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How do you like your spearmen?

Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 3:17 pm
by Skullshatter
hi i've been searching for tips on spearmen.
usually i've been using i've been using a block of fifty ten wide five deep. on a good day they get fourty attacks, which are generally midrazored. they also provide sac ddager fuel but i'm looking for other techniques.

Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 4:04 pm
by Calisson
Usual technique is NOT to horde them but to bus them.
The reason is that they are the least killy but the cheapest of our troops.
It makes sense to use them to provide ranks - and blood for the sac dag.

This said, they are still killy enough to do the killing job once in a while, especially with the appropriate buff.
It is just that other troops do it better - for more pts.
The idea is to hire them for one job: rank bonus, and all the kills they achieve eventually is just bonus, not something you were counting upon.

If the blood-thristy supreme sorceress happens to be the general, they are given the Ld magic banner, effectively raising the general's Ld.

Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 4:15 pm
by Skullshatter
many thanks carlisson.
although my horded spearmen are working very well, i see many dark elf players using the the tactics as you do so i will have to give it a go.
thanks again skullshatter

Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 5:14 pm
by Yeasir
I am certainly not in the majority in my opinion on warriors, but I only use them for one purpose: a bunker unit for my sac daggered mage.

I have taking them as a combat unit once and they did absolutley nothing. I typically spend my core points on hoarded Corsairs. I know they are 4 more points each but they have a better save and with the Sea Serpent Banner can give you 61 attacks when blessed by the CoB (or 51 killing blow attacks). The 4+ armour save against shooting means they will not likely be a target pre-combat and the 5+ save in combat means they can stand up a little better against enemy core units.

Their Slaver ability also adds a nice bonus and could be the difference between catching and not catching a fleeing enemy.

I would also put RxBs in my list before warriors as they are good at thinning out units, no worse in HtH combat and, again, are only 4 points more per model.

Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 5:55 pm
by Meteor
As Calisson said, to provide ranks. Other jobs, fill out core, give you more drops, give you cheaper drops, give you more bodies.

I use around 24-35 spears in a unit depending on what I need them for. At times I run some 15 man units of spears too, but most of the time it's a single large unit of 6 or 7 wide spears for some damage but ultimately to provide ranks. It's where my SS goes with the +1 Ld banner, even if she's not the general. If there's a mage in my army, then there's the aforementioned sized unit of spears in my list with +1 ld. Not for Sac dagger fuel, but simply a bulky bunker she can sit in.

Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 6:24 pm
by Clockwork
I've been having a huge amount of fun reinventing phalanx warfare by employing 40-50 Warriors in a horde, led by a Stubborn crown Master or Dreadlord. Whilst it is not at all optimal, it looks great on the tabletop and a lot of fun to play with. Whilst they may only be T3 5+ AS, the sheer number of bodies plus Steadfast Ld10 (often re-rollable) really gives me some staying power - which Dark Elves otherwise lack.

Again, Corsairs and Mindrazor probably does it better, but drop the Cauldron +1 attack buff or Killing Blow, and with the Dreadlord they often don't do too badly in combat, either.

Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 7:15 pm
by Sacaspearman
Yeasir wrote:I am certainly not in the majority in my opinion on warriors, but I only use them for one purpose: a bunker unit for my sac daggered mage.


Agreed. If I bring my Supreme Sorceress then she's coming to the fight with her Sacrificial Dagger and 25 unsuspecting Spearmen. If the Spearmen end up getting in hand to hand and actually killing something, then it's just a bonus.

Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 7:43 pm
by Skullshatter
thanks lads i'll take all your advice in mind

Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 8:30 pm
by Saintofm
59 big block, horde formation, sorceress with sac dagger, standard of disaplin, full comand

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 12:25 pm
by Omnichron
Spear Elves only as a sacrifical bunker?

They are probably one of the better units in the game. They are incredibly cheap for their stats, especially with hatred, and with all the synergies within our army, a single block of spear elves can do incredible things.

In my games, I have at least one block of 30-40 spear elves, and I actually wouldn't be without them. They are one of the very few things in our army that can soak a charge from deathstar units for enough rounds to get backup. They are one of the few things that can help you kill hordes of tough troops, just by breaking the steadfast and having other combat units to deal the damage.

With the help of KB, I've used my blocks of spear elves to take down ALL kinds of characters, even the "invincible" dreadlord, vampire lords who wipes almost a whole BG unit each round, and even knights (just because of combat resolution).

Personally, I find them a much better core option than corsairs.

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 2:07 pm
by Red...
55+ in ranks of 5. No one ever breaks that steadfast, at least not without pouring in their entire army (leaving them weak and exposed for my other forces...) My level 4 as general goes in there with a sacrificial dagger, as she can easily afford to chop a few down during the magic phase with no real risk of weakening the unit too much. And the unit has standard of discipline for that leadership 10 twelve inch bubble goodness.

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 3:43 pm
by Dyvim tvar
The only reason I use spearmen is as a bunker/fuel source for a Supreme Sorceress with the Sac Dagger. Although other troop options are more expensive, for any other role I take something else -- generally corsairs or crossbows. Crossbows are obviously a ranged threat, but can also be more resilient in combat if you give them shields since they can get a parry save. Corsairs stand up better to shooting and pack more punch on the charge, especially when frenzied.

So for the assigned role, I generally take one unit of spears, 25 to 30 strong, with command and Standard of Disciple.

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 6:49 am
by Azimyth
It all depends on what you want them to do.
Dagger fodder: 24 no shields with muso and banner usually standard of discipline.
Steadfast breaker/holder: 35-55 shields with banner and muso. A magic rag is not necessary here but a nice to have.
I have fielded both on occasion and it does provide for flexible force.

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 8:48 am
by The warchief
It also depends on the meta game in your area – if you are creating an ‘all-comers’ list it comes down to playing the percentages – what armies are you most likely to face frequently?

For example, with the resurgence of Ogres around DE Spearmen in horde die in droves against Mournfangs and charging Gutstars / Bullstars. As a horde they are not that manoeuvrable and even with quite a lot of chaff to redirect they usually end up taking a charge eventually. I run all comers / tournament lists and I’ve considered changing my spear horde to 2 x 25 primarily as dagger dice and to give my sorceress two units to bounce between for safety. They are also now ‘back up’ Mindrazor options as opposed to the first choice they used to be.

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:01 am
by Persuader
Well, I play 3k all the time and my Core is practically always the same

-24 RXB
-50 Warriors
-20 Corsairs
-5 Harpies
-5 Harpies

I put my Sac.dagger sorceress in my RXB's.
50 Warriors do very well for me. IN Horde formation. (I use them in horde 90% of the time)
When its possible I try NOT to get all my units into combat in the same turn.
That way I can focus my CoB and/or magic buffs on one unit.
I'm not saying they can win against everything but with the 5+WS, enfeebling foe, withering, Flaming sword of Ruin, .... They can very well hold up a more powerful (expensive) unit OR Destroy a unit.

And when thing turn bad you can make them a bit smaller.

I always go with the 5+ws on the warriors (if no one else need the buff)
that (on paper) makes them 66.66 strong.

And the way I roll, makes them 80 strong :D