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lazyj
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« on: March 10, 2009, 03:43:47 pm » |
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Hawk Tactics and Units Thread
Note: this review has been updated to include thoughts on dealing with the recent development of Skirmishers in the Historical factions. Skirmishers are a significant development in game play and cause a few units to be appraised differently.
“I'll play the Hawks against anyone, anytime, anywhere.” –Chad_YMG
No one seems to give the Men of Hawkshold much love. They’re one of the early factions, they don’t have huge scary things or sweet new rules so I guess people are bored with them? What they are is solid, dependable, and versatile. They are my favorite faction so far, and I wanted to get some info available for new players who might overlook them. Niko (formerly known as Ultiville) usually posts these tactics lists but I am impatient. So I’ll give it a try using his format. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll earn a sticky.
I'll list each unit and give a number of stars to each general role I think one might try to use it in, from 1-5. If I don't list a given role it means I think it can't do that, but I could always be wrong or forgetful, so please respond and post your own if you like! There are also many people here who have played far more often than I have, so please give your feedback.
If you have a post you've made in another thread that you think fits in this one, feel free to post it; I think it would make some sense to have everything in one place.
General guideline to what the stars mean:
*: It looks like this unit might be able to do this, but I've found that this is a trap.
**: In select cases, the unit might not completely embarrass you trying to play this role.
***: The unit plays the role competently. Generally it won't work miracles, but it justifies its points in most games.
****: The unit is excellent at that role. I'll try to "upgrade" other units in that role to this one if I can.
*****: Centaurs.
Stars are points-adjusted, so you'll often see a unit that's better on the table getting fewer stars at a role, because it isn't enough better to make the points worth it in my opinion.
Roles:
Tank: This is a unit you use to soak up hits and last long enough for relief to arrive, without planning on it doing significant damage.
Light Infantry: This is a unit that you plan to have last just long enough to get help, and maybe do a bit of damage while it's at it. It won't stand up to a real damage unit, but it will prevent opposing tanks from embarrassing you by pinching in. I think of this as the "offensive" version of the tank unit.
Heavy Infantry: The game's generalist units. They have good attack and defense stats, but neither is enough of a standout that they aren't capable of both dealing and taking some damage. These are the non-specialist guys who you plan to use to cover contingencies and things like that.
Light Damage: This is a unit you use to charge in, either against weak units or into a pinch. This plan involves breaking them on the first turn because the unit will be in trouble if you don't.
Heavy Damage: This is a unit you use to charge in and beat people up on the charge turn, but unlike Light Damage, you're trusting them to last a few turns if things go wrong.
Fire Support: This is a unit you use to add fire where it is needed. You don't count on them to get much done on their own, but combined with a reasonable infantry unit or other fire support, they can create holes in the opposing line and get things going.
Artillery: The big guns. These units add fire support, but the fire is meaningful enough that you are hoping they'll do big damage over the course of the game, rather than serving a dedicated support role.
Other: Sometimes I'll put in another category, like "Centaurs" or "Bowriders" and explain it in the comments.
I'll also give every unit an overall score indicating how often I tend to play it.
Hawk Unit Review
Peasants
Disposable Fodder: *****
Anything else: *
Overall: ***
Ah the Peasant. Useless in almost every combat situation, he is without a doubt one of the most important units the Hawks have. Why? Cost! At a mere 70 points he is the cheapest Core unit in the game. Hawk non-Core units are so worthwhile that sometimes you just want to get the Core restriction out of the way and fill your army up with the sweet stuff. Peasants are perfect for that. They also do quite well to give you that extra unit or two to start pinching. Don’t expect them to do anything except provide pinching bonuses offensively, as most standard line units will treat these guys like a 2 turn speedbump. But don’t forget these guys are Courage 13 after a Command Action! Sometimes what you want is a 2 turn speedbump, and that’s what they’ll give you. There are several posts around the forums about some creative ways to use them as disposable fodder – write them off as dead before the game starts and see how much annoyance they can cause your opponent in the meantime.
UPDATE: Though skirmishers could very well carve these guys into little bits, that's not really that bad of an outcome. Much better to have their skirmishers ignoring your useful line units and popping these weenies. Remember, the Peasant is a doomed unit from the beginning - your goal is to stretch him out into a threat and annoyance far greater than he's worth.
Militia
Light Infantry: **
Light Damage: ***
Overall: **
I keep trying to fit these guys in, but they cost just enough so that my expectations come up short of their performance. While it is true that they are better than Peasants in a fight they aren’t that much better. A 4 Offensive skill really hurts as you’ll be hitting on 2’s or less against most line troops right off the bat. If you have extra points lying around after upgrading other things, by all means upgrade one of your Peasant units. Just don’t expect these guys to win you the game.
