War Hammer Tactic A

8/8/2019 War Hammer Tactic A

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WARHAMMER

TACTICA

By

Deathless Draich

If you found this book useful and would like to make adonation for its upkeep, the PayPal Account where this

can be done is [email protected]

COPYRIGHT DEATHLESS DRAICH 2009


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CONTENTS Page

1. ESTIMATING DISTANCES 7Using known distances 7Perspective and angle of sight 9Using measured distances and terrain 10

2. DEPLOYMENT 12Choosing the right spells 12

Order of deployment 12Types of Deployment 13

Standard Central 14Refused Flank 15Weakened Flank 16Abandoned Flank 16Chequerboard and Screens 17Gun lines 18

Gambit deployment 20Defensive bubble 21Deployment and terrain 22Positioning the general, characters and the army 22centre

3. SELECTING & USING TERRAIN 23Cover, LOS and Exposure 23LOS and unhindered movement 24Combat and terrain 25Buildings 25

4. TURN 1 27Re-deployment and Closest proximity comparison 27Formulating a general strategy 29


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Assessing strengths and weaknesses 30Speed,Obvious sacrificialsBalance of magical powerNumber of shots and number of shooting casualtiesCharacters

5. CHECKS & MANOUEVRES 32The 4 negative checks 32The 3 positive checks 34Charge or not to charge 34Initiative and the next combat round 39Hold or Flee? 39Pre-calculations 43

The importance of Static CRHow many moves ahead?

Space, front line and maximising manoeuvrability 45Why is space important?Increasing your space and reducing the enemysSacrificing a charge to make space

Advancing limitations and retreating 54Planning pursuits and fleeing 61

6. MAGIC 65Which spells and the default spell 65Lores of magic, strengths and weaknesses summary 67How many power dice should be used and which 95spells should be castDefending against magic 99Selecting spell targets 101Magic at the start and in the latter half 102

7. SHOOTING 106Move or shoot 106Target selection 106

Concentrated shooting 108Rounds of available shooting 109


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Terrain and shooting 109HillsBuildingsShooting in Cover

Warmachines 112Protecting warmachinesShoot or escapeDistance estimatesForegoing shooting with artillery dice

Defending against shooting 115Using Large unitsMultiple unit exposureSeveral small units of low point valueScreening unitsTunnellers, Miners, Ambushing units and Flyers

8. COMBAT MANOEUVRES 120Winning a flank 120Anchoring a won flank 120Lure and Ambush 121Behind enemy lines 122

Destroying enemy fleers

Cutting off retreatsThe Barn Dance 124Generals Position and Rallying Order 127Breaking through the enemy 129

Support or reserve troops, thicker front lineWall of troops moved forward

Increasing Attacks 131Reinforcing a weakened unit 132Slowing down the enemy 133

Swarms, Unbreakable, Undead and Stubborn unitsDeflecting charges and blocking chargersMarch blocking and Skirmishers

9. COMMON TRAPS 141Anvil and Hammer 141Double charge from the refused bait 141Charge or be charged 143

BasicFast Cavalry


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Skirmishers

Wheeling arc trap 147EITW traps 148

Fleeing into a charge path

Large TargetsFeigned Flanking moves 150Forced Clipping 151

Character in the cornerMinimising attacks back

Failed charge traps 153Tempt into a failed charge using terrainDenying space for charge completionWide unit versus the long unit

Creating ambush areas 156

10. USING PSYCHOLOGY 157Fearful armies and Immunity to Psychology 157 Fear, Panic and Low Leadership 157Cascading Mass Panic 158Feeding the Frenzied 158Stupidity 160Other tests 161

11. ENDGAME 162Decisions in turn 5 162Changing tactics in the last turn 163

12. PROBABILITY 165Rule of a quarter 166

13. PREPARING A TOURNAMENT 168ARMY LISTStrength and Weaknesses of Armies 170Types of Tournament Lists 183

Some examples of Extreme and Dangerous lists 185


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Fighting Deathstar armies 201Choosing units 203

Appendix 205Probability tablesProbability when rolling 5 or 10 dice at the same timeImproving your dice rolls


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1. ESTIMATING

DISTANCESOne of the most important basic skills of Warhammer. Games are lost orwon on the basis of good distance estimates. Indeed, the best players areable 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 anA4 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 youwith distances. The standard five 2cm model wide tray is 4 wide. Youcan use this distance to estimate other distances. 8 would be twice thewidth of the movement tray. 10 would be twice plus half, 12 would bethree 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 ismuch easier. Simply double that estimate to get the full distance.

Try this and you will notice it works well. You could also extendthe principle to very long distances by splitting the distance to half andthen a quarter and quadrupling your estimate.

Your estimates of short distances will improve and eventually sowill your estimates of long distances.


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The charging distance is 7.1 and will succeed if the unit has M4 orbetter.

If the wheel needed is slightly less than 30 o, the wheeling distanceis two inches giving a total charge distance of six inches.

TABLE 1.1Angle of the wheeling arcWidth of unit

30o 45o 60 o 90 o 5 wide 20mm (4) 2 3.1 4.2 6.36 wide 20mm (4.7) 2.5 3.7 5 7.47 wide 20mm (5.5) 2.9 4.3 5.8 8.65 wide 25mm or

cavalry (5)2.6 4 5.2 7.9

6 wide 25mm (5.9) 3.1 4.6 6.2 9.3Ogres 3 wide (3.6) 1.9 2.9 3.8 5.7

The table above is a useful summary of distances moved by variousunits as it wheels.

The wheeling arc normally cannot exceed 45 o but sometimesEITW might require a bigger wheeling arc.

Notice that a 30 o wheel moves a unit to exactly half its width. This

is worth remembering

Perspective and angle of sightHave 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.

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 onthe right is that of a player sitting down.

A1 A1

A2A2

A2A2

A1 A1


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In both cases, the distance between A1 and A2 are identicalPerspective, for the diagram on the right, and a small angle of sightcauses 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 distancefor flyers on your side and on the opposite side. Chances are you will bemore accurate with the distance estimate that is closer to you.

It might be necessary sometimes to move over to your opponentsside of the board for a crucial measurement. Do so, but be warned thatsome players may find this an annoyance.

Using measured distances and terrain

Before deployment is made, look at strategic points on the battlefield andremember their distances. This might be the closest distance between 2bits of terrain, the distance between two terrain features like a road and atower, or the size of a terrain itself like the width or length of arectangular building. In the diagram below, D are distances worthremembering while F is a distance of little use.

