The 8e Empire Handbook
(http://podhammer.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/empire.jpg)
Hello there, and welcome to the 8th edition Empire handbook. The purpose of this thread is to provide a handy reference for anyone new to the Empire army to get a quick primer on conventional wisdom regarding what is known about the army, as well as a hub of discussion for more experienced players to provide feedback and ensure that we are presenting the most up-to-date and accurate thoughts on how to play this army effectively.
Assumptions:
Before we begin, I will point out a few assumptions made when making this handbook:
1. No comp is considered when rating units. While I'm aware of certain popular comp systems such as ETC, I believe that the majority of environments actually play uncomped Warhammer, and it's also too much of a chore to tailor the advice for whatever restrictions any local group may or may not have. I'm not going to bother to do so, and I'm also going to give less consideration to any argument for or against a certain unit that begins with "Well, in my playgroup, we use [insert comp restrictions here]...".
2. This handbook assumes you're making a competitive army. If you're making a themed list, maybe you can use some of the stuff that's in here, but know that you're not the target audience. The goal of this handbook is to present an objective view of what an Empire general can and should do to prepare a list that can win games. Themes often make sacrifices in playability in the name of aesthetic cohesion, so I don't think I have to explain how there could be some disagreement between that and what we're doing here.
3. This handbook is made for all-comers lists. If you only play one army over and over again, there are certain choices that go up or down in relative value. In this case, we'll consider all armies when making our choices (including the mirror-match), as tailoring is looked down upon in certain circles and downright illegal in competitive tournaments.
Ratings Scale:
OK, with all that said, it's time to introduce the ratings scale. I prefer to do this in color-coding, as shown below:
Red is dead. This is a choice that's so bad, it actively detracts from your army synergy and makes your list a worse one overall.
Yellow is conditional. It may shine in certain matchup or when used in certain ways, but in general it's a subpar choice.
Green is the average. Not necessarily a great choice, but it's rarely one you'll end up regretting.
Blue is an above-average or exceptional choice. These options frequently increase army synergy and overall list strength.
Purple is the highest rating in this handbook, and it's reserved for choices that should be staples in virtually all competitive lists. Don't leave home without 'em.
References:
Here, we will collect references to threads that may provide useful information and/or mathematical support to the arguments presented in this Handbook.
3000 points - 3rd Steam Tank, or 2 x Volley Gun? (http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=46138.0), by various posters
Flagellants - Yay or nay? (http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=46616.0), by various posters
How to balance an army of the Empire (http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=42599.0), by Calisson
Outrider Question (http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=46087.0), by various posters
New Steadfast (http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=46167.0), by various posters
Should Greatswords be a Priority? (http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=46929.0), by various posters
The Griffon Formation (http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=42921.0), by Holy Hand Grenade
The Tao of the Empire (http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=43319.0), by Holy Hand Grenade
Unit Formations and Tactics
Lords
Arch Lector - Fielding him on foot or on a Horse is the bargain option, and it is a solid choice if points are tight and/or you don't have that many units that will benefit greatly from his buffs. However, if you're putting your faith in multiple large units of State Troops or are thinking of employing lots of Light magic, I think that you owe it to yourself to put him on the War Altar - his Leadership bubble is huge, you'll get to affect multiple units with your prayers, he can cast Banishment, and he can provide some emergency combat punch.
Balthasar Gelt - As a lone flier, you have to work a little harder to protect him as compared to your garden-variety Wizard Lord, but the good news is that he's a lot more mobile. Hover around large Demigryph Knight units if you have them - they provide Look Out, Sir! if they are 5+ men strong.
Battle Wizard Lord - Regardless of the Lore chosen, my advice is the same - stick him in an Archer bunker, keep that bunker behind your lines but within range of the spells that you want to cast, avoid combat at all times.
General - Your options are to field him in a similar fashion to a Captain, or to go for broke and put him on an Imperial Griffon. The latter option is risky and expensive, but it can give this character a much-needed combat boost and an added dimension of gameplay.
Grand Master - Pretty straightforward to use - put him in a big Knight unit, point him at tough enemy targets, use buffs and a Runefang to hack your way to victory.
Karl Franz - See the General entry.
Kurt Helborg - I think he's at his best in a moderately-sized unit of Reiksguard, giving it a lot more bite than what is commonly expected of them, as well as making them virtually immune to Leadership-based tests. Unfortunately, he'll also make that unit much more of a target due to his cost, so use with caution.
