When I first started summing up some of my observations on HE MSU I have had played 30+ games. It was not much but I wanted to share my experience in a more structured way. Battle reports are great but are often detailed and do not address more general issues.
Now I have a little more than 100 battles under my belt. I am still learning, especially that we got so many new options with the new army book. But as I have mentioned in the first post, I would like to try and update what I have written so far.
High Elves MSU - observations - v.1.21. IntroductionI really like the concept of the MSU (Multiple Small Units) army and I enjoy playing with it a lot. In fact, I have never enjoyed Warhammer as I am enjoying it now!
Bear in mind I am simply sharing my experiences. I do not aim to prove that this is the best way to play with High Elves. Please, do not treat it as a proper tactics article either. I do not have enough experience to write one (even after 100 battles there are armies I haven't faced!). Which is good as I can always add something new! I am sure I will learn a lot with more battles and with more different opponents and armies I am going to meet.
You are more than welcome to add your thoughts and share your own experiences. I am writing this with particular army and style of play in mind but there are elements which can be used elsewhere.
2. General principlesMSU idea appeared for the first time on Druchii.net in 7th (or maybe even 6th) edition. Back then it relied on the principle that if you kill enough enemies then there will be no one to hit you back. Thanks to that a small regiment of elite warriors charging from the flank could break much larger unit of less skilled soldiers simply by the virtue of more attacks it could deliver at the same frontage.
With 8th edition a lot of new rules appeared. In particular steadfast and step up seemed to favour big hordes and nothing else. No matter how many foe small regiment can kill there always will be some more to fight, especially that it is hard to break them on the charge and after that they can reform to bring more warriors to fight. This would mean war of attrition in which small elite regiments are often doomed. It looked like MSU armies have no right to be efficient anymore.
However, MSU can still be as good approach to the game as any and what is more it can also use new rules 8th edition provides to its advantage. SmithF reintroduced the concept and I recommend his excellent topic on MSU in general as well as battle log (which he started to update with new reports again):
Link - SmithF on MSULink - SmithF's Battle LogHere, I am going to to talk about MSU from the point of view of High Elves but bear in mind that some principles are quite general. The difference will lie in the means to achieve the same goals and tools you are going to employ to do so.
The main principle of MSU approach is that with more units you are able to use movement phase more efficiently to create much more favorable combats than just when you clash two big regiments head to head.
Example
3 units of 10 Swordmasters can set up a trap for 30 Warriors of Chaos. By fleeing with one the other two can attack the flanks of the bigger regiment. It is of course an ideal situation but illustrates the principle very well. Big unit of Chaos Warriors uses horde rule to maximize the number of its attacks but only to the front. Instead of engaging it head to head in bloody combat Swordmasters surround its flanks and while hitting with their full number of attacks, they robe bigger unit of its advantage. Only 3 warriors at each flank can fight, they cannot use horde and step up attacks rules and are also engaged from both flanks which means they will not be able to reform if they are not going to break first. In such situation small units would also sustain smaller amount of damage than a single unit fighting from the front. Even if big unit of warriors is going to hold after an initial attack they will melt quicker in subsequent rounds of combat.
Basically with the advantage of having more regiments it is possible to control movement phase better so that one can have an opportunity to create situations where even big and dangerous units can be defeated.
3. MSU army componentsI am going to describe components which, in my opinion, the HE MSU army requires to have to operate properly.
3.1. Multiple Small UnitsIt is important to understand that “small” is a relative term. Some other armies, with access to cheaper soldiers may still have successful army lists which at the same time contain regiments with 20-30 warriors. “Small” is more connected to the point cost of a unit. Even in High Elf force one can use regiments of 20+ Spearelves in a similar fashion as with more regular forces and it will not be against the principles of MSU army.
My personal approach is to have regiments with cost 150-200 points and only with some exceptions if I feel it is justified to do so. With many, relatively not expensive regiments you do not present juicy target, you confuse the enemy as to what to attack and even if you lose some unit that loss is significantly smaller and not as crippling as it might have been in the case of bigger unit.
3.2. CharactersThe same goes with characters, if I include expensive ones and/or many of them I might find out I do not have enough points left to have significantly more regiments than my opponent thus denying myself the advantage to out-deploy him. A hero in HE army, fully equipped is worth 150-200 points. It is the cost of a regiment in an MSU army.
This is not to say that you should avoid including characters. If you have a good idea for a hero then go for it! Just remember that with MSU army such an expensive target will be even more tempting for the enemy to focus on. And this is something you want avoid too.
It is also important to try and assign multiple roles for your expensive heroes. With so many small regiments some of the typical builds for characters might not be as efficient or as necessary. For example, BSB with Armor of Caledor and Dawnstone does not add that much to MSU army as he does to the unit of 35 Spearelves in a more traditional force.