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. Thiswill help you in estimating similar or possibly the same distance insubsequent 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 checkingthat range and using that information in the next turn.

Buiding

Deployment zone

Deployment zone

D

D

D D

DF

Woods


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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 withinrange 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 16from the archers is measured.

Many players are only too aware of this and will make thetargeting measurement very quickly allowing very little time to comparethe tape measure with other distances. There is no harm and it is perfectlyfair to verify these distances yourself, especially since the rules state thatthis distance must be checked.

Archers

Cavalry

Warmachine


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2. DEPLOYMENT

Choosing the right spellsThis 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 butalways assess the enemys weaknesses and strengths

To illustrate this with a few examples: Lore of Light is strongeragainst Undead and Daemons. Against Bretonnians, spells with hits thatnegate armour saves are preferable. Rain Lord and Howler Wind areeffective 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 deploymentDeployment 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 unitsthat have to defend against these enemy units. Wait and see! Do not betoo proactive but react to your opponents deployment. There is no needto take the initiative here. Both you and your opponent will be hoping foreasy units to blast away with shooting; or weak, but points heavy, unitswithin easy reach of strong elites.

There are three important considerations during deployment:

A) Shooting: How effective is the enemy shooting and how susceptible isthe enemy to your shooting?

If you are deploying a gun-line, wait until the favoured targets havebeen deployed. If facing a gun-line deploy the units out of range,sheltered or deploy the shooting absorbent units first. On the other handif the gun-line has not been deployed you could pre-empt its deploymentby temptingly exposing a unit.

Large targets must be deployed so that they can move quickly andat the same time not be unduly exposed to shooting.

You might want to shelter a chariot from potential S7 hits, but itwill be absolutely useless stuck behind some woods.


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B) Speed: How fast is the enemy in general and what problems will itsfast units pose? Conversely how effective are your fast units.

This is the most crucial consideration as it is the most difficult torectify if you have made a mistake. Flyers can easily spoil any good

deployment. Fast heavy cavalry could easily dominate one flank andsweep through the centre. Pick the unit to defend against them (usuallyanother cavalry unit) and deploy this unit after the fast moving enemyunit has been deployed.

C) Combining forces: Some units have to be deployed close together tobe effective. Three blocks of infantry marching abreast down thebattlefield 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 spacefor them and no units are unintentionally isolated.

Types of deployment

Key for diagrams in this section:

C

HC

A

S

F

W

I

= Cavalry unit

= Heavy cavalry

= Warmachines

= Infantry unit

= Archers

= Skirmishers

= Flyers


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Standard CentralThis is the common deployment for balanced armies with a mixture of fast units, slow units, shooting, magic and combat.

The fast units (usually cavalry) are deployed on one or moreflanks. The central units are expected to hold against early attacks. Theobjective of this deployment is to dominate one or more flanks early andthen to assist the ranked up central units in later turns.

Although, this is a common form of deployment, it is by no meansrigid. One cavalry unit for instance may be deployed more centrally if ithas a good chance of breaking certain enemy units or sometimes tosupport the infantry units. ( See Retreat Limitations in Checks and

Manoeuvres). If this deployment option is viable, then it is also possibleto incorporate the strengths of other types of deployment below andmodify this deployment if appropriate.

Two prong flank This is similar to the standard central except two groups of strongunits are deployed on each flank. The central units could be anunimportant group of archers, weak sacrificial units etc.

The idea here is to avoid combat in the centre and surround theenemy by winning a flank.

See also Gambit deployment below.

WC I I I I A C


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C IW

I

A

HCI

Refused Flank If the opposing army moves reasonably fast (or faster) and has

more units, then this deployment is a suitable option.

The units may be slightly clustered as shown above or in a line atone end of the deployment zone. The other end or flank is left vacant andis 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 notread your intentions. Hopefully he or she will deploy a few units in theflank that you wish to vacate. Continue deploying the more central unitsuntil as many enemy units are deployed in the refused flank.

The army is stronger in left flank of the diagram above. Thereforeit can easily dominate this flank early in the game. To do this, it mustmove 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 firsttwo turns.

Notice a single unit of heavy cavalry in the diagram above facesthe refused flank. This unit serves to slow down any fast but weak,cavalry or flyers or similar units. Alternatively, a unit that will slowattackers, like swarms or a cheap Unbreakable unit could be placed herefor the same purpose.


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SC CW I I I SI

Weakened Flank This is a different version of the Refused flank. One or two units areplaced in one flank while the majority of the army is deployed on theother side of the deployment zone.

The units placed in the weakened flank are either skirmisherswhich 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 wheneverything else fails, allowing the enemy to charge them.

The skirmisher units must not be too close to the side of the tableas they move forward. They must be able to flee without leaving thebattlefield. 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 forarmies with at least one or two flying units or fast or manoeuvrablecavalry.


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The idea here is to trick your opponent into thinking that themajority of your units will be placed in the later abandoned flank, on theright in this case. No units should be deployed in the other flank until allthe units in the abandoned flank have been deployed.

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 unitsshould be facing at an angle towards the centre, if it is not a skirmisherand preferably should be partially or fully sheltered. This should temptthe opponent to place some elite units or war machines , archers, gunlines etc directly opposite. As soon as this is done, the rest of the army isdeployed in the other half units (F), (C) and (W) etc.

In the first turn the flyers or fast moving units, (F1) and (F2) willmove right across to the left half of the battlefield.A flank has therefore been abandoned and the opposing army faces thetask of a long march before it can engage the enemy.

(See also pg 135 March blocking)

Chequerboard and ScreensThis is necessary and commonly used in horde armies. Placing a unitbehind another restricts the movement options of the unit at the back. Thechequerboard formation allows both the unit in front and behind to movefairly freely.

The faster units are not necessarily deployed in front to free theunits 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

F2F IW I I1 I1 F1C


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WC

I2 I I

I A

C

I I

C1

WC 2 I2 I

IA

CI1

IC1 SSSSS

deployed in front of long range warmachines and then open up to revealthese big guns and enlarge their shooting arc.

Instead of a chequerboard formation, some units may beintentionally placed in front of another unit as shown in the diagrambelow. They act as a Screen and must therefore cover as much area aspossible and are deployed directly in front of enemy shooting.

Unit (S) in the diagram below screens both I1 and I2. It will movein tandem with the unit it protects until destroyed or when a screen is nolonger needed.

