As part of my returning to play The Old World, I thought it would be fun to put together a series of articles detailing "beginning" tips and tricks. One reason for this is to refresh myself and talk things through but I also want to provide a resource for other players who may be struggling to understand specific aspects of the game. Learning the "rules" is one thing but learning the "game" is another. So let's dive in and talk about big 'ol blocks of models!
But First, a History Lesson
Before we dive into the "Why?", I'd like to set the stage a bit. Unit Size has been a topic of discussion for as long as Warhammer Fantasy and its variants have existed. In past Editions, mostly 6th/7th Editions, Units were often taken in small sizes. This was because Psychology was far more punishing than it is in TOW: it was very common for a Unit to break/panic and be lost altogether or at least for a few turns. This changed in 8th Edition, which prioritized large blocks of Infantry by handing out resiliency to Break Test tied to Ranks as well a Spells that attacked/buffed large units.
When TOW first came out it certainly leaned more towards the "small Units" side of things, for a variety of reasons. Spells were unreliable, though impactful, large Units didn't benefit from less "Static Combat Resolution" (such as Outnumbering and Ranks), Monsters had everything going for them, etc. etc. A lot of players were, in my opinion justifiably, disappointed by this because part of playing a Rank and Flank type game is seeing the big units stomping around on the tabletop.
Fortunately, in my time away, massive changes have happened. Infantry regained Outnumbering, giving them another +1 to Combat Resolution, as well as +1 Armor Save for Hand Weapon/Shield and a deeper Fighting Rank when not charging. Characters and Monsters have been toned down , Magic has evened out and become a bit more tactical, and the Matched Play rules have given the spotlight (a bit more) to ordinary units.
Enter the Large Infantry Block
Just to be clear, Infantry are not the only beneficiaries to large units, they're just where I want to start as the most obvious example. So, from a high level, why do we want to take large units (30-40+ models) of Infantry compared to say, two units of 15-20?
The Power of Force Multiplication
There are many ways to increase a unit's efficacy beyond their normal Characteristics and Special Rules: Spells, Magic Items (Standards), Special Rules tied to Characters, etc. The more benefit you can get out of these rules, particularly if you paid points for them, the better. This concept is known as "Force Multiplication", essentially making something more than the sum of its parts.
The basic idea is that you can only have specific effects in a single place, tied to a single unit, at a time. If I'm trying to cast an Enchantment, such as Oaken Shield, I get more out of that Spell by targeting a large unit vs. choosing between two small ones. I'm now presenting a singular, improved threat to my opponent and they have to deal with it. If I have two small units, my opponent can simply target the one without Oaken Shield and still deal damage.
Offensively, this works the same way. As a Beastmen player, lets say I want to take the Vitriolic Totem (provides Poisoned to the unit's attacks). If I pay for that on a small unit, my opponent can target them and either remove or reduce that unit so they don't have to deal with it. On the other hand, if it's tied to a large unit then it's unlikely all of them will be killed before I can make use of the Magic Standard. Even better, I'm likely to have a wider Fighting Rank, which means I'm rolling more dice that benefit from the effect.
Now, it's not all sunshine and rainbows here. This principle cuts both ways: if an opponent manages to cast a Hex on a large unit, they're getting more bang for their buck than normal. That said, there are many more ways for a player to positively impact their own units than there are for opponents to negatively impact enemy units. Also, it's significantly easier to defend a couple of units against Spells than it is an entire army of many small units, so this weakness can be mitigated with some thought.
Combat Resolution
For anyone who's played even a single game, you'll know that Combat Resolution is a big deal in who wins and who loses any given match (yes, I know it's called Combat Result now, I'm never going to say that). Large units have a few benefits that aren't accessible to their smaller counterparts when it comes to this part of the game:
First, obviously Infantry benefit from "Outnumbering" where if a side in a Combat has a higher Unit Strength than the other, and that side includes at least one Infantry/Heavy Infantry unit, you get a static +1 CR (Combat Resolution). Static CR is enormously important because it's not tied to dice: everyone has had a bad roll where what should have been a win turned into a loss because you couldn't kill anything. Your average unit of Infantry will typically have a +5 CR (2 Ranks, Standard, Outnumber, Close Order) which can go up or down (such as with Horde or Open Order). Of this, all but the Standard is tied to Unit Strength/size. We need models to keep our Rank Bonus, to keep at/above Unit Strength 10 for Close Order, and of course Outnumber. The more models a unit has, the longer it can keep these bonuses.
Another wrinkle is that almost none of the above bonuses stack. Lets say you have two units of 20 models in a Combat vs. one unit of 40. Outnumber doesn't stack, you get it once as long as you meet the requirements. Ranks don't stack, you use whichever unit has the highest Rank Bonus. Standards don't stack, you only get one per Combat. Only Close Order stacks and as we've touched on, it has to be maintained via Unit Strength.
