Post: #1

---

---

Message

Okay, so...I don't actually play Bretonnia. But when I finish collecting my Vampire Counts, I think the Brets will definitely be the next army that I start. I just love the fluff (particularly the part about the cursed province of Mousillon, as you've no doubt guessed), and they have one of the more interesting 8th edition play styles. So, I think it's time to give myself a goal to work towards.

What do you guys think of this list? I've never attempted one before (I'm even borrowing the Armybook), so if anything looks glaringly low-powered, please feel free to shout it out. Oh, and can a BSB really not take ANYTHING besides a Warhorse and a Magic Banner? Not even a shield? That seems kinda ridiculous.

Post: #2

Blast. Just realized that I won't be able to afford the Trebuchet along with the Grail Knight block. I think I'll probably wind up taking a unit of 5 Mounted Yeomen w/ shields and a Musician. They could be useful as redirectors/harassers with their bows and spears.

Post: #3

I don't play them either, but my friend plays them and we usually play a game every week so I am more than familiar with what generally works and what doesn't.

With that said, Trebuchet is the end all game clincher for Brets. no joke, that thing has destroyed more of my hammers than anything else among the armies I usually go up against. Its cheap, reliable, strong and the best shooting that Brets. can put out, not once in maybe the 30 games I've played with my friend has the peasant bowman done anything worth while.

Maybe I'm thinking of something else, but don't Grail Knights only come in 5's, not 8's? At 1.5k, 5 will do more than enough, particularly with a hero/lord in it, you could think of them as not quite Blood Knights strong, but right up there with them. I threw a unit of 30 ghouls with a Tomb Banshee at just such a unit last week, I charged them in first round, by the end of his turn on second they were obliterated and I had done nothing, not one wound.


Your list is very mobile, but you will have to do some fancy dancing to get some good charges, the lack of Men-at-Arms or Grail Relique to bog a unit down is a definite disadvantage. Also consider that your knights only have 8 in them, very easy to get you to panic. My friend started playing right around the time I started Skaven, after maybe 4 games he asked me to play VC just so he had a chance, I would make a unit flee off the table if I got first turn, always.


I would drop 3 of the Grail Knights for 1 more core knight, 9 is better than 8 for lance formation, extra rank that way. Take the other knight unit out for Men-at-Arms, you'll want at least one unit that can bog down another unit reliably.


Bretonnia isn't what it used to be in 7th and my friend can't wait for the new book because of it. Calvary is back to being support and that was a big reason why he choose the army and seems to be what you're going for in this list, you may want to hold off starting the army until the new book comes out IMO.

Post: #4

Hey, thanks for the feedback! You know, you're right about the Grail Knights, I would need to buy two packs to get the extra guys I need for an 8 man unit. However, I think 8 is a good enough size for my core blocks because there's going to be a character in each one (the character makes it 9 models total, enough for 3 ranks). Does this look any better?

Bretonnian Lord
Barded Bretonnian Warhorse
Shield
Virtue of Confidence
The Lance of Artois
Dragonhelm
Gauntlet of the Duel
Mantle of the Damsel Elena
224

Paladin
Battle Standard
Barded Bretonnian Warhorse
The Grail Vow
Banner of the Lady
220

Damsel (Lore of Life)
Level 2 Upgrade
Bretonnian Warhorse
Chalice of Malfleur
135

Knights Errant x8
Full Command
Lichebone Pennant
196
*Lord goes here*

Knights of the Realm x8
Full Command
Banner of Eternal Flame
226
*Damsel goes here*

Men-at-arms x28
Standard + Musician
155

Grail Knights x5
Full Command
Banner of Defense
250
*BSB goes here*

Field Trebuchet
XX

Post: #5

Well I personally do not like paying for the grail vow and the banner of the lady. I normally put my BSB with a unit of knights of the relm (mainly because my knights have a habit of failing panic tests) and I stopped using the banner of the lady because it did not negate steadfast.

I normally give my BSB the armor of agilulf so I can have a rerollable 1+AS.

I completely agree with bahamutzer0 about the trebuchet though. That thing has caused so much damage to my opponents units. I stopped using 2 per list because I felt bad when both hit and he would be losing 25-35 models a turn.

Post: #6

I'll admit, the only reason I want to take the Banner of the Lady is because I play against Skaven a lot. I would love to see the look on my opponent's face when his precious rank bonus disappears into thin air, and he is left with, at best, Leadership 7. But if it doesn't pan out, I'll likely swap it for some better protection.

Post: #7

Im playing brets from time to time.

But rarely only 1500 points.
I haven't had a chance to test it yet, but what I read many swear to the virtue that gives heroic killing blow on there lord.(The one that says killing blow versus bigger than man-sized targets, it have been errataed to pure heroic killing blow.)
That virtue on a grail vow lord on pegasus, with lance and sword. The 4+ ward save shield from the army book and the thing that protects him from killing blow and poison. He is fast and can handle many of the monsters and enemy warmachines.

Trebuchet for the win.

I believe that peasant bowmen are the best archers in the game at the current time. For 120+ points you have 20 longbows, that come with there own obstacle that gives them soft cover, and enemies get -1 to hit them when they are charged (They count as fences). Not to mention a cheap blood and glory banner. And finally for only 5 points the whole unit have fire arrows, which is always nice against those annoying regen units.
I rarely go without two units of 20 of these.

I think you will do better with BSB equipped for combat. As combat is today ranks are counted after the combat round, at that time you should have reduced the rank bonus of the enemy. Wasting the banners potential.

Don't expect much from your men-at-arms. Thou a little nugget of intel, if you get to expand on the army. A Damsel with the goblet of giving a blessing to a unit, can be used to give peasant bowmen or men-at-arms the blessing. Increasing there survivability quite a lot.

Consider not taking Grail knights, but another knight of the realm unit, and boost the size of the units you got.
One of the more used strategies today, is to place the 3 large blocks of knights in the middle. Then when battle begins, you go full tilt to either flank. You might not get all the way over, the trick is to double and maybe even triple charge one enemy unit and blast through it with your knights. Then turn around/reform and do it again. If your knights are tied down in long fights, you have lost.

Post: #8

I actually stopped using two units of bowmen, and started using one unit of 15-20 with the flaming arrows. Shoot the thing with regen, and then drop a rock on it...take that Hydra .

As for the heroic killing blow general, I love using the Heartwood Lance. The rerolls the lance gives are very useful. I even have let him get charged, that way I can reroll at s4 instead of s6.

As Anilar said, I expect nothing from men at arms except to hopefully hold long enough to allow my knight to get a flank charge. That said, 35-40 men at arms with the blessing of the lady is pretty nice. I personaly never take a unit with less then 35 models...the ws2 is garbage.