Army Books

[Master Vampire]

Greetings,

I've been wondering why people have all the Army Books, even if they don't collect every race.

It's great you know all about your enemy before the game starts. It's like having a spy in the other army, just that you don't know what the other will bring.

However, you will know whether if your opponent has units with special rules, like Hatred or Immune to Psychology, perhaps causing Fear like our army. Perhaps a unit has Magic Resistance or a Ward Save, etc.

Isn't it much more strategically challenging when you don't know what the enemy can bring to bear? I think that's a huge factor when actually playing battles and making it more of a challenge...

And besides, I'm not willing to pay 200+ euro to GW for just some Army Books. :grin:

 

[Dracomancer]

Meh, I own a few army books, because I like reading the fluff and looking at the painted models and whatnot, besides, it gives you a good idea on whether or not you would want to play the army or not, better to spend 12 pounds on a book you can still read, than 18 pounds on some models you never paint...

 

[Belladamma Voltaire]

When facing an army, being made aware of everyone else's special rules makes everything a bit easier and makes the game more linear. This means that games are more fun for me. I like to think that two army books a year means that they are affordable.

If you need to get something from the past in terms of an army book, then most of them are readily available online these days too.

 

[Skaramak von Carstein]

Firstly, I do have at least a small force in many of the armies, and have their books. I don't tend to have all of them, and pick up the minor ones on E-bay where possible.

As you say, CG, know your enemy.

I also like to keep a track of the special rules, etc. I have had fast ones pulled on me in the past (call it creative interpretation of the words used), and don't often have time to do research to check things on the day.

I also like to see the fluff.

 

[Bela von Tusnad]

I agree with Dracomancer: It's better to buy a usable book than to purchase models you rarely use. I started as a DOW general, then became bored with my formula-victories and switched to Dwarfs and now added Vampire Counts. I have books for each, but can you imagine how many models I would have to collect, to field all the units for all of these hordes?
Plus, as the others have said, you benefit from knowing what kinds of units your opponents might choose to bring against you. "Forewarned is forearmed."

 

[Zombie_Munkee]

Myself and a coupla friends have most of the army books between us and we are usually more than willing too lend them out too each other for several reasons.

1. Just general reading

2. We are considering collecting that army

3. We are playing a game against that army and want too check their rules

4. As above, but more so because of an opponent who is known too "bend" their armies rules

 

[Master Vampire]

I know enemies tend to bend rules, but what prevents you from asking?

Though, admittedly, if you aren't aware of any existing army rules, you can't fish out the cheats.

I don't see it why you would pay so much money to have a more linear game and prevent people cheating... In my opinion it isn't cost-effective.

 

[Belladamma Voltaire]

While it may not be cost effective, in the end the small investment you make in buying the book when it comes out means that you aren't going to be penalised later on in games. Admittedly this is something that can normally be solved by simply asking to look through the army book but it can be a bit frustrating to lose a game simply because your opponent misread a rule.

I have done this myself where I accidentally said a unit of Screamers causes wounds on every member of a unit instead of for every screamer in my unit. The opponent was a bit peeved and I apologised profusely, but had it been someone else he may have taken my word as law on the matter.

 

[Wolf Fang]

Mostly for the fluff and painted models. I only have 3-4 army books though and 2 codices. I do have the SoC and Lustria books. They're very nice to have, especially the Lustria book for all the extra rules. Tends to make the battles a bit more interesting. :grin:

Cheers, Wolfie

 

[Lord Fear]

Isn't it much more strategically challenging when you don't know what the enemy can bring to bear? I think that's a huge factor when actually playing battles and making it more of a challenge...

The strategic challenge comes from not knowing what army your opponent might bring with you, not knowing the sneakiest tricks he can pull off. Just imagine trying to beat a War Altar without knowing anything about it in advance.

"Gaze of Nagash at the War Altar!"
"MR2, dispelled easily"
"Banshee will scream at the Arch Lector"
"War Altar makes him unbreakable, scream fails"
"My Count and Black Knights charge in, and I challenge your Arch Lector to a fight to death!"
"Great! I have van Horstman's Speculum, meaning our characters reverse their stats. Well you still get two attacks... and you cause a wound! Well I have a 1+ save followed by 4+ ward save, and my character's fighting at S7, so I've just killed your General."
"Well that was a rubbish game. Wish I'd been able to read this in advance..."

Though you don't have to buy them all, there are other ways of acquiring them... you could just borrow an army book. At the very least if it's a new army book you haven't fought before you should ask your opponent if you can flick through it quickly before a game.

