Empire Army - A Tactical Study
Written by Tuomas Pirinen

"My eyes grow dim and my hand falters. The winter nights are cold, and even the heat of the fireplace does not warm my tired body.

My loyal knights see for my every need, but what I really desire is the rest of the realm of Morr. I know that I can go before my lord Sigmar with pure heart, for all sixty-two years of my life I have devoted to the service of the Emperor.

But one more thing remains. I`ll have to pass my years of experience to those hot-blooded young men that shall take over my position as the Warmaster of the Empire. So listen to me and heed me well, for I have not been defeated even once during my thirty-six battles and one-hundred-and-eleven skirmishes."

-- In the year 2514 after the birth of Sigmar, our saviour
Magnus the heavy-handed, Hochmarchell of the Empire

Men are your basic WH race. 5 points and the most avarage line of stats you`ll ever see. They cost just enough so they have to pay full points-cost value for the equipment. They have no strong or weak points, and no special rules.

This means that you must learn to understand your troops. They will beat goblins and such in a fair fight, but they`ll die the death if confronted with dwarf veterans. Numbers are often on your side, so use them to your advantage. The greatest asset of humans, however, is their variety. There is almost no troop type they cannot field, and they have access to a staggering variety of War Machines. This way, you can catch your opponent off-guard almost every time.

Characters

Lord, Hero, Champion : If you don`t know how to use these, please re-read the basic rules. Always, always, always take a champion for each close-combat unit. He is cheap, and can save the unit from that 2000-point Necromancer Lord on a Dragon by challenging him to single combat. Your ranks+standard should rout the awful-icky thing, and will drive away any flying creature, even if it makes its break test.

Wizards : Everybody has a personal preference, but I like the Amethyst and Grey colleges -- Purple Sun of Xereus, Amaranth, Bridge of Shadows, Pit of Tarnus, Traitor of Tarn, and Fate of Bjuna are all very good spells indeed.

Units

Knights of the White Wolf : Double-handed hammer, heavy armor, barding, and no shield. They have a move of 7 (because they lack shields). This means 3D6 pursuit and flee.
Weaknesses : The usual problem with the 2-h weapons -- you strike last.
Uses : With the Standard of Shielding and proper characters leading them, they can take on (and beat) many enemy infantry units that would pose a dire threat to your own foot troops (good examples are the witch elves, plague monks and savage orcs). These troops are extremely dangerous when faced with lightly armored troops, but their S of 3 just isn`t high enough to trouble the knights unduly. Watch out for their characters, though! A frenzied witch elf hero with the Ogre Blade will demolish your knights.

Knights Panther, Reiksguard Knights, and Blazing Suns : These are the strong arm of the Empire: Their charge can be devastating, and they fight it out very well even after the charge because of their S of 4.
Weaknesses: The Banner of Wrath is the nightmare of every knight because it allows no save. M of 6 means that you flee and pursue only 2D6.
Uses: With a good Standard, support from the other troops and infantry, and enough numbers (even 20 is not too much), they`ll usually do magnificently in H-T-H. Just watch out that goblins or skaven slaves do not trap them with Crown of Command.

Pistoliers : These troops have two uses -- as close-combatants against enemy "sacrificial troops" (such as skaven slaves), or, more effectively, as fast cavalry with short range missiles.
Weaknesses : Don`t expect them to win against very powerful opponents.
Uses : I use pistoliers as fast cavalry and to harrass the enemy's flanks. If they have enough numbers, their Stand and Shoot is so deadly that the enemy does not dare to charge them. Use the fast cavalry rules for full effect -- for example, shoot away against the enemy`s tough units (S4 and -2 save allows this), and then suddenly reform into a deeper formation and break a regiment of Bretonnian pesants.

Outriders : Heavily armored engineers with weird wonder weapons.
Weaknesses : H-T-H is usually fatal to Outriders, even ones with repeater pistols. Avoid it like the plague.
Uses : With enough numbers and repeater hand guns, they are a murderously effective unit. 10 of them should be about right. This gives them a potential of 60 S 4 -2 AS hits! (Ok, ok, it will never happen, but...) Giving them a champion might be a good idea because of his BS of 4.

Halberdiers : Humans with halberds. This means H-T-H.
Weaknesses : Compared to the rank-and-file of other armies, they often are just too weak and are broken in H-T-H. Save of 5/6+ and T of 3 do not help the situation.
Uses: Many players form their "main block" from halberdiers, and who am I to say it should not be so? I personally feel that they are useful in smaller regiments, to be used against orcs and other tough creatures. I would rather form my infantry out of Reiksguard, Flagellants or other elite troops, and put the Battle Standard in their midst to counter the Empire`s inability to have the Magic standard in an infantry unit.

