Topic: Trying to figure out detachments

[Corax13]

Hey guys,

I need help figuring out how to best use detachments tactic wise.

The first Empire 8th ed game I played, I used a horde of 40 halberdiers with a war priest and a BSB, supported by two detachments of 10 halberdiers, one on each side. Now, my opponent (VC), charged my first detachment with some cav. and before I had the time to reply with my parent unit and/or supporting units (knights), the detachment lost the fight, broke, got run over and made my knights flee of the table due to their total destruction. Yes, I had the BSB, the steadfast rule, the hatred, etc., but you can still miss a leadership test with all that...

What I'm trying to figure out is how to avoid my opponent jumping on those more vulnerable units first? Especially if I were to use shooters. Should I employ less detachments but with more guys, should I deploy them a bit behind my parent regiment, should I remember the steadfast rule even if I loose 5 guys in one go? Did I answer my own question?

Anyways, I'm open to your ideas...

[prouddiagram]

Simply put there are several things you can do aswell.

1. dont take such weak detachments. put the two tens into one 20 man unit 5 wide.
2. if you want to charge you need your detachments up with ur unit obv but if u play wait for the charge then put them back about 3" but within an inch of the parent.
3. put a character with the crown of command in the parent unit. it gives the unit stubborn and thanks to the new detachment rules ur dments get stubborn too.

you can still lose of course but cold blooded ld 9/8 stubborn re-rollable is going to be damn impossible to break. i find the ring of volans using the lore of metsl signiature spell will take care of most armies knights.

[FriscoEmpire]

I was wondering about this too.  Imagine you've got a big block of 25 or 30 swordsmen, full command.  In fact, imagine you've got two of these.  Those are your regiments.  These are side-by-side, smack in the middle, and each has a detachment of 10 free company or halberdiers or whatnot to the outside, protected in turn by some knights just beyond them. 

So if you looked at it laid out in front of you, it would be like this:

[Knights] [Detachment] [Big Block 1] [Big Block 2] [Detachment] [Knights]

Each block has maybe an inch or so between them and the next block over, and the detachments are sitting BACK about five inches from the leading edge of the big blocks, in range to counter-charge.

SO — THE QUESTION:

Can an enemy unit move up within charge range and then charge one of those two smaller detachments ... just sort of scoot right on between the big regimental block on one side and the knights on the other ... and line up against the little detachment?

If they hammer the detachment and wipe them out (or even Break them and send them to route and ruin), they could then overrun and and reform behind my lines and be poised to attack from the rear next turn.

But can they actually do that?  Can they squeeze between the other two blocks to left and right, about an inch or so on each side, and just hit the detachment full-on?

[Holy Hand Grenade]

Can an enemy unit move up within charge range and then charge one of those two smaller detachments ... just sort of scoot right on between the big regimental block on one side and the knights on the other ... and line up against the little detachment?

If they hammer the detachment and wipe them out (or even Break them and send them to route and ruin), they could then overrun and and reform behind my lines and be poised to attack from the rear next turn.

But can they actually do that?  Can they squeeze between the other two blocks to left and right, about an inch or so on each side, and just hit the detachment full-on?

As long as they can fit into the space and not touch the other units, then yes, they can squeeze in there.

I think the key thing here is that if the enemy is moving in that close to hit your detachments set way back...then why don't you just charge them on your turn?

Detachments need space to be able to Countercharge-  especially if they have any ranks to speak of.  The best way to keep units off them is to have enough units on your side to channel and funnel the big units where you want them.  Frisco-  I know you have read my Griffon Formation thread- which offers a couple of ways to do this.

As the original OP pointed out, detachments can be a liability if the opponent has the numbers and speed to attack your formations as he sees fit.  Paying for a couple of diverters goes a long way in preventing this.

[Talben21]

The thing I concluded is that...

Detachments suck and they suck bad. If I want stubborn then I will just go with big infantry blocks (I fields blocks of 60 spearmen and halberdiers) and then I take a steam tank and a unit of Reiksguard. That right there is more than enough to tar pit the enemy with!

[Thorsten Carbide]

I must admit that last time I took attachments it was in Ed 7, but I used to take missile troops for the stand and shoot cover for the main unit, it used to work quite well, and if the charging unit made it in, you could then move the attachment into assist the melee.

The only times it did not work for me was when my opponent charged the attachment instead of the parent unit, or the attachment was either pummelled by artillery or withered by magic, before any combat troops came near.