The Swan-of-War Shuffle, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Change Formation Let me predicate that this is simply an attempt to increase the value of core Empire infantry and a tactic that I've found useful in my recent games. Since it involves an application of the Change Formation rule that challenges some player's understanding of the rule, it is best that you discuss your intentions with your opponent beforehand to avoid any confusion and misunderstanding. The Swan-of-War Shuffle is a defensive tactic that allows an Empire general to reshape his infantry battle line using the Change Formation maneuver. It involves a parent unit, a missile-detachment and a melee-detachment; all deployed 15 models wide.
For the first few turns, the parent unit holds steady while a missile-detachment rains fire on enemy units, pressuring them into a charge. Once an opposing charge in imminent, all three units Change Formation into traditional 5-wide blocks: the parent unit set to take the charge, the melee-detachment poised to countercharge and missile-detachment whisked out of harm’s way.
The Units The basic Swan-of-War Shuffle involves a 30-strong parent unit and one to two 15-strong detachments - at least one being a missile detachment. All units are deployed one behind the other with a 1" gap in-between.
First, the missile-detachment is deployed in a single rank, 15 models wide. Behind them is the parent unit, also deployed 15 models wide but two ranks deep. Finally, the melee-detachment is deployed immediately behind the parent unit - also in a single rank, 15 models wide. All three units should line up vertically as it is important when they begin changing formation.
Due to the distances moved, this works for models on 20mm bases and with Move 4. Larger-based models (e.g. 25 mm) could possible use a version of this tactic as well - two units deployed 10 wide or perhaps if they have a higher Move than 4.
Here, a unit of enemy Greatswords has marched to within 5", having just suffered 3 turns of Crossbow fire. Now is the time to Change Formation.Changing Formation The Change Formation maneuver allows a unit of troops to change its formation by adding or removing models from the front rank. By surrendering half of its move, the unit can add/deduct five models to/from its front rank, or it may add/deduct up to ten models by surrendering all of its other movement for that phase.
Unlike the other maneuvers,
Change Formation does not require the unit to reform around its central point*. This is very important – they can rank up behind any five models in their front rank. By deploying models in a 15-wide line (approx. 12” wide), the player can choose to “shuffle” that unit to anywhere along that 12” line, reforming behind the leftmost five, the center five, the rightmost five or any combination in between. This allows them to scoot missile-detachments out of the way of oncoming chargers and prepare the main block and melee-detachments to receive the charge.
As you can see, it is very important to begin Shuffling from the back unit and working your way forward. This allows space for the troops to move, units to form and sticklers can't ding you for trying to move through your own units. Also, since the units will end up flush, movement trays shouldn't be used at this time. It takes awhile to move all the models by hand - something to consider when under the time constraints of a tourney.
If, in their turn, your opponent chooses to charge the main block, simply Stand and Hold with the Swordsmen, Countercharge with the Free Company and give Supporting Fire with the Crossbows. Should your opponent choose to charge the Crossbows instead, flee. This will position the enemy unit to be charged in your next turn by the Swordsmen and flanked by the Free Company's supporting charge. The measuring tape shows that they are both well within range.
Forming the 30-Wide UnitA big point on contention is forming the 30-wide unit: namely, no model moving more than 8". Some extremely bright people have proven it can be done with Euclidean geometry, but the following pictures show how I do it. I've divided up my unit into groups of five, using different models for each group to show where they end up. I'll keep these pictures large so you can track them.
The outer two models, the white-primer Standard Bearer and bare plastic Swordsman, have to move the farthest. By my measuring tape, they're both moving 8" to their new positions. Someone has pointed out that Pythagorean's theorum shows this distance as 8.029". This does mean that your model is moving 1/50th of an inch over its double move. Whether that is significant (or visible) or not should be discussed with your opponent beforehand.
This last image shows the final placement of all 30 models: 5 x 6 wide.
Where to Deploy? At least 6.5" is needed to change formation. This means the first missile-detachment should be deployed anywhere from 7" - 11" in from the board edge. If you expect to face foot-slogging infantry units, I would deploy closer to the 7" line. This will put 29" between the unit and enemies, granting at least three turns of shooting before having to reform.
Deploying 15-wide is important to this strategy for many reasons:
- Since no model may move more that twice it's Move value (in this case, 8”), 15-wide allows units to change formation as needed without breaking this rule.