Gun lines

Many of the principles here apply to shooting units in general and not justgun-lines. There are some obvious rules in deploying gun lines:


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i) Do not crowd every shooting unit on a hill if it is available unless yourgun line is small.ii) Do not arrange the gun lines units in a perfect straight line so that anenemy unit can sweep right through them, overrunning one unit after

another, shown by the diagram on the left.

The staggered V or (inverted V as in the diagram above, right) formationis a better gun line formation. This of course restricts LOS slightly butprevents 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 biggerthis area, the more effective gun line becomes.

The warmachines, W and G and the Archers (A), have beenpositioned so that their LOS to the area of enemy infiltration ismaximised.

W1

C1 A1

A2

W2

W1

C1

A1A2W2

Charge Overrun

GW

Building

Woods

HillA

Woods

Building Impenetrabl

Region of enemyinfiltration

G


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G

I A C I I

iv) Balance the need to protect the gun line and to support your combattroops. This balance will be in constant flux throughout the game. ASlayer character for instance, might be initially deployed to protectDwarven cannon and Bolt throwers. If these warmachines face imminent

destruction, then it might be better off for the Slayer to support combatelsewhere.

Gambit deploymentThis 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 anannoying thorn to draw away the enemy. Its survival is secondary as itsmain function is to distract the enemy. To do this, it cannot merely be aweak sacrificial unit e.g. Snotlings. It has to constantly harass the enemyso that they feel compelled to destroy it.

A single cheap Bolt thrower could do this or a unit of two of NightRunners with slings or a small unit of Skinks etc.

Terrain plays an important part here. If the gambit is placed behindimpenetrable terrain it will be doubly annoying as it would be difficult toget to them. On the other hand, it might be necessary to deploy the gambitin open ground so that the rest of the army is sheltered. In this case, thegambit should be placed as close as possible to a table corner.

The Gambit unit (G) will constantly harass the enemy by shootingetc. 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 acombat unit has been successfully removed from the main combat arena.


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As soon as you have decided which deployment type to employ, create amental picture of the army and place a dice at the army centre. This isusually where the general will be deployed if he is on foot. Since he ismoving at the same rate as the slow unit he is in, it makes sense that he

starts centrally, relative to the armyA flying general, a lord on a dragon, could easily be drawn awayfrom 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. Fightingcharacters in a unit or on their own must not be blocked by friendly unitsor terrain and must have sufficient freedom to move quickly into combat.Characters ability to move from one unit to another could also be used tobolster any weaknesses or dominate any area.

A BSB supports other units and must also be sufficiently shelteredso that it can get into the main combat arena quickly without beingwounded.


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3. SELECTING & USING

TERRAINHave you been subjected to the common boast of the experienced

player? Just pick and place any terrain. Ill play with any terrain youchoose. These players are not intentionally neglecting the importance of terrain as they know fully well the importance of terrain distribution onthe battlefield.

If you follow the recommendations for terrain outlined in theseventh edition rule book, then the placement of terrain is even morecrucial. There are five main principles governing the placement of terrain:

1) Cover from ranged attacks i.e. shooting and magic2) Enhancing your LOS while reducing your opponents3) Stifling your opponents manoeuvrability without reducing yours4) Protection from unwanted combat/charges5) Creating regions of ambush

Before the game starts, you have a choice on how each terrainfeature will affect LOS and whether they will be considered to be difficultor normal terrain. Use the five principles above as guidance.

Difficult terrain will slow down your opponent while not restrictingLOS. Woods and hills always block LOS but you could specify whethersome walls, ruins etc block LOS or not.

Cover, LOS and exposureThis 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 orcrest of hills if possible. In combat they would then gain from being onhigher ground.

However if you are more likely to be wiped out from a singlevolley of enemy shooting, then it is far better to choose terrain thatshelters 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 onepiece of terrain. Partial cover may be good enough as it still benefits fromthe Soft or Hard Cover rules. A unit is considered to be in cover if at least half of its models are in cover .

In the diagram above, both W and C1 gain from cover. This iscovered in the Shooting chapter.

LOS and unhindered movementHills are the only terrain that provides decent cover without

hindering movement. It is ironic that gunlines loves hills but a nonshooting army greatly benefits from hills just outside the deployment

zone or close to the centre of the battlefield. Units are able to shelterbehind 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 movetowards the combat zone. Identify these crucial areas and try to controlthem early in the game.

C 1

Archers

Woods

W

W

Building

Woods

Hil

Woods

Building D2

D1 D3

I1I2


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I2 can easily pass through D1. I1 is blocked by D3 and should nothave been deployed there. It now has to either go through the woodspartially 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 rangecharges 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 ambushingzones.

Combat and TerrainTerrain is also set up to protect units from a direct assault.

The protected warmachine has already been discussed above but any unitcould use terrain in the same way to protect its flank.

In the diagram in the above, both I1 and I2 have to move aroundterrain. They have been slowed down in trying to get to the importantcentral zone, fringed by D1, D2 and D3. This central zone could alsoserve as an ambushing spot. (see Common Traps).

Of course the same terrain will slow down your units so it isimportant to deploy correctly relative to the terrain. Calculate how fastthe enemy units will move relative to your army and asses the space they

will control. Refer to the section on Space in the Chapter onManoeuvrability.

BuildingsThe bane of an all cavalry army. Buildings are not only conducive

to shooting units but some combat units as well. A small unit of eliteskirmishers placed in a building is almost invincible. Their maindisadvantage of not having ranks etc has been removed and combat isdetermined solely by the number of wounds inflicted.

On the other hand, such a unit can easily be ignored as it cannotcharge out of a building. Slow moving units also benefit by moving inand 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 outof the other side and proceeds a further distance D2. The total distance ithas moved from A to B is further than the distance it would have marchedin 2 turns. At the same time it gains from the shelter of a building.


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See also The Barn Dance in the Combat Manoeuvres Chapter.

BuildingD1

D2

I1

AB


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4. TURN 1

Re-deployment and Closest proximity comparisonThe first step after deployment is to re-assess your deployment. It

is unlikely that your deployment would have been perfect and some fineadjustments are needed. For instance some units will be too exposed,some units could be too far away and your elite units could face theprospect 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 simplechecks.

