by Tuomas Pirinen
Taken with permission of Skavenblight
"My eyes grow dim and my hand falters. The winter nights are cold, and even the heat of the fireplace does not warm my tired body.
My loyal knights see for my every need, but what I really desire is the rest of the realm of Morr. I know that I can go before my lord Sigmar with pure heart, for all sixty-two years of my life I have devoted to the service of the Emperor.
But one more thing remains. I`ll have to pass my years of experience to those hot-blooded young men that shall take over my position as the Warmaster of the Empire. So listen to me and heed me well, for I have not been defeated even once during my thirty-six battles and one-hundred-and-eleven skirmishes."
-- In the year 2514 after the
birth of Sigmar, our saviour
Magnus the heavy-handed, Hochmarchell of the Empire
Men are your basic WH race. 5 points and the most avarage line of stats you`ll ever see. They cost just enough so they have to pay full points-cost value for the equipment. They have no strong or weak points, and no special rules.
This means that you must learn to understand your troops. They will beat goblins and such in a fair fight, but they`ll die the death if confronted with dwarf veterans. Numbers are often on your side, so use them to your advantage. The greatest asset of humans, however, is their variety. There is almost no troop type they cannot field, and they have access to a staggering variety of War Machines. This way, you can catch your opponent off-guard almost every time.
Lord, Hero, Champion : If you don`t know how to use these, please re-read the basic rules. Always, always, always take a champion for each close-combat unit. He is cheap, and can save the unit from that 2000-point Necromancer Lord on a Dragon by challenging him to single combat. Your ranks+standard should rout the awful-icky thing, and will drive away any flying creature, even if it makes its break test.
Wizards : Everybody has a personal preference, but I like the Amethyst and Grey colleges -- Purple Sun of Xereus, Amaranth, Bridge of Shadows, Pit of Tarnus, Traitor of Tarn, and Fate of Bjuna are all very good spells indeed.
Knights of the White Wolf : Double-handed
hammer, heavy armor, barding, and no shield. They have a move of
7 (because they lack shields). This means 3D6 pursuit and flee.
Weaknesses : The usual problem with the 2-h weapons -- you
strike last.
Uses : With the Standard of Shielding and proper
characters leading them, they can take on (and beat) many enemy
infantry units that would pose a dire threat to your own foot
troops (good examples are the witch elves, plague monks and
savage orcs). These troops are extremely dangerous when faced
with lightly armored troops, but their S of 3 just isn`t high
enough to trouble the knights unduly. Watch out for their
characters, though! A frenzied witch elf hero with the Ogre Blade
will demolish your knights.
Knights Panther, Reiksguard
Knights, and Blazing Suns : These are the strong arm of the
Empire: Their charge can be devastating, and they fight it out
very well even after the charge because of their S of 4.
Weaknesses: The Banner of Wrath is the nightmare of every
knight because it allows no save. M of 6 means that you flee and
pursue only 2D6.
Uses: With a good Standard, support from the other troops
and infantry, and enough numbers (even 20 is not too
much), they`ll usually do magnificently in H-T-H. Just watch out
that goblins or skaven slaves do not trap them with Crown of
Command.
Pistoliers : These troops
have two uses -- as close-combatants against enemy
"sacrificial troops" (such as skaven slaves), or, more
effectively, as fast cavalry with short range missiles.
Weaknesses : Don`t expect them to win against very
powerful opponents.
Uses : I use pistoliers as fast cavalry and to harrass the
enemy's flanks. If they have enough numbers, their Stand and
Shoot is so deadly that the enemy does not dare to charge them.
Use the fast cavalry rules for full effect -- for example, shoot
away against the enemy`s tough units (S4 and -2 save allows
this), and then suddenly reform into a deeper formation and break
a regiment of Bretonnian pesants.
Outriders : Heavily armored
engineers with weird wonder weapons.
