is quite easy to use this spell to inflict several wounds. Hellshriek and Titillating Delusions are only very effective if the whole opposing army is not Immune to Psychology. Hellshriek causes all units within 18” to take a Panic test. Titillating Delusions is a Remains in Play spell and the affected unit is forced to move as quickly as possible to a selected point. This would not only remove that enemy unit for that duration but could easily obstruct other enemy units. The other spells are mediocre. Lash of Slaanesh is a D6S3 magic missile that prevents marching if it suffers casualties. Hysterical Frenzy is a double edged spell that can be cast on friendly or enemy units. The unit is Frenzied but takes D6S3 hits as well every turn since the spell Remains in Play. Aura of Acquiescence causes the unit or caster to cause Fear but lasts only until the next magic phase. If it is cast into combat it could help the friendly unit break the enemy via an outnumbering Fear causer. In combat, the enemy also has to pass a Leadership test before it can allocate attacks. It is useful when facing a low Leadership non Fear causing unit or when facing an army of Fear causers.
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Warriors Lore of Tzeentch A) A normal spread of casting values but very high for the last 2 spells – 12+ and 15+. B) A below par default spell. Its range is mediocre has an uncertain nature of the number of hits and Strength. However the slightly lower than usual casting value of 4+ improves it somewhat. C) Good ranges except for the default spell. Pandaemonium is a tabletop spell. D) Four spells inflicts wounds on enemy units – Flickering Fire, Treason of Tzeentch and Infernal Gateway. E) If it were not for the spell ranges, all the spells could be cast from turn 1 onwards. Treason of Tzeentch can only be cast on units not Immune to psychology. F) One good spell, Call to Glory and two conditionally good spells, Treason of Tzeentch and Infernal Gateway. Call to Glory converts a champion into an Exalted hero. The hero will gain from Eye of the Gods. Even though he has a 100 Victory Points tagged, the unit champion could easily be selected to make sure the Exalted Hero he becomes has a sound future effect on the battle. Treason of Tzeentch is only very effective if the whole opposing army is not Immune to Psychology. All models in that unit make 1 attack against the unit. Infernal Gateway inflicts 2D6 S2D6. It has a high casting value of 15+ and an unpredictable strength making it luck dependent. However the whole unit is destroyed if the strength roll is 11 or 12. The other 3 spells, Flickering Fire, Baleful Transmogrification and Pandaemonium are mediocre. Flickering Fire has a low casting value but an unpredictable strength and a shorter range, 18”. Baleful Transmogrification causes the enemy unit to take a Ld test which inflicts a number of wounds equal to the amount by which the test is failed. This would only be effective against units of low Ld. A unit affected by Pandaemonium may not use character’s Ld but all enemy spellcasters also suffer a Miscast on a roll of a double. It is tempting to try to combine Pandaemonium (reduce Ld) with Baleful Transmogrification (Ld test which wounds when failed). 94
However it is difficult to successfully cast both these spells in the same magic. Overall Warriors Tzeentchian magic, like its Daemon counterpart is disappointing and fickle.
How many power dice should be used and which spells should be cast Unless you enjoy a gamble always use a sufficient number of power dice to ensure a good chance of casting a spell. Use the tables in the Appendix to guide you. It is better to cast three low casting value (e.g. casting value of 5) spells using 6 dice than 2 high casting value (e.g. 10) with the same dice. Do mix this up whenever you can, to confuse your opponent, gambling sometimes and rolling with good probabilities sometimes. If there is a spell that would really help your overall strategy, leave it to the last. Draw out your opponents dispel dice by casting the less important spells first. Once again it is important that you use sufficient dice for these spells so that they are cast and your opponent is forced to dispel. Example 1: Empire with 2 Priests (P) and (Q) and a level 2 Battle wizard. The objective here is to make (P) and the unit he is in Unbreakable as they have just charged a larger unit of Vampire count Skeletons. Empire has 4 Power Dice and 2 Bound spell Prayers of Sigmar while Vampire Counts have 6 Dispel dice and no Dispel Scrolls. Decide what you would do for each army before reading on. The wrong approach and order of casting would be this: 1) Priest P prays for Unbending righteousness (makes the unit Unbreakable), power level 3 on his unit – Dispelled with 2 dice. The empire player has revealed his intentions with his first move. His opponent has now been alerted to the danger to his skeleton unit. 2) Priest Q cannot pray for Unbending Righteousness and tries Hammer of Sigmar – Dispelled with 2 dice 3) Battle Wizard casts Conflagration of Doom with 3 dice – Failed to cast or Dispelled with 2 dice.
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Conflagration of Doom is a bad choice even with 3 dice as it has a high casting value and hence the caster has a good probability of failing his attempt to cast. There is no combined effort or a streamlined tactic in the Empire player’s magic phase above. It appears that he has simply chosen spells at random without devising a plan to achieve his objective. Empire achieved nothing from this magic phase as a result. This would be a better approach and a more effective order of casting: (It is better to have planned before your magic phase and moved both Warrior priests into the same unit before charging or being charged. This doubles their chance of making the unit Unbreakable. I shall assume that this could not have been done.) 1) Battle Wizard casts Fireball with 3 dice – Dispelled with 4 dice Casting a low level spell and using more dice than necessary ensures that the spell will be cast and forces your opponent to use even more dispel dice. In any case, only 3 power dice could have been used. Unused dice is not necessarily wasted as they can always be used to remove any Remains in Play spells. 2) Warrior Priest Q prays for the Hammer of Sigmar on Priest P’s unit. – Dispelled with the last 2 dice. If the Vampire count player tries to dispel this with just one dice, he has a 50% chance of failure and still has to dispel another prayer. He runs the risk of unleashing 2 prayers on his Skeleton unit. He has been alerted to the danger to his skeleton unit but it is too late. 3) Warrior Priest P now knows that any prayer he chooses will succeed He could choose a) Unbending Righteousness as he originally planned b) Switch to Hammer of Sigmar – re-rolls hits and wounds c) Unleash Soulfire – D6 S5 against Undead. (a) is the safest and most reliable option. (b) is useful if the warrior Priests combat abilities are already enhanced e.g. +1Attack from Sword of Battle c) is recommended to reduce the unit size of the skeleton unit and if it will probably lose combat and crumble. If you have the same important spell on several wizards then make sure that all of them are within range of your target. Do not leave the casting of this spell to the last but make one attempt early. It is very likely
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that your opponent knows or can easily anticipate that you can cast this spell several times and he might let an early attempt of this spell through Example 2: A Wood Elf army has 4 Tree singing spells – one bound spell from the Treeman, one from a Branchwraith and 2 from two level two Spell singers plus Twilight Host and Fury of the Forest. The army wishes to target a woods for Tree singing and all casters are within range. The enemy has 7 Dispel Dice and at the most 1 Dispel Scroll. (See Defending against magic to find out how this is ascertained). 7 Power dice plus a bound spell against 7 Dispel Dice and a Dispel Scroll sounds daunting but it could be done. Decide what you would do for each army before reading on. The wrong approach and order of casting would be this: 1) Spell singer uses 2 dice to cast Treesinging – Dispelled with 3 dice 2) Second Spell singer uses 2 dice to cast Treesinging – Scrolled 3) Bound spell level 3 Treesinging from the Treeman – Dispelled with 2 dice 4) Branchwraith has 3 dice but can only use 2 to cast Treesinging – Dispelled with the last two dice. Notice I have been generous with the dispel dice and assumed the Wood elf opponent is not taking any chances with dispelling. He could for instance used just one dice for a 67% chance of dispelling the bound spell. Success is by no means guaranteed in the magic phase as luck does play an important role. This would be a better approach and order of casting which would increase the Wood elves chances: 1) Treeman bound spell level 3. – Dispelled with two dice. Since bound spells are automatically cast, using them first forces your opponent to dispel. To be very certain of dispelling he would use two dice. If he uses one, he faces the prospect of facing several spells on top of this important spell he has let through. Using a dispel scroll would be extravagant as there are a few more spells yet to come. 97
2) Branchwraith uses 2 dice to cast Treesinging – A) dispelled with 3 dice. B) Scrolled Notice that the Branchwraith is used instead of the Spellsinger. This is because if he succeeds, it gives the Spellsinger the option of casting Twilight Host or Fury of the Forest depending on what she has got. In addition it is harder to miscast with 2 dice than with 3. The same principle of using an extra dice to dispel has again been used. If the dice roll is small in value then dispelling with dice can be chanced. If it is high e.g. 9 or more than a scroll is more certain than using 4 dice which has a slightly better chance of rolling a double 1. 3) Spellsinger uses 2 dice to cast Treesinging – A) Scrolled B) Dispelled with 3 dice. Unless the Wood elf opponent has nerves of steel or is a reckless gambler, it is unlikely that he would not have used the Dispel Scroll at this stage. 4) The second spell singer steps up and now has 3 power dice facing 3 Dispel Dice with two options. a) He could cast Fury of the Forest instead with 2 dice! In all likelihood this would be let through. Therefore the WE player changes his strategy midway through the magic phase but still gets results as Fury of the Forest could cause considerable damage After Fury of the Forest has removed a few casualties, the last power dice still has a 50% chance of being cast. It is not a good idea to try to dispel Fury of the Forest with one dice reserving the last dice to dispel Treesinging. There is a good chance that both dispelling attempts will fail. b) Use all 3 Dice to cast Treesinging. This puts your opponent under considerable pressure to dispel with his last 3 dice. He will need an ounce of luck at least. The last option of casting Fury of the Forest first with one dice followed by Treesinging with two dice has only a 17% chance of success.
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Defending against magic Wizard levels All armies have two dispel dice in the army dispel pool. Dwarves generate 4 dispel dice for the army. In addition to this, wizards generate dispel dice, 1 dice for level 1 and 2, 2 dice for level 2 and 3 and so on. This lower rate of generating dispel dice to power dice becomes significant only when there are a few wizards of level two or higher. For a 500 point battle with one character, magic becomes insignificant. If each side has 1 level 1 wizard, there will be 3 power dice against 3 dispel dice. However the level 1 wizard can only use 2 dice to cast and this renders his magic phase futile. His two power dice has to overcome 3 dispel dice. For a 1000 point battle with two level two wizards each, the dice ratio becomes 6 power dice to 4 Dispel dice which increases the probability of casting spells. Casting magic comes to the fore from 2000 points or more. If magical attack is more important than defence then points can be paid to increase wizard levels. If however magical defence is more important than it is better to employ level 1 wizards instead of level 2; or level 3 instead of level 4, since they generate the same number of dispel dice. The extra points could then be used to get the important dispel scrolls.
Dispel Scrolls and Dispel Dice Dispel Scrolls are often overlooked by beginners but are absolutely vital for magic defence. Every army needs to have at least one of these for battles of more than 1500 points approximately. In 2000 points games, 3 dispels scrolls are very common. This reduces to just 1 or two in a 1000 point game and usually none in 500 point games. A rough guideline for higher point battles is to increase the number of scrolls proportionately by about 1 scroll for every additional 1000 points above 2000. The exact number depends on the amount of dispel dice available and is further modified by Magic resistance and magic items. You can easily estimate the maximum number of dispel scrolls your opponent has by counting how many Wizards or characters who are upgraded to wizards, there are. Hero level characters who are wizards can normally have only 50 points of magic items. If there are two Hero level
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wizards, then the maximum number of dispel scrolls will be 4 since dispel scrolls are 25 points each. High elf dispel scrolls are cheaper at 20 points each. If this type of wizard has another magic item, then this further reduces the maximum number of dispel scrolls. A lord level wizard can have 100 points of magic items usually but it is very unlikely that all 100 points will be used for dispel scrolls only. 1 or two scrolls, if any, can be expected from this high level wizard. Finding the balance between magical attack and magical defence is army dependent and also a matter of taste. Some armies like Tomb Kings, Lizardmen with a Slann, Skaven, Tzeentchian Warriors, Dark Elves and to a much lesser degree Orcs and Goblins have abilities that improve their casting power. High Elves can also be very strong in magic for a slightly different reason – they can choose spells given the right magic item and they have a +1 to dispel. Dark elves, like Tzeentchian Warriors have the marginal advantage of a +1 to cast. These enhanced abilities in magic do come at a price, e.g. a second generation Slann could easily cost 900 points or more to be of that level and to be safely in a unit. Defending against 15 to 20 Power dice in a 2000 point battle is possible but extremely rare. It is more likely that a magic orientated army would have one level 4 and three level 2 wizards creating a total pool of 12 power dice. Three level 2s or one level 4 and two level 2s are more common, with a total pool of 8 or 10 power dice. It is important to look at the average number of spells that will be cast per phase as this will indicate how many times you have to dispel per magic phase. The table below summarises this: TABLE 6.1 Wizard Total number combinati of Power dice ons without additions e.g. magic items 1 Level 4 and 3 Level 2 1 Level 4 and 2 Level 2 3 Level2
Likely number of high casting value spells cast per phase
Likely number of low casting value spells cast per phase
12
2
3
10
1
3
10
8
0
3
8
100
Probable minimum number of dispel dice needed to dispel 13
The table is not at all prescriptive but a rough guide. It all depends on how your opponent handles his magic phase. He could gamble on the high casting value spells in every magic phase or choose to cast only the default magic missiles several times. Few armies can have as many as 9 dispel dice or more in a 2000point battle. Therefore it is important to plug that shortfall with dispel scrolls but use them sparingly and only at the right moments. This is further discussed in the latter half. The most important consideration in magical defence is to identify the dangerous spells and concentrate on dispelling them. The first important step is to estimate how many power and dispel dice are at your opponent’s disposal and compare it with your own. Wait until he has rolled for his spells first. Then count the number of spells which are especially dangerous and you have to dispel. Examples would be an Arch Lector with Cleansing Flare, a Grey Seer with Plague, Warplightning, 2D6 S4 magic missiles, tabletop spells like Gork’s Warpath. Lets say you want to dispel Cleansing flare as much as possible. This requires 10+ to cast but has a range of only 12”. In each of your opponent’s magic phase identify where the caster is. If he is within 12” of several units, then reserve 4 dice or so or a dispel scroll to dispel Cleansing Flare. If the caster is outside the 12” range, then use your dispel dice to dispel other spells. Finally look out for opportunities to kill a wizard by magic, shooting or combat. This has a two fold effect of improving your magical defence (less power dice generated and possibly fewer spells to face) and attack (less dispel dice to overcome your power dice).
Selecting spell targets The magic phase has similarities to the shooting phase but with the important difference that it cannot be incorporated into your general plans. It is impossible to predict whether magic will succeed until probably the last few turns. (See the next section). Always have an objective in mind before you embark on spell casting. I illustrated this in Examples (1) and (2) in the previous section. Make sure that your wizards are within range and wherever possible maximise their options by moving them so that they have a
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selection of spell targets. Fortunately the movement phase precedes the magic phase, so you can always make a few ‘adjustments’ if you forget. Remember which spells are effective against which unit e.g. if a magic missile has no armour saves, then move your wizard to within range of a cavalry unit if possible. Remember which spells are unique in offering protection (e.g. 5+Ward from missiles) or enhancing a special unit’s abilities (e.g. cause Fear/Terror). As you can see knowledge of the details of your spell is extremely important. It is a good idea to read through the spell descriptions of your available spells before announcing you want to embark on the magic phase or possibly the movement phase. If you intend to inflict wounds on a particular enemy unit then focus all spells on that unit only. This is similar to the principles in shooting. For example, you have two wizards who know Fireball, with Burning Head and Fiery Blast as their second spells. After attempting to cast Fireball on Unit (A) which is dispelled, do not then target a different unit with Fiery Blast. Target the same unit with 2 Fireballs, Fiery Blast and Burning Head. At least one spell would succeed. If any two spells are not dispelled, then they would inflict a large number of wounds.
Magic at the start and in the latter half Magic is dealt with differently as each player turn progresses. Although you should not draw a line of demarcation between two halves of the game, broadly speaking, tactics in the magic phase are different in each half of the game.
Magic in the first few turns During the first few turns, do not expect to be successful with any spells. The objective is to draw out all or as many of your opponents dispel scrolls as possible. Treat any spell that goes through as a bonus. When exactly you should embark on the latter half tactics, depends on how many dispel scrolls are left. The previous section on Dispel Dice and Scrolls explains how you can calculate this.
Bound spells If you have bound spells from magic items, do not be tempted to use them immediately in turn 1 especially if your opponents seems to have good magical defence. You could delay unleashing bound spells till 102
later rounds. Your opponent would have allocated dispel dice to each of your normal spells and suddenly casting a bound spell late could easily upset the balance in your favour. The enemy would could also use the same tactic and conceal bound spells for later turns. Pre-empt him into using the bound spell early by threatening at least one wizard with early attacks, if you can. Using Dispel Scrolls Magical defence in the first half should be aimed at evading the most dangerous spell/s. Use the dispel dice judiciously. Use a dispel scroll only when absolutely necessary e.g. to dispel a high dice roll of a dangerous spell. One or two scrolls in the first three rounds is about right. Save one scroll for the latter half of the battle if you can. Always use a scroll of a wizard that is most likely to engage in combat or is the most threatened first. This will prevent any scrolls from being wasted if a wizard is slain. The size of important combat units should be kept as large as possible by either sheltering them from magic or dispelling spells aimed at them. Your wizards and the units they are with should be preserved while at same time harassing the units that enemy wizards are in. If at any time a wizard’s unit is depleted simply move him into another unit. Do not move a wizard out of a unit in the early stages of the battle unless you have absolutely no choice. It is difficult to prevent an isolated wizard from being attacked and it will definitely attract the enemy’s attention.
Magic in the last few turns By mid battle, it is likely that a wizard is engaged in combat or has been slain from either side. As soon as this happens, the balance of power dice to dispel dice is drastically changed. The army which has lost a wizard will be weaker in both its magic phase and its enemy’s. If you have the upper hand then it is even more important to plan the order in which spells are cast. Your opponent will have to allow a spell or two to go through and save dice for the most dangerous spell. Leave the casting of the most dangerous spell to the last as usual but do not plan your strategy around this spell. If you are on the other side, then look out for the dangerous spell and plan beforehand which spells you intend to ignore and which you must dispel.
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Example 3: You have Cleansing Flare, Two Burning Gazes and Healing Energy. 6 Power Dice against your opponents 4 Dispel dice and no scrolls. Which spell should you plan your strategy around? Try to decide for yourself before reading on. Cleansing Flare is the most dangerous while Burning Gaze is the easiest to cast. Your strategy should be based on Healing Hand! It is the one spell that your opponent will probably allow to go through as it is does the least harm (or none!) to his army. Therefore move the wizard with this spell to within range of the most important character or multi-wound model that has lost a wound or more. The spell order should be: 1) Cast Burning Gaze with two dice – Dispelled with 3 dice to make absolutely sure 2) Cast Healing Hand with two dice – your opponent will ignore this and an important model or character will regain a wound. For your opponent: If however the model affected is important e.g. a BSB, then it may be best to dispel this with two dice and accept whatever comes for the last casting attempt 3) Cast Burning Gaze from the second wizard with two dice – Dispel this with 2 dice and hope it succeeds! There is a good chance of one Burning gaze being successful. This is not your primary objective but a bonus if it happens. Note that Cleansing Flare which is the most dangerous has not even been considered as it requires 10+ to cast and therefore 3 dice is needed to cast it successfully. You could gamble on casting this if you like but there’s is a likelihood that this will fail and all your other casting attempts will be dispelled. A scenario like this shows that saving one dispel scroll for the latter half could be very useful. Unfortunately preserving that scroll caddie (a wizard whose main purpose is to have scrolls) to the very last might well prove to be difficult. It is possible for wizards to leave units in the last few turns when it is clear that it would be difficult to target them. In the very last turn wizards should actually leave units so that they can move freely and can easily be in range of their spell targets. Finally in the last turn some spells are reduced in importance. Celestial shield for example may be redundant because there are no 104
missile attacks left in the enemy’s army. A standard D6 S4 magic missile would only dent a large unit and is best used in reducing a unit to half its size or completely obliterating a unit. Choose your targets with Victory points in mind. (See the Endgame Chapter).
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7. SHOOTING Move or Shoot? Are your warmachines and shooters within the right range? If not they have to be moved. Look at the large spaces where the enemy will probably infiltrate.
Woods Woods
Building Region of enemy infiltration
W
Building Hill
A
Impenetrabl e
G G
Do your shooters have adequate LOS to these spaces in this turn and future turns? When it is the enemy’s shooting phase, reverse the process above by asking the same questions for enemy shooters. It is then easier to evaluate which units should or need to be sheltered but remember, this has to be done in your Movement phase.
Target selection Several factors will determine the target you select. If a unit’s shooting negates armour, then it is a good idea to use that unit to target heavily armoured enemy units like cavalry. Choosing targets for this type of shooting is quite obvious so I shall be concentrating on ordinary missile weapons of S3 and S4. If the shots are S3, then it would be far more difficult to wound T4 models. Sometimes you haven’t got a choice and you might have to target T4 or more models. The probability of wounding is then reduced to 17%. There are other factors as well - how many shots are available and ballistic skills. 106
TABLE 7.1 No of wounds from a S3 missile T3 target T4 target
No of wounds from a S4 missile T3 target T4 target
BS 2
1.7 (1.1)
1.1 (0.7)
2.2 (1.8)
1.7 (1.4)
BS 3
2.5 (1.7)
1.7 (1.1)
3.3 (2.8)
2.5 (2.1)
BS 4
3.3 (2.2)
2.2 (1.5)
4.4 (3.7)
3.3 (2.8)
BS 5
4.2 (2.8)
2.8 (1.9)
5.6 (4.7)
4.1 (3.4)
The table above is a summary of the expected wounds before saves against T3 and T4 for 10 shots without shooting modifiers. The calculation is based on scaling up one shot and is not a perfect calculation statistically but it will do for our purposes. Armour saves will reduce the number of wounds further. The figures in brackets are the wounds expected from a 5+ Armour save. The table shows it is nearly twice as hard to wound units of higher Toughness with a reasonable armour saves as expected. Shooting at these tougher units will be less fruitful but sometimes is necessary. If the shooting unit is not threatened, target selection is easier. It is a straight choice between inflicting as many wounds as possible or thinning down a dangerous unit. A target with low toughness and armour saves could suffer many casualties but you may have to target a unit with a higher toughness or good armour saves to fit in with your overall strategy. There is a delicate balance between the two choices and it is up to you to study the situation carefully each round and prioritise. Shooting on its own cannot destroy a big strong unit in the first few rounds but combat will. In the early rounds of the battle If your combat units can handle most of the enemy’s combat troops easily, then choose the targets most susceptible to shooting and either destroy them completely or reduce them to an ineffectual size. If not, use your shooting to thin down any enemy combat unit to give your combat units a fighting chance.