 

[Danceman]

Got most books, but only cause my mind easily strays and I make impulse buys. So i´ve ended up with a fair mix of models and books. Also I´ve tried most armies so that also helps out when playing against that specific army.

Know your opponents army. It will win you games and makes for a better gaming experience.

 

[FatOlaf]

Boy that War Altar has scarred EvC badly, he just cant stop talking about it! :grin:

But seriously I have all the books, partly because I kept on buying new armies and mainly because you have to know (IMO) what you could be facing. It's not like you are seeing their list beforehand is it?

 

[Belladamma Voltaire]

Completely agreed Olaf. When I look at an enemies force I normally have a rough estimate in my head of what can take it down and what is simply going to bounce off it. It doesn't take a master tactician, for example, to know what not to charge because the models normally represent how mean things are anyway, but knowing that you may be facing nasty surprises like an Annoyance of Netlings when facing Wood Elves, or a possible 6 Goblin Fanatics means you better assess your enemy and better formulate a plan. This is not possible without reading other army books.

 

[Lord Firmshaft]

I like to so that i can see what they have got, help newer palyers in my club (if they forget stuff or to tell them what the armies are like, army build etc etc ). Also if i want to change armies i have the book already, plus i go to gt's so knowing the biggest guns the enemy can throw at me helps...

 

[FatOlaf]

But saying that, some of my friends who play dont have all the books and sometimes complain when I look up in my book during a battle for the rules for what ever strange unit/power they are using.
We both have BrB's dont we so what's the problem in me having a copy of your army book as well. I mean it's not like you're gonna cheat now???

 

[Edahlo]

I never buy more than i need.

 

[Noctis]

ok l own every current army book.

My reason.... well it's an old reason l don't hardly trust people l don't know, too many experinces of players abusing my disabilty to get a fast one over me, so l have a general idea of how every army plays and spells, and if they are rubbish at communciating ( l think l wrote a guide on the old CN) l just have them point me to the page

Yes l'm bitter and untrusting *shrugs*

 

[The Dead of Night]

I don't have the money to buy them all. I buy the books for armies I play only. However, I have read most of every army book (rules wise) at my GW store, and before I play against an army I rarely encounter, I reread their book.

It's just sensible. Realistically you would learn about an army only when you encountered it, but being slaughtered because of a rule I had no idea about, isn't fun. I play for fun, so I need to know rules like the war altar.

I don't know any armies (apart from those I play) back to front, there are still suprises, just not game breaking ones.

 

[Lord Lozdt]

My wife plays Lizards, my one son plays O&G, my other son Dwarfs (and my a car ride is fun when they start talking Warhamemr), my daughter sort of plays WE. The Tomb Kings, Hordes of Chaos and Empire books are just to allow us room for expansion. We only need a few more childrena nd we can have a full set of army books....

To be honest it has come in handy knowing the rules for other armies. I may be naive but I honestly believe a lot of the "mistakes" people make in their own favour are honestly mistakes. Regardless of whether they are cheating scoundrels or poor misguuded souls, if you have the book, you can always use it to paddle them into the light..

 

[Nikolaj-Knude]

It's not that expensive again...

I got about 10 of the armybooks, just for reading in for fun

I also got 60-70 White Dwarfs, and about 6-7 novels by GW + some random book stuff

 

[Wolf Fang]

I've got army builder, which is a really fun thing if you have the 3rd edition (sadly, I have the second edition, which isn't being updated anymore. ).
Saves me the hassle of having to buy all the books. I'd like to have them all, but usually, my money is spent on Magic cards and more models, adding to the ever increasing pile of metal in my room.

Cheers, WOlfie

 

[Bug16]

I'm another owner of Army Builder and I only own the army books for armies I own (VC's and DE's).

I play with people who don't mind if I query a rule for their army and I'll have a quick look at their book.

If somebody won't let me see or is constantly bending the rules in their favour then I pack up mid game and leave them to it. I've got better things to do with my limited free time than play with awkward people!

 

[TheAdmiral]

I own a High Elf, dark Elf, O&G and Hordes books I play Orcs&Goblins and Dark Elves and own two Warbands of the other books.

 

[Master Vampire]

So most people have that many army books because they own those armies or have met a cheater.

Honestly, are cheaters that common? At what age do these guys come at? I mean, I can't imagine a 40 year old man trying to cheat on you with a miniature game! For fun!?!