Are phoenix guard worth it?

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Olthannon
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Are phoenix guard worth it?

#1 Post by Olthannon »

Hi all,

Title says it all really. The reason I ask is that I have 10 of them which is all I bought some years ago and I'm considering selling them as opposed to buying more. I never much liked the models but in terms of playing I'd be interested to know if they're worth it before getting rid.

Cheers!
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Luna Guardian
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Re: Are phoenix guard worth it?

#2 Post by Luna Guardian »

From what I've heard, they're one of the best elite infantry in the game in the 8th edition. In KoW 10 works out well as a troop of Palace Guard. I'd at least try them out before getting rid of them, you might like it :)
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Lynve
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Re: Are phoenix guard worth it?

#3 Post by Lynve »

It depends. If you like killy infantry units in armors made of wet paper, then go for Lions/Swordmasters and sell your mute elves away.

If you prefer a solid, durable, high LD and high I unit, they're just the thing for you. I presonally have always had a great time fielding them. They excell in dealing with high S units, as Asuryan cares not how many hours those chosen of chaos spent getting ripped in the gym. Give them a razor standard and watch them open any tin-can infantry out there (additional fun comes into play if you buff their S and T).

In the subject of aestethics, I have to agree. I find the plastic kit to be rather bland. It's mostly about them helmets. Thier wings look funny.

But if we're talking metal, boy, they were (IMO still are) the best looking models in all Warhammer range. I regret not buying more of them back then.

In conclusion - try hem out on the table first. I suggest fielding a unit of 15-25 with a razor standard/a killy noble.
Tahl
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Re: Are phoenix guard worth it?

#4 Post by Tahl »

Yes. Simply because they look good and have great backstory
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Prince of Spires
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Re: Are phoenix guard worth it?

#5 Post by Prince of Spires »

As always, it indeed depends. But for me they are definitely worth it.

I commonly run a unit of 15, with full command and the razor banner. And they often end up being the main victory point gatherer for me.

Their main strength is that they simply don't die. A 4+ ward means that they shrug off almost any attacks. They don't care if you're S3 or S10, half the attacks aimed at them just disappear. In a HE list (where almost all other things have paperthin armour), this is golden. Combined with LD9, they will stick around and can hold a flank on their own or be a rock-solid anvil in the middle of your battle line.

I6 and ASF means they go before all non-ASF units and they reroll misses against all units in the game and most characters. My unit of 15 has been known to hit 16 times (champ in there) with those rerolls. Yes, S4 means you'll fail to wound some. But that many hits is amazing. And the razor banner lets you deal with all but the most heavily armoured units out there.

And then there is their potential. They are great for directing buffs at. A high magic wizard needs only 1 spell to give them a 3+ ward save. Mindrazor makes them absolutely terrifying in combat. With MR, they are very immune to most direct damage magic. But even a simple spell like Wildform greatly enhances them. Your opponent can't really let any buff go up on them, which gives you lots of options in your magic phase.

So yes, I think they are worth it. Give them a try and see. (Though I must say, I do have the last metal models, and they look a lot better then the current plastic ones).

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Olthannon
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Re: Are phoenix guard worth it?

#6 Post by Olthannon »

Thanks all, I might try and pick up a couple to bring the numbers up on the cheap.
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SpellArcher
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Re: Are phoenix guard worth it?

#7 Post by SpellArcher »

In 6th I would say not worth it because of the lack of Ward save. In 7th OK, though more mobile choices are king there. In 8th:
Prince of Spires wrote:A high magic wizard needs only 1 spell to give them a 3+ ward save.
This is a great place to start if you want to build a strong list without Banner of the World Dragon.
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Olthannon
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Re: Are phoenix guard worth it?

#8 Post by Olthannon »

Ah, I think most of my friends I'm going to be playing with are going to be playing 6th edition because that's the one we all remember. Most of us were tailing off by 7th and I don't any of us played 8th.

So do you guys think not worth it for 6th?
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Lynve
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Re: Are phoenix guard worth it?

#9 Post by Lynve »

I used to play some 6th and all I have to say is that infantry (most if not all) was weak when compared to cavalry units.
Therefore, if you are going for the aforementioned edition I say they're useless. All they have is a lackluster 5+ AS and fear. No wow for a Rare tier unit.
If you're going to play 6th I suggest you field RBTs, full Silverhelms core/sometimes archers and Dragon Princes with a mage/archmage and some eagles for redirection purposes.

This might be just me, but 6th felt unjust for the Asur due to overpriced units and their overall frailty (White Lions used to have light armor -> 6+ AS in close combat, and no ward for PG's for example). In 7th they're good, but not as amazing as Swordmasters.

Say, why don't you try playing 8th? I find it way less tedious compared to previous editions. You get supporting attacks, which make infantry far more useful, random charge distance, which prevents lurking for those perfect winning charges. I remember the horror of going 1 inch forward for like 2 or 3 turns just to get that one charge and then lose the game because you failed it by 1-2 inches.

However, if you're certain you won't be playing 7th/8th/Kings of War and still want to sell your Phoenix Guard, I'm willing to buy them (if the're metal that is) ;)
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Re: Are phoenix guard worth it?

#10 Post by Prince of Spires »

Ah, yes. It very much depends on the edition and army book version you're playing. My comment goes for 8th edition (which, like Lynve, I can recommend as a very fun edition to play). In 7th they were decent but probably the worst of the elite infantry units. And I haven't played in 6th ed. but from what I've read in 6th, HE infantry in general was a bad idea.

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Luna Guardian
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Re: Are phoenix guard worth it?

#11 Post by Luna Guardian »

Lynve wrote:However, if you're certain you won't be playing 7th/8th/Kings of War and still want to sell your Phoenix Guard, I'm willing to buy them (if the're metal that is) ;)
I would definitely recommend that you do NOT sell them if you play KoW. The Palace Guard are far superior to Kindred Tallspears, and the PG make for a very good unit for them. They even have the same initials :D

Provided that you like the minis, of course
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Luna, try not to beat them too hard. They are proud about their pseudo-glorious past and their present nothingness, you know.
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shanu31
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Re: Are phoenix guard worth it?

#12 Post by shanu31 »

Excellent thread..!!!
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