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In later turns, the strategy for shooting should be changed. Since the battle is nearly over, shooting should not mainly be used to thin down units. Use shooting to reduce enemy unit sizes to half their original size. Use shooting to pick out and destroy any isolated characters or units with only a few models. One quick word on large targets: Looking at table 7.1 and comparing the number of wounds when BS is increased by 1, it is worth targeting a Large target of low armour saves. If the Large target has a good armour save, 20 shots or more S4 armour piercing missiles could slay it.
Concentrated shooting If you have more than one shooting unit, then it is far better to concentrate all your shooting on one enemy unit. Your shooting units do not have to be deployed in one area for this. Simply make sure they are within range of the general area where the juiciest targets are or are expected to move towards. The diagram below illustrates this
A
B SHOOT!
E2
E1
The two archer units (A1) and (A2) are deployed on opposite flanks but they will be targeting the same unit (E1) in the centre. This carries on in the next round and possibly the next two rounds. Only when (E1) is sufficiently weakened should (A1) and (A2) select a different target e.g. (E2). This is far better than distributing shots from (A1) and (A2) on both (E1) and (E2). After two rounds of distributed shooting it is possible that (E1) has lost 4 wounds and (E2) has lost 2 wounds. Concentrating all
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shots on (E1) for two rounds could have inflicted a massive 8 wounds. That will probably render it incapable of performing up to par in combat in the third round.
Rounds of available shooting This was first mentioned under the Chapter on Checks and Manoeuvres. It does not apply to the very long range warmachines like cannons and stone throwers but is important for missiles of medium to short range -24” or less. These missile weapons may not have targets during the first few rounds and indeed possibly in the last few rounds. It stands to reason that they can inflict more wounds if they are able to shoot in every turn During deployment, shooting units with these weapons, should ensure they have at least one target. (See the diagram on Gunline deployment). In subsequent rounds, they should also make sure their intended targets (as explained in Target selection) are within range. Shooters who can move and shoot are able to do this without losing a round of shooting. For these units, you have to strike the balance between A) Not moving and shooting any target that comes into range or B) Moving to a better position to shoot the correct targets you have identified (See Target selection). The presence of a few fast moving units will also curtail the number of rounds available to shooting. A mainly cavalry army like Bretonnians would limit the number of shooting rounds to just one or two. If you are facing an army which relies heavily on shooting you must ensure that your deployment and movement will take you as quickly as possible into combat or the gunlines. If however you rely on shooting, a little fancy footwork especially around terrain would help you gain an extra round or two of shooting.
Terrain and shooting Hills This is the ideal spot for shooting units. Hills offer the advantage of LOS over intervening units if they are in your deployment zone. In addition archers on a hill are able to shoot with an extra rank. Some
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players try to extend this to 3 ranks by placing one rank on the flat and the other two ranks on the hill. Hill Archers First rank is not on the hill
This is a debatable tactic and I personally feel it violates the rules. Do discuss this with your opponent before the battle commences, if either one of you wishes to use this tactic. Some shooting units tend to have several ranks e.g. Gnoblars and Lothern Seaguard. They can shoot with all ranks at targets on a hill SeaGuard
Gnoblars Large Target
20 shots
5 shots
LOS for the unit ------
W Hill
A
The diagram above shows a situation where deploying on a hill is less desirable than deploying on the flat. The unit of 20 Lothern Seaguard have 5 shots when they shoot at unit (A) but 20 shots when they shoot at unit (W) on a hill. The Gnoblars also have 20 shots against the Large Target in its flank! Exactly where the LOS should be taken from is not fully clarified in the main rule book. The LOS I have chosen is the common deduction used by many players in this particular case. Do discuss this with your opponent before the battle commences,
Buildings Buildings are important for shooting units as they offer ample shelter and allow 360o LOS. On the other hand buildings are also a good stop over point as you charge up to warmachines and shooting units.
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The diagrams below illustrate these principles. C
C C A
Woods A
Building
The unit of archers (A) on the left diagram tempts the cavalry unit (C) forward. It then retreats around the wood while shooting the cavalry unit in the next turn. Finally it moves (not marches) into the building leaving a frustrated cavalry unit clutching at straws. The next diagram shows a unit of skirmishers (S) hopping from one terrain to another as it makes its way towards the Bolt throwers (B1) and (B2) and longbow archers (A). Notice it approaches from one side so that when the bolt throwers and archers can finally shoot, only (B2) is able to do so. B1
B2
S
A Woods S Building
S Woods S
The player controlling (B1), (B2) and (A) has made three mistakes. What do you think they are?: 1) He has deployed the bolt throwers and archers in a straight line allowing a single unit to overrun through his gunline 2) He has not moved the long bowmen who can move and shoot at all. This is necessary to maximise the number of rounds of shooting. 3) He has not taken terrain into account during deployment.
Shooting while in Cover Buildings are not the only terrain which affords cover. So long as at least half of a shooting unit is under cover it gains from cover. One commonly overlooked aspect of this is the single model or even a unit ‘peeking’ around a hill, walls or woods etc. 111
Archers W1
1
A Woods
Building
L
More than half of character (L)’s base is behind the building. It therefore gains hard cover at the same time has LOS to the warmachine unit (W1). (L) could cast magic, charge or shoot (W1). Similarly half of unit (A) is behind woods. It gains cover as well and can also charge or shoot the unit of Archers.
Warmachines Warmachines in general have a higher strength missile and longer range than ordinary archers or bowmen but many of the principles mentioned above also apply to warmachines – concentrated shooting, target selection and rounds of shooting. For instance, when you consider target selection for cannons, bolt throwers (not the multiple shot variety) or stone throwers, remember that they will both negate armour saves and cause multiple wounds. You can therefore use them on Dragons, Chariots, heavy cavalry etc to good effect. Concentrated shooting also applies – focus on one target, reduce its numbers sufficiently before moving on to the next.
Protecting warmachines Warmachines tend to be soft targets for combat units, in particular flyers, tunnellers etc as mentioned in the next section. Sometimes a cheap warmachine, like a Spear chukka will also serve as bait whereas expensive warmachines like a Helstorm Rocket battery, cannon, Casket of Souls, have to be protected. There will not be more than a couple of units available to do this so you will have to maximise the area the protecting unit covers. The diagrams below show where the warmachines should be deployed and where the protecting unit should be stationed.
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Unprotected area
Too small for any enemy model
W1
P
P
W2
W2
W1
The position of the warmachines in the diagram on the right prevents any attacks from the rear. The protective unit (P) therefore has to cover only the frontal zone of warmachines (W1) and (W2). The diagram on the left shows an area which the unit cannot protect. This is inevitable in gunlines. Against flyers especially, it is practically impossible to prevent a charge against warmachines unless every bit of space is occupied or so restricted in size that flyers cannot occupy them as a unit.
Shoot or escape Sometimes it is impossible to stop a charge against a warmachine. During the shooting phase you will have to consider shooting the chargers or moving the warmachine out of charge range. This is yet another balance consideration. You have to balance the survival of the warmachine with the wounds it could inflict when it shoots. Consider carefully: 1) All the shooting options of the warmachine. It might have many units it can shoot at and not just the one unit threatening it as shown in the diagram below.
A
B FC
Threatened Charge!
Threatened Charge!
B W1
Shooting the Fast cavalry unit (FC) with the warmachine (W1) could inflict only 1 wound at the most with a warmachine like a Bolt
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thrower. Shooting (A) is a better option as any wounds inflicted will improve (I1)’s chances in the next turn when it is charged. 2) Does it have a chance of surviving if it retreats or will the crew be slain anyway? An entrenched Dwarf warmachine is likely to survive a charge from a weak unit. A nearby unit could interpose itself between the warmachine and the cavalry unit after the warmachine and crew have moved as shown below. Too small for any enemy model
2 wheels needed to charge here
C A A
W1
3) Could the crew escape if it flees from the charge? If it cannot then fire away!
Distance estimates Stone throwers, cannons and a few other specialised warmachines rely on good distance estimates. The trick here is to always remember your previous estimate and use it in the next round. The model or spot you should aim at should maximise the number of enemy units affected.. If the shot from the warmachine is scattered by an artillery dice then the ideal spot would be the centre of a circle of 10” radius that contains the most number of units.
Foregoing shooting with artillery dice In the last turn or so, it might be better not to shoot than risk a misfire. If your target is a measly 25 points, you might not want to shoot it with cannon worth 100 points. You have to choose between risking losing 100 points or gaining just 25 points.
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Defending against shooting Using Large units A simple analysis of table 7.1: 1) At T3 targets: You can expect about 1.5 to 3 wounds from S3 and 2.5 to 4.5 wounds from S4 missiles for every 10 unmodified shots. 2) At T4 targets: You can expect 1 to 2 wounds from S3 and 2 to 3 wounds from S4 for every 10 unmodified shots. This gives us a way of estimating the size of a unit which can march straight up the table to charge a normal unit of archers using this formula. Minimum unit size = Total expected wounds (Maximum number of wounds per round of shooting X Number of shooting rounds) + Maximum number of wounds per round of shooting X 4. Rounded up. The second part of the formula is to ensure that no Panic tests are incurred from 25% wounds. Example: Using S3 and BS 4 as an example, a unit of M4, T3 5+AS will have to withstand a minimum of 2 rounds of S3 shooting and one round of Stand and shoot. It is likely that the first round is at long range, so I shall use 2 rounds of BS3 and 1 round of BS4 for table 7.1. This gives about 5.6 wounds (2X1.7+2.2) and a maximum of 2.2 X 4 for non Panic wounds for a total of 15. Therefore a unit of M4, T3, AS of 5+ with 15 models should be able to charge a unit of 10 archers of BS4 and S3 shots. Bear in mind that these are estimates for 10 shots based on probability. For 20 shots, the calculated figure is doubled minus casualties from the extra stand and shoot i.e. 30 -1.7 = 29 rounded up but a simpler way is suggested below. Using the same calculations above I have drawn up a table to summarise the necessary unit sizes.
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TABLE 7.2 Estimated minimum unit size when facing 10 shots per round and 3 rounds of shooting plus Stand and shoot Strength of missile S3 Toughness Toughness of target T3 of target T4 11 (8) 8 (5)
BS 2
Strength of missile S4 Toughness Toughness of target T3 of target T4 15 (12) 11 (10)
BS 3
17 (12)
12 (8)
22 (19)
17 (12)
BS 4
23 (15)
15 (11)
30 (25)
23 (19)
BS 5
29 (19)
19 (13)
38 (32)
28 (24)
The figures in brackets are for units with armour saves of 5+ while the figure outside are for units with no armour saves. A simple way to estimate the required size for 20 shots is by doubling the figures given, tripling for 30 shots and so on. The table does show one of the reasons why infantry blocks of 20 30 are quite common in Warhammer Fantasy as they have a reasonable chance of withstanding shooting before they get into combat.
Multiple unit exposure From the calculations and table above it can also be seen, that any shooting of 20 shots or more per round with a good BS will whittle the size of an infantry block significantly. One way of overcoming this is to shelter your units as they traverse up the battlefield into enemy territory. At some stage, a unit or two will have to be exposed to shooting. When this happens it is best to expose as many threatening units as possible i.e. units that threaten a charge or have moved into a dangerous position. P SHOOT
Maximum Shooting range
Maximum Shooting range
A
A Woods
A
SHOOT
P
C
C
B Woods
A
B
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B
C
The diagrams above illustrate this. The diagram on the left shows what will happen if only one unit is exposed to shooting. The enemy shooting units will simply concentrate their shooting on unit (A). Unit (C), although in shooting range, poses no threat whatsoever and is therefore ignored. Diagram (B) shows how enemy shooting can be mitigated. Units (A), (B) and (C) have moved into good positions. (A) and (C) threaten to charge (P) while (B) has moved deep into enemy territory and is able to shoot. Unit (A) (or C) might still be devastated by shooting but it has nobly sacrificed itself for the common cause and assisted the other two units to move into good positions.
Several small units of low point value This method of dealing with shooters contrast with having large units but the two strategies could easily be combined. Many armies have cheap units e.g. Goblins, Night runners, Zombies etc. Several of these could just march up to the shooters. The enemy shooters will be torn between numerous threats from inconsequential units and being charged by them. You can expect at least one round of shooting against these units but enough should survive to charge weak archers etc. A SHOOT!
B
E1
E2
E3
E4
E5
E6
E1
E2
E3
E4
E5
E6
Units (E1) – (E6) march straight up towards the archer units (A1) and (A2). Even if one or two (E) units are destroyed, at least one will survive to charge the archers. Not only are the archers under threat but some of their shooting would have been removed from important units further away. The size of units (E1) – (E6) is best kept to the minimum e.g. 5. Any unit that Panics will have no effect as it flees through friendly units This does not matter for some units used in this way like Zombies or for different reasons Gnoblars.
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Screening units This is popular with Lizardmen armies. Skinks are used as a Screening unit for their more dangerous cousins, the Kroxigors. Cheap skirmishers are ideal as screens but a cheap ranked up unit arranged in 1 or 2 ranks is just as good. The cheap unit acts as a screen and absorbs all the shots while keeping the important elite unit behind them intact. W
W
SHOOT! B B A A
Unit (A) is screened by unit (B) as it moves up the battlefield. Notice the width of (B) is much wider than (A) and it has far fewer ranks if any. Large targets cannot be screened and screens do not work if the enemy shooters are on a hill as seen in the Terrain section and previous shooting sections.
Tunnellers, Miners, Ambushing units and Flyers If you have any of these they can be used to good effect against shooters. Skaven and Tomb King tunnellers are best since they can charge when they emerge. A good spot to place their tunnelling markers would be just over 10”from the edge of the board. Therefore when the tunnellers emerge they will not scatter off the board. If you have to face such units, then you have no choice but to split the positions of your shooting and/or you warmachine units so that they are at least 10” from each other. As soon as a tunnelling unit emerges and charge you can expect to lose the archers or warmachine unit as the tunnelling units are good in combat. Dwarf warmachine crew, T4, have the best chance of stopping tunnellers. Alternatively, a small unit could also lie in wait of tunnellers to counter charge them when they emerge. Miners, Gorgers, Beastmen and similar units cannot charge when they ‘emerge’. This gives warmachines and shooters a slight reprieve. 118
When these units do charge however, they tend to be even stronger than tunnellers and can expect to destroy warmachines etc in one turn. Using a protective unit, properly chosen, also works well against the units above or you might have no choice but to shoot at them. Flyers are the most variable in their ability to threaten warmachines. The obvious strong ones, like Greater Daemons and Dragons will wreak havoc on warmachines and shooters once they charge. Weaker flyers like Harpies should not be written off as they are effective against T3 crews who do not cause Fear. All flyers however, like the Miners and Ambushing units above, will be exposed to one round of shooting at least before they can charge. These units have to be strong enough to withstand one round of shooting plus possibly one round of a stand and shoot charge response. Use table 7.1 to determine whether they can survive this and still be strong enough in the ensuing combat.
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8. COMBAT MANOEUVRES Winning and anchoring a flank Flanks can be won by either outnumbering the number of enemy units or having units which move faster. Although (A) and (B), in the diagram below, are individually weaker than (E1), by sacrificing unit (B), (A) has won the left flank. N.B. Sacrificing (A) would lose both the flank and unit (A) as B’s rear would be exposed and unguarded.
R
E1
Q E3
E1 A
P
B C
A
B
E2
(C) is a unit of skirmishers, flyers or Fast cavalry. Unit (E3) in the diagram above tries to block (C)’s progress down the flank to no avail. (C) will still win the right flank by moving to areas (P), (Q) or (R). Therefore units (A) and (C) have clearly won a flank.
Anchoring a won flank Once the flank has been won, this important advantage has to be consolidated. It is impossible for 1 unit to dominate a whole flank which is 48” wide but it does not need to. The unit that has won the flank has to be placed at points where it secures the most important areas. This area could be an area of possible enemy infiltration or an area where friendly units intend to move safely into.
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In the diagram below, (A) is correctly positioned. It threatens (E2) and allows (B) to move safely into the area it guards. Notice its 45o orientation allows it to cover all the wide areas of the flank in front of it. E2
A E1 S S S
B
A
P
S
Compare this with (E1), the enemy unit that thinks it has won the opposite flank. (E1) has not won the right flank (or the left flank relative to its army’s starting position). It is trying to dominate the more central spaces and has severely compromised its army’s advantage of winning a flank. It is not properly positioned and is not firmly anchored. There is a gap (P) which enemy skirmishers (S) can move into. Once these skirmishers move into (P), they will dislodge (E1) by threatening a flank or possibly a rear charge. The flank has been lost by (E1) to (S) because (E1) failed to anchor itself correctly. Unless a unit is firmly anchored in a flank, the flank cannot be considered to have been won.
Lure and Ambush This has been mentioned before and is the basis of more than one common trap. The version below is one way of fighting fire with fire. The skirmishers (S) serve as the lure or bait.
E1
E2
E1
E2 S
A
A S
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Flee direction when E2 charges
Flee direction when E1charges
Note the precise positioning of the closest visible and reachable skirmisher. The position of this model determines the fleeing direction and hence the direction of the failed charge. The sacrificial skirmishers move to within charge range of (E1) (right diagram) and are ready to flee when a charge is declared. Unit (A) is positioned so that it can then flank charge (E1). However it does not end there. (A) declares a charge on (E1) thinking it has successfully ambushed (E1).
E2
E1
A S1
A
S2
(E1) flees! (A) is then flank charged by (E2). (A) cannot afford to flee as (E2) could declare EITW against (S) and possibly destroy both units. Both armies have lured and ambushed but the final result favours (E1) and (E2).
Behind enemy lines Once a unit has managed to move behind the enemy’s front line, it becomes a huge threat. Other than the obvious rear charge and march blocking, it also fulfils other purposes.
Destroying enemy fleers, warmachines and weak units Warmachines quite often remain static throughout the battle and becomes an obvious target for any unit behind enemy lines. Similarly weakened units or isolated character and characters/units that are hiding behind terrain should also be targeted. Plan this before attempting to move behind the enemy’s front line. Study the area behind the enemy’s front line carefully and then gauge whether your Flyers, Fast Cavalry or
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any other unit suitable for this purpose can take on the enemy warmachines etc. Any fleeing enemy unit can also be easily destroyed as it has to flee again when charged. These units can easily be caught or chased off the board if you position your unit correctly behind enemy lines. The diagrams in the next section show all this.
Cutting off retreats A unit behind the enemy front line also acts as a cut-off unit against enemy retreats.
A E1
E2
E3
B C A C
Unit (A) has moved past (E1) and (E2) and now changes formation into a long line behind them – assuming it is a skirmisher, flying or fast cavalry unit. If it is not, any unit that can squeeze in between (E1) and (E2) will fulfil the same role. Unit (B) is in combat with (E1) and has a good chance of breaking them. If (E1) does break it will be destroyed as it flees into (A). Unit (C) moves forward and threatens to charge (E3) in its next turn. (E3) cannot flee as a charge response as it will be destroyed if it makes contact with (A).. It also cannot retreat as (A) has prevented it. If (E3) turns to face (A) it will be rear charged by (C). The prospects of (E3) are bleak indeed. The example above shows the huge advantage of surrounding the enemy and the danger of being surrounded. Fear or Terror causing units will exacerbate army (E)’s predicament. Units (E2) and (E3) might fail their Terror or fear tests and flee straight into an enemy unit which destroys them!
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The Barn Dance An infantry unit can harass a cavalry unit within the vicinity of a building using this little gem.
Move 3
C
C
C
Move 1
B B
C2
Move 2
A
A Building
Move 4
A
Move 4
Cavalry unit(C) threatens to charge infantry unit (A) – Move (1). (A) simply moves into the building and could possibly shoot at unit (C) – Move (2). (C) now moves to the right to threaten (B), Move 3, who simply moves into the building as (A) leaves it – Move 4.
C2
C B C
B Building
A
When unit (C) moves forward, (B) emerges and threatens to charge the (C)’s rear.
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C2 B C
B Building
A
A
(C) is forced to turn around and (B) dances back into the building. (C2) in the meantime has moved closer to the building and (A) moves away in response. Unfortunately this means that now both (C) and (C2) are march blocked. Since march blocking is effective at a distance of 8”, it may take at least two turns for both cavalry units to move out of the march blocking range!
C2 C2 C B C
B Building
A
A
(C) and (C2) then moves to opposite sides of the building to try to cover as much of the region surrounding the building as possible. However this is impossible as (B) can emerge from any point in the building and can easily choose a spot to threaten (C)’s flank. As (B) emerges, (A) simply slips back into the safety of the building. (C) is forced to turn back to meet the threat. It is march blocked and cannot escape the constant harassment of (B). (C) and (C2) have taken 5 player turns to reach this position and has gained no advantage. Instead (C) is being threatened with a flank charge.
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Although I have used 2 cavalry units and two infantry units, the Barn dance could also be applied to other units under certain circumstances e.g.: A) When the units outside the building will probably lose the assault on the building: i) (C) could be a diminished unit of 1 Ogre and a Butcher while (A) could be a unit of Dryads. The Ogre unit will be reluctant to charge the Building because 5 Dryads with 10 attacks could direct their attacks on the Butcher while the other 5 direct their attacks on the lone Ogre. N.B. There are no charging bonuses and the Dryads who have a higher Initiative will strike first. C
C2 A
Building
ii) (C) and (C2) could be large blocks of Saurus warriors or Spearmen while (A) could be a small block of Bestigors or White Lions – any unit with US 10 and multiple attacks of high strength and/or high Initiative.. The Saurus warriors would be reluctant to assault the building as they lose their static combat bonuses and only wounds count. Spearmen also do not benefit from fighting in extra ranks. B) When the units outside the building can assault the building but the unit inside wants to avoid combat: i) (A) stays in the building even when (C) is within charge range. (A) would flee when (C) assaults the building. (C) can never catch (A) because it has to occupy the building. (A) rallies in the next turn. (C) cannot charge out of the building in the next turn. When (C) emerges from the building, it could threaten (A) but (A) simply moves back into the building in its next turn.
