Auretious Taak:
"(completely off topic: its been a long time since I've played, but is there any good reason for having henchmen in groups? I could never see any reason not to have them by themselves....) "
The primary reason for keeping them together was so that the "Lad's got talent" roll doesn't get "wasted"; it also results in another increase for the rest of the group. Not necessarily a good reason to keep them together, but most likely the only reason.
Astranagant
The primary reason is that in later games you can add to units that have had good advances, such as attacks, WS and I. If you get a unit with an attack advance outright then you usually fill it up fast. It costs more to add in henchmen to an experienced group that way but is worth it.
The secondary reason is character and fluff. Henchmen move around in small punch groups. They work well when moving together but also it's a paperwork issue. They chew up less room on the warband roster as a group of 2 or more guys and if they are all armed with the same weapons then again it is easier on the roster sheet that way. It's not an issue for smallw arbands as much as large warbands, a Skaven band with 3-4 roster sheets is highly annoying to keep track of and unless individual henchies are clearly defined on the roster you lose track of them fast in the later stages of a developed warband. Oh, and animals.
Posted by Mr_PieChee - 08-07-2009 12:13 AM
If i we're you i would remove two of the henchmen in place of some better equipment. The experience these would gain isn't lost, since they can be added to a current group when you buy them in later games. 2D6 of experience pts for henchmen are available, which means that unless you very unlucky you can find men to fill the ranks without losing anything.
With that extra cash you can equip your heroes so they can do more than just hide. you can also buy some informers with bows.
I actually rarely play warbands above 3-6 members, I excel when I play with smaller warbands but have had alot of success with larger warbands with Orks and Skaven in large numbers. In my experience, that first game you sell off 2-3 shards of wrydstone, you're looking at 50-60 gc's anyways, or more depending on the scenario and you can equip everyone with basic equipment and the rabbits feet to increase income for the second game anyways. The difference in approaches is that instead of waiting 2 or 3 games to get an extra guy or two without experience, you already have the experience and the equipment anyways. Remember that experience is worth more then equipment, and that sure you can add to henchy groups later on but for every experience point that the new henchman will be gaining will cost 2gc's each (or is it 5gc's? It's in the rules, haven't added for so long heh) but the number you can add can't exceed 2D6 exp, so as soon as there is a larege number in the group ading more becomes impossible (3 henchies with 3 experience ina group is actually 9 experience total remember).
Also, you aren't just hiding. I accentuated the hiding as hiding means you stay alive longer to approach and engage the enemy. The warband churns out 2 str 3 attacks on average per member and the sorcerer depending on his spell can do more then just fight with 1 attack in combat. I do accentuate surviving the first few game sthough, 3 or 4 games in and you should be developed enough and have enough equipmnt to really start making a name for yourself.
Posted by black mantis - 08-04-2009 04:45 PM
thanks - i tried this one and am now able to buy some better equipment. Unforkunateli i lost a chaos dwarf and then rolled a 1 but now i can get some steel whips for the gaolers and a great weapon for the bull centaur and some other minor stuff.
Fun game and good starting list!
Cheers black mantis, glad the list works for you. Whilst you did lose 1 CD, you also have 4 left so end of the next game you'll have up to 4 advance rolls and with some luck a new hero for 5 heroes, maybe even 6. :) With the Bull Centaur, be sure to give him a hammer as well, you always have that dagger so a hammer, dagger, and 2-handed hammer (stuff the axe, the bludgeoning weapons have a better crit table then bladed :p) means if you charge you can use the 2 hand weapons and if you get charged you're going last anyways so smack the str 6 attacks out. :)
The steel whips can't be parried, but they also have the strike first rule (rules review I think that was clarrified in) and with Initiative 2, well they aren't the best weapons. Stick to basic weapons for a bit and start savinge xcess income so you have lucky rabbits feet and lucky charms across all heroes and then start getting some blunderbusses in and if you want some informers with Bows. I'd personally stick at 9 CD's, you get more income with 9 guys, as soon as you hit 10 you start losing income in that 10-12 member bracket. Use one of the heroes to get weapons expert and pick up a Crossbow ASAP.
Anyways, a mid-term priority is to get at least 2 blunderbusses on the field. Plonk em on your Gaolers as they are quite valuable and a hero has less chance of dying then a henchy with one. Preferably work towards all CD's who can be armed with one to be armed with one as Blunderbusses in massed numbers are a very scary sight (oh yeah, I've had experience with these babies before! :p).
Posted by Hashut's Blessing - 08-06-2009 10:46 PM
Can we see some models of them? It's interesting that you started with as many troops as possible with as little equipment as you did. Lucky of you to only lose one as well What sort of skills do your guys have?
Hashut's Blessing, your response seems to comment to me and black mantis at the same time - I'd love to see some models black mantis and the warband progression too. :) To my own Black Dwarf Warband, well it is non-existant model wise currently, not entirely true but the abnd will be seen at some point in the future when it is completed. My brother and I and the small group we play with regularly use WYSIWYG rules but understand that models might have equipment they don't have yet and because you're dealing with 3-20 odd guys it's not hard keeping track of who has what and at any time you just ask what equipment they have to keep track and make movements et al based off that so my guys are actually going to be armed with what they'll have for the majority of the campaign and the basics won't be a bunch of guys with 2 basic hand weapons. In any case, when the warband is done, it'll get shown here.
Posted by Kera foehunter - 08-07-2009 09:20 AM
You can shorten your list by adding pirates * WINK WINK *
Quiet Kera. :p
A.T.
What sort of skills do your guys have?