Scouts
Light Damage: **
Being really fast: ***
Anti-Skirmisher: ****
Overall: ** /*
In rare games, you can use these guys like a Fast Peasant unit, running around the Battlefield and being a pain in the butt. But at twice the cost of Peasants and with no Core fulfillment, they’re usually one of the first things to get cut out of my list. Occasionally you might want to take advantage of their 7” movement (matched only by Antonians, the Wolf Pack and Wolf Riders currently) for specific objectives. But other unit abilities tend to make their 7” movers faster in practice. Even the slightly slower High Elves with their Maneuver Mastery can run these guys ragged. I have heard of many players who enjoy leading dumb colossal things (like the T-Rex) around with Scouts. But their lack of staying power means they should never be in a one-on-one fight unless they are targeting isolated Bow or routing units.
UPDATE: Yes they'll get plowed under against most things, but you can't beat the effect Scouts will have on enemy skirmishers. Most skirmishing units will hit these guys on 1's with only a handful of dice, and the Scouts in return will cause two damage and prevent the auto-rally for a whopping 7" in front of them. Combine the excellent Hawk ranged units with these guys to clear the Skirmishers out and you'll punch through those Historical factions in no time. As a bonus they're a good matchup for the Historical cavalry because of their superior courage. Added a line specialty and a half star bump to their overall usefulness.
Bowmen
Fire Support: ***
Overall: ***
Nothing special here, just your basic archers: they sit behind your line and shoot bad guys. They don’t get four stars at it because costs a bit more than you might find elsewhere, but not so much that you can’t feel comfortable with a pair in your 1500 point army. They like buddies while they shoot, so get at least two if you’re going to get any. Also note that with the Army Ability these guys have ridiculous Courage for their cost, so don’t hesitate to circle up if you need one of them to sacrifice himself on the incoming bad guys for a turn or two.
Pikemen
Heavy Infantry: **
Making Opponent nervous: ***
Getting Shot by the enemy: ****
Overall: **
I want to like these guys. Seven dice is cool. Big time combat bonuses against the game’s scariest creatures are cool. Re-enacting Braveheart against the enemy’s heavy cavalry is very cool. But these guys only move 2.5” (which isn’t terrible but isn’t good), and they are completely vulnerable to enemy range attacks. A tip for the Stand and Shoot inclined: save your Blue Command Cards for these guys, because they are going to take hits in a hurry. True, if you can get the positioning right you can make your opponent nervous about all those dice with pluses that you will throw at their most expensive units. But considering the much better Spearmen are just 30 points more, you should think long and hard about what you’ll do with these guys if your opponent shows up with no Cavalry or Large/Colossal units and a lot of archers instead.
UPDATE: Skirmishers are another threat here, but only the "special" ones. Most regular skirmishers only have a power of 4, meaning the Pikes will hold up better than you'd think at first because of their decent toughness.
Swordsmen
Tank: ***
Heavy Infantry: *** /*
Heavy Damage: ***
Overall: *** /*
Solid. Almost as good as their Spear brothers, these guys will give you a fine option anywhere along your line. Five green boxes and an effective Courage of 15 means that you should be able to survive a pounding that ought to send you packing, and still be ready to move in on the pinch when you’re done.
Spearmen
Tank: ***
Heavy Infantry: ****
Heavy Damage: ***
Overall: ****
The backbone of any Hawk line. You could field an all-spear army and not do too badly. Circle the Courage and they just won’t break for anything. Five green hits means they’ll be slinging six dice long after your average line unit is down to four or less. If you don’t have any in your army you’d better be sure of what you’re doing. And you’re probably still making a mistake. They’re a tad pricey, but that’s because they’re good. When in doubt, get them.
Light Cavalry
Light Damage: ****
Heavy Damage: *
Chasing other cavalry: * /*
Chasing skirmishers: *
Overall: ***
Hawks love their horses, it’s true. In this case you have a unit capable of covering some ground and doing damage once they reach their target. For the points, they do a fantastic amount of damage when they charge, and their nice defensive bonus should reduce the retaliation, leaving the unit free to charge into the next unit. If you can pull it off, Light Cavalry running rampant through the rear areas of the opponent’s lines will usually blow through several weaker enemy units before it is brought down. Just don’t assume that they are capable of standing up to prolonged fights. Their low damage threshold means that one or two decent line units will send them packing in a stand up slugging match. Also don’t think they’re good enough on their own to handle Antonians or Bowriders or the like – they’re not. Only moving 6” exposes them somewhat to ranged attacks and faster Cavalry shenanigans. Instead, put these guys on the flanks and blow through weaker infantry units. Get into the rear areas then hit and run.
UPDATE: True, these guys will do the job against enemy skirmishers. But if you send 250 points out to chase 70 points you are not doing yourself any favors. If you're going to prowl around for enemy Historical units, it's much better to hunt down the Cavalry, which is typically much weaker than the Hawk horsemen.