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C Move 1
Charge!
A C Building
Move 3
Move 1 Move 2
C
A Flee and escape!
ii) Whenever (C1) moves to within charge range of the building, (A) leaves the building on the other side. Should (C1) then move around the building and threaten a charge, (A) can either move around the building or into it so that it is outside LOS or charge range.
General’s Position and Rallying Order Some manoeuvres and traps involve fleeing units. Most of the time, you will be designating expendable units to this task but sometimes there will be situations when no expendable units are present. If you are forced to use a useful unit as a lure or bait, then make sure that the general is close enough. When that unit rallies at least it will benefit from the general’s Leadership.
C Expected fleeing line
C2
A CG BG
The diagram shows the general (G) switching units to make sure that unit (A) has a chance of rallying after it flees. The order in which you rally units is also important. This is the right order: 127
1) Rally the general’s unit first if his Leadership will bolster the Leadership of other units. 2) a) Rally units whose fleeing line will not take them into units that have already rallied. These tend to be more central units. b) Rally units so that any Panic effects are minimised. This might happen because they will be destroyed by enemy units or terrain. 3) Rally units that are so close to the board’s edge that they will most probably flee off the board if they do not rally, last. These units should have no effect on other units when they fail to rally. The main principle above is to prevent Panic and make the best use of the general or character’s Leadership as shown in the example below:
Arrow indicate fleeing directions
B
A C
G D
E C
The diagram above shows the right order of rallying. Either Unit (G), the general’s unit is rallied first or unit (A) is rallied first. Rallying (G) first enables the general’s Leadership to be used but unit (A) will have to be rallied next. If it fails it will flee through the general’s unit which could then Panic. You have to weigh both outcomes and choose. Unit (B) is rallied next. If it fails it will not affect any unit. You could also choose to rally this unit anytime after the general has rallied for that reason. Units (C), (D) and (E) are the difficult units. Rallying (D) and (E) first: They could Panic if (C) flees through them.
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Rallying (C) first: If this succeeds there is no harm done. If it fails, then (D) and (E) have to be placed beyond (C) if they fail to rally too. (D) and (E) will end up off the board if they fail to rally. This is an unlucky circumstance as 3 units have to fail to rally consecutively. It seems that rallying (C) next is the better alternative but rallying (D) followed by (C) and then (E) is also possible. (D) will benefit from the general’s Leadership while (E), being too far, will not.
Breaking through the enemy If the opposing army has units arranged in a thin long line, breaking any single unit enables you to move behind enemy lines and surround at least one or two units. When this happens you should concentrate on destroying the enemy one section at a time. If you break through a thin centre, then focus your next attack on one flank and overwhelm it through superiority in numbers. The diagrams in the next sections show this.
Support or reserve troops; thicker front line The section on behind enemy lines showed the danger of allowing the enemy to penetrate past your front line. Keeping some troops in reserve is an ideal way of deterring this. Although you will be denying yourself space, it might be necessary to prevent the enemy from surrounding your army. This is especially true if your units are much slower. Making your front line thicker will also prevent enemies from blasting their way through your centre and splitting your army into two.
C1
C2 E1
E4
E3
E2 C1
E1
C2 A
E3
A B
E4
B
The left diagram shows a thin front line which is on the verge of collapse in the centre. The diagram on the right shows how the fast units
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(C1) and (C2) quickly surround one half of the enemy. Units (E3) and (E4) are too slow to swing around to assist (E1) and (E2) who are now doomed. The next diagram shows (C1) swinging around after destroying a unit and threatening (E1)’s rear. When you are under threat from superior numbers or have lost a flank, it is necessary to regroup and present a solid front. It is too late to try to win space and trying to do so will thin your lines further. Consolidate your position and prevent the enemy from surrounding. Once again try to visualise how you would do this for the scenario above before reading on. C1
C2
C2 E3
E1
A
C1
E4
E3 E4
E1
A
B
B
The left diagram: Unit (E4) and (E3) are sufficient in deterring charges from enemy units (A) and (B) who move about the same speed. (E3) and (E4) both retreat slightly. (A) and (B) therefore are still unable to charge. If (E1) reformed to face (C1) and (C2), they will consider a charge as a viable option. (E1) therefore retreats so that it can join forces with (E3) and (E4). The diagram on the right shows (E1) offering itself as obvious bait for a flank charge by (E3). This is a sufficient deterrent against charges by (C1) and (C2). Although army (E) is outnumbered, it will not be easily overwhelmed. E3
E1
E4 E2 A
B C C
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D
F
Unit (C) is a strong and fast unit kept slightly behind the front line as the rest of the army advanced. If (A) should break from unit (E2) or is on the verge of doing so, then (C) moves into position and threatens to flank charge unit (E2). A thicker front line has been formed. Army (E) has staggered its units slightly to also create a thicker front line. This is not always necessary but may have to be done out of prudence. If you are certain of breaking through the enemy front line, then there is no need to reinforce your front line.
Wall of troops moved forward at max speed A fast moving, or relatively faster army does not have to worry as much about enemy penetration through their front line. The fast army can afford to move quickly in a thin long front because it will be fighting battles well inside enemy territory. If the enemy unit breaks through any point, it is still possible to move one unit or more to cover the rear of the front line. Staggering the line slightly also caters for this eventuality.
Increasing Attacks To gain ranks bonuses a unit should be at least 5 models wide. Since the maximum rank bonus is 3, the minimum needed in a unit is 15 models. A unit more than 15 strong with 5 models wide can suffer a few losses without losing its rank bonuses. This is fine for units that rely heavily on static combat resolution to win combats. Some units, e.g. elite units like Swordmasters, Chosen, Khorngors etc are able to inflict several wounds in combat. Their number of attacks should be maximised. These units are best if they are 7 models wide or at least wider than the enemy unit they wish to engage. On the charge they will have a good chance of inflicting a large number of wounds and prevent as many enemy models from hitting back.
E1
E2
A S S More attacks from these units
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S
S S
S
Skirmishers gain this advantage nearly all the time. When charged, they could always be wider than the charging unit when the battle lines are set up simply by making sure that as many models as possible are within charge reach. When they charge, only models within the right distance will rank up in front. It is possible, therefore, to end up less than 5 ranks wide. If the skirmisher unit is being moved in preparation for a future charge, try to move as many models as close as possible to the enemy unit so that they end up wider when in combat as shown above. If an elite unit faces an inevitable charge from a weaker unit and wounds alone inflicted (by the elite unit) could win the combat then change formation so that the elite unit is wider than the charging unit - it should have 1 or 2 extra models in its frontage.
Reinforcing a weakened unit A unit that is reduced in numbers still has some uses. In combat, it may lack ranks or be outnumbered but on some occasions can help other units in combat especially against wide or wider enemy units. By placing the smaller unit next to a fully ranked up unit they could complement each other in combat. Engaging in combat also enables the smaller unit to evade the unwanted attention of shooting and magic
E1 E1
E2
A
Unit (A) has to charge both units
Unit (E2) is down to just 5 models. Unit (E1) is fully ranked up. Enemy unit (A) is wider than both and is threatening a charge which (E2) cannot retreat from. Simply placing (E1) and (E2) so that their fronts are touching, forces (A) to charge both units. This occurs because (A)’s final alignment will bring it into contact with both units no matter how it is adjusted.
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If (E2) is a strong elite unit, then it could inflict wounds while (E1) provides the static combat bonuses. If (E2) is a weaker unit, it could ensure that (E2) and (E1) outnumbers (A) at least. This might be necessary if (A) is a Fear causer and (E2) has to hold after the first round of combat. (See Using Psychologically, Fearful armies) In addition (E2) could position its champion and if it has a character, the character as well, in one corner in base contact with (E1) to increase its chances of inflicting wounds – (See Common Traps, Forced clipping).
Slowing down the enemy Enemy units which can A) break many of your units B) inflict numerous wounds, in combat and are fast moving should be slowed down. The reasons are: i) to position other friendly units for a future flank charge or ii) to wait for the arrival of a unit strong enough to deal with them or iii) simply to tie them down as long as possible to minimise their damage
Swarms, Unbreakable, Undead and Stubborn units Unbreakable units are the best unit to stop a rampaging enemy unit. They are commonly referred to as ‘tar pits’. The calibre of the Unbreakable unit plays a big part in its ability to hold up dangerous enemy elite units. Most of these units have poor or no armour saves but quite often are able to dish out quite a lot of punishment. On the charge, such units are not to be trifled with. When charged, although less dangerous, Unbreakable units should still be able to hold enemy units for more than 1 turn of combat. Even if an Unbreakable unit is charged in the flank or rear they could still hold, as only the number of wounds inflicted on them matters. They should be pushed up against the enemy unit and used as the Anvil – see Anvil and Hammer in Common Traps. Another unit can then flank the enemy unit in the next turn. Daemon units are a close second but will probably suffer wounds from a bad roll if they lose combat. Undead units are almost as good but suffer crumbling. Crumbling is the extra wounds caused by losing combat resolution. Undead units could still hold back many enemy units but weak Undead units, for
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example 20 Zombies, could be easily wiped out by a single flanking elite cavalry unit. E3 Unbreakable
E2
E2
E1 Swarm 2
Flee direction against E1 Swarm 1
B A
In the diagram above, the Unbreakable unit moves to cover unit (B) so that unit (E3) can position itself for a flank charge. Two units of Swarms are used to slow down unit (A) . Swarm (2) has not moved into position yet but will do so as soon as Swarm (1) is about to break. Notice in all cases the orientation of the units used not only deflect enemy charges but also creates space for other friendly units. Stubborn units are next in line at holding enemy units [or better if their Leadership is high] since their Leadership is not modified by combat resolution. You could either maximise the number of models attacking by having a wider front (see Increasing Attacks above) or maintain a 5 wide formation to ensure rank bonuses. A wider front may be suitable if the Stubborn unit has multiple attacks against weak opposition and if wounding the enemy is far more important than holding. A five-wide frontage may be necessary against a strong enemy unit if you do not want to risk a break test. Swarms are multiple wound units which are relatively cheap. A single base has 4 or sometimes 5 wounds. Like Undead units they suffer further wounds from combat resolution. This reduces their ability to hold back the enemy. About 3 bases is the minimum required for this purpose for at least 1 turn of combat. Units that slow down the enemy in this way are sometimes referred to as ‘speed bumps’ as opposed to ‘tar pits’ since they hold up the enemy only for a short time. The mere presence of the units above will slow down the enemy. Enemy units do not want to get bogged down for too long and will probably manoeuvre past the units above to engage other units. Therefore positioning Unbreakable units and Swarms etc in the spaces where the 134
enemy wants to dominate will enable other friendly units to manoeuvre into good positions.
Deflecting charges and blocking chargers This has been used in previous chapters.
E2
E3
E1 S
B
A
Units (B) and (S) have been positioned to deflect the charges of (E1) and (E2) away from the centre. (B) and (S) could be expendable units or fast moving units that could outrun the enemy. By deflecting the charges of (E1) and (E2), (A) can now move unchallenged into the central area The next diagram shows how a charge can be blocked and deflected at the same time
E3
B
A
E1
S
B
Flee direction against E3
A
Flee direction against E1
Unit (S) is spread out across (E3) and (E1)’s frontal zone. (E3) is prevented from charging (A) even though it is within charge range. It is not worthwhile for (E3) or (E1) to charge (S) as it has a low victory point value. (A) and (B) have moved into charging position and threatens a double charge on (E3) who is facing imminent annihilation. Note (E3) 135
cannot declare EITW against (A). (S) will flee to the right of (A) in th direction shown by the arrows and (E3) and (E1)’s charge direction has to follow suit. There is 1 correct order of charge declaration which forces (S) to hold. Try to evaluate this correct order and what should (A) and (B) do consequently, before reading further. (E1) declares a charge against (S) while (E3) declares a charge against (A). To prevent this (A) must make sure it is out of (E3)’s charge range.
March blocking and Skirmishers A unit is prevented from marching if it is within 8” of a non fleeing enemy unit. This is known as march blocking. Even a single model will march block. Skirmishers are particularly useful at march blocking since they can squeeze past enemy units or to their sides as seen below. March blocking skirmishers
C
S S
C2
A
Another way that skirmishers can reduce enemy manoeuvrability is by preventing large units from wheeling. Placing a model 1” from a back model could prevent it wheeling more than a small amount. 4“
S
1“ S S
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S S
Skirmishers
The diagram shows a skirmisher model (S) placed at the exact spot and prevents unit (A) from wheeling by more than 30o. The exact angle for a 20mm, 5 wide, 20 model unit is about 29.8 degrees and will vary according to the base size and unit size. The principle above is used in the Wheeling arc trap in the next chapter.
March blocking and setting up combat arenas or zones It is possible to march block certain units so that their arrival in battle is delayed until the latter part of the game or sometimes not at all! There are 2 main requirements: A) Your army should have a Fast and possibly expendable unit or a unit of Scouts to fulfil the march blocking role. Flyers are the most versatile unit for this task because of their fast movement. If there is suitable scenery, Scouts also perform this task well, followed by Fast cavalry, a single model with M6 or more or even M5 skirmishers. B) The enemy army should contain at least 1 unit that can be march blocked effectively i.e. M6 or less. It must also be a unit that is worth march blocking. A slow moving elite enemy infantry unit would be an ideal choice. Of course you could march block any unit including M8 or M9 but not with the same effectiveness. The procedure for this tactic starts during deployment. At some moment during the opposing army’s deployment, an enemy unit or units, that is suitable for march blocking, will be deployed. Deploy the march blocking unit as close as possible to these units. C1
I1
I2
S2
C2
I3
S1
Building
F E C
D
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A
B
W1
The diagram above illustrates the deployment. The unit of Flyers (F) is deployed just behind the building (to shelter it) and directly in front of elite enemy infantry (I1) and (I2) who have M4. In turn 1, after the enemy has moved, the Flyers fly behind their lines and spread out. They will be 8” from 3 units, (I1), (I2) and (C2). These 3 units will be march blocked. F C1
S2
I1
S1
I2
C2
I3
March-blocked units
Building
E
D
C
E
D
C
A
B W1
B
A
Meanwhile the rest of the army swings away from these march blocked units and maintain a distance of 20” from (I1) and (C2) and about 16” from (I2). F C1
S2
I1
S1
I2
C2
I3
16”
Building
E
Z
20”
C
D
A
B W1
(I1) has M4 and will take 5 more turns to arrive in the main combat area (shaded Z). It could possibly never encounter any enemy units! (I2) also has M4 but fares slightly better, taking 4 turns since it is closer. (C2) has M7 and will take 3 or 4 turns to arrive in area (Z). Therefore (C), (D), (A) and (B) can enter are Z and engage enemy units (E3), (C2) and possibly (S1) or (S2) with impunity and a good chance of success. 138
This is an extreme case but illustrates the main point. It is unlikely that a player would allow flyers any room to fly between units and equally unlikely that more than one elite unit would be deployed close to a flank. It is also correct to march block units that are more centrally located as this allows your units to move towards a flank to deal with enemy units in that area as shown below.
C1
I1
C2
I2
I3
C3
S1
F E
D
C
B
A
W1
The enemy wishes to swamp its right flank with cavalry units (C1) and (C2) and later thrust their infantry through the middle in support. (C3) moving to protect the army’s left flank. (F), the flying unit flies into the midst of the enemy centre, march blocking units (I1) and (I2), 16” or so, away.
March-blocked units
S1
F I1 C1
I2
I3 C3
C2 E D
C
C
D
A
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B
W1
(E) moves up to deflect the imminent cavalry charge, possibly sacrificing itself while (C) swings around in preparation to flank the enemy. At the same time a unit from the centre, (D), moves towards the left flank of enemy units (C1) and (C2). (D) can afford to expose its flank as it is assured that it has at least 2 enemy turns before any support arrives for (C1) and (C2) i.e. possibly 3 or 4 rounds of combat to deal with (C1) and (C2).
March-blocked units
S1
F I1 C1
I2
I3 C3
C2 E D A
C
B W1
(D) threatens a flank charge which (C2) cannot ignore. (A) and (B) covers the centre and the right flank deterring the third enemy cavalry unit from further incursion.
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9. COMMON TRAPS Anvil and Hammer
E1
B
C
A
A very well known trap. Don’t fall for it! Unit (B) tempts the enemy to charge by moving into charge range but only just. When unit (E1) charges, (B) will flee as a charge reaction leaving (E1) stranded. In the next turn units (A) and (C) can flank charge (E1). Both units, (A) and (C) could do this or only either (A) or (C). There are different variations of this trap. Sometimes (B) does not flee but holds (it is the anvil) and (A) and/or (C) charges in the next round.
Double charge from a refused bait This looks similar to Lure and Ambush explained in Combat Manoeuvres but has some important differences. Turn 1(A and B):
E1
E2 B A
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Unit (B) is a weak unit that is dangled in front of enemy units (E1) and (E2). It is moved so that (E1) and (E2) can charge it. More importantly, it can charge (E2). This is such an obvious bait that (E1) and (E2) will ignore it. Meanwhile unit (A) has repositioned some models within itself - which will be explained later. Turn 1 (E):
E1
E2 B A
(E1) and (E2) recognises the obvious bait and does not charge (B) in the next turn. (E1) and (E2) readjusts themselves so that (E1) now threatens a flank charge Turn 2 (A and B):
E1
E2 B B
A A
L
The character and champion in unit (A) moved to the left corner in turn 1(A and B). The character (L) is strong enough to inflict a few wounds and unit (A) is also a strong unit. 142
(A) and (B) declare a double charge on (E2)! The character and champion of unit (A) will be in combat. Between them they could easily wipe out the front row of (E2) including its champion. This charge is declared because (E2), is expected to break in the ensuing combat. When (E2) breaks there are two available options: i) (A) will pursue leaving (B) to take the brunt of (E1)’s charge. ii) Both (A) and (B) can pursue if they have a good chance of running off the board or escaping from (E1)’s future charge. Another variation of this uses a skirmisher unit as the lure unit (S). The positioning of each model in unit (S) is crucial. Only one or two models of unit (S) should be able to charge (E2). These models are labelled (S1) who is the unit champion and (S2), who is a combat character. The rest should be positioned so that they are out of charge range. This is shown on the left diagram below.
E1
E1
E2
S S
S2 S1 S S S
S1
S2 S
E2 A
A
The diagram on the right shows what happens after the double charge has been moved into position. Only (S1) and (S2) are within charge distance and therefore only two of them rank up. Notice more models from unit (A) are now in base contact with (E2). There will be more attacks from the stronger unit (A) and less from the weak unit (S) creating a better chance of breaking (E2).
Charge or be Charged There should be ample opportunities to set up this trap especially in the early stages. An expendable, fast moving unit is the best lure for this trap but any unit within the right distance could be used.. There are 3 versions of this trap but they all rely on having units which are faster than the closest enemy unit. The basic idea here is that the unit offered as a bait is too dangerous to ignore as it could charge other units further behind. 143
First let me illustrate the situation where this trap cannot be used. W2 E1 Charging distance of (L)
L A
The diagram shows (L) being used as a simple bait. (E1) could just ignore this worthless bait and move forward to engage (A) The next diagram below shows the correct Charge or Be Charged Trap. (L) no longer functions merely as a bait but is a threat that can no longer be ignored. a) Basic version W2 E1 Charging distance of (L)
A
L A
Unit (L) at first sight appears to be a bait for unit (E1). When faced with an obvious bait like this (E1) will quite readily refuse it. On closer inspection, it can be seen that (L) is not just baiting (E1). (L) could charge the warmachine or weaker unit (W2) behind (E1)! This is the trap that (E1) faces. Instead of a Lure and Ambush scenario, (L) itself acts as an aggressive unit. The difference here is that (E1) cannot simply move away and avoid unit (L). The enemy units[E1] have to charge or be charged. Unit (A) has a choice of remaining where it is or moving into (E1)’s flank zone. If (E1) charges, then (L) will flee and unit (A) will charge into (E1)’s flank. It could even overrun into (W2). If (E1) 144
declines to charge (L), then (L) charges (W2) and would probably destroy it. b) Fast Cavalry In the previous example (L) had 2 options of charging or just holding. If (L) is a Fast cavalry unit, then it has the huge advantage of moving again if it rallies after fleeing. There is also something else a Fast cavalry unit could attempt in the situation below. W1
F
E1
E2 Gap is big enough for one model of unit (F) Charging distance of (F)
A
F
A
The Fast cavalry unit could slip past (E2) and (E1). The gap needs to be at least one model wide to allow (F) to pass through. It is able to do this because Fast cavalry can reform as often as it wishes while marching. (F) is then placed as close as possible to (E1) and (E2). (E1) is threatened by a charge from (A) and cannot retreat or flee as it would be destroyed when it makes contact with (F). (F) in turn threatens to charge (W1) As in the previous example, if the gap between (E1) and (E2) is big enough, (F) could charge (W1). (F) could also move close enough to bait (E2) and (E1) as in the Basic version. c) Skirmishers W1
S
E2 Charging distance of (S)
S
S S
S
E1
S S S
S
A
S
A
This diagram is similar to the Fast cavalry version but one model is placed in the gap between (E1) and (E2). This prevents (E1) from 145
wheeling more than 30o to face (A) because in doing so it would make contact with (S). (E1)’s space has been stifled and it has little room to manoeuvre to escape (A)’s threatened flank charge. W2 S
S S
E1 S1
S S1
A A
The next diagram shows 3 variations of using skirmishers for this trap. This is the most dangerous of the three versions. The same threat of adjusting the advance of (S) so that it threatens to charge more than 1 unit is still present. (S) threatens to flank charge (E1) or charge the warmachine (W2). This is the first and obvious option. The second variation uses the skirmishers charging rules that the “chargers are brought into base contact with the closest visible and reachable skirmisher”. The unit of skirmishers is carefully positioned so that the majority of its models are in the flank zone. N.B. the yellow (S1) is meant for the next example and is not there. (E1) has LOS to declare a charge because one skirmisher model (the blue S1) has been placed within LOS but possibly out of charge range. If (E1) declares a charge it will result in a failed charge. If it does not then the skirmishers will flank charge (E1). It is important that the skirmisher models are positioned exactly. In the third variation, (A) is moved to within its charging distance to (E1) but kept in (E1)’s flank zone. The closest visible skirmisher model (yellow S1) could be placed close to (E1) to prevent (E1) from charging (A) if necessary. If (E1) charges (S1) it faces a flank charge from (A) when (S1) flees. If (E1) does not charge (S), it faces the worse prosepect of a double flank charge. Although I have used skirmishers, a unit of flyers is even more effective in pulling off this trap. 146
Wheeling Arc Trap P F
E1
E1 A O
G
A
F
Minimum forward distance moved (d)
This trap requires accurate estimates of distance. In particular, a precise estimate of the displacement of a unit after wheeling is vital. It is not commonly seen in a game but normally works against long units e.g. a Bretonnian Lance formation. Unit (A) is within charging distance of E1 but does not want to be charged. (F) or (G) could be a fast unit, a single model or a unit of skirmishers which could march to the flank furthest from (A). The reason why the nearer flank cannot be used for this trap will become clearer as the trap unfolds. (A) marches as quickly as possible to the nearer flank arc of (E1) exposing itself to a flank charge. (F) or (G) now places itself 1” from (E1), close to the top left corner of (E1) on the opposite flank. – Diagram on the right. (E1) cannot successfully charge (A) because it will hit (F) when it tries to wheel. At the same time (E1) is threatened with a flank charge by (A) or possibly a double charge from (A) and (F)! The area enclosed by the broken line is the area (E1) will occupy when it tries to wheel for its charge. (E1) however could avoid this trap by moving slightly forward before wheeling. Some delicate adjustments of (F) is needed. (F) will have to be shifted a small distance (d) downwards to cover this. It is crucial that (F) should always be in the shaded area whether (E1) wheels immediately or if it moves forward slightly and tries to wheel, during its charge move.