While another instance of Close Order is not nothing, we're in danger of losing it through attrition, so we start a bit stronger but fall off much more quickly as the game goes on. The point is, our Static CR is more reliable with numbers of models compared to number of units splitting that same number of models. The more rules such as Horde that you have, the truer this becomes.
Maneuverability and Footprint
Discussing this topic in abstraction is a little difficult but I'll do my best. Let's start with footprint, this is the physical space that a unit takes up on the tabletop, the larger the unit, the larger the footprint. Having a large footprint isn't purely beneficial but it does come with some advantages:
First, we have "unpacking" our Deployment. The more units you have, the more they compete for space with each other to walk towards the enemy while avoiding Terrain or taking a long route to get there. If you have fewer units, with larger footprints, it's easier to picture in your mind's eye where they'll go and how they'll get there. You're simplifying things by creating less competition for space in your Deployment Zone and in the middle of the table as the game progresses. This matters more for purely melee armies as all their units are moving around compared to a faction like Empire where you have a lot of War Machines and shooting that doesn't need to move.
Second, we have the concept of "anchoring". A large unit holds more space, which means less room for an opponent to move around or past it. It also creates a bigger obstacle for an opponent to get "through", meaning you can place more fragile Characters or units behind this "anchor" and in relative safety. This also works with Terrain, if you can cover a large unit's flank with a piece of terrain, or wedge them between two, you're denying a lot of space for an opponent to maneuver themselves. Of course, many small units can do this too but as we've discussed, they're easier to remove or attrition with Magic/Shooting and can then be "punched through".
Another topic is frontage: how large the Fighting Rank of a unit is. Smaller units typically have a Fighting Rank of 5 (assuming they're trying to maximize Ranks, there are many exceptions to this) while larger units will have a Fighting Rank of 7+. If you can have a large frontage, while maintaining Ranks, you're getting both Static CR and the advantage of as many attacks as possible. A smaller unit has to choose between one or the other. That ties in with our first topic of Force Multiplication: more models in the Fighting Rank means more opportunities to benefit from your Enchantments/Magic Items/Special Rules by rolling more dice.
There is a caveat to frontage and that's models with multiple Attacks. A model needs to be in base to base contact with an enemy to make more than a single attack, so units like this only want to be as "wide" as whatever they're likely to fight. Fortunately, this can be decided by what formation you deploy a unit in. Remember, as long as you DON'T have more Ranks than Files, you're not in a Marching Column formation. Don't just deploy a unit with the same frontage every game!
Of course, many rules can impact this particular sub-topic. Move Through Cover is an obvious one: if you're fighting an enemy with a lot of Skirmishers/Move Through Cover units then using Terrain to anchor your flanks becomes less of an option. Always take into account what army you're playing with and against.
Break Them
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, large units are considerably better at causing an opponent to Flee from Combat. The Old World is often a game of attrition, units fight back and forth but don't run thanks to game-wide high Leadership and (often) the presence of a Battle Standard. The best way to get a unit to run, quickly, is to outnumber them by at least 2 to 1. This has always been the case, it's a Core Rule involving Fall Back In Good Order, but only recently have Infantry been able to really step into that role.
Large units are the best at this because not only do they provide the numbers but they don't take up as much space as multiple, smaller units. A large unit of Infantry is typically 7-8 wide, as discussed, and a smaller unit is 4-5 wide, at the smallest. Two units that are 5 models wide take up the space of 10 models, at best, possibly more depending on their Charge Rolls and so on. So to bring the same number of models into a single combat, you're in need of more space. Should the opponent have a smaller frontage, that's a problem.
By having a larger unit that spares some space up front, you can fit in a Chariot, or a Monster, or even a partial fit for something like Cavalry. When the large unit isn't that good in combat, as is the case for most Core across most armies, you need backup to WIN the combat AND the numbers to break the enemy. Large units do that better.
As with the above topic, it's difficult to illustrate this solely through words. It's something you'll pick up through play, especially when you're trying to get two smaller units to Charge and one fails the roll, or can't quite get around some Terrain. Of course, this can happen to any unit, but Cavalry/Chariots/Flyers/Monsters often have higher Movement and rules like Swift Stride to make your comb-charge more likely. That's the point of all of this, tilting the odds in your favor.
Beyond Infantry
A lot of what I've discussed already is focused on Infantry, however Cavalry also benefit from large units. When considering Cavalry, we're not looking at Static CR as much as we are raw hitting power. I'm exempting Light Cavalry here, they have a different role and typically DON'T want large units, although as always you'll find exceptions. For purposes of this section, I'm defining Cavalry as a unit that wants to Charge as soon as possible and keep up that pace.
When you're trying to maximize the impact that Cavalry will have, you need to consider a few things. First, Cavalry are a big target for Magic/Shooting. Removing a single Infantry model doesn't do much to a unit but removing a single Cavalry model can significantly weaken its unit. So if you put a unit of 5 Cavalry models down, your opponent knows that killing 1-2 of them will drastically reduce the threat that you're presenting. If that same unit is 8 models, well now things become a bit trickier for them.
