D.R.A.I.C.H. Making the most of Terrain with your Druchii

[Dangerous Beans]

I thought I'd try and contribute to the DRAICH in as many ways as I could: this thread will be focused about terrain and the different ways our Druchii can use/get the most out of it.

Its a fairly simple topic I know, but as speed and movement are some of our greatest assets, terrain manipulation and domination can be critical to our success on the battlefield.

I will be covering:
1. Buildings
2. Woods and Hills
3. Swamps, Rivers and Water Terrain
4. Rocks, stones and impassable terrain
5. Special Features
5. Extra Terrain (feel free to submit tactics for other terrain that I've missed)

1. Why Dark Elf infantry should LOVE buildings

I've just been theorising about the strategic role of buildings for dark elf troops. Let me first outline what/how buildings give/work:

- infantry units or models/units consisting of Unit Strength 1 models can hole up in buildings: there is no limit on the unit size that can occupy a building as such. Monsters, cavalry and flyers may not enter buildings or assault them (a special form of charge specifically used against buildings and their ilk...)
- depending on how many floors there are in a building, dictates how many men can look out of windows and draw LOS on enemy models. 1 floor = 5 models, 2 floors = 10 models, 3 floors = 15 models etc. Often how many floors in each building are decided before the game with your opponent, equally LOS and the role that different floors plays should be determined with your opponent before the game
- my friends and I rule that the hill system applies to buildings: ours being - stood on a single tier/first floor gives you LOS over units that are not large targets, but of course cannot see over/past Large Targets. Being on a 2nd tier/floor of a hill/building allows LOS over units, large targets and 1 tier hills, a 3rd tier of a hill (rare occurence) allows LOS over 2 tier hills. No hills or buildings can have LOS over forests unless agreed before the game (watch towers often have LOS over forests)
- The unit whilst occupying a building is counted as being skirmished, and the building offers hard cover for a total of a -3 to hit penalty from shooting. Magic affects the unit as usual.
- To encounter combat a unit in a building must be assaulted by an enemy unit. This is done exactly like a charge but the enemy must TOUCH the base of the building anyway with as few or as many models: it doesnt matter: as soon as one model so much as skims the building then they assault it. Simple. The defenders in the building may make charge reactions as normal - including stand and shoot of course.
- once in combat, all charging bonuses are lost: all that matters now is initiative, special weapon rules (such as ASF or AS-Last). Each side chooses 10 models to fight and a round of combat is fought with no combat resolution modifiers from standards or battle standards or outnumbering.

So, why is it that druchii should love these buildings?

Well, I would like to point out a few reasons why we shouldnt so you can compare and weigh the pro's with the cons...
- Druchii rely on speed to often win their games: we are fast and manouvrable.
- Buildings grant LOS, great, but my unit are combat fighters: its what dark elves excel at most of all (above even magic and shooting)
- I can't charge enemy unit once I'm in the building: to charge I have to first move out and then next turn I can charge - if the enemy are even still there!

There are others - please feel free to criticise/add more

We love buildings because of our statlines, our weapons, and our lack of armour. For missile units like crossbowmen and shades (particularly upgraded versions of these warriors with shields/2 hand weapons) there are few better places on the battlefield if you wish to shoot enemy units. If a building is located in your deployment zone then its often worth marching the 10" to reach it and then use it as a permanent firebase: the enemy will be reluctant to charge it because if they fail then they will be left in an awkward position and a good possability of being charged by any of your units near to the tower: ripping elves out of buildings is not an easy task as they will strike before most enemies, have excellent weaponry choices and have good leadership.
The buildings offers a -3 to hit so any unit inside should be fairly safe from shooting: even breath weapons & templates from morters etc only affect D6 models. This gives our elves a far greater chance to withstand enemy missile fire.
Often buildings will be located in table quarters (it doesnt often happen when they border 2 quarters or are in the very centre of the field). This can offer extra VPs at the end as well as saving most or all of the points of the unit.
If you place an assassin in the unit in the building he can still shoot any enemy who walk nearby and will have ASF to deal with any enemy who charge your units in buildings.

Anyway, there are more points - I thought I'd write another very detailed introductory post. My question/point to you druchii generals is what benefits/disadvanatges can you see with dark elves using buildings? Do you often encounter them in games? And are they often game breakers? What other advice can you give other druchii generals? And finally, do you think shades in a building is a good or a bad idea - considering their combat potential with WS5 and options for 2 hand weapons/great weapons.

Thank you for any input!

- Beanz

[Dalamar]

- infantry units or models/units consisting of Unit Strength 1 models can hole up in buildings: there is no limit on the unit size that can occupy a building as such. Monsters, cavalry and flyers may not enter buildings or assault them (a special form of charge specifically used against buildings and their ilk...)

