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I'm at the point where I'm comfortable with just about every aspect of the warhammer game. I can assess threats, prioritize targets, develop strategies using my army, and win consecutive games.
What I CAN'T do is deploy my army in a fashion I'm happy with in less than, oh, 15 mins. I haven't learned where and how to place my units on the board to best effect to open up a match. I can't figure out what to do! Understandably, waiting for me frustrates the sanity right out of my opponents' ears.

I'm asking all of you experienced Hammer veterans out there regardless of army affiliation to pool your knowledge for the benefit of n00bs everywhere. What are your priorities and thought processes when deploying your army for battle? Changes when deploying first or second? Even placement of cover?

Bathe us in your wisdom, O Masters of Model Placement!

For reference, I play CSM and run a list with:
-Biker Lord in a batch of Spawn; lord in a blob of cultists; 2x rhinos of PM; termies; ranged platform helbrute; heldrake; raptors; obliterators; forgefiend.
Thank you for your time!

Really depends on if you need the alpha strike or not, you don't really get to choose though.
Ad it depends on which army as well.

eg. Dark Eldar going first is crucial for most lists
Necrons going last means that you can almost get all the objectives if you still have warriors in scythes.

Well when I play with my Ravenwing, the whole army basically has scouts. So I can do one of three things:

-If I set up first and don't like where my units are, then I can scout move them to a new position

-If done correctly, when setting up first I can feint an attack on one area and have him set up his units to respond to the potential attack. Then scout move them to the other side or around terrain, negating his entire deployment.

-Or I can simply scout move like normal up towards his units

It's all really situational. There isn't a way we can really explain exactly how to set up your units during your deployment. Only general theories.

For example, I check a couple things more than anything else:

-Line of sight to enemy models I know will try to Alpha Strike

-How far different enemy models can move and their potential to get a better angle

-Where objectives are and make a route plan in my head before the game starts

-Make sure I get cover saves where needed

That's it ( mostly). Everything else requires me to know what exactly the board looks like, what enemy models are where, and what line of sights look like.

I try to guess in my head what my opponent will be doing on his next turn during mine, so I can compensate and try to throw a ratchet in his plans. If you can get your opponent to rethink his strategy every turn, it will open him up for mistakes. That's when you hit. But I digress.

This is one of those things that you will develop more as you play.

I play a Leman Russ heavy Imperial Guard army. My alpha strike can either make or break the game, really.

With my primary army, I prefer secondary deployment. I play Drop Pod marines, so it really doesn't matter who goes first. It DOES mean that my opponent loses an entire turn, however, before my forces arrive on the board, so that's how I like to do it.

With my secondary armies, I always prefer to go first. (I dabble in Tau and Grey Knights.)

Also, a good strategy if you are forced to deploy second is to see where the opponent set up his really heavy hitter squads. That will often indicate where he is going and you can deploy out of their range on the other side of the board or farther back. If deploying second, don't think about withering the hail of fire and using what isn't affected. Try to deny your opponent as much fire power to preserve your army.

Look at the objectives,
Pay attention to the mission type,
If you have to set up first, then you have the advantage of forcing your opponent to try to make the appropriate match ups

If you set up second you get to pick the match ups, you need to know what units your units can take down, and you need to think one step further...when he sees the match up he doesn't want where is he going to re-position to.
if you can predict this and have a counter from the start then your doing it right.

The thing is in any tactical situation its better being the one acting then the one reacting...if your reacting then your probably walking into a trap.

whats the games starts its adapt and overcome...plain and simple...even the best laid plan's can go out the window at a moments notice.

I mean there are some classic's out there even in wargaiming...but here is a link to a wiki that will give you some tricks up your sleeve.

Going first or second, really depends on my opponents army, and to a lesser extent, the mission. In a purely KP game, going 2nd is a big disadvantage.

I do like to go first, just to increase the chances I get first blood. Also, it means I can concentrate on removing some of the stuff that will shoot back. This also has the benefit (for short ranged firepower/assault based lists) of limiting you opponent in having an extra round of shooting against your stuff.

Going second does have more benefits however. I can react to my opponents deployment and they have to shoot through any potential night fighting for longer distances. Also, I'd get the final turn in such a game. Finally, my fliers are likely to come on after my opponents. This is a huge deal to some lists.



Given that I play Eldar, I have to react to my opponent. My troops, and indeed my vehicles are simply too fragile to leave exposed 24'' from my opponent with no cover saves. I like to play my games in the following way;

React to my opponents deployment if going 2nd. If i'm going first, I react to his list.

Spend turns 1-3 waiting for my opponent to make mistakes and capitalising on them. Hitting flanks and exposed units.

Turn 4 I move towards objectives and concentrate on taking out scoring units.

Turn 5 is about holding objectives, and clearing his scoring units.



If I am going first, I sometimes like to reserve large portions of my army. If I know they won't do much on turn 1, and I think they may be exposed...I may aswel keep them off the board. Units such as Dark reapers and war walkers. Fragile units that may be hampered for whatever reason.

In my view- going first is important as it allows the possibility of getting first blood, which is always a bonus.

However when setting up I try to create a 'balanced' approach, so I can attack or defend depending upon what the enemy throws our way.

You must always take into account the pot luck you might have if you nick first turn (tends to happen when you least expect it), it has a habit of throwing off opponents and I've won a few games because of that.

Otherwise focus upon the mission at hand and don't fall into the hole of killing everything....

There's no advantage to going second when you can lose an entire army in the first shooting phase.

Depends on the army...Short ranged durable armies want to take the center of the board...(Bugs, GK, Orks, Foot Necrons)

Short ranged non durable armies want to deploy as close as possible to the enemy while in cover (DE, Footdar)

long range spread out in their deployment zone (Tau, IG)or split to flank if they're also fast. (Mechdar, IG, Cron Air)

These are all generalizations though.

There are many reasons to go second...Crimson Hunters being one of them.

I usually like to go second, unless against a super shooty list, or a Drop Pod list. Basically DEldar, Tau, and Space Wolves I will try to get turn 1, otherwise I like turn two. My deployment is almost always the same.
1. Large infantry units(gants) take a very forward, and central position. They are there to absorb shots, block charges, counterattack, and have a few models left end game for objectives.
2. Scoring only units (10 man gant squads) start in reserves or hiding behind blocking terrain, and usually wont move much unless a threat DS in.
3. Scoring threats (Tervigon) start behind my initial blob, so that they can move back onto an objective or forwards into the fray.
4. Rapid threats (Flyrants) will usually start out of LoS, or well back in my zone, possibly in reserves if against a shooty enough army. This protects them, while a rapid movement means I can engage on my terms.
5. Long ranged threats will pick a piece of terrain, hopefully LoS blocking, and hang out there shooting away. Usually I deploy this far away from scoring units if possible, to make them seem like less of a threat.
6. Arriving threats (DS units) go in reserve.