1) Check your warmachines and shooters. They must have as at least oneviable target and as many shooting rounds as possible. Make sure theyhave targets or enemy units that will move into their shooting arc (seeGun line diagram) in future rounds. If not, they have to be moved. Thefirst turn is probably the only time when your targets may be out of rangeand 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 theenemy unit immediately in front of it. Compare the strength of your unitwith the enemy unit in combat. Repeat this with all you other units

If you are stronger all along the front line, a straight forward frontalrush seems appropriate but this would be highly unlikely. You willprobably be stronger in some areas and weaker in others. Your strategy isto take maximum advantage of your strengths and simultaneously reduceor overcome any weakness by changing the position of certain units inturn 1 which I shall term re-deployment.

The simple example below will illustrate this.


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PLAYER B

PLAYER A

The final positions of all units that are expected to move in the firstturn are shown when they move their maximum distance. Warmachinesand archers are ignored for the moment. Terrain has been ignored forsimplicity.

Compare each unit with the enemy unit immediately opposite.

Let us consider one army at a time and take the case of the army onthe lower side of the board, Player A. Proceeding from right to left, C1and C2 have to be compared, in close combat, to enemy unit (C5) on theright. 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 tothe four enemy infantry units (IE, IU etc).

Player (A) can see obvious strengths in his deployment. I1 forinstance faces no opposition and can march unchallenged into enemyterritory or support a neighbouring friendly unit.

(C1) and (C2) could overwhelm the right flank. The only apparentweakness is the left flank where the enemy cavalry unit (C4) threatens thewarmachine near the bottom corner.

Other than units, I1, C3 and the warmachine, there is no other re-deployment needed for player As units.

Now, let us consider player Bs position. Although Player Bs

position may look weaker, Player B actually has more options.

W CI1 I2 I3 I4 C1 C2

CI1 I2 I3 C C2

C I I I I A C

C4 IE IU I I C5

I4


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Again he has to compare the strength of his 4 central units againstthe 4 immediately opposite and the two cavalry units on each flank withthe 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 leftflank. He is also stronger on the right but has a gap against enemy unit I1.

The redeployment for player (B) could be swapping places forunit (IE) with a more resilient unit (IU), a re-positioning of one or twocentral units towards either flank. An extreme case of swinging C4 rightover to the centre or the left flank is also possible. I shall examine thepossibilities in the next section.

Formulating a general strategyThe closest proximity comparison will enable each player to produce ageneral 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 I13) 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 oneunit 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 chargeb) Destroying the warmachine first and then supporting his centre fromthe 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 (SeeSlowing down the enemy) or diverting (C1) and (C2) ( see DeflectingCharges ). (C5) could also attempt to lure and ambush (C1) and (C2) bypossibly 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 futurechapters. Once you are conversant with the basic strategies, come back tothis section and try to produce a good general strategy. A completestrategy of course will depend on the army you are facing.

Assessing strengths and weaknessesFor 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 tothis section later once you have familiarised yourself with the other basic

game strategies.

SpeedIf your opponents units are faster and more manoeuvrable

(Skirmishers are more manoeuvrable than ranked up infantry while Fastcavalry is more manoeuvrable than heavy cavalry), then your scope forre-deployment is limited. In this case your strategy must be to slow downthe enemy while you prepare your traps and ambushes. (see Combatmanoeuvres and Common Traps). At the same time use your fast units tobait the enemy, win a flank, move behind their lines, dominate or restrictspace and support your slower units.

Obvious sacrificialsIt 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 leftunprotected.

Balance of magical powerThis is covered in the first part of the chapter on magic.

Number of shots and number of shooting casualtiesSome units will have to be exposed to shooting as they march

towards combat. Count the number of shots and the number of likelycasualties. If the number of casualties will not affect the units combatperformance, then it can march on with impunity. However if there aretoo 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 similarlyassessed. Shooting is used to offset weaknesses in combat by thinningdown some units, possibly eradicating small units, weakening ordestroying 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 withthis in more detail.

CharactersSince they are deployed last and because of their obvious strength,

characters can easily distort the balance of power in Turn 1. It is best tobe out of range of certain characters who have nasty special abilities likean 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 bepreserved and sheltered to make full use of their abilities.

I have not included combat considerations as this would be obviousonce Close proximity comparisons is completed.


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5. CHECKS &

MANOUEVRESDuring your Movement phase and especially the Remaining Moves

phase, before you finalise all moves, it is wise to make the followingchecks. 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 eachunit, either at the original position or at the point where you want to movethem. 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 chargerange 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 ormagic 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 )

The diagram above shows a player who simply moves all his unitsstraight up without checking. He hopes to engage each one of his unitswith one enemy unit. All 3 units could be charged but the combat is notnecessarily 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.

I1 I2 I3

B1B2

C3

I I I


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One important check which is often missed is the 360 LOScheck for some enemy units especially Flyers.

Flyer (F) has flown into the midst of the enemy. It may seem thatthe flyer is threatening to rear charge I1, flank charge, cavalry unit C1 orcharge the warmachine (W).

However if all possible charges are checked, then it will beapparent 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 positionsof all wizards and shooting units and the range of their attacks.

3) This check is made easier by visualising the final positions for all theunits that you intend to move (or placing markers). Fortunately the magicphase follows Movement and therefore it will be quite easy to moveWizards within or between units as necessary so that they will be withinthe needed range.

I1 I2

C1 W

Building

F

F

I1 I2

C1 W

Building

F


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4) Some units could be pushed quite far into enemy charging range assacrificials or to bait the enemy. ( See Common Traps ). Make sure thatthey are orientated so that they minimise Panic if they have to fleethrough friendly units. ( See Lines of Pursuit and fleeing )

Retreat is a finely balanced consideration and depends on the speedof your enemy units. If the unit has to be selective in combat, then it mustbe able to retreat easily from the advance of dangerous enemy units in thenext turn. (see Retreating and Advancing options).

The 3 positive checks1) Will the move enhance the range and arc of sight of shooting andmagic of the unit moved or other units close by

2) Will the move enable the unit (or other units) to charge effectively inthe next turn?3) Will the move increase the space the army controls?

1) A movement which unblocks shooting or magic creates more choicesduring those phases.

Units I2 and I3 initially shield the archers from the enemy. When itmoves the archers can now shoot at their full strength

2) This requires some forward planning. Rather than charging at the firstopportunity, it is better to move into position for a flank charge in laterturns. This check probably wins the game if done properly and requires agood knowledge of all the strategies outlined in this book.