Weaknesses : H-T-H is usually fatal to Outriders, even
ones with repeater pistols. Avoid it like the plague.
Uses : With enough numbers and repeater hand guns, they
are a murderously effective unit. 10 of them should be about
right. This gives them a potential of 60 S 4 -2 AS hits! (Ok,
ok, it will never happen, but...) Giving them a champion
might be a good idea because of his BS of 4.
Halberdiers : Humans with
halberds. This means H-T-H.
Weaknesses : Compared to the rank-and-file of other
armies, they often are just too weak and are broken in H-T-H.
Save of 5/6+ and T of 3 do not help the situation.
Uses: Many players form their "main block" from
halberdiers, and who am I to say it should not be so? I
personally feel that they are useful in smaller regiments, to be
used against orcs and other tough creatures. I would rather form
my infantry out of Reiksguard, Flagellants or other elite troops,
and put the Battle Standard in their midst to counter the
Empire`s inability to have the Magic standard in an infantry
unit.
Reiksguard Foot : Very good
and quite inexpensive infantry, the Reiksguard are a common sight
on a battlefield. WS of 4, S of 4, and I of 4 are the obvious
reasons why they are so popular.
Weaknesses: Even goblins get a magic standard, but not so
the Reiksguard. Their move is only 3, and the sad fact is that
you can only have a one unit of them.
Uses: Any low-to-middle class infantry (and some weak
cavalry) are the main prey of the reiksguard. Remember to place
them centrally so they get a chance to fight at all.
Spearman : Spears are a
defensive weapon, so if you plan to dig in and shoot it out and
receive a charge, spearmen are perhaps useful.
Weaknesses : Compared to their point-cost value and feeble
statistics, I fear the spearmen have seen their day on the
battlefields of the Old World.
Uses: Against other forces with a WS of 3 or lower, they
have a chance. Dwarves, elves and any other tougher troops will
have them for lunch. For the defensively-minded only.
Greatswords : The dreaded
Tswei-handers of the Prussian Empire.
Weaknesses :They are, unfortunately, a pretty weak unit in
WHFB. If you need an S of 5 to hurt your opponent, then they are
useful.
Uses : With enough numbers, they are pretty effective
against beastmen (who otherwise are very diffcult for imperial
infantry, because their high T and 2 Wounds). Because beastmen
only get 1 attack, there is hope in this battle. The best thing
to do with the Greatswords is to place them behind an obstacle,
since their opponents only hit with a roll of 6 and you on the
other hand get to strike back with S 5. This, of course, works
only in a defensive overall strategy where you wait for the
enemy. Also, watch out for enemy fliers that ignore obstacles.
Swordsmen : WS of 4 isn`t
that special, but it has its uses.
Weaknesses : Well, they are only humans.
Uses: Against armies that have a basic WS of 4, they can
be frustrating. SInce your enemy will hit you only with 4+, you
can bog down a dark elf regiment for a turn or two.
Hand Gunners : Humans with
the dreaded hand gun and the nifty Empire routine of changing
ranks while firing.
Weaknesses : Well, at least their "Stand and
Shoot" is deadly. Otherwise, charging units chop them up.
Uses: Either as a very large regiment on a hill deployed
like archers, or using their "creeping and shooting"
tactic in places where you would never place archers. They can
surprise a foe on flat ground where he does not expect any kind
of ballistics. Their S of 4 and -2 save can fell even a mighty
knight.
Archers : Human archers.
Only notable thing is their ability to skirmish.
Weaknesses : Usual human weaknesses prevail.
Uses : I personally prefer crossbows over longbows, and
human archers have a BS of only 3. You can make them skirmish so
that every archer has a chance to shoot. This can be useful when
the battlefield does not include many hills.
Crossbowmen : Humans with
crossbows. What else is there to say?
Weaknesses : What did you expect from a missile unit? No
close-combat ability.
