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Author Topic: Free Peoples general discussion  (Read 3791 times)

Offline StealthKnightSteg

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Free Peoples general discussion
« on: October 12, 2016, 09:52:56 AM »
I wanted to start a thread on stuff to talk about on the Free Peoples, anything can go.

This is something I found pretty usefull:

Greatswords have a stat line of their weapons: 4+ to hit, 3+ to wound.
Their special ability as oathsworn honor guard makes this a 3+/3+
add to this the hold the line command ability by the Free Guild General this will be 2+/2+

Now as I have read in a tactics section the hornblowers ability can still be used to counter charge even if they can't move/charge due to the command ability.
This could potentially be devastating to an unknown opponent!

Any other nice stuff you guys found yet?
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Offline StealthKnightSteg

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Re: Free Peoples general discussion
« Reply #1 on: October 12, 2016, 10:48:30 AM »
Handgunner's

5+/3+/-1/1
what a crap to hit roll you think.. but then Steady Aim (not moving) +1 to hit. handgun volley (20+ models) +1 to hit
that takes it up to 3+/3+/-1/1
Now with the General's Hold the line command: make it 2+/2+/-1/1, that will give some serious hurt in any unit that dares to come within 16"
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Offline Duinila

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Re: Free Peoples general discussion
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2016, 11:57:42 AM »
I would say that atm there is only disadvanteges to play as Freeguild itself, so I strongly recommend the Empire Compendium. If that is welcome here too, with the infantry battalion you get +1 to hit if you are within 6" of another unit from this battalion, so this is pretty good for units with bad hit rolls as well.

Additionally the state troops/freeguild guards I would not play in units under 20, personally recommending units of 30, since they hit on a 4+ (5+ for the ranged attacks) and each 10 adds +1 to the hit rolls. Combine that with the battalion and you could possibly throw militia weapons that hit on a 2+ and wound on a 4+ before charging the enemy, hitting on 2+ and wounding on 4+. I personally use halberds, so add a rend of -1

Handgunners I would strongly recommend to take at least the musician, simply because that way they get to fire a salvo whenever an enemy ends the charge at 3" range. Have a untit of 20 and an ally from the battalion near you and suddenly you have 20 shots that hit on a 3+ (I personally use a repeater handgun on my leader, so that would be on a 2+), wound on a 3+ and all have rend -1

That is all I can think of atm

Offline Duinila

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Re: Free Peoples general discussion
« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2016, 12:04:35 PM »
Oh, take artillery. In my meta at least you'd really need it. Depending on the enemy I'd recommend either a cannon or a mortar as a standard.

The cannon hits on a 4+, wounds on a 2+, and does D6 damage with rend -2. Also it's able to shoot twice in a shooting phase

The mortar is meh at the first look. The hit and wound rolls are okay, and the d3 damage is super meh, but if the unit has at least 10 models it does D6 damage and if the unit has 20 it does 2d6 damage

Offline Oxycutor

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Re: Free Peoples general discussion
« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2016, 01:27:28 PM »
I wanted to start a thread on stuff to talk about on the Free Peoples, anything can go.

This is something I found pretty usefull:

Greatswords have a stat line of their weapons: 4+ to hit, 3+ to wound.
Their special ability as oathsworn honor guard makes this a 3+/3+
add to this the hold the line command ability by the Free Guild General this will be 2+/2+

Now as I have read in a tactics section the hornblowers ability can still be used to counter charge even if they can't move/charge due to the command ability.
This could potentially be devastating to an unknown opponent!

Any other nice stuff you guys found yet?

I would argue that a counter-charge is a charge.  In fact reading it makes me think more so.

"Models in this unit may be Hornblowers.  If the unit contains any Hornblowers, it may counter-charge after your opponent has finished moving all his charging units, so long as no enemy units are within 3".  A counter-charging unit charges d6"

Also given the restrictions, and this distance it could counter-charge, it's not a particularly useful ability.  Better than nothing, but not something I would think is worth pinning a tactic on working.   And it's not as if Greatswords benefit from charging in the same way the a lot of mounted troops do.

Offline Oxycutor

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Re: Free Peoples general discussion
« Reply #5 on: October 12, 2016, 01:35:00 PM »
Oh, take artillery. In my meta at least you'd really need it. Depending on the enemy I'd recommend either a cannon or a mortar as a standard.

