7th Ed Rule Change of the Week
This new segment is my attempt to rip apart a new rule, try to find the best uses for it and what armies it helps or hinders the most.
The rule I'm going to look at today, is probably the most controversial and powerful of all the new rules. The Crossfire rule.
Not sure what it is really called in 7th ed, but it is quickly becoming known by this name.
The result of the rule is that if any unit is fleeing and must move through an enemy unit of Unit Strength 5+, the fleeing unit is destroyed.
There are a couple of exceptions:
1. Flyers may fly over units, must use their flying move when fleeing (ie, 3d6") and are only destroyed if they land in the enemy unit.
2. If a unit is fleeing and hits a unit of less than US 5, they will be moved just beyond them, if they were to stop on top of the smaller unit.
Units that will be able to pull this off the best.
#1: Skaven Tunnel runners. Even a small 102 point unit of 6 can pop up and spread out covering a good 10-11" swath of fleeing corridor behind the enemy lines. This makes an already powerful unit a must have in every Skaven army. Take 2 and your table edge just moved up 12-18" on you.
#2: Dwarf Miners: Where as before these guys were pretty useless not being able to come on and charge. Now these guys can pop up behind the enemy lines and be a real hinderance to enemy troops.
#3: Vampire Counts summoned units: Being able to summon up a long line of zombies behind the main battle lines has always been a powerful tool, now it is even worse. You have got to stop the "summon a new unit", or you will be running head long into a bunch of zombies.
#4: Beastmen Ambushing herds: These guys coming on your back table edge has always been a pain, but now it is even worse when you combine in a bunch of terror tests to get you fleeing right into the herds.
#5: Any fast cav: With many of these guys having between 16-18" move range, with free reforms, they can easily slip around or behind an armies battle line. Luckily they will have a small frontage and should only be able to crossfire, up to 2 units max. Those that move through woods unimpeded have a leg up even more since most units avoid the woods, Glade Riders, Cult of Ulric hunting hounds and a few others can use the woods to form gaps between units to run through and behind.
#6: Furies & Harpies: These cheap flyers are great for the roll. The ability to fly directly over the enemy and set up crossfires, gives them a great roll if there are no soft targets out running around. So expect a lot of people to take aim at these smaller nimble units to try and take them below US 5.
#7 Bretonian Pegasus Knights: With a US of 2 each, a small unit of only 3 can prove to be a great nuisance behind the enemy lines.
Things that won't work as well as people might think:
Skirmishers: With the march blocking rule for skirmishers now, they will have a very difficult time getting behind units. Only being able to move 6" max and some as low as 4 or 5", they will have a tough time getting behind the enemy lines to crossfire.
Other flyers and flying units. Great Eagles, warhawk units, terradons, will be able to get into position, but with usually less than US 5, they will not be able to crossfire.
Armies it helps the most:
Vampire Counts: This is a wet dream for Vamps. Being able to raise cheap zombies in the backfield right before your fear causers auto-break units right into them. Add on to the fact that they are not hurt by this rule at all and they are the clear winners for this new rule. It almost makes up for new miscast chart.
Tomb Kings: While tomb swarms are good for the crossfiring, even if a bit small, Tomb kings also have the ability to auto-break the enemy into waiting units. With their ability to get flank charges with their magic, they may be better off using fast cav to set up crossfire on the flanks instead of to the rear.
Beastmen: Their ability to take furies and ambushing herds, as well as terror causing creatures allows them to set up some very nasty crossfire situations. Though with their own low leadership, they could very well be on the wrong end of a crossfire.
Skaven: I put skaven here because a couple reasons. 1. Tunnel teams allow them to set up some good crossfires. 2. Usually once skaven start to run, they are the least likely army to stop anyway. Crossfiring a fleeing skaven unit, just speeds up the inevitable anyway.
Wood Elves with a lot of fast cav: With their ability to run through woods, the woods teleport ability, and their usual envelope type offense allows them to pull this off in the hands of a skilled player.
Dark Elves with a lot of dark riders: Same as wood elves and also have the ability to take harpies as well. Now add on multiple terror causers and you have a nice recipe for crossfire.
Those that it hurts the most:
1. Brettonians: Usually they fight on your side of the board. If they flee they usually get away and rally to come charging back. If you can pop down a cheap crossfire unit and break them into it, this hurts them a lot. And their only real unit to crossfire is the pegasus knights, which are a bit pricey for this role.
2. Dwarfs: With their slow flee anyway, it takes them longer to get to the board edge and with rallying on a 9 or 10, they have a great chance to rally. If you cut this off short, it will hurt a lot more than other units.
3. Lizardmen: The reason, is they like to flee with their skinks, and with cold blood are great at rallying. Their low leadership causes them to break from combat a lot with the exception of the SMP w/Tomb guard combo. So would be easy to set up those crossfires on them. Add on that they have no really good units to use as crossfire troops. Most people won't buy 5 terradons, just too pricey. So they will be the most likely to have crossfire done to them without them being able to pull it off.
4. Empire: They also have almost no units to easily get into crossfire position, and with their low leadership, could be running into a lot of crossfires against them.
*************
At first glance, I like this new rule. It will add in a lot more tactics into play about trying to keep small units out of your backfield. And you trying to get units into the opponents backfield. Sort of like cutting off supply lines.
Before you didn't care about small units behind your lines, now they could mean your death. And it gives those of us with a lot of small skirmish units something to try and do with them, in those games where they are useless.
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Ben
posted by Ben at 12:37 PM
11 Comments:
Nice article, seems like you covered most of it.
