Some ideas cobbled together by Simon “Heimdall” Dent and revised by Randy “Atchman” Atchley for 7th edition

Atchnote: I’ve edited out some of the items and just left the most popular in this section.

Introduction

So you’re thinking about using a Griffon huh? You’ll no doubt be weighing the benefits of a flying, terror causing monster versus the liability of a large unarmoured points sink that takes Imperial leadership away from where it’s needed most. This Tactica is about how to use a Griffon if you so choose, not about whether or not to take one. Perhaps after reading this you’ll have a better idea of that question.

Some Basic Premises About Fielding A Griffon

Remote Leadership: In most battles (less than 3000 points) your General will be riding the Griffon. Being an offensive flying model he will be away from most of the army. His 12” leadership radius will be of little use to his underlings.

Fly: Flying creatures are stupidly manoeuvrable. You can race back to reinforce weak spots & deployment gaps; exploit weaknesses; get behind the enemy quickly and rear charge ‘em.

Awesome Flank charger: The Griffon and Count have a unit strength of 5, the magic number for removing rank bonus.

Terror: This is a powerful ability. You don’t have to fight some units. They’ll just run away. How good is that?!

Vulnerable to shooting: The Griffon is a large target meaning it can be seen even when behind troops and smaller obstacles. It is also +1 to hit AND does not have an armour save. Your Count can be armoured up but the Griffon only has its toughness 5 to protect it.

Vulnerable to strong combat opponents: The Griffon is NOT a Dragon and your Elector Count is really a glorified Captain NOT Conan the Destroyer. They WILL lose some combats against tougher opponents. This can be expensive especially as losing your General also costs you an additional 100 victory points.

In order to get the most out of your Griffon riding Elector Count (Griffon Count) you have to equip him with the most effective items; manoeuvre cleverly; attack appropriate targets; and have an army selection that compliments your mobile General.

Equipping the Count

Other articles here in Warhammer-Empire.com have been through the magic items but when applied specifically to a Griffon Count there is a bit of a difference in interpretation so bear with me. I have grouped the magic items into defensive and offensive choices as well as including non-magic choices available to the EC. I haven’t included Arcane items or Banners though some mention of them will be made in the Army Composition section.

Defensive Items
Shooting will usually hit the Griffon and many opponents will choose to hit the Griffon in hand to hand as it doesn’t have the armour or ward saves that Empire characters are infamous for. Impact hits go on the Griffon too. So why bother over protecting the Count? I wouldn’t recommend spending too much on protective items.

Armour of Meteoric Iron (AoMI): 1+ armour save hooray! It doesn’t get much better than that. If I had the points I’d get this. Probably more useful than a 4+ ward save.

Dawn Armour… re-rollable 4+ by itself is crap but with a mundane shield it is a re-rollable 3+. Now this doesn’t suck! Though for 35 points it’s still a bit pricey. Using a shield you’ll probably want a magic weapon or a Lance then.

Enchanted Shield: This is a good cheap little item. If used with a mundane hand weapon you can get a 2+ armor save, but then you are stuck with only S4. The best reason to have this is for missile fire.

Mundane Full Plate and Shield: 3+ save (4 when using Gt weapon) for 15 bloody points-yep the crappiest of the lot BUT the Griffon will be taking the shooting hits 2/3rds of the time and your opponent may assume the Count has better protection anyway. Consider this when you really need the points or want to avoid using too many magic items.

Gilded Armour: Strength test to attack. Things that are likely to fail this you will have killed on the charge anyway. Otherwise it’s just too expensive and risky for my liking.

Helm of the Skaven Slayer: The extra armour save isn’t bad but at 25 points it’s a bit pricey and you cause terror anyway.

Holy Relic: A 4+ ward save rocks. If you’re really afraid the count is gonna cop it then get this item and perhaps plate & shield and the Sword of Power +AoMI /VHS/etc

Jade Amulet: Ignore the first wound for 50 points eh? Seems like a crock but if there’s lottsa cannon balls and ballista bolts flying this could save your bacon (if they hit the Count). Personally I’d prefer something that helped throughout the battle.

Ring of Volans: Honestly not a bad item for the Griffon Count. However the points are better spent on protection and offensive items.

Rod of Command: Unless you’ve got some tricksy “risk-your-General” stratagem give this to a throwaway hero in a throwaway unit and counter charge with your Griffon Count.

Shield of the Gorgon: Opponent loses one attack. This isn’t that bad if you also have VH Speculum in a challenge.

Shroud of Magnus: Puts a 5+ ward on the Count and Magic Resistance (2), not a bad item overall since you’ve probably used up a lot of points paying for your Griffon and neglecting your magic defense.

Sigil of Sigmar: Not bad when up against a magic heavy army. 15points is cheap too. Worth a look if you have the spare points. Though, as with the Shroud, I suspect that once your opponent knows it is there he will just cast spells at the rest of your army instead.

