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i stopped playing for awhile during 7th edition and now during 8th edition i am going to start playing again and i have been hearing that bretonnia are not good in 8th edition? is this true?

I'm a bit tired so please fogive me if this sounds like nonsens.

8th favors infantry a great deal. A rule called 'steadfast' allows any unit (not skirmishers though) to take breaktests on unmodified Ld, as long as they have one more rank over the opponant. You also strikes in order of initiativ even if you charged, and 'step up' means that as long as there are enough models you don't loose any attacks by striking last anyway.

Brets still win but it's far from an easy victory when they do.

Yeah, the new edition has kinda nerfed Cavalry.

Thanks to the steadfast rule, if your opponent has more ranks than you do at the end of combat, they take their break test on their unmodified Ld, so it's harder to break on the charge. However, it simply means that units need to be whittled down a bit before you charge them.

It's harder to play Brets, just not impossible.

Yep, whats been said before is pretty much true. Although I've found that winning is just as hard as with any other army. In my opinion, the reason why people tend to consider Bretonnia as weaker in 8th is because they still want to play them as they were played in 7th; with glorious cavalry charges driving home the lance and sending huge blocks scurrying. Now its a lot more tactical with dual charges being essential and peasant blocks actually being needed. I have a list that is really competitive without being cheesey. PM me if you want the list along with some tactics. (I'm too lazy to type it all up right now).

In regards to Steadfast, its a REAL pain for Bretonnian players and it is definitely the hardest part of 8th. My answer to it is tarpit/bait the units that are simply too big to ever wittle down and pick their mid sized units to crush under trebuchet rocks. Once they're down to a few ranks the lances hit home. Also, if they are running a giant death star unit kill off everything else and then run away. We have the fastest units in the game so make sure you keep that in mind and use it to your advantage.

I cannot allow a "How are Bretonnia" thread to pass without posting a link to these awesome video battle reps: http://www.youtube.com/user/OnceBitten360

The 8E Bretonnians are very, very much a finesse army. You need to pick your charges, multi-charge larger units, and whittle down big blocks with Trebuchet fire. You can't just march across the board willy-nilly and expect to win. You are always one mistake away from loosing, no matter how well the game is going.

Bear that in mind, and you can do very well indeed with Brets. Just don't expect it to be easy, because it won't.

Personally, I think the challenge makes the wins all the sweeter.

okay so heres the list that i like to run. The character builds can be changed up as necessary but i like the way they play out for the most part.

2397 Points

Lord: Lance, Armor of Aligilulf, Virtue of heroism, Virtue of Confidence, Gauntlet of the Duel (Big KOTR unit)
Prophetess: Level 4 Dispel Scroll, Potion sacre (Second rank of big KOTR)
Paladin: BSB, Grail vow, grail shield (Goes in Grail Knights)
Paladin: Terrifying Mask of EEEEE, Lance of Artois
Paladin: Obsidian Trinket, Birth Sword of carcassone
Paladin: Morning Star of Fracasse, Luckstone (and something else, I can't remember off the top off my head right now)

M@A: x35 FC

KOTR: x10, FC, Banner of Chalons
KOTR: x6, FC
Pegasus Knights: x3 musician
Grail Knights: x8 FC Standard of discipline

Trebuchet
Trebuchet

The three paladins at the end go in the small kotr list and give the unit some serious fighting power. The key to this list however is the Prophtess. Give her Lore of beats and buff the characters until your hand is so tired it cant throw more dice. Run both blocks of KOTR close and preferably on the flank and just tear into enemies. if they decide to turn to face that threat you shove grail Knights into their flanks. Protect the trebs with the peasants and hold up small elite units with them until the knights can get flank charges. I get laughed at a lot for backing up but remember to be patient. Make the enemy come to you under the trebuchet hail. Keep your knights just far enough away that it would take a miracle for them to charge you but it would be a fairly easy charge for you. 14 or 15 inches is a nice spot. Most infantry moves 4 so they need at least a ten to get to you. So instead they have to plunge forward into an easy charge for you which you hit with all your knights. it has to break turn one or else you will get flanked. Keep backing up if you cant break on turn 1 and keep softening them up with the trebchets.

I've seen some lists do well with massed infantry.
2 units of 6 knights protect both ends of the trebuchets (and give Ld8).
Then it's just massed infantry, each led by a cheap hero (on horse), and a goodly amount of long bows.
The minimal knights give the list a peasant crusade look.

-Matt

The Trebuchet is deadly in 8th as it is stronger then any other stone thrower out there, and having a giant rock dropped on your head with the chance to wipe out 17 infantry models if your lucky, does a lot to lower the threat of steadfast

I've seen brets do very well in 8th. 2 or 3 units of knights with supporting characters, a paladin on a peg, large block of M@A with halbreds with a prophetess of beasts. S5 T4 M@A and treb's makes goes a long way to neutrilizing steadfast.