I think of this as "overkill" and no, I'm not talking about Challenges. For Cavalry to be effective, they need to push an opponent to Fall Back In Good Order or Flee, otherwise they don't get to continually count as charging which often means no Lances/Flails and might change the Initiative order, giving an opponent more attacks back. If you're someone who likes to run math on their likely rolls, and 5 Cavalry will get the job done, you need to ensure you deliver at least those 5 models. So why not bring a few extra to make sure that happens?
Cavalry also get much less Static CR than Infantry does, after all it's pretty pointless to pay for expensive Cavalry that only provide a Rank Bonus and don't get to fight. Close Order is one of the things Cavalry can rely on (as well as Standards), so keeping at or above Unit Strength 10 is a bigger deal than you might think. Adding a few spare models, or a Character, can really help preserve that Close Order bonus.
Lastly, Cavalry take the concept of Force Multiplication to a whole new level. With their speed and maneuverability, Cavalry often get to decide their fights and are a popular home for Characters that want to get stuck in. It's not uncommon to see a Magic Standard, a Battle Standard with another Magic Standard, a Character with some Special Rules, and even Spells heaped onto Cavalry. The more models you have, the more work you're getting out of that investment and the surer you can be that it'll be delivered. All it takes is a couple War Machine shots or Magic Missiles to kill even 2+ Save Cavalry, plan accordingly and make sure that unit stays imposing.
Not All Units Need Be Large
While I'm sure this goes without saying, not all units benefit from a large model count. Some are meant to roam the table on their own, such as Heavy Chariots or Behemoths. Others want to stay small and maneuverable, such as light Cavalry or Skirmishers. Every unit has its role but most armies are made up of a backbone featuring Infantry and/or Cavalry. If those units are small, you have nothing you can rely on or absorb damage with.
There is an inverse concept for army building called MSU: Multiple Small Units. The idea there is to have so many small threats that your opponent doesn't know what to target and/or can't be everywhere at once. These armies rely on Flank/Rear charges, getting into odd positions, playing keep away, and so on. In some Editions of Warhammer Fantasy MSU is the dominant strategy and it still works in The Old World with factions like Wood Elves. I'm mentioning MSU because by and large, it's not as effective in TOW as an army-wide strategy, particularly against opponents with Shooting/Magic/Skirmishers. MSU armies also allow an opponent to decide what's most dangerous and ignore the less imposing units whereas with large units, you're telling the opponent what to fear and what they have to handle during a game.
Large units are also very much in the eye of the beholder and come down to what the unit is, how much it costs, etc. A block of 20 Chaos Chosen Warriors is not a "large unit" but for that specific unit it definitely is. Compare that to Beastmen Gors at 7pts per model and you can see a large unit for them is going to be 30+ models. There's no set size that defines a large unit, it very much depends on the cost per model, the resiliency of the unit, and what you want it to do. That's why you won't often see 20 Chaos Chosen Warriors, the faction has Marauders to provide bulk, but you also need a lot more Marauders if you plan on retaining their Ranks and other bonuses.
For anything but very expensive Heavy Infantry, I recommend 30 models as a starting point. That's going to serve you well for a lot of Core choices like Skeletons, Orcs/Goblins, States Troops, Marauders, etc. If the unit needs to really take a punch, or you are planning on putting Characters/Banners and lots of fun stuff in it, try for 40. Cavalry is much the same, if that unit is supposed to stand on its own I want 7-8 models even for big ticket units like Grail Knights or Chaos Chosen Knights. It's better to have too many models arrive in a fight than too few and the more bodies you bring the less chance that your opponent can outnumber and break you themselves.
Once you have 2-3 big units (in a 2000 point army) then you can opt for smaller or more unique choices to support them. In my standard Beastmen Army I take two big bricks of Gors, one at 40 and one at 30, and then build around that with things like Chariots, Dragon Ogres, Behemoths and so on. Those big blocks give me confidence that they'll stick around and enable my other units to contribute when the time comes. Don't be afraid to experiment with sizes, I'll put 50 Skeletons on the table with my Vampire Counts as an immovable object that the whole game MUST revolve around.
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Hopefully I've illustrated why big units are almost always necessary to bring along and what their strengths are. The armies that ignore this principle are few: Brettonians, Ogre Kingdoms and Wood Elves kind of do their own thing and operate under a different set of rules. Even Ogre Kingdoms will often bring Gnoblars to help with Static CR and Wood Elves sometimes do their own variant of large units with Treekin or Eternal Guard.
As a final word of caution: unless you're playing competitively, avoid taking singular massive units that you dump everything into. These are called Deathstars and they're a big part of high end play for TOW right now. While it can be fun to put 10 Chosen Knights down and add three Characters to that unit along with Banners and Magic Items for all, it's not much fun to play against. Understand what kind of game your opponent is expecting and keep that expectation in mind, it's just a game after all.