Van Horstmans Speculum(VHS): You fly so can usually avoid those horrid things like Vampire counts or Chaos Lords…or seek them out with this item. If you have a spare 30points and no other suitable character then give it a try. Great for challenging Chaos Lords and Heroes: Strength5, Toughness 5! Yes please! Though when you challenge watch out for unit champions taking the challenge instead of that Lord guy. Otherwise give it to a Warrior Priest or a bold Wizard.

White Cloak: A 5+ ward save isn’t bad and can you take Laurels or several other items. The really nice thing is that the Ward Save increases to 2+ against flaming attacks. This makes you immune to a lot of the nastier things in the game.

The best protection for the model is a chunk of terrain, some dispel scrolls/dice or getting into combat.

Offensive Items
The Griffon has 4 x Strength 5 attacks at WS5, which means he’ll hit roughly 3 times and do about 2 wounds to most rank and file. Plus whatever your Elector Count can do.

Hammer of Judgement: Not too bad especially against low toughness armies like Elves.

Lance: It looks nice ‘n fluffy but you really need a constant high strength attack like the Sword of Power or Sword of Might. With a Lance if your three Strength 6 attacks don’t break the enemy on turn 1 your three strength 4 attacks won’t in the second round.

Laurels of Victory: My fave. The Count will probably hit twice against most things and with a Lance/Sword of Might/Sword of Power do 2 wounds if you are lucky. But the Laurels make this 2=4 for resolution purposes. Combined with the Griffon doing an average of 2 wounds that makes +6 CR. That’s beating a ranked up unit in a frontal charge. On the flank that is certain death for most units.

Mace of Helstrum: A one hit wonder…take with Second Sign re-rolls otherwise you’re asking for an “air swing” at the wrong moment, not to mention only rolling a 1 to wound and then only rolling a 1 for wounds inflicted!

Pistol: Gives you something to do while not in combat, but it isn’t much.

Runefang: There’s two ways of looking at this weapon: a pricey Knight popper or a fluffy one hit-one kill death dealer. Great if you’ll be fighting cavalry and want to be fluff king. Take it and you’ll be sure to do nearly 2 wounds every round to most things. And with Second Sign of Amul back up you’ll be a horror. At 100 points you can only have mundane armour but that isn’t as bad as it sounds. Worth a look.

Sword of Fate: Great for snuffing Chaos/Vamp Lords/etc IF you don’t air swing, but a dangerous ploy against big monsters with lottsa wounds. An above average of 2 hits = 2 wounds = 4 wounds IF you’re lucky. That’s a dead Lord but a very pissed off Dragon. With heavens magic you have a better chance, IF you get the re-roll spell off. That’s a lot of IFs. Also it sort of commits your Count to going after something your opponent knows about. However IF you do pop his big dude you can still task the Count to hunting down rank and file & ethereals. If you really want it give it to a Pegasus Captain and free up your Count for taking out blocks of infantry.

Sword of Justice: Re-rolling to wound at str4. Bah! Take something else instead ya gumby.

Sword of Might: It’s cheap-ish, you can use a shield, and hit on your initiative. Virtually an extension of the Griffon with WS5 Str 5. Leaves points free for more items.

Sword of Power: Probably the best sword of the flying Count. It can be combined with the Laurels to give you a decent CR boost.

Sword of Righteous Steel: Hit on a 2 but only at Strength 4 and for 45 fricken points! Only really useful if you have VH Speculum where you can use the other character’s strength against them.

Sword of Sigismund: You’ll almost always be getting the charge off so why bother paying to get the first strike unless you don’t plan on breaking the enemy on the first turn in which case you should be asking yourself why you are charging. However this item can come in handy for those unforseen events. Not great but not bad either.

Sword of Striking: Plus one to hit ain’t bad but at Str 4? Forget it against tough nuts. If you want to make the Count a dedicated rank and file killer then it might be worth a look. Just don’t get into combat with Knights. Or Kroxigors. Or Heroes. Or…

Wyrmslayer: Wound on a 4+ is good but the armour save mod is only -1 (unless it’s scaly skin). It’s cheap but really for use on Rank+File or monster-y things. Even then 3 perfect attacks from your EC with this still won’t kill a Dragon and then the Dragon will tear the Count and the Griffon a new one. It’s not totally crap but your Count should have a better toy.

The offensive shortlist can be narrowed to Swords of Power/Might; Runefang; Laurels; and Great Weapon. Worthy mention goes to the Swords of Battle/Fate; Doomfire Ring; Mace of Helstrum; and Lance.

Item Summary

He is an offensive piece so equip him that way. Missile fire from the Count is generally a waste of time and resources. Use terrain and careful placement to shield the model. Ideally protect the EC with the Armour of Meteoric Iron/ or the Holy Relic and Plate & shield. His ideal offensive equipment is narrowed down to the Laurels, Sword of Might or Power, a Runefang or perhaps a lance.