3) Any forward movement will immediately increase the space your armycontrols. Increasing this space ensures greater manoeuvrability and awider arc for shooting and magic. However there is no real gain in space

I1

A2

I3

B2C3

I1 I3


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if units cannot retreat if they want to. This is covered in more detail in thesub 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 storiesof how a player or perhaps you yourself overlooked an obvious charge orthreat which cost him or you, the game. Take your time at the start of themovement phase. The best military strategy will be ruined from anobvious oversight. So check, check and check again before moving! Aftersometime these checks will be second nature to you and will greatly assistyour planning.

Charge or not to chargeThis is straight forward in execution but is the most complex

tactically. Skill is required in moving each unit the right distances withthe right facing.

Start with your units that can charge. If there is more than one unitthat can charge, then start with the most critical charge (usually the

central charge).Do not declare any charges until you have assessed what willprobably happen after the ensuing combat. Winning in the first round of combat is the best result. If you anticipate a protracted combat, then youhave 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 rangeof the combat area. Assess the charging units position if the charge fails.Only then do you go on to a successful charge and calculate what couldhappen after the first round of combat. Analyse one future combat at atime and then combine each probable outcome to give you a clear overallpicture of the battlefield.

Your decisions should be based on a detailed assessment of eachsituation. The analysis will be complex but worth it.

Let me illustrate these points with the example below.


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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 mayseem that I2 will be overwhelmed if they do.

There are 5 choices here:

A) Assuming that I2 will probably hold in the ensuing combat. SupportI2s charge by moving I1 and I3 to cover I2s flanks. This will succeedonly if I1 and I3 can both hold when charged by B1 and C3. Threeindividual combats will have to be assessed, making this the mostdangerous and probably the least effective choice.

B) Ignore I2s plight and assume that it breaks. Position I1 and I3 to takeon B2 when it breaks and pursues I2. Alternatively only I1 is positionedto flank charge B2 while I3 moves up to deter C3.

I1

I2

I3

B1B2

C3

I1

I2

I3

B1B2

C3

I2 I3I1


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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 )

F) The last option is what happens if the enemy flees! This is quite easilyoverlooked 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 isImmune 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 withforcing 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 dangerousfor B1 and C3 to flank charge I2.

I1 and I3 have moved up in anticipation of a flank charge by eitherB1 or C3. If B1 and C3 do charge they risk a flank charge in the nextturn.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.

I1

I2

I3

B1B2

C3

II2

I3

I1

I2

I3

B1B2

C3

I2

I3I1

B2Flee!

Too dangerous tomove here orcharge?

Too dangerous tomove here orcharge?


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Initiative and the next combat roundMost 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 oneround or many. Compare Initiatives for any combat that will probably lastmore than one round. Do this before you make a decision to charge or tohold as a charge response.

Some units/weapons get a bonus only while charging e.g. Cavalryspears or lances, Choppas, Impact hits, Strike first, Great weaponsstriking last etc. Remember to include this factor if a combat is expectedto 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 noreason why a unit should not Stand and Shoot in preference to a Holdcharge response.

The main dangers of fleeing are being caught, failing to rally orcausing Panic. I have omitted detailed considerations of Panic below

because that will depend on the positions and Unit strengths of the unitsinvolved and their Leadership values but keep Panic in mind when youmake your decision. ( See lines of Flight and Pursuit )There are 6 reasons for a unit to elect to flee:

a) It will lose combat easilyAs the Skaven wise men say he who runs away lives to fight

another day. Instead of being slain too easily and quickly, a fleeing unithas 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 escapeSometimes 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 takethe unit into a favourable area (fleeing into difficult terrain against acharging chariot) or it is turn 6 and other considerations have to beweighed. See the Endgame Chapter .

The underlying principle here is to flee successfully and try to rallyin the next round.


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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 asbait.

A successful flight could also be achieved if the fleers are fastmovers and use three dice for fleeing. Compare the charge distance withthe most probable dice roll. (Table 12.5)

c) It is an obvious sacrificial or diversionary unitThe same principle as (b) applies. Flee if the unit can escape and

hopefully rally. If the units sole function is to divert dangerous enemyunits, it is normally not a unit that is strong in combat. Fleeing andrallying 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 7 th edition rules. Awarmachine crew that elects to flee is never caught, at least initially. Thechargers 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

C

I Chargingdistance

Averagefleeingdistance

I

Chargingdistance

Maximumfleeingdistance

C

W

A

C

C C

A

Fleeingcrewmen

Charging unitmust stop and

attack themachine

W

A

C

Crewmenin combat

A CC


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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 verygood 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 fleeresponse is much better than holding.

The crewmen could then rally to crew another warmachine orbeing 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 andCommon Traps chapters.

f) It will divert multiple chargersThis could happen in situations with multiple charges. It is simply

a way of capitalising on your opponents mistake when he declares thewrong order of his charges.

The order of the charge declaration made above is, (C) charges theSkirmishers (S) followed by (I) charging (A). By fleeing unit (S) hasforced (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 tobe estimated correctly to take it into (I)s path.

In a different scenario with the units at different distances, it is alsopossible for (S) to flee so that it is caught. (C) would then move its fulldistance which would take it into (I)s path.. This is much easier toestimate 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 .

I C

A

SSSSS

S

I C

A

S SS

S

SS

C


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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 nextround.

In the diagram on the left, the unit (W) will be obviously caughtand the charger (C) is now off the board. The diagram on the right showsthe failed charge distance falling just short of the board edge. This has thesame effect as the diagram on the left, if the charger does not have 360Line of Sight. Charger (C) will not be facing any enemy units and cannotcharge in the next round.

The reasons for holding as a charge response are simply opposite tothat for fleeing. A unit will hold as a charge response if:a) It will win combatb) It will be destroyed if it flees

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 anenemy unit of Unit strength>5 and is consequently destroyed.

C

W

Chargingdistance

Maximumfleeingdistance

C

I

Chargingdistance

Averagefleeingdistance

C

ACharge

FleeF


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This is explained again in Cutting off RetreatsThe 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 friendlyunit. 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 totake the small risk involved. Consult the Probability tables in theProbability 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 units best charge response is to hold in combat. Hold and hope!

After the last turn 6, fleeing units cannot rally and count as beingkilled. 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 chargingenemy 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 afterthe first round. This is one of the reasons why Elves of T3 sometimes farebetter in prolonged combats than Orcs or Saurus even though they (Orcs)have a higher Toughness.

