How and When do you use the HoDA?

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WildTree
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How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by WildTree »

Thread title says it all! How do you guys make use of the Hail of Doom Arrow?

What do you shoot it at?

I'm a bit on the fence about it, mostly due to me forgetting to use it a few games now :-(
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by Blackcat »

I use it to alpha strike a smaller enemy unit. I always put it on a Glade Captain or Glade Lord because of their high BS skill so even at long range they will still be hitting on 2's. Using it on first turn every game also means you dont forget to use it. It is my single favourite magic item and I am glad we still have it.

The priority targets are enemy fast cav, enemy archers, light infantry or warmachines.
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by JRN »

btw, do we get -1 to shoot the arrow since it seems to be a multiple shot action?
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by Beithir Seun »

JRN wrote:btw, do we get -1 to shoot the arrow since it seems to be a multiple shot action?
Yep, unfortunately. It is now officially a Multiple Shots weapon, so suffers the penalty for it.
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by Maeglin »

Seems like a simplistic answer, but I use it when I need something to die.

That could be a unit of fast cavalry, an artillery piece, or when I'm combining every last shot I can muster to bring down that big gribbly or hoard that just has to die.
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by malempo »

I use it also as a first strike weapon, mostly against ranged units. With Str 4, you can put a nice dent into an archer unit. Your army should control the movement phase, it's also important to shut down the ranged phase of your opponent as quickly as possible.
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by Shandrakor »

Use it to delete solo characters or put extra pressure where needed. I only put it on the BSB or don't bother taking it.
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by Drstrangelove »

Great for deleting that unit that is granting cover for the unit behind it. HoDA off the screening unit, the unleash with the hagbane tips on the main unit.
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by DocDropPod »

Use it to remove chaff or line characters who could get in your way OR just use it to assist the removal of a large unit along with your GG
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by Coyle_Ravane »

malempo wrote:I use it also as a first strike weapon, mostly against ranged units. With Str 4, you can put a nice dent into an archer unit. Your army should control the movement phase, it's also important to shut down the ranged phase of your opponent as quickly as possible.
Exactly this.

WE are too fragile to stand up to enemy shooting, so I do everything possible to reduce it as quickly as possible.
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by Tethlis »

Yes, I also use it to reduce enemy shooting. I also use it to finish off Wounded monsters.

One useful component is that you can use it as insurance, helping to shore up the performance of any ranged unit that seriously underperformed. It's a nice way to keep your gameplan together if you have a bad round of dice rolls.
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by Domine Nox »

I use it on a Glade Captain who I put with Glade Guard using Arcane Bodkins so that when they want to shoot something that doesn't have high armor the Captain can whip out the HoDA to provide some extra hurt that the unit isn't adding as much too, since they are primarily an anti-armor response.
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by Avian »

It's not the most practical use of it but it's always fun to see the other player's face when you stand and shoot as a charge reaction with it.
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by Hflord »

When the enemy is in short range I use it...if the GG don't weaken the incoming enemy enough. Usually I'll shoot with the GG first that my BSB with HoDA is in. If they don't do enough damage, then HoDA will help get me to a needed panic check, or whatever....also use it as a stand and shoot on occasion.
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by Mollesvinet »

This has come up for us before in my group. Since you need to declare the target of the whole unit, shouldn't you decide whether to use the HoDA before rolling dice for the glade guard? I mean, they shoot at the same time as the captain after all.
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by ServantOfIsha123 »

Step 1. Take Shadow Lore.
Step 2. Cast Withering on their Horde/Deathstar/MonstrousCav
Step 3. Combine all shooting onto said unit.
Step 4. Fire the hail of doom arrow to mop up the (usually, after an average dice roll on withering) toughness 2 enemies. Hell, toughness 1 if you're lucky and/or casting withering on toughness 3 dudes.

I've seen it used to great effect to mop up the likes of dwarf hammerers, black orcs and hordes of 18 ogres once their toughness has been reduced by withering.
Wounding them on 2's and them only having a 6+ save after armour piercing = copious amounts of dead, expensive models.
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by Blackcat »

Avian wrote:It's not the most practical use of it but it's always fun to see the other player's face when you stand and shoot as a charge reaction with it.
I thought we couldn't stand and shoot with it though?
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by Avian »

Blackcat wrote:
Avian wrote:It's not the most practical use of it but it's always fun to see the other player's face when you stand and shoot as a charge reaction with it.
I thought we couldn't stand and shoot with it though?
The rules for the item state that it "is made instead of making a shooting attack with the bearer's Asrai longbow." It says nothing about stand and shoot reactions just that it is a shooting attack. although, having just pulled out my BRB and double checked the stand and shoot rules it says that a unit doing one "makes a normal although out of sequence shooting attack" since the HoD is a special shooting attack your right and it can't be done. Damn, I never realised that. Well caught.
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by Coyle_Ravane »

Avian wrote:
Blackcat wrote:
Avian wrote:It's not the most practical use of it but it's always fun to see the other player's face when you stand and shoot as a charge reaction with it.
I thought we couldn't stand and shoot with it though?
The rules for the item state that it "is made instead of making a shooting attack with the bearer's Asrai longbow." It says nothing about stand and shoot reactions just that it is a shooting attack. although, having just pulled out my BRB and double checked the stand and shoot rules it says that a unit doing one "makes a normal although out of sequence shooting attack" since the HoD is a special shooting attack your right and it can't be done. Damn, I never realised that. Well caught.
It is still a normal shooting attack, just with the HoDA instead of the asrai longbow.
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Re: How and When do you use the HoDA?

Post by Bogi »

Tethlis wrote:Yes, I also use it to reduce enemy shooting. I also use it to finish off Wounded monsters.

One useful component is that you can use it as insurance, helping to shore up the performance of any ranged unit that seriously underperformed. It's a nice way to keep your gameplan together if you have a bad round of dice rolls.
+1 to reliability.

I do also use it to get a soft high prority target like broloks. Nice to do before WW shooting so that the WW no armour shots take out some characters which were bunkering up.

+1 aslo to shooting their shooters with it even on turn one.
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