# Concidering Beastmen



## Treesnifer (Jun 13, 2010)

It's been a few weeks since Christmas, and IoB is starting to wear thin. Not than anyone can quote the rule book yet, but we're starting to look at adding to the base units. The girls have taken the High Elves and the Skaven, leaving Anfo and I to figure out what we're going to pick. Anfo, running CSM in 40k, is hesitantly eyeing Deamons of Chaos while I have been vacillating between my beloved Dwarves or the Undead, which I played back in '97. I still have my skeletal cavalry and skeli infantry.

Yet, this evening, while my wife was clutching her Doomwheel and cackling maniacally, I was looking at the models for the Beastmen. Truth be told, minotaurs have been one of my favorite monsters since...long ago in the Second Age. Even made one as an character in a D&D game, and here was an entire wall of nothing but different types of minotaurs in an army. Beastmen for me, haven't been much in other games. CC units without weapons for the Imperium or Chaos in Epic Space Marine or monsters to fight in Warhammer Fantasy RPG. I thumbed quickly through the store copy of the Beastmen Army Book and the store owner claimed they were a 'powerful' army. I liked the giants, and the Savage Fury special rule. So, I came home wondering why I didn't have much of a recollection of Beastmen from my review of the Armies Introduction thread.

And realized that there is no Beastmen Army, but instead Beasts of Chaos. It was then I remembered that I read the intro by Ancient Tiel' a fier, and saw that BoC was an old Book waiting for a rewrite. Personal experience from Epic tells me if its old, it might be an army to avoid.

So tonight I have discovered that BoC has been replaced and rewritten into Beastmen, but there isn't a "Beastmen have changed!" thread...unless I haven't read deep enough in the search I did. Have the Beastmen changed with the new cover? Or are they still an outdated army that is using rules from a previous version?

If they are such, it doesn't scratch them off my list. I just don't want to walk in blind.


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## sybarite (Aug 10, 2009)

yes they have got a new book, l think it was release Feb 2010 . there are no 8th ed army's yet...

They are a good army to play with but a one of the more harder army's to play well.

P.S. l am sure blackspine the beast master will have the right date


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## blackspine (Jun 9, 2010)

sybarite said:


> They are a good army to play with but a one of the more harder army's to play well.


 That is a pretty on point summary of Beastmen.

It's a fun and fantastic army, that is very unforgiving of mistakes vs. most armies. 
That being said, when things go right, we're a wrecking ball that can make people call it by end of round 4.

Since you mentioned it; Minotaurs are amazing...in situations. 
Their stats are amazing, but they're something of glass cannons. They can chew through troops with amazing efficiency, but need some support. Shooting, elite high I troops are their weakness. Let them loose in a flank of any enemy, and it's game over.

Doombulls & gorebulls ( the character versions) are rough customers and with the tricks we have up our sleeves, can beat most heroes into the dirt and stampeede looking for more.

Beastmen have some fun tactics and uses of infantry. We have amazing monsters, but they're a bit overpriced.

Ambush is a fun rule that can set your opponent into a downward spiral. Even if your ambush is lousy, our speed lets us get into combat very fast.
Another rule: primal fury, makes our armies just murderers in close combat. 

Beastmen have no shooting, and very little in the way of 'heavy cav.' (big debate about centigors) but seeing that we're faster than most and have chariots as core requirements, some of that is taken care of.

With a little bit of imagination and knowing your strengths, you can make beastmen a formidable force.

The Battalion box is a good place to start. Even two of those and you have a decent fighting force. With the new rules Bestigors are our juggernauts.


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## Kulzanar (Aug 10, 2010)

Beastmen have indeed been released February 2010 and it may not be 8th edition but it is written with the idea towards 8th edition. I even wonder if it isn't the latest released Warhammer armybook but I think it is. Recently I have also thought about starting with Beastmen and I recently did. Immediatly bought two battalion boxes, some heroes and minotaurs. Alas, I'll have to wait a few more days for the book though 

Furthermore, I haven't studied the previous book of beastmen but I already saw plenty of the current and they have changed. I noticed you can do some fun nasty stuff but it's clearly an army where you need to keep your head in the game. A wrong step can cost you dearly. The thing you best do is read up on some fluff and the playstyle of the army and decide from there.


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