http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/93.page JForum - http://www.jforum.net 40k for 5years) and im thinking about expanding my Empire army.

I currently have 2wizards, 2cannons, 2 hellblaster/hellrocket (with magnets so i can swap between), 10handgunners, 10archers and 2Generals (one is on a horse).
Im thinking something like mass State Troops supported by handgunners (and other ranged) but I don't know if that is viable or to cheesy so im asking for some assistance in choosing what to buy and im looking for something that will work well together, easy to expand upon and fun to play (don't just want to sit back and shoot since I played IG way to much xD).

Also what sort of State Troops are the best pick?]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6296326.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6296326.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6298296.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6298296.page GMT BSB, 2 level 1 light mages, 40 odd halberdiers, couple of 5 man knight blocks, 5 demis, 2 cannons, hurricanum and a tank]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6298466.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6298466.page GMT
How come light mages are so popular, is it because of the buffs it has?]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6300931.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6300931.page GMT
]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6302299.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6302299.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6304283.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6304283.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6304565.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6304565.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6305423.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6305423.page GMT
Halberds: Aggressive Infantry, as well as Defensive depending on your opponent, S4, solid Parent and Detachment Unit.

Spearmen: Defensive, extra rank of attacks, 5+ armor save w/shields which is the same price for a Halberdier with a 6+ armor save, best used as a Parent Unit only.

Swordsmen: High WS, 6+ Parry Save, Best used as Detachments,

Thats just how I see it, as Swordsmen are only worth it in detachments, while Spearmen are best in a parent unit. Halberds are the jack-of-all trades unit, which is why most people go for them. But I liked my Spearmen, as it allowed me some tactical flexibility in the since that having a solid unit gave my harder hitting units more freedom to do there thing.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6306493.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6306493.page GMT
A Jade wizard has some good spells that could be nasty on a large blob so definitely gona try one out and se what I prefer

]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6306733.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6306733.page GMT
Cannons are good and can do a lot of damage if you roll decently. You can either blow apart enemy generals and big monsters in the early turns, or have your cannons explode or roll 1's to wound everything.

Knights are good, but if you go for big infantry blocks you're best off with small 5-man units of knights with just a musician for redirecting and flank support. No need to have a big, expensive unit charge off into the distance while your infantry watches from the back.

Empire depends a lot on buffs, so definitely get a warrior priest in with your infantry, as well as a BSB. At higher levels I would definitely go for a Celestial Hurricanum (1 extra power dice and +1 to hit for your units really helps).

A War Altar is also a good choice, and is the main reason people tend to run with many light wizards. In addition to giving nearby units a similar buff as a WP it has Banishment as a bound spell (so you're sure to get it and be able to cast it easily). Banishment gains +1 strength for every nearby light wizard, so 2-3 xlvl1 wizards in a group of archers behind your lines can be a really good booster. I like having one lvl4 Life and 2 lvl1s to get both a good banishment and a chance to heal my units (and get dwellers below).

Demigryphs and the Steam Tank are also very, very good units so in time you should definitely consider adding them to your army. Or if friends aren't that important: run a STank and Demis at 1000 points ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6311296.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/565658/6311296.page GMT