Pre-calculations

The importance of Static Combat ResolutionIt is important to note that it is Combat Resolution (CR) which

wins combat and not killing as many models as possible. The enemybreaks after combat resolution which involves several factors other thanwounds 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 fullyranked up unit with full Command starts with a Combat resolution bonusof 5. 3 ranks, Standard and Outnumber. Any smaller unit without aStandard and no rank bonuses starts combat with a -5 disadvantage. This

smaller unit has to inflict 6 more wounds than its bigger enemy to wincombat. Not an easy task if both combatants are fairly equal. 5 woundsare insufficient because of the Musician.

This is one of the main reasons why ranked up infantry unitsfeatures so strongly in Warhammer Fantasy. Unless a Skirmisher unit or aCavalry unit is certain of inflicting many more wounds, most of themcannot win combat in the first turn against the ranked up unit. With aStandard or full Command group and if they outnumber, a cavalry orskirmisher unit will still probably face a rank disadvantage of at least oneor 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>5will negate rank bonuses. The flanking unit starts combat with a possibleadvantage 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, theprobable number of wounds should be calculated first. You can use theProbability tables in the last Chapter to calculate the number of likelywounds or resort to the Rule of a Quarter, a shortcut explained in thesame chapter.

It is important that you place yourself in your opponents shoeswhile you are analysing the battle situation and ask yourself what youwould do, in his place, when faced with your moves. However there is alimit to how much you can analyse. Since this game has a substantialchance element, planning too far ahead is counter-productive.

It is possible to anticipate some of your opponents future movesbased on:a) The likely combat, shooting or magic outcomeb) 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 complexenough so it is advisable to leave out the outcome of combats with a largeelement 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 tosetting up units in favourable positions.

I have often seen the novice mimic an experienced club player bysimply pushing all his units as far up the table without considering spaceand the armys 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 canmove into without being repulsed by the enemy.

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 bea Cavalry unit armed with lances. It can inflict many wounds when itcharges but not many when being charged. (A) might be a fully ranked upunit with Great weapons and again will inflict more wounds whencharging but will probably lose its number of attacks when being charged.Neither unit wants to risk being charged. Therefore neither unit canventure 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 onthe hill. If unit (C) cannot withstand this shooting, the hill now becomesdead space, controlled by neither unit.

C Area controlledby C

Areacontrolledby A

DeadSpace

Hill

Areacontrolledby A

Hill


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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 movementUnits require space to manoeuvre wheel, turn or march. In additionadequate space is needed to set up combined charges or flank charges.

2) For Shooting and magicControlling more space maximises the number of turns available forshooting or magic.

3) It restricts the movement of opposing units

Before going on to the next point let me illustrate the first threepoints with an example.

The diagram on the left shows the enemy front line is far awayfrom shooting units (A) and (B). The movement of (E1), (E2) and (E3)has been hindered because some of the space in front of them iscontrolled by enemy unit (C). (C) is not march blocking the enemy butstill discourages them from advancing.

C Area controlledby C

Hill

Areacontrolledby A

DeadSpace

C

E1

BA

E3 E2

C

E1

BA

E3 E2

PP


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(C) also has a good chance of reaching area (P) which would behighly dangerous to army (E).

Units (E1), (E2) and (E3) have a bigger distance to travel and willtherefore be subjected to more shooting and magic.

The diagram on the right shows (C) remaining where it is afterdeployment. (E1), (E2) and (E3)s unfettered march has increased thespace they control and reduced (C)s space. Fewer rounds of shooting areavailable and more importantly (C) is stuck and unable to move to itshighly prized area (P).

4) For Fleeing and RetreatsThere 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 unitswill be soft targets which the opposing player will relish disposing off quickly and easily. Therefore your opponent will move as close to themas possible. If these units cannot retreat or flee, then they would be killedtoo easily.

Looking at the left diagram, unit (C) positions itself in preparationfor a charge in the next turn. If (E1) and (E2) are too close to the boardedge, they have to hold against (C)s charge declaration. (C) would thendestroy unit (E2) and then overrun into (E1) effectively killing two badlyspaced birds with one stone.

The diagram on the right shows (E1) and (E2) in more space. Bymoving slightly closer to the centre and separating themselves slightly,(E1) and (E2) have both given themselves sufficient space to retreat orflee. (C)s task of destroying both units has been made harder. It has todeclare 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 itsobjective.

E1

E2E1 E2

Flee

Charge Flee Charge


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WC1 IW I I I A C

Increasing your space and reducing the enemys

Since space is important for successful manoeuvres, gaining as much asyou can in the early stages of the game is an important strategy.

The diagram below shows units just after deployment.

Notice, units with faster movement control more space (C1) and(C). The space controlled by units extends sideways as well as forwardswhich will be highlighted later. The shooting range of the 2 warmachinesextends the area controlled backwards. Strictly speaking this area is notcontrolled but let us assume that the warmachines shooting is soeffective at short range that enemy units will be reluctant to venture intothat area and therefore this area can be regarded as being in control of thearmy shown.


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The next diagram shows the army advancing a small distance

The area behind (I), (A) and (C) is shaded slightly differentlybecause it is not actually controlled by the army but is too far from theenemy to be of any consequence.

The advance of the units has nearly doubled the total areacontrolled. They now have more freedom to turn, retreat or march.

The next diagram shows what would happen if they marched theirfull distance. The area controlled is even bigger.

WC1 IW I I I A C

C1I I I I

C

C I I I I A C

C

I I I IC


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Notice as well that the two cavalry units have moved inwardsslightly. This enables them to maximise the space they control towardsthe centre.

Any increase in the space you control, automatically reduces thespace available to the enemy. The simplest way of achieving this is bymoving straight ahead and spreading your units out but doing just thiswithout considering where the enemy is and where they could move willbe a fatal error.

The space that is within reach of your units is not the space itcontrols. 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 tobreak through.2) Enemy flyers/fast movers must be taken into account3) 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 canwithstand the ranged attacks.4) Inability to retreat

The diagram below shows the first 3 points:

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 forwardas possible, this may strangely enough, sometimes prevent it fromretreating safely.

C

W

II

I I

C

W

II

P


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Units I1 and (I2) have advanced as far forward as possible andseems relatively safe. However if (B2) and (C3) march far enough theycould 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 inAdvancing 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 d ead areas in the diagram below. Therefore the other is controlled byone of the (I) units.

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 arearuns the risk of a double charge including a flank charge. This is alsoshown in the previous diagram with both units (I) moving wide andextending their areas of control.

In the examples above, I have omitted the presence of terrain butdo not forget to include the effects of terrain on movement. With a little

practice, spotting the controlled areas and dead space should become easyand help to improve your strategy.

