Bretonnian Tactics: A Knight Errant's Journey Begins

Bretonnian Tactics: A Knight Errant's Journey BeginsBy Ross Watson

With the recent release of the Bretonnian boxed sets and Army book, I saw an opportunity to start a new army full of fluttering banners, noble heraldry blazing upon shields, and glittering lances borne by legendary knights of valor. Taking the Army book and models in hand, I considered myself a Knight Errant, given the charge to turn these new Bretonnian models into a hard-hitting force that fights for the honor of the Lady. Soon enough, I had a force created and some games under my belt.

With such limited experience, I was a little apprehensive about writing a tactics article for Black Gobbo. However, since I just went through the process, I think I can safely speak about the Bretonnian basics. What's more, going over the basics may not only inspire someone who has never played Bretonnians before, it may also remind some of the veterans of a certain ability or application of these crusading knights that will improve even a well tuned army.

Bretonnia is a land of noble knights, brave sovereigns, and loyal peasants. Marshaling a war host based on these elements may appear to be a simple task, but what appears simple is rarely so. A Bretonnian commander must first consider the various kinds of knights and other warriors he wishes to choose for his forces. Secondly, a canny commander should also think carefully about how he arranges those forces on the battlefield for the best chance of victory. Thirdly, he must also decide how best to take advantage of those strengths while minimizing his weaknesses during the flow of the battle.

The ArmyThe Lance Formation, the Magic Phase, and the Blessing of the LadyThe Bretonnians offer two Lord choices to lead your army. The Bretonnian Lord is a formidable warrior who can be placed on a wide assortment of mounts both mundane and monstrous. The Prophetess is a powerful (although costly) Wizard.

For Heroes, you can pick from the impressive fighting abilities of the Paladin, who can be freely upgraded to a Battle Standard Bearer, and the Damsel, lesser in magic strength than the Prophetess but capable of countering enemy spells. Many of the Enchanted Items in the Bretonnian arsenal are geared more towards defense than domination of the Magic Phase, so choosing a Damsel instead of a Prophetess still gives a Bretonnian force some good defensive magic capability.

The Knight is the signature model of the Bretonnian army, and any Bretonnian force is required to field at least one unit of Knights of the Realm. Thus, a commander must always plan his forces around these compulsory Troops. Fear not, this is good news! Knights of the Realm are brave, hard-hitting fighters who can move quickly and absorb considerable punishment.

Knights Errant are the youngest, most hotheaded Knights in Bretonnia. Immune to Psychology on the turn in which they Charge, Knights Errant can prove to be a nasty surprise to a Fear-causing opponent such as the Vampire Counts or Tomb Kings. In addition, the cost-effective Banner of Errantry (20 points) increases the Strength of these Knights on the Charge, ensuring a great deal of carnage in the enemy ranks! I never leave the castle without this banner! Finally, Knights Errant are also the least costly Knights, making it easy to field a sizable force of these young warriors.

Questing Knights bear great weapons, meaning that they continue to strike at S6 every turn they are in combat. The Questing Vow means that these Knights reroll failed psychology tests, illustrating their boundless bravery and commitment. My Bretonnian force contains a unit of these doughty fellows, as I rely upon them to chop up enemy regiments and hold fast no matter what.

Grail Knights are living legends that possess both 2 Attacks and WS5, making them one of the hardest-hitting heavy cavalry units in the game. Additionally, the Knights' Grail Vow means that their attacks count as magical, allowing them to deal with even Ethereal opponents. Although I can only afford a small unit of Grail Knights, they have never failed to make a serious impression on my opponent, usually while hewing through his ranks!

No discussion of Bretonnian tactics would be complete without mention of the newly-unveiled Pegasus Knights. As flying cavalry, these Knights can soar high above the battlefield to devastate enemy War Machines, stop March Moves, or inflict shattering flank charges. Each Pegasus Knight has a Unit Strength of 2, enough to have some effect in a flank or rear attack if fielded in groups of three or more. Expensive, these models are likely to be fielded in small units that will have to be protected from enemy missile fire, but their T4, 2 Wounds, and impressive armor save means that it is rather difficult to bring these flying Knights down.

The Grail Reliquae and Battle Pilgrims make up a unit that many opponents will underestimate. Composed of scruffy-looking peasants and old relics, the Battle Pilgrims can put up one heck of a fight with their Hatred and Stubborn special rules. In addition, the Battle Pilgrims can gain the Blessing of the Lady! Combining the Lady's blessing with their armor, shields, and hand weapons, the Battle Pilgrims can form a unit that most enemy formations will find hard to crack. Properly used, Battle Pilgrims can tie up an enemy unit turn after turn, allowing faster-moving units like Knights to get into position for a flank or rear charge.