The Laurels and Sword of Power, plus mundane full plate armor and shield are decent combination. A Sword of Power goes with the Holy Relic & full plate+ Enchanted Shield is another good one. A Runefang allows just full plate and shield. It’s a matter of personal taste from here. Bearing in mind the Great Weapon is almost as good as the Sword of Power (and even the Runefang versus 4+ armour save critters) and much cheaper.

As you cancel rank bonus and the Griffon’s attacks aren’t the best can openers, the Count/Griffon combo is suited to taking out infantry blocks via flank and rear charges. You could equip your Griffon Count to excel at killing infantry with items like the Sword of Battle and the Sword of Striking but you will be terrible at fighting armoured and/or tough opponents.

The Griffon Count is always nasty versus infantry so you could go in the other direction and equip your Count specifically to be able to take out those harder opponents with items like the Runefang, VHS, (and the Mace of Helstrum or Sword of Fate if you’re feeling lucky). Another approach would be to take items that will be useful against Rank ‘n File AND Knights/Monsters etc e.g. the Laurels of Victory and the Swords of Power/Might.

The less used but economical equipment option for the Count is the butt naked one. Give him virtually nothing bar mundane armour and a cheap magic weapon. You’ll have to be careful with this weaker version. But costing only about 300 points leaving more points for the rest of your army and (heaven forbid) making his loss less painful. This cheap Griffon Count can still be effective if used properly.

Therefore we are left with three equipment paradigms:

1. Nut Cracker:

a) Runefang, full plate and shield.
b) Sword of Power, VHS, AoMI.
c) Sword of Fate, Holy Relic, Full Plate & shield (+Second
Sign support).
d) Mace of Helstrum, AoMI (+Second Sign support).

2. All Rounder:

a) Laurels of Victory,Lance, AoMI.
b) Sword of Power, Holy Relic, Enchanted Shield + Full Plate.

3. Economy Version:

a) Sword of Might, AoMI and/or VHS.
b) Lance, Full Plate & Shield/Enchanted Shield.

A Griffon Count has up to 100 points to spend on magic items and the potential to be a very decisive piece, hence the variety of equipment options. You may find you like items that I don’t. That’s cool. If you know what you will be fighting tool up accordingly, otherwise consider which paradigm suits your Count and equip him to fit this battlefield role.

Movement of the Griffon

The Griffon Count is able to perform a number of battlefield tasks. Jobs like March blocking, chasing fleeing troops, killing war machines, countering enemy fliers + flankers, combined arms assaults, and assassination. Many of these have been covered in the Pegasus Tactica. Others like table quarter capturing are possible as its unit strength is 5. Whilst performing these tasks you want to cause as much terror as possible, whilst avoiding shooting and moving about the battlefield in an effective manner.

Causing Terror
Always remember to check if any terror tests are in order at the start of each enemy turn. Terror is 6” so park your flying horror near the enemy and watch ‘em wet their pants. And if they don’t run away, well at least you’re march blocking. Don’t rely on terror to prevent charges against you. A lucky leadership roll and a successful charge by even crappy units can see off your beastie or damage it badly.

You might want to spend a turn or three cruising around causing terror tests, creating openings for the rest of your army before committing the Griffon. You can charge a unit knowing it will flee and fail your charge but if the 20” charge will put you near other enemy units (but out of their charge arcs) it can be worth it. Units you charge have to make a terror test as well (assuming they haven’t already made one) and if you’re still in combat at the start of the enemy turn then all the nearby units will be making terror checks too. Pick on units with low leadership. The wings of an enemy army are full of rich pickings away from the 12” influence of their general.

The main thing is to REMEMBER to get your opponent to make those terror tests and remember which units have yet to make the test.

Avoiding Danger
Being a large target means you are +1 to hit with missile weapons. Being large also means you can be seen when behind troops or obstacles. This means you can (and will) be shot at a lot more than other units. This increased visibility also means you can be charged more easily than lower profile units.

Two thirds of all shooting hits will go on the Griffon instead of the Count. A Holy Relic on the Count increases his odds of surviving a war machine hit but it does nothing for his hapless mount. Your Griffon has to beware of all missile fire that can hit him, as he doesn’t get an armour save. Even crappy strength 3 short bows will wound him on a 6. Enough shots and your Count will be walking for the rest of the battle. Massed small arms fire, Cannons, Jezzails, Bolt Throwers, Ratling Guns and the like are the bane of your existence. Avoid or charge something near them and hope terror sees them off. Or hide till you’ve thinned out the enemy shooters.

Usually your model can survive one hit from a war machine. It’s the second volley of shooting that nails him. So try and stay hidden behind terrain or out of range until you expose the Griffon so that he has any number of targets to charge. Hopefully when you expose the Griffon no more than one of the war machines can see him. Peek out from behind some terrain. You only need a corner of his base showing, as you will fly over the terrain feature as you charge/move.

