# Army Selection (Fantasy)



## squeek (Jun 8, 2008)

How do you go about your army selection? I realise that some players will have a fairly static list for each points break that has been perfected over time, that said if you were to start from scratch how would you go about it?

Personally I start with my Core choices, usually selecting two large blocks of Orcs, then move on to characters that fit in to these units. From there I will start to think about counters to my opponents and balance in terms of magic, shooting, flanking and so on. I then tend to find myself tweaking the points balance across the army, to get it somewhere near the points break selected.

For those with multiple Fantasy armies, does your approach to army selection change depending on which army you are playing?

I am interested in this because a friend of mine has a very different approach to me and starts with Rare choices trying to link each further choice to a 'style' if you like, so that his army is set up to a certain style of play.


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## Othiem (Apr 20, 2008)

I suspect the method varies a bit with which army you are playing. With orcs it makes sense to focus on their core first, as boys make up the bread and butter of that army. Does your friend play one of the elf armies? 

For my Empire force, first I put in my never leave home without them units: block of swordsmen, block of spears, 5 knightly orders, and a bsb. Then I pick a general strategy, like horded out infantry, mostly cavalry, mostly range, etc. I'll add 2-3 more of the unit that goes along with that strategy. After that I look to fill out my weaknesses. If going cav, I'll usually drop a hellblaster to guard a flank, and a unit of greatswords to make a stronger line. If infantry heavy, I'll tend to fill out my shooting to hopefully peel off some of the enemy SCR before they get to me. 

I try not to think TOO much about responding to what my enemy has. The idea is to go in with a plan and hopefully force my opponent to react to me, not the other way around. If you are committed to a plan, you should have enough units behind that plan to survive the attrition that their big units will bring, and by keeping their power units busy, your peripheral units such as knights and gunners can just go nuts on them. Certainly it doesn't work out that way all the time, but it's how I like to play.


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## Lord Sinkoran (Dec 23, 2006)

when I do my empire I start with core 3 solid blocks of states men. then come the characters usually a captain for general and at lesst one wizard for magic defense as well as offence. then specail, usually a cannon and mortar and if points allow greatsword (rock). if points allow rare is always helblasters love them. 

tomb king are diferent , I start with a well tooled hirophant usually with cloak of dunes so he can fly out of harms way. general is a tomb prince/king in chariot. then lots of skeletons atleast 3 units of 20/30. heacy horsemen are always usful to outflank and witha huge movement they are super quick. spefcial choices are always maxed out in my tomb king because tbh htye are solid. loads of ushabti, tomb guard and oh so nice tomb scorpion (bye bye artilery). rares depend on who I am facing loads of block infrantry skull catapult otherwise its the boner giant. 

My chaos I'm still working on as the new book has changed quite alot of things I used to do with my army.


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## torealis (Dec 27, 2006)

For me it depends entirely on what i'm doing.

Working on the moment on a project involving a Nordland Empire army i'm doing in Empire, Vamps and Chaos, keeping a consistent theme and character. So these will be fluff based, and made to look good, so ranks of 6 halberdiers, wizards, odds and ends.

But then i'm also going to GT next year, so i'll be painting up KF on a dragon and 2 steam tanks!


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## Amra_the_lion (May 26, 2008)

nordland for the win! Thats my empire scheme.

When I'm building for my empire, I usually pull out my tried and trusted units first;
20+swordsmen, 20+greatsword with bsb, and a 10man knight unit. then fill out around it, usually big blocks of infantry (which is what i love about WFB).

For my new Vampire counts, it seems like you need to decide on your characters first. The Vampire is such a huge part of your list that his powers and items can really determine the type of list you play. I always kit out my characters first, then summon them a horde.


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## neilbatte (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm far too cheapskate to purpose build an army so I start with whats in my bitz box then expand the army from there as an example I found 30 halfling archers in my bitz box and a load of free company and some models to be converted to halberdiersfrom this i decided to do a stirland army so bought a job lot of empire troops cheap and added the characters that fit best plus a few spare then painted it all green and yellow and the grand army of stirland was formed. I know that this way of building an army doesn't suit every one as its very hit and miss as to how the army will perform when finished as you don't always get the best available units (my empire has no greatswords, fanatics or pistolieers) but a well themed army doesn't always need the best troops stirland is a poor province so their omission is acceptable yet despite the low powerred units ie archers and free company being prevalant the beauty of empire means is you work everything in conjuncton you don't need these units. My ogre army works on the same principle and i have many of the units not usually seen in tourny armies but it looks amazing and wins as much as it loses.


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## Green Knight (Feb 25, 2008)

i would get my Core choices and my genral first as I think they are the most important units in any ones army, and is the starting blocks. Then from there, you need to now where you are going to go, shooty, combaty, and maybe magic.


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## squeek (Jun 8, 2008)

Othiem said:


> I suspect the method varies a bit with which army you are playing. With orcs it makes sense to focus on their core first, as boys make up the bread and butter of that army. Does your friend play one of the elf armies?


He actually plays WE, DE and WoC so a mix, but he has been playing Elves longer so it's quite possible he got his habit from there. It definitely produces a different balance in his army to ones I pick. We thought about this some more and sat down and chose armies from each others armybooks. As you might imagine we produced very different armies to our standard lists.

It is quite interesting approaching the army selection from the other end (well the reverse of how you do now I suppose), and something I would recommend to someone who is bored and has too much time on their hands  It changed the way I approach my Orc lists slightly, as I am aware that often I don't have as many points in special and rare as I might.


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