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Where do you put your necromancer?

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Where do you put your Necromancer?

2K views 26 replies 23 participants last post by  varek drauka 
#1 · (Edited)
With the zombie bunker gone..... What do you do now?

Please explain!
 
#6 ·
Rank bonus is based on number of models, not wounds or unit strength. You can't have 4 ranks without 20 distinct physical models. This seems to be coming up in a lot of threads, so I made a picture!



A is not a regiment with three ranks. It is an expedient for movement and gaming purposes to represent B, which is what you actually have, a regiment with two ranks and an incomplete third rank.
 
#4 ·
Probably wont be taking them, but if I do I'll probably either stick him in a unit (on foot) or have him alone but hidden in a forest or something.
 
#5 ·
It depends on the game. If a corpse cart can join a unit of skeletons, then I'd do that.

Otherwise, I'll stick him on a barded mount for some protection and stick him in a unit if I'm facing an army with lots of magic, shooting, fast cav, or scouts. If it's safe for him to hang out behind the main lines, then he can do that.

The horse is a good option because it can double his range depending on barding and it gives an armor save, even if a meagre one.

Can a necro take a hellsteed? That's almost be an option. Fly him around. It's fairly easy to keep flyers alive.



 
#8 ·
Ghoul bunker, 10 ghouls(including a ghast). Also can be used to actually kill stuff, and also more durable too.. than skeletons that is. So in all respects a much better choice than a skeleton bunker IMHO.
 
#9 ·
Ghouls are only more durable against s5+ attacks. The 4+AS makes up for the lower toughness against s3-s4.

Against s4: 2/3*2/3=4/9 wounds agianst skeletons. For ghouls, its 1/2 wounds, so skeletons are slightly better against s4. Skeletons: S5: 5/6*5/6=25/36 For ghouls: 2/3 Ghouls have ever so slightly more defence against S5 attacks. They're equal against s6.

For s3, in case you were wondering: Skeletons: 1/2*1/2=1/4, Ghouls: 1/3 Skeletons are a bit more durable than ghouls here, too.
 
#13 ·
Ghouls are only more durable against s5+ attacks. The 4+AS makes up for the lower toughness against s3-s4.
The difference at strength 5 is so small as to be negligable, honestly. 1/36th difference. Then once you get above strength 5, ghouls are being wounded on 2's just like skeletons regardless of the increased toughness. The most effective difference comes in against higher strength attacks with weapon skill 3, as the increased WS of the ghoul will help keep them alive once toughness and saves become meaningless.

Of course, ghouls have more potential to deal damage, but then can't take banners and musicians - so they require that extra damage potential to try and make up for the loss of static combat res.

Personally, I prefer skeletons over ghouls if you're not going very heavy ghouls with the ghoulkin power, especially since they can take magic banners and such.


To answer the original question, bah to necro's! :p Vampires are where it's at.
 
#10 ·

very confusing. You dont actually need 20 distinct models to get 4 ranks. Case in point Saurus hero on cold one in unit of Saurus. H = Hero on cold one S = Saurus

SSSSH
SSSSH
SSSSS
SSSSS

Only 19 models but 4 ranks as in each rank there are 5 models.

Also note that the following would only give you 1 rank bonus from combat.

S = Slann T = Temple guard

TTTTT
TTSST
TTSST
TTTTT

I've seen this done many times before andyou would only get 1 rank bounus in combat as the 2nd and 3rd rank have only 4 models in them.
 
#11 ·
I feel that argument is faulty. In the first example it claims that a long model *can* count as multiple ranks deep, but the second example claims that a wide model *cannot* count as multiple files wide. (I believe both cases are cannot.)

Nowhere in the rulebook does it say a model can occupy more than one rank. The corpse cart is in position rank 1, file 5. It cannot also be in position rank 2, file 5,(and 3,5 and 4,5) it's only one model. Sticking a monster onto the end of a 4x4 block of troops simply doesn't make it a 5x4 block of troops. The rank bonus is based on fellow models behind the fighter supporting him, not the physical dimensions of a model's base.