DIAGRAM 1

In Diagram 1 the Griffon can just see the enemy unit thus can still charge it.
The Griffon Count does have to worry about charge arcs so when parking behind cover don’t face the cover but turn your flank to it so you can charge or threaten to charge if required.

If you are going to have to fly out in front of an enemy war machine try and land within 6” and hope the crew fail their terror test.

Destroy war machines with other units like Pegasus, Huntsmen, Pistoliers, counter battery fire or magic. Try not to be overly protective of your Griffon as you are wasting an expensive and effective tool. Cannons and stone throwers miss and misfire, many war machines only do only D3 wounds or are inaccurate. Take some risks just don’t be silly.

Pursuits and over-runs that will take you off the table (where you can’t be spelled/shot at) are a sneaky little trick to get away from persistent missile fire. When you come back on you’ve got that 20” move to get back into cover as well. However the safety of the Griffon has to be weighed against the time wasted. Hopefully by the time he is back in play you have silenced the enemy guns.

Magic can be harder to cope with. Hide behind terrain or out of range of enemy spells. Attack with many units at once and hopefully force the enemy to divide their magical attacks. Hunt down those mages with your own spells/ Pegasai/ Hochland LR/ Huntsmen/ and even the Griffon. Dispel scrolls can get you through the first turn or three (along with 4+dispel dice) against most armies. Hopefully by turn 3 you are in combat or shredding the offending mages. You will find that some magic heavy armies will nail the Griffon. Toughness 5 on the catbird and the Counts T4 and armour/ward save will hopefully weather a spell or two without ‘em popping. After that you may have to rush your attack and pray to Sigmar.

As I mentioned earlier the Griffons large size will allow it to be charged in weird situations. It can be seen over intervening troops so units with high movement can wheel around the troops and hit him. Either that or multiple charges can happen on him from both intervening and distant units as they can both see the model. Avoid this by breaking your targets quickly and overrunning and/or shield your Griffon Count with your own units.

Counter attacks on a roving Griffon can be avoided by an accompanying force of cavalry be it Pistoliers or Knights. They cover the Griffons flanks and rear whilst exploiting holes the Griffon opens up.

DIAGRAM 2

In diagram 2 the Knights advance to shield the Griffon Count from a potential chariot flank charge. The chariot might smash the Knights up: but better the Knights than your General.

Accompanying Cavalry forces will be left behind dealing with assorted threats but hopefully the leaps and bounds the Griffon makes will take it into another area out of danger or near more friendly units. Your Mages, Artillery and missile troops can also assist in keeping the Count free from counter charges. Obviously you can only protect him to a certain degree so don’t go flying into the valley of death without massive support.

Basic Styles of Movement

There’s a few different ways you can move around the field. I’ve grouped them into different categories but really they can overlap within the one battle.

Swing Wide and Roll a Flank. DIAGRAM 3

Moving to one flank then rolling up enemy line with charges +terror. When rolling along the line even if the first charge fails there will be more units in your charge arc in the next turn and probably the turn after as well.
Pros: numerous flank charge opportunities; out of range of some shooting; terror works well on flanks far from Enemy general’s Ld.
Cons: EC Ld remote; fewer units affected by terror in early game; far from help/helping.

Up the Guts DIAGRAM 4

Charging up the middle, threatening any number of central units and slamming into one or hopping over into the enemy rear.
Pros: terror; potential breakthrough into rear area; EC Ld still centralised; near help; multiple possible charge targets.
Cons: in range of more shooters & probably visible from everywhere; frontal charge or need to turn around revealing general intentions.

Hopscotch DIAGRAM 5

Leapfrogging from cover to cover hiding from shooters but threatening enemy advance/flanks.
Pros: hidden from shooting; Ld useable, can help trouble spots; not committed; slow advance for enemy.
Cons: less charge options; less terror; not actually engaged; needs lots of terrain.

Hang Back DIAGRAM 6

Acting as a reserve force, providing leadership to main line then delivering death stroke in the last few turns.
Pros: good leadership; reserve capability; often very safe.
Cons: Waste of terror +flying; Needs central terrain hiding spot to avoid being a sitting duck; reduced flank attack opportunities.

The Hang Back and Up the Guts options tend to fail for opposite reasons. The former is too little too late and the latter is too risky. Occasionally a battle will allow you to use these styles to great effect, but generally you should beware. Swing Wide and Hopscotch are balanced movement styles that can keep the Count in cover but also make use of his potential to wreak havoc.

Your Count’s equipment; your army comp and deployment; the terrain; and the turning tides of battle will affect exactly how you move. Most battles will involve a combination of the styles above. Look carefully at the terrain BEFORE deployment and think about where you can go with the Griffon in the 6 or so turns you have. Also look at what is in the enemy force and consider your movement options:
· Lots of shooting and sparse terrain means hide the Griffon and use him to cover your troop’s arses.
· Lots of terrain to hide behind = hopscotch into position.
· Horde army with little shooting = roll a flank.

