Black Knights and Lances
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It depends on how many knights you are using, how many points you are playing, and how you plan on using them. I would say that anything over 1500, yes, take the lances. If you are going small unit hunting, also yes. They will also hit really hard in the flank. In low points, ignoring one AS will probably be sufficient as they still have KB. In high points, if you are running small units, points spent on lances will likely be wasted.
John Rainbow
Crypt Horror
I am in the yes camp too, provided you have the points. For a unit of just BK, always take lances. On the other hand, if the BK bus is purely a vampire delivery system the lances become less and less effective as you add characters to the front rank.
If you have the points, lances are worth taking. With that said, they are the least important component on the Black Knight bus being used to deliver blenders into combat. Armor and killing blow will matter much more.
John Rainbow
Crypt Horror
I am currently building some a Black Knights, small brick of ten that may be too small despite adding additional two models in the form of a vamp and Wight King, and considered whether there would be a time when I would not want lances, and whether magnetizing weapon arms would be in order.
However, upon inspection, there seems to be only one sword arm, for the champion presumably, so those that do not want lances, do you have convert them with other bits since GW just assumes lances will be taken?
However, upon inspection, there seems to be only one sword arm, for the champion presumably, so those that do not want lances, do you have convert them with other bits since GW just assumes lances will be taken?
John Rainbow
Crypt Horror
Probably because in general people do take the lances. 10 is decent enough although I've seen lists with 15 or so as a bodyguard for a vamp lord. It all depends on what else you want in your list, your meta, etc etc.
It depends what you use them for. I use them to carry my Lord and the BSB, so I have run anywhere between 10-13, the formation is 5x3, with the Lord placed as such:
BK BK CH V VL
BK BK BK BK BK
BK BK BK
You'll have taken Great Weapons on your Grave Guard (because 99% of people do). Which means you'll have the sword arms from your Grave Guard.
John Rainbow
Crypt Horror
Nice idea. As Banat said everyone seems to give GG GW these days so the other arms are readily available on eBay if you don't have them.
When I first started, I didn't know what Great Weapons were or that you could/needed to build your models a certain way, so my Grave Guard have Great Weapons AND shields. How? you ask. They are one-handing the great weapons like giant swords, just as mini-wight kings should.
John Rainbow
Crypt Horror
Without lances your BKs are only ever Strength 4 though, and you don't get the benefits of Parry save when mounted. For the pts, I think they are worth it. You really want Banner of the Barrows as well. WS3 is pitiful for special cav and you need that +1 to hit to force through as many attacks as you can.
I don't think I've had banner of barrows on my BK bus for years.. much better on GG because of the number of bodies.
I guess depending on the size of the unit of BK, it might be worth it. It's just too expensive for my tastes.
Infernal Skull
Wight King
At first I thought the debate was over lances vs spears. It had been so long since I took anything other than lances I didn't even realize hand weapons were the default and spears weren't an option at all.
So YES, take lances. And Barding.
So YES, take lances. And Barding.
John Rainbow
Crypt Horror
My BKs have 10 Knights (one of which is a champion, one a musician, and one a standard bearer) and then gave a mounted Wight King (that has magnet wrists so can can take a standard instead) and a a mounted vamp lord.
I am hoping the 12 man unit will be big enough, as I do not want to buy another box just to suppliment it by a BK OT two, and it will already be quite point intensive as is.
I am planning to just leave them all with lances, as I'm hoping to get use out of them since I should be hopefully so pping around with Banner of the Barrows and charging into units.
I am currently not running any GG with them, but if I decide to throw them in, they will unfortunately already be using their "normal" swords, as the models looked too good with their shields for me to consider the two-handed weapons (and like some other WHFB army builders, I build with fluff /aesthetics over utility, and only after choosing the kind of models I like, try to then try to field them in a most optimal way ), but I suspect I can get extra swords from various bits sellers if I want to try the BKwith swords.
Thanks for the ideas
I am hoping the 12 man unit will be big enough, as I do not want to buy another box just to suppliment it by a BK OT two, and it will already be quite point intensive as is.
I am planning to just leave them all with lances, as I'm hoping to get use out of them since I should be hopefully so pping around with Banner of the Barrows and charging into units.
I am currently not running any GG with them, but if I decide to throw them in, they will unfortunately already be using their "normal" swords, as the models looked too good with their shields for me to consider the two-handed weapons (and like some other WHFB army builders, I build with fluff /aesthetics over utility, and only after choosing the kind of models I like, try to then try to field them in a most optimal way ), but I suspect I can get extra swords from various bits sellers if I want to try the BKwith swords.
Thanks for the ideas
John Rainbow
Crypt Horror
Pirate Robot Ninja of Death
Vampire Thrall
You're already paying all those points for ablative wounds on your VL. Might as well chip a few extra points in to make them contribute in combat. S4 is worthless.
