2. Review of the champions.
For each unit able to bring up a champion, we compute the cost of the champion and the number of attacks, expressed in % of the rank-and-file.
We look at fighting efficiency, fighting concentration, taking challenges, winning challenges, benefits to the unit and the combination of all these factors.
2.1. Shielded warriors
The cost of the champion is 186% and the number of attacks is 200% of the rank-and-file. It seems a very good bargain… until you realize that they don’t kill much of anything anyhow. Cost-efficient maybe, but still not efficient. The only use of a champion is to take a challenge. It is useful only if the unit shelters a character, who may be an assassin. If there is no character, don’t take it and have one more rank-and-file instead or something more useful.
2.2. Unshielded Warriors
Exactly the same except that the champion costs 200% of the r&f.
2.3. MXB
The champ is very cheap: he costs 1.5 MXB. But he does not provide twice as many shots! The improved shooting accuracy is just compensating for the cost in standard conditions (-2 to shoot). It begins to be cost-effective only in more difficult conditions (-3 to hit or worse), when the amount of remaining shooting becomes very low. In other words, it is cost effective when it is no more effective.
Now, there is another factor: the champion takes only 1 wound for the price of 1.5 r&f. This is never cost-effective!
Overall, the champion must be taken only if the unit is babysitting a sorceress, in which case his sacrifice may save the sorceress for one turn, providing time for the rescue. In doing that, the shooting efficiency of the unit is not much affected.
2.4. Shielded MXB
Exactly the same except that the champion costs 145% of the r&f.
2.5. AHW corsairs
Champions cost 200% and have only 150% of the attacks of a rank-and-file. Not worth.
With a banner, the SSS makes the champion worth even less, while the AP banner or the COB KB improvement makes him a better bargain, able to actually win challenges against weak opponents with his 3 attacks.
If there is no character in the unit, the use of a champion is questionable: one more model is better for the same price. Only if you provide KB with the COB is the champion going to be interesting in challenges.
If the unit has a character (including an assassin), then the champion is mandatory.
If ever the champion is taken and if you have 3 pts left, then the pair of rhb is a good idea (nothing prevents to take it when the unit has AHW!): for a cost of 3, it is unlikely to be used more than once in a game, most of the time it will kill no opponent but if ever it does, it pays back much more than the cost. After 10 battles it is likely to have killed more than 30 pts. Not really that much, but cost effective indeed. But don’t take the champ just for that!
2.6. RHB corsairs
Here, the statistics are very different: the champ costs still 200% but he has 200% of the attacks of a rank-and-file. Too bad the main use of the unit is to shoot, for which the champ is 100% like the r&f for twice the price. Really not worth!
With the extra rhb, the cost increases to 230% for 200% of the attacks and 200% of the shooting. Not worth, again.
However, if you consider providing the AP banner (I do not recommend it), then a champ is much more useful, because you will be happy to have 2 more shots and 2 AP attacks in a challenge.
If the unit has a character (including an assassin), then the champion is mandatory and must take the additional rhb for 3 pts. One exception: if the unit is made just for assassin home delivery, the champion is not necessary: the idea here is to move forward with a small unit which will not draw much attention, and when in range, the assassin appears in his cloak and flies 20”.
2.7. Shielded DR
The cost of the champion is 178% of the r&f, not that much. However, the horse is not upgraded! This is why the number of attacks is 150 % of the r&f. The good point is that the additional attack is the one having +1 on the charge. Noticing that DR bases are cavalry, 25mm wide, one additional model in the front rank has little chance to enter the combat, so a greater concentration of attacks is more valuable on the charge than one more model.
Shielded DR are meant to charge and to win the charge; for that purpose, they need a BSB, who needs a champion to take challenges, and possibly win them!
2.8. DR
The cost of the champion is 178% and the number of attacks is 150% of a rank-and-file.
This unit is meant to attack small or medium units; r&f should be enough to win on the charge. This unit is not well adapted to shelter a character. Normally a champion is not expected.
2.9. MXB DR
At 164% of a r&f, the cost of the champion is interesting.
For that cost, he has 150% of the attacks (the additional one is the most powerful) and the improvement of the shooting is roughly compensating for the cost, in standard conditions (-2 to shoot).
Overall the cost of the champion is well balanced with the advantages it brings, both in melee and in shooting.
It becomes equally cost-effective to get one champion (and improve both the melee and the shooting quality) or not to take one and spare the points without loosing much in overall efficiency – and keep the same amount of wounds.
This unit is sometimes used to shelter a mounted sorceress.
If this is the case, then the champion is not supposed to take challenges for the sorceress: the unit must avoid melee and is agile enough to avoid them (both with the movement, and with the fast cavalry fleeing rule). On the other hand, the rule “Look out Ma’am” works only if there were at least 5 r&f. If you take a champion, you must increase the size of the unit to 6. With the sorceress, it climbs to 7. The unit starts to become more cumbersome, more likely to be shot at or charged than without champion. It is the sole case where I would recommend NOT to take a champion with a character.
