Ideas for my first warhammer game in 15 years.. please help!

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afterglow82
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Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2014 12:28 pm

Ideas for my first warhammer game in 15 years.. please help!

#1 Post by afterglow82 »

So after quite a long break, a mate and I are having a big battle soon. we're basically using everything we have, so army list selection isnt too much of an issue, but my thoughts are more about inidividual unit/character/mage builds, and i'd love to get some input from players who are more used to new high elves/8th ed rules (we haven't played since 5th!)

my basic collection is as follows:
30 each of: archers, spears, sea guard, SM.
20 each of: WL, PG, Sisters.
10 DP, 15 reavers, 5 silver helms
2x: frosties, eagles, lion chariots, tiranoc chariots
4x RBT
dragon
various characters/mages
various allies (mostly bretonnians from 5th, and some empire war machines)

my planned purchases are: extra box of PG, SA, (to make 30 man units) SW (for a 10-man), and possibly the 'battalion', for the silver helms and extra 20 spears to make a 50 man horde - i'd probably keep the archers too, but i dont know if i'd bother with the extra chariot.

So, thats my rough army as it stands.. below are my ideas for it. Some of these ideas will be old news to you guys who are used to the newer rules and items, some of them might be things that won't work for some reason i havent thought of - but thats why i'd appreciate any thoughts you can give me!

I'm undecided which unit to do this with (WL/PG/SM), but the idea is this: give a big unit of special the banner of avelorn with lvl 4 life mage - throne of vines (8+ to cast) will cast with a +8 bonus, meaning it'lll auto cast unless i roll 2/3. I can even cast this with 3 dice to virtually guarantee a cast, without worrying about miscasts. I can also then regrowth on this unit for d6+1 models, the strong version of flesh to stone, shield of thorns and earth blood all automatically, (disregarding those rolls of 2/3)

another of my 3 specials will have BotWD - probably NOT PG, because they already have their 4+ ward save, which ill bump up with a lvl 2 high mage. This BotWD would probably have one of my archmages in it - i know thats not normal procedure, to put an important caster in a unit that will be in the thick of the combat, but i want the BotWD protection for miscasts for his high powered spells (im tempted by Death - purple sun, fate of bjuna and even strategically cast spirit leech (on a nice low-LD unit, probably bloodwrack medusas [LD2] because he's gonna have 3 of these, but even hydras and kharibdyss could be devastated by this). I also love the added bonus of extra power dice for every wound caused by these spells, and the high power costs is offset by the BotWD protection from miscasts. My other option for this lvl4 is the ever popular shadow, but against dark elves i think death could be particularly useful.

my final special option would be given razor banner i think, although wailing banner is another option for one of my non-PG units - i think i prefer the armour piercing, especially on a unit that already has the +2S from great weapons, to really put the hurt on some of his heavily armoured units.

regarding lord choices, i currently have a prince on a dragon, alith anar, alarielle, a loremaster and an archmage. i also have an allied bretonnian prophetess, who is going to be a level 4 - her and the archmage will be in the two units i mentioned (because i dont want alarielle in a combat unit). I'm planning on giving alarielle High magic - i like the low casting values, combined with the +1 from lileaths blessing, for a mage who has no protection from miscasts. My loremaster will be concentrating on spirit leech (for the extra power dice) and miasma for the most part, with a couple of low cost magic missiles if needed.

for hero-level mages, ill be taking a couple of high, purely for the ward save on my important units, im thinking an extra lvl1 death with a third spirit leech (is this allowed? the way i read it, only one of each spell is allowed in your army, but that doesnt include signature spells?). The reason i have such a boner for this spell is that he has at least 3 bloodwrack medusae, and he's gonna have 3 hydras/kharibdyss, which i dont want to be bogged down in combat with - their relatively low LD values should give me fair success with this spell

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Tactics wise, I'm working on the theory that he's going to expect me to attempt to move across the table fast and hit hard, while he sits back and shoots, moving his hard units into position to hit my flanks when i engage.

To counter this, my plan is to turn this on its head - if i keep my infantry stationary in turn one, i'm forcing him to move his units into range (with the -1 to hit), while i spend a turn raking his war machines and RxBs with my higher range archers, and if allowed by terrain, ill move my SA into hard cover, as they dont suffer the penalty for moving, AND then with cover he'll be at -3 to hit.

Obviously, this relies on him not having millions of RxBs - my feeling is that he wont, although if he does, i will have to advance, or hopefully seek cover, depending on scenery

my exception will be on the flanks - my flyers on the extreme flanks, supported by cavalry moving up as quick as possible, taking out his shades/dark riders etc as quickly as possible, and moving into position to threaten flanks, or in the case of flyers, to take out his war machines. On the inner flanks, my chariots move up to flank charge any units that move to attack my cavalry. My eagles and 3x5man reaver units will harrass his flanks as he advances (having no choice with

I'll have shadow warriors in any forest on his half of the table, and move my white lions into any forest on my own half of the table

im torn between a massive 50man spearman horde, or a smaller 30 man unit with moranion's wayshard, but im leaning in the direction of the ambush. (i also have a 5-man unit of WE wild riders that can support)

For his tougher units (surviving hydras/cauldrons, executioners, black guard), my plans seem to be the standard (from what i've read on this forum) hammer and anvil - star dragon supported by a frostie, and one of each large unit of special, supported by flank charges from frostie/dragon princes/lion chariots gives me 4 different close combats that will hopefully be hard for him to win.

I'm HOPING my allied empire cannons will do some serious damage to his 3 (yes 3) cauldrons - if not im going to have to hit hard - im thinking whichever cauldron has crone hellebrone sitting on top (which i can guarantee will be sitting in a massive unit of black guard) is going to get my biggest special option, probably with star dragon AND frostie in support.


I could go on, but this post is long enough at this stage!

tell me what u think :)
SpellArcher
Green Istari
Posts: 13841
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2008 11:26 am
Location: Otherworld

Re: Ideas for my first warhammer game in 15 years.. please h

#2 Post by SpellArcher »

Some pretty solid ideas there afterglow.

You're in the unusual position of being able to field all three Specials here, most armies can only fit one or two. PG are usually best with Razor Std to make up for the S4. The problem is that both Lions & Swordmasters love World Dragon, even Lion Cloaks are no protection against a fair bit of the shooting out there.

Lvl4's in combat units can work but they need Ward saves and maybe Fencers Blades or Potion of Toughness say. High and Life magic are particularly good here. Everqueen generally too because her 5+ Ward for the unit vs non-magical combines powerfully with World Dragon and it can be improved with Shield of Saphery.

I'd agree with trying to use 30" v 24" in the shooting duel. Witch elves are very dangerous for HE infantry, even PG can struggle here. Not fighting them 50-50 is a good idea. Watch out for the DE characters, very good in combat because of the Cloaks and Murderous Prowess, not to mention Hatred (High Elves).
f00ssa
Posts: 442
Joined: Mon Sep 13, 2010 7:15 pm

Re: Ideas for my first warhammer game in 15 years.. please h

#3 Post by f00ssa »

Dark Elves are enemy of the month, have you checked out that thread?
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