Great Swordsmen
Heavy Damage: ****
Heavy Infantry: **
Tank: *
Overall: *** /*
Hurray for 6/6! I love units that can give me huge offensive stats before I pull Command Cards, and the Great Swords do that quite well. Of course they are slow, but what do I care? Either cap your entire line movement (which works amazing against people who forgot to bring their arrows) or get creative. Bring them up on a weaker flank, or send them into the clear terrain while the rest of the army goes through it so you come back together in time. Or use Peasants to tie down a flank as cheap fodder until you get there. Once these guys engage, you’ll forgive them their faults. Note that they shouldn’t be your “contingency” plan units because their speed means they just can’t respond well. And note too that their decent toughness doesn’t do jack against most enemy large / colossal units, so pick your targets wisely. Remember, you aren’t paying for these guys to hold their own against an enemy, you’re paying for them to attack and break an enemy on their own. Pick your fights.
Heavy Infantry
Tank: *****
Er…Heavy Infantry: ***
Overall: *** /*
Hello Mr Stick-in-the-mud. Yes it’s true, these guys only move 2.5” inches and the pain and shame of this will haunt them to the end of their days. But all they ask of you is to line up face to face with the most powerful enemy unit and then forget about them the rest of the battle. Unless they’re pinched they’re just not going anywhere. Huge health (including the awesome Hawk standard five green hits) and high defensive stats combine with above average or excellent Courage (depending on the Army Ability) to give you an immovable rock in your line. Seriously, just put them down where you don’t want the enemy to break through – the very definition of Tank. They don’t quite shine as brightly in your regular Heavy Infantry role however, due to the lack of mobility. And they are pricey, so you have to be sure that they don’t get outnumbered and pinched. But if you can cope with the speed problem, you’ve got a tremendous unit.
UPDATE: I wouldn't be worried about skirmishers against either the Heavy Infantry or the Greatswords - they're just too tough. Just be mindful of the skirmishers pinching and continue on with your gameplan, laughing whenever he decides to waste his ranged attack on your powerful armor.
Longbowmen
Fire Support: **
Artillery: ****
Shooting at skirmishers: *
Overall: ****
One of my favorite units. Say what you want about the other factions, no one yet has come up with a better shooter than the Hawk Longbows. You want Range? How about tied for best in the game (and with no random attack dice). You want Skill and Power? 6/6 baby, on par or better than the other artillery units in other factions and with no LOS or Engaged restrictions. Counter-battery fire? Not many artillery units can go toe to toe with the Longbows and come out ahead thanks to their happy high courage. A pair of Longbows will kill or drive off the majority of line unit types within a couple of turns. They’ll bomb other bowmen back to the stone-age. They can do well at Fire Support if they have to, but at these premium prices you’re looking to your damage while the opponent is safely out of range, and with the stellar Spearmen and Heavy Infantry you don’t have to worry much about the opponent breaking through. Just the threat of Longbows in a Stand and Shoot army should make your opponent change his whole strategy before the battle begins – even if you don’t take them, that threat should give you the initiative. Just remember, they are nothing but an expensive speed bump if your enemy gets through your lines so keep them protected.
UPDATE: While it can be gratifying to wipe out enemy skirmishers in one volley, for this investment you usually need to find better targets. If possible, let your cavalry clear the skirmishers while you punch through the line guys that are following. Again, always remember the cost discrepancy. Just because you CAN kill skirmishers with these guys doesn't mean it's the right move.
Knights
Heavy Damage: ***
Heavy Cavalry: ****
Heavy Infantry: *
Overall: ****
I love the knights. I can’t help it, I get all excited when they charge and I picture them lowering their lances in slow motion as the ride down the poor fools in front of them. Are they expensive? You bet your sweet lance they are. Are they fragile for the points? You could certainly make that argument, knave. Are they the best Heavy Cavalry in the game so far, stat-wise? Probably not. But they just fit so well in with what the Hawks do, that I can’t help but love them. And there is nothing funnier than rolling six dice at 6/8 on an enemy line unit and adding an impact hit, breaking the unit, and destroying it on the free attacks without taking a single point of damage in return. One thing to note is that they are very expensive. So in certain Kingdoms scenarios that base victory conditions on unit costs they could do amazing damage and still cost you Victory Points if they go down. So be wise on how you use them. I figure I’m going to get 2, maybe 3 charges out of them where I’ll really be able to bring the pain, so I try to make them count. They do not do well in “even” fights against similar-costed opponents. No no – you want them finding the weak spots and bursting through. You want to maintain a one charge, one kill mentality.
Discuss Hawks here! I am very keen to hear the more experienced Battleground generals weigh in.
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