What is the "best" unit size?

[Greybeard86]

Loaded question, I understand.

New edition, new rules, new "optimal" sizes. But what maximum unit sizes do you prefer? 20+? 10+? And why?

Personally, I prefer having multiple units of different types of units over big blobs of the same. Three main reasons:

1. They are boring from a hobby standpoint: I find big blobs boring to paint and harder to game with; even in WHFB I found that big blobs just invited unit fillers, as it got annoying to paint so many of the same sculpts over and over.
2. A varied army looks better on the table top: just mroe visually appealing.
3. Big buffed blobs leads to less interesting strategic interactions: more units, more opportunities (screening, flanking, delaying)

 

How about you?

 

[Frowny]

I think its a little army dependent- For example, a big green tide or a horde of skeletons need to fit their goal- so 20 models is preferable. The unit size has to match the fluff. 

From a personal perspective, I find units of 5 to be about perfect. Enough for batch painting, but not so many that I get bored of it or have to do too many batches. 10 model on 25 mm bases is fine too, although sometimes I get frustrated with the tiny details (I'm only an average painter). I also enjoy a few monsters to mix it up but don't like all monster armies- just like with all infantry armies. Since I like heavily converted armies, fewer bigger models is much easier to manage- you don't need to buy as many bits, for example and don't have to do as much total green stuffing.

I guess that goes with what I tend to play though- sylvaneth have a few blobs but also a few 3-6 man units of hunters. Ogres are typically in the 3-8 model range unit sizes. Both have a few monsters to mix it up. My cities is also mostly pistoliers in 5 man units with a few bigger monsters in support. I can't see myself playing a true horde faction, even if I think they look cool and appreciate that they exist on the tabletop. 

I do worry that it is important that a block of infantry and a big monster can fight on approximately even footing. I'm excited by the new rules, but worried it goes a little too far- I think its cool and thematic when a horde of spearmen/halbreds takes down a giant/treelord/dragon, and I'm worried the rules don't allow that in their future iteration. But time will tell. The current edition has the opposite problem, where an awesome dragon has no hope against a block of random guys with axes. 

Edited June 22, 2021 by Frowny

[Enoby]

I think, personally, I like the aesthetic and narrative of large units. You know, old WHFB style hundreds of models on the board looking about ready to go to war. The narrative of hundreds of soldiers fighting with a few impressive heroes or monsters really gets me - it seems the battles are more important compares to when 50 people show up to have a scrap in a field. 

However, gameplay wise, I prefer small varied units. Not only is it less cumbersome, but also more interesting to see small interactions between units. On the tabletop, large units can often become deathstars and are just a massive pain to pile in with, or move without a tray. And don't get me started on grabby models in a horde... mass daemonettes make me want to start an armless army.

Painting is also better for small varied units. 

TL;DR: aesthetic and narrative, large blocks of infantry. Gameplay and modelling, small varied blocks 

 

[Greybeard86]

8 minutes ago, Enoby said:

TL;DR: aesthetic and narrative, large blocks of infantry. Gameplay and modelling, small varied blocks 

 

Personally, I think that what KoW does with "blocks" as opposed to models works for me. With clever placement, unit fillers and so on you can give the illusion of those "regiments" with fewer models.  1 to 1 representation just doesn't work at this scale, IMHO.

[Beer & Pretzels Gamer]

When movement trays are viable throughout the game (e.g. not just until you pile in or want to do anything remotely complex…) I think it can be a lot of fun to have huge masses of warriors on the table as I’ve experienced with both historical and Apocalypse 40k.  For AoS where movement trays are not all that viable well… let’s just say I’m prepping a Sons army and frustrated that realistically I’ve got to run 2 Megas and 6x Mancrushers (3/1/1/1) to be viable in the objective game.

Actually I’m fine with larger units (especially when other people are moving them) as it can be a lot of fun to have some contrast on the table such as my Frostlord on Stonehorn slamming into a massive horde of infantry.  But the real issue is that there isn’t per se a consistent theory of unit size in the game due to the legacy of old sprue designs.  Just to use Mawtribes there isn’t a logical/logistical reason why Leadbelchers are 2x, Gluttons are 3x and Ironguts are 4x.  Ideally I think they all should be 5x but recognize that requires new sprues…

[Doko]

Hard question.

 

As tryhard tournament mode: one big block of max number where i can stack buffs

As hobyst: min number of models so i can build and paint diferent models

As casual: i really dont mind and some games i go with msu and others with big blocks to change the pace

[RuneBrush]

Would agree that it's fairly army dependant.  I loved the look and feel of a huge unit of 40 skeletons in my old Grand Host army - there's something really cool about a silent unending wave of bone slowly but steadily marching upon it's prey.  Equally units of 5 or 10 Blood Warriors feels like a group of savages bound together through sheer force of strength, but equally as likely to turn upon each other once their target has been destroyed.

[Kadeton]

I quite like unit sizes of 1 monster, personally. But for units of lesser creatures, 5 makes the most sense to me. You can run them small to stay under the coherency restriction, or get the benefits of greater numbers with the tradeoff of more restrictive coherency.

The worst unit size is 6, closely followed by 3. I think 20 is too many (especially when double-reinforced) to properly 'fit' in AoS' scale and mechanics.

[PJetski]

1 Unit of 3 Zombie Dragons (they are Battleline and not Single)

[Reinholt]

After playing with the new coherency rules, it really depends on your base size.

In general, I would say:

25mm can work in units where you can deploy well in two ranks, so your size there can be big.

32mm melee units with 1" range are 5 or less, or don't even bother taking them. It slows the game down and if your opponent gets the new geometry you will never get all of your unit into combat.

Cavalry really depends on reach and base size. You can do some weird formations with the oval bases so long as you can make triangle arrowhead type tips to make sure they are in coherency.

So as a rule of thumb, 5 or less, or be on 25mms and/or a shooting unit if you want more.

[SentinelGuy]

I like 10s because they look nice in 2 ranks of 5, although I can see why people like 20+ for hordes.

Edited June 22, 2021 by SentinelGuy