Best Ranged Core?

[radlum]

I'm thinking of an Eternity King list and I'm torn between the ranged infantry for my army (cheap bunker for my Archmage). HE Archers are very standard and the cheapest of the bunch. Darkshards have the better models and have better chances of surviving. Glade Guards are the more expensive option but they can be more useful thanks to their arrows.

Any suggestions on what to take on a 2000 and 2500 army list??

[Makiwara]

MSU packs of trueflight GG running around behind your lines shooting targets that no one else could or bigger blocks of hagbane for taking off warmachines and monsters with ease.

[Haagrum]

If you're using End Times magic rules, I'd suggest several Darkshards and Glade Guard units with Swiftshiver Shards, with a level 4 High Magic caster to spam Hand of Glory. Trueflight arrows are less useful than double the shots when you have BS 7+.

[flatworldsedge]

Range is also worth considering - the GG at 30" could offer a significant upgrade on the Darkshards at 18", depending on your table, range of bunkered spells, etc. I have 120 pts of core to fill up on my 2,400 list at the moment and am looking hard at these units too. For me the range and arrow types justify the extra cost of GG. That said, I'll probably be painting up models with RXB to fit the rest of my units and a general Autarii theme. Love Haagrum's note re: Hand of Glory - will be great balance to the range/multiple shot penalties on Darkshards if you go that route.

[Makiwara]

If you're using End Times magic rules, I'd suggest several Darkshards and Glade Guard units with Swiftshiver Shards, with a level 4 High Magic caster to spam Hand of Glory. Trueflight arrows are less useful than double the shots when you have BS 7+.

Depends, for sheer power darkshards are great with a hand of glory boost, however trueflight allow for moving backwards, shooting through multiple units, into hard cover, around that building; hitting on 3's shenanigans.

[T.D.]

TF GG are hard to beat for a backline core unit for the reasons mentioned.

Synergise perfectly with our mobile and Peg builds.

[Haagrum]

If you're using End Times magic rules, I'd suggest several Darkshards and Glade Guard units with Swiftshiver Shards, with a level 4 High Magic caster to spam Hand of Glory. Trueflight arrows are less useful than double the shots when you have BS 7+.

Depends, for sheer power darkshards are great with a hand of glory boost, however trueflight allow for moving backwards, shooting through multiple units, into hard cover, around that building; hitting on 3's shenanigans.

Oh, I agree that Trueflight Spam is both effective and extremely points-efficient (read: under-costed). I was merely offering another suggestion so that radlum might be able to try something a little different (assuming ET:K magic rules were being used).

In a Host of the Phoenix King, even without using those magic rules, you can still get multiple casters with Hand of Glory thanks to Teclis. Most people would prefer to let you sneak through Hand of Glory rather than be hit by Fiery Convocation or Arcane Unforging.