How to Get Better Army Advice - Mastering The Parade GroundLets face it. It takes years of experience to get to where The Village Idiot is. Some on this fine site have reached this level of mastery and gladly extend their advice to others. Thats what the "Parade Ground" was designed for. When posting an army list for critiquing by your peers, there are a few things you can do so that you will receive better advice.
Title:The first one should be obvious. What is your army? Tell us exactly what you are posting. Here is an Example:
2000 PT Hochland Tournament ArmyThis emphasizes the points level, the grade and the fluff all in one line. By giving simple information like this in the title it makes it easier to review. If you just post:
My Empire ListThis is not very helpful and doesn't attract many people to the thread.
Opening Paragraph about Theme, Purpose, Fluff and Common Opponents:You can save your time and your reviewers time if you give them an introduction to your army. What theme are you going for? Is there specific background you are trying to achieve? Let everyone know that you took the halbediers for fluff reasons and not because you thought they were "effective". This can greatly help the reviewer narrow advice down to specific units.
Tell us what you want from us. Do you want us to try and suggest changes to make the list better? What is the budget for suggested changes? Or do you want us to suggest tactics with the list at hand? Make sure to specify what you want people to help you with.
Next, explain the environment you are going to be playing in. Is this a hardcore tournament for cash? Are you using this to fight brand new players and want it soft? Certain units fit better in different grades of play, and by explaining exactly where you are playing will help the reviewer rate you list
A big one that people commonly forget: Do you know who you are playing? If you have 3x opponents: Skaven, High Elves and Orcs; Tell us! If you simply give us a list we will assume you fight everyone, but if you honestly are only fighting a couple different armies it is easier to suggest more specific advice that will round your army out to be more competitive against that specific race(s).
Once we know the basics behind your army composition, its time to move onto the list itself
1.) Fluff/Theme
2.) What advice do you want?
3.) What environment do you play in?
4.) What armies do you play against?
How To Structure an Army List for Maximum EffectLets face it, some army lists are easier to read than others. To get more people to respond quicker and more efficiently, it helps to structure your list in a way that makes it easier to respond to
Firstly, Categorize! It is much more difficult to read when the special slots are below characters or when things are not listed together. By following a simple structure (like the one below) it makes it much easier for us to respond. It is also much easier to read if you bold your categories. If desired, you can also put the points totals of the category by the title but it really isn't necessary
Characters: (This can be broken down to Lords/Hero's if desired)
Core:Special:Rare:Next comes the units themselves. Firstly, posting points
totals is a very good way to assist your reviewer. If I see a unit that is very out of place, if you have the total right next to it I know how much leeway you have if it is dropped. Also by posting totals the reviewer can sometimes identify miscalculations in your list.
When posting the unit, do not put things that come standard. Everyone knows swordsmen have shields and light armour, so please do not tell us again. It clutters the post, makes it hard to read and is not necessary. One thing most experienced posters dont often realize, but visually it is easier to read if you put the points total before the name.
Example Entries:
310pts - Arch LectorWar Altar, Armor Of Meteoric Iron, Mace Of Helstrum
175pts - 25x SwordsmenFull Command
By splitting up the post, it is easier to identify what the unit is, what it costs, and what options the unit has. Here is a sample entry if you have a unit with detachments:
260pts - 25x Swordsmen9 Free Company Detachment, 5x Handgunner DetachmentFull Command
By including them in their own line and using Italics to represent the significants of them being a unit in their own right you can make it easier to identify them
And finally, put it all together to make a superb army!
Sample List:2250 Pt Empire Inquisition (Title)
Hey everyone, here is a list I have been playing around with. It is based around the Inquisition. I went heavy on greatswords because I love how they look and play. The idea is for the knights to support the greatswords.
I am looking for ways to make the list more efficient. I normally play against Cavalry Empire, Tzeentch, Dwarfs, Ogre Kingdoms and Bretonnia
Thanks in advance, and heres my list:
Characters: 713 Points310pts - Arch LectorWar Altar, Armor Of Meteoric Iron, Mace Of Helstrum
141pts - Warrior Priest <-Goes with Knights
Dawn Armour, Barded Warhorse, Shield
150pts - Wizard <- Goes with Greatswords. Lore Of Death
Level 2x, Power Stone, Dispel Scroll
151pts - Captain <- With Swordsmen
Battle Standard Bearer, Banner Of Sigismund, Barded Warhorse, Shield
Core: 752 Points175pts - 25x SwordsmenFull Command
123pts - 5x KnightsMusician
123pts - 5x KnightsMusician
155pts - 5x KnightsFull Command
80pts - 10x Handgunners80pts - 10x CrossbowmenSpecial: 760 Points280pts - 25x GreatswordsFull Command
280pts - 25x GreatswordsFull Command
100pts - Great Cannon100pts - Great CannonRare:N/A
Total: 2248 Points
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And there you have it! Hopefully by following these simple steps you will be 1-step closer to making your perfect list
