Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

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Banana
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Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by Banana »

Recently I finished a 1000 point army. The tactic was pretty simple: have Eagles be speed bumps and redirect units, allowing Glade Guard to get in short range for shooting and then after that, Dryads would come and finish off the job. This works against infantry and more numerous units but I've realized I don't have anything to deal with War Machines. I was thinking about changing tactics if I came up against Dwarfs or something, so that my Eagles go and deal with War Machines and the Dryads and Glade Guard would deal with more basic units by themselves. Trouble is I barely have any experience playing Wood Elves, and although this could theoretically work, I have no idea whether this tactic would be viable or not.
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by JAMOB »

Yeah sure! As long as they don't get shot to death by them first they're great. Eagle nobles are even better, and I use those two to kill them every time.
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by wildZguy09 »

You might not necessarily kill it but you will tie it up for most of the game. Depends a lot on the war machine as well
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by Billthesurly »

About 20 shots from GG at long range will usually do at least 2 wounds (fates willing and your dice don't suck) to a warmachine which tenderizes it nicely for a follow-up Eagle attack.
So it's no longer the BRB, now it's the DERB. (Digital Edition Rule Book) I am all in for 9th Age.
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by Mollesvinet »

Against traditional warmachines they are fine, too bad all the new cannons outfight even our eagle nobles. I'm talking about ogres, daemons and warriors of chaos of course.
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by albertoalter »

In my Games Eagles are so useful in redirect that I don't like to use them for other roles...
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Mollesvinet
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by Mollesvinet »

While eagles are very good at redirecting, it is better to keep all options open. Sometimes redirecting can be more important, sometimes taking out or even just delaying a war machine can be more important. Also, don't forget that if your eagle successfully kills a war machine, then it can probably still manage to redirect something afterwards.
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by Phil Rossiter »

This is where Scouts and Fast Cavalry can be useful because they have overlapping roles with eagles.

Too bad the WE ones are so expensive but I still take a few to cover all the bases.
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by Pawiie »

I'm usually pretty lucky and I kill a warmachine at long range with my GG - 2 units of 12 each usually does the job..
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by popisdead »

Phil Rossiter wrote:This is where Scouts and Fast Cavalry can be useful because they have overlapping roles with eagles.

Too bad the WE ones are so expensive but I still take a few to cover all the bases.
Pre 8th ed I would have a Great Eagle, 5 Scouts and 5 Glade Riders on a flank to run up and deal with threats. If those had S4 bows I would still do it. I liked the combo and how it worked.
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by Phil Rossiter »

As said war machines are often harder to kill now but there are still some these troops can deal with. A good Dwarf or Empire player will have units blocking approaches but it's harder for Bretonnians say, to do this.
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by Drstrangelove »

dwarf crews can be hard to shift with an eagle. T4, armour and stubborn does that.
Really I find only empire, elven and OnG crews to be easy pickings with an eagle.
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by Sidewinder »

I know they are greatly overpriced and I would like to have better options but I use six Waywatchers for charging war machines.
It usually only takes one round of combat sometime two to eliminate a war machine. It's fast because the WW are making 12 attacks to the usual three that are coming back. And the WW normally strike first.

This enables my Eagles to redirect, attack lone mages, etc.
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by Zefiris »

Now I think about it if you normally count that it takes a noble on a eagle to take care of some of the tougher warmachines, waywatchers isnt that bad of a purchase being 5 waywatchers is = to a naked Noble on a Eagle. (and you are for sure going to buy extra equipment on the noble)

If it was the easier warmachines as stated above ( empire, elven and OnG ), you can just use an eagle for warmachines and use the waywatchers to do the redirect, attack lone mages, and threaten via KB. And if the other way around like Sidewinder said we can just reverse it.
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by Phil Rossiter »

Plus the KB threat from the Waywatchers is still useful, just less than it was. Being -2 to be shot isn't bad either. I still take 5 in my all-comers list.
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by Drstrangelove »

Knight buses are on the up, and 6 waywatchers is the perfect number to take out a warmachine.
I think you could do a lot worse than bringing 6 if the list has spare points
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by Phil Rossiter »

The KB threat from a small unit isn't that reliable but it makes an opponent think twice with his Disc rider, or moving a tank cavalry character around solo for example.

Edit: Just played a disastrous one-day tourney but a highlight was Lethal Shotting the Blue Scribes game 1!

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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by Jamesaet3 »

It is possible to do it, but it isn't really likely, if you put a hero on top, absolutely.

Of course I'm not really a great eagle type of guy.
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by SpanielBear »

Another option to consider for the role is Wild Riders. Five of them are fast, not that much more expensive than Glade Riders, and have a variety of tasty rules and ward saves. Being fast cavalry, they can be very nippy, while still being plenty painful if an enemy has them charging in the flank or rear in later turns.
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Re: Can Great Eagles be used to kill War Machines?

Post by Billthesurly »

YES. Eagles CAN be used to kill warmachines. It's best to grab them by both feet and swing them overhead.
So it's no longer the BRB, now it's the DERB. (Digital Edition Rule Book) I am all in for 9th Age.
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