It seems better to have a unit of 6 with “look out Ma’am”, able to flee any charge and next turn rally and move, and if shooting dwindles the unit too much, the sorceress will leave that unit while her escort will provide her a last curtain and will keep harassing the enemy: they can line up in a single Congo-line separating the sorceress on one flank and her foes on the other flank, in order to increase the size of the curtain they provide, and it will not prevent them to shoot at 360°!
2.10. “Naked” shades.
The cost of the champion is 213% of a rank-and-file and the number of attacks is 200%, almost the same. However, their main use is not melee and there is not much use concentrating more attacks.
When shooting with a usual -2 penalty (moving and multiple shots at short distance), the champion hits at 3+ and the r&f at 4+, i.e. the champ hits 133% more often, for 213% of the price.
Conclusion: the champ must never be taken with naked shades.
2.11. AHW shades.
The cost of the champion is 213% but the number of attacks is only 150% of the rank-and-file.
The only reason for taking a champion is if the unit shelters an assassin, in order to choose who takes the challenge. Other than that, never take a champion.
2.12. GW shades.
The cost of the champion is 200% of the rank-and-file and the number of attacks is 200% as well.
This unit is meant for hitting hard the heavily armoured foes. The champion increases the fighting concentration, which is necessary when you hit on the opponent’s narrow side.
The drawbacks of the champ are twofold: first, he can take only one wound, second, his shooting efficiency is 133% of the r&f for 200% of the price.
When all is taken together, I recommend always taking a champ in this unit.
By the way, the need for a champ is even more increased with an assassin (for example the KB one) for which you need also 5 ordinary shades for a total of at least 6.
2.13. Armoured GW shades.
Here, the cost of the champion is 195% of the r&f, less than the increased fighting efficiency at 200%!
The same reasons as above are valid to justify the champ, and in addition he is one of the very few cost-effective ones.
This said, I consider that armoured shades (of any kind) make no sense, even if the armour is cost-effective because too little an armour is not effective at all. Only in a massive shade death star would I consider armoured shades - with a champion, of course.
2.14. WE.
The cost of the champion is 200% of the rank-and-file for only 133% as many attacks and 100% as many wounds. The champion is not cost-efficient.
However, one reason to take a champion is for challenges, in case there is a Death Hag or an Assassin in the unit. Another, better reason is to take a Khaine’s gift.
With Rune of Khaine, the WE costs an awful 450% of the r&f for 200% of the attacks. It may only useful for challenges against low armoured foes. I would never recommend that.
With Manbane, the cost is the same but the Hag becomes the only one in the unit able to cope with high Toughness foes. The cost-benefit is difficult to evaluate. I’m afraid it is situational.
More interesting is the witchbrew, all the more as its effects survive the Hag. This is especially useful as the unit is frenzied and can easily find itself baited to a difficult position. It is a must in a big unit of WE.
Another gift to investigate could be Cry of War. For a mere 10 pts, it reduces by 1 the combat ability of the opponent’s unit. Unfortunately it depends on a leadership test, so it is not reliable. I would not recommend it.
2.15. Execs.
The cost of the champion is 200% of the the rank-and-file, the same as the number of attacks, 200% as well.
That is very interesting: it concentrates one more attack on the unit’s frontage. It is a must for any Exec unit which size is over 7, i.e. where at least one Exec is relegated in the rear and cannot fight.
Doubling the chances of a KB in a challenge is very valuable as well. The only drawback is that the champ can take only one wound for the price of two Execs.
The champion is always useful in the unit, as long as the unit is at least medium sized.
2.16. Tullaris.
The total cost of Tullaris is 107 pts (see DE FAQ released in Feb 09).
It looks incredibly expensive for a model that can take a single wound.
However…
He rerolls fluffed wound rolls, which is much better than Black Lotus, and is comparable to the heartseeker.
In a challenge he receives a bonus for killing his foe, let’s compare this to black lotus.
He causes permanently fear, which should be probably worth around 40 pts.
Now, imagine a regular champ able to take all these assets, you would find out that he would cost 109 pts.
Tullaris is not expensive, he is just worth his cost!
Is him cost-effective? Hard to say.
Against a Toughness 4 foe with 2+ save:
For each attack, 75% hits thanks to hatred,
Each successful hit brings 17%KB and 67% wound but you reroll the 17% which missed and get finally 19% KB and 78% wound (only 3% missed) – by the way, against higher T foes, more wounds are missed, therefore you get more KB!
Each successful wound at T6 lessens the armour save by 3. Let’s consider a 5+ remaining save.
The overall average result with 2 attacks is 29% KB plus 78% unsaved wound. Computation gives between 0.5 and 1.5 wounds on a target with 1 wound, and between 0.7 to 2 on a target with 2 wounds. You would want only 1 wound foes! He is dangerous but not reliable.
Now, provide the COB’s blessing and he will get 44% KB plus 1.17% unsaved wound for his 3 attacks on the same foe.
