Topic: What characters to pick? Or Mathi grumbles a wall

[Mathi Alfblut]

So I am having issues, like the usual Mathi issues.

I love my characters marching with the infantry and leasing by example. Most say that is not efficient but I just like it that way.
Also, expirience with my high elves shows how a BSB + a unit with a magic banner giving extra static combat resolution is really good against undead. And I got 29 halberdiers that will be veterans and to be lead by said BSB.

But I receptet ordered 20 greatswords and now I feel someone must march with them. Well, my general of course! And behind follow my lv4 wizard.

But man do I hate having to field a lv4. See, I really want a General of the Empire because you want high leadership facing undead. But there I have lots of points spent om two lord level characters that could have been spent on other cool stuff.

And having Greatswords means they must fit in together with my Demigryphs and my 11 Black guard of Morr Inner circe knights. And a cannon. And my mortar.

At the 2500 points I am aiming for it is doable, especially since I have no rare units.

But it feels wrong to have so much special stuff. It just feels so damn wrong.
In my very own (but of course totally correct and unassailable opinion) GW gets it wrong all the time. They go in saying, these units are core troops, the main bulk of the army but you only need a quarter of your points on them. But you can have half your points on special stuff!

And people will take as much special as possible. Had I designed it it would be that half of the points should be spent on core troops! Now that would show what is core.

Anyway, I really want my knights, Greatswords and Demigryphs so I ponder if I should just take normal knights. But since they only have heavy armour it feels wrong. How can my knights with the same armour one day be full plate and the other just heavy armour.
Yes, I know that it is silly of me but it feels wrong. So wrong I am considering trying to find another range of knights that looks suitably less armoured to have heavy armour but still look like Empire.

And then I check out the Grand master and Chapter master. Immune to psychology to the unit. Dammit, that is a must have for the Black guard of Morr! So I need such a characterand I need those sweet strength 4 leadership 9 IC knights!

I think of my friends hordes of undead core troops and feel dirty and filthy all over. I feel I need so much special to beat him I feel like a loser. But I also feel that vanilla knights do not do the Black guard justice.

Back to the characters.

I need to squeeze in a Chapter master. No, wait! How about taking a Grand master as my general. Solomon Kane, Grand master of the Black Guard, reaching out to his cousin Mathias Kane, commander of Kane's Great company, to purge some undead! Dang, that would be cool!

But who would command my Greatswords since my BSB must march with the halberds? Can I squeeze in a fifth character? A witch hunter? Eh, hatred stunds good but otherwise a captain is way better, and cheaper.

Maybe the Greatswords are no ordinary greatswords but also part of the Black guard, but commoners? Stunds really cool.

But why am I feeling so dirty?

[commandant]

A simple captain alone could be enough for the greatswords though I do like the idea of a witch hunter with them.

[Edwin von Dufflecoat]

I've won 5 of my last 6 games despite not having a higher LD than 8. Plenty of rerolls tho.

I'm currently favouring the bit of everything approach. I use an Arch Lector on the war altar as my general, and he's backed up by a priest,  a captain, a witchunter, an engineer and a l1 wizard. All kept as bare bones as pssibble, so they're very cheap.

[Sir Falo]

I also use the Popemobile so have a max of Ld 8. But The Empire have alot of veteran. IC knights have Ld9 veteran and stubborn so they dont need a character. Immune to psychology almost makes them worse. Doing tactical retreats with IC knights and rally on Ld10 veteran is quite nice.

Greatswords can have veteran and they are Stubborn, so they dont need Ld 9 ether. So if you like to have a cheap Captain to command them that's perfectly fine. A witch hunter works to. A thing to know is that if you use pistols to stand and shoot it counts with the combat resolution.

If you dont like that you have to take a Lvl 4 you can see it like he is a High priest of Morr. So take Dark och Necromancy on him to represent his divine powers. I think Dark is better for you (battle lust is very good on IC knights) but Necromancy is maybe more fitting.

[Mathi Alfblut]

Hmm... that sounds doable but wee bit heretical.
My wizard is inspired Arch channelor Mustrum Ridkully of The Unseen University from Terry Pratchetts Discworld books so he basically has to do battle magic or Elementarism, but I could get myself a more suitable model.

One reason I want to try a Grand Master is that I never have and they are the fightiest we have. But I could just give Preceptor a magic weapon in case they have to cut something etheral. Truth be told it would be strange if the Black guard of Morr did not come prepared for that.

Now, I have yet to go even more into the Pratchett theme, but it is tempting to make a unit based on the Watch.

[Mathi Alfblut]

Going back to a General on foot leading the Greatswords and having the Inner Circle knights take care of themselves free up some points.
I can have my mortar back in the list and add some more core.
My mortar is one of the few things that remains of my old Storland army so it would be nice to bring it along.
That said I could get some more core into the list if it stat home. I guess I will have to put up the list soon and take it from there.

[commandant]

I always have a general on foot with my greatswords. Now he isn't that cheap because he has a 2+/5+ save and -1 to be hit but on the other hand killing him is quite difficult.

[Footpatrol2]

So I've been putting the general on a barded horse with full plate and have him sit behind the infantry just to provide the leadership bubble. The infantry blocks line of sight to him and it's a cheap way to get 2+ armor save. Granted I lose the immune to panic to a unit.

I do the same with the bsb.

[Mathi Alfblut]

Mathias Kane is know for leasing from the front if he has to. The character is based on two characters I used in online campaigns so I really need to stay true to them.

[commandant]

General odf the empire, full plate, shield, T of Protection, brace of pistols and magic sword

[Mathi Alfblut]

Yes, that is what I was thinking. But instead of the Talisman of protection he would have The White cloak. He is Ulrician.

[commandant]

All the better really.

[Mathi Alfblut]

I found a useable body and with my extensive bits collecton I went to work.
With an old body for the year 2000 State troop standard bearer, arms both firing at the same target from the pistolier kit, a head with barett and feather and pelt for a goblin Wolf rider I now have a general with a brace of pistols.

[Mathi Alfblut]

I must say I appreciate the 25mm base. The kitbash take some place.

[PowerSeries]

Yeah, it makes it less fussy to rank them up.

[Motley]

Hmm... that sounds doable but wee bit heretical.
My wizard is inspired Arch channelor Mustrum Ridkully of The Unseen University from Terry Pratchetts Discworld books so he basically has to do battle magic or Elementarism, but I could get myself a more suitable model.

One reason I want to try a Grand Master is that I never have and they are the fightiest we have. But I could just give Preceptor a magic weapon in case they have to cut something etheral. Truth be told it would be strange if the Black guard of Morr did not come prepared for that.

Now, I have yet to go even more into the Pratchett theme, but it is tempting to make a unit based on the Watch.

I like the way you think. I was already of this opinion on the first post, but this reply clinched it.