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Corien Sumatris

Vampire Count
True Blood
Jul 3, 2013
1,535
Rockford Il
So one of my buddies is trying to start up an empire army. He keeps asking me for help and I just don't know a thing about them. can someone give me some ideas on what's good, what's bad and why so?
 

Duke Danse Macabre

The Duke
True Blood
Sep 16, 2010
3,696
Sunderland, United Kingdom
I'm a Empire player as well.

Things he will need is:

- Good Halberdier Blocks
- BSB Captain for 3d 6 leadership
- Warrior priests are worth their weight in gold for hatred
- Cannons are awesome
- Hellblasters are better than before as they don't die turn one but still not really good
- Steam Tanks Bring the pain
- Knights is core with a warrior priest ruins peoples days
- Hand Gunners are ok
- Archers are good for skirmish
- Pistoleers are awesome
- Cross bows are a bit of a waste
- Mortars are not worth the time of day
- Rocket batteries are not so good
- Spears are a choice for when you can't afford anything else
- Swordsmen are no longer as good but parries half way make up for it
- Great swords look cool but tend to be a points sink
- Demigryphs are AWESOME SAUCE!
- Huricarnum and Luminark are Meh
- Millita are a waste when you have state troops
- Witch Hunters are good for flavour but not going to win you any battles




Now if you can tell em what kind of points he is starting off at i can give you a good solid army force he can build around to get started out.
 

Corien Sumatris

Vampire Count
True Blood
Jul 3, 2013
1,535
Rockford Il
Thanks! That is a fantastic breakdown. How about a 1,200 and 2,400. I know that he wants Knights and Cannons/Helblasters so beyond that have away at it!
 

Mad 'At

Dumb enough to work
Staff member
True Blood
Apr 2, 2011
2,378
Grödinge
I'll add that the hellblaster with added engineer is bad-ass. Almost foolproof from misfire and brings a ton of hurt thanks to the extra BS. A bit expensive but worth it if you play a defensive style army.

Also, empire can make a pretty awesome coven of light with a waraltar, a wizard lord and about two or three battle wizards (probably at lvl 1 to keep point cost down). Give all the wizards the lore of light and you can (with lets say two battle wizards) throw two banishments at the enemy, one with S6 and S7 respectively. And the rest of the spells in the lore are not two shabby. Plus if he ever plays against undead of daemons the lore attribute will kick in. Another bonus is that you can bring a bunch of funny scrolls with you on all those battle wizards. Ever seen a vampire blender lord being turned into a frog?
 

Duke Danse Macabre

The Duke
True Blood
Sep 16, 2010
3,696
Sunderland, United Kingdom
Ok well lets look at 1500 to start:

Captain: ** : 121
BSB: **
Full Plate: *
Enchanted Shield: *
Dawnstone: **

Warrior Priest: ** : 120 = 240
Great Weapon: *
Armour of Silvered Steel: **
Luckstone: *

Battle Wizard Lord: *** : 225 = 465
Level 4: **
Dispel Scroll: **
Lore of Life

48 Halberds: 288 : 308 = 773
Banner: **
Musician: **

10 Archers: ** = 843

Cannon: *** = 963

Hellblaster Volley Gun: *** = 1083

Steam Tank: *** = 1333

3 Demigryph: 154 = 164 = 1497
Banner: **





With this list you have monsterous Cav knights for some nice heavy hitting, a powerful block for the bsb and prest which will be 3d 6 leadership on tests with a reroll, possible prayer based ward saves and both characters are not going to die in a hurry, the hatred also makes them a bit nasty.

The cannons and Steam tank can do their own thing and the wizard with life stays in the archers in skirmish behind the big block, the tank to one flank protecting the unit and dishing out the pain.
With the life wizard though this will let you heal it every time it is hurt and cast buff spells on the state troop block.

So in this list you have allot of fire power at range so you have 2 cannons if you include the tank, a steam gun, some archers and a hellblaster, a large cheap deathstar of sorts which can realy hurt and hold anything in place, a hammer unit of cav and all your characters are very survivable or well protected in addition to you also totting 2 wizards due to the priest and a level 4.
This is the kind of list i would use but it should serve him well once he learns how to use the army.

So tell me do you think this will do the job?



The engineer is a good but costs a bit more than i like to spend at low points, light wizars are also good but i find too much magic can leave you vulnerable if you get a bad roll.
 

Duke Danse Macabre

The Duke
True Blood
Sep 16, 2010
3,696
Sunderland, United Kingdom
You could use regular cav but i would suggest at a higher points level.
You could fit them but they would not work as well as the current list, I have literally tried to fit everything you requested, min core and a way to make it work.
If he changed the points to 1600 he could then fir the cav as a unit of 10 inner circle knights for 250 points and a banner on top of that which would be pretty much the same on points.