Reiksguard Foot : Very good and quite inexpensive infantry, the Reiksguard are a common sight on a battlefield. WS of 4, S of 4, and I of 4 are the obvious reasons why they are so popular.
Weaknesses: Even goblins get a magic standard, but not so the Reiksguard. Their move is only 3, and the sad fact is that you can only have a one unit of them.
Uses: Any low-to-middle class infantry (and some weak cavalry) are the main prey of the reiksguard. Remember to place them centrally so they get a chance to fight at all.

Spearman : Spears are a defensive weapon, so if you plan to dig in and shoot it out and receive a charge, spearmen are perhaps useful.
Weaknesses : Compared to their point-cost value and feeble statistics, I fear the spearmen have seen their day on the battlefields of the Old World.
Uses: Against other forces with a WS of 3 or lower, they have a chance. Dwarves, elves and any other tougher troops will have them for lunch. For the defensively-minded only.

Greatswords : The dreaded Tswei-handers of the Prussian Empire.
Weaknesses :They are, unfortunately, a pretty weak unit in WHFB. If you need an S of 5 to hurt your opponent, then they are useful.
Uses : With enough numbers, they are pretty effective against beastmen (who otherwise are very diffcult for imperial infantry, because their high T and 2 Wounds). Because beastmen only get 1 attack, there is hope in this battle. The best thing to do with the Greatswords is to place them behind an obstacle, since their opponents only hit with a roll of 6 and you on the other hand get to strike back with S 5. This, of course, works only in a defensive overall strategy where you wait for the enemy. Also, watch out for enemy fliers that ignore obstacles.

Swordsmen : WS of 4 isn`t that special, but it has its uses.
Weaknesses : Well, they are only humans.
Uses: Against armies that have a basic WS of 4, they can be frustrating. SInce your enemy will hit you only with 4+, you can bog down a dark elf regiment for a turn or two.

Hand Gunners : Humans with the dreaded hand gun and the nifty Empire routine of changing ranks while firing.
Weaknesses : Well, at least their "Stand and Shoot" is deadly. Otherwise, charging units chop them up.
Uses: Either as a very large regiment on a hill deployed like archers, or using their "creeping and shooting" tactic in places where you would never place archers. They can surprise a foe on flat ground where he does not expect any kind of ballistics. Their S of 4 and -2 save can fell even a mighty knight.

Archers : Human archers. Only notable thing is their ability to skirmish.
Weaknesses : Usual human weaknesses prevail.
Uses : I personally prefer crossbows over longbows, and human archers have a BS of only 3. You can make them skirmish so that every archer has a chance to shoot. This can be useful when the battlefield does not include many hills.

Crossbowmen : Humans with crossbows. What else is there to say?
Weaknesses : What did you expect from a missile unit? No close-combat ability.
Uses: I personally think that every army that has access to crossbows should always field them. Either as a one large unit (even a dragon fears charging a 30+ strong crossbow unit) or several small ones. With crossbows, I heartily recommend a very large unit. They will not move anyway, and thus they have a glimmer of hope against an enemy H-T-H unit. I`d say 30 crossbowmen, in three ranks, on a hill, perhaps with a standard. (combat resolution of 3+1+1 for higher ground.)
(What I say is not without merit. Think of it -- S 4 CAN wound a creature with a T of 7, and is deadly against a normal T 3 opponent. -1 on armor-save also helps enormously.)
As a final word, never, never take any armor for them! That is too darn expensive!

Kislev Winged Lancers : As one of the few Empire regiments permitted to buy a magic standard, the Winged Lancers can come in quite handy. Just don`t expect them to defeat Trolls.
Weaknesses : S of 3 and quite a low armour save sets them back a bit.
Uses : Against foes with T of 3, their charge is devastating, and they can carry that Banner of Wrath that wouldn`t fit anywhere else. Against orcs and other troops with a T of 4 and good H-T-H troops, I generally tend to avoid them.

Kislev Horse Archers : Cheap and fast, the most famous usage for these troops is to lure out the goblin fanatics. There is, however, far more here than meets the eye. Skirmishing is a surprisingly useful thing.
Weaknesses: Well, T of 3, S of 3, and no horse attacks mean that the brave Kislevites are not a match for any close-combat troops.
Uses: These brave kislevites can skirmish, so take advantage of this. They also enable you to field Tzarina Katarin If you think you need her desperately, a unit of 5 horse archers costs only 80 points.
One of the best uses for them is to put them in a snaking formation (so they require only a minimal amount of space), deploy them on the flank, and then race towards a dangerous enemy unit. Simply by being within 8" they can stop the enemy from marching. If you can do this by being on the flank of the enemy unit, then so much the better -- they cannot charge you then. Think about the frustration of those Chaos Knights! Try to move to the enemy`s rear, so you get the chance to charge the enemy from behind once your main troops get to grips with the enemy. Sure they won`t cause many casualties, but +2 on combat resolution sure helps!

