shadeling/warg
 

This weekend was "shadow weekend" for me - after playing only haroun first, I am now practicing the other races. This week will be "drauga week" I think... :) I will leave undead as last, because they seems to be the least challenge.

With shadow I like to start with 2 companies of shadelings/wargs, but in a game someone exhibited surprice for especially the shadelings I think... From what I have seen as other dominant starting companies, some people directly go to beast and some go for full wargs.

I find the shadelings/wargs nice to begin with, because of the easy upkeep to field them (not much wood needed) and archerfoe as well as cavalryfoe is nice too (although I don't understand why the frontline also add its "foe" to the whole company...) Even in midgame I like them too max out to company limit, because they are so easy to field.

Any thoughts...?

ps. It seems to me logical (haven't tested it) that shade/warg or warg/shade doesn't matter for whether calvaryfoe (for the enemy) has an effect (against wargs), but the banner of course is different (inf vs. cav) - so that can be a psychological warfare choice ;)

I actually do a similar start, except a half shade company and a half warg company, separate. Lets me get two Kohan out making XP early and supplies the two groups faster to get a jump on the exploration. The wargs can withstand more punishment, so I lead with them (from open ground for the +4 AV cav bonus) and then follow up with the shades to add damage/flanking. The shades don't generally take any losses this way, so they're free to do the destruction of the lair building itself with their +5 siege bonus. Tends to work out pretty well for the early game, and only requires as upkeep some wood (and the 2 mana your village produces naturally in the first place).

of course the main difference between warg/shade vs shade/warg is what will heal first once they get hurt. I havent tested it, but it also may determine whether your company is affected by infantry foe or cavalry foe. Not sure if the foe modifier is applied to individuals or everyone in a company you are fighting.

Morpheus, they get both foe bonuses. I just tested it. Outside of what heals first and what unit is in front in combat formation, I don't think there's any difference which way it goes. Logically, it would see best to do Wargs as the frontline with shades as the flanks. I'm not sure if Wargs get the +4 bonus if they're just the flank.

Edit: Both configurations get the open ground +4 AV bonus. I attached a zip file with two jpeg images with both configurations for reference.

What I meant was would OTHER units get cavalry foe or Infantry foe against both configurations?

I think it's an excellent early company and far better than a Beast start. Shadeling/Warg is easier for Shadow to support and the Wargs do slightly more damage so I prefer for them to engage last. Since Beasts are as good with Banshees as they are with Kohans in most cases I prefer to wait until the midgame to make them.

For the cavarly foe or not: looked in the editor and it does not matter; in both cases oponents do the extra "foe" damage, but only against the wargs - not against the shadelings...

Whatever unit (not company) is being attacked is what determines cavalry/archer foe. I do not know of an Infantry Foe designator.

So if your pikemen are attacking a company composed of lancers and swordsmen, then each pikeman that attacks a lancer gets the +5, but each pikeman attacking a swordsman gets no benefit.

Make sense?

yeah i just hadnt tested it to see if it was per unit modifiers or blanket company modifiers. the individual modifier makes sense, but then again having 2 pike men in the flanks giving all of your company cavalry foe DOESNT make sense, so you never know til you try.

Shadow Warlocks are the only unit to provide this as far as I know, but it does exist.

Good catch, Xeno! I stand corrected.

:)