- The units reform into 5-wide blocks, which allows them to move out of each other’s way and react to oncoming chargers as needed.
- Units are able to “sideways step” four times further than using the Turn maneuver.
- The player is able to fire fifteen missile shots from his main battle line from turn one.
- It looks cool (this is paramount).
Which Troops to Use? In general, Crossbowmen are the best choice for the missile detachment. Their superior range allows everyone to deploy as far as 30" away from the enemy and still pose a threat. Handgunners, with their shorter 24" range, must wait until the enemy advances before they can even shoot. Archers may also be used - their skirmish formation provides better protection from incoming fire - but they also suffer from 24" range bows, not to mention Str 3.
For the parent unit, I recommend Swordsmen or Spearmen. The Attack-in-Ranks rule allows Spearmen to throw back more attacks into the charging unit, but their lack of 4+ Save (Handweapon + Shield) and lower WS means they will lose more models than the Swordsmen. My Mathhammer shows both units to net about the same, but your mileage may vary and it's really up to your personal taste. Greatswords are another viable option but a general must weigh the additional cost and Special slot they occupy.
Free Company make up my countercharge unit – I like the ten attacks they can pump out on the countercharge. But really any other State Troop besides Spearmen are good for this role. Those looking for a chance to be fluffy can squeeze some Halberdiers in here and have them perform quite nicely.
Strengths / Weaknesses Strengths -
- Versatility in deployment. The Shuffle is more forgiving against poor match-ups. Generals have a 12" zone they can reposition their units within.
- Utilizes core troops.
- Missile units aren't regulated to two-ranks-on-a-hill; they can provide screening and firepower while not causing panic if they flee.
- Novelty. Opposing generals may hesitate before engaging for the first time, allowing more turns to fire at them or position hammer units.
Weaknesses -
- Parent unit still suffers from typical Empire psychology, the detachments mitigate this somewhat by not causing Panic if they flee.
- Template weapons have a greater chance of hitting all three units.
- Requires 12" of free space to be effective: terrain in the deployment zone can cause issues.
- Total unit cost is 400 pts, which can be expensive depending on the size of game.
Character Support Obviously, the parent unit will have reduced line-of-sight when deployed this way. Heroes that are attached for their Leadership boost (Generals, BSBs, Captains, etc) won't suffer much, but if you're like me and station your Battle Wizards in these blocks, you will want to rethink your Lores.
For those generals willing to assume the risk, a Wizard can be deployed inside the missile-detachment in order to cast spells and then moved back to the safety of the parent unit as the enemy draws near.
While in the parent unit, line-of-sight will be blocked to most other units on the ground unless the Wizard is moved to the end. However, he can still see elevated and Large units, which means not all his spells are hamstrung. Heavens could be a good Lore here as the default spell can buff the missile-detachment, Celestial Wind can enhance its value as a screen, and both the lightning spells can target opposing units on hills. A Brown Wizard with Beast Cowers would also do well as the spell does not require LoS and would hinder cavalry/monsters rushing your line.
Variants I've thought about adding Flagellants to the mix, but have not yet had the chance to try them out. By squeezing them between the missile-detachment and parent unit (e.g. Crossbows, Flagellants, Swordsmen), one could drop the melee-detachment. The flagellants could change formation as needed to accept the charge and would likely survive until the next turn. However, due to the swordsmen's placement in the front arc, another hammer unit (such as knights) would be needed to flank the enemy.
On a Grander Scale A Swan-of-War unit costs 400 points and needs a 12" x 7" square to operate. Two such units form a nice 2-foot chunk of infantry that can be mutually supportive. Positioning a Helblaster between the two and a brace of vanilla knights (5 knights + musician, one on each flank) can pose a formidable battle line.
For those with truly brass yarbles, 2400 pts gets you six such units, which would stretch the entire width of the table and number 360 State Troops - beautiful enough to make even Chuck Norris cry!
*Diagrams 14.1 and 14.2 show a unit changing formation evenly(ish) from both sides. Some player's take this as rote while, in truth, the diagrams illustrate a single scenario. Also, the "filling from the center" rule is often mis-applied to the unit as a whole instead of just the back rank. The general consensus, when combined with the FAQ ruling on using a manuever to move more than double a unit's movement value, is that this tactic is Legal, but Frowned Upon. Again, be sure to discuss with your opponent beforehand.