Flagellants : T of 4, 2 attacks, immunity to psychology and break test, plus S of 4 and flails (gasp!) makes the flagellants the best H-T-H unit when compared against their ridiculously low point-cost value.
Weaknesses : No armor save, WS of 3, and only 1 unit per army limits their effectiveness. Spells like Blade Wind that ignore toughness and require an armour save are deadly.
Uses: Either get the strong-arm of your infantry from these men and form a big unit, or take only a small one to tie up an important enemy unit. A good trick to counter their low WS is to put your battle-standard bearer with flagellants and give him the Banner of Might! As my final recommendation -- always take flagellants, and always take lots of them.

Dwarfs : Many options. The best is to give them spears and shields.
Weaknesses : Move of 3 forces you to deploy your dwarves in a place where they are sure to see some action.
Uses : With spears, shields and light armor, they are your best option for spearmen. With T of 4, WS of 4, and the fact that they are slow (and thus are often charged and can bring the extra rank into play), they are an excellent choice instead of human spearmen. Very high LD helps against panic and break tests. For the defensive player.

Halflings : With WS, S and T of 2, but BS of 4. I think their role is pretty obvious -- archers. High LD is a helpful feature.
Weaknesses : Well, if you are looking for a puny H-T-H unit, look no further. These little guys are very, very bad in H-T-H.
Uses : Armed with bows(!) and with the abilty to scuttle through forests, they are a very good value for the points. You can easily field 30+ of them. Just avoid too tough or too well-armoured targets.

Ogres : Strong, very tough and 3 wounds. Two attacks are a welcome bonus.
Weaknesses :As could be expected, their massive statistics give them a very high point-cost value. WS of only 3 makes them a dubious choice against armies like Chaos, which have plenty of characters with WS of 7+. Large size makes them easy targets for missiles.
Uses :You can usually surprise your opponent with ogres. It is a good idea to give their leader the Crown of Command, so they don`t have to care about break tests and can concentrate on bashing opponents instead. Their high T and massive W total makes them very resilient. Halberds are a very good choice, especially against (Chaos) dwarves, for their I of 3 allows them to strike before Dwarves. In a great many battles, their resilience combined with the Crown of Command usually win in the end. Skaven players get furious when you challenge their "invincible" Rat Ogres (and win) with your own Ogres.

War Machines

As a rule of thumb, use your War Machines against enemy characters. The humans are generally too weak to tackle the opposing Lords (and Ladies) in H-T-H, but a S 10, D6, W hit will demolish even a Vampire. Even when shooting units, always aim for the characters. You might get lucky with the "Look out sir!" roll. As a final warning, never, never try to fight with the crew. Always flee, shoot the attacker with other War Machines, then rally and return to the gun.

Mortars : Very much like Stone Throwers, except their misfires are a bit less self-destructive.
Weaknesses: Many players feel that they cost too much and are weaker than the Stone Throwers.
Uses: If you decide to take them, try to field at least three of them. This gives you an avarage of 1 "HIT" per turn. It also gives a chance to use the mortars as a mass-destruction weapon as they are supposed to be. Their accuracy and reliablity leave a lot to be desired, however. Best against Skaven, Orcs and such that have so many units that you`re bound to hit something.

Great Cannons : With a range of 60" and causing D6 wounds, they are the most inexpensive cannons available (compared to the cannons of other races).
Weaknesses : Well, the misfires happen all too often, and the crew are just too puny to fight against anybody.
Uses : Shoot characters on top of big monsters. It is a very good idea to place one cannon a bit further than your battleline. This way, when an enemy flier lands to attack your unit, you can shoot at him straight away without the fear of hitting your own troops.

Steam Tanks : A moving cannon with T of 10 (!) and 5 W.
Weaknesses : Not very useful against troops with high I like the elves. The malfuctions are often catastrophical.
Uses : Against orcs, dwarfs of any kind, and Bretonnians, the Steam Tank usually does buisness very well. I myself always use as many steam points as possible, since when the boiler fails it is bound to stop the tank anyway.