Uses: I personally think that every army that has access
to crossbows should always field them. Either as a one large
unit (even a dragon fears charging a 30+ strong crossbow unit) or
several small ones. With crossbows, I heartily recommend a very
large unit. They will not move anyway, and thus they have a
glimmer of hope against an enemy H-T-H unit. I`d say 30
crossbowmen, in three ranks, on a hill, perhaps with a standard.
(combat resolution of 3+1+1 for higher ground.)
(What I say is not without merit. Think of it -- S 4 CAN wound
a creature with a T of 7, and is deadly against a normal T 3
opponent. -1 on armor-save also helps enormously.)
As a final word, never, never take any armor for them!
That is too darn expensive!
Kislev Winged Lancers : As
one of the few Empire regiments permitted to buy a magic
standard, the Winged Lancers can come in quite handy. Just don`t
expect them to defeat Trolls.
Weaknesses : S of 3 and quite a low armour save sets them
back a bit.
Uses : Against foes with T of 3, their charge is
devastating, and they can carry that Banner of Wrath that
wouldn`t fit anywhere else. Against orcs and other troops with a
T of 4 and good H-T-H troops, I generally tend to avoid them.
Kislev Horse Archers : Cheap
and fast, the most famous usage for these troops is to lure out
the goblin fanatics. There is, however, far more here than meets
the eye. Skirmishing is a surprisingly useful thing.
Weaknesses: Well, T of 3, S of 3, and no horse attacks
mean that the brave Kislevites are not a match for any
close-combat troops.
Uses: These brave kislevites can skirmish, so take
advantage of this. They also enable you to field Tzarina Katarin
If you think you need her desperately, a unit of 5 horse archers
costs only 80 points.
One of the best uses for them is to put them in a snaking
formation (so they require only a minimal amount of space),
deploy them on the flank, and then race towards a dangerous enemy
unit. Simply by being within 8" they can stop the enemy from
marching. If you can do this by being on the flank of the enemy
unit, then so much the better -- they cannot charge you then.
Think about the frustration of those Chaos Knights! Try to move
to the enemy`s rear, so you get the chance to charge the enemy
from behind once your main troops get to grips with the enemy.
Sure they won`t cause many casualties, but +2 on combat
resolution sure helps!
Flagellants : T of 4, 2
attacks, immunity to psychology and break test, plus S of 4 and
flails (gasp!) makes the flagellants the best H-T-H
unit when compared against their ridiculously low point-cost
value.
Weaknesses : No armor save, WS of 3, and only 1 unit per
army limits their effectiveness. Spells like Blade Wind that
ignore toughness and require an armour save are deadly.
Uses: Either get the strong-arm of your infantry from
these men and form a big unit, or take only a small one to
tie up an important enemy unit. A good trick to counter their low
WS is to put your battle-standard bearer with flagellants and
give him the Banner of Might! As my final recommendation --
always take flagellants, and always take lots of them.
Dwarfs : Many options. The
best is to give them spears and shields.
Weaknesses : Move of 3 forces you to deploy your dwarves
in a place where they are sure to see some action.
Uses : With spears, shields and light armor, they are your
best option for spearmen. With T of 4, WS of 4, and the
fact that they are slow (and thus are often charged and can bring
the extra rank into play), they are an excellent choice instead
of human spearmen. Very high LD helps against panic and break
tests. For the defensive player.
Halflings : With WS, S and T
of 2, but BS of 4. I think their role is pretty obvious --
archers. High LD is a helpful feature.
Weaknesses : Well, if you are looking for a puny H-T-H
unit, look no further. These little guys are very, very bad in
H-T-H.
Uses : Armed with bows(!) and with the abilty to scuttle
through forests, they are a very good value for the points. You
can easily field 30+ of them. Just avoid too tough or too
well-armoured targets.
Ogres : Strong, very tough
and 3 wounds. Two attacks are a welcome bonus.