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To correctly judge this important distance, first estimate how much (E1) has to move forward before it can just about clip point (O) of unit (A) when it charges. This is the minimum distance (d) shown on the diagram. (F) is then placed the same distance (d) from corner (P) of (E1). Part of (F)’s base must overlap this distance Use Table 1.1 to help you judge the wheeling arc. As you can see, you must pre-judge the final position of (F) precisely. It will not be easy but if you are successful, unit (E1) could be destroyed.
EITW Traps i) Fleeing into a charge path This will not occur very often and depends on a mistake by you opponent in estimating fleeing distances or just a bad dice roll not allowing a unit to flee very far. If it does happen then capitalise on the situation as you could destroy more than one enemy unit. Consider the diagram below carefully and try to work out in which order you should declare charges and against which unit. Chargers
Skirmishers Unit 2 Chargers
A double charge against the skirmishers seems a safe choice which guarantees victory. This would be a waste as 2 units are committed to winning just a few victory points from the skirmishers. The unit on the left could declare a charge against Unit (2) but it is not certain whether it can reach. The diagram below shows a better choice. The thicker arrows show the charges declared.
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Chargers 2 Flight path 2 Skirmishers Flight path 1
Chargers 1
This charge is unable to reach Unit 2 and declares EITW
Unit 2
The first declared charge, Chargers (1) is against the skirmishers. If they hold they might be destroyed in the first turn of combat. Chargers (1) could the overrun into Unit (2). The skirmisher unit readily declares a flee reaction but unfortunately ends up moving a short distance into Chargers (2)’s path. EITW forces (S) back into Chargers 1’s path who then destroys them. Chargers (1) has to move its full charge distance for this with a possibility of reaching Unit (2)’s flank. This is better than Chargers (1) declaring a charge against Unit (2) and not knowing whether the charge will reach
ii) Large Targets This is best tried with fast movers or most likely with a Large Targets e.g. Greater Daemons. Flyers or a lord on a Dragon cannot perform this because of this rule from Flying charges: “moves straight towards the target over any intervening terrain or models”. This rule unfortunately is made ambiguous by the previous sentence – “can fly over models and scenery”. ‘Can’ is not imperative enough and some players might interpret this differently. It is best to discuss this trap with your opponent if you or your opponent wants to use it with flyers. E4 E3
E2
E1
L
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The diagram shows an extreme case of this trap. Unit (L), a Large Target, Terror causer, positions itself so that it can declare a charge on unit (E1) in a direction where several units lie along its EITW charging path. This is the vital aspect of this trap. The charge path of (L) must carry it into several units. Alternatively, one or more fleeing paths directions could be very close to each other.. There is sufficient space between (E1) and (E2), (E2) and (E3) and (E3) and (E4) to accommodate unit (L). Therefore unit (L) can declare a charge against (E3) and then declare EITW for (E1) and possibly (E2) invoking a maximum of possibly 3 Fear/Terror tests. It is possible for the Large target to eventually declare EITW against (E4) if all the other units flee even though (E4) was not within the Large Target’s initial LOS! One obvious way of preventing this is to make sure that the gaps between (E1), (E2), (E3) etc are not big enough for unit (L).
Feigned Flanking moves Flyers normally succeed at pulling this off because of their 360 LOS and long movement distance. The first step is to move towards a flank and make it seem as if the flyers intend to attack down that flank. Enemy units will then react to that move. The unit of flyers then switches flanks and flies to its real destination, threatening other units or supporting friendly units in that area.
E2 E1 E2 E3
E1
F
Building F F
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The unit of flyers (F) move from the right and shelter behind the building. In the next turn they move to the left flank threatening (E1)’s flank. (E1) and (E2) moves to prepare for (F)’s charge but (F) flank charges (E3) instead.
Forced Clipping Traps Although it is recommended that clipping should be avoided, sometimes it is unavoidable. Terrain or other units might prevent charging units from occupying the right zone. Sometimes a unit might also want to intentionally clip a unit or be clipped. In situations like these it is best to clarify the situation with your opponent. Character in the corner This was used in the Double charge from refused bait trap. A character or the champion of the unit is moved to the side where it will be in base contact with the enemy.
E1
Impassable
E1 L
A
A
The character (L) is in a weak unit that cannot retreat from (E1)’s future charge. The character on his own could inflict several wounds while the unit he is with has good combat resolution bonuses – ranks, outnumber etc. The unit shuffles towards the impassable terrain so that only the character is exposed. When (E1) charges, it can only fight the powerful character.
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Minimising attacks Forced clipping could also be used to minimise attacks on one unit in a multiple charge. These could be attacks by the charged unit or the charger. Ch
Exact charging distance E2 B
C
Exact charging distance
E1 Ch
E1 A
C
L
B
There are two variations shown in the diagram above. In both of them, the faster unit (and the unit that wishes to avoid as many attacks as possible), starts at a position which is slightly behind the stronger unit. (Ch), the chariot unit is behind (E1), the stronger infantry unit and (C) the Fast Cavalry unit is also positioned behind a stronger infantry unit (B). Both (C) and (Ch) can just about make contact with the unit they are charging. Therefore they are unable to maximise models in base contact with them when they wheel during the charge move. Clipping cannot be avoided. The necessary clipped charge of (C) and (Ch) enables more models of (B) and (E1) to maximise base contact and have more attacks. Notice that once again a powerful character has been positioned in the corner of (B) to guarantee that he will be in combat. The chariot unit’s (Ch) main function in this case is to inflict impact hits and use the extra dice for pursuit if the enemy unit breaks. The cavalry unit (C) similarly grants an extra dice for pursuit against (E2).
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Failed charge traps Tempt into a failed charge using terrain The basic rule used here is that the line of fleeing is determined by the centre of the charging unit to the centre of the fleeing unit. There are not many opportunities for springing this trap as the enemy units have to be positioned at certain places relative to difficult terrain.
Normal charging distance of Ch and C1
Ch
A C1
Ch Woods B
B
Flee! B
A
The diagram shows an infantry unit (B) moving around some woods. It is now within charge distance of the chariot (Ch) and the cavalry unit (C1). The right distance is determined by using the analysis of Table 12.4. (B) flees when (C) and (Ch) declare charges. Without the woods, (B) would have been easily caught by (C1). However the difficult terrain halves (C1)’s movement rate when it reaches it and it cannot then reach (B). The result is a failed charge for C1 and Ch. In addition the chariot suffers hits because it has moved into difficult terrain. No sane player would have declared a charge with the chariot especially with the woods being so close. This aspect of the trap relies on a mistake by your opponent. There is one additional sting in the tail. If (C1) and (Ch) do not declare a charge against (B), then (B) will declare a charge against one of them in the next round! A flank charge if they do not move. Lets say (B) has M5 while the cavalry and chariot enemy units have M8. (B) needs to move to 8” of either unit, assuming a 2” wheel is needed for it to charge successfully. When (B) flees with a 2 dice roll it
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has a 72% chance of rolling a 6 – Table 12.4. It can therefore be as far as 4” from the wood to probably escape – 4 +(2X2) +8 = 16”. (C1) and (Ch) could ignore (B) and turn to face it but unit (A) has been moved to cover this possibility. (A) threatens another flank or rear charge!
Denying space for the charge completion Flank zone
Skirmishers
Building
Frontal zone
A
The Skirmisher unit above is close enough to charge unit (A) and declares a charge. Most of the models of the skirmisher unit (S) is in (A)’s flank zone. Therefore the skirmishers must rank up in (A)’s flank. However there is insufficient space for even one model in unit (A)’s flank. Therefore the charge fails! (A) could charge the skirmisher unit in the next turn.
Frontal zone
Skirmishers
Building
L
A
Flank zone
The diagram above shows the slight difference in positioning needed for the skirmishers charge to succeed. There is space for one skirmisher model in the front zone now but only 1 model will rank up and attack in combat. This is a huge disadvantage to the skirmisher unit. Unit 154
(A) could simply position a character in the top right hand corner (L) to deal with the skirmishers. Denying space can also be used to prevent charges as seen below. Archers
B Insufficient space for the flyers
B Flyers cannot reach these areas
Unit of Flyers (F1)
Unit (B) can easily repulse a threatened charge by enemy flyers (F1). (B) is positioned in front of a unit of archers (A) on a hill. The same principle of denying space is used. There is no space between the archers and (B) for the flyers to fit in even though they can fly over (B). You could also tempt the flyers into a charge declaration by making this space tantalisingly close to the space needed. N.B. The charge might still fail if one or two enemy models can fit in but the rest of the unit cannot rank up. This situation has to be discussed with your opponent as players interpret this situation very differently.
Wide unit versus the long unit This is easier to accomplish with a cavalry unit as the wide unit and a chariot or knights in a Lance formation as the long unit. E1
E1 is in A’s frontal zone
A E1 has to reach this side when charging
(A) is in E1’s flank zone A
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Unit (A) moves towards (E1) so that (E1) is still in (A)’s frontal zone. There is more of (E1) is in (A)’s frontal zone than there is in (A)’s flank zone. By the rules (E1) is in (A)’s frontal zone. (A) has moved slightly past (E1) as shown above. It is now impossible for (E1) to charge (A). It has to move backwards to reach (A)’s frontal zone. (A) however, threatens to charge (E1)’s flank. (A) can charge (E1) but (E1) cannot charge (A)! (E1) is march blocked and will find it difficult to move out of this predicament. It cannot turn and cannot pivot and can only move straight ahead enabling (A) to move to its rear or flank again.
Creating ambush areas You can create areas of ambush if there is suitable terrain. The terrain should slow down enemy units without hindering yours. This makes some armies, like Wood Elves, more suited to creating areas of ambush.
E2 E4 Building
E1
X
X
Woods
Woods
A
B
C
The areas marked (X) are ambushing areas. (C) is a cavalry unit while (A) and (B) are infantry units. (C), (A) and (B) dare not venture into the ambushing areas because of a certain flank charge. Moving into the woods is an alternative but it will slow down these units considerably. They are effectively stuck. Only a unit that can hold against a flank charge by (E1), (E2) or (E4) can move into area (X). Sacrificing a unit in that area is the other alternative for (C), (A) and (B).
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10. USING PSYCHOLOGY Fearful armies and Immunity to Psychology These armies include Vampire counts, Tomb kings and Daemons. All their units cause Fear and are Immune to psychology. Other similar armies are Ogre Kingdoms, who cause Fear but are not Immune to psychology and Wood Elf Forest Spirits who are Immune to Psychology and cause Fear. Immunity to Psychology benefits from not taking Fear, Terror and Panic tests. This removes the danger of being forced to flee from a failed test from 25% casualties, a unit of US> 5 fleeing through or a nearby friendly unit of US>5 breaking or being destroyed. It is then easier to plan charges and retreats. Fleeing lines are unimportant except when the unit breaks. There is one disadvantage in being ItP (Immune to Psychology). The unit’s only charge reaction is hold. This makes it easier to plan charges against units that are ItP. All manoeuvres or traps requiring a flee move will be impossible. One common strategy of using Fear to win combat, is by outnumbering the enemy unit. If a Fear causing unit wins combat and outnumbers the enemy, the enemy unit will automatically break unless it rolls double 1 or Insane Courage. This is a common strategy used in mediocre, ranked up infantry units that cause Fear like Skeleton warriors. Although these units do not cause many casualties, their prime purpose is to win by combat resolution and force the enemy unit to auto break. Big units are needed to maximise static combat resolution and the choice of enemy unit is important. An elite enemy infantry unit will be more than a match against Skeleton warriors etc and should be avoided. These elite units can inflict far more wounds and easily win combat.
Fear, Panic and Low Leadership Fear is the bane of low Leadership armies. Units with a Leadership of 7 or less should avoid Fear and Panic tests as much as possible. A unit with a Leadership value of less than 7 has less than a 50% chance of passing a Leadership test. Keeping these units within 12” of the general may not always be possible but you could try to avoid situations which might force a test. If
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a Panic or Fear test is inevitable, then angle and position your units to avoid the calamity of Cascading Mass Panic.
Cascading Mass Panic Arrow indicate fleeing directions
A1 A2
A3
A4 A5
A6 A7
Units (A1) – (A7) have a Leadership of 5. (A1) is the only unit within range of the enemy. It is forced to take a Panic test (or Terror or Fear) and fails miserably. As (A1) flees it runs through (A2) and (A3) who in turn test for Panic and fail. (A2) and (A3) run through units (A4) – (A7) who could easily fail their Panic test. A whole army could be crippled from one failed Psychology test. In these armies, the position of the general is more critical than ever. The general must survive. If your army comprises of numerous low Leadership units then preserve the general. Shelter him from shooting and magic and avoid gambling him in dangerous combats. If you are facing such an army, then target the general liberally with spells or shooting especially those that can isolate characters.
Feeding the Frenzied A Frenzied unit is Immune to Psychology and has an extra attack in combat. In combat a frenzied unit has a good chance of inflicting several wounds. (See also Increasing attacks in the Combat Manoeuvres chapter) It may seem that Frenzied units are best avoided but they have a rule which could be used against them. Frenzied units must charge an enemy unit within charge distance. This makes them vulnerable to counter charges and lures. A sacrificial unit, a unit that will flee or a unit that will not break in combat is placed
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within the Frenzied unit’s charge range. When the Frenzied unit charges, it will be flank charged by a strong unit.
F1
F2
A C A
Unit (A) is moved to within charge range of Frenzied unit (F1) and (F2). (A) is angled to lure (F1) and (F2) into unit (C)’s flank zone. Notices that Unit (A) is not simply luring (F1) but has moved close enough to force (F2) to declare a charge as well. If the enemy has a large number of Frenzied units like a Khorne army, you could use just one unit to lure several units away by expanding into a longer rank. When (F1) charges, (A) flees away from the unit with a bigger unit strength, (F2) in this case. (C) flank charges (F2) with a good likelihood of overrunning into (F1). (C) does not even have to charge. Instead (A) could simply keep baiting (F1) and (F2) all over the battlefield as explained in the example below. BT
BT’s charging distance
A
A
B
The frenzied, flying Large target (BT) requires a slightly different tactic. In the diagram above, (A) has moved forward to lure the (BT) away from unit (B). This will not work as the (BT) is a Large target and 159
can still charge (B). In this case, (A) should have been placed about 19” away from (BT) and all other units have to be more than 20” away. If you do not want to engage (BT), then you could keep feeding it as many cheap units as you can afford.
BT
E2
E1
BT
A P1
P2 BT BT
B
A
The diagram shows (BT) being led all around the battlefield away from the main arena. First (A) is within charge range. It flees to safety when (BT) declares a charge. Then (B) is moved to within charge range and flees as well. Finally (A) who has rallied is offered again to the (BT) and flees again. Three turns has seen (BT) chasing shadows. It has failed to do what it does best – engage in combat. Since (BT) moves 20”, you must employ this tactic at turn 1. By turn 2 onwards (BT) could be within the midst of your army. Since it would then have several charge options it will be practically impossible to lure it away. One Fast Cavalry unit is sometimes sufficient to lure frenzied units away if you can arrange its line of flight to avoid enemy units. A Fast Cavalry unit is able to move on the turn it rallies if it has fled from a charge. This makes it readily available for the purposes of fleeing.
Stupidity If you are unfortunate to have units that suffer from Stupidity, then there are ways of minimising its effects. a) Compare the Leadership of the unit subjected to Stupidity with that of the general. It will probably be much lower. Keep the Stupid units close to the general to benefit from his Leadership. At the time of writing Dark Elf Cold One Knights are one of the very few units who could have a
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Leadership higher than the general. They therefore can move away from the general. b) Deploy Stupid units so that they will not obstruct other units if they fail their test. Try to maintain this throughout the game.
E1 S1
S2 S2
B S1
A
The two units (S1) and (S2) have both failed their Stupidity test. (S1) is positioned correctly while (S2)’s poor position results in a disaster. (S1) blunders forward without causing more problems, (S2), which positioned itself for a flank charge has obstructed unit (A) and prevents it from charging. (S2) itself could now be flanked charged with a possibility of the enemy overrunning into unit (A). When you have units subject to Stupidity, do not incorporate them as part of your main/important plans in the turn. Use them to support your intentions.
Other tests Animosity, Waagh, Impetuosity, Unruly are not psychology tests but I will briefly mention them here as it is the most appropriate chapter. Orc and Goblin units of US>5 and not in combat have to test for Animosity or can declare a Waagh. A roll of 1, stops the unit from moving or doing anything and a 6 gives them an extra D6” move, making them highly unpredictable. Knights Errant have to take a Leadership test (Impetuosity) if they are within charging distance of an enemy unit. They are forced to charge if they fail. This makes it possible to lure them into a charge. Beast Herds test for being Unruly (Leadership test) at the start of the compulsory movement phase. If they fail they must charge. 161
11. ENDGAME Unlike chess, Warhammer is not easily split into an opening, the middle game and the end game. All the turns are more or less the same for Warhammer, except for the very first and last turns. The very last turn six offers a few game winning opportunities which are sometimes over looked by beginners.
Decisions in turn 5 The moves executed in turn 6 have to be prepared for in turn 5. Normally 500 or more Victory points hinges on decisions made in this vital turn. Ask yourself the following questions at the start of turn 5:
1) Which units are too far away to engage in combat in the next two rounds and what is the biggest unit size of these units in each table quarter? These units are best kept safe and moved to occupy table quarters. Table quarters are contested by any enemy unit of US equal to or greater than 5. Each table quarter which is not contested gets 100 victory points. Decide whether your units will engage in combat or not. If not then make sure that you contest or occupy as many table quarters as possible.
2) Which units are close to being reduced to half strength or completely destroyed? This question should be applied to both your units and to enemy units. Victory points are awarded for a unit reduced to half strength or less except warmachines. Target the weak enemy units while keeping yours safe. Characters especially may be vulnerable in the last turn and usually have a substantial number of points to win or lose.
3) Where are your Terror causers or where are the enemy terror causers? There is nothing more frustrating than failing a Fear or Panic test in the last turn. A flying terror causer is especially dangerous as it can easily reach any unit that has not yet been submitted to a Terror test. Look carefully at the possible positions of Terror causers in the next turns. If possible move any vulnerable units out of range. Create deterrents for
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them by positioning a strong unit to cover the movement of the Terror causer. Move your general closer to vulnerable units if possible. If you have a Terror causer, then look out for units of low Leadership far away from the general.
4) Set up charges to force the maximum amount of possible fleeing. This is much harder than it sounds. If a Fear test is failed and the unit flees, it could easily trigger off a few Panic tests. (See Cascading Panic in Using Psychology). Prepare this in turn 5. It will require more than an ounce of luck for it to succeed but it is certainly worth trying. If you are facing several Fear causers, then take the necessary precautions. Make sure that your units are not too close together, deflect charges etc.
5) Keep valuable and vulnerable units safe wherever possible These include units with characters or units with a huge number of points but reduced to just over half initial strength. Units that have captured enemy standards carry extra victory points and are even more valuable than when they started the game.
Changing tactics in the last turn In the very last turn, your strategy changes dramatically.
1) Forget space, retreats and ignore fleers Winning space is no longer necessary. There is no need to position units behind a unit you wish to charge. Similarly there is no need to chase fleers in the last turn because they cannot rally. The exception to this would be if you are certain of destroying the fleers who are within 6” of another unit in their army. This would of course force a Panic test.
2) Strike the right balance between marching to safety or charging. Many of the traps and manoeuvres discussed previously have little use in the last turn. You may set up a charge in turn 5 but by turn 6, charge only if you are certain of winning. Winning in this case means gaining victory points and not merely winning combat. Charging an Unbreakable unit at full strength would be fool-hardy if you cannot reduce it to half its original unit strength. If it is unlikely that the enemy unit will break then it might be better to focus on weak units. 163
You should consider only victory points when deciding to charge in turn 6. It may be tempting to gamble on a do or die charge but would you be willing to risk losing a 200 point unit for the sake of a possible 100 points? As usual weigh the consequences very carefully.