War Wagons : A chariot with six crew and two horses. (Shouldn`t this be the other way around?) A great many experimental weapons make the wagon a nice thing to dabble with. Very powerful at charge. D6, S7 hits is nothing to laugh at. A great hoard of Wounds is also an asset.
Weaknesses: Only two horses makes the War Wagon very easy to stop with missiles.
Uses: Either as a part of a massed charge, or (if your gaming group allows the same weapons in a single Wagon) as a defended base for hochland long rifle attacks. I`ve seen some players use 4 (!) War Wagons in "Hussite" style, making a defensive obstacle in the middle of the field. The cavalry advanced behind this wall and were hidden from the enemy war machines.

Helblaster Volley Guns : A much talked-about device. It is potentially one of the most devastating things in the whole game.
Weaknesses : The effective range is too short. Try to keep the crew within 12" of the general if at all possible. Panic spreads so easily...
Uses : A powerful psychological weapon, as any army will cringe in terror when they see this device. You can dictate the enemy`s route by placing Hellblasters at strategically important places. Many people use transportation spells to move the Hellblaster to a better firing position, but equally many gaming groups disallow this. I myself used a Bridge of Shadows to transport an enemy unt within range, much to the dismay of my opponent! Do not fire unless your foe is within 12" inches -- the effect is too weak.

Halfling Hot Pot : If you have a halfling unit, then you should consider this 50-point war machine. At least the crew don`t panic that easily.
Weaknesses : Do not expect miracles from the crew.
Uses: I have destroyed a great many knights with this thing, as it allows no armor saves. It is useful against rank-and-file only because of its feeble S and the disability to cause multiple wounds.

Special Characters

The Emperor Karl Franz : Some people have (the wrong) idea that poor Karl is a H-T-H fighter. His main feature is his LD of 10, wich is a very rare thing among humans.
Weaknesses : He is a human lord, plus that his first two items are always the Hammer of Sigmar and the Silver Seal. I personally prefer giving them to somebody else, like Kurt Helborg.
Uses: As a focal point of your army: he should be safe inside a unit, with his battle-standard bearer next to him. This gives humans around him an LD 10 for the break tests with re-rolls. If you really have to, give him very good armor and mount him on a manticore. He still won`t beat that Chaos Lord, though.

Magnus the Pious : A very interesting case, with loads of special rules and no option for magic items.
Weaknesses : Your opponent will know exactly just how tough Magnus is. The obvious disadvantage is, of course, the inabilty to use any magic weapons.
Uses :LD 10 is a Good Thing, and the Immunity to psychology is useful. I personally mount Magnus on a barded warhorse and put him in a unit with Standard of Shielding and Banner of Might. This gives him a 1+ armor save with re-roll, and gives +1 to hit for his mighty strike.

Ludwig Swarzhelm : A much-envied Battle Standard Bearer with a massive 3 wounds. Comes with one of the most point-cost-effective magic swords ever (especially good against cavalry because it allows no save).
Weaknesses: The only real weakness is his inablity to use any magic standard. (Sure, he can`t ride a monster, but that`s not the purpose of the battle-standard.)
Uses: With 3 wounds, Ludwig is always a good choice for battle-standard unless you really need that extra magic standard.

Grand Theogonist Volkmar : An almost immortal High Priest mounted on an impressive War Altar.
Weaknesses: Easy prey for enemy War Machines. You cannot afford to lose the War Altar, or the powers of the theogonist are history.
Uses: Many people use Volkmar as an assault weapon and get shot up very badly. Mighty though he is, he cannot take on the whole enemy army. Especially the armies with many and/or effective War Machines -- these are the High Priest`s bane. A far better idea is to gather your best troops around him, making them immune to psychology and break tests!
(I very often play defensively, setting the War Altar in the middle of my troops. This gives me an army of unbrekable troops who are immune to psychology. When trying to win supremacy in magic, Theogonist is a useful tool. Make sure that you draw the spells from a college that has cheap spells -- Theogonist`s magic is easy to dispel, and he has a limited amounts of power.)

The Supreme Patriarch : The most hated of all Empire characters, Thyrus Gormann comes equipped with the dreaded Staff of Volans. Has a cosmetic WS of 4.
Weaknesses: Your opponent will do anything within his power to kill poor old Thyrus. Black Amulet is almost essential.
Uses: When you need to get a spell through, Thyrus is your man. I personally prefer the Crimson Bands, in a defensive strategy to tie up that pesky Chaos Knight unit. You can try to dip other college decks with the Book of Ashur, but this is risky (since you draw last, and are not allowed to change the spells you are dealt.)

