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Okay am deadset about getting atleast a unit of these guys but I would like to know wat tactics I could try with them.

Hey, the guys are great diverters due to skirmisher mobility and maneuverability. Additional bonus is the ability to reduce deployment choices. Their actual shooty capabilities are subpar.

use them to block enemy units from charging when you don't want them to. Bait Frenzied units out of position if possable.

at a last resort, you can charge the enemy yourself and tie a unit up for a turn.


Shooting ability is more of an annoyance then anything. You could use them to take out enemy units trying to do the above to you, like Marauder horsemen, Gutterrunners, any kind of fast cav, Skaven heavy weapon teams...

Intresting they can be used for hunting generals aswell cant they.

Even if you paid me, I wouldn't take Empire archers. In the six games I used them during a tourney last year, a unit of 10, firing an average of 4 times per game (24 volleys in total) did a grand total of 1 wound on a vargulf, and 2 dead marauder horsemen!

Case closed!

As they don't have Sniper they arn't going to be hunting characters that are hiding in units, which a general will be doing. if the enemy general isn't hiding in a unit, you either have a stupid opponent OR the general isn't going to be bothered by a few arrows.

Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:Even if you paid me, I wouldn't take Empire archers. In the six games I used them during a tourney last year, a unit of 10, firing an average of 4 times per game (24 volleys in total) did a grand total of 1 wound on a vargulf, and 2 dead marauder horsemen!

Case closed!

heh, they have their uses... shooting just isnt one of them.

They make good bunkers for wizards.
They are stead fast in woods.

Rumor has it that they also have bows, and sometimes hit things with those S3 shots.

-Matt

HawaiiMatt wrote:
Rumor has it that they also have bows, and sometimes hit things with those S3 shots.
-Matt

lol

Let's do the maths:

24 inch range, so most of the time, it's 5+ to hit due to moving or over half range. as most creatures have a T3 or better then it's usually 4+ to wound. So a unit of 10 firing = 33% chance of hitting, and from those 3 hits, you'll average 2 wounds. Let's not go into armour saves.
Even against zombies, those odds stink the place up, and don't even think about shooting at chaos warriors!
Case closed...again!

Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:Let's do the maths:

24 inch range, so most of the time, it's 5+ to hit due to moving or over half range. as most creatures have a T3 or better then it's usually 4+ to wound. So a unit of 10 firing = 33% chance of hitting, and from those 3 hits, you'll average 2 wounds. Let's not go into armour saves.
Even against zombies, those odds stink the place up, and don't even think about shooting at chaos warriors!
Case closed...again!

hey mate, your basically the only one talking about shooting here. So perhaps keep the case open a bit longer?

As for baiting and redirecting, Pistoliers can do it better. Admittedly they cost over double, they can still flee farther with swiftstride, regroup and keep doing it over and over again. Gotta love fast cav.

Indeed, but archers can be used more flexibly: Points come from core allowance, they are not a deployment choice and against some enemies can be used as a mobile mage-bunker.

I might come off as extremely pro archers and I do admit I like them. But mostly just trying to broaden a few views and push people towards trying them out

Acourse they do have the scots rule

Scouts is ok, but its pretty situational at best.

Getting the most out of scouting is extremely situational, saving a deployment choice benefits you always. You dont have to scout into enemy lines.

One time my archers took the last wound off a hydra in a tourney.

True Story.

I've seen people use really small units for various nuisance duties, redirecting charges, holding units up for a turn, stuff like that. Although, really, if you're going to send small units off to die like that, it's unlikely their bows are every going to do anything, so why not save 3 points per model and send swordsmen or halberdiers?

People pay the 3 pts for the skirmishers rule, not the bow.

Great looking models, good background, but naff on the table. They couldn't find ice-cubes on the titanic!

I'm probs gonna get them for christmas

Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:Great looking models, good background, but naff on the table. They couldn't find ice-cubes on the titanic!

Have to agree with you. A unit of 10 is just not that effective with a BS of 3. Believe me I know, I play Bretonnians, I take them in blocks of 20 at least. I know they are not skirmishers, and have long bows, but they shoot just the same.

Does the empire have any sort of special bow and arrow units? Or is it just that unit of bowmen and they suck or is there an alternative unit Acegermanshepard could possibly get for Christmas?

Nope, this is what there is.