What kind of list do you play?

[Calisson]

One of the great achievements of our present army book is that it allows a lot of variety.
I am wondering to which extent this variety is actually exploited.

So which one, among the many variants proposed, are you using regularly (single choice: tell your most frequently used).
The category of the list indicates how you intend to win, not necessarily the majority of the pts spent.
Sometimes categories seem to overlap. If you hesitate between a Khainite list or a COB list, tell what was your primary intent: fluff? efficient elite infantry?
If you have no most frequent list because you adapt to the opponent, to your mood... please indicate your favourite.

- Balanced mobile, shooting, CC, strong magic offense or defense (please specify). MSU: nothing costing more than 200 pts, usually less than 150pts. These lists require elaborate tactics and adptation to the opponent. Maneuvrability or combined maneuvers are paramount. Magic & Shooting are supportive, used firstly to eliminate the enemy's mobile units and to reduce the threats to our own support units. Tipical unit: DR without RXB.
- WAAC: Dragonlord, 2 hydras, minimal core plus harpies, any special. If other, please indicate. Monster: Dragon or Manticore(s), Flying Circus, Druchii Air Force... and hydra. Pure power! These list are meant for a quick blood bath, with terror.
- Shades Death Star, or several smaller units of shades + assassins, Über unit or original 1-trick pony: please mention which: COK, BG; large unit of shielded DR, of RHB corsairs... One unit makes most of the job, with the support of everything else.
- Heavy Magic: 2 levels per 500 pts, rest of army is defensive/elusive; Magic/shooting heavy, Gun Line: RBT, RXB, shades, possibly with some minor CC “goal keeper” units. The goal is to destroy at distance, with our mighty magic and our accurate and deadly shooting. This is where you would find 4 RBTs.
- Magic & Melee (including CoB), Shooting & Melee, or Defensive: 2/3 rounds of magic/shooting then melee, letting the opponent come. The goal is to lessen the enemy at distance, then the enemy is weak enough to be beaten in frontal melee when he charges. It is close to be "balanced", except that it expects more the enemy to come to us rather than having us to chase the enemy. Emblematic unit: Sac'dagger sorceress inside spears unit.
- Guerilla, Cavalry, Ultra-Maneuverable: core = DR & harpies, with maybe shades & Pegasus. The goal is not to let the enemy charge us, ever. We can run circles around them and get them mad. Move, shoot, flank-charge, harass. Mandatory unit: DR with RXB. Possibly a dragon mage is in that spirit.
- Heavy cavalry: mostly COK and COC, and hydra, Pegasus, Manticore, even Dragon: Chaaaaarge! Kiiiill! Run them over!
- Assassins (1 assassin per 500 pts); COB-heavy: 1 COB per 1000 pts, and units chosen to benefit most from it; Elite infantry: combination of BG, Execs and/or WE: elite druchii infantry can beat anything.
- Mass Infantry, Horde (Suicide Elves): mostly warriors. Our humble warriors are better than any other core infantry and much cheaper than any secial infantry. This army list makes good use of Static Combat Resolution.
- Themed Corsair, Cult of Khaine, Cult of Slaanesh, around a special character, "city list", even Cult of Tzeentch - indicate which. Here, adhering to the theme is paramount, which dictates which units can or cannot be taken.


Myself, I play mostly a balanced list with magic (with a corsair flavour, but not enough to call that a theme).

======================================================
EDIT:
Where to draw the line between categories?
Here is the list of all 10 proposed categories, with the line drawn to the closest category, and a comment on each side of that line, so that you can tell where your army belong in spirit.