Marius Leitdorf - I'd put him in a unit of Knights and try to keep him away from anything that can chew through his armor. He should be all right if you do that.
Volkmar the Grim - See the Arch Lector entry.
Heroes
Battle Wizard - Same as a Wizard Lord.
Captain - There are 2 main options here; you either put him on a Pegasus (which provides him with flight and an extra Wound) and you hunt vulnerable targets in your enemy's backfield, or you put him in a unit that could use the Leadership bump and Hold the Line!. Both builds prioritize defensive gear, though the Pegasus Captain could use something like a Lance if you have points lying around.
Captain Battle Standard-Bearer - The key priority with him is to keep him near the units that need his re-roll. As such, I think he ends up on foot more often than not, unless the bulk of your Core is composed of Knights. Either way, gear him up defensively as best you can.
Ludwig Schwarzhelm - Keep him in a Knight unit, try to stay alive.
Luthor Huss - He is at his best in a Knight unit that is expected to be in the thick of the fighting, where his great save and ability to super-buff himself can really be brought to bear.
Markus Wulfhart - Don't do this to yourself.
Master Engineer - Put him near a gun, watch him work. I'd have one for every Volley Gun in the army, as I think the rest of the war machines get along all right without him.
Warrior Priest - This guy is pretty straightforward in terms of use; you put him in the unit you want buffed, and try to keep him alive long enough for the unit to benefit from his buffs. As such, I prize defensive gear first and foremost for him.
Witch Hunter - If you're looking to be aggressive with this guy and snipe a character, put him in a Skirmisher unit (like Archers) so that he can march and shoot, take the Brace of Pistols, and run him at his target while avoiding big blocks. Alternatively, you can use him as a bodyguard for a character or an effective unit upgrade, in which case you drop him into a block and target any character you're likely to face in a fight.
Core
Archers - My favorite use is the 5-man Detachment, which acts as the quintessential chaff unit - it runs around and gets in the way of the foe, hopefully forcing him to make unpalatable choices (at worst delaying him for a bit while you prepare an offensive). If taken as a standalone unit, I'd put my Wizard in there and hide them behind my lines.
Crossbowmen - These guys are at their most useful when picking off targets low on Wound count, such as chaff or poorly protected lone models. As such, I suggest to sit them near your artillery and fire away at anything trying to threaten them. 10-20 men will do the job.
Free Company - Use Halberdiers or Spearmen instead.
Halberdiers - The main role I would use them for is to be a Regimental Unit built to give and take damage, and as such fielded around 40-50 models strong in Horde formation (10-wide) if you fancy your chances and 5-wide if you don't, with your choice of Detachments. Alternatively, they can used as units to flank with and add punch, in which case you likely don't need more than 20 in any given unit. You can also go for both - a big Regiment of Halberdiers, with smaller Halberdier units as Detachments.
Handgunners - Take Crossbowmen instead.
Inner Circle Knights - Their price tag and extra muscle as compared to normal Knights pegs them into more of a mainline combat role, and thus I like them in a 5-wide, 3-deep formation once characters are taken into account. Incidentally, their positioning also depends on how many characters they are housing - if it's no characters or just a Warrior Priest, you'll be fine with them manning a flank, but if you have the Grand Master + Captain BSB + Warrior Priest pseudo-deathstar going on, they'd better be front and center.
Knightly Orders - The main purpose I see for this guys is as "heavy chaff" - their job is to move fast, take out weak units, and get in the way of bigger ones. For that, 5 men with great weapons and a musician does fine, though a standard-bearer also helps. If you also want to use them as a secondary combat unit, you're better off upping the model count to 10 or so, and adding a standard-bearer.
Spearmen - The way I would usually field these guys is as a "bus" unit - which is to say always 5-wide, and with as many ranks as you can get (usually 8- to 10-deep) - that unit's job is to engage the toughest unit they can find, hang on for dear life using Steadfast, and allow heavier hitters to crash the party and turn the tide. That said, if you get something like Okkam's Mindrazor on them, Horde formation can also be an option. Given their job description, Shields likely won't make much of a difference (anything S5 or higher will allow them no saves), so bring more bodies with those points instead.
Swordsmen - I think the 2 main ways to use these guys are either to field a large bus (as described above) as a Regimental unit, or several 15- to 20-man Detachments. In the first case, you basically use them as slightly superior Spearmen. The latter option is there for CR denial - they'll crash into a flank, negate the foe's rank bonus and give you a flank charge, resulting in a massive CR swing.