Infantry of any size can enter buildings, and the maximum capacity is US 30, yes ogres and kroxigors can enter buildings as well (Lead Belchers are even specific example when shooting from buildings)

- depending on how many floors there are in a building, dictates how many men can look out of windows and draw LOS on enemy models. 1 floor = 5 models, 2 floors = 10 models, 3 floors = 15 models etc. Often how many floors in each building are decided before the game with your opponent, equally LOS and the role that different floors plays should be determined with your opponent before the game

Again, it's US not models, and LoS is measured from any point on the building's base, so basically units gain 360 degree LoS

Besides those two points to me building are just another spot for my shooting infantry, if I see a building my shades or crossbows will race there if it's reasonably close. For other units I prefer to stay on the move and not be at my opponent's mercy when it comes to movement phase. It's better to not get charged at all than receive unfavourable charge.

[Dangerous Beans]

thank you for the clarification Dalamar: I was quoting from memory and didnt have the BRB to hand - thats awesome news and makes a lot of sense (otherwise all OKs would have to fluff infantry in buildings out with is Gnoblars!

I have thought of one last factor that could apply to infantry: your opponent may forget that you have a unit in a building if you get it in there early in the game!

- Beanz

[Calisson]

Corsairs love to loot in buildings. So let them plunder at will:
A unit of handbow corsairs is 100pts. With their low value and their very short missile range, the opponent will not bother to destroy them, will they? Run them inside a building and forget about them until the end of the game, they occupy their 1/4 table for cheap.
Once in a building, they are incredibly resilient to missile. If you want to charge them away, they stand & shoot, and with buildings there is no static combat resolution, only 10 models strike per side and the best initiative strikes first... (with 2 corsairs attacks if you did not take the handbow)... Even if they loose the active combat resolution, they still have a high Ld so they are likely to stay... and to shoot in retaliation at the enemy that stepped 1" backwards.

Beware: they stay vulnerable to magic.

The best place for this building/unit combo is close to the middle of the no man's land: the corsairs can run 10" turn 1, walk 5" more turn 2 to touch the base of the building and enter it (remember: you cannot double-move and enter a building the same turn).

The same unit babysitting a sorceress is outstanding. Of course it will draw attention so you better leave that building in your deployment zone (bring 2 buildings, in case you got the opposite zone).

So when you bring your corsairs, bring them some buildings!(and a bottle of rum, yohoho).


For obvious reasons, when you bring your RXB, bring them some 2-storey towers , and the higher the tower, the merrier the firepower (I got one 2-levels tower, one 3-levels one and a tiny 3 level castle - all made from mere plastic boxes with paint).


Wait a minute... are buildings good for your foes as well?
- your initiative is high: it is easier for you to disloge them than the contrary.
- buildings remain vulnerable to magic: your magic is stronger.
- place buildings in the middle of the battlefield: your infantry is faster than theirs.
- run your DR or harpies to less than 1" from the building: they cannot anymore enter the building because they cannot end their move at less than 1" from you, and inside a building, the base of the unit is the base of the builing.
- if they know that trick, then have 2 buildings placed 10" apart instead of 1: not many units can be placed at less than 1" from 2 buildings by turn 1... except fast cavalry or flying skirmishers, perhaps! So you prevent them to enter boh buildings. If they block one of the buildngs, go inside the other one.


The same tactics apply with shades, which are albeit more expansive per model but they shoot further.

Buildings could make a good cover for skirmishers deployment.
But Shades still love better to stay outdoors in deep forest. Is it only for the fluff?
You cannot deploy skirmishers inside a building because some foe will always have a line of sight to some part of the building. So you deploy them just behind. When shades are hiding behind a building, the dead angle is likely to be narrow, so the enemy can probably move and get easily a line of sight for his magic caster or his missile regiment/breath weapon, and see your shades with no cover whatsoever. Very bad for them.
On the other hand, shades hidden 2,1" inside a forest are immune to almost anything but dragon breath.

So when you bring your shades, bring them some forest! (and hope your opponent does'nt get Life Lore). Actually, bring 2 forests if you are playing MSU-many-unit-style and they have skirmishers too.

Oh, by the way, shades are not the only ones to like forests better than buildings: hydra love forests much more than buildings, where their breath cannot burn more than 6 victims and their heads cannot penetrate.

6. Extra Terrain (feel free to submit tactics for other terrain that I've missed)

Don't forget to talk about the healthy use of barricades when facing Bretonians.


Now how can you be sure to have the appropriate terrain for your troops?
Just bring it along with your troops.
You need not to spend a lot of money:
an empty ice-cream box, cut in wood shape and painted in green, makes a credible wood.
Same apply for a building.
And it is very easy to pile them up in a cupboard!
cheap forests and buildings