Wherever feasible I try the ‘swing wide’ movement variety with a bit of ‘hopscotch’. I start with the Griffon near as many of my troops as possible (Just in case I need to make turn 1 Leadership rolls) but still being in cover and near a flank. Then the Griffon Count moves forward and wide behind some terrain near the enemies flank on my turn one. In turns two to three he turns upon the enemy line and start rolling it up in conjunction with Cavalry charges. Hopefully my troops can last the first 2 turns without his leadership: my dispel scrolls and unit strengths keeping them safe from early panic tests. By turn 3 the Griffon Count is usually in the thick of it with my other hammer units (Cavalry/ Pegasus) ravaging the enemy whilst the infantry anvil has advanced to support my charges and my cannons have smashed up the enemy war machines.

Movement Strategies

The movement styles outlined above can also integrated with the movement of your army. Using your Griffon Count in a combined arms approach gives you a mighty tool of war.

Rather than go into all the possible formations your army can adopt I will give some examples concerning one attack deployment: that of the weighted flank. Your Cavalry deploy on one side of the table and sweep around whilst your infantry and shooters hold fast. The Griffon uses the aforementioned movement styles with this army deployment.

In Diagram 7a the Griffon waits a turn in cover while the Empire Cavalry move up on the left flank. Then he moves into position (covered from one bolt thrower by the hill on the right flank) on turn 2 and joint charges in turn 3. Unfortunately in this instance it’s a frontal charge. This will often be the case, as the enemy will usually pivot in response to a flank so heavily weighted.

DIAGRAM 7a Griffon Swings Wide moving with Weighted Flank

In Diagram 7b the Griffon flies opposite to the weighted flank. In turns one and two the Griffon flies wide exposing itself to some long-range bolt thrower fire but getting into a position to flank charge the units facing the weighted flank. Meanwhile the weighted flank moves up threateningly. In turn 3 the weighted flank units charge into the enemy at the same time as the Griffon Count hits the flank.

DIAGRAM 7b Griffon Swings Wide moving opposite to Weighted Flank

These are two simple variations on the weighted flank attack using a “swing wide” movement style. With this terrain you could also go Up the Guts if confident your army can quickly silence the enemy bolt throwers or Hang Back behind the central hill til the shooting threat has dissipated.

Similar approaches can be used, for example with a Bulls Horn deployment, where the Griffon Count “swings wide” (see diagram 7c) into a useful position or just goes “up the guts”.

DIAGRAM 7c Griffon Assisted Bulls Horn Attack

As you can see the potential number of variations and variables is large. The main point of these examples is demonstrating how to get the Griffon into a position where he can assist with a combined arms attack.

To get into this magic position look at the battlefield for a piece of terrain that the Griffon can hide behind but where he will have a flank view of the central area/killing zone. In diagram 7c above, the Wood on the right flank is that piece of terrain. If the battlefield has this crucial bit of cover then position the Griffon such that he can fly to that spot within one turn once the enemy units are in the killing zone. The enemy units move forward into the trap then in one move you fly the Griffon to that sheltered spot facing their flank whilst bringing your support cavalry units up so they can charge with the Griffon Count in the following turn.

If this piece of terrain just isn’t there then, when you spring your attack, you’re going to have to plonk your Griffon out of any charge arcs and just brave the shooting. But hopefully only for one turn after which he is mucking in with blade, beak and claw.

Each turn, whenever placing the Griffon, consider your charge arcs and where your potential targets will be in your next turn. Keep your options open – it’s a large model so can see and charge over intervening troops that may turn to face you. This is a standard ploy with large fliers when they land near the flanks of a unit. In your enemies go they must decide whether or not to turn around to face you or risk being flank charged. If they turn to face you, you can fly over them and hopefully into the flank of a unit further away. See Diagram 8.

DIAGRAM 8

Even if there is nothing beyond to charge, the enemy unit has wasted its time turning allowing you to inflict more terror tests and the rest of your army time to manoeuvre/ shoot/ etc.

As a flying creature you can usually pick and choose your fights. Don’t feel obliged to go head to head with something you can’t beat. Move him where he can win.

Combat

What to charge

Charge close things that won’t get away when they flee as large chargers can hardly ever redirect. You will usually catch Infantry within say 10” and Cavalry within 5” when they flee. But always consider where you will end up if the charge fails or succeeds. Be careful you do not get drawn into an attack that the enemy will flee from and leave you vulnerable in the middle of the table. Many units that you charge will flee either from Terror or flee voluntarily so get used to thinking though the outcomes of charges.

Ideal targets for the Griffon Count include: Smaller flanking units like fast cav or skirmishers; units of flyers; vulnerable lone characters; chariots; and war machines. Most other units you should tackle with caution apart from the prime target for the Griffon Count: the Infantry block.

