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tgtony
07-22-2010, 01:50 PM
Hey yall, this is my fisrt post on the BOLS forums but ive been a troll for a while! I play 40k (nids and sallys) but since 8th edition has been brought out, my friends who all have fantasy armies as well, are playing more of that now.

Ive had some lizardmen, warriors of chaos, daemons, beastmen, dwarfs, orcs and goblins, and highelves. I have a little from all over. I dont really wanna play a duplicate army of one of my friends, because I already do that in 40k, so my question basically is, are beastmen competitive. How so? Im a newb at fantasy and some of the stuff is a little backwards. Thanks!!

blackjack
08-04-2010, 12:43 PM
I belive beastmen will be the Orcs of the 8th edition. An early army that will be substantially out shone by most army books that follow.

Apart from Minatours nothing in the army stands out at all.

Beta_Ray_Bill
08-04-2010, 06:21 PM
I'd have to agree. For an army that was supposed to be built for 8th, there isn't even that much they offer. I've though of employing a few small skaven tactics, as neither army has really outstanding core choices, but that's really yet to be seen.

They're almost built like a very scaled down version of lizardmen, pardon the pun. But even lizardmen have the "scary" slann, there just isn't too much to compel one to play-to-win with beastmen. Not really in the cards.

KriegXXIX
08-10-2010, 01:34 PM
Here are some thoughts on the subject.
- High damage output due to hatred rerolls.
- Minotaurs, Razorgors, and the big guys are the main damage dealers.
- Leadership and Armor are their big weaknesses.
- Ambush can be a big force multiplier.
- The magic lore can help out a lot.
- Easy access to cheap disposable units.

All in all, I think the army is a force that rewards tactical cunning. It won't be a push button win, but I think that is a good thing. You become a better general by playing tactically, and not through "superior" lists. I play my empire using mostly infantry. My heavy hitters are my blocks of Infantry, which are supported by everything else in the list. I (try to) win using maneuvering, magic and shooting to create favorable engagements on my terms. I don't have to use the pope-mobile or the stank to do it either (and don't even own either). It worked in 7th, and is proving even more effective in 8th.
Beasts have the tools to do the same thing. Your core infantry are cheap enough to field in large blocks, and they have access to better damage dealers than I do in the empire. Ambush can shape the battlefield in your favor too. If you can combine your charges, you can overrun your enemies. Gors by themselves might struggle, but if you throw in a chariot with them or another heavy hitter, you will find that combats will quickly swing your way through static combat res and kills. Both are important.
Just thought the devil's advocate needed to be heard. I pretty much have seen all the "lower tier" armies get better in this edition. 8th is a lot more about tactical ability than 7th was. 7th was a lot about what army you were and how much magic you were using from the middle of the edition to the end.