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So I have mine with shields but one of the guys i play with told me shields are silly and they should just be naked. Here was my logic for shields and against EHW and naked. Yes I do know minotaurs are not favored overall but they are not horrible.

Ruled out EHW, the reason I ruled this out is I typically run them in 3 wide formation and I have 6 of them, but when I run them they will usually have a Gore or Doom with them. That said only 2 stand in the front rank. They max out at 3 supporting attacks which they have naturally so I figured you are paying 24 points for 2 extra attacks. With the character bulls they will get lots of frenzy attacks anyhow. 24 points for 2 extra attacks isn't bad when you consider they are S5.

GW are 8 points a piece and a bit of over kill at S7, I prefer S6 bestigors for 12 points a piece, its not that GW are bad its that minotaurs cost 63 points each with a great weapon and for the same price you can get 5 bestigors which is two more attacks, primal fury, better built-in armor. No impact hits or stomp of course. Basically I am saying Bestigor's and Minotaurs with GW compete for the same roll.

Shields my thoughts are pretty simple on this front. 4 points and they kick you up to a 5+ save but you don't get the parry save because of frenzy. Mino's are 55 base so if you save 1 of their 3 wounds (average) with the shield you have saved 18 points for a 4 point item, also saving a wound may save you a point of leadership in combat resolution and everyone that plays mino's knows losing a combat is a death sentence for Mino's.

My buddy that says go naked, he points out that most the things that will reliably wound a minotaur will be high enough str to negate an armor save and that they are a waste of points.

There you have it. How do you do it?

Naked is the best as it just leaves you points to spend elsewhere

Wouldn't you still get a parry bonus? If it was just armor, then yeah, I'd say it's pretty worthless, but I play Ogres, and that 6++ has saved my butt a handful of times. And no one says to go naked with Ogres, it's always a shield.

Now, Minotaurs are more expensive than Ogres. What I'd say is to wait till the list is finished till you add shields. If you have some spare points, go for it. But if the shields, say, interfere with that 4th level on your wizard, or an ward save on your general, might want to reconsider...

Minos have Frenzy so they can not get a parry save

They get parry until they win a combat then they become frenzied, unless they have a gorebull or doombull then they start with frenzy. Generally you want them in a minobus formation with gorebulls and doombulls doing make way moves to the front rank that way your enemy is hitting against their weapon skill and not a WTF T4 and better defensive magic items. I'm with Johnny though, they already get 3 attacks which is the most that supporting MI can give, so AHW are pointless, shields as stated +1AS and they are fairly expensive, possibly great weapons, S6 is nice, but only if facing 4+ initiative armies.

My minobus front row is a

Doombull with Berserk Sword Ramhorn and 3+ sv
Gorbull BSB with 2+ sv and Disipline banner
Bloodkin with glitering scales

I have sever bray now that are shadow around a herdstone so with my enemy usually at weapon skill 1 they can choose to try an hit the 3+ T5 target (doombull) on a 5 up who then gets a save with the risk of smack back.

They can go after the 2+ T5 BSB, also hitting on a 5 up

Finally they can go against the bloodkin typically hitting on a 6 up.

I like to give the Bloodkine blackened plate, and then theoretically send my minos after whatever unit ends up with the flaming banner (because someone usually does...). It also protects against flaming dwarf cannons, dwarf flame cannons, warpfire throwers, salamanders, various Flaming magic spells (including the Empire death ray thing and TK catapult), and whatever else likes to set things on fire.

It really is just the best thing against Salamanders and CD/Skaven Fire throwers