Topic: POLL: Which do you prefer .... Halberdiers, Spearsmen, Swordsmen?

[GamesPoet]

Good day!  A classic question for Empire players!

Which do you prefer .... halberdiers, spearsmen, swordsmen?

These three units make up the primary choices provided to Empire players for a long time.  Different rules editions handled them different ways, and the math of the game could call for one unit over another depending on which edition was being played.  And some folks would choose for fluff reasons.

And a secondary question ... why do you choose as you do?

[GamesPoet]

For me ... speamen!

Wanted a pike unit when I started, and the 6th edition starter set provided spears.  So with pikes only available via Regiments of Renown, spears became my go to unit.

Also, I have written my fluff for my Aver River Regiment wrapped around the history of the unit having spears.  Even prior to the founding of the Aver River Regiment, folks who lived in the area where my army is based carried spears as the primary infantry weapon.  That and bows, yet such is saved for perhaps a different "poll".

[Feanor Fire Heart]

I always liked swordsmen for that extra save. Then flank with either a detachment of halberdiers, great swords, or knights.

[Dihenydd]

Halberds or Spears.

I love the idea of the brave men of the Empire facing off against all manner of horrors of the world with nothing more than courage, discipline and pointy sticks while wearing slippers and fluffy shirts.  If you want to get crazy, then make them pikes (which I never understood why these weren't Empire choice).

[GamesPoet]

I think it would be great to have pikes as an additional unit to choose from.

[Zygmund]

Didn't vote, as I don't have a preference really.

Is it supposed to be rules? Or the look as a unit? For me, it's about the models:

I love the 4th ed metal Halberdiers, and the onepose Altdorf Halberdiers also have a charm of their own.

I love the 6th ed plastic Spearmen (and Handgunners). Some I've converted to Swordsmen.

The 5th/6th ed Empire Soldiers plastics make good Swordsmen. I also like the 4th ed metals, but they lack poses. The 7th plastics (current) would be OK if they had more poses. They're actually oneposers with various armour and bits. IMHO, they don't make good Spearmen or Halberdiers.

The Militia/Free Company box of course offers many possibilities.

And then all the alternative companies...

-Z

[GamesPoet]

Only 5 folks answering this topic currently ... very interesting.

Makes me wonder if more folks are like Zygmund, and don't have a preference.

Going to add that to the poll and see what happens ...

[GamesPoet]

Currently a 3 way tie with 2 each!

[Gankom]

Fluff wise I always liked the simple Halberdier man. There's nothing finer then a ranked up regiment of halberds marching against the enemy. Halberds have a real nice early modern feel to them that fits the Empire. Swordsmen don't quite have that for me, and spearman seem older. Fit for more of the ancient themes.

[Novogord]

I prefer spearmen with halberdiers of free compagnie detachments.
Why spearmen? I always imagined that a count had a standing army or regiments to defend and patrol the cities/towns. And when they went to war, they could recruit additional townsmen for their army. And what is this easiest weapon to use? Spears...
And then you could argue, but what are Free Compagnie then? Well the no dwellers and mercenaries that dwell the cities of the empire.

[Midaski]

... ... and I haven't helped the decision, by voting No Preference.

If you are a true Empire player then 'No Preference' is the true answer.

You need Halberdiers for the Imperial look and the S4 'anyday'

You need Spears for the simpler poorer look and the shields for a defensive wall.

You need Swordsmen for the WS4 and the 'Hold the Line' attitude and combat resolution.

 

[Padre]

Halberdiers.

I wish, however, they were pike. With a few halderdiers amongst them.

[ZeroTwentythree]

Halberds. Because pike weren't an option! 

[Warlord]

... ... and I haven't helped the decision, by voting No Preference.

If you are a true Empire player then 'No Preference' is the true answer.

You need Halberdiers for the Imperial look and the S4 'anyday'

You need Spears for the simpler poorer look and the shields for a defensive wall.

You need Swordsmen for the WS4 and the 'Hold the Line' attitude and combat resolution.

This.

I honestly dont know why they are different unit options and not just equipment options personally. Would give more customisation.
But I like all 3 for different purposes.

[The Peacemaker]

I don't really have a preference either but I voted swordsmen because I liked the look of the older 6th edition models.

[GamesPoet]

With 17 folks answering the "poll" as of this post the tally has halberdiers in first with 6, swordsmen next with 5, spearsmen with only 3, and 3 with no preference.

Kind of not surprised, during 7th edition seem to recall swordsmen were all the rage, while halberdiers and spearsmen were usually used for fluff reasons.  I didn't try playing 8th because because then would have had to increase my unit sizes ... lol.

[Midaski]

Strange - I thought Ed 6 was the TVI era when he relied on bus formations of swordsmen 4 front x 6 ranks to maximise combat resolution.
The swordsmen with higher WS and sword and shield defence lasted statistically longer on average in combat.

The Halberd is more of an 'emotional' thing I think.

[GamesPoet]

Well at 6 - 5 - 3 - 3, the top two are a bit too close to call.

However, I suspect it wouldn't be close if there were more of the competitive gamer types were still frequenting the site.  Alas, with WFB currently being out done by W:AoS on the table tops in local hobby stores, or some of those folks drifting off to other sets of rules like 9th Age or EEFL, it's no wonder we aren't getting so many competitive gamer types coming here currently.

[Warlord]

In 7th ed, there was a statistical window where detachment in the flank of halberds was advantageous. Who remembers that though... not sure.

[GamesPoet]

Good point.  I have a detachment of militia, with some conversions, carrying halberds that I was using during 7th edition.

[Gankom]

I vaguely remember the Halberd detachment stuff. I must have used it a lot more then I remembered, because most of my 7th edition lists look like blocks of swordsmen with halberd and milita/archer detachments.

[Midaski]

I recall using 3x3 blocks of Halberds as detachments - I think there used to be a file minimum of 4 or 5 in 6th for the detachment to be able to deny ranks bonuses to the enemy.
That went in 7th and 3x3 was a bit more manoeuvrable.

[Warlord]

Yep. I was a heavy user of 3x3 halberd detachments.

Which is nice, because I didn't have any halberds in my armylist previously, and set me up with a half a horde for 8th edition.

[Hams Fan]

I confess to voting halberds, though the majority of my painted army has spears.
That just came down to what I could get my hands on cheaply at the time!