In the General's Handbook 2017, army building changed dramatically. With an abundance of different Allegiances entering the fray, free of the constraints of having to wait for their own Battletome, and the addition of Allegiance-specific Battle-line choices, it has become obvious that Games Workshop is actively looking to guide the meta.
And I am totally ok with that…
It feels like the more we explore each faction, the more layers we are finding to the synergies and combos. And the more synergies and combos we find, the more attractive those minor factions become over the typical Grand Alliance armies of old (well, you know… a few months at least.).
One of the catalysts for this shift toward smaller faction Allegiances I think has a lot to do with the adjustments to certain artefacts (Battle Brew, I mean you!), and the introduction of Allies; and that's what I'd like to touch on today.
In the first iteration of the General's Handbook, choosing a specific Allegiance was quite restrictive. While it opened up a lot of fresh options and rules, you paid a high price by limiting yourself to a very small selection of units. Some armies were still very flexible, with generous options available to them, while others had a mere handful of units with which to cobble together an army. And naturally, the cost-versus-payoff was a decision each and every player had to make.
In time, several Allegiances proved themselves very capable of holding their own without help from outside their stable of units, while many players chose to dive headlong into the Grand Alliance mindset, cherry picking the cream of the crop and creating lethal combos brewed from a concoction of war scrolls and special rules. Eventually, the best combos rose to the surface, and we began to see the dreaded Sayl/Stormfiend/Bloodletter slingshot army, the Kunnin' Rukk/Stonehorn army, fifteen Kurnoth Bow-Hunters/Hurricanum… the list goes on.
In an effort to steer away from the prominence of Grand Alliance armies, the Allies mechanic has been introduced. In one swift motion, list building became much more flexible as well as having suitable constraints and boundaries. By giving each allegiance a list of allies, and a points limit, this now gives each player the room to stretch their legs and explore a whole new set of units and combos.
Now, in my opinion, Allies have one of three purposes. They are either a Sharpener, a Plug, or a Brick. Allow me to explain.
A Sharpener is an ally unit (or multiple units) that accentuates existing strengths already present in your army. A Loremaster is a perfect example of this, as his spell amplifies the killing potential of any model in your army (typically the biggest, angriest one!), and not restricted by any keywords, which is a huge deal. Sisters of the Thorn and Celestial Hurricanums are both exceptional Sharpeners, adding significant power to whatever force they join.
A Plug is a contingent of allies that poses a hard counter to a glaring weakness present in an army. For example, Beastclaw Raiders have always had a model count problem. They usually have very little in the way of expendable units, but in a new meta where scenarios can be influenced strongly by large units, the ability to purchase units such as Gnoblars gives Beastclaw armies access to cheap, numerous bodies to use as either objective campers, area denial units or screens; whichever is most needed. Alternatively, they can choose to invest a hefty sum in a Massive Regiment of Ogors, offering up a truly daunting slab of models. With 48 wounds spread across only twelve models, your opponent may struggle to get through the unit while also dedicating resources toward more aggressive threats (no one likes taking multiple Ice-Wreathed Spheres now, do they!). While this ally contingent is perhaps more expensive and less numerous than Gnoblars, it fills the same role with a little more tenacity; filling out your army with a large unit capable of claiming and holding objectives while taking acceptable losses. Dispossessed players may look to incorporate a Plug into their army in the form a Endrinriggers, giving them the speed and mobility that they so desperately need.
Lastly, there is the Brick; a self-sustained, independent unit or collaboration of units that gives you the tactical flexibility, damage output or survivability that you feel you need. Whether it's a Runesmiter and some of his friends, a Mourngul or the sheer destructive potential of a Celestant Prime, the idea behind the Brick is that you don't need to babysit it for it to be able to perform at full potential. Support won't hurt a Brick, but without it, your opponent still needs to have concern.
I think there are two questions you need to ask when writing a list.
"Do I need Allies at all?"
"Will an allied Warscroll make my army more powerful?"
I think that no matter what army you play, or army composition you prefer, there is a degree of flexibility offered by the Allies mechanic. I don't think Allies should be taken for the sake of it, and if it doesn't serve a specific purpose, I'd question it's presence in the list, but I am overall very happy with how list-building is currently. There is so much variety in the scene at the moment, and it's extraordinarily refreshing!
I don't think that there is any calculation on what the "best-in-slot" ally is, as it depends so heavily upon the main list and its strengths and weaknesses, but its fascinating seeing different players take the same list and spin it in completely different directions by simply mixing up the allied portion.
What are your go-to Allies, and how do they fit into your army? I'd love to know your thoughts.
Thanks for reading,
Gabe
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