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Skaven maneuvering; Reinventing the movement phase
Topic Started: 2nd September 2010 - 09:07 AM (376 Views)
Waaargh
Chieftain
Most of 8th is warhammer as we know it - sure the magic has been tuned up, and shooting is more destructive and the hand to hand combat is a huge meat grinder. I've heard 8th described as being warhammer on crack, and that might be fitting for all three phases. However the movement phase has changed in a very different direction - redirecting has been made much more difficult, blocks of rats have grown in size, there is far more terrain on the board, units have to be 1" apart from everything and of course random charge distances unhinges the certainty of outmaneuvering the opponent by standing a little outside of charge range. While the other phases are rather easy to predict, the movement phase is a whole new ball park.

The huge slave units (around 50) are getting popular, they are also unwieldy with their long tails. The skaven horde of 7th could stretch from table end to table end, and could be set up in two lines. I have tried this and I failed miserably as the blocks are deeper and leave little room for deployment behind them and the 1" rule makes everything take up a lot more room. Weapon teams are just making it more difficult.

My take on it is there is room for about four units near the center (ie. a few). Two put up in a central formation and two flanking them. If you field units in horde formation (10 wide), there is room for less. You can have a flanking unit marching up each extreme flank if the points allow it. This becomes interesting when forming the battleplan - when creating the army, when deploying and when trying to (out)maneuver the opponent.
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Scarecrow
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Egggggggssssssss!!!!!!!
Tomorrow is going to be my first 8th ed. battle with skaven (I finally have all my models assembled but my artillery support has yet to arive, so no rare choices as of yet :( )and I've been thinking about this little number. What I'm going to try is deploy my two slave blocks (50 each) 10 wide ans advance and then free reform with the musician into 10 long once I have more room. This will allow double line deployment while screening half your army. Also I can see this little maneuver setting up some nice traps. once a slave block is in charge range of the enemy, reform into the long and skinny so the blocks you have right behind can charge next turn and the slaves can flank or the slaves get charged and the CRs flank. Or some version there of.
TRADE
I'm looking for Dark Eldar to convert into DE. Also looking for bretonnia lances and halberds. If anyone has any they would be interested in trading PM me and we can work something out.


"And, most vivid of all, there was the dramatic epic of the rats––the scampering army of obscene vermin which had burst forth from the castle three months after the tragedy that doomed it to desertion––the lean, filthy, ravenous army which had swept all before it and devoured fowl, cats, dogs, hogs, sheep and even two hapless human beings before its fury was spent. Around that unforgettable rodent army a whole separate cycle of myths revolves, for it scattered among the village homes and brought curses and horrors in its train."

– The Rats In The Walls, H.P. Lovecraft
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Chitterfitz
Warlord
Don't forget that you can DEPLOY your army within one inch of eachother but if they wish to move must move outside of that one inch zone.
Looking for the Limited Edition Skaven Standard Bearer. PM if you know where i can get one.
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Waaargh
Chieftain
Oh I have found that out. Most games I've seen so far have players forget about the 1" rule, but I try to my best to remind me and my opponent about it.

I had a chat with a mate, and while debating the subject we got to talk about how there is generally room for three to four units and they have to have about 4" of wiggle room to either side. Obviously a unit with a tail such as the 5x10 slave unit needs even more space to wheel.
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