The cannon hits on a 4+, wounds on a 2+, and does D6 damage with rend -2. Also it's able to shoot twice in a shooting phase

The mortar is meh at the first look. The hit and wound rolls are okay, and the d3 damage is super meh, but if the unit has at least 10 models it does D6 damage and if the unit has 20 it does 2d6 damage

I'd argue the best artillery is now the Helstorm Rocket Battery.  It can fire without line of sight, has 3 attacks, and if all fired at the same target adds +1 to the hit roll, so 5(4)+, 3+, -2, D6.   Just edges it over a cannon from the extra dice to start with.


Offline StealthKnightSteg

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Re: Free Peoples general discussion
« Reply #6 on: October 12, 2016, 02:24:14 PM »
I wanted to start a thread on stuff to talk about on the Free Peoples, anything can go.

This is something I found pretty usefull:

Greatswords have a stat line of their weapons: 4+ to hit, 3+ to wound.
Their special ability as oathsworn honor guard makes this a 3+/3+
add to this the hold the line command ability by the Free Guild General this will be 2+/2+

Now as I have read in a tactics section the hornblowers ability can still be used to counter charge even if they can't move/charge due to the command ability.
This could potentially be devastating to an unknown opponent!

Any other nice stuff you guys found yet?

I would argue that a counter-charge is a charge.  In fact reading it makes me think more so.

"Models in this unit may be Hornblowers.  If the unit contains any Hornblowers, it may counter-charge after your opponent has finished moving all his charging units, so long as no enemy units are within 3".  A counter-charging unit charges d6"

Also given the restrictions, and this distance it could counter-charge, it's not a particularly useful ability.  Better than nothing, but not something I would think is worth pinning a tactic on working.   And it's not as if Greatswords benefit from charging in the same way the a lot of mounted troops do.

True but the counter-charge is done in your opponent's turn and the Command Ability Hold the Line is restricting your move/charge in your turn. ;)
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Offline Oxycutor

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Re: Free Peoples general discussion
« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2016, 06:04:36 PM »
I stand corrected.  In that case you could get the buffs, and the counter-charge.  But it's a 50/50 chance of even working.  You need to be more than 3" away to counter charge, and you roll D6.   

But if you're less than 3" away you can already pile-in and attack

Offline Gankom

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Re: Free Peoples general discussion
« Reply #8 on: October 12, 2016, 10:57:59 PM »
That greatsword tactic sounds like a ball of fun. I'm going to see if I can't surprise a few people in my next game.

My meta is like Dunilla's. Lots of artillery is certainly useful, but I've had some good luck with multiple fairly small units and trying to be as mobile as possible.

Offline The Peacemaker

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Re: Free Peoples general discussion
« Reply #9 on: December 13, 2016, 06:19:47 AM »
Handgunner's

5+/3+/-1/1
what a crap to hit roll you think.. but then Steady Aim (not moving) +1 to hit. handgun volley (20+ models) +1 to hit
that takes it up to 3+/3+/-1/1
Now with the General's Hold the line command: make it 2+/2+/-1/1, that will give some serious hurt in any unit that dares to come within 16"

I'm new to AoS.
So do people just take a big unit of Handgunners and then put a melee unit in front of them so that the handgunners can shoot into the enemy pinned in combat?
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Offline StealthKnightSteg

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Re: Free Peoples general discussion
« Reply #10 on: December 13, 2016, 08:09:54 AM »
Handgunner's

5+/3+/-1/1
what a crap to hit roll you think.. but then Steady Aim (not moving) +1 to hit. handgun volley (20+ models) +1 to hit
that takes it up to 3+/3+/-1/1
Now with the General's Hold the line command: make it 2+/2+/-1/1, that will give some serious hurt in any unit that dares to come within 16"

I'm new to AoS.
So do people just take a big unit of Handgunners and then put a melee unit in front of them so that the handgunners can shoot into the enemy pinned in combat?

That could be a viable tactic yes. Though I would still argue that the unit needs line of sight around (not through) your own unit that is doing the pinning
Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.