The Griffon Count cancels ranks and gets the flank/rear attack bonus. Being large he can rarely redirect charges so usually wants to charge stuff that wont get away i.e. slow stuff like infantry. The Griffons attacks often won’t penetrate decent armour. Your WS for both Count and Griffon is 5, which is better than most Infantry units but lousy when compared to Lords and Heroes of other races. The Griffon’s strength is only 5 and the Count’s will usually vary from 4 to 6. Thus the Count and Griffon combo is best against lightly armoured rank and file troopers, not Knights, Monsters or Heroes.

The Griffon has four Strength 5 attacks at WS5, which means he’ll hit 3 times and do about 2 wounds to most rank and file. Plus whatever your Elector Count can do…lets say hit twice and wound twice with a great weapon against an average T4, 4+ Armour save trooper. That’s 3-4 wounds against ‘em on average and virtually no fight back. That won’t beat an infantry block from the front (you lose because of ranks, standard, outnumber) but from the flank/rear you’re ahead by two or three! Imagine what the Laurels do in this situation for your Combat Resolution.

So, other than the aforementioned ideal targets, the Griffon Count is best tasked to destroying infantry blocks via flank /rear charges (except of course large units of Undead). However that isn’t always what is available.

From the front (unless they fail their terror test) you will usually bounce off decent ranked infantry units.

You will bounce off lots of units if you persist in unassisted charges. Armoured opponents like Knights and Ironbreakers will often cause you grief as well if charged in front or rear. Beware killing blows, war banners, stubborn and unbreakable troops etc…

Try not to charge Dragons, Ogres, (or Dragon Ogres!), Shaggoths, Kroxigors and the like. Their multiple wounds will allow them a fight back against all but the luckiest attacks and their high strength hits will hurt. You might be a lord on a monster but essentially you are one of the weakest heroes riding an unarmoured catbird.

Even attacking from the rear you should still avoid unassisted charges on big units of Knights/ Ushabti/ Dragon Ogres and such. If you must charge these hard units do it from the flank so there is minimal fight back. If you end up in a frontal charge then challenge the unit and hopefully you will kill whoever accepts and avoid a pile of hits (in the first turn anyway!).

When joint charging with Knights or ranked Infantry, assuming they make any required psychology tests, you are a force to be reckoned with. Having said that still avoid tar pit units, and if you don’t have the appropriate items stay away from Lords on Dragons/Bloodthirsters etc. Be wary of joint charges where the other unit might fail to charge whether it be from failed psychology tests, out of charge range etc. The Count will be left fighting the target on his lonesome and will probably be beaten to a feathery pulp.

DIAGRAM 9

A joint charging technique that may come in handy is that of charging over the top of your own units. See diagram 9. This occasionally catches someone by surprise as they forget the Griffon is large. A simultaneous charge with a unit you are behind onto the same target makes for a decisive combat.

Consider charging something close knowing it will flee and leave you near further units which will have to make terror tests, rather than just charging the further units. Who knows, the close unit might stay, get destroyed/broken and allow you to overrun/pursue into the next mob.

Equipment also determines what you should attack. If you have the Laurels go for rank and file. If you have a Runefang go for Knights. If you have Van Horstmans then a Bloodthirster can look very tasty. Necessity and opportunity will also dictate your charges at times i.e. You have to rescue that struggling unit of Great Swords; or there’s a sweet looking rear charge on those Silver Helms…

When to charge

Timing is everything with this piece. Exactly when you expose him, for that charge next turn, is critical against an enemy with shooters. Wait until you have presented multiple units that are threatening to charge the enemy line at the same time. Hopefully he’ll divide his fire up and only some of his shooting can actually see the Griffon. And even if he concentrates he shouldn’t be able to kill all your units before you impact.

Try to wait for combined charges, especially with units with a Standard: they tip most combat resolution in your favour nicely. Position the Griffon for flank charges, or joint frontal charges. Hopefully you’ve been cunning when revealing the model for a charge by hiding the Griffon partially behind terrain such that not all the enemy shooters can see him, but that he still has a view of his intended charge target.

DIAGRAM 10.

As you can see in diagram 10 the Griffon Count is hidden such that only the bolt thrower on the left can get a shot at him (a necessary risk). In the next Empire turn it can charge the war machine or the infantry unit (assuming it stays within sight).

My standard strategy is to hide the Griffon then hit the flank of a unit at the same time as Knights charge the front. Do this against a high points cost key enemy unit and you should be looking good.

If the enemy magic phase is horrid then combat can be a good shelter. Ideally pick a fight you can win and hopefully overrun into something else.

Charge when you will end up in a good position regardless of the enemy fleeing or fighting. If you want to be sure of catching fleeing troops charge something close (within 10”). Get good at knowing what 20” looks like. You still travel the full 20” if it’s a failed charge. If that will put you out of charge arcs and/or shooting visibility then it may be worth declaring a charge that is a bit iffy.

