Swarms in 7th ed

One big thing I noticed was the lack of swarms in all the armies I saw. Now the armies I faced don't have swarms as a choice except for the VC player and he didn't have any bat swarms. But just walking around looking at armies, I don't remember seeing hardly any at all.

Yes the crumbling rule has weakened them and they are not as good a buy as they once were.

However, that doesn't mean they do not have their uses. I still used 2 rat swarms and they were very useful. I only messed up with them 1 time. The crumbling had a big affect the time I messed up. But the other 5 games this weekend, they worked great.

You just have to know how to use them and use them to their greatest abilities.

Friday night game:
I held them back not wanting them to get overrun by the Brett lances. I kept them in front of the ratling gun, to keep the pegasi knights from charging the ratling.
Then when it was time to hit the flanks, I ran them behind a unit I felt would flee. It did and the ratswarms cut them down. Go US 6!!!

Game 1, I kept them in front of the jezzails to protect them from any wayward charge from his fast cav or pegasi. I should have moved them behind the grail knights who did break, but forgot to. If I do that, the grail knights never rally, but it didn't really matter.

Game 2: I screwed up and left them far enough in front of his 2nd eternal guard unit. He hits them barely and I have to rank up to him without him wheeling, which is what I wanted. He does 5 wounds and they crumble.

Game 3: I used them to screen the plague monks from charging in through some goblin fanatics. They also would have worked great for removing the fanatics, if a bit pricey for that. After his whole flank crumbled, I just moved them to capture a table quarter.

Game 4: vs undead. I moved them in front of the jezzails to prevent a charge from his fell bats. He told me later that was a smart move. But I think the jezzails might have been able to handle them. They then moved to get a rear charge on the fell bats who were tied up in combat with my globadiers. As it turned out the globadiers wiped them out. So the swarms charged a banshee. Oh so sweet as the banshee crumbled in 2 rounds of combat.
Finally, my giant rats were slowly losing ranks to his ghouls and were about to lose combat. By charging the swarms into the flank of the ghouls, when I lost combat, the giant rats auto fled but were able to get away and rally because the swarms held the ghouls in place. Eventually they die and crumble but it saved the giant rat unit.

Game 5, like 90% of my army, they did nothing.

Swarms are still very useful and reliable. You just have to pick your targets a lot more carefully. Don't go hit a full ranked unit or you will crumble really quickly, or hit a character. But go ahead and hit a cavalry unit in the flank. Even if his one guy does a wound you lose by 2 (1 wound, banner, US to flank) so you lose 2 more wounds. You can tie him up for several combat rounds while your infantry moves up to charge him.

Since swarms are small they make great protection for your wizards in the front of units to stop those hit and run or suicide attacks just for taking them out.
I also love them in front of my Jezzails to stop those long range flyers or fast cav who like to charge them. I didn't lose my jezzails in any game this last weekend. So only having 5 did a great job and were able to shoot every round of every game except game 5 when they never had anyone in range.

Ben