Repeater crossbows: Failures, successes?

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Calisson
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Re: Repeater crossbows: Failures, successes?

Post by Calisson »

Rabidnid wrote:RXB are excellent for destroying flankers, loose characters, skirmishers and other minor units. Most armies have units like this and so they fulfil a role versus these units
This is probably that point for which everybody's experience varies.
For those who happen to meet these cute little frail units, RXB are golden.
For those facing only mammoth über-units, RXB are utter crap.
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Infekted
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Post by Infekted »

I like to take some, but not too many. 20 or so is nice.

One of the best results I had with them, was at the beginning of deployment, very obviously laying down a block of 50 of them at the edge of the table, then not actually using them.
I know a very cheap trick, but the guy I was playing deserved it (took things way too seriously for a friendly game). And he then set up as if he was going to be facing a massive amount of shooting where in fact I had very little. Psychological warfare at its finest :D
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Rabidnid
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Post by Rabidnid »

Infekted wrote:I like to take some, but not too many. 20 or so is nice.

One of the best results I had with them, was at the beginning of deployment, very obviously laying down a block of 50 of them at the edge of the table, then not actually using them.
I know a very cheap trick, but the guy I was playing deserved it (took things way too seriously for a friendly game). And he then set up as if he was going to be facing a massive amount of shooting where in fact I had very little. Psychological warfare at its finest :D


yes, same thing works with assassins (when they were useful) Just pulling one out during the deployment and then putting it back away before the game started was one of my tactics for dealing with asses.
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Dante valentine
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Post by Dante valentine »

I personnaly never leave home without some RXB's.

Now, don't get me wrong, they are not an UBER kill everything unit and, on there own they are not going to win you any battles.

However, point for point they absolutely kick ass.

I think that too many people put an emphasis on X unit being able to break Y unit. Of course, units of RXB's are capable of doing that if these units are small units of light cavalry etc, but since the 8th edition gave birth to BIG units, the chances of breaking a unit of 50 infantry is slim.

Instead, consider how much added value they can give your army. Things such killing fanatics or peppering giants are a given. But simple things such as eliminating a rank from a mammoth unit, while not breaking a unit, will give your next unit in combat a +1 Combat resolution advantage and, provided they are not facing something uber killy, can prevent your opponent being steadfast.

I run two units of 22 - while this may seem an odd number i find it the most realistic number of men to cause a panic test in T3 infantry at short range per shooting turn (of course, the sheer amount of variables makes this far from an exact science). While i don't expect them to every really panic anything, make an opponent throw enough tests and he will fail eventually!

Just my experiences anyway, some games they do very little other than pick off the odd thing here and there, whereas others they cause absolute carnage - recently i sent 21 Savage Orc Big 'Un's to their death in a single turn of shooting! But the amount of combats they let me win and as a result of the enemy not being steadfast break afterwards, i always find a place for them in my army.

Cheerio!

Dante
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Ichiyo1821
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Post by Ichiyo1821 »

Agrem wrote:i think it highly depends on the opponents army whether RXBs are usefull or not. In games with opponent only having large horde blocks and very little support they are better of traded to corsairs or more spears.

That being said I tried my corsairs instead of the RXBs a while ago against my friends orc horde and I think they performed much better than RXBs ever did. Even though I had to drop also chariot from my list to get 25 corsairs instead of 20 RXB's but with the little excess points I could get some other bits here and there more.


On the contrary, horde blocks rely on Hammers to finish the job thus RXb can pepper hammer units to the point of being ineffective. Whether you face elite hordes or cheap ones, RXBs will always have a prime target. I've mention in a post here in d.net the most prevalent armies using horde formations ranging form the elite to the throw aways. Dealing damage from afar without receiving damage in return is always advantageous. We are elves after all...
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