- Heavy Magic, Magic/shooting heavy, Gun Line
These are maxed for magic and/or shooting. Melee is considered an accident, for which you can get an insurance (BG, for example).
-------------------------------------------------------------
If you prepare for melee, considering it is inevitable, to the point of not maxing anymore magic/shooting, then it becomes:
- Magic & Melee, Shooting & Melee, or Defensive
Here, the magic & shooting are suppose to weaken the foe's main units, sufficiently for your melee unit to receive the charge and finish them. The same tactics is used for any opponent, and there is no particular emphasis on maneuvre.
-------------------------------------------------------------
With quite similar lists, but if the intend of magic & shooting is to get rid of the opponent's light troops so that you can dictate the maneuver, then it becomes:
- Balanced, MSU
The maneuvre aspect is very important here, along with adaptability. The goal is to use the most astute tactics to win, rather than with share power.
-------------------------------------------------------------
If the maneuvre aspect becomes the permanent tactics, whatever the foe, then its probably a:
- Guerilla, Cavalry, Ultra-Maneuverable
Here the maneuvre is done with mostly light units, possibly a dragon sorc or manti sorc.
-------------------------------------------------------------
If you rather want a big nasty flying monster, it remains highly maneuverable but also terror causing, with mighty single models. That would be:
- WAAC, Monster
Here, the Lord is the main hitter of the list, the other ones are a complement.
-------------------------------------------------------------
If it's the dragon lord who is the complement to COC and COK, then it's the spirit of:
- Heavy cavalry
Here, you can either find several units of similar force or a larger, main unit of COK, but not to the point of having the whole strategy revolve around a single unit.
-------------------------------------------------------------
If a single unit becomes the predominant force, then the spirit is different:
- Shades Death Star, Über unit
Which includes also multiple selections of the same unit (i.e. triple shades) which, together, are supposed to win the game.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Infantry units complementing each other, each made for a specific goal, some useful against specific foes, or against other, with the adaptability of assassins and COBs, are more in the spirit of:
- Assassins, COB, Elite infantry
Taking Execs and COB because they are efficient together is in that spirit. You would not hesitate to screen them with RHB corsairs.
-------------------------------------------------------------
If the reason you took these units was primarily because they are Khainite, and you deploy treasures of imagination to justify a corsair's screen, then it is:
- Themed
This is where you find scores of WE, several units of corsairs or brave citizens.
-------------------------------------------------------------
However, taking Crone and zillion of units of 5 WE, or taking warriors because of their SCR is more in the mood of:
- Mass Infantry, Horde

[Gh9st]

I voted Assassin heavy, as I really do enjoy taking them in my lists...and always have at least one...but I play a varied set of lists. I try and bring a completely different list to each game as it makes it harder for my regular opponents to compensate for my units. When not taking an assassin heavy list I frequently take magic offence combined either with good CC or Shooting.

[Willowdark]

"Heavy magic, Magic and shooting, Gunline." and "Magic and Melee, Shooting and Melee, or Defensive." are all basically the same thing, and they all easily fall under the umbrella of balanced MSU. Not really criticizing, just thinking that it's hard to pin down the difference.

I guess if I had to choose I'd call it Magic, shooting and melee, though only part of my army is dedicated to "goal keeping" while I play a strong flank assault with CoK, Hydra and Shades. My army is designed to surround the enemy rather than avoid it or delay combat, so I wouldn't call it defensive.

Maybe someone could help me fit this into the poll criteria.

Lvl4 on Peg, Focus Familiar, 2 scroll and a power stone.
Lvl2 on Steed, Tome of Furion and a powerstone.
Assassin, EHW, Rune of Khaine and Manbane.

20 Warriors w/ shields, full command and the Warbanner.
2 x 10 RxBs w/ shields and musicians.
3 x 5 Harpies.

6 Cold One Knights w/ full command, Standard of Slaughter and the Ring of Hotek.
9 Shades w/ GW and Bloodshade.
1 Cold One Chariot.

Hydra.
2 RBTs.

I'm inclined to call this balanced MSU with an emphasis on Magic and Shooting, RXBs in particular conform to MSU practices. But I have 3 combat units circling 200 pts. Hard to really understand how this fits in the poll options.

[Marauder mitch2]

I tend to use a mixture, defensive play for a few turns and let a dragon make a exploit and force reactions.

[No one]

I have two favourites: balanced MSU and guerillia style, but I voted for the later as I use that one more often.