Weaknesses :As could be expected, their massive statistics
give them a very high point-cost value. WS of only 3 makes them a
dubious choice against armies like Chaos, which have plenty of
characters with WS of 7+. Large size makes them easy targets for
missiles.
Uses :You can usually surprise your opponent with ogres.
It is a good idea to give their leader the Crown of Command, so
they don`t have to care about break tests and can concentrate on
bashing opponents instead. Their high T and massive W total makes
them very resilient. Halberds are a very good choice, especially
against (Chaos) dwarves, for their I of 3 allows them to strike
before Dwarves. In a great many battles, their resilience
combined with the Crown of Command usually win in the end. Skaven
players get furious when you challenge their
"invincible" Rat Ogres (and win) with your own Ogres.
As a rule of thumb, use your War Machines against enemy characters. The humans are generally too weak to tackle the opposing Lords (and Ladies) in H-T-H, but a S 10, D6, W hit will demolish even a Vampire. Even when shooting units, always aim for the characters. You might get lucky with the "Look out sir!" roll. As a final warning, never, never try to fight with the crew. Always flee, shoot the attacker with other War Machines, then rally and return to the gun.
Mortars : Very much like
Stone Throwers, except their misfires are a bit less
self-destructive.
Weaknesses: Many players feel that they cost too much and
are weaker than the Stone Throwers.
Uses: If you decide to take them, try to field at least
three of them. This gives you an avarage of 1 "HIT" per
turn. It also gives a chance to use the mortars as a
mass-destruction weapon as they are supposed to be. Their
accuracy and reliablity leave a lot to be desired, however. Best
against Skaven, Orcs and such that have so many units that you`re
bound to hit something.
Great Cannons : With a range
of 60" and causing D6 wounds, they are the most inexpensive
cannons available (compared to the cannons of other races).
Weaknesses : Well, the misfires happen all too often, and
the crew are just too puny to fight against anybody.
Uses : Shoot characters on top of big monsters. It is a
very good idea to place one cannon a bit further than your
battleline. This way, when an enemy flier lands to attack your
unit, you can shoot at him straight away without the fear of
hitting your own troops.
Steam Tanks : A moving
cannon with T of 10 (!) and 5 W.
Weaknesses : Not very useful against troops with high I
like the elves. The malfuctions are often catastrophical.
Uses : Against orcs, dwarfs of any kind, and Bretonnians,
the Steam Tank usually does buisness very well. I myself always
use as many steam points as possible, since when the boiler fails
it is bound to stop the tank anyway.
War Wagons : A chariot with
six crew and two horses. (Shouldn`t this be the other way
around?) A great many experimental weapons make the wagon a
nice thing to dabble with. Very powerful at charge. D6, S7 hits
is nothing to laugh at. A great hoard of Wounds is also an asset.
Weaknesses: Only two horses makes the War Wagon very easy
to stop with missiles.
Uses: Either as a part of a massed charge, or (if your
gaming group allows the same weapons in a single Wagon) as a
defended base for hochland long rifle attacks. I`ve seen some
players use 4 (!) War Wagons in "Hussite" style, making
a defensive obstacle in the middle of the field. The cavalry
advanced behind this wall and were hidden from the enemy war
machines.
Helblaster Volley Guns : A
much talked-about device. It is potentially one of the most
devastating things in the whole game.
Weaknesses : The effective range is too short. Try to keep
the crew within 12" of the general if at all possible. Panic
spreads so easily...
Uses : A powerful psychological weapon, as any army
will cringe in terror when they see this device. You can dictate
the enemy`s route by placing Hellblasters at strategically
important places. Many people use transportation spells to move
the Hellblaster to a better firing position, but equally many
gaming groups disallow this. I myself used a Bridge of Shadows to
transport an enemy unt within range, much to the dismay of my
opponent! Do not fire unless your foe is within 12"
inches -- the effect is too weak.
