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Tactica: Tomb Kings - Bored1 | |
Core ChoicesTraditionally speaking, this is the heart of your army. This is the piece that should be most numerous, and what really wins you the battles. Or so GW tries to convince us. In reality, for either Undead army, core doesn’t win fights. It provides outnumbering for use of the fear ability, but that’s about it. So let’s take a look at these units, with this in mind:Skeleton Warriors I personally find them very well-priced. What other army has archers that actually have a cost that reflects their usefulness in core? These guys are pretty pathetic in a fight, but they’re really only there for numbers. Don’t expect them to do much damage. Considering this, I find that spears are not worth the points. Remember, outnumbering for fear is the reason to use core units. A few of other things to consider about basic skeletons: 1, Bow skeletons are almost as effective as hw/shield skeletons in close combat (just a slightly worse save). Don’t be afraid to take very large blocks (20-40) of them. Then use magic or the movement phase to reform them into a fighting block. I personally think a Tomb King can fit very well into such a unit, allowing the unit to shoot twice or reform when needed. Regarding the effectiveness of shooting with such a unit, even 25 shots (times 2) from a unit can do some damage on the right targets. The shooting is just a bonus, not where you’re really looking to get the damage in. 2, Don’t take command for skeleton units unless you have the points to spare. The standard is usually a good buy, but the champion and the musician really are optional. If you need points for other things, this is one of the spots you can trim points. 3, So how many to take? Well it depends on the purpose, especially with bow armed skeletons. For a basic shooting unit, 10 are enough, with no command. For a unit that you’re looking to reform to add some ranks in combat, then 15-20 are good, with command (although this can be trimmed to just a standard if points are needed). With actual combat-equipped units, I recommend at least 25. These will give ranks, while being able to soak up a few casualties. Light Horse Ugh. Yes, they provide mobile fire support. Plus can sometimes give that much needed flank/rear charge. But realistically, they are fast cavalry that can’t march or flee. In other words, light horsemen are very hampered in terms of usefulness when compared to almost any other fast cavalry in the game. Consider what it is possible for them to do in most games. One, they can advance, semi-quickly, up field to give enemy units such as war machines or shooting units something to worry about. As mentioned, they can provide key rear/flank charges to tip a combat. Finally, they can use their shooting and close combat to deal with light enemy threats such as scouts, skirmishers, or other fast cavalry. Realistically, all of these have problems. Regarding the first point, there are ample units in the Tomb Kings list which can do this far better than the light cavalry can ever hope to. On the second point, again there are better units, as well as the chance they could hurt your combat resolution by dying in droves to many enemy threats. Finally, light horsemen are so light they stand a good chance of losing to many “light” options enemies will field. The ones that they can defeat were not much of a threat to begin with probably. Therefore, by including them in your list, you are as guilty of poor list-building as your opponent. Tomb Swarms Tomb swarms are pretty much an all-around good unit. However, like many units in the TK list, these don’t work like other swarm units. While they can help hold up the enemy, a unit of skeletons is probably a better choice for that task. They are also not a screening unit, due to being small. What swarms allow you to do is go after war machines and other light units, as well as provide some extra poisoned attacks to other combats. Some things to remember about swarms: 1, Ideal unit size for swarms is hard to define. I don’t like units of 5 bases, as I feel they are unwieldy. However, I can see the tactical benefits that such a large unit can provide. I personally field a unit of one swarm, and I find that effective. I’d love to take more, but don’t see anywhere to trim the points. After much trial and error, I’m tempted to say that with swarms, if you take them, take as many as you want to/can fit in. 2, You don’t have to use It Came From Below (ICFB). Only use it when needed (hunting mages, war machines, etc). They can be useful for protecting the flank of a key unit, or even the front of a unit like the skull catapult. 3, Swarms don’t win combat by themselves. If charged by most units, they will probably crumble. As skirmishers, they don’t negate ranks, so even a rear or flank charge from a swarm unit guarantees nothing. However, they are definitely a viable alternative to the harder hitting units for a flank charge on a unit held up by a unit of skeletons (or horsemen), thanks to the 5 poisoned attacks they have. Heavy Horse Ugh. Yes, they are better than light horse. But that does not make them good. Essentially, they are skeletons that move 8” and get +1 strength on the charge. Not exactly fantastic. However, they are usable. The key is to not use them like other heavy cavalry, because they are one of the few “medium cavalry” units in WHFB. To use them, I think it is important to consider them as skeleton units that can move 8” a turn. So again, focus on outnumbering your opponent. This means to take units with between 12-16 heavy horse. Combined with a flanking unit that can do some damage (chariots, tomb guard, Ushabti, etc), this unit will essentially be a more mobile, and more fragile, version of the standard tactics used with a skeleton unit. However, remember that they have one huge drawback when compared to normal skeletons; they can’t take any of the good melee characters from the TK list. Chariots I’m putting them here as this is where they are listed in the book. Whether they are Special or Core, the comments don’t really change much. The main thing is what chariots have to compete with in order to get in a given list. Chariots are among the top 3 or so fast cavalry in the game. The most important part of that statement is that they are fast cavalry. This becomes the key in how to use them. Yes they have the potential to do good damage. But that doesn’t mean you can send them after any target unsupported. They can tear through small units, light units, and even a block of ranked up medium infantry. However, potential is far from being a guarantee. You must use them intelligently. Some things to remember: 1, Regarding unit size, I go with 3 or 5. Why? Simply because more seems superfluous. Why not just make another unit of chariots at that point? You shouldn’t be looking for rank bonus or the like with 40 point models. Also, personally, the only command I give them is a standard. 2, S7 is bad. Stay away from S7 opponents. This can be tough with an army like Chaos or lizardmen, but factor that into your deployment. Avoid S7 as best you can. 3, Chariots are greatly enhanced by the addition of a character. This allows them a guaranteed spell in the magic phase, as well as a great increase in hitting power. 4, Remember that chariots are fast cavalry. They are great for deployment techniques such as a refused flank I realize these seem very simple, but from what I’ve seen, many players not follow these guidelines. I’ve then seen the same players complain about how under-powered chariots are. Amazing no? I’ll get more into actual tactical usage a bit later on. Part 4 - Army Selection - Special and Rare Units | |
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