Computation gives between 1 and 3 wounds on a target with 2 wounds, and between 0.9 and 2.3 if the target has only 1 wound. You would expect to kill your foe 50% of the time at least, providing with the benefit of the rule Sacred Executioner!
The only small, little difficulty is that if the challenged foe survives… then only a mundane armour remains to save Tullaris. Well, we’re here to play, aren’t we?
Tullaris may be worth considering in a unit blessed with COB, however personally I still feel it is too situational and the risk of loosing all the benefits provided to your unit is not worth taking for competitive games.
Dyvim Tvar considers Tullaris not worth:
His biggest benefit is that the unit he joins causes fear, meaning that, among other things, you don't need to test to charge a fear-causing enemy (since he dies easily, I don't think he helps much if you are trying to keep your unit of executioners from auto-breaking). But he is so expensive! I would rather try to deal with fear by having some redundancy -- taking multiple, cheaper units that still hit hard, so that if one unit doesn't make its fear test you aren't lost. For the price of Tullaris, you could add a cold-one chariot to your list.
2.17. BG.
The cost of the champion is 208% of the rank-and-file and he has 150% of the r&f’s attacks. Never worth the cost.
But he has something unique: he may take magic objects.
The Soulrender of AP, the Armour of 1+ Darkness can improve his individual performances.
Gem of Fear causing, Ring of Miscasts and 1 Null shard can improve the whole unit’s resistance. The ring is the favourite along with the shard.
The use of magic objects is enough to justify the cost of the champ. However, he would need to be protected from challenges, which requires a character or an assassin in the unit. This is an incitation to build the über-death-star-of-doom.
2.18. Kouran.
The total cost of Kouran is 88 pts (see DE FAQ released in Feb 09).
It looks incredibly expensive for a model that can take a single wound.
However…
For the cost, remember that he has Crimson Death; his unit is unbreakable which corresponds to a significant portion of the Banner of Nagarythe without the need for a BSB; he is a genuine champion; not forgetting his armour. A regular champ with all these advantages would cost how much? 130pts? 150pts? Definitively he is very interesting if all the options mentioned are made of good use. If you don’t want all of this stuff, then just take the “ordinary” champ and spare the extra pts.
Let me quote
clivegh in
Dark Elf's win the Broadside Bash (Indy GT)
We get Magic Weapon that allows for all attacks at S6, Armour that makes players take a T Test to attack, and he makes the unit unbreakable.
In practical terms that makes the unit have to be killed to the man for 75pts. It allows for the unit to attack undead spirit creatures, makes fighting High Elves or DE much harder to kill him as they suck at T.
But the Biggest reason? YOU DO NOT NEED A BSB in an army with him. The BG can wade out into the middle of no mans land and just kill anything that attacks it. Give it the ASF Banner and just watch everyone get out of the way. Form a Line of 20 across and march across the centre of the board. Yuck.
But it also means no characters can be in that unit as it is unbreakable. That would also mean no Assassins in the unit. So it does take away some of the flexibility.
But it is a good choice.
Dyvim Tvar has different feelings.
Since Black Guard are already Stubborn and Immune to Psychology, becoming Unbreakable is not a tremendous upgrade. You can already leave them unsupported and still be (fairly) sure that they will hold to the last model. Also, the Unbreakable ability is removed if you kill Kouran. Admitedly, the Armor of Grief gives him a little bit more ability to survive, but he does still only have one wound. Also, as you note there is the downside that once you add Kouran, no other characters can join the unit.
2.19. COK
For 159% of the cost of a rank-and-file, oops sorry, of a knight, the champion has 150% of its attacks, and the 50% additional is the most efficient.
The mere necessity of concentrating the attacks on a unit which models are wider than average justifies the cost of the champ.
Of course, if ever the unit shelters a character, the cost is even more justified.
In addition, he has something unique: he may take magic objects, the same as a BG.
Soulrender of AP, Armour of 1+ Darkness or, better, the enchanted +1 shield can improve his individual performances. The KB Deathpiercer could also be considered, however it is much better on a character.
Gem of Fear it is useless in the already fear-causing unit (good point reminded by Zakath). Ring of Miscasts and 1 Null shard can improve the whole unit’s resistance.
The ring is the favourite along with the shard.
Complement, courtesy of
Dyvim Tvar
In addition, taking a champion gives the unit a much better chance of holding up against characters on large, terror-causing monsters. If charged by such an enemy, issue a challenge. That way, only the champion can die and you will maintain your unit strength, making sure that the unit does not auto-break from Terror (at least in the first round). Holding the big monster for even just one round may be enough to make a difference.
Finally, an important point to remember about champions is that wounds inflicted on a champion in close combat do not carry over onto rank and file models. Putting your Dreadknight on the end of a single line of knights can keep multiple knights from being killed in the event the unit is flank charged.
Here, a choice must be made:
Either the champ is there to protect a character and he must remain as “cheap” as possible (well, he ain’t any cheap), or he brings a benefit to the whole unit and must be protected from challenges.
In any case, the champ is a must-have.