Special
Demigryph Knights - The key question here is whether to invest heavily in one unit, or whether to go for several smaller ones. If you go for smaller units, 3-4 of them is enough; if it's only one unit, I'm a fan of 5, but I can see going up as high as 8. In all cases, every command model you can buy helps the unit noticeably. If you have a champion, don't be afraid to challenge any Heroes in the enemy unit - most armies' Heroes can't take him on solo, and you get bonus VPs if you drop them.
Flagellants - I consider these the "spike strips" of the Empire army - squads of 10-12 guys will put out a fair amount of damage, and will hold most things up for at least a turn. Feel free to play around with the formation to make sure that is the case - they are Unbreakable, so how they're ranked up should be the least of your concerns.
Great Cannon - The question here is how many of them to take; I think that 2 is the ideal number, because they won't do much once combat has been joined. That said, if you have Steam Tanks, maybe these are not strictly necessary.
Greatswords - I think their best application is in a large brick, front and center - at least 30 guys (preferably 40), with character support, and Horde formation should be strongly considered, in order to up their offensive output and take full advantage of Stubborn.
Huntsmen - Their minimum unit size is 10, and I wouldn't recommend going any higher; that's more than enough to take down war machines and the like.
Mortar - 2 of these guys along with the proper setup (a mage with Toughness debuffs, other sources of shooting) is what I'd go for, and nothing more.
Outriders - My preferred use for these guys is to bring a couple of units of 10, and either overload one flank or sit on one each side. The former strategy allows them to focus fire, whereas the latter expands the threat area. If points are tight, you could try and make do with 2 units of 5 in combination with artillery.
Pistoliers - These guys are your garden-variety unit of Fast Cavalry - you run them around and try to get them in the way of your opponents' blocks, try to pick off other chaff units with their shooting, and just generally being annoying. I say stick to the bare minimum - 5 guys, no command.
Reiksguard Knights - I like these guys pretty bare-bones; 2 squads of 5 guys, each with a musician and maybe a standard-bearer will do the job.
Rare
Celestial Hurricanum - Given that the +1 to hit and +1 PD benefits don't stack, you probably only need one of these guys unless it's your only buffing piece, in which case bring 2 - the range is only 6", after all. In either case, keep it hidden behind your main blocks, unless you feel those D6 S5 Impact Hits could make a difference in combat.
Helblaster Volley Gun - I like these guys pushed as far forward as can be, hopefully with a unit nearby to protect them and an Engineer to beef them up. Don't be afraid to move them up a bit if the enemy doesn't want to advance - it's not like it'll be doing anything in that case anyway. How many you take depends entirely on how cramped your Rare allowance is, but either 1 or 2 are nice to have.
Helstorm Rocket Battery - Leave it on the shelf.
Luminark of Hysh - The 6+ Ward and +1 DD don't stack, so you likely don't need more than 1. Use it similarly to a Hurricanum.
Steam Tank - How you use this guy depends on how close combat-capable the rest of your army is. If you have several quality close combat units, you use him primarily as a shooter, and run it in to support one of your fighters. If you don't have much close combat muscle apart from them, they're probably going have to run in there and try to hold dangerous enemy units up. I think you always bring 1, and I'm a big fan of 2.