Men-at-Arms, Mounted Yeomen, and Peasant Bowmen (the non-Knightly forces of Bretonnia) suffer from low Leadership values, meaning that you should try to keep Knights nearby, or these scruffy-looking fellows will head for the hills at the earliest opportunity. When their spines are stiffened by the influence of a friendly Knight (due to the Peasant's Duty rule), however, these units can serve you well as cheap, expendable troops that can slow down an enemy flank or provide support for your Knights as they charge in.

Mounted Yeomen count as Fast Cavalry, gaining quite a few bonuses. For more information on the advantages and uses of Fast Cavalry, see Geoff Leong's "Rapid Response" article in White Dwarf #279.

Peasant Bowmen are an extremely versatile unit. These archers are good for annoying enemy units with longbow fire, attacking War Machine crews, and taking on other small, scouting units such as Free Companies or Lizardmen Skinks. Peasant Bowmen can Skirmish, which is an excellent idea to get the maximum number of shots from their longbows. In addition, Peasant Bowmen can set up with defensive stakes that make charging their formation a dicey proposition. It is almost always worth it to upgrade one Peasant Bowmen to a Villein in order to take advantage of his higher Ballistic Skill. The longbow's excellent 30" range gives Peasant Bowmen the ability to shoot across a great deal of the battlefield. Finally, Skirmishing Peasant Bowmen make a good screening force to protect another unit (such as expensive Grail Knights or delicate Damsels) from enemy shooting.

Men-at-Arms are similar to Clanrat Slaves in that they are expendable troops. A unit of Men-at-Arms with a Standard that is run down and destroyed doesn't grant any Victory Points for capturing the Standard, which means they function well as a sacrificial unit to lure enemy forces into position for a thundering charge with your Knights. Also, should your Knights get good and stuck in (which will almost always happen), a nearby unit of Men-at-Arms can pile in for a flank attack to support its noble countrymen and help outnumber the enemy in combat resolution. The addition of a Halberd can give a Men-at-Arms unit some bite (S4 attacks). Much like the Peasant Bowmen above, Men-at-Arms also do well to screen units you want to temporarily keep out of sight.

Though the Field Trebuchet is slightly more expensive than other Stone Throwers, the Field Trebuchet has the advantage of hitting harder at S5 (10) and reaching farther (up to 60"). One interesting method to protect your Trebuchet is a fly-by from your Pegasus Knights (use only if it is convenient and your Trebuchet is in real trouble!). Not only will the Pegasus Knights lend an 8 Leadership to the unit (thanks to the Peasant's Duty rule), the flying cavalry can keep any enemy units from threatening your valuable War Machine! Like any good Stone Thrower, the Trebuchet is safest behind your lines where only enemy Flyers or cavalry are likely to reach it.

The Lance FormationHeavily armored Knights thundering across the battlefield atop massive horses while carrying iron-tipped lances are a sight that can cause even the most jaded heart to quail. The Lance formation ensures that the majority of the Knights in any given unit will get to attack during a Charge. Flank attacks can become an issue with the Lance formation due to its extended length and relatively small front, but that same front means that two or more Knight units can usually get to charge the same enemy regiment! In order to gain the maximum benefit of your unit champion, place him in the front rank where he can accept and issue challenges. Damsels who have joined a Knightly unit are protected by riding in the center of the formation, although doing so means that the Damsel's line-of-sight is severely reduced. Generally, I never place my Damsel in such danger, preferring to keep her in the rear of my force where she can concentrate on disrupting my opponent's Magic Phase. However, depending on the spells you get for a battle, you may wish to go ahead and place her with the Knights to assist them with any spells that do not require line-of-sight.

Keeping in mind that the Lance formation is made up of ranks three Knights wide, the ideal size of a Lance formation is a multiple of three. Six Knights in Lance formation means that five of those Knights can fight during the charge. However, to make sure that at least six Knights make it into combat, you will probably want a larger unit! Of course, each rank of three Knights adds a bonus to Combat Resolution, so units of 12 and even 15 Knights are not unknown (although 15 Knights are a little difficult to maneuver, much less fit into the Deployment Zone!). I would suggest 15 Knights if you are expecting to face a massive amount of enemy shooting in the 1st turn or so (e.g., against a cannon-heavy Empire or Dwarf army). A unit of 12 Knights is generally the ideal size, able to lend a +3 rank bonus in Combat Resolution and bringing a total of nine models able to fight into any charge. However, I usually field my Knights in units of nine, led by a Paladin or Lord, in order to save some points.

The Magic PhaseDamsels and Prophetesses can make the Bretonnian Magic Phase a success. Although only three Lores are available (two in the case of the Damsel), the Lore of Life is a surprisingly powerful choice. Using the updated Lore of Life list found in Warhammer Chronicles 2004, the Damsel can achieve some impressive results with her magic! There are some Enchanted Items that can make casting Life spells far easier as well. Defensively, Damsels work well in pairs, especially with the Sacrament of the Lady, the Chalice of Malfleur, and the Silver Mirror to keep enemy magic shut down.

