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Author Topic: Are detachements worth it at 2000, or more points ? If yes how do you use it ?  (Read 3175 times)

Offline Hochland Jaeger

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Hello everyone !

I am pretty much new to the hobby, even though I have a very big army at this point.

But the question is written in the title.

Since I am a noob and only played like 2 games at 1500 points and used a block of 48 swordsmen with my general and wizard lord in it and a block of 49 spearmen with BSB in it, I can't really tell if it good ti use it, from a practical point of view.

Thanks in advance !

Offline Fidelis von Sigmaringen

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Here is a very useful review of the Empire Army Book: http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=46111.0

Here is a general exchange of views on Detachments in partiuclar: http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php/topic,48859.0/nowap.html

And here is an exposition on the Griffon formation: http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=42921.0
It is not enough to have no ideas of your own; you must also be incapable of expressing them.
Sex, lies and manuscripts: The History of the Empire as Depicted in the Art of the Time (10/07/16)

Offline Hochland Jaeger

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wow they are really good.
thanks

Offline Fidelis von Sigmaringen

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Compared with previous editions, Detachments gained but also lost benefits; the communis opinio seems to be that they have lost more than their gained. Against inexperienced opponents, they can be very effective. Against experienced opponents, their effectiveness is considerably reduced.
It is not enough to have no ideas of your own; you must also be incapable of expressing them.
Sex, lies and manuscripts: The History of the Empire as Depicted in the Art of the Time (10/07/16)

Offline CarolineWellwater

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(( Hey Hochland Jaegar,

To use a spot of empirical data, I haven't found them to really be useful at all.  I've used both melee and missile detachments, at points ranging from 1500 - 2500.  They often fail to do anything significant, though I have had smallish (15-sized) blocks of Swordsmen do something.

Even Archers I tend to field as independent unit.  That way, I can deploy them as needed, instead of being forced to deploy them with their parent company.  And, they still can LOS block, get targets of opportunity, and flank charge (if the situation warrants it).  Curiously, I've found that crossbow / handgunner detachments do worse then their independent counterparts, as they often will fall victim to LoS problems.  Not to mention that there are enough spells out there that if a Detachment / Parent suffers a negative-Trait effect (like Stupidity, Frenzy, or similar), so does the other... many players seem to notice that Parents offer LD / Positive-Trait effects, but forget that negative-Trait effects are also passed along.

More-often-than-not, though, Detachments just fail to assist their parent unit against a charge.  And vice-versa.  Since the detachments cannot auto-flank-charge now, neither can the parent units.  (Not to mention that Parent units cannot declare a Counter Charge to support its detachment.)  Worse, Detachments cannot get musicians, meaning they use up valuable movement wheeling / reforming, instead of trying for the Swift Reform.

Anyway, I've found that two, separate units of troops will support each other better, than one unit with a detachment.

Just some quick thoughts I've seen personally.  ))

Offline commandant

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Detachments in 8th were much better than people considered them.