II

I I

E1 Dead areassimplified

I1 I2

B2 C3

I ICharge range

of C3

Chargerange of B2

C3B2


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away from the centre. (E1) and (E2) are being channelled away from themain combat arena. Although unit (A1) will be destroyed, it will take 2units to remove it.

Space has been created in (A)s left flank. (A2) can now safelyswing 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 bymoving behind enemy lines, a very dangerous manoeuvre for army (E).Notice too that (A4) simply slips out of charge range of (E4) while stillthreatening (E3) and guarding the right flank.

Without looking at the next diagram decide what you would nowdo if you are playing army (E)

The overall situation is army (A) now threatens to wrest the centreaway and then sweep right

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 manoeuvrepast (A1). Charging with both units also guarantees +1 for outnumbering.

Both (E1) and (E2) should pursue when (A1) breaks doubling thechance of catching it and also enables both units to swing around behindarmy (A) in the latter half of the game.

It is likely that unit (E4) will turn to face (A2). It should move asfar 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 thesame 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 willsomehow 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.

A1

E3

E1E4

A4

E2E4

A2

E4E3

E1 E2


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TABLE 5.1

MOVEMENT RATE OFCLOSEST ENEMY UNIT

M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9 M10 Fly

M4 8 10 22 26 30 34 38 38

M5 8 10 12 25.5 29.5 33.5 37.5 37.5

M6 8 10 12 14 29 33 37 37

M7 8 10 12 14 16 32.5 36.5 36.5

M8 8 10 12 14 16 18 36 36M9 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 20

M10 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 20

MINIMUMSAFEDISTANCEFROM THEENEMYAFTER

MOVING(Shuffleretreat)(Minimum 1rank of 5models) Fly 8 10 12 14 16 18 20+ 20+

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 theadvance is successful

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 becharged by (I) and has advanced safely.

E

I

I

Slightlybigger than8


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charge. The player controlling (E1) could charge (I) in the next round orchoose a more dangerous option.

(E1) could simply manoeuvre to a more favourable chargingposition! This can be done because (E1) should always be able to charge

(I) in all future rounds. (I) cannot escape from this predicament withoutthe aid of terrain or other friendly units.

Place the two units on the gaming table and experiment and youwill find that it is true that (I) cannot prevent a future charge by (E1) nomatter how or where it moves. It cannot march out of charge range unless(E1) makes an error in movement as shown below.

The diagram above shows the only possible mistake. Unit (I) slipspast (E1)s closest approach because (E1) has not moved to the correctfinal 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 advancingand 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)smarching 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 thisimportant distance that you have to estimate.

Notice, in the diagram above, that if (I) is a smallcavalry/fast cavalry unit e.g. has less than 5 models, it could escape from(E1)s approach even more easily.

E1

I

Movement ormarchingallowance mustbe at least thisdistance

Safe region


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Example:Unit (A) approaches to within 16 of unit (B) which has M8. Table 5.1shows that this approach is the closest safe approach if unit (B) has 5models in 1 rank.

However if unit (B) has only 3 models or less, it can slip past unit (A) tothe safe zone shown in the diagram above even if unit (A) is correctlypositioned right at the centre.Wheeling distance = 2.4Length of unit = 2Straight 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

The table above shows the maximum number of models needed in a unitfor this to occur.

Flyers are normally skirmishers and have different base sizes andtherefore their abilities vary but in general they have a better chance thancavalry units of escaping using the method shown above.

Skirmishers have an advantage in this situation as each modelmoves directly to the safe zone. The model furthest from the safe zone isthe critical model. The whole unit will be safe if this model can reach thesafe zone.

One note of warning if you are facing this type of move byskirmishers i.e. you are controlling unit (E1). Make sure your opponentmeasures the distance moved by the furthest skirmisher model. Quite afew players are lax in making sure that skirmishers move properly andoften inadvertently allow some models to move further than theirmovement 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 movementphase of an Ogre Kingdom army (nearly all M6) against Orcs (nearly all

Movement Rate of unit

M7 M8 M9 M10 FlyMaximum number of modelsallowed in order to escape to thesafe zone

2 3 4 4 Var.


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M4), you will find that, in a one on one confrontation, the Ogres couldeasily charge, pulling off a Bull charge, dominate space and restrict theOrc army. However in an Ogre Kingdom army versus Elves battle, theElves could more easily avoid being charged.

In Table 5.1, the advancing unit is prepared to only shufflebackwards as a retreat. A unit could also turn and move backwards.

Table 5.2 shows the corrected distance of closest approach for themaximum possible retreat. The difference is small as you can see but youalso run the risk of being charged in the rear if you wrongly estimate theenemys charge distance.

N.B. The two tables for closest approach are for units of at least 1complete rank of 5 and assume that only cavalry size bases can move 7or more.

TABLE 5.3

MOVEMENT RATE OFCLOSEST ENEMY UNIT

M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9 M10 Fly

M4 8 10 21 25 29 33 37 37

M5 8 10 12 24.3 28.3 32.3 36.3 36.3

M6 8 10 12 14 27.5 31.5 35.5 35.5

M7 8 10 12 14 16 30.8 34.8 34.8

M8 8 10 12 14 16 18 36 36

M9 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 20

M10 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 20

MINIMUMSAFEDISTANCEFROM THEENEMYAFTERMOVING(Maximum

retreat)(Minimum 1rank of 5models)

Fly 8 10 12 14 16 18 20+ 20+

It may seem that slower units have little chance of avoiding beingcharged by significantly faster units. This is true in the main, but slowerunits 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 itrequires more points, there will be fewer such units.

Fast moving units could maximise their movement advantage bymoving 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 ahuge difference when a M5 unit has to advance towards M7 than when itadvances towards M6. A M5 can approach to 12 of a M6 unit but muststay 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 acharge or can retreat, instead of advancing or fleeing to set up othercharges.

Notice as well that it is practically impossible for M4 or M5 units,which will include nearly all warmachines, to avoid M10 or Flyerswithout appropriate terrain or intervening units. M10 and Flyers will bewithin 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 1i.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 facinga M7(or faster) enemy unit, at deployment, cannot stop being charged bythe M7 enemy unit by turn 2 unless it retreats in the first turn.

Terrain, Obstacles and hindrances to an advancea) Terrain

Terrain slows down units, diverts movement directions andobstructs Line of Sight. The presence of terrain enables units to movemuch closer than Table 5.2 shows, provided the terrain provides adequateshelter.