The Blessing of the LadyBretonnian armies have the luxury of a choice at the beginning of every game. If he wishes, a Bretonnian commander can give up the 1st turn to the enemy in return for a 6+ Ward save for his Knightly units (and the Grail Reliquae), which increases to a 5+ Ward save against attacks of S5 or higher. Taking the Lady's blessing is almost always worthwhile. The additional save for the Bretonnian forces makes them far more formidable against the enemy's attacks, especially when you consider that taking the 1st turn is by no means guaranteed on a single die roll in the first place! Unless you are playing in some kind of scenario with specific objectives that you are required to claim in order to achieve victory (and those objectives are close enough to take in the 1st turn!), it's difficult to think of a situation in which a Bretonnian army would willingly forgo the Lady's blessing. Having said that, however, once you have given up the 1st turn in order to take the Lady's blessing, you should do everything you can to keep it! Thus, you want to make sure your Knights (and Grail Reliquae) have the odds stacked in their favor with regards to break tests. Every unit with the Lady's blessing that flees will lose that hard-earned Ward save. The Lady's blessing is even more effective against forces with lots of War Machines, Cannons, Stone Throwers, and Bolt Throwers. Obviously, against an army like those mentioned above, the Lady's blessing is even more important to have.

CustomizationSlick Combos for Lords and UnitsBetween the various Bretonnian Magic Items and the Virtues of the Chivalric Knight, there are far too many options to list here in this article. However, I will go over some of my favorite combinations here and briefly explain the advantages of each.

The DuelistA Bretonnian Lord with the Virtue of Confidence, wearing the Armor of Agilulf and bearing the Gauntlet of the Duel makes for a fearsome duelist. This Lord can challenge nearly any enemy character and come out victorious. The Gauntlet ensures that no challenge can be refused, the Virtue allows for rerolls to hit and to wound, and the Armor gives the Lord WS10 (making for a 3+ needed to hit against almost every foe). Duelist Lords work best by tearing apart the enemy champion or character in a challenge and lending the full overkill bonus to Combat Resolution. Total cost: 200 points (including lance, shield, and mount).

The DragonslayerA Lord with the Virtue of Heroism and the Gilded Cuirass can slay any monster, be it a Dragon, Hydra, or Shaggoth. The Virtue gives the Lord's attacks the Killing Blow ability against Large Targets, while the Gilded Cuirass, in addition to the Lady's Blessing, helps protect the Lord from the monster's counterattack by adding the Regeneration ability. A Dragonslayer Lord works best by roaming the battlefield alone and roaring battle cries as he hunts down the enemy General (if riding a monstrous mount) or units such as Rat Ogres and Kroxigors. Total cost: 235 points.

The Veteran LancerA Paladin with the Virtue of Knightly Temper or the Heartwood Lance makes for an excellent leader for any Knightly unit. Both Virtue and Lance make for an increased number of hits and Wounds on the Charge, which is never a bad thing! A Veteran Lancer Paladin would be an excellent addition to a band of Knights Errant, helping to make up for their otherwise average Weapon Skill. Total cost: 120 (Virtue) or 111 (Lance) points.

The Phantom KnightsA unit of Knights with the Twilight Banner or the Braid of Bordeleaux can ride through intervening terrain like some kind of ghostly procession. The Twilight Banner is an excellent way to maneuver a large unit of Knights into a threatening position by ignoring any intervening terrain, while the Braid can make sure your Knights fear no bodies of water. Battles against Lizardmen (who likewise make good use of water features) would be an excellent time to utilize the Braid's power to counter the enemy's advantages. The sudden appearance of a group of Knights on a flank can cause the enemy's plans to fall apart very quickly! Total cost: 337 points (12 Knights of the Realm with the Twilight Banner and full command).

The Fearless DefendersA unit of Questing Knights with the Valorous Standard led by a Paladin Battle Standard Bearer is the next-best thing to unbreakable. Questing Knights are normally able to reroll failed psychology tests, and the presence of the Valorous Standard gives them the best two dice of 3D6 for any Leadership roll. Of course, the Battle Standard Bearer then adds his reroll for break tests. To make the unit slightly more balanced, I recommend giving the Paladin the Virtue of the Ideal, which adds some additional close-combat ability to the unit while lowering the Leadership tests by 1. Total cost: 506 points (11 Questing Knights with full command and the Valorous Standard led by a Paladin Battle Standard Bearer with mount, great weapon, Questing Vow, and Virtue of the Ideal).