Be wary of charges without close support from the rest of your army. If your charge victim deep in enemy territory doesn’t break as expected and you don’t have help at hand the Count could be in trouble.

In summary: Fly safely til the rest of your army is poised then unleash everything together. Don’t waste the Count on trifling errands. Roll a flank and/or put the pressure on the backbone of the opponent’s army. Attack light units with impunity and flank charge heavier stuff, ideally with joint charges. Infantry with a Griffon Count on their flanks should be afraid. Very afraid.

Words of Warning about Moving and Charging

Don’t commit unsupported too early in the game. Keep the Griffon relatively safe in the early game. If there’s a chance he won’t break a unit make sure he can’t be counter charged by something nasty. Try to take out units that are away from their General’s leadership range (to ensure they break from combat).

Decapitation strikes with the Griffon on key enemy units, whilst tempting to do alone, usually need the support of another Empire unit. Otherwise it will be the Count who gets decapitated. It’s a balance between taking it easy and being bold with a Griffon. This is something you have to learn for yourself.

Quickly moving in amongst the enemy’s battleline can be hazardous. Armies with movement spells like Tomb Kings and Vampire Counts can catch a Griffon and really ruin his day. Beware. Losing the Griffon and Count often means losing the game, so a modicum of caution is advised.

Some battles the Griffon will hardly see any combat. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you’ve been making the enemy react to him/ causing terror/ chasing fleeing units/ march blocking/ threatening to charge etc.

If the battle hasn’t gone too well it is not a good idea to throw the Count at some high cost enemy unit hoping to break them in the last turn. A risky charge with the Count in your last go often results in you losing the Count on top of your other losses turning a minor loss into a massacre. Keep your 300+ point investment safe and wear the minor loss.

A dismounted Elector Count should either hide himself or take out very flimsy stuff like war machines depending on where he is on the battlefield and what equipment he has. A riderless Griffon that makes its monster Ld roll no longer cancels ranks so should concentrate on war machines, lone wizards, fast cav and such. Depending on how the battle is going sometimes just staying out of harms way and saving the points is the best option for either solitary member of the Griffon Count combo.

Army Selection

Taking a Griffon isn’t just about how you use him or what items the Count has. It’s also about what the rest of your army is like. You want be able to co-ordinate attacks with the Griffon and to compensate for its deficiencies.

Units with high leadership rely less upon the Counts absent leadership Greatswords, Knights and Flagellants and units with Captains and Priests. Heroes with the Icon of Magnus or a unit with a Banner of Valour/ the Imperial Standard will keep your army from doing the bolt at an inopportune moment. Having an EC General means you can have a magic banner in a state core regiment eg. A Griffon Banner in a unit often negates the need for a high Ld leader nearby.

Units that have high movement can keep up with and support a flyer e.g. Cavalry and Pegasai. A Griffon will take your leadership away from your back line and Infantry. So consider a Cavalry heavy army. They can keep up with the Griffon and benefit from the 12” leadership radius. And even if they are outside the Counts influence the Knights Ld8 is better than the usual 7 of the rabble. Cavalry gives you more options for combined charges with the Griffon enabling you to get that game deciding flank charge off. A War Banner and the Steel Standard on your Knight units will assist with the Griffon’s attacks. Pistoliers can protect the Griffon’s rear and nearly keep up with him. Pegasus riders also provide valuable support. A flanking joint charge with any of these units is devastating.

You can still go with an Infantry based core line up, though you’ll probably want to bolster their line with Captains and Warrior Priests. Keeping the Griffon back near the infantry in the early to mid game could be useful for morale too. Doing this is a bit of a waste of a flying terror causer though, and without some convenient terrain to hide behind could leave you a sitting duck for enemy shooting. You could use the Griffon as the hammer blow for a gun line army. A more game friendly mix would be having the Griffon and small units of Knights and Pistoliers as the fast response division of your 2 or 3 infantry block army.

Greatswords, Flagellants and Swordsmen (with the War Banner or similar) should be fairly confidant of holding without an Elector Count nearby. The Griffon hops around the field, hopefully close to the infantry, then commits to combat mid-game to deliver the deathblow. Easier said than done of course. Or he just leaves leadership to his Captains and Priests and hares off across the table.

Enemy units that threaten the Griffon can be weakened or destroyed at range by your missile units eg Handgunners, Archers, Crossbowmen, Hellblasters, Cannons and Mortars (but beware of deviating onto the Griffon!). Counter battery fire can eliminate those lethal bolt throwers that can really cramp your Elector Counts style. Cannons really are a must. Handgunners, Crossbowmen and Archers can sweep pesky fast cavalry away from the Griffon keeping his flanks clear. Shooters and Mortars can hammer enemy missile troops who will no doubt find the large target of a Griffon very tempting. A unit of Huntsmen can kill (or at least threaten) war machines and lone wizards, both hazards to our fancy flying hero.