Only just in from work as well so this is drafted from memory but should be 100% spot on.
I still personally advise the demigryphs however and adding the cav at 2000 in a 15 strong unit including a general built for combat and a warrior priest but a unit of 10 will still work, really the difference between a street car and a performance car in my eyes.
 

Corien Sumatris

Vampire Count
True Blood
Jul 3, 2013
1,535
Rockford Il
Ok, I showed him this list last night and he likes it a lot, and atleast now he has something to strive for! Thank you guys again for the input!

He also wanted to know about a lord on a griffin. I told him that it wasn't great due to cannons and what not but he has the old one on a 40mm base, so that wouldn't be bad then right? Or do rules state that the current base size is required.
 

Duke Danse Macabre

The Duke
True Blood
Sep 16, 2010
3,696
Sunderland, United Kingdom
The Griffin is just a way to get the lord killed and a points sink.

Its a chariot base for empire ones, they are bigger.
You are better taking some knights with a mounted lord with runefang when you gear up to 2000 points.
 

Mad 'At

Dumb enough to work
Staff member
True Blood
Apr 2, 2011
2,378
Grödinge
Adam_Barrow said:
If you have their old square base Griffin that's perfectly legal to use.

According to the BRB. Not according to many tournament organizers. If he ever went to ETC for example he would have to use a chariot base for it.
 

Adam_Barrow

Sleepless Knight
True Blood
Dec 25, 2010
3,068
Nashville, TN
I didn't entertain the notion of modeling to advantage. But that ZD you bought back in the day is legal, again unless TO says otherwise.
 

Duke Danse Macabre

The Duke
True Blood
Sep 16, 2010
3,696
Sunderland, United Kingdom
I know you don't, I simply say people who do so need to be beaten with a hard back rule book. :thumbsup:

But no, if he really wants a lord on griffin look at it in 3000 points, below that it will hurt the rest of your army too much as you will have to sacrifice other things to fit it.
 

The Sun King

Moderator
Staff member
True Blood
Aug 22, 2012
4,989
Copenhagen
A very strong line-up would go something like: 2x4 Angrybirds, Core filled with knights and some archer detachments for chaff, 2 great cannons, 1 STank, 2 Hellblasters.
 

Corien Sumatris

Vampire Count
True Blood
Jul 3, 2013
1,535
Rockford Il
Sunny, or anyone really, Since I don't own the book, would someone mind writting up a 3,000pt list that I can give him so he could maybe have something to strive for?
 

Duke Danse Macabre

The Duke
True Blood
Sep 16, 2010
3,696
Sunderland, United Kingdom
Should not be a problem, I can remember 99% of th books points and special rules from memory so I will see what I can come up with whilst I'm at work.
Now this list should give your friend everything he is after and something to work towards:

Steam Tank: ***

Steam tank: *** = 500

Great Cannon: *** = 620

Great Cannon: *** = 740

Hell Blaster: *** = 860

Wizard Lord: *** : 200 = 1060
Magic Level 4 : **
Lore of Life

3 Demi Gryphs: 154 : 164 = 1224
Banner: **

3 Demi Gryphs: 154 : 164 = 1388
Banner: **

14 Inner Circle Knights: 350 : 385 = 1773
Full Command: **
Gleaming Pennant: *

48 Halberds: 288 : 318 = 2081
Banner: **
Musician: **

48 Halberds: 288 : 318 = 2389
Banner: **
Musician: **

Captain: ** : 121 = 2506
Battle Standard Bearer: **
Dawnstone: **
Full Plate: *
Enchanted Shield: *

Captain: ** : 78 = 2584
Full Plate: *
Dragon Helm: **
Shield: *

Warrior Priest: ** : 125 = 2709
Armour of Silvered Steel: **
Luckstone: *
Great Weapon: *

Warrior Priest: ** : 125 = 2834
Armour of Meteoric Iron: **
Great Weapon: *

Captain: ** : 90 = 2929
Barded War Horse: **
Full Plate: *
Shield: *
Lance: *
Potion of Foolhardiness: *

10 Hunters: 70 = 2999
(Bunker for the wizard, can move and fire and allows him to move as a skirmisher)

Total :2999
 

Duke Danse Macabre

The Duke
True Blood
Sep 16, 2010
3,696
Sunderland, United Kingdom
Not a problem mate.
I tend to write lists just to make sure I can remember the points and rules of the units for all my armies i actively use so i know most them inside out.

Now that list is a fairly all comers list, not OP but is strong enough to stand up to other armies, has the models he wanted in it and you will have some fun with it. :thumbsup:
 

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