Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Quick question to all the hoot-nam players out there.

Right now my sorceress is on a barded warhorse, with one of my knight units.  This is because she's a Sorceress of Light, and the default spell, Illumination of Pha, is a hand-to-hand spell.  Now, I know this puts her into potentially risky situations, as the knights are suppossed to be smashing into enemy units, and a barded warhorse isn't much of an armor save.  But, Illumination of Pha is a pretty swoovy hand-to-hand spell, and the spells ability to nulify magical weapons makes it very strong against minor enemy characters.

My question is this:  Is it worthwhile to give wizards barded warhorses for a bit of a save against small arms fire and melee combat, or should I save the points, and put them on foot?

Lt Craggs

 

If you play Empire, taking a Wizard with the Armor of Taurnus and a barded warhorse can be a good choice.

I would think the mobility increase on horseback would be the biggest benefit.  You could always have them riding solo, a la Gandalf, lol.

Warhammer seems to be pretty cool about making Wizards a legit hand to hand threat though; go for it man.  If you like the idea of the mage riding in there and blasting stuff, do it

Posted By Gaussgoat on 11/09/2005 6:01 PM

You could always have them riding solo, a la Gandalf, lol.

Yeah, laugh all you want.  It's all fun and games until you get hit by a cannon or charged by flyers.

Posted by BigChris1313: Yeah, laugh all you want.  It's all fun and games until you get hit by a cannon or charged by flyers.

This is what I mean.  I know, unless your wizard has non-los spells, he needs some sort of escort / protection, as human wizards are really only good at dispelling stuff and working counter magic... and even that, they're pretty poor at.

 

I wouldn't recommend the Armor of Tarnus, as it's been my finding that your lower level wizards need to pack 2 dispell scrolls each.

 

I guess I'll just go as has been SOP, and leave the sorceress on horseback with the knights.

 

I avoid putting my wizards on horses, even if they're going with Knights. It makes them too much of a target, in my opinion. Then again, I primarily use Heavens (for Second Sign) and Fire (to supplement my shooting). The Heavens Wizard can sit pretty much wherever he wants, while the Fire Wizard usually walks with the troops.

I am resently a convert on the idea because I never used to put mine on horse back. But I did for a change the other day and it actually saved my Arch mages life! He just managed to run far enough with the extra d6 to out run a flying Srigoi Vampire.

So I say sure that it's a good thing and it's only a 18pts upgrade (well for High Elves that is).

For Brets put your damsels on horseback and in the middle of those knights...cast lore of life at will. As for other race-army-lists, I prefer the multiple uses of being on foot.

I play Empire and i like to take a lv 2 death mage on a horse with von tarnus and a wizards staff.
What i do with it is find a big slow unit with poor armour and i flank it and cast things like dark hand of death and and winds of death and drain life and the unit making sure at all times that no other enemy can charge him. this is great bacause you can run circles around things like saurus and they get a bad save against it so you can whittle them down slowly while they turn around in circles trying to charge you (stupid fools)

I like horses because sometimes you really need that wizard to move. The downside of not being able to march sometimes can cost me an inch (high elfes 9 for horses, 10 for foot) The only real downside for me is going into trees.