2) Use magic and shooting judiciously A magic user does not have to cast in the very last turn. Compare the point values. Does the caster have more points than the spell target? A miscast could destroy a wizard while the magic spell might be easily dispelled or do very little. Shooting units should definitely shoot if they use their ballistic skill only. If artillery dice and misfires are involved shooting units do not have to shoot in the very last turn. The risk here is smaller than in magic but if the shooting target is worth little or no points then there is no need to shoot.
3) Always hold when charged Fleeing is not an option in the last round as it is not possible to rally. Even if a unit has little chance of victory in combat it is best that they hold. Tell your troops to hold and die for their army! Hopefully they might be able to win against all odds. There is one exception to this however. If the charging unit is taken off the board, it may not claim table quarters.
4) Psychology and the last turn Fear is the key. Forcing the opposition to take several Fear tests from charges in turn 6 can be quite unnerving. As each Fear test is passed, the possibility of failing the next one increases. You should have set up these charges in turn 5 but it is likely that your opponent would have countered this to some extent. If you think you are close enough declare a charge anyway. Remember that declaring a charge you know will not succeed is against the rules. An outnumbering Fear causer will auto break a unit that loses combat unless the opposing unit suffers a bout of Insane Courage. Big units of Fear causers as seen in the chapter on Using Psychology are especially good at achieving this. Charging a Fear causer into an ongoing combat in turn 6 could tip the balance in your favour.
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12. Probability Why use probability and is it really necessary to calculate during a game you may ask? The alternative is to ignore it and the game will then be dependent entirely on chance. How many times have you seen a double 1 rolled for Insane courage or a double 6 for irresistible force? Yes, they do occur but hoping for these dice rolls too often will result in more defeats than lucky victories. By using probability, the element of chance is not eliminated but at least a player has partially wrenched his destiny out of the hands of the dice gods. If mathematics and statistical analysis is as unpalatable to you as my mother-in-law’s cooking, then I would suggest that you jump straight to the section entitled Rule of a Quarter. Is it more likely to roll a 6 or a 1 with a single dice? Answer: Neither. A balanced dice will roll as many 6s as 1s but only after a large number of dice rolls. Roll a dice 6 times and it is highly unlikely that each number would have appeared once. Roll it 12 times however and it becomes more probable that each number from one to six will appear at least once. The actual number rolled or the number on the top face is known as the outcome in this chapter. The probability of getting a 1 or a 6 on any single dice roll is 1/6 but the outcome cannot be determined or calculated. This is the inherent weakness of the theory of probability. It only works with a large sample. Fortunately there are many occasions in Warhammer where a large number of dice are rolled simultaneously or in sequence. The two most important numbers in rolling to hit or wound are 3 and 4. The probability of rolling a four or higher is half. Therefore the probability of rolling a four or higher twice, is a quarter. This brings us to a common simplified rule – the rule of a quarter which is discussed in the next section.
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Rule of a quarter This rule is best applied for a quick calculation of whether shooting or combat will be effective. It is not perfect and should only be used if you find calculations too tedious. The estimated number of wounds (or saves needed) is a quarter the number of shooting or close combat attacks in most cases. Example 1: To find out whether your spearmen would be cut down to ribbons as they advance towards a unit of 20 Goblin archers in 2 ranks on a hill. 20 Goblins have 20 shots. A quarter of this is 5. This gives a rough estimate of the number of saves the spearmen will require - 5 armour saves. It can then be assessed whether a Panic check for 25% wounds will be necessary. 25% of 10 is 2.5 Therefore if 10 spearmen are in that unit they will probably suffer 5 casualties if they have no armour saves. With an armour save of 5+, they suffer 2 or 3 casualties. i.e. There is still a good chance of a Panic test. A unit of 25 Spearmen will probably not have to test for Panic. 5 casualties is less than 25% of 25 (= 6.25). Example 2: A unit of swordsmen wishes to charge a unit of spearmen and win combat. Both have the same WS, S and T. The swordsmen charge and have 6 attacks, including champion. A quarter of that is 1.5 i.e. they force 1.5 saves or wounds. This leaves (11 1.5) attacks from the spearmen, champion included or 9.5 attacks. A quarter of that is about 2.4. While the swordsmen will force 1.5 armour saves, the spearmen forces 2.4 armour saves. A difference of a mere 1.1 but it is in favour of the spearmen showing that they are more likely to win combat for equal armour saves Even though the swordsmen may have slightly better armour saves, charging the spearmen seems a bad proposition.
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You can use the Rule of a quarter for a quick estimate. It works fairly well for close combats or shooting of matching Strength and Toughness. To estimate more accurately use the tables and short analysis in the Appendix.
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13. PREPARING A TOURNAMENT ARMY LIST In this chapter, I shall concentrate exclusively on 2000 to 2500 point armies. The main idea is how to create an army against all-comers and to make it as strong as possible. Special characters have been ignored unless they are unit upgrades.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Armies The first step is to scrutinise all the strengths and weaknesses of your army and you opponents. In writing the list of good magic items, I have omitted common ones as most armies will have access to magic weapons which have a +1A, or +1S or ASF or Armour negating etc and most have magic armour, gauntlets, shields, helms of 5+ or 6+ that can be combined with other mundane armour. Banners or items granting Frenzy are also common and to a lesser degree items granting Hatred or Stubborn. All these are useful so I have concentrated on items which are good and unique or popular. I have also omitted the points cost but this is a very important consideration in choosing magic items.
Beasts of Chaos Strengths: T4 in many units; Chaos Marks enhances characters and some units – Undivided (re-roll Psychology tests); Khorne (Frenzy, +1 Dispel dice); Tzeentch (+1 Power dice, Level 1 Wizard), Slaanesh (ItP, ASF), Nurgle (Fear, +1W); Cheap fast moving sacrificial unit (Warhounds); Beast herds – Ambush and rank bonus for skirmishers, Shooting hits Ungors initially; Wizards with S6 and T4; Several multi-wound units with M6, T4/T5 and multiple attacks; Minotaurs, Ogres, Trolls, Spawn, Giant; Dragon Ogres and Shaggoth – multi-S6/S7 attacks; 2 Terror causers – Shaggoth and Giant
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Good and popular magic items include: Bonecrusher Mace (wounds on 2+; S10 against Steam Tank); Chaos Armour; Rune of True Beast (immune to attacks from steeds, Monsters and swarms); Plague Chalice (suffers S4 hit but casts Irresistible force on doubles); Staff of Darkoth (Wild call, 9+ to cast, enables emerging Herd to charge); Flesh Banner (D6S4 hits at end of combat); Gore Banner (Reroll failed Panic) Weakness: Low armour saves; Ld 8 or less throughout except for the Doombull (Khorne units suffer less from low Ld); No shooting; Mediocre magic items; No heavy cavalry (Centigors are S5 when charging but lack armour) but chariots are available. Beast herds must test for Unruly;
Bretonnianns Strengths: Excellent armour saves, Fast moving – an all cavalry army is possible, M8 barded cavalry; Lance formation; Army wide Ward save; Strong when charging; Resilient Characters who are usually good in challenges; One extra character compared to other armies; Flying Cavalry; Skirmishing archers; Grail Knights – ItP, 2A, magical attacks; 1 Terror causing mount – Hippogriff. Good and popular Virtues include Stoicism (re-roll break tests); Impetuous Knight (D6” to charge distance); Heroism (Killing blow against Monsters), Audacity (re-roll hits and wounds against S4 statistic or better); Duty (+1CR); Joust (re-roll hits when charging); Confidence (re-roll hits and wounds in challenges); Noble disdain (Hatred and Immune to Panic from 25% casualties Good and popular magic items include Silver lance (auto hit); Grail Shield (4+W including mount); Sirienne’s Locket (Never lose more than 1 wound per phase); Ruby Goblet (bearer and unit cannot be wounded by a better than 3+ roll after the first wound); Tress of Isoulde (Hits nominated enemy model on 2+) Valorous Standard (3D6 for Ld tests discarding highest); Errantry Banner (+1S for charging Errant knights);
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Weakness: Weak in magical attack; T3, S3 for nearly all units; Only 2 units ItP – Errants are ItP when charging, Magical attacks from Grail Knights or magic weapons and spells only; Does not get the first turn almost always; Knights cannot choose a flee charge response as they will lose the Blessing.
Daemons of Chaos Strengths: Army wide Ward save, Fear and ItP; Daemonic Instability replaces Break tests; Locus of Heralds – regeneration for Nurgle; 4+W for Tzeentch; ASF for Slaanesh; Lord choices – S6, T6, 5W, Terror, Fly or Fast except Unclean one but he has 10W; Daemonic Gifts cannot be destroyed; Changeling (swap S,T,I and A) and Karanak (Hatred) are available as unit upgrades; Horror units are spell casters; Poisoned attacks for Steeds of Slaanesh and all Nurgle units – Plaguebearers, Beasts of Nurgle and Nurglings; Daemonettes M6; All Slaanesh units, Daemonettes, Seekers and Fiends have Armour piercing attacks; Bloodletters and Bloodcrushers have Killing blow; All Khorne units have MR - Bloodletters and Bloodcrushers have MR(1) while Flesh Hounds have MR(3); Screamers have Slashing attacks (S5 auto hit, fly-by); D6 S5 range 24” shots at BS4 for Flamers; All Tzeentch units have Flaming attacks; Beasts of Nurgle have Regeneration, D6+1 attacks and Slime Trail; Bloodcrushers have 3+ Armour; Fiends have Soporific Musk – Roll extra fleeing dice and discard the highest; Flying Chariot; Good and Popular Daemonic Gifts: Nearly all Daemonic gifts are good so it would be better to study all of them thoroughly. I shall list the popular Gifts: Khorne - Immortal Fury (re-roll hits); Firestorm Blade (Flaming attacks); Armour of Khorne (3+Armour); (Dark Insanity (2D6+2A), Obsidian armour (3+Armour, negates enemy magic weapons) Nurgle - Noxious vapours (models in contact always strike last), Trappings of Nurgle (4+ Armour plus Regeneration); Slime Trail (Enemy attacking flank or rear do not receive bonuses for this); Nurgling Infestation ( Increase Nurglings by 1 base); Pestilent Mucus (Toughness test for 1 wound when Nurgle character is wounded) Slaanesh - Siren Song (Once; Enemy unit forced to charge or flee if within distance), Etherblade (Negates armour); Allure of Slaanesh (Enemy models failing a Ld test cannot strike)
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Tzeentch - Spell Breaker (Dispel Scroll); Master of Sorcery (can use any of the main lores); Spell Destroyer (Scroll plus destroys spell on 4+), Daemonic Robes (3+ to wound) – available to Tzeentch, Slaanesh and Khorne Herald only, Daemonic Icons: Banner of Unholy Victory (D3 CR), Standard of Chaos Glory (All units within 12” are Stubborn), Great Standard of Sundering (2 penalty to cast nominated Lore); Great Icon of Despair (-2 to enemy’s Ld) Weakness: No armour saves except for Bloodcrushers, Khorne chariot and Khorne characters; Shooting limited to 1 unit; All Core and Special are T3 units except Plaguebearers and Flesh hounds; Expensive points cost; Little magical defence usually; Minor weaknesses - S4, T4 for Fiends and S4 for Beasts of Nurgle; Juggernaut is a cavalry steed; All chariots have steeds and character only; S4 Tzeentch chariot; Palanquin is a cavalry mount with 1W , compensated by 6A.
Dark Elves Strengths: Army wide Hatred; High Initiative; Black Guard re-roll hits in every round and are Stubborn; BS5 Scouts; Assassins do not count as characters and several are possible; Assassins with multiple S6 attacks and shooting; High BS and heavy shooting is possible; Above average in all 3 phases; Cheap core units; Cheap flyers; Multiple Monsters including Dragon; Khainite units (Executioners, Witch elves, Assassins) bolstered by Cauldron; 2 Terror causing mounts – Dragon, Manticore and 1 Terror causing units making it possible to have 4 Terror causers. Good and popular Gifts of Khaine Manbane (increase strength to a S6 max), Rune of Khaine (+D3 attacks); Rending Stars (X3 multiple shots) Good and popular magic items include – Pendant of Khaeleth (Ward save based on strength test); Crimson Death (S6); Armour of Eternal Servitude (5+ and regeneration); Armour of Darkness (1+ save); Ring of Hotek (Wizards miscast on doubles), Null Talisman (Cumulative magic resistance); Focus Familiar (Cast from a point 6” away); Banner of Hag Gref (ASF); Banner of Nagarythe (Unbreakable and +1CR to units within 12”); Standard of slaughter (D3 to CR when charging);Venom sword (Khaine, slays on a 2D6 Toughness test from a single wound after 171
saves); Cloak of Twilight (Khaine, Steed of shadows bound spell); Hydra blade (D3 attacks); Lifetaker (X3, range 30”, S4); Hydra Banner ( +1A in first round); Weakness: Heavy cavalry and Chariot subject to Stupidity; T3 in most units; Low Armour saves; Witch elves have no saves; High point cost for Wizards; No units are ItP except Witch elves (Frenzy) but this is offset by a Ld 10 popular general; Magical attacks from magic weapons and spells only;
Dwarfs Strengths: T4 throughout including shooting units; Gromril Armour (4+) available to all characters and several units; Good Armour saves for some units; Runes enhance attacks, CR and Saves; Handguns (Thunderers and maybe characters) have +1 to hit. Characters and units are good in combat e.g Ironbreakers (2+save), Longbeards (S6), Hammerers (Stubborn); Slayer (Unbreakable; wound on 3+); Tunnelling – Miners; Unbreakable units/character and Stubborn units with a high Ld. Cheap Bolt throwers which are 2 per Special choice; Shooting units which are also strong in combat; Variety of shooting and warmachines; Tabletop shooting – Anvil of Doom; Engineering Runes enhances shooting and makes it magical; Engineers enhance shooting (re-roll misfires, BS4); Master engineer (BS5, S10 cannon); Entrenchment (counts as hard cover, defended obstacle); Oathstone (flank or rear charges do not get bonuses); Always marches. Good and popular Runes include Nearly all Master Runes are good so I shall list only the popular Master Runes. Other runes can be used several times but not more than 3 Runes per runic item. Master Rune of Smiting (D6 wounds); Master Rune of Breaking (destroys magic weapon when it hits); Master Rune of Swiftness (ASF); Master Rune of Gromril (1+ save); Master Rune of Grungni (Standard giving 5+Ward save against shooting); Master Rune of Spite (4+Ward); Master Rune of Balance (Remove opponent’s power dice and adds to Dwarven dispel pool); Master Rune of Skewering (Bolt thrower hits on 2+ once); Master Rune of Disguise (Machine cannot be seen until it shoots, moves or if the enemy is 3” away)
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Rune of Might (doubles Strength); Rune of Fury (+1A); ( Rune of Cleaving (+1S); Rune of Stone (+1AS); Rune of Iron (+1Ward save); Rune of Battle (+1CR); Rune of Determination (Break test on D6 once); Ancestor Rune (Stubborn once); Rune of Fate (2+Ward against first wound); Rune of Spell-breaking (Dispel Scroll) Rune of Penetration (Bolt throwers increased Strength, S8 possible); Rune of accuracy (Bolt thrower hits on 2+ once); Rune of Forging (Re-roll Cannon Misfires); Rune of Immolation (2D6 S4 hits when it is destroyed) Weakness: Although they always march they are still slow and cannot escape from a M6 or better planned charge. Pursue at 2D6 -1”; No offensive magic; Low Initiative; No cheap units or obvious sacrificials. No Fear or Terror causers; Only Slayers are ItP but this is offset by a Ld 10 general and Ld 9 units; Entrenchment – Only 1 per Master Engineer; who is a character choice; Oathstone – unit cannot move once it is set.
Empire Strengths: Plate armour; Unbreakable units – Flagellants, Steam Tank and War Altar; Warrior Priests confer Hatred to its unit and can make it Unbreakable; Prayers of Sigmar – Re- roll Hits and wounds, 4+W, D6S4 hits or S5 against Daemons and Undead, All cavalry army is possible; Steam Tank – S8 Cannon, S6 Impact hits, Steam Gun; Heavy shooting possible and a range of powder weapons; S4 shooting by cavalry units; Detachment rules; War Altar – 4+W, Unbreakable and MR(2), casts 1 chosen bound spell from Lore of Light; Versatile army composition which can be strong in all 3 phases; Flagellants could Martyr to cumulatively gain Hatred, re-roll wounds and +1 to CR. 2 Terror causing mounts and 1 Terror causing unit making 3 Terror causers possible in an army. Good and popular magic items include Runefang (auto-wound with no armour saves); Mace of Helstrum (1S10, D6 wounds); Sword of Sigismund (ASF and +1S); Dawn Armour (re-roll armour saves); Armour of Meteoric Iron (1+ Armour save); Holy Relic (4+Ward); Shroud of Magnus (MR(2) and 5+Ward); White Cloak (5+Ward, 2+Ward against Flaming); Van Horstmanns (swap stats with enemy character in a challenge); Laurels of victory (each wound is doubled for CR); Aldreds Casket (steals one enemy spell on 4+); Banner
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of Sigismund (Character and unit is Stubborn); Griffon Standard (doubles rank bonus) Weakness: T3 in most units; Only 1 hard hitting infantry unit; Move or shoot in most shooting units; Pistoliers and Outriders have low armour saves; Warmachines susceptible to misfires; Generating Steam points - Steam Tank effectively cannot attack after it loses 4 or so wounds; Martyrdom slays Flagellants who cannot risk it when they are small in numbers; Magical attacks from magic and magical weapons only. Only the Unbreakable units are ItP. 1 or 2 Fear causing units only.
High Elves Strengths: ASF; High Initiative; M9 steeds; High BS and heavy shooting is possible; Very good elite infantry and cavalry; Good choice of Special units; Dragon Princes – 2A, Dragon armour – Immune to Flaming attacks; Phoenix Guard have a 4+W save and cause Fear; Swordmasters – 2S5 attacks; White Lions – can move through woods without penalty; Lion Chariots cause Fear, Lions have 2A; Scouts have Hatred; Largest number of magic items, some of which are excellent; 3 Dragon army is possible – 3 Terror causers; Good and popular magic items include – Blade of Leaping Gold (+3A); Bow of Seafarer (shoots like a Bolt thrower); Sword of Hoeth (Auto wounds); Reaver Bow (3S5 shots); Armour of Protection (4+Ward) ; Termikidor’s Gauntlet( 6+Armour plus 5+Ward against S4 or greater); Armour of Caledor (2+ Armour); Vambraces of defence (4+ Ward, re-roll armour); Talisman of Saphery (Magical weapons have no effect); Battle Banner (+D6 CR); Banner of Ellyrion (difficult ground becomes open ground); Seerstaff of Saphery (Chooses spells instead of rolling); Ring of Corin ( Bound spell casting Vaul’s Unmaking once); Null stone (negates all spells and magic items); Folariath’s Robe (Only hit by magical attacks); Ring of Fury (Bound spell – Fury of Khaine); Amulet of Light (Magical attacks including unit bearer is with); Gem of Courage (Ld test on 3D6 once); Talisman of Loec ( Re-roll hits and wounds and if wounded re-roll armour once but takes a wound) Weakness: T3 in nearly all units; Low armour saves for all infantry except Phoenix Guard’s Ward save; Expensive points cost for all units; No obvious sacrificial unit; Magical attacks from magic and magical 174
weapons only. No units are ItP but this is offset by Ld10 of the popular general.
Lizardmen Strengths: Cold Blooded; Many T4 or better units – T4 or better possible for the whole army; 2A from Temple Guard and Saurus; Aquatic – Skinks and Kroxigors treat watery terrain as open ground; Skinks have Poisoned shooting; Chameleon skins are -1 to hit; Heavy shooting possible; Stegadon’s great bow = Bolt thrower; Stegadon’s Giant blow pipe = 2D6 S3 Poisoned; Terradons drop rocks (D3S4 each) once per battle; Stegadons have D6+1 Impact hits and good armour saves for itself and the crew; Engine of the Gods (choose one effect per magic phase – reduce casting value of a lore by 1, D6 S4 at 2D6”, 5+ Ward for all units within 12”); A variety of units, each being strong in different phases – Skinks, Stegadon, Razordons and Salamanders in shooting, Saurus, Temple Guard in combat, Kroxigors and Stegadon for high strength combat attacks, Kroxigors, Skinks, Salamanders and Razordons are fast moving units, Flyers with Feigned flight; Slann knows all the Lores, can choose several, and cast missiles through a skink priest. The army can therefore be tailored for strength in each phase making balanced army lists easily achievable; Several Fear or Terror causers - Kroxigors, Cold One, Salamanders, Razordons cause Fear; Stegadon and Carnosaur causes Terror; Carnosaur mount can join units; Engine of the Gods – S6 Impact hits, Attacks before ASF when charging,, -1 to cast; 5 Terror causers possible in an army Good magic items include Blade of Realities (auto slays if Ld test fails); Piranha Blade (Unsaved wounds doubled); Sword of Hornets (ASF) Hide of the Cold Ones (5+ Armour, +1 T, Fear but becomes stupid); Sacred Stegadon Helm ( +1 armour +1 Ld); Cupped hands of the Old Ones (Ignore miscast on a 2+ and an enemy wizard within LOS suffers the miscast but results 5-6 ignored); Plaque of Dominion (Each enemy wizard within 18" that can draw LOS to the banner must take a Stupidity test); Maiming Shield (+1A); Bane Head (Wounds against nominated character are doubled); Diadem of Power (Save magic dice for next magic phase);Glyph necklace (5+Ward); Amulet of Itzl (2+Ward against the first wound); Huanchi’s Totem (D6” extra move); Charm of the Jaguar (bound spell Steed of Shadows) 175
Weakness: Very low Initiative for combat units; Armour is slightly on the low side except Cold Ones (3+ ), Stegadons and Kroxigors (4+); Skinks are T2 and Ld 5; Terradons drop rocks only once and have no armour save; Terradons Feigned flight is on Ld 6 (68% success rate); Stegadon is Stubborn but on Ld 5 (52% success rate) or Ld 6 if skink priest is present; Magical attacks from magic and magical weapons only; Lack of ItP units but this is offset by the Cold blooded Ld test; Razordons and Salamanders lose D3 Skinks when they misfire and are subject to Monster Reaction; High point values of Kroxigors, Stegadons, Terradons
Ogre Kingdoms Strengths: Army wide Fear and M6 except Gnoblars; Bull charge – Impact hits when charging from more than 6”; High strength, T4 and 3W with characters having more; Multiple wound, multiple attack wizards who are tough and good in combat; Very good magic and excellent lore of magic – Restore wounds, regenerate, Panic tests, S2 no armour saves magic missile, Increased strength, Toughness and MR; Small relatively cheap Core unit enabling MSU list; Gorger – emerges from a table side, Unbreakable; Slave Giant – causes Terror but slightly weaker than a normal giant. Good or Popular Ogre Big names include: Kineater (Units within 6”, re-roll Panic); Mountain eater (Wounded on 3+ only); Mawseeker (+1T); Longstrider (M7) Good and popular magic items include: Tenderiser (Great weapon, +2S, D3 wounds), Siegebreaker (+3S Great Weapon, Compare WS to Initiative, D6 wounds if there is no Initiative); Greedy Fist (6+Armour that destroys magic weapons and wizards lose 1 magic level); Wyrdstone necklace (5+Ward; a roll of 1 self inflicts a wound) Hellheart (causes Miscast on a double); Bang stick (bound spell D6 S4); Skull Mantle (-1 to Panic test); Jade Lion (re-roll Psychology tests); Ragbanner (roll 3D6 and discard one for Panic tests). Weakness: Low Ld of many units except general, Ironguts and Rare units – Maneater and Gorger; Low static CR, Low Initiative; Low Armour saves; No good magical armour or Ward saves; Magical attacks only from magic and magical weapons; No units are ItP except for the Gorger. 176
Orcs and Goblins Strengths: T4 for Orcs; Choppa (+1S in first turn); Cheap units – Goblins, Spear Chukkas which are 2 per Special choice, Snotlings; Cheap characters, S4, T4 Orc Wizards; Waagh – D6” extra movement; Fanatic (D6 S5 hits etc); Nets for Night Goblins (-1 to wound); Huge variety of infantry units; Cheap Fast cavalry (Wolf riders and Spider Riders); 2 types of chariots available as mounts as well; Trolls - M6, multi wound, multiple S5attacks, Regeneration. Giant (special attacks, S6 T6, 5W); Good magic Lores; Gains +1 Power dice for each unit of 20 or more in combat.