A few comments,
Dwarf miners can pop up and charge with the ever present anvil but crossfire definently adds another dimension to their uses.
Warhawk units are US 2 per model.
Fast cavalry can cover 10" of space if they deploy 5 deep behind the enemy, that could cover a bit more than 2 units although they wont be able to fight very well.
About the armies hurt by it,
Dwarfs usually only run when they are broken in combat where their -1 to the fleeroll often do them in anyway so I wouldn't say they get hit that hard.
Also I don't think it's that easy to get behind a lizardmen army they have a lot of skirmish power to keep you away with, unless it's saurus heavy of course.
Anyways, nice blog and keep up the good work.
-Overhamsteren
"The Crossfire rule. Not sure what it is really called in 7th ed, but it is
quickly becoming known by this name."
You should use your blogspace to help stamp out this usage of the word 'Crossfire' before it takes hold. WFB has a shooting phase! Crossfire already means something else in a warfare/wargaming context. Take fire from, say a front and a flank: that's crossfire. This business of herding fleeing troops about needs its own name. 'Crossfire' is taken..
I don't follow the 7th ed. that closely, so it's nice to see great articles like this one.
This new rule seems pretty interesting and logical. The first comment is quite right, especially on fast cav ability to cover a large frontage.
It makes me still more fearful of seeing units raised in my back ! For skaven, one of our advantage is our ability to flee faster to avoid being caught, and I think skaven aren't that bad at rallying as long as the general and a musician are around.
If I remember correctly, terradons are US2 too (2 riders). And the Southland lists may use the horned ones riders to get behind enemy units.
I've heard that power dice will be kept by the wizard who generate them (a house rule I use'd to play), any confirmation ?
Yes, my bad on the Warhawk riders. They are US 2 and so only 3 would work like the pegasus units. Adding another good unit to the already strong wood elf army for this.
Teradons are only US 1. And as for Horned riders, they are only in the very rarely seen Southlands list.
That list is more like the Eshin list with so many skirmishers.
As for LM stopping units getting behind them, with what? Skink skirmishers? Salamanders are about the only unit they would have to put a real deterent on someone getting behind their lines.
As for the fast cav snake line. I have heard rumors this formation will be illegal in 7th edition. No confirmation as of yet. That is why I said what I said.
As for the the powerdice question. Yes, if a wizard generates a dice, he is the only one who can use it.
Ben
Well yeah sallies and the jaguar saurus should beat almost anything that is able to get behind the lizards, I suppose it's mostly light stuff and the saurus isn't really afraid of tough foes either.
Javelin skinks are also pretty good at cleaning up light troops.
And the stegadon is great if it gets really crowded back there ie. several beast herds coming in or some such.
Of course cross fire will be a problem for lizards as it will for any army that can flee but I think they have very decent tools to deal with it.
Btw, snaking is gone as a formation but I'm pretty sure you can still deploy 1 wide, you just can't bend your line of troops anymore.
-Overhamsteren
I think if a beastherd comes up behind you, your in trouble. The Nike saurus can run back there, if not in a unit, or not already on the other half of the board, but even then with only 3 attacks, he will have a tough time winning, even without their ranks. Will have to hit and wound all 3 times. If he misses even once (avg) he loses combat.
Salamanders will have a very difficult time beating a herd in combat. Their best thing to do would be to spit at the herd and hope they run away.
And the stegadon, has to actually turn around to deal with it. And now has its back to everyone else.
Before it was a nuisanse that needed to be dealt with. Now your talking about sending back an inproportianate amount of force to deal with a 150 point unit. Because you CANNOT leave it back there.
Yea, I'm not sure on the snake formation but if you simply cannot bend it, but can still go 1 wide formation, then yes, fast cav can make a long line to cover the back. But anything will be able to take them out.
Of course by then it maybe too late.
Ben
I love that new category - will be a great companion into the 7th ed., thanks Ben.
On the article: very well written, with good insights, and I agree with most being said.
BUT: Nike saurus has four attacks, five on the charge with that mark, and will have a good chance of holding on a seven when loosing combat by one. I wouldn't fancy my chances as a beast player against it if I can help it. Plus, quite frequently, ambushing herds won't have full command (well, they often don't now, no idea about 7th), so it's only two wounds to win for the saurus.
And really, the sallies are devastating enough to hold a whole flank plus the rear without difficulties - beast herds are NOT good at taking sally-fire ...
Cheers, Mutter
So instead of running after and popping beasty chariots, your going to have him keeping the backfield clean??
Your right, I always forget about that 4th attack. 4 attacks = 3 hits. A single 1 to wound means 2 wounds.
Assuming they do nothing. Standard, unit strength, musician = win by 1.
You hold, but now with the new 7th ed. rule, the beast unit gets to reform. I'll reform 5 wide and pick up 2 ranks. Now you auto lose every round with a good chance of breaking if you get a bad roll.
Your right, salamanders are the way to clear out the back. A unit of 3 spitting at any herd, should pretty much get them running right back off the table.
But if they come on, spread out while his other units are hitting yours, the backfield unit may have already done his damage.
Ben
Can you reform any way you want after you win combat? I thought you could only change facing when hit in the flank or rear, but then I haven't seen the book myself, only going by what people post on the net ...
Cheers, Mutter
I am also not certain. But rumors I'm hearing is you are allowed to reform.
I'll be looking at the 7th ed. rule book this weekend. So I will look at that for sure and report back.
Ben
Last thing I saw on Warseer was that you can reform if you bring more models in contact - so that won't work out for beastherds ...
Cheers, Mutter
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