Kurt Helborg : Perhaps the best canditate for a general. WS 7 is very useful. He can also serve as a sidekick for your assault, as he can fly on the back of a ferocious monster.
Weaknesses : Kurt must love his Runefang very dearly. It would be nice to give him a Deathsword!
Uses: A useful man everywhere: High LD allows him to lead foot troops, and especially to help with the detachment rule. His good H-T-H statistics allow him to challenge many enemy characters.
(I once gave him a Strength Potion and a pegasus, and charged Nagash. He caused 6 wounds and routed the unlucky Necromancer off the field! Rare, but possible.)

Boris Todbringer : The Talisman of Ulric is one of the most useful items around.
Weaknesses: None. Just remember that he is only human, not a Vampire Lord.
Uses: Because of the Talisman, Boris is able to fight in H-T-H quite effectively. The Runefang is powerful against armour and undead alike.

Aldebrand Ludenhof : Runefang and that's about it. The model is very beautiful, though.
Weaknesses: No additional magical toys.
Uses: As a leader of a unit. Not as good in H-T-H as some other counts.

Valmir von Raukov : With Runefang and the Dragonbow.
Weaknesses: Nothing special.
Uses: A defensive player`s choice. Dragonbow is a very useful thing, especially against expensive enemies such as Elves with their low armor save and T. The Dragonbow is easily equal to most of the Empire War Machines.

Marius Letdorf : The famous frenzied count. 6+1+1 attacks make Marius one of the best H-T-H characters of the Empire.
Weaknesses: Sometimes his Frenzy makes Marius charge the wrong unit.
Uses: A slayer of cavalry without peer and a bane of all Undead armies, since his frenzy makess him immune to psychology and his Runefang chops up even mummies.

Tzarina Katarin : A warrior/sorcerer from Kislev. Her S is bit too low to use her deadly weapon.
Weaknesses : Low T and magic level of "only" 3. Lvl 4 Ice Mage would be really something!
Uses : As an addtional mage. Ice Magic is very powerful, and a Bridge of Shadows/Bridge of Ice combination can dispirit any opponent. Giving Tzarina a Strength Potion gives her a chance to use her weapon effectively for one turn.

Tactics to use with the Empire Army

In general, your greatest advantage over virtually any enemy is your flexibility. You can choose any tactic, while some armies are restricted to attacking (Chaos and Skaven) or defending (Elves).

I personally feel that the most important thing is to have a coherent plan and stick to it! Don't design units just for the hell of it, give each and every one of them a definite mission! Draw your plan on paper so you rememeber what everybody is doing. It is far too easy to forget one regiment in the army of the Empire, when you usually have plenty of units.

As a last word, watch out for enemy characters Your opponents usually have vastly superior characters, especially in H-T-H. Shoot them, cast spells at them, challenge them with champions, and equip your own characters with Deathswords, Frostblades and Daemon Slayers.

Here are a few general tactics to consider:

Charge!
You can mass your close-combat troops together and attack the enemy, regardless of casualities. Your numbers are probably high enough to take on almost any army and absorb the missile casualties along the way. Don`t try this against Skaven (even greater numbers), Chaos (they'll beat you up), or orcs (just too many of them!). Units to use with this tactic are the fast-moving and hard-hitting ones -- Winged Lancers, the Knightly orders, Ogres, War Wagons, Steam Tanks, and allies.

Defensive Line with Reserve
I am a defensive player, and the Army of the Empire gives any general a very good chance to field a magnificent defensive army. Just don`t try to out-shoot the High Elves! (Those 50-point repeater bolt throwers will be the end of you.) Get as many crossbows, cannons, Hellblaster Volley Guns, hand gunners, and missile-armed allies you can. Compose a few hard-hitting units as an agressive reserve. Shoot your enemy while he advances, and then charge him after you have weakened him enough. Get the balance right! Use War Wagons, Steam Tanks and Flagellants as your close-combat troops. They are hardy enough to stand against any troops.

Hammer and the Anvil
Put your hard, fast units on one other flank, and your slow units on the other. Hang back with the slow units, break the enemy on the other flank, then race to help the slower troops. With your enemy caught between the the Hammer and the Anvil, your local superiority and greater numbers will win the day. The trick with this tactic is to make the fast troops tough enough. Lots of heroes, magic items, Battle Banners, and so on will break those enemy units -- if you are determined enough. Even Chaos Knights can be killed, so shy away from nobody! The other half of your army should look ferocious and numerically strong, but their main purpose is to have maximum ranks+standard, and the advantage of the higher ground as well. This does not mean that they should be shoddy -- give them all advantages possible, by all means. Regiments of halberdiers with a Crown of Command can trap even a unit of Cold One riders until your hard-hitters arrive, provided you have sufficient numbers.