I’ve played quite a few smaller games of AoS and a couple large games, 250+ models, and these were my observations in the larger games

Battleshock actually becomes a game changing mechanic. In a small game, it’s impact is mitigated by command abilities and the fact that units are smaller, thus never really able to hit a casualty threshold to matter or challenge the bravery stats. Simply, units get wiped, pass the test, or don’t even have to test.

Unit formations and the actual shapes your organize your troops in become important for maximising your attacks and minimising your opponents. Examples would be :

Defensive – a triangle with the point facing your opponent. Assuming your opponent doesn’t roll an amazing charge distance, they’ll make contact somewhere at the point. Pile In forces them to pile into the closest enemy model. At this point, that 20-40 model unit can only get, at best, maybe 8 models into range of their melee weapons. Combat priority shifts to you and your entire unit piles in (remove casualties from the point and middle so that second rank can pile in straight forward with out back models piling in around the outside of the enemy unit.)

Offensive- arrange a unit in a W, with a Hero at the point of the middle. This requires you to get the charge off with both units. Make contact with the enemy unit’s broadest side if possible. Combat priority, select your hero. Combat priority shifts to your opponent, they pick their unit, are forced to pile in into the three contact points miniminimizing models in range. Priority shifts to you and your unit piles in.

All of this then gets even more complicated when numerous combats are going on all over the place.

There are numerous other opportunities in this avenue of tactical thought, even going so far as dictating your entire deployment, not unlike the openings in chess, where you literally develop an army wide formation of units supporting and buffing each other, all the while taking away time and space from your opponent.

The last thing I really noticed was the sudden death victory cons become very viable when the model count is higher. In one of the two games, my Dark Elves were outnumbered 220 to 340 against my friend’s Orcs and Goblins. Now, in the smaller games, the sudden death wins are somewhat more difficult to achieve, as the resources available to you are just fewer. But in larger games, yes, I’m outnumbered by over a 100 models, but I still have a lot of resources available to me, to slow down units, control my enemy’s movement, to focus my attack power.

Anyway, I’ve found the game does scale fairly well and doesn’t become a cluster morass in the middle. It definitely can, but it doesn’t have to.

 N.I.B. wrote:

Spoiler:

Here's an interesting post from a Frontline commentator:

I’ve played quite a few smaller games of AoS and a couple large games, 250+ models, and these were my observations in the larger games

Battleshock actually becomes a game changing mechanic. In a small game, it’s impact is mitigated by command abilities and the fact that units are smaller, thus never really able to hit a casualty threshold to matter or challenge the bravery stats. Simply, units get wiped, pass the test, or don’t even have to test.

Unit formations and the actual shapes your organize your troops in become important for maximising your attacks and minimising your opponents. Examples would be :

Defensive – a triangle with the point facing your opponent. Assuming your opponent doesn’t roll an amazing charge distance, they’ll make contact somewhere at the point. Pile In forces them to pile into the closest enemy model. At this point, that 20-40 model unit can only get, at best, maybe 8 models into range of their melee weapons. Combat priority shifts to you and your entire unit piles in (remove casualties from the point and middle so that second rank can pile in straight forward with out back models piling in around the outside of the enemy unit.)

Offensive- arrange a unit in a W, with a Hero at the point of the middle. This requires you to get the charge off with both units. Make contact with the enemy unit’s broadest side if possible. Combat priority, select your hero. Combat priority shifts to your opponent, they pick their unit, are forced to pile in into the three contact points miniminimizing models in range. Priority shifts to you and your unit piles in.

All of this then gets even more complicated when numerous combats are going on all over the place.

There are numerous other opportunities in this avenue of tactical thought, even going so far as dictating your entire deployment, not unlike the openings in chess, where you literally develop an army wide formation of units supporting and buffing each other, all the while taking away time and space from your opponent.

The last thing I really noticed was the sudden death victory cons become very viable when the model count is higher. In one of the two games, my Dark Elves were outnumbered 220 to 340 against my friend’s Orcs and Goblins. Now, in the smaller games, the sudden death wins are somewhat more difficult to achieve, as the resources available to you are just fewer. But in larger games, yes, I’m outnumbered by over a 100 models, but I still have a lot of resources available to me, to slow down units, control my enemy’s movement, to focus my attack power.

Anyway, I’ve found the game does scale fairly well and doesn’t become a cluster morass in the middle. It definitely can, but it doesn’t have to.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
If people are looking for WFB, the Swedes are soon finishing the Ninth Age, which is a fan-made attempt at continuing Warhammer and balancing the 8th edition Fantasy rules/armies.

http://www.the-ninth-age.com/news/

quiestdeus wrote:

Awesome post N.I.B. can you provide a link to the actual article (or just PM it to me?)