Big battle vs Bretts

Starphoenix · Post by **Starphoenix** » Sat Dec 20, 2008 5:36 pm

The short story is that I am looking for some advise with a 4K build vs Bretts. I have faced this army twice now and lost both. Last time I made a mistake that cost me a lot but I don't expect the same tactic to work twice...

Anyway my build:
1 Dreadlord, Dragon, 25 pt scourge, regen AR, Pendant of K
1 Suprem Sorc Lvl 4 POD Staff, Lore of Metal
12 RpX
2 Sorc Lvl 2
1 Death Hag BSB - AP Banner
20 BG - ASF Banner
1 Death Hag - COB
2 Warriors 15 - set in single line as a picket
1 25 Corsairs w/ assassin
2 COK FC, +D3 charge banner
1 DR FC
1 COC
2 War hydra
2 RBT

Last game set up was left to right
DR, WH, Dragon, Rpx, COK, BG, COK, Corsairs, COC, WH and the 2 warrior units 10" forward of the rest.

Him, lots of Knight (surprise) 2 units of 4 PK's, 1 of 8 Grails w/ BSB (banner of negating ranks, virtue of no outnumber bonus), 2 units of 9 errants, 3 units of 9 KOR, Lord of a PK, Lord on a Griffin, Prophetess and 2 damsels.

The Knights hit the picket units, both break and run, of the 6 units hitting the pickets 3 carry over into the BG (1 KOR) and the Corsairs (1 Grail, 1 Errant). On my turn I counter charge with both COK, both WH, COC and dragon, I revaled the assassin in the corsairs- but my mistake was having him challenge the grails, one of the grails accepted and died - but I should have just straight out attacked his BSB. Because of his negating my ranks and number bonus and 9 wounds to the corsairs I lost combat by 1. All held, but the in the slow grind that followed, his higher armor won out and I lost a lot. Add to that his Lord on a PK takes the virtue of killing large targets and gets my dragon every time. Well... any suggestion?

Dagger of assassination · Sun Dec 21, 2008 8:55 am

You have magic and metal is seriously good way to kill knights. Cold one chariots are nice but I usually use at least of 2 cold one chariots. Repeater bolt throwers are pretty good and you should use these to shoot that lord. If that lord have good save you should use some spells from metal lore to him. When lord is off you can fly and cause terror to those bretonnians. I havent tried hydra against Bretonnians but if it survives when they charge it will kill lot of bretonnians.

Cathel · Post by **Cathel** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 8:44 pm

Get Harpies and more DR to march block him. Deny him his charges! A lance formation is tremendous on the charge mostly clocking in on 8-9 attacks on S5 with lance. If you charge him he is down to 4-5 attacks with S3.
Sword of Ruin is very good, because his Ward save remains on 6+ and he hasn't got any armour save.
My Hydra has gotten her points back, it causes terror, nice touch on humans. If you can get her within range of the peasants even better.

I would opt for more mobility, maybe character on manticore. The brets are even more dependent on the charges then we are.
Also Peg Knights are 0-1 if I am not mistaken.
On that killing blow lord: Use another character on a pegasus or dark steed to challenge him. If he refuses, he cannot fight and he loses the blessing.

Bloodyangel · Post by **Bloodyangel** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 3:51 pm

Pegasus Knights are 0-1 normally. But if his general is on a Peg, he can take more than one unit. It was the leading cause of the mighty Bretonnian Royal Airforce.

My advice against Brets is the same as most. Do everything you can to not take a charge from them. Sacrifice Harpies and Dark Riders... Flee from any charge he makes that you think you might get away from... March-block the heck out of him. Bolt Throwers are your friend. Anything that cracks armor is your friend. Executioners, Hydras, dragons, and even Black Guard with the AP banner, as they don't trigger the increased ward.

Another fact of bretonnian life is that his units will have outrageously large flanks. Smack a unit... any unit... onto his flank, and watch him struggle to come back from it. I broke a 9 man knight unit with a single unit of dark riders that hit them in the side. Oh, and always fear the lord they can pimp out for challenges. They can force you to accept them, so any unit that has something truly important in it, like a sorceress or BSB, should have a unit leader to bodyguard him.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Good luck!

Kargan daemonclaw · Post by **Kargan daemonclaw** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 10:04 pm

If you are going to use picket units then angle them so you control where any units pursue to. Don't simply have them pursuing into your blocks that gets you relatively little.

Angle the picket lines with the middle advanced so that the bret units pursue into each other rather than in a line. Units of harmies would be cheaper for this and you can control where they charge because they charge the nearest skirmisher with the centre of their unit.

Your BG champion should also have the crimsion death to give you some Armour crushing power.
Pegasus knights are a big pain with their 360 charge arc so you need to cover your flanks and rear and deal with them as a priority.

Why is your BSB a hag rather than a master doesn't that limit what units you can go with?

Starphoenix · Post by **Starphoenix** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 6:09 pm

Thanks, DaemonClaw

I hadn't thought about angling the pickets. I had planned on placing an assassin in the pickets next time with a Venomsword, with the hope that he can kill the Brett BSB.

The BSB is a Hag, becuase she can also take whichbrew and gifts of Khaine. I'm pretty sure that Khainite characters can join non-Khanite units - but not the other way around.