Stats.
13 battles.
- 4 initiation battles at 500 or 1k (3 DE, 1 Emp). Vs: Gob/Bret.
- 3 double battles at 2x1k (3 DE). With Gob/Emp/Bret, vs HE/Gob/Dwarf.
- 6 battles at 2k (2 DE, 4 Emp). Vs: Bret/Dwarf, rather WAACKy.
Battle results
Dark E: 8 (4
W :) / 2
D / 2
L )
Empire: 5 (2
W :) / 0
D / 3
L )
DE lists: Usually SS and COB; SSS Corsairs, few RXBmen, Harpies; BG, Shades, COC, 5COK; Hydra.
Empire lists: usually GrandMaster, Priest, Mage, Eng; Many knight units, 1 musket plus musket detachment; mortars, cannons; either Stank or rockets.
Now, the most important part:
Lessons learned.
7th => 8th edition
The meta-game changed a lot.
7th ed was about combining units with maneuvre, and controlling the opponent's maneuver with clever use of some mandatory rules (often frustrating for the victim).
8th ed is more about combining buffs into a unit.
Buffs come from:
- magic (unit's buff, also hexing the opponent),
- pennants,
- characters (Ld, magic objects, removing opponent's buffs along with their characters),
- supporting units (flank charges, monster stomp, COB, reducing the opponent with shooting early in the game...),
- terrain! often forgotten, but buildings change units' behaviour, rivers & forests remove steadfast, many terrain become dangerous if you charge across, not forgetting some fancy effects... There is some control over the terrain: you choose where to place half of it.
All these buffs combined can turn a rather mediocre unit into a freightening killing machine, and a medium/large elite unit to a win-me-all-my-games unit.
Army building.
As a result:
- You're incited to get 2-3 large units, which will resist longer and concentrate the buffs.
- The alternative is to get MSU, if you can concentrate the buffs on any unit of your choice. Harder but playable and more fun.
- You're incited to get some medium magic (PD are given anyway) rather than all-magic or no-magic. 8th edition magic is great fun! Powerful (win hard or loose hard).
- Characters are so important that some players go 50% characters (wrongly, because it's troops who win the game). The BSB and the General have a very high bounty on their head, often killing them = winning the game, especially with some scenarios.
- BS shooting units are much less useful, because the main units are so large and you get no VP for 1/2 units anymore.
- Template shooting/magic units are more useful, for the same reason (except against MSU).
- Light support units are less required in the main melee; they remain very useful to get rid of opponent's support units (template shooting) and to act around melee (scavenge). As they are less of them, this further reduces the importance of BS shooting.
Scenarios
The scenarios are very important. You have to prepare your army in anticipation for any of the 6 scenarios. They reinforce or decrease the relative importance of what is said just above. As a result, balanced, adaptable armies are better than rock/paper/scissor armies.
Alliances
Very fun games.
Magic is forced down because DE cannot play strong alliances (very unlikely after turn 1).
Playing a strong alliance vs a weak alliance is very unbalanced just because of magic, so I'd recommend either playing only weak alliances on both sides, or the strong alliance agrees not to go magic-heavy.
Most Valuable Units.
With decreasing importance.
- The COB, especially BSB, is able to concentrate buffs on nearly any unit. Placing it properly is vital.
- A level 4 as well, same reason.
- 20 BG, FC, AP. These guys are incredible! Often MVP (but often post-mortem).
- Hydra.
- 20 SSS AHW corsairs are excellent. Frenzy no longer an issue.
- COC behaves well, but it is slow.
- Harpies are valuable, just avoid large units.
For Empire
- The fighty general is great.
- Stank is great.
- Cannons are still nice, mortars as well albeit weak.
- A large unit of knights is great.
Underperforming Units.
- RXBmen. Often nobody to shoot at. Often shooting has little effect.
- Level 4, too. Magic is fancy! If she is the general, a miscast can be enough to make you loose the game.
For Empire:
- Too many warmachines with engineers are not good, depending on the scenario and the availability of opponent's scouts.
- BS "move or shoot" shooters are crappy.
Leftover Units.
(EDITed paragraph)
DR. I don't run anymore DR, who were my favourite unit in 7th ed. Reason: lost most of their usefulness and provide too easy VPs.
RHB corsairs, in small unit of 10.
No more small annoying units to get rid of.
RBTs. Just not the pts available. I will run them again one day.
Characters on horse (sorc, BSB). Due to loss of Look Out, Sir.
Assassins. Due to retaliation from rear models stepping in.