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.

Hello all.
i am planing on doing a small empire knightly orders army and the only problem is that i need some fire support to protect the knights as they go up the board. this leaves 3 choices (other than the cannons and the like) the hand gunners, crossbowmen and archers they all have there advantages but i simply cant decide which to use
Any help is apreciated, peace out.

Pistoliers or Outriders to keep pace with the rest of the army

can out riders fire if they have moved if so i may get a unit of them. most of my fire support is likley to come from volley guns and cannons but i am going to need another unit to fill my core choices..

Crossbows. Extra range in critical.

-Matt

I'll agree, crossbows have range and power. Bows tend to dink off anything and handguns have less range than crossbows

HawaiiMatt wrote:Crossbows. Extra range in critical.

-Matt

This

Though Mortars do this job better in every way

crossbows do seem like a good option but they may still lack a little punch but of the 3 they should be the best all round option

KillerSkivil wrote:can out riders fire if they have moved if so i may get a unit of them. most of my fire support is likley to come from volley guns and cannons but i am going to need another unit to fill my core choices..

I'd go for crossbows, as the extra range has proven far more useful to me than the extra AP of the handgunners has. Though sometimes I'll take handgunners to include longrifles, and plink some minor characters.


But more importantly, I can tell you if you've got a list where you're scratching around for something to take to fill up your core requirement then you might be in trouble. The absolute strength of the Empire is in its core troops, and by that I mean Halberdiers are an absolute bargain at 5 points and big units of them will win you games. Swordsmen aren't bad either.

I haven't seen your list, but you should be wary of spending too many points on stuff in the special and rare categories of the Empire army book, each unit can be very useful in their own way, but are too pricey to spend too many points on.

its not realy that much of a problem because i saved space for some form of ranged unit and couldnt decide which one to include. since the army is knightly order based i just needed ranged units to soften up thier targets and protect them ans the make thier way up the table.

KillerSkivil wrote:its not realy that much of a problem because i saved space for some form of ranged unit and couldnt decide which one to include. since the army is knightly order based i just needed ranged units to soften up thier targets and protect them ans the make thier way up the table.

They're all Inner Circle Knights, are they?


Anyhow, sounds like an interesting build, though I urge caution - Empire lists benefit tremendously from having at least one big block of infantry.

im using knightly orders upuntil i get to a certain points level and then they become inner circle.im kind of trying to play the army like a bretonian army exept without the chicks on horses.