Good and popular magic items include: Battleaxe of last Waagh (Strength and Attacks increased by enemy’s rank bonus); Shagga’s Sword (+1S, +1A for each enemy character within 12”) Ulags axe (+1S in first round and re-roll hits); Porko Pigstikka (Attacks = enemy ranks bonus); One hit Wunda (S10 one use); Warboss ‘At (5+Ward); Amulet of Protectyness (Swop saves with attacking enemy model); Magic Mushroom (Night Goblin adds D6 to casting roll); Pipes of Doom (Enemy cavalry; Chariot, Monsters within 24” take a Panic test); Iron back Boar (Boar with D3 Impact hits); Bigged Kicking boots (+1A); Tricksy Trinket (No Ward saves); Brimstone Bauble (D6 S6 when slain); Nibbla’s Ring (Bound spell ‘Eadbutt); Mork’s Spirit Totem (Extra dispel dice equal to unit’s rank bonus); Banner of Butchery (+1A once) Weakness: Animosity – Very unpredictable, a big disadvantage but could also be advantageous if a 6 is rolled; Miscast table is more severe than the common table, Low Initiative; Low Ld for Goblin units; Low armour saves for nearly the whole army except Boar Boyz; BS3 for all shooters; Trolls subject to Stupidity on a low Ld; Loses a dispel dice for each fleeing unit of 20 or more; 1 or 2 Fear causers in the army only and few units (Savage Orcs from Frenzy) are ItP; Magical attacks from magic and magical weapons only.
Skaven Strengths: Cheap units; Lots of sacrificial units are possible. Excellent shooting with magical hits - Move or shoot are, Ratling Gun – Roll as many non
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double dice for auto hits at S4 AP, Jezzails – 36”, S6 AP, WLC – 8D6 range without LOS through woods and ruins, S=Artillery dice, D6 wounds; Warpfire thrower – flame template , S5, D3 wounds; Poisoned Wind Globadiers – auto wounds on 4+ with no armour saves; Slings and Throwing stars for Runners and Warplock Pistols (S5) for characters; Other magical attack – Censer Blade – Toughness test causing 1 wound and no armour saves; Strong attacking magic phase, Warpstone Tokens – additional one use power dice for the spell caster; Lead from behind (characters at the back who may leave combat); Strength in Numbers (Ld increased by rank bonus); Life is cheap (Shoot and cast magic into combat); Tunnelling teams that charge when they emerge. Good and popular magic items include: Fell Blade (S10, D6 wounds but 1 wound on a roll of 1-2); Weeping Blade (+1S; D3 wounds); Headsplitter (Missile weapon, wounds T5 or better on 2+); Death Globes (Stone thrower hit wounding on 4+); Twisted Crown (Regeneration); Tenebrous cloak (3+W against missiles including magical); Foul Pendant (5+Ward); Warpstone Amulet (4+ Ward saves wound at the end on a roll of 1); Warpstone Tokens (extra dice when casting) Storm Daemon (Warplightning bound spell); Brass Orb (Death Globe incurring an Initiative test which auto slays); Bands of Power (bound spell – doubles Strength); Umbranner (4+W against S4 or less against normal or magical missiles); Skalm (heals all wounds); Skavenbrew (Frenzied or hatred or both but no effect on a roll of 1) Weakness: S3 and T3 in most units (Monks, Ogres and Censers are T4); Low Ld if >12” from the general; Weak in combat; No Cavalry units; Unpredictable and prone to self injury in magic and shooting – Ratling gun misfires on doubles; Warplightning – 1 hits the caster; Jezzails and Warplock pistols – 1s have to be re-rolled – Two 1s causes a wound; Censer blades causes a self wound on a 6. No Terror causers and Rat Ogres are the only Fear causing unit. No units except Monks (Frenzy) and Censers are ItP.
Tomb Kings Strengths: Army wide Fear and ItP; Undead break tests; Very strong magic phase – spells auto cast as bound spells; Good lore of magic – Restore wounds, Extra movement, extra attacks; Tomb blades – Killing blow and magical attacks; Chariot units – D3S4 Impact hits each; Arrow of the Asp (no shooting penalties - effectively hit on 5+); Screaming skull causes Panic 178
when it wounds; Scorpion – Tunneller, Poisoned and Killing Blow; Tomb Swarm – Tunneller; Casket of Souls – Wounds inflicted equal to 2D6 minus Ld +2.; T5 hero; Undead Constructs – 5+Armour save and +1 to CR; Bone Giant – Causes Terror and Unstoppable assault – every wounding hit generates another hit. Good and popular magic items include: Destroyer of Eternities (2 S7 auto hits for every model in base contact); Spear of Antarhak (unit or character regains 1 wound for every inflicted wound); Crook and Flail (+1A, ASF Flail); Collar of Shapesh (transfers wounds to the unit); Chariot of the Gods (D6+1 Flaming, magical Impact hits); Vambraces of the Sun (-1A); Banner of Undying legion (bound spell restoring wounds); Icon of Rakaph (free reform); Hieratic Jar (extra bound spell); Cloak of Dunes (fly); Golden Ankhra (4+Ward save); Weakness Army sizes smaller than 2000pts are weak; Dependent on magic phase; Cannot march; slow army; Predictable choice of units or magic items; T3 for all except 2 infantry units; Low Initiative, for some units; Hierophant – if slain cause the army to crumble.
Vampire Counts Strengths: Army wide Fear and ItP; Undead Break tests; Almost insurmountable magic phase; Exceptional Lore of magic; Spell casters are able to cast the same spell several times for some spells (IoN - summoning, Danse Macabre –movement, Raise dead); Strongest cavalry unit – Blood Knights, 3S7 A; Ethereals - Magical attacks and cannot be harmed by non-magical attacks, treats all terrain as open ground; Skeletal steeds have Ethereal movement; Wight Blades – Killing blow and magical attacks for Grave Guard, Wight King, Black knights; Strong characters who are also wizards; Possibility of several Flying units – maximum of 6 flying units and 4 flying characters; 4+W Flying Ethereal chariot is possible for the Black coach; Corpse Cart can join units and has bound spell – ASF on all units within 6”; Corpse Cart upgrades (6” range – Additional wound from Invocation Or -1 to cast by enemy Wizards at 24”); Dragon; 2 Terror causing mounts and 2 Terror causing units making a possible 3 Terror causer army.
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Good and popular Vampiric powers include Spectral form (Ethereal); Ghoulkin (additional movement at the start); Forbidden lore (all lores available); Infinite Hatred; Red Fury (additional attacks); Aura of Dark majesty (-1 Ld); Beguile (re-roll 1 fail to wound roll); The Master (summon units other than Zombies); Dread Knight (mounted with lance and heavy armour) Good and popular magic items include Book of Arkhan (bound spell containing Danse macabre); Frost Blade (slain if causes one wound); Balefire spike (lance with Flaming attacks); Walach’s Hauberk (5+Ward, 4+armour that can be combined); Flayed Hauberk (1+ armour); Nightshroud (6+ armour, charger loses all bonuses, ASF and Initiative reduced to 1); Cursed book (enemy WS reduced to 1); Helm of Commandment (Friendly unit within 12” uses bearer’s WS if he is not in combat); Talisman of Lycni (M9); Black periapt (save power/dispel dice); Carstein Ring (revives slain vampire), Gem of Blood (rebounds first saved wound); Drakenhof Banner (regeneration); Standard of Strigos (Hatred) Weakness: T2 and T3 for all except 2 infantry units; Low Initiative, for some units; No shooting; General has to be protected – Army crumbles if he is slain. Limited shooting; No unconditional 4+Ward save
Warriors of Chaos Strengths: Army wide Re-roll Panic tests; Strong characters; T4 Core units; Chaos armour (4+); Marauders – cheap core unit; Cheap fast cavalry unit with shooting and Flails upgrade; Marks of Chaos available to all ‘human’ units and some monstrous beasts (Ogres, Spawns and Giant) – Tzeentch 6+Ward save, +1 to cast; Nurgle - -1 to shooting hits and -1WS in combat, Khorne – Frenzy; Slaanesh – Immune to Fear, Terror and Panic; Several multi-wound multi-attack units – Ogres, Trolls, Dragon Ogres , Spawn (Unbreakable, D6+1A), Scylla (3D6M, D6+2A), Warshrine (4+W, confers EOTG rolls to all champion and 1 unit in the Shooting phase), Hellcannon (Terror, Unbreakable, Shaggoth (Terror and ItP) and Giant (Terror, Stubborn and ItP). Very dangerous Lores of magic - Strong spells which could destroy entire units or render them incapable in combat; EOTG benefit characters and Chosen; Hellcannon shooting
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causes Panic; All character mounts cause Fear and 2 cause Terror and Fly – Manticore and Dragon making a 3 Terror causer army possible. Good and popular Gifts of the gods include Word of Agony (nominated model takes D6 S4 hits); Third eye of Tzeentch (knows all enemy spells except summoning); Acid Ichor (rebounded wound at S4) Good magic and popular items include: Chaos Runesword (+1WS,S,A); Berserker Sword (Extra attacks= number in base contact); Father of Blades (Enemy to hit roll of 1 rebounds on the enemy model); Rending sword (re-roll wounds); Glaive of Putrefaction (reduces enemy to S2, T2 when wounded); Armour of Damnation (enemy re-roll successful hits); Crown of Everlasting Conquest (Regenerate); Golden eye of Tzeentch (4+Wards against normal and magical missiles); Infernal Puppet (Modify enemy miscast rolls by up to D3); Bloodskull Pendant (S8 hit on every model in base contact instead of normal attacks); Helm of Many eyes (ASF); Banner of the Gods (All units within 6” are Stubborn, Unit causes Terror); Blasted Standard (5+W against shooting); Rapturous Standard (Doubles count as Insane courage) Weakness: Expensive point costs of elite units; Only 2 shooting units – Marauder Horsemen at short range as an upgrade, Hellcannon – stone thrower; Hellcannon has to test for Rampage (Ld test to prevent movement towards the enemy), has a bad Misfire table; Forsaken cannot have Marks; No unconditional 4+Ward save; EOTG is only gained when an enemy character is slain in a challenge – a situation the enemy will strive to avoid; Warshrine effectively confers only one EOTG roll to one unit; Warshrine EOTG is not cumulative; Warshrine takes up a Rare slot and is expensive for what it does; EOTG causes Stupidity on a roll of double 1 and no effect on a roll of 7. Units are not ItP except Forsaken (frenzy) and 2 Unbreakable Rare units. Trolls are subject to Stupidity on a low Ld; Magical attacks from magic spells and magic weapons only.
Wood Elves Strengths: Most units are skirmishers, sometimes the whole army could be skirmishers; High BS; High Initiative; All units except Dryad and Treekin can shoot; Waywatchers have Killing blow shots; Glade Guard S4 shooting at short range; Move and shoot without penalty; Heavy shooting is possible; M9 cavalry; Dryads - Cheap S4, T4, 2A skirmisher Forest 181
Spirit units; Wardancers - Shadow Dances – 4+W, +1A, Killing blow, ASF, 6+Ward; Small unit sizes possible; Eternal Guard (like spears with +1A for front row); Wild Riders (+1A in any non charging round); Flying Cavalry with Hit and Run (auto rally after losing combat) Dragon; Treeman – Stubborn T6, S6, W6 with a S4/5 shooting attack, Treesinging spell – moves woods, Woodland ambush – extra woodland; Forest Spirits (Magical attacks, ItP, Fear (Wild Riders – only when they charge), 5+ Ward save against non magical attacks (Wild Riders have 6+Ward as well); Two multi-wound and multi attack units – Treeman and Treekin; Dragon – 2 Terror causer army is possible; Good and popular Sprites includes – Annoyance of Netlings – 6s to hit in a challenge; Murder of Spites – D3 Poisoned attacks; Pageant of shrikes – able to isolate models in unit with S4 shot. Popular Kindreds – Alter – M9, +1A; Wardancer Kindred – Shadow dances Good and popular magic items include Bow of Loren (as many shots as attacks); Blades of Loec (Wardancer reroll wounds); Hunters Talon (Target any model); Helm of the hunt (+1WS, +1A, 6+armour); Amaranthine broach (3+Ward against non magical attacks); Amber Pendant (Enemy strikes last); Stone of Crystal Mere (3+Ward to mount as well but is destroyed if Ward save fails); Glamourweave (4+Ward against missiles including magical); Stone of Rebirth (2+Ward when reduced to 1 wound); Moonstone of Hidden Ways (Teleport user and unit from 1 wood to another) Magic arrows: Starfire (cause Panic when wounding); Hail of Doom (3D6 S4 shots); Arcane bodkins (negates armour); Dragontooth (causes Stupidity); Weakness: T3 for some units; No warmachines and all shooting with bows are S3 except Glade Guard at short range; Treeman has I2; Wardancers are S4 only when they charge and in the first round; Weak in magical attack; Low armour saves for nearly all units except Treeman (3+) and Treekin (4+); Treeman and Treekin are Flammable (double wounds from Flaming attacks); Other than enhancing shooting, magic items are well below average;
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Types of Tournament Lists There are 5 basic types 1) Balanced list By balanced I do not mean compatible with the army background. Balance in this case relates to the army’s strength in each phase. A balanced list aims to be strong in all 3 phases, including the same phases during the opponent’s turn. Certain armies cannot be truly balanced, either because they lack magic (Dwarfs) or shooting (Daemons with no Flamers and, in a way Screamers). A study of the army strengths and weaknesses above will show that not all armies can be equally strong in every phase. Other than a mixture of shooting units, Wizards, cavalry, warmachines and infantry, there are 3 variations which aim to be balanced but usually are stronger in 2 phases, worth noting: a) Mostly small units – MSU. Small units, of about 3,5 or less than 10 models, many of which pack a punch. They can inflict a significant number of wounds and do not cost too many points. Therefore it is immaterial if these units are destroyed by shooting or combat as there are more units to replace them and fulfil their tasks. Their objective is to get into combat quickly and inflict as many wounds as possible and hopefully combine charges from a superior number of units. Ogres and Wood elves tend to be MSU while Dark elves and High elves sometimes have an element of MSU by combining several small units with larger ones. The inherent weakness of MSU is a lack of rank bonus and being outnumbered in combat i.e. a low static CR. b) Horde armies This list consists of a large number of infantry units, sometimes with some support from cavalry or elite units or shooting or magic. Three armies could generate viable Horde armies. Skaven and Goblins can do so because of several cheap units. Vampire Counts could start as a horde army or could look like a horde army midway through the game. The main tactic here is to lure, deflect charges and ambush thereby creating flank or rear charges as often as possible and rely mainly on CR (usually from multiple charges) to break units.
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The weaknesses of the horde army are a lack of space to manoeuvre, low Leadership of many units, non sacrificial units being overrun by a very strong fast moving enemy unit or a Deathstar unit (See below). The horde army has to anchor at least one flank to prevent this. (See Anchoring a flank, Combat Manoeuvres chapter). c) All-Cavalry armies (nearly!) This is popular with Bretonnians but could also be done with Empire and to a lesser variant with High Elves or Warriors of Chaos. An all cavalry horde Goblin army used to be viable but is slightly dubious now. Similarly it is doubtful whether an all-chariot Tomb King army is competitive. The army moves quickly into combat and uses magic and shooting entirely for supportive reasons. The extreme version (see Extreme armies below) relinquishes either shooting or magic or both. The obvious strength of this army is its ability to get into combat quickly, usually in turn 2. Unit strength and rank bonus may be a problem but not for the Bretonnian Lance formation. Their weakness is terrain, especially buildings (See Barn Dance in Combat Manoeuvres). Beast Cowers and armour negating shooting e.g. several Bolt throwers are also reasonably effective against them. March blocking units restrict them to some degree. Producing a balanced tournament army list therefore requires great skill as evaluating tactics and choosing units have to be carried out at the same time. However, considering the variety of armies in a tournament, a balanced list has the best chance of winning, at least on paper. I shall deal with this type of army in more detail in the last section of the chapter. 2) Gun-line This type of army list has a strong emphasis on shooting. Skaven, Dwarves, Empire, Dark Elves and sometimes Wood Elves or High Elves may employ this type of army. Each army has a different gun-line flavour. Wood elves and High elves rely on long range – 30”. Dark elves use multiple shots – 2X Skaven use Jezzails and Ratling guns plus WLC and possibly Warpfire throwers and Poisoned Wind Globadiers. Empire is reliant on black powder Move or Shoot units – Pistoliers, Outriders, Handgunners but could also use Crossbowmen. These units have S4 missile but occasionally Huntsmen are used who are S3. Their warmachines have much higher strength missiles but could misfire. 184
Dwarven gun-lines are similar to Empire but their warmachines are far superior. Quarrellers and Thunderers make up the shooting units. Warmachines are enhanced by Engineering Runes, Engineers and Entrenchments. There will be more than 2 usually, with Bolt throwers and Cannons being the most popular. The choice of a third or even fourth warmachine depends on taste. Only Bolt throwers and Gyrocopters are not subject to misfires but the other warmachines could have runes to reduce the incidence or impact of misfires. Most gun-lines also rely on some balance and would employ selected units that are good in combat and units that are good in offensive magic. The strength of gun-lines is obviously their shooting and their ability to decimate selected units. Their weakness is they cannot destroy a whole army just by shooting alone and must still rely to varying degrees on magic and eventual combat. Rain Lord and Howling Wind are spells which are quite effective against gun-lines. Tunnellers, Gorgers, Miners and Ambushing Beastherds, Ethereals (but not against Skaven), Several Flyers and sacrificial units can be used effectively against gun-lines (See Defending against Shooting in the Shooting Chapter). Gun-lines is also covered in previous chapters (Deployment and Shooting). 3) Extreme lists Three basic types: 1) One or 2 extremely strong units. These units are designed to break and slay as many units in combat as quickly as possible. This is commonly called a Deathstar list. The principle here is quite simple. A single unit should be able to win as many Victory points as possible by breaking several units in the battle against any opposition. Such a unit should have these characteristics ideally: 1) 18 or so S9 attacks at WS7 and I6 or ASF - Inflict at least 10 wounds. 2) Movement 14 – get into combat from turn 1 3) Fear causer with a high unit strength of 30 or more – Auto-break non Fear causing enemy units. 4) 1+ AS and 4+Ward save with Regeneration – maximise ability to withstand attacks 5) Unbreakable – ItP and no break tests needed. 6) Largely unaffected by all magic and shooting. This could be, MR(3) plus 2 Dispel Scrolls and unaffected by S3 shots and cannot be wounded 185
on a better than 3+ are existing possibilities – Magic and shooting should not have a significant effect on the size of the unit. Since there is no unit that fulfils these criteria, the normal Deathstar approximate these requirements to varying degrees. There is no set standard minimum for a Deathstar. An arbitrary requirement might be set to being able to break any spearmen unit of 25, followed by an average cavalry unit of 5 and withstand a double charge from an average elite infantry of 20 and average heavy cavalry unit of 5. Using the above, each criterion (1-6) above can be reduced to a minimum of: 1) 16 WS5 attacks at S5/S6 on the charge. Killing blow would also be useful especially against heavily armoured cavalry and so would some Flaming attacks. 2) M7 is the minimum required movement rate. M4 and M5 could easily be marched block and M6 is only slightly better. It is possible avoid combat for 3 rounds against M4, M5 or M6. 3) and 5): It is impossible to satisfy (1) and (2) with an Unbreakable unit except with a BSB and magic Banner. ItP is almost imperative. Causing Fear then becomes less important but the number of attacks must then be maintained at S5/S6 for all rounds i.e. if combat cannot be won by the Deathstar outnumbering by Fear, then a large number of wounds is necessary. A Stubborn Ld 10 and Immunity to Panic while causing Fear on the charge has a reasonable chance of success. So appropriate combinations of ItP, High Leadership, Stubborn, Fear Causer, Immunity to Panic, CR bonuses should satisfy the bare minimum needed. 4) Together with 2), this strongly suggest that heavy cavalry is a good base unit to form a Deathstar. Ward saves or Regeneration can again be obtained via magic standards. 6) Magic items could provide the MR(3) required to repel magic and -1 to hit but there are other ways of defending against magic and shooting as outlined in the Magic chapter (Defending against magic) and the Shooting chapter (Defending against shooting) Since the Deathstar should be in combat by turn 2 onwards and is a unusually large unit, this is the least important consideration.