[Calisson]

My army is designed to surround the enemy rather than avoid it or delay combat, so I wouldn't call it defensive.

Maybe someone could help me fit this into the poll criteria.

I'm inclined to call this balanced MSU with an emphasis on Magic and Shooting, RXBs in particular conform to MSU practices. But I have 3 combat units circling 200 pts. Hard to really understand how this fits in the poll options.

That is what I call balanced!

Heavy magic, Magic and shooting, Gunline = made to kill at distance, whichever the foe. Magic/shooting is meant to destroy the opponent's main units. Hopefully what remains of the enemy will be too weak to charge. The maximum of magic and shooting must be taken. The goalkeeper units are minimum, 0 to 2.

Magic and Melee, Shooting and Melee, or Defensive = made to kill half of the enemy at distance, then receive the enemy's charge when he is half destroyed.
The magic & shooting is not set to the maximum, and the spare pts allow a significant melee capability in case the enemy arrives in contact. An army built around a sorceress with the sac' dagger in a static unit of warriors with +6 SCR falls in that category.

Balanced, MSU: maneuvering is the most important, along with adaptation to the enemy. Magic & shooting is supportive and meant to reduce the enemy's mobility, then our own mobility wins melee thanks to clever tactics.

[Willowdark]

Balanced MSU it is then. My army is good at magic and shooting, but nothing matters more than movement.

[Tu'shan]

I tend to theme lists. Either a heavy calvary list around Malus (Iknow he's not great but I likes him!), or a temple of khaine list, sometimes with Hellbrone on a manticore because there is nothing wrong with flying 8 strength 10 attacks. Nothing at all.

Other than these I sometimes use a magic heavy list with a Supreme sorceress on black dragon with the familiar. Mainly because I painted up a woodelf dragon in a dark scheme and wanted to put it to some use. The little sprites on it are red, the army colour, and stand out too much I feel for mounting a Dreadlord on. Recently I have been thinking of expanding the collection to include a slaver themed list with corsairs, dark riders, shades, etc. But I cant decide whether to use bolt throwers. They come onboard the vessels but are too cumbersome to move with a group of raiders I would have thought....

Anyways, thats another problem for another time and place

[Cal'mihe]

I went with themed Corsair, as I use no warriors but only corsairs for my core infantry.

On the other hand, the models I have painted up and am fielding to battle at the moment puts me more into the spot of monster heavy (manticore, hydra).

When I first started out I planned to field a completely cavalry force, then I fell in love with the corsair models and now I guess I plan to have enough models to be able to field both :p

[Feline]

I went with Horde, as although I change lists all the time based on random factors, I love nothing more than huge blocks of infantry all in a row. It just looks so cool!

[Greatescape_13]

- Mass Infantry, Horde (Suicide Elves): mostly warriors. Our humble warriors are better than any other core infantry and much cheaper than any secial infantry. This army list makes good use of Static Combat Resolution.

This, with absolutely no magic offense--just magic defense (Ring of miscasts, +1 dispel die, resistance).

Relying upon the cheapness of the models and proliferation of targets to do most of the defense, while (as said) static combat resolution, and a fair helping of assassins, carry the day.

Cheers.

[Desert icon]

I love nothing more than huge blocks of infantry all in a row. It just looks so cool!

1 word: Spears.

Having lots of blocks of organized infantry (especially in higher-point games) is just amazing to see. Of course, your movement phase then takes about 3 hours to complete, but hey, something that looks so good can't be that bad!

[Drainial]

Cult of Tzeentch themed list ( so I ticked the last box). So no Khainite units. Play style wise the army is split into shooting and magic to soften the enemy up with the rest of the point spent on hard hitters.

[The skaerkrow]

Balanced, non-MSU. Hydra and Manticore, 6 Levels of Magic and two Assassins, backed up by Warriors, Dark Riders, Cold One Chariots and RBTs.