Cross posted to broader audience in appropriate forum:
http://www.librarium-online.com/forums/fb-rules-help/116801-ranks-mismatched-bases.html#post1128300
 
#12 ·
I don't field Necro's anymore unless a small game size makes me.

Although this hesitation to use them this ed. caused me to miss out on their being allowed to be on Corpse Carts, inside Units, and now that I've been educated to that I might reconsider.

Still though, I'd only do it in smaller battles.

In larger ones I go Vamps, all Vamps, nothing but Vamps.
 
#15 ·
Hmmm ill probably put them in with units of skellies, perhaps the main ones or perhaps 10 man squads out of combat. I may put them on the corpse cart, but then again the corpse cart isn't all that good. I went with the skelletons therefore, and i doubt if i will use them anywhere else.
Perhaps forgetting about the arcane item and giving one the hand of dust for a massive kick might be useful, charge some skelletons at a massed unit and look at your opponent's face as you do 2D6 str 5 hits. Might be fun.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Agreed.

And as for the Corpse Cart/mounted hero/slann making up multiple ranks. I have been to plenty of tournaments (official and not) and it was always accepted that a slann + 16 models does indeed make a ranked unit 5x4. The same goes for mounted hero's + 18 models also making a ranked unit 5x4.

If it isn't true than we better all head over to the LM forums and tell all of them they have been playing their slann wrong all this time. :p
 
#18 ·
I put my necromancer in either my ghouls, skeletons or grave gaurd or wherever his rod of flaming death will be firing. I like him a lot as he's cheap, has a low profile, is a guaranteed vanhels and can do some damage. That's the thing I'm finding necromancers are a lot less of a threat than before as there are far better targets, so mine hasn't needed as much protection. I think the view of them being rubbish is an advantage as mine has performed very well for his cost, probably as good as my vampire who is twice his cost.
 
#20 ·
This has already been done to death in the Rule forum. Go there to check the conclusion. I did find a way to use the Slan's rules for other armies, using the BRB. The drama is the width. A rank has to be 5 MODELS wide, so the Skels would be 4 skels + CC for the first 5 ranks...anywho, check the rule forum.

As for the necro, and the point of this thread, mine will be on foot, and then him placement depens on the foe. If there's no cannons, then he'll just hang out on his own, or join the Skele unit my Vamp will be in. If there are canons, then the later choice only.

On a CC, joining unit, the CC becomes vulnerable to close combat, when it should be hanging out behind the army anyway. Even with the extra ranks, I wouldn't do it.

Even though the Necros certainly aren't what they used to be, they are dirt cheap, and great magic item caddysm Mine will sport the Book of Arkhan, a standard setup I think, so they have uses in that they are cheap PD.

Tim
 
#21 ·
I never took Zombies anyway so the loss of the Zombie bunker is a non-event for me, and I prefer Vampires to Necromancers anyway now, so it doesn't matter so much where I put them because they can look after them-selves, unlike Necromancers who couldn't be in a unit that was likely to see combat at anytime in the game.
 
#22 ·
Vamps can be vulnerable to - but as lev1 wizards, at least you can buy Dread Knight for them. Thing is, when a 50 point necromancer dies, it isn't a huge loss anyway, and he's a pretty cheap PD AND dont forget the DD. When a 170 point vampire dies, however, you're gonna feel it.

The more I contribute to this topic, the mosre Im thinking of mounting him in a Corpse Cart....

Tim
 
#27 ·
So far I've had pretty good results using my Necro on foot, with the scepter and a scroll. I also field a casty helm vamp as my general (still new so haven't hit the 2kpts level yet) and deployed both of them in a ghoul bunker in the middle of my army. The necro's ability to raise zombie really helps to anchor flanks and my ability to pull of 1 die raises 90% of the time didn't hurt either. lol. I'm finding however that whenever I try to cast VHD I very rarely get it off with the necro so maybe fielding him with only IoN and Raise may be a better idea, either way it'll take some testing for me. good luck with finding a place for your necros though.

Varek Drauka
 
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