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Building Tactics
Topic Started: Nov 12 2011, 02:04 AM (1,508 Views)
Hinge
Exalted Guardian
Chapter 1 Intro

I have been toying around with the idea of a building article and decided to get off my butt and get it done. I am going to break the posts down into chapters so I can put one together as the mood hits. This way it will be a little not feel overwhelming. I am going to use it as an opportunity to practice with a Battle Report illustrator so I have it dialed in for future Bat reps, expect illustrations.

I find buildings to be one of the more interesting terrain features on our battlefields. Its set of rules can influence a game and make a given match up feel much more unique. I find it good practice to discuss all terrain features with your opponent prior to a game. For example, how many floors a building has, what is the foot print if mounted on a base, etc.

Impassable. An important feature of a building is that it is treated as impassable terrain unless you enter it to garrison. This leads to several interesting tactics. Clearly, many of these are situational. I find that by simply placing a building in the middle, you increase the frequency of opportunities that may develop.

Flee through building: The first is fleeing through the building. Your troops can now flee through a building (after taking dangerous terrain tests) while a charger must stop an inch short. By setting up flee angles so that you go through the building, you only have to roll high enough to reach the building, not out run the charger, increasing the probability that the fleer gets away.

Anchor/Roadblock: I look to the impassable nature of buildings as a way to split up my opponent’s battle line. A standard strategy for me is to push one flank while refusing the other. With a building, I can use it as a pivot point. I use it to protect the flank of units you are pushing forward. It will get in the way of opponents attempts to shift forces over, which may have to go around the building. I often deploy highly maneuverable units opposite the building. Fast Cav, chariots, monsters, warshrines, etc. While this seems counterintuitive since they cannot enter a building, there lack of a need to wheel allows them to maneuver around the building quickly.

Clipping: WoC units like to get as many models as possible into contact most of the time since our units usually want to bring the hurt. However, there are a number that have a high damage output on a narrow frontage, such as Chariots, monsters, warshrine, and single characters. They will benefit from being in contact with as few models as possible, allowing them to bring their full damage output in play while receiving few attacks back.

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In the above example, without the building, the Chariot would be forced to move forward until its wheel would be such that it contacts the maximum number of models. With the building in the way, the chariot must wheel earlier, bringing fewer models in contact. Since the Chariot only needs to touch one model to inflict its total damage potential, this is desirable.

Forcing an opponent to conform to you: An opponent may place a chaff unit in front of one of your units at an inconvenient angle. A building may keep you from closing the door, meaning that this chaff unit now conforms to you.

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Blue is in a spot of trouble. He has a unit locked up with Chaos Knights with a MoK Warrior unit ready to flank charge. He also has an infantry unit almost straight ahead who likely does not want to go toe to toe with the Warriors. He decides to use a fast cav unit to redirect the frenzied Warriors, exposing their flank to a charge. Unfortunately he has made a mis-calculation. When the blood thirsty Warriors charge, they cannot conform to the cav due to hitting the building. They force the cav to conform to them, likely expending themselves for no gain and allowing the Warriors to over run into the Infantry.

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Most of these tactics can be used with any impassable terrain piece. Honestly I rarely attempt to set any of these up but rather put my units in a position to take advantage of them if they present themselves.

The next chapter will deal with moving in and out of buildings. For those that have asked about how I use my 23 man flail marauder unit, I will use them in an example.
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Hinge
Exalted Guardian
Chapter 2

A review of moving in and out of buildings. You may not enter a building while executing a march maneuver. However, other maneuvers are allowed. When exiting a building, you must have at least one model from the rear rank 1” away from the building (faq changed from in contact) but the unit may be in whatever formation you desire, as long as no model moved more than twice its movement.

How far was that Normal Move? The building rules are clear that you may not make a March move to enter a building. This seems to limit the distance that you may move into a building to your normal movement allowance. However, by using the swift reform move, you can actually do better. Simply swift reform into a conga line, with the front aimed at the building, then move in. Just remember, according to pg XX of the brb, the farthest a model may move when it executes a maneuver is twice its base movement.