[Zenith]

I took my 6th ed list, and swapped the worst of now, Executioners for Black guard, made some logical changes , 2 RBT > hydra. and the noble who accopanied the Executioners became a cauldron of blood. the extra points i took from various units who became cheaper, warriors, knights, assassin, hydra .

So most of the time i have something like this : 2000 pts
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Supreme sorceress, dagger, few scrolls in spear unit
Assassin, rending stars, manbane
Cauldron of blood.

26 warriors
10 rhb corsairs ( screen )
6 dark riders, nude
10 rpx warriors

6 harpies

18 Black guard, RoH, hag greaf
6 cold one knights, standard , warbanner most of the time

1 hydreeeee.


[hydra] [black guard] [knights]

centrally deployed most of the time,
i think this is balanced, offensive. little magic and shooting

[Niceas]

My list sits somewhere between MSU and the Guerilla (2000):

Sorceress - Level 2, Darkstar Cloak, Dispel Scroll
Sorceress - Level 2, Dispel Scroll
Death Hag - Cauldron of Blood

Assassin - Rune of Khaine, Manbane, XHW

5x Dark Riders - RxB
5x Dark Riders - RxB
5x Harpies
5x Harpies
10x Crossbowmen - Musician

5x Cold One Knights
10x Executioners
12x Black Guard - Champion, Standard, Ring of Hotek, Banner of Hag Graef

Hydra
Reaper
Reaper

[Ulric darksoul]

i would say balanced. I have my share of over 200 melee unit, with 2~3 sorcs, with DR's and RxB's for shooty... and sometimes shades and harpies. A, well... hydras too.
the style depends... i rather bother and shoot with the DR, and try to charge with them in the rear or flank, so i keep advancing. I guess is balanced

[Calisson]

My list sits somewhere between MSU and the Guerilla (2000):

IMO, not mobile enough to be called "guerilla", but fits very well the balanced definition.

[Zardock]

You know my lists calisson, they tend to be Corsair/Khaine shooting/melee combinations. However I have been looking at a magic and CoB orientated corsair list, perhaps my cult of the serpent will be trying something new out, especially because most of our spells can be cast into combat, it certainly would help.

So at the moment, a themed melee/shooting list.

Future: a potent combination of all 3 phases so I guess that is perhaps balanced? Something which I haver never been able to pull off.

[Mr. anderson]

Balanced. I still can't help but build lists based on "Oh, this is cool... Must. Take. It...!" I try to get a balanced army out of it, seeing as I don't like tailoring lists to an opponent (tournaments don't let you do it, and I like having to work with what I have instead of getting whatever I want). See my sig for my opinion on death stars

HUZZAH!

[Rabidnid]

Currently an ultramanuverable ginline

I will try out MSU again as I'm leaning toward magic heavy once more. I am not buying any more models for the army so I will need to make do with the troops I have painted or painitng, but I will see what is possible.

Is it just me or does playing against Dwares destroy your interest in playing the game. I am not going to tailor my army, as it works well versus everybody else, but against some gutless swine who runs from combat and just sits on a hill all day it fails miserabley.

[Mr. anderson]

Currently an ultramanuverable ginline

What... so they're drunk all day long?

against some gutless swine who runs from combat and just sits on a hill all day it fails miserabley.

There are two ways of settling that... one - punch him. Hard. Even he should get that.

Two - pretend he don't exist... works quite well too.

Actually there's a third, but I wouldn't use that until I'm really fed up. Against such an opponent, I wouldn't even feel bad about using that shade deathstar (although, if he uses organ cannons then it's not all that reliable), also the first-turn charge with an assassin (coupled with shadowblade and perhaps a noble with ring of darkness should wreck his day. As you can see, gunline players (especially when they're dwarves) are the only ones that justify tailoring an army against because they deserve no better than to be stomped into the ground until they get the message.

HUZZAH!

[Demetrius]

I try to play a themed Khaine list. Executioners FTW!

Also, to the Dwarfern gunlines, Dark Elves are probably the best army to deal with them since we are the fastest. Just use tonnes of harpies and Darkrider screens until your in range of a CoK Charge.