My own approach is to take the minimum of characters and for me it meant the Archmage as a magical defense and BSB for his re-rolls and ranged attacks (Reaver Bow). At the moment I am also experimenting with a Loremaster and BSB. More on them later on when I discuss the army list. They are still expensive and fragile so it is crucial to keep them safe.
3.3. High Strength/Numerous AttacksMSU army relies on inflicting multitudes of wounds while minimizing attacks hitting it back so it is important to include units which provide high strength and numerous attacks. Swordmasters, White Lions, Dragon Princes but also Spearelves and Lothern Sea Guard can be very useful here. If you choose to pick only one type of unit it can be as good as variety of them as long as you know how you want to use them.
Personally I go for variety so I can better use the tools I have. Sometimes it is better to send Swordmasters in, sometimes White Lions have the edge and sometimes a lot of S3 attacks LSG and/or Spearelves provide can be much more useful.
3.4. Stubborn TroopsIt is quite important to have some stubborn regiments in the MSU army (since we don’t really have Immune to Psychology units I am not going to talk about it here). It is because sometimes you can force a charge from the enemy, hold it in one place and thanks to that you will be able to attack its flanks. There are many foes who can inflict 10+ wounds to our fragile elves so be careful how you use small units of White Lions. However, it is one of the very useful options when Lions get close to the enemy, block their movement or at least limit the options and force a difficult decision. To charge and suffer from 10+ I5, S6 attacks and be flanked later or not to charge but receive the charge following turn. Both options may seem to be bad and the decision is more about choosing lesser evil for many opponents.
3.5. ShootingMSU army is a combat orientated one but it does benefit from some bow fire and some players like to include war machines too. It is mainly to get rid of support units of the enemy so that the control of the movement phase is better, even if MSU force usually can deal with such regiments in close combat too.
Concentrated fire on a big horde unit might seem to be a waste of arrows but it can be useful to break steadfast during incoming fights and because of that every arrow counts!
There are also targets, such as fanatics or lone models which can be troublesome (or deny victory points if not destroyed) but which can be easily finished off with 10 archers.
3.6. Support troopsAs much as it is tempting to use only heavy hitters in your army with a minimum of Archers there is a great need for support regiments in MSU army. The most often use of such units is to divert powerful foe so that other units can swarm on other targets or to position it in a less favorable way.
Other duties such as war machine hunting, wizards assassination or fighting against enemy support troops can be performed by such units. Great eagles, Ellyrian Reavers, chariots or shadow warriors can all be used to great effect.
Units of Archers, Sea Guard and Spearelves (especially when suffered casualties in the game) can be used for that duty too. In general it is worth remembering that each unit can always have (or should have) a secondary role to play so that you are never out of tactical options and there is always a way to come up with another plan.
3.7. MagicMagic phase is a beautifully complex one where you aim at the best use of the power/dispel dice you have at your disposal. Winds of magic can be fickle but spells are what makes that game so colorful (literally if you look at colors associated with each lore
). There are many aspects of magic that are present in the game:
Active magic defenseMain role of Magic I chose for the army is defensive rather. It is there to provide better chance to dispel enemy spells. From that point of view a single Archmage, who also acts as a general and inspires nearby troops (Ld9 is always better than Ld8 after all), is usually enough to provide very reasonable protection. His +4 to dispel roll is very good indeed.
Having a single Loremaster might seem as a very weak protection against enemy spells if one can call it protection at all. However, I have found out that it simply changes the approach to spells dispelling. With Loremaster it is better to choose one or two spells as the ones that have to be dispelled at all cost. It can be quite difficult sometimes to make that decision but against some armies even the Archmage is not enough to dispel it all. Hence, it might be a good idea to make that decision no matter who is your spell caster.
Passive magic defense*Dispelling enemy spells is not the only way to prevent the enemy from getting the best of their magic phase. There are many deadly spells out there which have limited range. For example, Death Lore has some powerful spells which target your characters but are short ranged (or require more dice to cast in order to have more powerful version of the spell). It is beneficial then to position your characters accordingly so that they are not even a viable target. In order to be able to hurt your characters the enemy has to close in but by doing so he risks getting into charge range of your elites which might not be a great idea for many wizards (even if accompanied by their bodyguards). Even if you force them to cast more powerful version of a spell it is already a success as they need more power dice to do so and will attempt to case fewer spells while at the same time risking some miscasts.
Some players go even further and do not take level 4 wizard at all. They either take 2 level 2 for more diversity or a single level 2 for absolute minimum of magical protection. What this approach can ensure is that usually powerful and devastating spells which can kill entire units with characters in them seem to be much less spectacular when used to destroy 10 warriors with a single level 2 mage. They often require considerable amount of power dice and again the enemy risks a fatal miscast. It might be a good exchange even if your opponent loses his Grey Seer in order to cast Dreaded 13th spell to remove such a small regiment.
