Banner of Shielding

[honestmistake]

Hi folks... not so much a question about its mechanics as it is one about house rules. 2 of our regular game group (including me) want to try restricting the banner to granting a max save of 4+ and 2 are very strongly against trying. I am just wondering if anyone has tried and what they thought if they have?

[Lex]

Why ?


Can you provide both rationel?

[Stormwind]

Even on a Chaos Knight unit, when I've tried it, it's not been as deadly as I hoped for, considering the points cost of the unit and the item.

[honestmistake]

Basic reasoning is that in pretty much every game we play an army that can choose a unit with the 4+ save will take a banner for 1 of those units (usually cavalry) while an army which cannot field those units never selects the banner. It's not necessarily overpowered but it does seem to overshadow the unique rarity of the real 3+ save units... it also feels a little dull and predictable that certain armies will always field one

As for how effective it is, once again tonight the banner made the difference between victory and defeat. Hard hitting heavy cavalry + a banner are pretty damn fearsome (massively so for a brettonian grail knight with a shield of combat cast on them or the 4 hits chaos knights!) and while it is expensive, it more than pays it's way unless it falls foul of cannons.

[jchaos79]

If your oponent always use the same tactic or armylist or combo and that is ruining the fun. Maybe you should talk polite with him rather than change a rule.

Some ideas:
-Try to game with different armylist or different configurations of army. 

-or just a second before start playing throw a dice:
1-3 --> start the game
4-6 --> change your position in the table and interchange the command, so you will play with his figures as his deployment are and he will play with yours --> then start playing.

[honestmistake]

It's very rare that any of us play the same army 2 games running but it is unusual to see an army that doesn't take the banner if it can get that 3+ save.  It's not really a big problem but I just wondered if anyone had tried limiting their use?

[Geep]

The banner is more effective the better the save of the unit it is given to. More than with most other items it gets better as the unit's stats get better. Maybe make a houserule with your opponents that the points cost of the banner is: 25, 40, 50, 65 points, depending on whether it is given to a unit with a -, 6+, 5+, 4+ save (respectively)?
(adjust points as playtesting indicates, of course. Maybe something like 25, 35, 50, 70 would be better?)