Halfling Hot Pot : If you
have a halfling unit, then you should consider this 50-point war
machine. At least the crew don`t panic that easily.
Weaknesses : Do not expect miracles from the crew.
Uses: I have destroyed a great many knights with this
thing, as it allows no armor saves. It is useful against
rank-and-file only because of its feeble S and the disability to
cause multiple wounds.
The Emperor Karl Franz : Some
people have (the wrong) idea that poor Karl is a H-T-H
fighter. His main feature is his LD of 10, wich is a very rare
thing among humans.
Weaknesses : He is a human lord, plus that his first two
items are always the Hammer of Sigmar and the Silver Seal. I
personally prefer giving them to somebody else, like Kurt
Helborg.
Uses: As a focal point of your army: he should be safe
inside a unit, with his battle-standard bearer next to him. This
gives humans around him an LD 10 for the break tests with
re-rolls. If you really have to, give him very good armor and
mount him on a manticore. He still won`t beat that Chaos Lord,
though.
Magnus the Pious : A very
interesting case, with loads of special rules and no option for
magic items.
Weaknesses : Your opponent will know exactly just how
tough Magnus is. The obvious disadvantage is, of course, the
inabilty to use any magic weapons.
Uses :LD 10 is a Good Thing, and the Immunity to
psychology is useful. I personally mount Magnus on a barded
warhorse and put him in a unit with Standard of Shielding and
Banner of Might. This gives him a 1+ armor save with re-roll, and
gives +1 to hit for his mighty strike.
Ludwig Swarzhelm : A
much-envied Battle Standard Bearer with a massive 3 wounds. Comes
with one of the most point-cost-effective magic swords ever
(especially good against cavalry because it allows no save).
Weaknesses: The only real weakness is his inablity to use
any magic standard. (Sure, he can`t ride a monster, but that`s
not the purpose of the battle-standard.)
Uses: With 3 wounds, Ludwig is always a good choice for
battle-standard unless you really need that extra magic standard.
Grand Theogonist Volkmar : An
almost immortal High Priest mounted on an impressive War Altar.
Weaknesses: Easy prey for enemy War Machines. You cannot
afford to lose the War Altar, or the powers of the theogonist are
history.
Uses: Many people use Volkmar as an assault weapon and get
shot up very badly. Mighty though he is, he cannot take on the
whole enemy army. Especially the armies with many and/or
effective War Machines -- these are the High Priest`s bane. A far
better idea is to gather your best troops around him, making them
immune to psychology and break tests!
(I very often play defensively, setting the War Altar in the
middle of my troops. This gives me an army of unbrekable troops
who are immune to psychology. When trying to win supremacy in
magic, Theogonist is a useful tool. Make sure that you draw the
spells from a college that has cheap spells -- Theogonist`s magic
is easy to dispel, and he has a limited amounts of power.)
The Supreme Patriarch : The
most hated of all Empire characters, Thyrus Gormann comes
equipped with the dreaded Staff of Volans. Has a cosmetic WS of
4.
Weaknesses: Your opponent will do anything within his
power to kill poor old Thyrus. Black Amulet is almost essential.
Uses: When you need to get a spell through, Thyrus is your
man. I personally prefer the Crimson Bands, in a defensive
strategy to tie up that pesky Chaos Knight unit. You can try to
dip other college decks with the Book of Ashur, but this is risky
(since you draw last, and are not allowed to change the spells
you are dealt.)
Kurt Helborg : Perhaps the
best canditate for a general. WS 7 is very useful. He can also
serve as a sidekick for your assault, as he can fly on the back
of a ferocious monster.
Weaknesses : Kurt must love his Runefang very dearly. It
would be nice to give him a Deathsword!
Uses: A useful man everywhere: High LD allows him to lead
foot troops, and especially to help with the detachment rule. His
good H-T-H statistics allow him to challenge many enemy
characters.