Sample Army Lists
Faith, Steel, and Gunpowder - 2500 points
Core - 638 points
10 Archers [Wizard Lord goes here]
38 Halberdiers, Full Command [Arch Lector and BSB go here]
- Detachments: 2 x 5 Archers
2 x 5 Empire Knights, Great Weapons, Musician
Special - 744 points
2 x 4 Demigryph Knights, Musician, Standard-Bearer
2 x Great Cannon
Rare - 500 points
2 x Steam Tank
Heroes - 143 points
Captain, BSB, Dawnstone, Dragonhelm, Full Plate Armor, Shield, Sword of Striking
Lords - 475 points
Arch Lector, Armor of Meteoric Iron, Crown of Command, Great Weapon, Opal Amulet [General]
Battle Wizard Lord, Dispel Scroll, L4 Wizard, Talisman of Preservation [Lore of Life]
Grand Total: 2500 points
Firing Squad - 2500 points
Core - 625 points
10 Archers
- Detachments: 2 x 5 Archers
10 Archers [Wizard Lord goes here]
15 Crossbowmen, Standard-Bearer [BSB goes here]
9 Inner Circle Knights, Musician, Standard-Bearer (Standard of Discipline) [Warrior Priest goes here]
Special - 750 points
2 x Great Cannon
5 Pistoliers
2 x 10 Outriders
Rare - 490 points
2 x Helblaster Volley Gun [One Engineer goes in each]
Steam Tank
Heroes - 360 points
Captain, BSB (Banner of Eternal Flame)
2 x Master Engineer
Warrior Priest, Dragonhelm, Heavy Armor, Shield, Van Horstmann's Speculum, Warhorse (Barding)
Lords - 270 points
Battle Wizard Lord, Dispel Scroll, Ironcurse Icon, Talisman of Preservation [General, Lore of Shadow]
Grand Total: 2500 points
Heavy Metal Legion - 2500 points
Core - 635 points
2 x 5 Empire Knights, Great Weapons, Musician
14 Inner Circle Knights, Full Command (Banner of Swiftness), Lances + Shields [Warrior Priest goes here]
Special - 773 points
2 x Great Cannon
38 Greatswords, Full Command (Standard of Discipline) [Arch Lector and BSB go here]
- Detachments: 2 x 5 Archers
Rare - 380 points
Celestial Hurricanum
Steam Tank
Heroes - 282 points
Captain, BSB, Dawnstone, Enchanted Shield, Full Plate Armor, Handgun, Sword of Might
Warrior Priest, Dragonhelm, Heavy Armor, Shield, Van Horstmann's Speculum, Warhorse (Barding)
Lords - 430 points
Arch Lector, Armor of Meteoric Iron, Great Weapon, Ironcurse Icon [General]
Battle Wizard Lord, Dispel Scroll, L4 Wizard, Talisman of Preservation [Lore of Metal]
Grand Total: 2500 points
Imperial Strike Force - 2500 points
Core - 644 points
10 Archers [Wizard Lord goes here]
39 Halberdiers, Full Command [BSB goes here]
- Detachments: 2 x 5 Archers
2 x 5 Empire Knights, Great Weapons, Musician
Special - 744 points
2 x 4 Demigryph Knights, Musician, Standard-Bearer
2 x Great Cannon
Rare - 500 points
2 x Steam Tank
Heroes - 342 points
Captain, BSB, Enchanted Shield, Full Plate Armor, Handgun
2 x Captain, Full Plate Armor, Imperial Pegasus, Lance, Shield
Lords - 270 points
Battle Wizard Lord, Dispel Scroll, Talisman of Preservation [General, Lore of Heavens]
Grand Total: 2500 points
Knights of the Empire - 2500 points
Core - 655 points
10 Archers [Wizards go here]
2 x 5 Empire Knights, Great Weapons, Musician
12 Inner Circle Knights, Lances + Shields, Full Command (Banner of Swiftness) [BSB, Grand Master, and Luthor go here]
Special - 504 points
2 x 4 Demigryph Knights, Musician, Standard-Bearer
Rare - 500 points
2 x Steam Tank
Heroes - 312 points
Captain, BSB, Charmed Shield, Full Plate Armor, Ironcurse Icon, Ogre Blade, Warhorse (Barding)
Luthor Huss
Lords - 529 points
Battle Wizard Lord, Earthing Rod, L4 Wizard, Talisman of Preservation [Lore of Beasts]
Grand Master, Runefang, Shield, The Other Trickster's Shard [General]
Grand Total: 2500 points
The Inquisition - 2500 points
Core - 644 points
10 Archers [Wizards and Witch Hunter go here]
39 Halberdiers, Full Command [BSB goes here]
- Detachments: 2 x 5 Archers
2 x 5 Empire Knights, Great Weapons, Musician
Special - 240 points
2 x Great Cannon
Rare - 620 points
Helblaster Volley Gun [Master Engineer goes here]
2 x Steam Tank
Heroes - 436 points
Battle Wizard, Dispel Scroll [Lore of Light]
Battle Wizard, Power Stone [Lore of Light]
Captain, BSB, Dawnstone, Enchanted Shield, Full Plate Armor, Sword of Might
Master Engineer
Witch Hunter, Brace of Pistols
Lords - 560 points
Arch Lector, Armor of Destiny, War Altar of Sigmar [General]
Battle Wizard Lord, L4 Wizard, Scepter of Stability, Talisman of Preservation [Lore of Light]
Grand Total: 2500 points