Hope for AOS (pics included)

[Boltshot525]

I have been playing WFB for 13 years and have well over 6000 points of dark elves. What drew me to WFB was the blocks of units facing off and a high level of tactical game play.

When i initially read the AOS rules i was very disappointed. I have played a lot of over the years and to see the game reduced to skirmishing wasn't great.

However after really going through the rules and thinking of creative ways to play i realized that there is now much more freedom for games that resemble and act like real battles. Units act much more reliably and things like flanking the enemy actually work like they should instead of just counting towards a break test.

The thing that got me scared the most was that all units were skirmishers. However when i saw that everyone had actual range for their attacks, i realized that keeping your units ranked up still had many advantages.

You could get many more attacks in while keeping the enemy from piling in around you as long as you kept your battle like strong. Since our bases are small we can get in two ranks of models attacking with 1 inch attacks and 3 ranks of models in with 2 inch attacks. This means that if the enemy wants to come at your strong front like in a disordered skirmish formation, that you will be getting many more attacks in than they will.

In the game i played today, i saw the value of having a strong middle to hold the line while your support units tried to get around the enemy to swing the battle in your favor. The more attacks you can focus on one enemy unit while taking few in return is what will win games.

I know that logic may seem obvious, but it really becomes important when deciding how to deploy your army. If you can maintain a strong center with ranked up models, the enemy can't wrap around you and you will naturally get more attacks on the enemy than they can get on you.

I have some pictures of my last game to show my point a bit more clearly. I believe i had the advantage in army strength from the beginning but i did allow them to set up their army after I had set up all of mine.

We didn't get to finish the game because the store was closing, but the combats that were fought, were very much in favor of the ranked units just because of how many more attacks I could dish out.

Let me know what you guys think.

[Boltshot525]

More pics

[Boltshot525]

more pics

[Sangfroid]

Great pics I do love seeing pics of models streaming across the field!

Me and Daeron were discussing on another thread the benefit of formations with certain troops in particular those with a 2inch range. The optimum defensive formation for these I think is a square because you want the enemy to pile around you because every one model (after the first) that piles around you get 2 models to attack back in return.

Okay couple this with our new dreadspears who get +1 to hit if they haven't moved and +1 to hit if over 20 models and sudden you have a unit that is hitting the enemy on a 2+

Okay couple that with a foot generals ability to grant a boon that you can reroll all 1s wound rolls, or a dread on a dragon you can reroll hits of 1 and gain immunity from battleshock or a master bsb re-roll 1s for wound rolls, or the cauldron of blood (1s for wounds again) a solid unit that will cause a problem for a lot of units. They will die as they are that tough but it's not their job to live just to hold the enemy.

Now with 2-3 smallish square (blackguard and sisters also perform his role) as the front line the enemy will charge, pile in and extend his models around your squares, this is then where your Move vulnerable units (witches, characters monsters etc...) step up and either charge the extended enemy lines maximising your counter charge attack and minimising attacks back on them or your shooting units can pour their shots into the enemy with no danger of being charged back I'd even counter using corsairs with hand bows, shooting then charging in as well if you think it's going to break the enemy.

The other advantage of squares if placed well in deployment and moved well throughout the game is you clan reform into a line and plug gaps if required or go on the offensive charge and either not attack first so they pile in around you (same benefits as above) or Pile in in ordered files increasing you line width and bring 3 models per file into the fight (I.e ranks of three) this last bit is possibly how sisters and black guard should be deployed as they are more offensive than spears overall.

[Calisson]

...a square ....
couple that with a foot generals ability to grant a boon that you can reroll all 1s wound rolls, or a dread on a dragon you can reroll hits of 1 and gain immunity from battleshock or a master bsb re-roll 1s for wound rolls, or the cauldron of blood (1s for wounds again)

You can even make a larger square with empty center, as long as the square perimeter is 3 units deep you got your defensive ability.
In the middle hole, place your vulnerable BSB, CoB, foot general, or even the dragonlord, ready to jump over the lines and attack given the opportunity.

[Sangfroid]

Now your talking that's what we need more of intelligent ideas still leaves the character vunerable to shooting and magic (they are anyway so no difference there) but it would protect against being charged also if it's a melee character you can still pile in with models and make a space (or do so with casualties.

Interestingly lokhir can leap over models when he piles in if there is a character to attack

[Calisson]

Indeed, I fear the vulnerability of characters against shooting and melee. This tactics would at least take care of risks in melee.

I would anticipate that at the start of the game, a player would valuate his chances and select among two very different strategies:
If chances are he might table off his opponent, then better is to start with lone models, then the unbuffed troops will be easier to deal with.
If he aims at a minor victory, then better kill as many rank and files as possible and get a higher % of body count, and just ignore lone models.

[Daeron]

You can even make a larger square with empty center, as long as the square perimeter is 3 units deep you got your defensive ability. In the middle hole, place your vulnerable BSB, CoB, foot general, or even the dragonlord, ready to jump over the lines and attack given the opportunity.

The problem with this formation is that the vulnerable model and the unit surrounding it have to complete their move separately. Unless you have a gap in your formation as large as your movement distance, you might be hampering your movement.