Hide and Seek: I use this to keep a unit alive that is being pressed by a superior unit and I do not want to give up the points, while at the same maintain my unit as a credible threat if need be. This tactic involves jumping in and out of a house with the target unit. At times, keeping the house in between the units, hunkering down, and/or slipping out to threaten the rear if the enemy unit turns away. I get questions about how I use my 23 man marauder units. This is one example

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We see in the first turn and a half that I move up but stay close to the house. I would stay within the ability to move backwards into the house. Otherwise you will need to fast reform to get into it. I know this is a simplistic example and horde formations tend to be in the center, but it is not unusual to find opponents placing units of uber death on a flank in the hopes of turning yours.

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The next turn is the first decision point for the blue player. He can attempt a long charge the marauders in the house, move towards the house while starting an angle towards the center, or turn towards my main battle line. Charging the marauders has a chance of failing. A successful charge concedes his horde advantage, subjects him to 20 ST5 attacks at I4, has my unit automatically steadfast, likely will get away if I break (assuming I do not run off the board), and puts him in the house if he wins (I will discuss this in a later chapter), stuck in front of if I hold. A turn towards my flank will see me pop out of the building to threaten the flank/rear of the unit. If I have done my job, there should be a chaff unit close by to make sure he cannot crash into the flank of another on his turn. In this case my opponent has chosen a bit of a middle ground, advancing, while wheeling a bit but making sure not to expose a flank if I pop out. I simply pop out the back to threaten if he continues to move towards the middle. Blue could go into the building to keep pushing me back but that is ok. I have bought three turns, he has to come out of the building before he charges (and I will likely go right back in) and on it goes.
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dajunglebrotha
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The Chosen
interesting....
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grimni22
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The Chosen
it is!
I'll add it to the handbook if you don't mind.
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Krakanrock
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Exalted Guardian
Great stuff as always Hinge! Can't wait to read more!
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Hinge
Exalted Guardian
Thanks. I have at least two more chapters.
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DarkSchneider
Clanlord
It's great to be back in the forum and find new interesting stuff from you.......keep with the good job!
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babyberg
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The Chosen
Really great stuff! Keep it coming.
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Swordmaster of Hoeth
Warrior of the Chamber
Hi Hinge!

I am aware it is a topic written long time ago but I hope mods will forgive me this little thredomancy as I believe it is an important part of the game and many players can benefit from Hinge's experience.

It is not only the buildings you cover with the ideas presented so it has broader use.

The only thing I don't quite like is the ability to swift reform to reach the building when it is not possible to do so with normal move. It is more playing rules rather than a game. I understand it is done and many players have no problems with that. It is also hard to draw a definitive line between what is acceptable and what is not and that is something each player has to do for themselves.

On the other hand the avoidance tactics with the use of a building is great. It also shows nice versatility in the form of being able to change directions freely as a unit can exit the building from any edge.

If you find time, please write some more, it is very informative, especially for somebody who prefers to use buildings as yet another impassable piece of terrain :)

Cheers!
Edited by Swordmaster of Hoeth, Aug 16 2012, 10:11 AM.
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Hinge
Exalted Guardian
Swordmaster of Hoeth
Aug 16 2012, 10:09 AM

The only thing I don't quite like is the ability to swift reform to reach the building when it is not possible to do so with normal move. It is more playing rules rather than a game. I understand it is done and many players have no problems with that. It is also hard to draw a definitive line between what is acceptable and what is not and that is something each player has to do for themselves.

I agree 100%. I have never used this specific manuver, but have had it used against me, so decided to include it for completness.

That is not to say I have not reformed and moved into a building, but in those cases I am usually within my movement allownace and am just facing in the wrong direction.

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Swordmaster of Hoeth
Warrior of the Chamber
Hi Hinge!

Yes, it is definitely good thing to know what kind of dirty tricks the enemy can use against you so I appreciate that you mentioned that. Sometimes you hear about particular moves but to see them done is a good lesson :)

You have mentioned 2 more chapters in the pipeline. Any chances you might come back to them at some stage?

Thanks in advance!
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don_macabre
Warrior of the Chamber
Swordmaster of Hoeth
Aug 18 2012, 10:13 AM
You have mentioned 2 more chapters in the pipeline. Any chances you might come back to them at some stage?

Thanks in advance!
+1

This has been an extremely interesting read!
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babyberg
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The Chosen
I still want to read those 2 others chapters!
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Hinge
Exalted Guardian
Things have really been pretty carzay for me the last couple months. With that said, things are starting to settle down and I think I will draft the next chapter tonight.

Hinge
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TinyDragon
Slave
[ * ]
Great topic! Waiting for the next chapter..
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