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Unit (A) and (B) have broken unit (E2). If both units pursue theycould 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) outof the charging arc.

The pursuit direction is relative to the unit with the biggest UnitStrength. Units (A) and (B) can use this fact to their advantage.

By pursuing with the weaker unit (B) (right diagram), a trap hasbeen 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 games early stages as it could

create a break in the enemys frontline or enable a unit to move to the rearof the enemys frontline. This as usual depends on the situation. The basiccriteria to assist you in making a decision are covered in the nextexample.

E1

A

G

B

E2

E2

E1

E2

B

Mo

E2 Bs

pursuit

E2s failedcharge

B flees

B


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Unit (A) breaks unit (E1) and pursues safely through. (A) ends upin 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 topursue. Unit (E1) has rallied and unit (E2) and (E3) have positionedthemselves for a flank charge in the next turn. Pursuing with (A) does notlook an obvious choice now.

Therefore before deciding to pursue, you should visualise howyour opponent will move his units in the next turn . It is quite easy for thepursuing unit to be isolated and therefore susceptible to multiple chargersas shown in the diagram.

Once again your analysis should not end there. Analyse thesituation again more carefully before reading on.

After visualising the situation in the diagram on the right, thesepossible outcomes have to be balanced:

i) (A) could declare a charge against (E1) in the next turn. which mightlead to (A) being destroyed by a flank charge by (E2) if (E1) does notbreak.ii) (A) could charge (E1) and most likely destroy it, pursuing out of (E2)s rangeiii) (A) charges or stays in position with the intent of drawing (E1), andeither or both (E2) and (E3) out of combat in other places or set upcharges of other units e.g. unit (B).

Pursuing (A) may not be as bad as it looks. All 3 possibilities haveto be finely balanced before deciding to pursue with (A) in the firstcombat.

E3E1

E2 E3A

E1

B


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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, theposition and orientation of the fleeing unit and all other units involved inthe manoeuvre are just as important.

The diagram shows the correct orientations of (A) and (F). (F) isorientated to ensure that (A) gets a flank charge if (E1) charges. (A) isalso outside the possible fleeing lines of (F) and would not be panicked.

E1 E2E1

Fleedirection

Flee

directionwhen E2char es

F

Safe


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Vampires - Lore of Vampires or if they have the Forbidden loreability they know all the spells from the Common lores exceptLore of LightNecromancers Choose these spells from the Lore of Vampires,

Invocation of Nehek, Raise Dead or Vanhels Danse Macabre. If they are upgraded they choose spells from the Lore of Vampires.

6) Wood ElvesSpellweaver 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 WaaghGoblin Shamans Little Waagh

3) Ogres Gut Magic4) Skaven Skaven magic5) Tomb Kings Nehekharan Incantations6) Warriors of Chaos Lore of Nurgle, Slaanesh and Tzeentch

It is best to formulate your tactics for the magic phase against allarmies instead of a particular army unless you already know which armyyou are playing against or if you can choose your spells LizardmenSlann and High Elves.

The Slann and High elf mages are the most versatile and can tailortheir magic phase to suit the enemy. If you are using them, then study theopposing armies weaknesses carefully and exploit them before selectingthe lores and/or spells. Conversely if you have to face Slanns or High Elf mages, beware of the enemys magic phase. Tomb Kings is another armywhose magic phase has to be treated with respect mainly because of thelarge number of spells cast per magic phase. For all other armies it ismainly a matter of how many power and dispel dice are at their disposal.

Tzeentchian, Vampire Counts, Lizardmen with Slanns and Skavencould have a disproportionate number of power dice available. Orcs andGoblins 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 youcan 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 andcombat.

I shall first briefly summarise the strengths and weaknesses of eachlore 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 itsspells strengths and weaknesses:

A) Casting valueA 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 successfullycast with just 2 dice while a casting value of 8 has only 48% probability.

B) Default spellA good default spell makes a Lore more desirable especially if you

have to roll for spells.

C) Opportunity to castThis is a measure of how many times the spell can be cast in a

game. Range is therefore an important consideration. A tabletop spellinflicting wounds is the best spell in this respect as it can be cast fromanywhere and at anytime. A spell which is highly specialised and canonly be cast on certain units is less effective overall than a spell whichcan be cast on any unit. This aspect is also covered in (E).

D) Level of effectiveness against the enemySpells 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 almostimpossible and depends on the army they are used against.

E) Dependency on other factors for successA spell which affects only monsters will be useless if there are no

monsters in the enemy unit. There is also a danger of executingmanoeuvres to suit a spell. E.g. It is a mistake to move a unit close to anenemy units charge range and anticipate that you can prevent the enemycharging by magic e.g. using Titillating Delusions. You have to overcomethe 3 obstacles of rolling the casting value, preventing a miscast and youropponent failing to dispel.


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This does not mean that Titillating Delusions is not a good spellbut an attempt to incorporate a particular spell into your strategy needssome 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 enhancedby any special manoeuvres.

F) Overall assessment and good spell combinationsThe total effect of the lores spells on a normal game, how much

they complement or support the army, how they restrict the enemy orinflict wounds etc. will be assessed here. The so-called buff spellswhich do not affect the opposing army will be discussed here. Some of these spells, e.g. summoning Undead are extremely powerful in their ownright.

Remains in Play spells may seem very good but they are negatedwhen the caster attempts to cast another spell. Therefore they are bestused by a caster who does not intend to cast in the next turn. Althoughthey can be dispelled in your opponents magic phase, this will use upsome of your opponents power dice.

I shall also briefly touch on spell choices here, how to useparticular spells and mention against which army, if any, the spell or Loreis 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 nearlyevery turn

D) One of the best Lores in inflicting wounds against the enemy as all butone spell does this. Rolling for spells should not cause muchdisappointment.

E) This is one of the best lores for its non dependency. All the spells areeffective without any consideration to other factors.

F) Five good spells and one mediocre spell, Burning Head, makes this agood 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 castingvalue. Use it to target units or characters who are hiding behind terrainand 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 timethe 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 DaemonPrince. +3S, hitting on 2s and a +1A will transform any character into amodel that can inflict many wounds.

Lore of Fire is very effective against enemy units of lowToughness 3 or less. If the objective is to maximise on inflictingwounds, then Fiery Blast and Fireball together is a dangerouscombination.

All the spells have Flaming attacks. This causes double woundsagainst 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

Documents

War Hammer Tactic A