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  1. #1

    Default Future-Proofing My Empire State Troops

    So I just got into Fantasy (haven't even played a game yet), and I was thinking about how I should build the state troops in my Empire army. Rumors are pointing at a new edition and Empire codex soon thereafter, and I don't want to equip my core troops with halberds only to find halberds getting severely nerfed in 9th.

    So my question to all you longtime Empire players is this: have halberdiers always been the best option for equipping troops? Can I reasonably expect halberds to probably be the best choice next edition?

  2. #2

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    They could get better, they could get worse, all the weapons could stay exactly the same, GW could change the rules of the game completely so that shooting comes before charging. You can never tell what they're going to do.

  3. #3

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    Thanks for the response. I guess what I'm asking is: what has the trend been over the last few editions (or has there been a trend)? For example, in 40K we can have a reasonable expectation of what the profile for a bolt pistol will be next edition. Is it just so for Fantasy, more specifically state troops and their weapon options? Do halberds, swords, and spears do what they've always done?
    Last edited by The Sovereign; 12-06-2014 at 08:15 PM.

  4. #4

    Default Empire

    Spears in editions five through eight have always given an extra fighting rank. That has stayed the same. A sword used to give a parry roll, where it made your opponent re-roll his to hit score. Now melee weapons in 8th edition have a 6+ ward save for parries, so that has stayed relatively the same. The profiles on cannons and rockthrowers and balista have stayed the same. In seventh edition, the entire 3" template for a rock shot would cause D6 wound to everyone hit. That was bad news for ogres, but the profiles have relatively stayed the same. Extra hand weapons always gave an additional attack in melee. The amount of support attacks has changed, but the +1 attack has stayed the same. I am not sure about halberds, since I never used them until recently. I think they were always two handed and gave +1 str. You can be relatively sure the basic weapons will stay intact in form or another. Magic items and points for characteristic upgrades will definitely change, and so will the rules for magic. You won't have to buy any new steamtanks if you already have them. I think the bigger shock might be cavalry hordes. The current 8th edition encourages empire players to horde cavalry as a core choice. That could change with the new edition of Warhammer. To what? I don't know. Maybe somebody will come up with another way to play Empire effectively in the new edition.

  5. #5

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    Awesome reply, King Chud. Thanks.

    So it sounds like I'm probably safe to assume halberds will be a good choice for my state troops for the foreseeable future.

  6. #6

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    I've played 4th, 5th, and 8th editions and what spears and halberds do has always been the same, but there have been changes to things like how troops fight in ranks and conceivably such changes may have a big effect in 9th edition. (It's also possible that halberds will get a points bump, if the rules stay the same.)

    That said, opponents are rarely that fussed about a few odd models, provided it's clear enough what the unit as a whole are armed with. While a varied appearance looks better for something like Skaven or Orcs, you could always hide a few halberdiers at the back of a spearman unit, if spears turn out more useful in 9th edition.

  7. #7

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    Not necessarily. As a member of Warhammer-Empire, I remember how, under 7th Ed, Halberdiers were considered the most useless of the useless state troops. Now, under 8th Ed, everybody takes them. My suggestion? Do like I'm doing with my new Empire army, and don't assemble a single model until 9th Ed drops so we can count on at least 2-3 years of use out of our models before GW invalidates the status quo.

  8. #8

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    Hmm. Thanks, Animosity, but that's quite a wait, and a loss of valuable playtime to boot, LOL.

  9. #9

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    Just assemble what you like the look of. None of the State troops will be useless, though some will undoubtedly be better than others. Halberdiers may get a little nerf/others may get a little buff. However, how long are you planning on having the army for? The wheel will turn again.

    Seriously though, I'd assemble and paint what you like, don't worry about picking the best when you can't possibly know.

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