precursor knights+UA or stormguard

[abysswalker711]

Ok so this is NOT a which is better post its just that i am going to be expanding on my cygnar army and want to know what people here use more often between the 2 because i dont really want to buy both right now. I am torn between full stormguard and full precursor knights+UA. Any insight is appreciated. If it helps any casters i like playing are eHaley eStryker and Siege mostly and tend to make lists that lean a little more towards shooty.

Thanks in advance :)

[admanb]

Stormguard are better with eStryker, Precursors are better with eHaley and Siege. I would pick whichever you think you'll run more.

[Gorbad]

Recently sold my Stormguards but kept my Precursors. Granted, my initial preferences for Precursors over Stormguard is simply because the Precursors have nice models, where as the Stormguard don't really. But having played around with them I found Precursors amazingly useful for all sorts of things and they have rapidly become my default infantry choice. Spell ward can be a bit tricky at times, but I don't really find I have a whole lot of spells I can/want to cast on them anyway so in the end I found it's more a benefit than a hindrance. I also quite like the additional point of SPD and Defence they get, especially if you have Rhubert around to buff them.

[Gargantuan]

I second the Precursors, while the Stormguard are slightly more infantry killy (insert electro leap) precursors can trash just about any warjack on the charge + minifeat

against cryx/menoth spell ward is fraggin awesome. others are negligible.

[abysswalker711]

Hmm it lookes like im gunna be grabbing the precursors. Especially since i will probably be making eHaley my main caster. Thanks for the input :)

[Patryn]

Stormguard are better with eStryker, Precursors are better with eHaley and Siege.

Could you elaborate on why?

[tensteam]

eStryker has Deflection (and not a single spell you'd like to cast on Precursors) so making the unit ARM20 against shooting and magic isn't too shabby. The only actual (even though significant) benefit Stormguard have is reach. I would call both pretty equal with eStryker.

[Strangelove]

To throw my two cents in, I love PK's with lots of casters. They're self-sustaining with Shield Wall and Spell Ward, and hit fairly harder (harder with the mini feat). They can work with eStryker. As noted Deflection puts them at ARM 20 which is pretty solid. I have found though that in terms of damage output, on eStrykers feat turn, SG's can be very nasty. 3" move + 2" reach + electroleap is vicious. So you won't go wrong with PK's but SG's get the edge here I think.

[Agamemnon]

PK are probably my favorite unit to paint to date. Lots of details that were pretty easy to pick out, cool shields that lend themselves well to my paint scheme and overall just great looking models.... To be honest though I have not even taken them out of the case MK II.

Storm guard are great for killing infantry. With Arcane Shield they don't have to be in base to base to get Arm 18. Set defense does help when they get charged as does eleaps with our only 10 man unit in the entire faction to have reach. Now they were not that exciting to paint but they have seen table time more than my PK.

All in all both units are good. Both PK+UA and Storm guard will give you ranked attacks or the ability to shoot over/through them but the SG can do it slightly cheaper if points are tight in your list. If you play Merc contracts PKs step into that roll well also. I also hope that storm guard will be getting a UA+WA before to long that will boost them up a little more...but that is all pure speculation/prayer on my part.

[phreaker187]

Stormguard are a much better tarpit/skirmisher unit. With reach they can threaten a lot more of the board and are a bit cheaper in points.

Any nemo brings Stormguard because the immunity to electricity is great, especially if you plan on bringing the Thunderhead and with a 50 point pNemo list I never leave home without either.

[Cardboard]

Could you elaborate on why?

Stormguard are the main juice in an eStryker list because they synergize so well. The big thing is the feat, along with being reach infantry. You generally charge them into the front lines of an enemy unit, killing and eleaping, and then feat to kill the rest while spreading out. PKs only hit as hard as Stormguard on the feat turn regardless of the minifeat due to it only working during their activation, and are much slower getting up the field due to being defenseless outside of shieldwall.

[Arkady]

I'll echo all of the above about Precursors. Also, it seems like we're getting more Morrowan stuff in the next release, so they could well become more uber.

[admanb]

Could you elaborate on why?


Stormguard are the main juice in an eStryker list because they synergize so well. The big thing is the feat, along with being reach infantry. You generally charge them into the front lines of an enemy unit, killing and eleaping, and then feat to kill the rest while spreading out. PKs only hit as hard as Stormguard on the feat turn regardless of the minifeat due to it only working during their activation, and are much slower getting up the field due to being defenseless outside of shieldwall.

Quoting Cardboard because all that stuff is true, but I want to add a few points of my own.

eHaley and Siege have a style that forces your opponent to advance into your charge -- Siege through ranged attrition, eHaley through control. Precursors can mini-feat, and charge into melee for big hits on anything that's approaching your forces. Alternately, they can mini-feat, Shield Wall, and advance into melee, still dealing heavy damage but also putting a 13/18 wall in front of your opponent's face.

eStryker, on the other hand, has no way to force your opponent to take his charge, but needs to get the first strike for his attrition style to work. Since he has no speed buffs he does this using run+feat. Stormguard are a natural fit for this offensive with their 10" run, reach, and solid POW12s. Arcane Shield and Deflection make them very tough on their running advance, while Set Defense gives them a bit of extra survivability against a counter-charge. Precursors, on the other hand, have to give up their Shield Wall for the run. Their mini-feat doesn't work on the out-of-activation feat moves, and without Arcane Shield and Set Defense they're a pathetic 13/14 against the counter attack. In short, Precursors core abilities work at cross-purposes with eStryker's offensive style.

[Patryn]

Thanks for the insight.


Arcane Shield and Deflection make them very tough on their running advance

AS from Journeyman I assume?

[Dyoria]

The Stormguard are really only good with eStryker, where his feat allows each SG to potentially kill 4 enemy models. Apart from that the only thing going for them is reach and electrical immunity. Set defense is kind of moot, because they only become DEF 14, which given the predominance of MAT 7 infantry, isnt that good.

Looking at them side by side you get:
SG SPD 5 DEF12 ARM15 POW12 + POW 10, Reach, Elect Immun, Set Defense, CMA, EDischarge
PK SPD 6 DEF13 ARM14 POW12 + Minifeat, Swall, Spell Immun, Heal, Blessed Weapon

Another thing of note, on a pHaley feat, the Precursors get 2 attacks each on their activation. And Set Defense and Timebomb dont mesh.

[Cardboard]

Stormguard are also great with pNemo, as they can guard the THead, which is your general win piece. They are also better are cleaning it and other models off due to reach.