Hello, I posted this in a thread in the forum for new 8th army book. Since that forum seems almost empty, I put the post up here as well to get a discussion going, please understand that if this is not fitting, you are free to move or remove the thread. Please let me know if my english is difficult to understand.
I for one find all ideas here very interesting but actually not necessary, if we look at the army now there is good internal balance, just a few things need fixing, I go through my ideas on the different choices:
General of the Empire: Hm, tough one, he is no good choice now as the arch lector is much cheaper, maybe give him some kind of rule representing his tactical cunning, rerolling dice for the army or something.
Templar Grand Master: If he gave something extra to the unit of knights he would be fine, else, just reduce the cost by a few points!
Arch Lector and Warrior Priests: The only thing is that extra dispel dice is very powerful, maybe chanel 4+ instead, 1 chance for WP and 2 chance for AL? To compensate prayer really should work without powerdice, maybe prayers for warrior priest working on 3+ or 4+ and for Arch lector working on 2+ or 3+, that is a question of balance.
Captain of the Empre: Is quite fine?
Engineer: Looks good to me, BS5 would not hurt, at 65 points I'd take him anyday of the week for the rerolls!
Wizard lord/battle wizard: Just fine, does not need any altering
Halberdiers: Fine, heavy armour is not right for empire imo, they are more of HRE than a fuedal medieval state!
Spearmen: They really need something extra, but I am not a fan of changing too much, maybe they are alright after all, can not think of a good change, though something is needed.
Swordsmen: I3 is more like it, WS3 instead of 4 also looks better to me, with parry they have a place in the army anyway, with these nerfs they could be 5 points each, could this work?
Free company: Lower to 4 points and they could be worth taking!!
Handgunners: They are fine are they not?
Crossbowmen: They are fine! Both these have there places!
Archers/Huntsmen: Just a bit expensive, Bretonnia bowmen are 6 points with the same bs3, and they have longbows, of course you can not compare like this cause that is a strength of their army and should not be of the ours. Bretonnia bowmen are ws2 and ld5 as well, but, I would not say that 6 points is wrong! Huntsmen could well be 8 points!
Knights: Lower the cost, otherwise keep them the same, I would not mind seeing them at maybe 20 points each, with choice for Greatweapon for about 2 points! Would make lancearmed knights worthwile, while keeping the option for greatweapon armed, still cheaper than todays knights.
Greatswords: I think they are OK, I use them and do well.
Pistoliers: They are fine! Could use lowering in points by maybe just 1 or 2, OR we could let them use both pistols in close combat, or letting them fire both weapons without -1, cause there is -1 to hit now right?
Outriders: Not a fan, but they have their place.
Great Cannon: I am fine with the Cannon, it is quite unique for Empire, really a strength and should remain such
Mortar: Increase the points, is 100 to much?
Flagellants: I say they are OK, but I would not mind if they were a little bit cheaper, I never played with them so really can not say, what do you think?
Helblaster: As a lot of you suggest, I think it should be more deadly at short range, the suggestions in the thread is maybe a bit advanced, but I what about 3 different ranges, with -1 0 and +1 to hit repectively, it should also be able to stand and shoot if charged, not alway but by the rules, and then it would fire at +-0 to hit, since: shortest range = +1, and stand and shoot = -1.
Helstorm Rocket: Increase the cost just a tiny bit.
The Steam Tank: Not happy with the new rules, not because it made it better or worse but because it does not feels right beeing able to heal the stank or hit it with low strength attack. I would like to see something along these lines:
- Bring back as it was before, T6 immune to magic other then magic with strength value. See below as well!
- If the Cannon misfires do not wound the stank, that makes the cannon useless, instead an unique misfire chart maybe like this suggestion:
1-2 take 1 wound
3-4 cannot fire this turn or the next
5-6 cannot fire this turn
or we could put something fun in there, the stank running full throttle forward out of control for a turn for example!
- Maybe a special rule that the stank can not be harmed by anything with lower strength than 4-5, but this is no big thing with good armour save.
- Maybe, just maybe, another system for generating steam points.
Overall I would like to see it: Impossible to remove with one shot magic, difficult to kill but possible to harm, each wound should not lower the effectiveness as much as it does now, but still hurt it!
Of course, cost for command etc should be adjusted along with unit cost, and like they did in the new O&G book, musician should be more expensive, would like to see championupgrade cheaper instead, for example halberdier: standard bearer +8, muscian +8, champion +4. OR: standard bearer +8, musician +6, champion +6. OR just keep them all the same cost. +7 each or something.