Topic: 8th Edition Detachments Good or Bad

[Obi]

The FAQ.

[Lord Zignus]

Not counting towards core units is the main flaw for detachments, thats the reason I dont use them. 

[Steerpike]

To me, the main point against detachments now is that they are not so necessary anymore. Being able to hold with the big unit when charged, thanks to steadfast, makes the ability to counter charge in the same turn less relevant. Other than that, I believe detachments would be just as good if not better than previously (if only because flanking units strike with support attacks but they don't receive support attacks from the flanked unit).

Not counting towards core can be a relatively important factor, but depending on the kind of list you want to build you may cover easily the core points.

[Mathi Alfblut]

Due to the amount of detachment hate and that they do not count towards core means I have to take loads of detachments.

I cannot see how you would not be able to meet core requirements and have detachments. The game is about the core troops. The rest, besides manly greatswords and big Bertha is just for artistic touch. Besides, after halberds, great cannons and codpieces detachments ARE Empire. If there is some darn ultra competitive germ making people hate detachments and spearmens in this ed. I have no choice but too man up to the challenge.

Besides, real gentlemen gives there opponent a slight advantage. Cause it is manly.

Now go hide in shame and pray Sigmar forgive you.

[towishimp]

I still use mine and like them well enough-about as much as I did in the last edition.

Not breaking Steadfast doesn't seem like such a big deal to me; my blocks of state troops are usually the bigger unit, so my enemies rarely get steadfast.  When that's the case, they work just like they used to: they flank and break rank bonuses. Thanks to supporting attacks, my free company detachments get even more attacks than under the old rules, too.

I also still love my handgunner detachments.  I usually leave them almost completely stationary, shooting at soft targets and stand-and-shooting for their parent unit until the big fights start breaking out.  Once the parent unit goes running off into the melee, they hang out behind the line and shoot at anything that's trying to circle around or that breaks through.  When they inevitably flee something, they don't cause panic, which is great.

As others have said, I never have problems meeting my Core requirements, so I don't care much that they don't count toward the Core %.  I also asked my buddies that I play with, and they're cool with me counting my detachments toward the Core %, anyways, so I don't care at all when I'm playing with my friends.

The only change I've made is that I obviously had to beef up my FC combat detachments from 10 to 15, to make sure they break enemy ranks. I'm also thinking of changing them to halberdiers somewhere down the line.

But yeah, still like detachments.

[csjarrat]

Shooting detachments are still fine, and combat detahments are really good when playing at lower points levels

[Ambrose]

Well, I've used detachments in all my games now and must say I really like their effectiveness. 

I've played 1k, 1.5k, 2k and 2.5k games so far, and have never had a problem coming up with the 25% minimum of core, not including detachments.

The fact that detachments don't cause panic if fleeing has been a saving grace on many occasions.  Their ability to stand and shoot for their parent unit, counter charges and supportive charges have all been useful.

To date, I haven't found any drawbacks that effect my army lists.

The imput has been great though, keep up the depate.

Ambrose

[Ludwig von Blucher]

I have tried it, it worked really well. Both detatchments fled off the board, but i lost 100pts in both. The unit of Chaos knights with lord on juggernaught i then cannonned/helblastered/final transmutated were worth a lot more! 

[Timrath]

I just registered to necromance this thread, because it keeps coming up in Google searches about detachments. It is stated many times by several posters that detachments don't count towards core, which is not true. Since many people still play 8th edition, there may be others like me who could be mislead by this false information. I'm still new to Warhammer, and I almost believed what was said in this thread. To protect others who are in a similar situation as me, I therefore commit the sin of necromancing.

Page 30 of the English language army book for the Empire (2011 edition) reads:
"The points cost of a Detachment, and any upgrades it has taken, counts towards the points total of the same unit category as the Regimental Unit they are purchased with."

Just to make sure I didn't misunderstand the wording, I also checked the German version of the army book (also printed in 2011). On page 30, it reads:
"Die Punktekosten einer Abteilung und jedweder ihrer Aufrüstungen zählen zur Gesamtpunktezahl der Einheitenkategorie, zu der auch ihr dazugehöriges Hauptregiment zählt."
Since German is my first language, I can vouch that the German text is in perfect agreement with the English text.

The French version also agrees:
"La valeur en points d'un Détachement et de ses options compte dans le total de points de la catégorie du Régiment auquel il appartient."

Moderators, you can ban me or lock the thread, but please, please, please don't delete this message, because this information really needs to be out there, for the sake of those who still play 8th edition!

[Fidelis von Sigmaringen]

You are preaching to the converted here.