Speaking of protecting the Griffon, beware of magic. Scroll Caddies and/or Warrior Priests are recommended. 2-3 dispel scrolls and 4 dispel dice should keep him safe until turn 3. After that watch out! Other than Dispel Scrolls consider the Seal of Destruction to eliminate that spell you really hate. Similarly the Rod of Power can help you store extra dispel dice. Consider 2 anti magic heroes (Scroll Caddies or Warrior Priests) in a ~2000 point game. Or take the offensive and try 3 level 2 wizards and dish out some magic pain.

Theme:

The flip side of the comp coin is that of theme. If theme is just as important to you as composition you might like to try some of these weird, but not necessarily workable, Griffon army ideas:

· An army of archers with a Dragon Bow wielding Griffon rider, cannons modelled as ballistae; Huntsmen, Kislev Horse Archer Allies.
· A Griffon Theme: Griffon banner Swordsmen, Pegasai modelled as baby Griffons, Knights of the Griffon, a unit of Gryphon Legion, Griffon shield motifs etc
· Paint the cat and bird parts of the Griffon as animals of the region your army is from: i.e. Tiger and Vulture for a Araby Crusade army, Siberian Tiger and Snow Owl for a Northern theme, Jaguar and Parrot for a Lustrian expedition, Cougar and Bald Eagle for a Naggaroth Invasion Force …
· A feathery flying circus with multiple Pegasai, Feather plumed Knights & Pistoliers, Allied Winged Lancers, Birdmen of Catrazza and the Gryphon Legion.
· A hard arse horror: Stank, 2 IC Knight units, Handgunners, 2 Cannons & Hellblaster.

But do try and play nice now.

To summarise, go with a fast hitty army: an emphasis on multiple units of Cavalry here. Some solid magic defence to keep the Griffon Count safe till turn 3-ish. Perhaps include some Flagellants, Greatswords, and/or a bannered up State Regiment to tar pit the enemy and act as an anvil while your Griffon does the rounds. Possibly include some shooters to soften or clear fast cavalry and definitely get a cannon or two to target enemy war machines/ monsters. A Pegasus Captain can make for a double dose of flying nastiness. With 2 flyers and Cavalry you’ll be all over the enemy lines like a rash. A fast acting, lethal rash!

Other Considerations

The Griffon should be based on a 50 x 50mm base. Some Griffon models come provided with 40 x 40mm but recent GW clarifications have confirmed it should be the larger.

Like a Steam Tank the Griffon can lead some opponents into judging your army as “hard” or “cheesy”. There’s not a lot you can do about this apart from not taking a Stank with the Griffon. You will find sometimes the Griffon helps you win big and sometimes the Griffon helps you lose big. Que sera sera.

A large attractive centrepiece can boost your painting marks at a tourney. Put some work into the model and reap the rewards.

Summary

· Most attacks will hit the Griffon so don’t overprotect the Count with defensive items. Equip him aggressively with kick ass items like the Laurels and a Sword of Power.

· Use terrain to protect the Griffon from missile fire. Expose to fire and attack simultaneously with other ‘hammer’ units.

· Generically useful movement styles involve either swinging wide and rolling up the enemies flank, or hopping to protected positions and threatening to charge advancing enemy units.

· The Griffon Count can easily smash infantry blocks from the flank / rear.

· Look for concealing terrain with a flank view of the enemy frontline. Position Griffon within 20” of this concealment spot whilst moving up frontal attack units.

· Charge when you can live with where model will end up if the charge is successful or not.

· Joint charges with the Griffon are devastating and relatively easy to pull off.

· US5 means flank and rear charges count towards combat resolution; you negate ranks; you outnumber most chariots & war machines = auto-break; you capture/contest table quarters.

· Your army should compliment the Griffon: Cavalry, Cannon, Second Sign, and sturdy infantry.

· If you lose the Griffon you usually lose the game, be careful with him especially in the early part of the game and don’t throw him into risky combats in last turn heroics.

This article was the result of several years of selling punctured Griffon pelts at the Middenheim markets. Thanks also to posters on Warhammerempire.com for solidifying these ideas.

The tactics presented here can no doubt be refined and expanded upon – please do so.

The author accepts no responsibility for losses incurred due to: massed RBT fire; Banshees; Griffon Counts who flee off the table; Saurus Warriors who just won’t break; Flakksons Rune of Seeking; Squadrons of Bretonnian Pegasus Knights; Air Swings; Treewhacks; the Foot of Gork; Poisoned attacks; the Helm of Many Eyes; the Icon of Rakaph; Skaven; foolhardy frontal charges on Pikemen; Beast Herds with rank, standard and outnumber bonuses; Sneaky Gits; and any instance of rolling a “one”.

Simon “Heimdall” Dent

Atchdisclaimer: I’ve tried to update this article for 7th edition but there may be some things leftover from 6th edition. If you find any errors just email me at: atchman2@yahoo.com