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So I've discovered that it I take STD with three handgunners, I can get 60 (at minimum) auto hits that wound on +2 and have rend -1.
I get +1 to hit for my STD, +1 for 20+ models, +1 for not moving, and +1 to hit and wound for my generals command ability.
With a 5+ to hit and 3+ to wound standard stat line, this gives me some major level stupid at my hands.

Is there any other fun stuff the STD/Empire can do?
I wanna decide on what army to AoS with and I have some Vamp Counts models and wanna add empire to the mix so friends who don't have models can play me.
Haven't decided as to whether I'm going to convert the empire to some kind of undead hunting army or if they're a rogue undead faction under a vampire empire general or what.
That last sentence had nothing to do with tactics. I apologize.

This combination wipes pretty much everything off the table. I'm not too sure about the war scrolls, so I'm not sure if it was exact to the State Troop Detacchment or not. Unfortunately, this combination quickly ran out of people wanting to play. They were able to win without much effort or getting any CC action.

Understandably, pretty much every army a few units and characters with impressive synergy. It just seemed a little dull and predictable.

 slowclinic wrote:
This combination wipes pretty much everything off the table. I'm not too sure about the war scrolls, so I'm not sure if it was exact to the State Troop Detacchment or not. Unfortunately, this combination quickly ran out of people wanting to play. They were able to win without much effort or getting any CC action.

Understandably, pretty much every army a few units and characters with impressive synergy. It just seemed a little dull and predictable.

Yeah, I'm not about to be WAAC and take it to the FLGS, but I figure with the broken level Nagash summoning/magic it'll even out the more hardcore/competitive play between my two armies, and we can still play more casual games utilizing regular lists instead.

More than anything I guess, I'm looking for strats to counter hardcore VC armies, and I found this tactic looking through my war scrolls, and I was wondering if there's more to the army.

There was also a cannon with an Engineer nearby, a big unit of Greatswords and a Celestial Hurricanum. It's a fine balance, and if there isn't a WAAC attempt, it's pretty feasible for any army to compete pretty confidently.

There's definitely more to the army!

I played a game yesterday where 10 Empire Swordsmen tied up 5 Chaos Juggernauts for an entire game.

I cast 2 Mystic Shields on them every turn and it gave them a 2+ re-rollable save in combat.

As the Juggernauts have no rend they couldn't kill a single man despite scoring 10+ wounds every round.

The ultimate tarpit!

 Bottle wrote:
I played a game yesterday where 10 Empire Swordsmen tied up 5 Chaos Juggernauts for an entire game.

I cast 2 Mystic Shields on them every turn and it gave them a 2+ re-rollable save in combat.

As the Juggernauts have no rend they couldn't kill a single man despite scoring 10+ wounds every round.

The ultimate tarpit!

It does seem like there are a number of all but impossible kills down to various synergy. I wish my Night Goblins had such an easy ride!

 Bottle wrote:
I played a game yesterday where 10 Empire Swordsmen tied up 5 Chaos Juggernauts for an entire game.

I cast 2 Mystic Shields on them every turn and it gave them a 2+ re-rollable save in combat.

As the Juggernauts have no rend they couldn't kill a single man despite scoring 10+ wounds every round.

The ultimate tarpit!

Amazing!
Somebody did the same to my stormcast eternals. I just shot the wizards dead in a turn. Problem solved.

Ultimate tarpit has to be the Lord-Castellant.
3+ save (base) 6 wounds. He uses his ability on himself, giving himself +1 to armor saves. Stand in cover/mystic shield for another +1.
Now he saves on a 1+, and on a 5+ he regains a wound.
Meanwhile, he's plunking away with his 3 attacks at 3+/3+ rend -1 and damage 2.

If you want to get all forge the narrative about it, "He stands before the storm with the waves breaking against his immortal form."



-Matt

 HawaiiMatt wrote:

 Bottle wrote:
I played a game yesterday where 10 Empire Swordsmen tied up 5 Chaos Juggernauts for an entire game.

I cast 2 Mystic Shields on them every turn and it gave them a 2+ re-rollable save in combat.

As the Juggernauts have no rend they couldn't kill a single man despite scoring 10+ wounds every round.

The ultimate tarpit!

Amazing!
Somebody did the same to my stormcast eternals. I just shot the wizards dead in a turn. Problem solved.

Ultimate tarpit has to be the Lord-Castellant.
3+ save (base) 6 wounds. He uses his ability on himself, giving himself +1 to armor saves. Stand in cover/mystic shield for another +1.
Now he saves on a 1+, and on a 5+ he regains a wound.
Meanwhile, he's plunking away with his 3 attacks at 3+/3+ rend -1 and damage 2.

If you want to get all forge the narrative about it, "He stands before the storm with the waves breaking against his immortal form."

-Matt

Luckily for me, the opponent had no ranged firepower, magic or otherwise except for Be'Lakor who was cannon balled on turn 1 :-) Yes we were imagining some fantastical magical barrier surrounding those 10 unlikely heroes.

As I had 4 magical casters in close proximity I could have cast another Mystic Shield and made them invincible, but no risks=no fun ;-)

-Yes, swordsmen are powerful with being 'simple' 1 wound troops with a 4+ save.

-Also, using the General and a Stately banner (I use this tactic as well) if you wanna stretch it out, the pile in move is actually called a "pile in of 3 inch", not a move or a charge so you can use it in combat, and you boggled down troops hit on 3+/3+.

-Pistoliers, Outriders, Archers and Greatswords are state troops according to their keyword!

-Using the State Troop detachment (1 General, 3 state troops/archers/crossbowmen/handgunners in any mix, and a unit of Pistoliers OR Outriders OR Greatswords), a unit can get a +1 to hit when there's another unit from them (and vice-versa), +1 bravery when at 8 or 10 inch of the general, and they loose no model in the bravery phase if you roll a 1 (1 or 2 with a standard in the state troop unit).

The Empire army to me, got super powerful, or at least quite capable of every/any thing.

It's powerful certainly, but not impenetrable.

It's one of the reasons why massive armies are no guarantee of victory despite all the bleating. The STD + general can be dealt with fairly reliably with a relative handful of models, provided they're the right tools for the job.


It's also dependant on what scenario you play (if at all), and how much terrain you use.

RoperPG wrote:
It's powerful certainly, but not impenetrable.

It's one of the reasons why massive armies are no guarantee of victory despite all the bleating. The STD + general can be dealt with fairly reliably with a relative handful of models, provided they're the right tools for the job.


It's also dependant on what scenario you play (if at all), and how much terrain you use.

That's true, you can't add your heroes to a unit anymore can you? That really hurts the chances of hiding the general.

Thanks for all the advice everyone!