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Offline The Peacemaker

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Re: Free Peoples general discussion
« Reply #11 on: December 13, 2016, 10:25:29 PM »

That could be a viable tactic yes. Though I would still argue that the unit needs line of sight around (not through) your own unit that is doing the pinning

Ya but if you can see any part of the model you got line of sight. ....and there is no 'hard cover' rule or equivalent for shooting through stuff. In the two games I played it didn't seem to be too big a deal shooting into combat with true line of sight. Although it does dampen any tactical play with having 360degrees, shoot through basically anything.
« Last Edit: December 13, 2016, 10:32:06 PM by The Peacemaker »
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Offline Oxycutor

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Re: Free Peoples general discussion
« Reply #12 on: December 13, 2016, 11:32:05 PM »
It's a culture shift in shooting, but it at least makes some shooting units viable again.   I hated having one round of shooting hitting on 6's or 7's because of hard-cover, long-range, wind in a westerly direction, the sky was overcast, and the shooting unit having maybe a turn or two where it was able to whittle down about 3 guys off the back of a 50 man horde.

I love the much more open shooting, the whole open fire-arc, total split fire

Having said that, when I put a shooting unit behing a combat unit, I stagger them like the black squares on a chess board, so there is an obvopus gap to see through, or of the model is obviously taller, or shooting something that towers over the battlefield, then go for it.

I can see why there are arguments about shooting into combat, but I like the cinematic style of Legalas and Tauriel in Desolation of Smaug, I see it like that.   I'd give a bonus for shooting at the nearest unit rather than something further away - most people would do it the other way and give a penalty for not shooting the nearest unit

Offline The Peacemaker

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Re: Free Peoples general discussion
« Reply #13 on: December 14, 2016, 04:39:05 AM »
It's a culture shift in shooting, but it at least makes some shooting units viable again.   I hated having one round of shooting hitting on 6's or 7's because of hard-cover, long-range, wind in a westerly direction, the sky was overcast, and the shooting unit having maybe a turn or two where it was able to whittle down about 3 guys off the back of a 50 man horde.

I love the much more open shooting, the whole open fire-arc, total split fire

Having said that, when I put a shooting unit behing a combat unit, I stagger them like the black squares on a chess board, so there is an obvopus gap to see through, or of the model is obviously taller, or shooting something that towers over the battlefield, then go for it.

I can see why there are arguments about shooting into combat, but I like the cinematic style of Legalas and Tauriel in Desolation of Smaug, I see it like that.   I'd give a bonus for shooting at the nearest unit rather than something further away - most people would do it the other way and give a penalty for not shooting the nearest unit

I like being able to shoot into combat. It made my friends wood elves actually viable instead of him just always losing because he can't shoot much after turn 2.
its just that 100% unrestricted firing results in units being deleted.

Shooting into cover only gives +1 save. Which is hardly a big bonus. ...it can be if you got some kind of re-roll. I wouldn't mind a rule like that for close combat. Obviously you could up the bonus by having -1 to hit or -1 to wound.


.....which reminds me, are there any warscrolls where the unit has an ability that they are harder to wound? like enemies get -1 to wound against this unit. Or is the only defense in this game related to the save? ....its basically strength vs toughness by another name but I felt that was great feature to differentiate the plethora of units in the game. The less states units have the more they become similar.
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Offline StealthKnightSteg

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Re: Free Peoples general discussion
« Reply #14 on: December 14, 2016, 07:51:17 AM »
There will not be much unts in the way that they are at -1 to hit or -1 to wound... I know the Mournghoul has an aura of -1 to hit in combat by enemy units within I think 6"

But there are more ways to put a -1 to hit debuff on a unit
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Offline The Peacemaker

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Re: Free Peoples general discussion
« Reply #15 on: December 15, 2016, 01:14:58 PM »
Free People's discussion.

How would people feel if I showed up to a game with 40k Imperial Guardsmen as Handgunners? They would be on rounds instead of my actual empire handgunners on squares. And they totally look the part - a basic human with a rifle.

And similarly if I showed up with 40k Orks? These guys are even closer in appearance. And there are alot of things that can proxy quite effectivly.
Shoota boyz as orruks with arrows.
Choppa boyz as orruk choppa boyz.
Meganobz as Brutes
GazgulThrakka as a Megaboss.
Wartracks as Chariots.
Orks on bikes as Boar riders.
Killer Kans as Trolls
'Ard Boyz as 'Ard Boys (I think 40k guys typically use the fantasy models anyway)
« Last Edit: December 15, 2016, 01:30:39 PM by The Peacemaker »
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Offline Oxycutor

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Re: Free Peoples general discussion
« Reply #16 on: December 15, 2016, 03:28:34 PM »
Proxying is one of those things that can vary from person to person

I think as long as it's obvious to your opponent what it's meant to be used as, then people are generally ok.