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The strength of the Deathstar list is its ability to destroy 2 or 3 units at least. It will also affect your opponent psychologically as he has to make sure he deals with the Deathstar correctly. The other friendly units have to draw away and deal with the enemy sacrificials and small support units. The Deathstar itself aims to maximise the Victory points it is meant to amass from quickly destroying ranked up infantry, cavalry units etc. The weakness of the Deathstar is that the other units might be too weak and easily destroyed or destroyed too early. The Deathstar itself could be reduced in size significantly by template hits e.g. from a stone thrower, or magic or concentrated shooting. It could also be stuck in combat for more than 1 round or forced to charge sacrificial units of low point value in its way.
2) Extreme magic Greater than 12 Power dice reinforced by bound spells and magic enhancing items. Again an easy tactic of casting as many wound inflicting spells per magic phase while buffering up friendly units e.g. improving CR, to hit/wound/saving rolls, WS, S,T etc The strength of an extreme magic army is obviously its magic phase. Therefore spells which inflict wounds are favoured unless it is a Vampire Count army where restoring wounds and raising new units are equally important. However like gun-line shooting, this alone will not win the battle. Combat and possibly shooting will have the important role of attacking magic-weakened units and destroying them. The main weakness of the magic based army is that magic is not dependable. Miscasts, dispel dice, magic resistance, dispel scrolls and keeping the wizards alive are all impediments. The lores of magic available also restrict the efficacy of this army. Only armies with good lores of magic available like Vampire Counts, Tzeentch, Lizardmen and possibly High Elves could choose this type of army list. Combat and shooting units have to be strong enough to complement the magic phase. For some armies e.g. Skaven and Empire, magic can only be elevated at the expense of either or both these phases and therefore extreme magic is not a good option. 3) Extreme shooting – a gun-line stretched to its limits and ignores strength in all or some other phases. This can only be used if the important sections of the gun-line are mobile and can move into shelter/cover and shoot. Gun-lines have already been covered above.
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Some examples of extreme lists and dangerous lists This list by no means the definitive list but if you study the lists for each army and cross reference with its strengths and weaknesses in the previous section, I am sure you will have an idea of the inherent dangers of all the armies. In addition you should be able to create similar variations using the underlying principles illustrated here. I am only going to highlight the extreme features and mention the units involved. The other units of these armies will vary according to taste and it is obvious that they have to complement and/or augment the armies strength while mitigating its weakness. Each army has been categorised into 3 types of lists. 1) The extreme list/s it could have 2) Deathstar list if any 3) Dangerous lists.
Bretonnianns 1) Maximum number of Pegasus units. This is also known as the Flying circus. Four units of Pegasus and the lord on a Royal Pegasus could easily destroy the majority of units weak in combat 2) Deathstar list Sometimes created using 12 or so Grail Knights with 2 or 3 characters using as many Virtues as possible but this is not popular because the lance formation offers a better alternative and enables several units to be dangerous. 3) Dangerous lists. An all knight list is very fast and would at least one or two units would be in combat by turn 2. The units are mobile but not very manoeuvrable since terrain and the long Lance formation will restrict movement. There is a MSU variation of this which is also viable. The main tactic of this army is to maintain a wall of charging knights down the battlefield and get into combat quickly. A near continuous battle line after charging in turn 2 is ideal for Bretonnians. Each unit has to try to break the enemy on the charge when their lances are most effective. After that they are down to S3. Since it is likely that there is a character in a unit of knights, 10S5 and 7S3 attacks can be expected on the charge i.e. strong enough to break most units which do not have special CR bonuses (e.g. Stubborn , Undead etc).
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Pegasus knights have the same useful functions as Flyers as explained in the previous chapters. They have the added bonus of T4, a Ward save and a fairly good armour save. Placing one sacrificial unit in front of 3 units of knights should be sufficient to gain a flank charge against one Bretonnian unit. They have to be lured and ambushed. Terrain (especially buildings) also restricts their ability to maintain a continuous battle line. Cannons, multiple Bolt throwers and an accurate stone thrower shot are also effective against them but only for 1 or 2 rounds.
Daemons There are so many combinations for Daemons. It would be easiest if I list the extreme units which could be combined to form the extreme army or a Deathstar lists. Nurgle extremis: a) 3 Nurgle Heralds in 3 large blocks of Plaguebearers – cannot be broken for several turns of combat because of Regeneration and 5+Ward. Greater Daemon as Lord. Heralds have Noxious vapours which forces enemy models in base contact to strike last. b) Unclean one with 3 Nurgle Heralds – all with Nurgling Infestation plus a few units of Nurglings. The Nurglings surround the Nurgle characters and are virtually impossible to destroy creating an impenetrable wall which will hold up several enemy units and expose them to flank charges. Screamer extremis About 18 Screamers in 4 units or slightly less in 3 units; 18 S5 hits for every unit they fly over in each turn; Combined with the maximum magic and Flamers, this forces the enemy to come towards them making more Screamer hits possible. Tzeentch extremis Maximum magic – 3 or more units of Horrors with Tzeentch Heralds for 4+ Ward save plus Changeling. This is usually combined with a Lord of change or Bloodthirster and suitable combat support. About 20 or so Power dice Flesh Hounds extremis
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3 or more units of Fleshhounds with Karanak in one unit;
Tzeentch Flames extremis Maximum number of Flamers – 2 units of 6 with a Pyrocaster; A total of 12D6 S5 shots per shooting phase Other Rare units, Beasts of Nurgle, Fiends, Bloodcrushers are also potentially dangerous and more so in large numbers. Permutations of the above combined with a Greater Daemon with Gifts Khorne - Immortal Fury, Firestorm Blade; Dark Insanity; Armour of Khorne, Obsidian Armour Tzeentch – Master of Sorcery, Daemonic Robes, SpellBreaker/Destroyer Slaanesh – Siren Song Nurgle – Noxious Vapours Daemonic Icons – Standard of Chaos Glory, Banner of Unholy Victory These Gifts are explained in the Army Strengths and weaknesses section.
Dark Elves 1) Extreme shooting. 4 Bolt throwers and 3 or more units of 10 repeater crossbowmen with more shooting from Shades and Dark Riders. Or Shades – A large number of them 25 or more in one big unit or 2 or 3 units with a character with Life taker with an Assassin/Assassins plus further shooting from repeater crossbowmen and/or Reaper Bolt throwers and/or Dark Riders. The Shades have Great weapons (S5) and the BSB with them has the Banner of Hag Gref for ASF or possibly Banner of Nagarythe. There are a few ways of dealing with a large unit of Shades. Ethereals or a strong combat unit under the effect of Howling Wind could charge them and inflict heavy losses. A simpler method of dealing with Deathstar units could be used. This is explained later (See Fighting Deathstar armies) 2) Deathstar lists revolving around combinations of 15 or so Cold One Knights with the Banner of Cold ones or Hag Gref, a BSB with Banner of Nagarythe. 190
Cauldron variations are used to provide the 5+W save to the large super unit which may or may not be a Khainite unit (usually Executioners) while making support Khainite units Stubborn. Several Assassins, in infantry units offer another variation. All variations may sometimes be combined with the extreme shooting list above. Instead of using Cold Ones, Dark Riders could also be used since they are cheaper. This list relies on support units to work as a Deathstar which is slightly fragile. The Banner of Nagarythe is now absolutely necessary. There should be 4 fighting characters in the front rank. 3 Nullstones are needed for MR(3) reducing the number of magic items available. Since the Banner of Hag Gref cannot be used another similar unit could accompany this Deathstar. Both units will be Unbreakable Fast cavalry with shooting. Assassins in small unit of Shades would complete the support needed by joining the Deathstar unit in combat as early as possible. 3) Dangerous lists Double Hydra, Several Assassins, Elite unit with always strikes first Banner. Pendant of Khaeleth is nearly always present and makes the Dreadlord near impossible to slay if he also has good armour. Soul stealer may also add to his invincibility. The Assassins are vital at winning combat against mediocre T3 units while the Stubborn Black Guard unit is difficult to dislodge and will always hold in combat for at least a round or 2. The Assassins might have to specify the model/s they are attacking (allocate attacks) because they cannot afford to be hit back since they have no saves. Hydras have 7 S5 attack making them excellent as a support unit or against small units. Flaming attacks will negate the Hydra’s Regeneration and a good static CR could also defeat it. If there is a surviving model in base contact with the Assassin, it should always target the Assassin.
Dwarfs 1) Dwarven gun-lines are quite popular and an extreme gun-line of nearly all shooting units is possible. A mixture of Quarrellers and Thunderers for Core units. 4 or more Bolt throwers with or without a Cannon to provide the high strength shots and combinations of Grudge thrower, Organ Gun, Flame Cannon and Gyrocopter for the template hit or mass hit. The Anvil is mandatory of course. 2) There are no Dwarven Deathstar lists. 191
3) Dangerous lists Any list with an Anvil of Doom is dangerous but Dwarf characters and warmachines are often infused with Runes. This has already been covered in the section on Gun-lines above. This makes characters strong and resilient in combat while warmachines could hit more easily or with greater strength and effect. The gun-line above is usually modified by adding Miners or Rangers and at least 2 combat units using Longbeards, Hammerers and Ironbreakers. Hammerers are Stubborn while Longbeards are Immune to Panic. Both are usually S6 using great weapons. Ironbreakers have a 2+ save and should hold against most units. Some of these units will be joined by Thanes and/or a Dwarf Lord and inevitably the presence of Runes will be used to enhance various abilities. When facing Dwarfs, it is useful to be reminded of various Runes they could have and to find out early what Runic effects there are in the army. The Anvil is not easily destroyed. Shooting and magic missiles faces a 4+ Ward save and combat is against an Unbreakable unit and a tough Dwarf lord. It will not be easy to get to it as it is usually tucked away somewhere e.g. in very difficult terrain etc. Non magical spells will inflict some damage while combat requires high strength attacks. Slayers while dangerous in combat have no saves and could be destroyed by shooting and magic. Charging shooting units or warmachines will have to be treated differently from other armies. A quick victory should not be expected because of they have armour and are T4. A minimum S4 attacks is needed and even then the Dwarf shooters will hit back hard! Even multiple S3 attack units, like Harpies, could charge and be defeated by a unit of Thunderers.
Empire 1) There are no extreme lists. 2) A Deathstar list involves using 1 Captain, BSB and Banner of Sigismund or Griffon Banner, 1 Warrior Priest, a Wizard with Van Horstmanns and a Scroll, a Templar Grand master with Laurels of Victory in a unit of 15 or so Knightly Orders with Steel Standard or Standard of Arcane Warding. All characters have a Ward save of some kind. Other magic items might include Icon of Magnus, Mace of Helstrum etc.
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Alternatively a 3 Warrior Priest Deathstar might be used in the unit of 15 knights. The idea here is to hope that the appropriate Prayer of Sigmar can be cast each turn – Unbreakable or re- roll hits and wounds . The Empire Deathstar list is not popular because it falls short of quite a few of the 6 criteria mentioned previously. 3) Dangerous lists These lists use combinations of 2 Steam tanks, a War Altar, at least 2 Warrior Priests, a Cannon, a mixture of shooting units (Pistoliers, Handgunners, Crossbowmen, Outriders) and usually a cavalry unit or 2. The War Altar will cast Cleansing Flare supported by Prayers from the Arch Lector and the Warrior Priests. Steam Tanks use their S6 Impact hits to destroy units and like Flagellants can hold against most charges. Steam Tanks are horribly weakened once they have lost 4 wounds or so but have the advantage that they must be completely destroyed before Victory points can be claimed against them. High strength magic weapons with multiple wounds (e.g. Tenderiser) could destroy them in 2 turns. The War Altar is a chariot and will be destroyed by a S7 wounding hit but it does have a 4+ Ward save. Empire infantry is T3 but detachments make them stronger. It is better to charge the detachments and slay them first but beware that they are not being used as bait.
High Elves 1) 3 Dragons is possible but is not as effective as it sounds since there will be only 4 or 5 other units. The very small number of units makes it far less dangerous and losing just 1 unit is a serious setback. Gun-lines are normally ignored since combat is the High Elf strong point. 2) A Deathstar list with Dragon Princes is possible. The Dragon Prince have the Standard of Balance (ItP and negates enemy Frenzy and Hatred) while the BSB has Battle Banner (+D6 to CR). A mage with Loremaster cloak (2+ Ward save against magic) ensure magical protection, Sacred Incense (-1 to hit from shooting) or Talisman of Saphery (changes magic weapons to mundane with Armour of Protection (4+Ward, 6+Armour), Foe Bane (wounds on 2+ against models with 2 or more wounds) for the Lord. Other combinations of magic items for the mage and lord are also possible e.g. Amulet of fire, Healing Potion, Ring of Corin etc. So many points will be invested in this Deathstar, that the normally small High elf army would look even smaller.
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3) For High Elves, other than the lists mentioned above, it is more a question of dangerous units rather than a dangerous army list because of their army wide ASF. Dragon Princes have 2 S5 attacks each, Swordmasters also have 2S5 attacks each, Phoenix Guard have a 4+ ward enabling them to hold and White Lions have S6 attacks and are Stubborn with no penalties to moving in woods and +2 AS against shooting. Lion chariots have steeds with 2 S5 attacks. Combining these elite units while deterring charges with spearmen makes them favourites in the combat phase. The weakness of High elf lists is a general weakness of having a small number of units. Once a unit or 2 is broken or even fleeing, the army as a whole begins to look sparse and vulnerable. Breaking a High Elf unit however is not an easy task. A flank charge against a unit of 10 Swordmasters will win but against 15, might not.
Lizardmen 1) There are no Extreme lists 2) A Deathstar list would include a large unit of Cold Ones with a Scar Vet BSB with or without a magical banner, a Charm of the Jaguar Scar Vet and an Oldblood on a Cold one. The Cold Ones Standard bearer would carry a magic banner e.g. Huanchi’s blessed Totem, Sun Standard or Skavenpelt Banner. Skavenpelt Banner would provide over 20 attacks but a Frenzied Deathstar can easily be led on a wild goose chase. (See Feeding the Frenzied) Support units would be at least one Skink Priest on the Engine of the Gods mainly to provide a 5+Ward save 3) Three types of dangerous lists, one based on a Slann and heavy magic, the second is a gun line that moves, the third on an Oldblood and a combat orientated list and the last has several Monsters. The Slann could choose Focus of Mystery (knows all spells of a chosen lore). Focused Rumination (free extra dice when casting), Soul of Stone (re-roll Miscasts). Two or three level 2 Skink Priests with at least one on an Ancient Stegadon with Engine of the Gods boosts the Power Dice to 10 or 12. The ‘gun line’ in this case involves Stegadons (Bolt thrower or Giant blowpipe- 2D6 hits), Salamanders (Artillery dice range flame template, S3 and -3 to armour saves), Skinks with blow pipes and javelins and Razordons (Artillery dice S4 at 12”).
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The Giant Bow will deal with cavalry and armoured units. Skinks will pick off small T3 units while Salamanders have the dual function of shooting at infantry and cavalry. The list that focuses on combat would use an Old Blood possibly on a Carnosaur, Scar Veterans with Saurus, Cold Ones and Kroxigors. A mainly monstrous, or dinosaur army is also dangerous. This would include several Stegadons/Ancient Stegadons, Salamanders, Razordons and/or Terradons with either a Slann or an Old blood on a Carnosaur. The magic and shooting Lizardmen armies are handled in the usual way. Enemy units which survive combat against Saurus, Temple Guard, Kroxigors and Stegadons have a better chance in subsequent rounds because of the low Initiative of these units. A Stegadon or Kroxigors flanked charged by a normal fully ranked up infantry unit could be broken in combat, by static CR alone.
Ogre Kingdoms 1) No extreme list 2) A Deathstar list with a big unit of Ogres with a Tyrant and a Bruiser BSB is theoretically possible but does not have the same resilience and ability to withstand ranged attacks as other Deathstars. The MSU alternative is far better for Ogres. 3) MSU Ogres. All units have 3 models excluding characters. 6 units of Ogre Bulls, 2 or 3 units of Ironguts, 1 or 2 Gorgers, at least 1 unit of Yhetees with 3 Butchers and a Tyrant is dangerous and the most popular army composition. The army simply rushes forward as far as possible but some units also serve to lure dangerous enemy units by fleeing to enable a flank charge. Magic is cast as much as possible to buff up certain units or to inflict damage on the enemy. It should be easy to gain a Bull charge against M4 infantry (See Advancing limitations and Retreating). There is usually at least one Gorger whose duty is to take out warmachines and shooting units. If enemy shooting is likely to be concentrated, a unit of Ogre bulls should be positioned to threaten the warmachines at the moment the Gorger emerges. The weakness of this army is its dependency on the Butchers. Units with these characters should be targeted early so that either the unit flees or the Butcher is slain. The Tyrant’s unit could also be targeted by shooting and magic but he is much harder to slay. The army is also 195
normally spread wide since they have to move up the table all together. A concerted effort to attack and dominate one flank should provide a breakthrough. When this happens, instead of surrounding the enemy, the Ogres themselves could be surrounded, a situation they will want to avoid.
Orcs and Goblins 1) 1 extreme list of 15 or so Fanatics in 15 units of 20 Night Goblins is possible. This would prove devastating against horde armies but since the movement of the Fanatic is unpredictable, this list depends largely on chance to win. 2) Deathstar lists are not really viable because of Animosity 3) Dangerous lists revolve around combinations of 6 or more Bolt throwers, 8 or more Savage Orc Boar Boyz (Big Uns usually) and a number of Fanatics. The Boar Boyz could have Nogs Banner of Butchery increasing their attacks to 25 S5 attacks in 1 turn. Heavy magic using Shamans only, is possible but not really effective because of a Ld8 instead of Ld9 general. 3 Shaman armies could work since Waagh magic is very strong and Shamans are T4. The cheap cost of most units, enable Orcs and Goblins to field many large units. A unit size of 30 models is not uncommon. There are also quite a few expendable, sacrificial units like Goblins, Snotlings and even Wolf Riders. If Animosity does not happen at inopportune moments, setting up good charges or flank charges should be possible. In combat Orc units are good when charging. Choppa bonuses, Tusker charge etc increase their Strength. Savage Orcs would probably be armed with 2 hand weapons giving them 3S4 attacks each (or S5 if they are Big Uns). Normal Orc units do not thrive in protracted combat because of the loss of Choppa bonus after the first round and their relatively low Initiative Most units have low armour saves, no better than 5+, although 4+ is possible in combat. Savage Orcs have no armour but a 6+ Ward making them vulnerable to shooting. When positioning units to charge Orcs or Goblins in the next turn, always take Animosity and Waagh into account. Add 6” to the safety distance otherwise your units could be charged instead from a roll of a 6.
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Fanatics can easily be destroyed by magic or shooting but sometimes ignoring them also work as they self destruct on double rolls or when they hit terrain.
Skaven 1) Skaven army of Doom (SAD) could be an extreme gun-line. How extreme and how it is equipped is very much a matter of taste for the Skaven player. The upper limit at 2000 points is about 9 Ratling guns, 2 units of 8 Jezzails, a Warlord and 2 Warlock Engineers Most SAD armies settle for about 5 Ratling guns and 2 or 3 Warlock Engineers is very common. The Warlord may be substituted by a Greyseer but this is an important drop in the general’s Ld from 7 to 6. Jezzails are also very popular. Usually, a unit or 2 is present while the other shooting units might include Warp lightning cannon, Warpfire throwers and Poisoned wind Globadiers. If 3 or more Ratling guns survive to get in range, they will wreak havoc among the enemy units. If by turn 5 they still exist, then the enemy has a difficult chance of maintaining good size units for final combat. By moving 1 or two Ratling guns or Warpfire throwers just behind sheltering terrain near the centre of the battlefield, enemy incursions are deterred. They effectively become an ambushing unit. (See the diagram on Move or Shoot in the Shooting Chapter). Poisoned Wind Globadiers are often underestimated but using several units of 2 Globadiers is effective against knights. Any shooting unit can only target 1 enemy unit at a time. By using units of 2 Globadiers, only 2 Globadiers can be slain per unit of enemy shooting or per successful enemy spell. All the Globadiers units are still placed together so that they can concentrate their shooting on 1 unit. 4 Globadiers can on average, slay 1 knight per round of shooting. Using them around terrain might extend this to several rounds. (See Barn Dance in Combat Manoeuvres). Ratling guns can be destroyed easily by spells and shooting. A single Elven shot, even at S3 has a good chance of destroying a Ratling gun. The 15” range and move or shoot restriction also limits the Ratling gun. All Skaven shooting units which is more than 12” from the general is susceptible to Panic and should be targeted by spells or shooting to inflict 25% or more casualties. At best isolated Skaven units can have a Leadership of 7 while isolated shooting units are Leadership 5.
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Expect to suffer unusually heavy casualties in turns 1 or 2 but do not be daunted by this as when elite units charge Skaven units, they will inevitably break them. 2) No Deathstar army list 3) The only dangerous army lists are based on variations of the SAD army above. Almost all Skaven armies will have a unit or two of Slaves and Night Runners. These units will do their utmost to frustrate elite units by deflecting their charges, tempting and luring them. The only units that are significant in combat are Monks and Censers. These units are T4 but have no armour saves. Although they may inflict several wounds and sometimes break a unit, it is unlikely that they will last very long in combat like most Skaven units. Tunnellers are excellent units and because they charge when they emerge, they could easily destroy enemy warmachines and T3 shooting units. Sometimes tunnellers may shoot instead with Poisoned stars.
