[Dman123]

Recently I've been playing against Orcs and Goblins alot, and to deal with fanatics, I've thought about using Dark Riders to draw them out. But, I was thinking when the Dark Riders are bought crossbows they are more expensive than the possible three fanatics. The person I play usually runs 3 large units with three fanatics each. So I was thinking, for a mere 55points 5 harpies could fly in and line up infront of all three units to get the fanatics out early. S

So does this seem like a fair tradeoff? Dark Riders are free to ride around and the harpies are really cheap as it starts.
Or is there a better way to deal with them?

Thanks all,
Dman

 

[waddywoos]

For getting fanatics out you need something fast, preferably that can fly, and that doesn't cost too much. The best unit in the game for this has therefore got to be harpies. 55 points for a flying unit is pretty nice. It also means that the night goblins can't really move forwards at all after turn 2 as they get hemmed in by their own fanatics.
REMEMBER: in the fanatic rules it says that as soon as an enemy unit gets within 8 inches of the parent unit it stops. It then specifically states that flyers LAND. SO be careful where you're going with them. You might want to take two units of 5 if there's more than 2 night gobbo units with fanatics.

Its a great tournament tactic, but if you used it in a game against a mate more than once i think he'd get cheesed off. Its one of those ones where you need to make a distinction between 'this a good tactic' and 'this is a permeditated way to scupper their entire game plan.'

just depends what situation you're in as to whether you should do it - but certainly 5 harpies is the way to go. Just make sure you're not getting pincushioned by gobbo archers on the way in.

--EDIT-- also, consider just panicking the gobbos with some shooting or magic. The fanatics are then automatically released. If you can get this done on turn one (thinking bolt throwers here) then it is very likely the fanatics will be hitting something more expensive than a night gobbo unit at some point.

 

[GMJoeSolarte]

generally speaking, yes that is the way to go.

It's either that or focus your superior ranged power against the Night Gobs and turn them into pincushions right away, but then you would still have to go up against the Orcs in CC....not the best trade off.

 

[Dman123]

It's not the Orcs in CC I'm afraid of, its the fanatic launching out into my CoKs....massive damage caused...
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--EDIT-- also, consider just panicking the gobbos with some shooting or magic. The fanatics are then automatically released. If you can get this done on turn one (thinking bolt throwers here) then it is very likely the fanatics will be hitting something more expensive than a night gobbo unit at some point.

Oh, nice, I didn't know they get released if the unit panics, I just thought they fled with them...hmmmm thats the best outcome really. Thanks.

 

[waddywoos]

Ah, sorry to burst the bubble....

I just re-checked the O+G army book about the fanatics, they do not get released if they unit panics...

to quote: 'if a concealing unit flees, any fanatics yet to be released are lost as they are trampled in the panic.'

sorry! I must have read it wrong. I read it quickly while i was looking to see if the fanatics had to be released towards the unit that triggered them. I thought that maybe the harpies could fly over them and get them going the other way, but unfortunately its the O+G player's choice!

my bad! but still, land harpies 8 inches away from them ouf of charge arcs and they'll all come out and you can fly away

 

[GMJoeSolarte]

Ah, sorry to burst the bubble....

I just re-checked the O+G army book about the fanatics, they do not get released if they unit panics...

to quote: 'if a concealing unit flees, any fanatics yet to be released are lost as they are trampled in the panic.'

sorry! I must have read it wrong. I read it quickly while i was looking to see if the fanatics had to be released towards the unit that triggered them. I thought that maybe the harpies could fly over them and get them going the other way, but unfortunately its the O+G player's choice!

my bad! but still, land harpies 8 inches away from them ouf of charge arcs and they'll all come out and you can fly away

In that case, that does change some things up. For example, in theory, a sustained missle or magic attack (and Dark magic has several spells that cause a panic if any casualities are sustained) then that may be the more effective way of dealing with them.

I have to say, though, as someone who has used Greenskins in the past, I can't imagine a night goblin/fanatic attack to be the lynchpin of my anti-dark elf strategy. The strategy IMHO would be strong huge mobs of Orcs/BigUns/BlackOrks coming in numbers so great that even the RBT can't slow them down.

 

[Dman123]

Ah, sorry to burst the bubble....

I just re-checked the O+G army book about the fanatics, they do not get released if they unit panics...

to quote: 'if a concealing unit flees, any fanatics yet to be released are lost as they are trampled in the panic.'

sorry! I must have read it wrong. I read it quickly while i was looking to see if the fanatics had to be released towards the unit that triggered them. I thought that maybe the harpies could fly over them and get them going the other way, but unfortunately its the O+G player's choice!

my bad! but still, land harpies 8 inches away from them ouf of charge arcs and they'll all come out and you can fly away

Its no problem, thanks for the correction though!