VERY basic tactics question (re wizards)

[Ozzkoz]

Hi, i've been collecting and painting for some time, but really don't play the game much. I am hoping to change that and have a question about how to protect a sorceress. Do most players put her on a dark steed or on foot. I am thinking on foot in a unit of spearmen, but what is typically done when cc starts up? Should she leave the unit just prior to cc, or do you keep her in there and use the champion to challenge. She seems like she would die pretty easy to most rank and file units in the game. Thanks

[Druchii77]

You must be very careful with a mage on foot. The best place to keep her on foot is in a unit of infantry. The problem as you have correctly surmised is combat. She can be protected from a challenge by a champion, but she must still remain in the front rank meaning that other rank and file models may attack her. I usually bail out of a unit before it joins close combat. This also means though that I must spend a turn doing so, in which said unit cannot charge. Thus, it usually gets charged. Sometimes you have to plan on that eventuality.

If on a steed, she is more mobile, but still shouldn't ride alone. If this is case, her best bodyguard is a unit of dark riders. Beware though. This makes that unit a huge target. I canny player will direct fire and magic at it.

With new magic items in the 7th ed., you actually stand a better chance with her. For instance, taking the focus familiar and leaving her in a wood, means the familiar can stay outside the wood giving line of sight while the sorceress is safe tucked away. The main thing is to keep a good head on your shoulders with her. If you can do that, then she will survive quite a bit.

[Azure]

I run a mage 2 ways. Either on foot with a unit of either corsairs or spearmen OR on a dark steed with dark riders. The second increases her mobility quite effectively but I've found it makes it such a missile target that I need to bring an extra unit of dark riders to fulfill the normal dark rider role.

On foot I'm actually liking her in a unit of 10 corsairs with handbows as a flank guard.

-Rex

[Dalamar]

On foot and into the forest as soon as you can! (stick her in a unit that will be moving close to any forest if there aren't any for her to reach on her own in 1 turn)

And then give her focus familiar
voila - invisible sorceress of doom.

[Ozzkoz]

can she be effective from a wood? I thought dark magic didn't have allot of range, in a wood it seems like she is just a nice bonus hitting what comes by but you won't be able to get her way you might need her.

[Dalamar]

If you have 7th edition book Focus Familiar is a little magic thingy that lets sorceress cast spells from 6" where she actually is. So basically she could see out of the forest while herself being out of sight. Nice isn't it?
I recommend new book.

[Decker_cky]

I don't recommend that tactic against wood elfs though.

[Ozzkoz]

Thanks, that sounds like a good trick, unfortunately my primary opponent is woodies but I'll keep the familiar in mind for other opponents.