8th Ed. Required Number of Combat Blocks

[Eladimir]

Does anyone have a rule of thumb on how many combat blocks you use at point levels?

I try to have 3 at 2000 points
Ie 25 Saurus Block, 24 Skrox, 20 TG

At 2500 and at 3000 is a 4th block mandatory, or even recommeneded?

On one side Our units blocks are pretty big being 25mm (or 6 wide 20mm for my SKrox's) and there could be bottlenecks where you 300 point unit of saurus gets stuck and is unused in the game.

On the otherhand if we are highly out numbered block wise even our tough as nails units will fall to flank charges.

Thoughts?

 

[Arli]

I know that there is a minimum of 3 units for each army to start with. AFter about 2500 points, I would expect more units. If I do not go over the 3 or 4 units, those units will be very large. Usually, at that level, I will have a unit of saurus, a unit of temple guard, at least a unit or two of skrox, 2 units of salamanders, and chameleons (2 units of 8-10 if not 3 units of 7) mixed in with some Terradons (at least 1 unit of 4-5).

 

[Qupakoco]

I've only played a handful of 3000 point games since getting back into it, but I bring 4 blocks--> 2 Saurus, 1 TG, 1 Skrox (w/tons-o-skinks). Pretty standard for me. I haven't ran a list with 5 blocks yet, unless you count Cold One Cavalry.

You can muck up the table pretty fast with lots of combat blocks. It'll hurt someones movement phase if you don't plan for that. I've been able to avoid combat with the Great Unclean One twice now because the DoC player messes up his own game. He likes to bring 7 or 8 smaller combat units and they tend to get in the way.

 

[Eladimir]

Yeah I think 3 largish block at 3000 points is too few. I have a carn and a steg on the flanks but I think at least a 4 block (~15-20man support saurus) is important in a tourne/all comers setting to avoid getting swarmed by empire or skaven troops.

 

[rothgar13]

I think 2 legitimate fighting blocks with one versatile/complementary block is a good rule of thumb for a 2500-point army. It certainly has served me well with the armies I play.

 

[MOMUS]

Im seeing alot of tournament builds with a maximum of two combat blocks, usually a saurus bunker and a skrox min/max unit.

 

[elmoheadbutt]

I try to always have 2 block of saurus warriors, and their main purpose is to lock an enemy unit in close combat for as long as possible.

 

[Taipan]

It's kind hard not to, stupid army % force you to expend 1/4 in Core minimum. Typically it goes;

2 blocks (1 Saurus, 1 TG) at 1.5k
4 blocks (2 Saurus, 2 TG) at 2.5k or higher

I also field 2x 11-strong Skink units at 1.5k
Then drop them down to 10 and add another 2x 10-strong at 2.5k or higher, just to fill out Core points.

Considering other armies, 2-4 big blocks of solid Core and Special is the norm these days anyway, due to how % work, they kinda shoehorn everyone into that. On the plus side, we outfight most non-broken infantry (oh hai Warriors of Chaos/Daemons), and spell buffs from the Slann push that into 'we win all the time'.