Vampire Counts 1) Two extreme lists i) Maximum Power Dice – 16 Power Dice is easily achieved. This has already been discussed in the previous section. ii) Maximise Ethereal units. This includes Ethereal characters. This is unusual and hardly used since Ethereal characters cannot join units. However Ethereals do play a part in most Vampire lists as some armies can only wound them with a character’s magic weapon or from spells. By dispelling any spells cast on them and avoiding units with combat characters, Ethereals can easily fulfil their best role of sweeping up small units, shooting units and warmachines. Cairn Wraiths are better at this than Spirit hosts because of their S5. Other than magic weapons and spells, they can be defeated by combat resolution by a T4 unit – Outnumber, Standard and 3 ranks against their average 5 wounds, loses combat by Musician. A list consisting of mainly flyers and flying characters would be considered extreme but this is list is less strong than most Vampire army lists. 2) Most of the Deathstar criteria can be fulfilled – ItP, Cause Fear, Large number of High strength attacks, No break tests. 198
Two Deathstar armies: A) Unit of 15 or more Dire wolves with 4 mounted Vampires joining that unit. The Dire wolves need protection from magic, shooting and combat. This is done by a BSB with Drakenhof Banner which grants Regeneration. However Flaming attacks, especially ranged or template attacks could decimate the unit. Flag of the Blood Keep, which grants 4+Ward against ranged attacks including magical ranged attacks is a possible alternative. B) A Large units of 12 or more Bloodknights joined by at least 3 mounted Vampires. The Deathstar amounts to more than 1000 points but is more dangerous because the knights have good armour saves. The Knights themselves could have a magical Banner choosing from any of the following: Flag of the Bloodkeep, Banner of Strigos (Hatred), Icon of Vengeance (unaffected by general’s death), Banner of Endless Nightmare (up to +4 for rank bonuses). Therefore the BSB does not need to have the Drakenhof Banner using Vampiric powers to bolster his resilience and combat abilities. The Vampires are set various tasks – one to keep Dispel Scrolls, one to accept challenges, one to inflict as many wounds on rank and file enemy units. Vampiric powers and Magic items for this has been previously outlined in the Strengths and Weaknesses section. On paper this Deathstar unit appears to be formidable but is easily dealt with in the standard way for powerful Frenzied units. (See Feeding the Frenzied)
Warriors of Chaos 1) No extreme lists 2) A Doomstar list based on Chaos knights, Mark of Slaanesh (better than Khorne) and Blasted Standard, BSB with Banner of the Gods. This Deathstar unit amounts to more than 1000 points and again falls short of several criteria to make it truly competitive. 3) Like High elves, it is not a question of dangerous lists to look out for. Warriors of Chaos have strong characters and are especially strong in the combat phase. Chosen, Chaos Knights and the multi-wound multiple attack units could win combat or their own and when successfully combined will break enemy units. 199
If there are 3 or more Sorcerers, the magic phase will be very strong. The spells that can destroy units however require a high casting roll and therefore is only dangerous when a Sorcerer lord is used. The War shrine is fickle but more than one could be used. The right dice roll at the right time could easily turn the tide in the Warriors’ favour. This may make it seem unreliable but since the EOTG roll could be changed in future rounds at a range of 12”, the chances of obtaining a useful roll at least once per game is likely. The same applies to Chosen although they are slightly better off since they re-roll the adverse rolls. Therefore a list with 2 War shrines and at least 2 units of Chosen would be very strong in combat.
Wood Elves 1) No extreme lists 2) A lack of good armour saves and characters who are not designed for combat alone rules out a good Deathstar lists. A theoretical possibility of 3 Wardancer characters in a large unit of Wardancers is possible. However Wardancers function better as separate small units and the ambushing skirmishers tactics suits the army as whole. 3) The common aspects of Wood Elf armies are 3 or more units of Dryads, shooting units, Treesinging and Wardancers. Together they form the basic tactic of moving and shooting, moving woodland to reduce space for the enemy and creating areas of ambush. Wood elf armies are willing to wait and let the enemy move towards them, while waiting behind or in woods and other sheltering terrain. Enemy units are deterred from entering woods by Treesinging. In addition, Wood Elf skirmishers are stronger (if not the strongest) than enemy skirmisher units. Enemy skirmisher units therefore cannot sensibly attack Wood elves in their woods while ranked up units are slowed down by them. Woods and any difficult terrain providing cover is ideal for Wood elf units and becomes their stronghold. A variety of magic arrows which negate armour, cause Panic or Stupidity are also popular and can be used to good effect. Hail of Doom arrow can easily destroy a selected small unit or reduce the numbers of a dangerous unit. It is best used on units with little or no armour to maximise its effects.
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Dangerous army list revolve around the tactics above and include Nobles with Alter and/or Wardancer Kindred, Bow of Loren and magic arrows, Annoyance of Netlings (usually given to a Branchwraith) and several small units of Dryads and Wardancers. At least one Treeman would be included in the army. They are Stubborn in combat, cause Terror are T6, have a Treesinging bound spell and have a shooting attacks. They are therefore good in every phase. Three Treeman armies are possible. Treemen’s main weakness is that they suffer twice as many hits from Flaming attacks. Wood elves lack armour and are vulnerable to spells and magical shooting. The Forest spirits Ward save are for non magical attacks only. In combat Wood elves lack static combat resolution (except for the Eternal Guard) and other than Treeman and Treekin they attack with S4 or less. Avoiding a counter-charge, usually by Wardancers is important in surviving their ambushing tactics.
Fighting Deathstar armies Since it is likely that a Deathstar list will be present in a tournament, it is best to evaluate the tactics against them. The basic tactic has already been mentioned Feeding the Frenzied in the Combat Manoeuvres chapter. The Deathstar is offered scraps of low point value which always aims to divert it away from the main combat arena. Any shooting or magic that has a very good chance of inflicting a large number of hits, more than 10 or thereabouts e.g. Stone thrower hitting the centre could also be used to reduce the size of the Deathstar. Assess this carefully as shooting or casting spells on the other, much weaker units might be better at guaranteeing more Victory points. (See Magic and Shooting chapter). B
Second Unit of Sacrificials
A
Unit of Sacrificial Skirmishers E1
Closest visible, reachable skirmishe
E2 Large unit of Shades Woods
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The diagram above shows how a cheap unit of 5 skirmishers e.g. Night Runners, surrounds the big unit of Dark Elf Shades. The Shade unit will either have to shoot or charge the cheap sacrificial unit. In the next turn a second unit of sacrificials surround the Deathstar unit followed by a third and so on. Up to 4 or 5 sacrificial units can be used in this way, losing a total of 150 – 200 Victory points. In the meantime units (A) and (B) concentrate on attacking the weaker support units (E1) and (E2). (A) and (B) should have been set up during deployment. The strongest fast moving units should be deployed as late as possible and well away from the Deathstar for this strategy to succeed. Notice the exact position of the closest, visible and reachable skirmisher which forces a charge move away from the centre and the main battlefield arena. In addition the distance of the other skirmishers ensure that they march block and cut off the Deathstar’s LOS even if the Deathstar moves. (Or only 1 or 2 Deathstar models can shoot/cast magic after trying to move around the sacrificials). Your first sacrificial unit should already be in place in turn 1. Immediately target all enemy Wizards and the unit sheltering them with ranged attacks like magic spells and shooting. Since Deathstars are combat units, this will improve your magic phase tremendously. If the Deathstar contains a Wizard which is extremely unlikely unless it is a Vampire Deathstar, ignore that Wizard. Continue battering all the weaker units for as long as you can. Move you fastest combat worthy units quickly into combat. At some stage the Deathstar might wriggle free, worm its way through your sacrificials or you might simply run out of sacrificial units. This could happen in turn five but never earlier than turn 4 if you’ve moved correctly. Simply sacrifice another unit – your cheapest preferably or the cheapest possible. In turns 5 and 6 you should pay careful attention to acquiring table quarters (See Endgame) and should easily have at least 1 more table quarter than the Deathstar army.
If the Deathstar has been reduced in size or possibly lost a character, it might be possible to confront it. However your army needs to have one or two very strong elite units. Whether you want to gamble on defeating the Deathstar or taking on more easily defeated units is another question of balance you have to assess. Note and compare the number of attacks, strength, toughness, saves, Initiative, static CR etc of the Deathstar and your chosen unit/s before gambling on this dangerous venture. 202
Choosing units In this section I shall deal with the balanced list mentioned previously. As usual you start with a brief overview of all enemy armies’ strengths and weaknesses and your army’s strengths and weaknesses. Choose units that will complement each other or enhance the overall strength of the army and alleviate its inherent weakness. Your choices will also determine the army tactics. As you choose you units, certain tactics will be made possible. E.g. If you choose 3 units of High Elf Archers, or Wood elf Glade Guard or Dwarven Thunderers as your Core choices, then the option of going shooting heavy or a gun-line becomes possible. You do not have to decide yet and indeed should not. Do not set your mind on a tactic and then choose the units or the reverse of choosing all your units and then establishing tactics. Units and tactics must be created concurrently since they are dependent on each other. These are the essential steps in creating an army list 1) Set up your Magical defence by selecting Wizard/s or their equivalent – A minimum of 2 Dispel scrolls and 5 Dispel Dice are needed. 3 Scrolls are preferable if you feel your army needs additional magical protection e.g. all units are T3 without good armour saves. If no scrolls are available, then choose their equivalent e.g. Rune of spell breaking, Spell breaker etc. If you cannot generate sufficient dispelling power e.g. some Daemon armies, then bear in mind that you expect to lose a few models in the enemy’s magic phase as you proceed with steps 2-7. 2) Choose at least 2 sacrificial units and 1 or two more cheap units. This is necessary to deal with Deathstars, Dragons, Greater daemons and so on. 3) If you have not used the necessary 3 Core choices, choose the minimum number for the moment e.g. 3X 10 spearmen. Their numbers will be increased later in steps 4 – 7. 4) Now study carefully your army’s weaknesses and strengths and evaluate one phase at a time starting with your opponent’s magic phase.
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Look at how you would deal with two of the strongest magic phases e.g. Lizardmen with Slann and 2 priests or 4 Vampire counts. Write down minimum combinations of magic items and units that can cope with these two strong magical enemies. 5) Repeat the process for enemy shooting e.g. SAD army. 6) The same process is finally applied to close combat. Consider at least 4 different combative armies e.g. 3 Dragon High Elf army with Swordmasters, Spearmen, Lion Chariots, Vampires Deathstar, all cavalry Bretonnians and definitely a strong combat Daemon army with a Bloodthirster, Karanak and Flesh hounds, Plague bearers with Herald of Nurgle and magic Banner. 7) Having set up your defensive strategies you can now think about your magic, shooting and attacking phase, comparing your army’s shooting, combat etc against enemy lists which have good defences against shooting, combat etc. 7) Go through steps 4 – 7 several times, refining the list and changing the unit sizes each time Note down the tactics available as and when you choose units e.g. choosing Wild Riders for Wood Elves – note their extra attack, S5 on the charge, ItP, Fear causer and 5+, 6+ Ward saves. Their charging choices are limited as they cannot expect to break a normal 5 wide ranked up infantry from a frontal charge. You now have an idea of what your units can and cannot do. From this you can formulate tactics e.g. Units A and B will screen and sacrifice themselves to any Deathstars or enemy units that are too strong. Units C will hold against any charges. Unit D can flank charges held by C. Unit E will march block or threaten shooting units etc. Unit F can sweep up ancillary and support units. You should, at the end of the process, come up with a competitive list and strategies to cope with different armies. Good luck!
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Appendix Probability tables The first table converts the dice rolls for the ‘To Hit’ chart into probabilities.
Table 12.1 Hit Chart % Weapon Skill 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 50 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33
2 50 50 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33
3 67 50 50 33 33 33 33 33 33 33
4 67 50 50 50 33 33 33 33 33 33
Weapon Skill 5 6 67 67 67 67 50 50 50 50 50 50 33 50 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33
7 67 67 67 50 50 50 50 33 33 33
8 67 67 67 50 50 50 50 50 33 33
9 67 67 67 67 50 50 50 40 50 33
10 67 67 67 67 50 50 50 50 50 50
To calculate these percentages if you have not got a calculator during a game: 33% = Divide the number of attacks/shots by 3 and round up 50% = Halve the number of attacks/shots 67% = Divide the number of attacks/shots by 3. Subtract this from the number of attacks/shots and round up.
Table12.2 Wound Chart % Strength 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 50 67 83 83 83 83 83
2 33 50 67 83 83 83 83
3 17 33 50 67 83 83 83
4 17 17 33 50 67 83 83
Toughness 5 6 17 17 17 33 17 50 33 67 50 83 67
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7 17 17 33 50
8 17 17 33
9 17 17
10 17
8 9 10
83 83 83
83 83 83
83 83 83
83 83 83
83 83 83
83 83 83
67 83 83
50 67 83
33 50 67
17 33 50
To calculate these percentages if you have not got a calculator during a game: 17% = Divide the number of successful hits by 6 and round up 83% = Divide the number of successful hits by 6. Subtract this from the number of successful hits and round up.
Simple Analysis The difference in WS has less impact on casualties as the difference in Strength and Toughness.
Shooting: Table 12.3 BS or Outcome Needed % Probability successful
BS 5 or more 2 83
BS 4
BS 3
BS 2
BS 4
3 67
4 50
5 33
6 17
Simple Analysis This explains why Elven shooting, at BS 4 is more effective than other shooting. Elven characters normally have BS 5 which means they will probably not miss when they shoot without modifiers.
Normal Leadership Tests and 2 dice tests Table 12.4 DICE No of Probability Probability Passed Ld ROLL different roll of of test TOTAL combinations Dice roll Dice roll > (Ld test < = = Column 1 Dice Roll) VALUE %
2
1
2.8
100
206
2.8
Break test with BSB or rerollable % 5.5
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
2 3 4 5 6 5 4 3 2 1
5.6 8.3 11.1 13.9 16.7 13.9 11.1 8.3 5.6 2.8
97 92 83 72 58 42 28 17 8.3 2.8
8.3 17 28 42 58 72 83 92 97 100
16 31 48 66 82 92 97 99 99.9 100
Simple Analysis Two dice rolls are used for Psychology tests, rallying, Break tests, fleeing/pursuing with M6 or less and also for miscasts or when casting spells using 2 dice. The most common roll is a 7. This means that 1) Units with Leadership 7 have only a 58% chance of succeeding Leadership rolls. Leadership 8 has a 72% chance, Leadership 9 has 83% and Leadership 10 a whopping 92% chance of success. 2) It is most likely that you suffer a S2 hit when you miscast 3) You flee or pursue about 7” with M6 or less 4) You have a 58% chance of success of getting at least a 7 with 2 dice to cast or dispel spells. Three dice would be better. With 2 dice you have a 73% chance of getting 6 or better.
Best 2 dice from 3 Dice Rolls
Table 12.5 3 DICE ROLL TOTAL VALUE MINUS LARGEST DICE VALUE
No of Passed Ld test Break test with different roll (Ld test less BSB or recombinations than or = Dice rollable Roll) % %
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2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
16 27 34 36 34 27 19 12 7 3 1
7.4 20 35 52 68 81 89 95 98 99.5 100
14.2 36 58 77 90 96 99 99.7 99.9 99.998 100
Simple Analysis The Cold blooded rule for Lizardmen dramatically improves their Leadership based dice rolls. Skinks, at Leadership 5 have only a 52% chance of success but most Lizards are Leadership 7 increasing their chance of success to 81%. A Slann Battle Standard bearer makes Lizardmen units practically Unbreakable – 99.7% probability.
3 Dice Rolls Table 12.6 3 DICE ROLL RESULT 3 4 5
Probability Likelihood No of different of of outcome combinat dice roll i.e.> = Dice ions roll % 1 0.5 100 3 1.4 99.5 6 2.8 98 208
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Total
10 15 21 25 27 27 25 21 15 10 6 3 1 216
4.6 6.9 9.7 11.6 12.5 12.5 11.6 9.7 6.9 4.6 2.8 1.4 0.5
95 91 84 74 63 50 38 26 16 9 5 2 0.5
Simple Analysis 1) To gain a probability of 83% or more in successfully fleeing (i.e. 5” fleeing roll or better in the 2 dice roll table) from a cavalry charge (M8), an infantry unit should be placed 12” from the chargers. 2) A cavalry unit intending to flee from another cavalry unit of M8 with the same probability of 83% (i.e. 8” fleeing roll or better) should be placed 9” or more from the charger. 2) A cavalry unit wishing to flee with the same success probability from an infantry unit can be placed as close as 1” from it. 3) If you use 3 dice to cast or dispel a spell the probability of getting at least 9 is 74%
Probability when rolling 5 or 10 dice at the same time There are 2 ways of approaching the probability of dice rolls. In the previous tables a roll of 2 followed by a 1 is distinguished from a roll of 1 followed by a 2. If both dice are rolled at the same time then an out come of 1,2 is indistinguishable from 2,1. Both methods can be used to calculate probability and it is highly debatable whether one method is more accurate than the other.
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The calculation for the tables below assumes that a roll of 6612345123 is not different from 1234561236 i.e. the arrangement or position of individual dice do not create a different roll.
Table 12.7
Exact number of successful hits from 5 attacks 0
Dice roll needed = 6
Dice roll Dice roll Dice roll needed = needed = needed = 4+ 3+ 5+ (5 or 6) Probability Probability Probability Probability of success of success of success of success (%) (%) (%) (%) 50 22 8.5 2.5
1
28
28
18
8
2
14
24
24
16
3
6
16
24
24
4
2
8
18
28
5
0.3
2.5
8.5
22
Table 12.8 Cumulative Dice roll Dice roll Dice roll Dice roll successful needed = 6 needed = needed = needed = hits from 5 5+ (5 or 6) 4+ 3+ attacks Probability Probability Probability Probability 2+ = at least of success of success of success of success 2 successes (%) (%) (%) (%) 0 50 22 8.5 2.5 1+
50
78 210
91.5
97.5
2+
22
50
74
90
3+
8
26
50
74
4+
2
10.5
26.5
50
5
0.3
2.5
8.5
22
Simple Analysis 1) The peaks for each column in Table 12.7 show the most likely outcome. There is a 50% probability of rolling no 6s from 5 dice! 2) Table 12.8 could commonly occur in combat. A unit with 5 attacks requiring 4+ to hit has a 50% chance of getting 3 hits but a very good chance (74%) of getting 2 hits at least. An increase to a 3+ to hit shifts these values up by 1. There is a 74% chance of getting at least 3 hits.
The next 2 tables show the same probabilities if 10 dice are used. As you will notice later, the probabilities for using 10 dice cannot be obtained by simply doubling the probabilities with 5 dice i.e. if you have 3.2 probable successes for a certain dice roll with 5 dice you will not have 6.4 (double) probable successes for the same roll with 10 dice.
Table 12.9 Exact Dice roll Dice roll Dice roll Dice roll number of needed = 6 needed = needed = needed = successful 5+ (5 or 6) 4+ 3+ hits from 10 Probability Probability Probability Probability attacks of success of success of success of success (%) (%) (%) (%) 0 33 9.5 2 0.4
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1
24
14.5
5.5
1.3
2
16
16.5
9
3
3
11
16
12
5
4
7
14
14
8
5
4
11
15
11
6
2
8
14
14
7
1
5
12
16
8
0.5
3
9
16.5
9
0.1
1.3
5.5
14.5
10
0.03
0.4
2
9.5
The calculation for the table above assumes that a roll of 6612345123 is not different from 1234561236 i.e. the arrangement or position of individual dice do not create a different roll. Sample Calculation for Column 1 No of ways of rolling 10 dice = 3003 No of ways of rolling 10 dice without any sixes = 1001 Probability = 1001/3003 = 33%
Simple Analysis The peaks for each column show the most likely outcome. Notice the likelihood of not getting any 6s from 10 dice is much lower than it is for 5 dice but not exactly half.
Table 12.10 Cumulative Dice roll Dice roll Dice roll Dice roll successful needed = 6 needed = needed = needed = hits from 10 5+ (5 or 6) 4+ 3+ attacks Probability Probability Probability Probability 2+ = at least of success of success of success of success 2 successes (%) (%) (%) (%) 0 33 9.5 2 0.4
212
1+
67
90
98
99.5
2+
43
75
92
98
3+
26
59
83
95
4+
15
43
71
89
5+
7.6
29
57
81
6+
3.6
18
42
70
7+
1.6
10
28.5
56
8+
0.6
4.7
16.5
40.5
9+
0.13
1.7
7.5
24
10
0.03
0.4
2
9.5
Simple Analysis Taking any probability of 70% or more as very good probability. If 5s or more (5+) are needed, then at least 2 fives will be rolled. If 4+ or more is needed, then at least 4 fours will be rolled. If 3+ or more is needed, then at least 6 threes will be rolled. Comparing tables 12.8 and 12.10, the probabilities are not in proportion To roll a 4+ with 5 dice, there is a 74% chance of 2 successes. To roll a 4+ with 10 dice, there is a 71% chance of 4 successes. This seems like a small difference but comparing the values elsewhere, it can be seen there is a significant difference between the 5 dice and 10 dice roll. To roll a 6+ with 5 dice, there is a 22% chance of 2 successes. But To roll a 6+ with 10 dice, there is a 15% chance of 4 successes. In general, the probability of the same success is lower for a 10 dice roll than for 5 dice or you are more likely to achieve a favourable result by rolling less dice.
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If you have 20 hits that require 5s or 6s to succeed then the probability tables above show that it is better to roll 5 dice 4 times than to roll 20 dice at the same time. The difference however is small and is more a quirk of probability calculations and the initial assumption that 2 dice rolled simultaneously and yielding 2,4 is the same as 4,2. The probability for this is different if the dice are rolled sequentially or 1 dice at a time. In this case a roll of 2 followed by a roll of 4 is different from a roll of 4 followed by 2.
Improving your dice rolls Suppose you have rolled a 1, would the probability of rolling another 1 be higher or the same. Most mathematicians would agree that the probability of rolling two consecutive 1s is 1/36 which is significantly smaller than the probability of rolling just one 1 which is 1/6. Using this theory, you could use the technique below to improve your probability of getting a favourable dice roll. Example: You need to roll 10 or less for a Leadership test. 1) Roll about 10 dice 2) Pick out any two dice with 6s and roll them for the Leadership test. You have reduced the probability of rolling 6s with these dice by doing so. You can also use the same principle to roll for a high outcome e.g. by picking 1s and re-rolling them you reduce the probability of getting 1s.
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