* paragraph added thanks to feedback from SmithF
Magic offenseIt is not to say, however, that a single Archmage is not able to cast spells successfully. Hence it is also important to consider Magic Lore to support your MSU army. Yes, to support. Magic can be the main weapon of the army but it is not so in MSU force. You need to be prepared for phases when magic is not strong enough to get your spells through and still be able to win. If you, however, can cast spells then it will be a nice bonus.
I think that any magic lore can be used for MSU army. It is really a matter of taste and personal approach. Of course, Life spells for example seem to benefit horde formations more but as always it is up to the player to make his tools workable. There is nothing to say you cannot have support mage or more arcane items in MSU army either. Just remember it is costly investment and one more mage is one less regiment.
No matter which way you choose it is important to consider how easy spells from particular Lore are cast. With single Archmage you might find it quite difficult to cast powerful spells so maybe it is a better path to go for spells of a less spectacular effect but which can be cast easier. You also need to know exactly in what way you want your magic to support your troops.
I used to play with High Magic before new book was released because it has cheap spells to cast and any choice of spells you end up with will help. They are not as spectacular as some spells from the rulebook but I managed to use them to great effect in my games and there were a few times when they did have a huge impact.
I then switched to Metal Magic as I needed some means to fight high armor troops while at the same time the lore has some handy protective or augment spells. Now, with the new army book, I play with Loremaster. I like his flexibility and the fact he always knows 8 spells. They are relatively easy to cast so that you can force the enemy to make hard decisions as to what to dispel.
No matter which magic lore or which spell caster you are going to choose it is important to plan your magic phase accordingly. You should not cast your spells at random just because you can. The order of spell casting and amount of dice used is very important. In order to better understand how magic phase can be executed to the full effect I highly recommend following article by Brewmaster_D. Although Brewmaster is using completely different approach and heavily relies on magic to win his games, his thoughts and ideas are very good to follow for anyone:
Link - Magic Phase Strategy3.8. Command groupsSome regiments have them some don’t but wherever it was possible I included musicians. They are essential for swift reforms and add greatly to the maneuverability of the army. They are the first members of the command groups I take.
Some regiments have champions. I have found out it is handy to have them here and there to stop powerful character. Champion can challenge thus ensuring the unit will remain steadfast for a turn. This can help to organize the defense better and even make a counter charge in the following turn if required or buy that extra turn for the rest of the army.
Some other units have banners. One reason is to increase fortitude points for Blood and Glory scenarios but can be useful in combat too. On the other hand I wanted to avoid too many of them as first they decrease the number of warriors and second give free victory points which are far easier earned from small regiments.
3.9. Sacrificial Units/Baits**Great Eagles are probably the extinct species by now considering how often they are sacrificed for greater good. With the new book a lot of young riders are called to do so as well. No wonder HE are dying race when the bravest and youngest are sacrificing their lives.
However, simply placing them in front of the enemy regiment is not going to spring the trap you set every time you do so. Your opponent knows that by such placement you want to achieve some kind of advantage. It may be time advantage (delaying him for a turn), space advantage (slowing him down) or both.
But it is also a very obvious situation and your opponent might not fall for it and might try his shooting and/or magic to get rid of the eagle but to maintain his formation and deny any further advantage. What is more he is not going to separate his units so that you can charge him from all sides. Basically, you need to find out a way to make it attractive for him to abandon his positions or to force him to make hard decisions.
The harsh truth of the game is that some of your units will die. But you can decide when and how they do so (and maybe thanks to that they will also survive the game too!) not your opponent. In general I am reluctant to sacrifice units (elven life is very precious) but in dire situations it might be the only way to win the battle.
Hence you can combine both and make the sacrificial regiment attractive enough to be attacked and use that for setting up favorable situations.
Example
In this game I faced a tough challenge in the form of WoC army with big frenzied troops. I could not handle Chosen regiment in the frontal assault and in addition I wanted to separate two enemy units to deal with them separately. I had to use quite desperate solution because we played Meeting Engagement and my enemy started much closer to my lines than usually and I had less time to obtain good positions.
In this situation I sacrificed Archers so that frenzied Warriors would overrun in the direction I wanted (away from the Archmage) and at the same time I exposed Swordmasters for Marauder attack. Both enemies charged and decimated my small regiments. However, Warriors were out of position and could not catch valuable foe until the end of the game while Marauders first lost many of their numbers from first Swordmaster unit attacks and then were finished by the flanking charge of the other Swordmaster regiment.Example
This time I faced dreaded Skaven in Watchtower scenario. My goal was to first, separate two main regiments of the enemy, i.e. Clanrats with Screaming Bell and Plaguemonks with Plague Furnace. I wanted to focus on Screaming Bell unit and try to destroy it while at the same time keep the Monks busy and away from the tower. To do so I kept moving Great Eagle and Archers units in front of it and angled it in such a way that they had to pursue/overrun away from the tower. I sacrificed 300 points to do so but plague monks and the furnace have never reached the tower and any meaningful combat.** paragraph added thanks to feedback from SmithF and inspiration from joey_boy and his Wood Elves MSU article:
Link - WE MSU
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