The Storm of LancesA unit of Knights of the Realm with the Banner of the Lady led by a Paladin with the Virtue of Duty can break far more numerous formations. The Banner, while expensive, is simply amazing enemy units will get no bonus for ranks. In addition, the Virtue adds a +1 to combat resolution, which adds to the normal bonuses for ranks and so forth. An alternative combination involves the War Banner and the Virtue of Discipline, which also denies the enemy a combat resolution bonus for outnumbering. Total cost: 498 points (11 Knights of the Realm led by a Paladin Battle Standard Bearer with the Banner of the Lady, mount, lance, shield, and the Virtue of Duty).

Deployment and ManeuveringHelpful Tactics Complete with Deployment MapsDeploymentHere are some basic examples of a Bretonnian army's deployment. Of course, as any player learns and grows to understand his army in depth, his deployment will change depending on his playing style and the kind of enemy he is facing. For a beginner like myself, these simple plans seem to work while gaining that experience!

Example 1: As you can see, the Peasant Bowmen anchor the flanks, assisted by a unit of Men-at-Arms on one side and the deceptively formidable Grail Reliquae with Battle Pilgrims on the other. The center is held by units of Knights Errant and Knights of the Realm, while the Questing Knights and Grail Knights ride on either side to support. The idea here is to keep the squirrely Peasant Bowmen and Men-at-Arms units within 6" of a Knight while keeping the flanks secure and providing a platform for multiple units of your Knights to get a charge in at the enemy. Another advantage to having the Knights in the center of your formation is that they can then quickly respond to enemy movements and maneuver wherever they are needed most.The Key

Peasant Bowmen

Men-at-Arms

Grail Reliquae

Knights Errant

Knights of the Realm

Questing Knights

Grail Knights

Bowmen Skirmishers

Field Trebuchet

Example 2: An alternate deployment plan would place the Knightly units on both sides, shoring up the center with the Men-at-Arms, Peasant Bowmen, and Grail Reliquae. This version spreads the Knight's Leadership around a bit more, and the Knightly units have a greater shot at getting flank charges off. In this deployment, the two units of Knights on either flank can sweep in towards the center if the enemy makes a push, or attempt to roll up the enemy's flanks en masse.

Example 3: If a large piece of terrain (such as a hill) blocks the center of your Deployment Zone, you have essentially two options. You can split your force, or you can concentrate yourself into one corner. I have taken the first option and below you will find a sample deployment of a Bretonnian force to deal with it. On either side, I have placed two Knight units to provide the hard-hitting punch, while on the left, the Peasant Bowmen and Men-at-Arms compose the backup and ranged firepower. On the right, the Grail Reliquae (faithfully accompanying the Grail Knights) and the skirmishing archers fill the same role as their countrymen to the left. The basic idea here is to get around the hill with both forces, bringing their respective forces to bear on the enemy as he approaches. While it will take a turn or two to maneuver into position, the Peasant Bowmen can fire at any enemy units in range while the Men-at-Arms and Grail Reliquae ensure that any fast-moving enemies (such as Flyers or chariots) that make it into combat will find themselves outnumbered. Once the Knights are in position for the charge, hopefully the enemy's flanks will be open to attack.

ManeuveringSomething that became glaringly apparent to me during my games with the Bretonnians is that it is important, nay, vital, to get the Charge with your Knights. The shock value of the Knights' lances hitting at S5 or S6 can really decimate your opponent and makes for some devastating Charges if you can get more than one Knight unit involved.

The downside to all this is, of course, making SURE you get the Charge. Doing so can be difficult, but there are a few things to keep in mind to increase your chances. Take advantage of the Bretonnian cavalry's movement (those barded warhorses come in very handy), interfere with March Moves by utilizing your flying units (like a Lord on a Hippogryph or Pegasus Knights), and try to lure in your opponent's regiments by putting forth some Men-at-Arms or the Grail Reliquae as bait.

Try to remember that the Damsel's spells (especially those from the Lore of Life) can be used to slow enemy movement as well. Once you have your target in position, sound the horn and raise your banner high, for the next thing that should happen is a heavy cavalry charge! Breaking and running down an enemy unit is almost always good for Bretonnians, so I suggest you target an enemy regiment with more than one Lance formation if possible. During the turn in which you charge, consider where your Knights can overrun or redirect towards should those outcomes seem likely. After you've broken through the enemy lines, start thinking about where you want your Knights to wheel so that they can line up for another charge.

Back to the Castle!Hopefully this overview of the basics has awoken within you a willingness to let your Knights charge proudly into battle alongside faithful peasant retainers. Taking into account the variety of Knights and other warriors, along with the incredible versatility of the Virtue-and-magic-item combinations, the Bretonnians are a force to be reckoned with, the equal of any in the Old World.Having imparted some nuggets of knowledge I've gleaned from my thus-far limited association with the armies of Bretonnia, I am off to seek new challenges for my bold Knights and stalwart Men-at-Arms. Let the foes of King Leoncoeur beware I ride for the Lady!