(I once gave him a Strength Potion and a pegasus, and charged
Nagash. He caused 6 wounds and routed the unlucky Necromancer off
the field! Rare, but possible.)
Boris Todbringer : The
Talisman of Ulric is one of the most useful items around.
Weaknesses: None. Just remember that he is only human, not
a Vampire Lord.
Uses: Because of the Talisman, Boris is able to fight in
H-T-H quite effectively. The Runefang is powerful against armour
and undead alike.
Marius
Letdorf : The famous frenzied count. 6+1+1 attacks
make Marius one of the best H-T-H characters of the
Empire.
Weaknesses: Sometimes his Frenzy makes Marius
charge the wrong unit.
Uses: A slayer of cavalry without peer and a bane
of all Undead armies, since his frenzy makess him immune
to psychology and his Runefang chops up even mummies.
Tzarina Katarin : A
warrior/sorcerer from Kislev. Her S is bit too low to use
her deadly weapon.
Weaknesses : Low T and magic level of
"only" 3. Lvl 4 Ice Mage would be really
something!
Uses : As an addtional mage. Ice Magic is very
powerful, and a Bridge of Shadows/Bridge of Ice
combination can dispirit any opponent. Giving Tzarina a
Strength Potion gives her a chance to use her weapon
effectively for one turn.
In general, your greatest advantage over virtually any enemy is your flexibility. You can choose any tactic, while some armies are restricted to attacking (Chaos and Skaven) or defending (Elves).
I personally feel that the most important thing is to have a coherent plan and stick to it! Don't design units just for the hell of it, give each and every one of them a definite mission! Draw your plan on paper so you rememeber what everybody is doing. It is far too easy to forget one regiment in the army of the Empire, when you usually have plenty of units.
As a last word, watch out for enemy characters Your opponents usually have vastly superior characters, especially in H-T-H. Shoot them, cast spells at them, challenge them with champions, and equip your own characters with Deathswords, Frostblades and Daemon Slayers.
Here are a few general tactics to consider:
Charge!
You can mass your close-combat troops together and attack the
enemy, regardless of casualities. Your numbers are probably high
enough to take on almost any army and absorb the missile
casualties along the way. Don`t try this against Skaven (even
greater numbers), Chaos (they'll beat you up), or orcs (just too
many of them!). Units to use with this tactic are the fast-moving
and hard-hitting ones -- Winged Lancers, the Knightly orders,
Ogres, War Wagons, Steam Tanks, and allies.
Defensive Line with Reserve
I am a defensive player, and the Army of the Empire gives any
general a very good chance to field a magnificent defensive army.
Just don`t try to out-shoot the High Elves! (Those 50-point
repeater bolt throwers will be the end of you.) Get as many
crossbows, cannons, Hellblaster Volley Guns, hand gunners, and
missile-armed allies you can. Compose a few hard-hitting units as
an agressive reserve. Shoot your enemy while he advances, and
then charge him after you have weakened him enough. Get the
balance right! Use War Wagons, Steam Tanks and Flagellants as
your close-combat troops. They are hardy enough to stand against
any troops.
Hammer and the Anvil
Put your hard, fast units on one other flank, and your slow units
on the other. Hang back with the slow units, break the enemy on
the other flank, then race to help the slower troops. With your
enemy caught between the the Hammer and the Anvil, your local
superiority and greater numbers will win the day. The trick with
this tactic is to make the fast troops tough enough. Lots of
heroes, magic items, Battle Banners, and so on will break those
enemy units -- if you are determined enough. Even Chaos Knights
can be killed, so shy away from nobody! The other half of your
army should look ferocious and numerically strong, but their main
purpose is to have maximum ranks+standard, and the advantage of
the higher ground as well. This does not mean that they should be
shoddy -- give them all advantages possible, by all means.
Regiments of halberdiers with a Crown of Command can trap even a
unit of Cold One riders until your hard-hitters arrive, provided
you have sufficient numbers.