Best core shooters

[Luisjoey]

which is you favorite and most used? why you like them and what tactica you use with them?

[Imperial Commander Gent]

My personal favorite and most widely used of those are the Handgunners. They pack the firepower to hurt a lot of enemy units and are fairly good at stopping an opponent from going in front of them for fear of that firepower. I usually use 10 man squads with a repeater for the marksmen, no other command and it is a good combo. Watch them drop chaos knights, silver Helms, and ANY infantry unit!

[SteveBerenyi]

While a bit more costly, their punch more than makes up for it. I'd say field in units of 12 so you are getting 6 shots every turn.

Works great and since they are MOF, you can severely deplete a unit before they can get to you

MOF is not a bad thing when used properly.

[experiment 626]

handgunners are indeed the ultiment missile troops in the empire list, but i wouldn't go overboard on them... a unit or two at 2000pts is all well and good, but if you go too far and turn your list into a 'gun line', then you'll soon find yourself having trouble finding opponents! (that -2 save modifier, combined with the seer number of handgunner you can pack can be just silly good!)
deploy your handgunners on a hill so you fire in two ranks as well! they make a perfect compliment for your war machines and can see-off pretty much any threat which will try to quickly get at your big guns. (again, fast cavalry for example won't get any save vs your handgunners!)
you can also add a smaller detachment of handgunners to a static defensive infantry block, such as a unit of spearmen. (who are most definately more effective when being charged!) your handgunners can fire to full effect, and will likely cause a casulty or two meaning fewer attacks hitting your spearmen...

crossbows are basically the longer-ranged, poor-man's weapon of choice. they still pack a S4 and -1 save modifier, so while they may not be as effective against heavy cavalry, they can still make a decent mess of most infantry and light cavalry at better range than the handgunners!

archers are the best missile detachments available as they are skirmishers. you can deploy a small detachment of 5-6 archers out in front of your main combat units, (swordsmen or greatswords or halberdiers), and use them to both screen your men & bait enemies.
the archers will protect your better fighters from most missiles as the enemy will suffer a further -1 to-hit penalty for shooting at skirmishers, so it'll take more effort to remove them.
aas for bait, if the enemy delcaire a charge against your archers, you can have them flee without fear of them panicing the rest of your line! (as detachments never cause panic except to other detachments!) or else use them to force frenzied units into charging before fleeing and leaving the enemy sitting in front of your own forces and now open to say, a flank charge!

cheers!

[Luisjoey]

I love the handgunners... remember me independence wars of america!

They are excellent...except for the move or fire (first turn you should be able to move and shoot because they come with their rifles charged XD but that would be a way far broken)

I like to use them as static detachmen, even as 10 guys for spearmen as Experiment 626 said.

that why i put my vote on them.

Archers are pretty good... and thanks for that trick experiment 626 ^^!

[The Sword 88]

Handgunners are really over powered. A gun line with a few cannons is probably the most unbalanced list ever.

[experiment 626]

Originally Posted by The Sword 88

Handgunners are really over powered. A gun line with a few cannons is probably the most unbalanced list ever.

handguns aren't quite that bad... (skaven are far worse all things considered!)

but it's 100% true that a gunline list is;
a) over-powered
b) insanely boring to play with & against
c) shows an utter and compleat lack of sportsmanship in the individual who thinks it's a viable list!

cheers!

[Luisjoey]

How is a gunline list? please explain me that ¿?¿?¿?

thanks in advance

[The Sword 88]

Take all state troops with handguns, the long rifle upgrades as well, a couple cannons, a few heroes with braces of pistols, and then line up as far back as possible and on hills if possible adn shoot everything before it gets to you.

[experiment 626]

Originally Posted by The Sword 88

Take all state troops with handguns, the long rifle upgrades as well, a couple cannons, a few heroes with braces of pistols, and then line up as far back as possible and on hills if possible adn shoot everything before it gets to you.

don't forget to add a pair of Lv2 wizards for zappiness and some pistoliers for march blocking & flank charging! (and even more black powder nastiness!)

but yes, boring and anyone caught playing such a list deserves to end their days in excruciating agony! dwarfs & skaven especially are also bad armies for pulling this kind of crap...

cheers!

[Luisjoey]

But thanks... i have plenty of handgunners... maybe i´ll try it some day XD

I will end my days in agony! XD

I always think about a nuln army; because i´m good with cannons and mortars guesses.

[experiment 626]

Originally Posted by Luisjoey

But thanks... i have plenty of handgunners... maybe i´ll try it some day XD

I will end my days in agony! XD

I always think about a nuln army; because i´m good with cannons and mortars guesses.

go for the nuln army! just don't go overboard on the handguns and such... have a few infantry blocks not only to keep it more interesting, but also to keep it fun and challenging for both players!

it like a guard army in 40k; any fool can build a lascannon/plasma gun gunline and win every game they play... but a good player can take a bit of everything and/or a highly themed force and still win with it too!

cheers!

[Luisjoey]

are those tactics banned in tournaments or such?

[Brother_Ambrose]

I guess I'm theonly one who prefers the added range of the crossbow... In my experience it often gets me an extra round of shooting...

[experiment 626]

Originally Posted by Brother_Ambrose

I guess I'm theonly one who prefers the added range of the crossbow... In my experience it often gets me an extra round of shooting...

i use 2 units of 10 crossbowmen in my wizard lord's list as it helps show the fact that my general's territory is located on the old stirland/slyvanian border and thus the army is more rustic than a proper city state army.

cheers!

[Imperial Commander Gent]

That seems like an interesting point that I would like to point out to other Empire Players and that I wish more of them would follow stitch. The armies of the empire differ greatly depending on where they are from. My main issue with it is that nobody seems to be running any theme to their empire armies. What each Baron and Count of the empire can bring to the field is not going to be the same as the next one! I would love to see more themed lists nowadays!

[Drax]

its between the Handgunners and the Archers for me.

gamewise i prefer the Archers as detachments, but fluffwise i just love the idea of the Handgunners - i'm a Sharpe fan y'see!

...fluff wins out every time with me, so i say Handgunners, perhaps not the angle you wanted, but still...

[Zeb[edee]]

Personally my dwarves never take to the field without a unit of Quarellers(Crossbowmen) in the ranks. In my 500pts they whittle them down before Ironbreakers destroy them.

In big games they protect the artillery and Anvil of Doom with their great weapons. I never take thunderers as a shooty unit anymore, they get used to fill points and normally just to hold the flanks lest some pesky git come and flank charge my gunline.

But 15 quarellers on a Hill stretched out in one line is devastating. Shoot untill the turn before the charge when you reform and sit there toting great weapons shouting COME ON THEN! In a dwarf manner.

I am assuming this would work for the Empire as well but minus the great weapons.

[Imperial Commander Gent]

Well Zeb, considering this is in the EMPIRE subsection I would have to say we are talking about the Empire here. lol

[Drax]

maybe, but he did state that he thought it could be applied.

sadly not though Zeb, at least not as effectively - your Dwarfs have the armour, and the toughness to allow this tactic - to an extent - this is lacking in their human counterparts

[Luisjoey]

all ranged weapons are effective in whfb.

I use the most the bow for they mobility and ability to cover flanks

[Imperial Commander Gent]

Well the bowmen are also a skirmish unit and that doubles their abilities in the fact that all of the unit can fire and are harder to shoot to death.