[Calisson]

Future: a potent combination of all 3 phases so I guess that is perhaps balanced?

No, you need movement (the 4th phase) to call your list "balanced". 3 phases fall in the category of the potent "Magic & Melee (including CoB), Shooting & Melee, or Defensive".

my opinion on death stars:
3/4 of games are won by deathstars. Copy this into your signature if you still use real tactics to win.

I've seen DA advertize against SDS as well.
However, it's one way to play like another. Furgil is highly respected in Warhammer-Empire for his impressive results with a full infantry list, requiring a great mastery of tactics, and in D.net the same guy happens to be the one who developed the tactics going along with the SDS. And there are some tactics indeed! it seems not to be only a point & click army as some critics like to pretend. See his recent comprehensive article.
So far, no SDS players indicated that they fall in that category.

gunline players (especially when they're dwarves) are the only ones that justify tailoring an army against because they deserve no better than to be stomped into the ground until they get the message.

Hey, even druchii can make a nice gunline of their own... with the help of magic: how would you react against a Level 4 with Black Staff, 3 level 2, all of them mounted on Peggies or DS, and the rest of the army is just made of 4 RBT and many, many units of 10 RXBmen? Even a Dwarven gunline maxing magic resistance will not prevent Dark Lore #1 to keep their cannons silent, and for the rest of the units, dwarves shots are deadlier (so RXBmen don't need to bother with shields) but we shoot twice as much!

[Mr. anderson]

Furgil is highly respected in Warhammer-Empire for his impressive results with a full infantry list, requiring a great mastery of tactics, and in D.net the same guy happens to be the one who developed the tactics going along with the SDS. And there are some tactics indeed! it seems not to be only a point & click army as some critics like to pretend. See his recent comprehensive article.

On the other hand, though, just because you've developed an impressive way of playing with all-infantry empire doesn't mean that if you develop a WAAC tactic, it is just as impressive. There have to be tactics, otherwise it wouldn't be a wargame any more. My point simply is that you are using something that is virtually immune to most kinds of damage (organ guns being an exception, cannons another one, even though cannons really don't work that well against a shade deathstar). Overall, it is very pointy and very clicky, and not at all "balanced" or pleasant to play against. You are facing a unit that is not only virtually immune to shooting, it is as close as makes no difference immune to magic, it also explodes the heads of those trying to cast spells at it, it is more or less the most powerful close combat unit there is, what with umpteen killing blow, high-strength attacks that all have ASF, and the unit is equipped with what is by far the most effective infantry missile weapon there is in WHFB.

You have to admit... that doesn't sound like its fun to play against, despite some people saying that you have to take all challenges. There is literally no way a normal army that is designed with all sorts of opponents in mind can beat that. You have to taylor, and you have to use units that have had just as many steroids as those to beat them (off the top of my head, there ain't much that can chop through those shades as it would have to have ASF and extremely high initiative to get anywhere). The only thing that works is three organ guns... but then you'd have to be bloody stupid to end up in range of all three... I guess that's where the tactics come in.

Hey, even druchii can make a nice gunline of their own... with the help of magic: how would you react against a Level 4 with Black Staff, 3 level 2, all of them mounted on Peggies or DS, and the rest of the army is just made of 4 RBT and many, many units of 10 RXBmen? Even a Dwarven gunline maxing magic resistance will not prevent Dark Lore #1 to keep their cannons silent, and for the rest of the units, dwarves shots are deadlier (so RXBmen don't need to bother with shields) but we shoot twice as much!

I'm not playing innocent here... we can do most things just as well or better than others, and with the speed and superior ranged weapons dark elf gun lines aren't so much as gunline as they are guerilla warfare taken to the max, but I don't condone these kinds of armies either because they are even more evil than a dwarf gunline (what I'd like to see is a maxed-out thorek-anvil dwarf gunline against this, that would be quite interesting, but then you'd have to agree on doing it before... matter of fact, I'd be up for such a match up no worries at all ).

HUZZAH!