Topic: 1250pts 8th ed Army with restrictions

[Beaky]

Greetings!
Been a lurker here since 2016 and now I need your help, I am playing in a local tournament this weekend, just for fun, winner eats all, basically we pay for the winner's food. 1250 points, no lords, no special characters, no hordes and no doubles of special or rare. Also a "suggestion" to not bring cheese.

I've had the luxury of previewing a few army lists of my opponents, they are high elves and undead legions.
The elf is bringing a frost phoenix, white lions and pheonix guards. Undead is bringing black knights with barrows standard (+1 to hit), blood knights, six chariots and a few horse archers.

The undead character is a vampire with Barded Nightmare, Heavy Armour, Lance, Lore of the Vampires, Quickblood, Shield, Wizard Level 2.
Magic Items: Dispel Scroll, Ironcurse Icon, Talisman of Protection

Not sure what the other players will bring, but probably wood elves and ogres.

My current list is:

Warrior Priest
- Armour of Silvered Steel
- Dawnstone
- Sword of Anti-Heroes
Wizard lvl2 life
- DScroll
- Talisman of Protection

29 spear /w shield
- Champ
- Standard
2x15 handgunners as children to the spears

3 demigryph /w lance
GCannon
15 GSwords with Eternal Flame banner.

I was thinking about perhaps droping the demis and a few Gswords for a stank, any advice?

[Fidelis von Sigmaringen]

- Well, it all depends on the model you have, but in the 8th edition, halberdiers are preferable over swordsmen, which are preferable over spearmen. I am not too enthusiastic about GS either: knights are a far better option.  But Demis are one of our best units.
- As it is, your WP exceeds his points value for equipment (50 points).  HA and Enchanted Shield with Dawnstone wiould give you a re-rollable 3+ AS for 30 points. Against Undead, the Shrieking Blade (Fear) for 10 points may be useful.
- The ToP won't do your Wizard much good. You do not want him in CC, and in a unit, he cannot be targeted by normal shooting, or will have a 2+ ward save against templates.
- You might consider changing one Detachment of Handgunners for Archers, and put the Wizard in there (-1 against BS Shooting, and Free reform). 
- Always take a musician, if possible: you get a no loss/win in case of a tied CC, a +1 to rally, and the  possibility of a Swift Reform. For 10 points, that is a bargain!!
- Any points you can save should use for a BSB, equipped for survival. 

[Beaky]

Thanks for the advice, it's really my first time playing 8th with empire, and earlier editions was almost 6 years ago I played.
I used Battle Scribe to build my army and it didn't indicate an error on the WP with the magic items. I do have most available units, except for archers and a few others.

The reasoning behind the spears was that I was looking for 5+ saves with parry and extra rank fighting for more staying power.

Anyway, here's the revised list:

Warrior Priest
- HA
- Enchanted Shield
- Dawnstone
- Ironcurse Icon

Wizard lvl2 life
- DScroll

Captain of the Empire
BSB - Steel Standard
- Full Plate
- Charmed Shield
- Talisman of Endurance
- The Other Trickster's Shard
- Warhorse
  - Barding

20 Halberdiers
- Musician
- Standard

2x11 Handgunners as children

7 Knights Inner Circle
- Musician

3 Demi Knights
- Lance
- Musician

GCannon

[Fidelis von Sigmaringen]

Well, the spearmen will not benefit from the parry save, because that is only for HW & shield, and they must use the spears.

As I indicated before, a character in a unit cannot be targeted by normal shooting, or will have a 2+ ward save against templates, at least as long as there are 5 or more models of the same troop type. In that case, items like the Ironcurse Icon or the Charmed Shield are superfluous.
I would replace the Icon on the WP with a magic weapon.

If a BSB has a magic standard, he cannot take any other magic equipment. However, his re-roll ability is what you take him for, and it is best to kit him for survival. I would drop the Charmed Shield for a normal one, and give him the Dragonhelm.

In the 8th edition, CC often becomes a grinding match, because of steadfast. 30 models is more or less a minimum for a non-elite infantry unit. Unfortunately, shooting too is not what it used to be. You could drop one Detachment to increase the size of the Regimental Unit.

If you have points left, give the units containing characters a champion, to sacrifice if need be in case of a challenge by a powerful enemy.