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JUST TESTING 1 - Wraiths

[DjLeBomb]

OK, this is the first post of a series.

At first the Wraith thing it was not going to be the start but when I read all the controversy around the theme I put my hands (or I say fingers) to work on it. Yes, maybe its exaggerated but i just do it , so here it is  .

Some say about Wraiths that; "Only magic items can destroy them, Wraiths force the opponent to use them, so they make a non-magic army unplayable and the game will be a lottery"
Others say; “ If you don't have any magic they are instant win, right. But if you have magic and charge from behind you have a very high chance to rout them”
Others; “They're definitly defeatable”
Well, the words seems not to be enough in this case  so i made some little tests to prove what I thing of Wraiths (at the end you will know)

• TEST: I named this kind of test as “STANDARD TEST” (yes I am not very good with the name thing)
• SCENARIO: I choose the BLACK PIRAMYDE (Large deployment area) because  it let me put 10 units lined in a row, and the ground is flattened and without obstacles or specials grounds that can in someway alter the battles (high ground, swamps, etc.)
• UNITS:  I choose 10 units of the same type in one side and 10 of another unit that can be the same according to the purpose of the test. This is done to get the maximum possible of “cases” and make the final percent result more “concise”. Sometimes I can’t buy 10 units even with the max money (9000), but even they are simply tools to get more points or to modify the cost of the unit, I stay with the max I can buy  (for now at least) which in the case of Wraiths is 6 units.
• METHOD: In this case it was fair simply; In the 1° battle I made the units charge, in the 2° I made the Wraiths charge, and if the second battle results are the same (or almost) as the first in the 3° I made the tested unit charge the ghosts, only because its more easy to me (read VIDEOS next to understand what I mean).
• TECHNIQUE: The truth is that the technique its an old and controversial WF rule: INVOLVEMENT. But I divide it in two; AMBUSH: when the unit being charged automatically routs and, in this case, is destroyed; and BEATING: when the units involving must be aided by the BOOST command and the unit being  caught its defeated after a while.
• VIDEOS: They are my firsts recorded, compresed and published vids so please have mercy  . Besides apologies about the DELAYS between the actions, but that’s me going from one room to another, because my notebook crash the router signal and for that I can’t put it in the same room that the desktop computer  .

After this introduction lets start the test  .

So if my memory don’t plays me tricks, I guess that the damn Wraiths cannot be defeated without a magic weapon or object, this means that TWO IMPERIAL ARCHERS UNITS without objects or modifications VS ONE WRAITH UNIT without objects or modifications[/i] ends with a guaranteed defeat of the Humans, and I also guess that confront 10 ARCHERS VS 6 WRAITHS would be a massacre for the Imperials  :'( . Well, I’m not so sure about it;

                   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO3T8Y-mooE

Yeap, lets say that the Archers won  . Think its only a matter of luck?    Ok then lets make two more battles, added the results and make a big percent.
         
                          VICTORYS    -  DEFEATS - CHANCES OF WIN
      ARCHERS        13                            5                        %72,2
                        (5 Beating/8 Ambush)

       WRAITHS          5           -              13          -          %27,7


  So the conclusion is that you have %72 percent of being victory with two archers (without any magic object) against one wraith. That’s much better than the 0 percent of victory that we where assuming before the battles!

So trying to improve this result lets charge with the crazy and inmune Flagellants  !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPetZzCmt4Q

And after another battle, this time charging with the Wraiths;


                         VICTORYS    -  DEFEATS - CHANCES OF WIN
FLAGELLANTS      12                        0                  %100
                      ( 2 Beating/10 Ambush)

WRAITHS               O           -         12          -       %0


Yes! Wraiths are history .



Oh wait, and what about those with Greenskins  ?

Mmm you think that if you are playing with Goblins and some Wraith charges you, you must turn off the computer and start running away? No wait! you still have some chances! look at this rookie vid;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKUIQBeCsYU

Right, Goblins are Goblins, they still sucks, but after another similar battle the results are not bad at all:

                    VICTORYS    -  DEFEATS - CHANCES OF WIN
GOBLINS               6                  6                 %50
                  ( 2 Beating/4 Ambush)

WRAITHS               6          -     6          -        %50


And how to make a real challenge to the ghosts? We must buy some Boar Riders with Banner of Defiance? Nop, look what the standard boyz can do;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2WBmRaaYLM

                   VICTORYS    -  DEFEATS - CHANCES OF WIN
ORK BOYZ               9                  3                 %75
                  ( 3 Beating/6 Ambush)

WRAITHS               3          -     9          -        %25



Yez!  never underestimate the power of the WAARGH!




And last but not least, what about the Undead vs Undead?

Ok, let' start with the ZOMBIES; C'MON they don't have chance! or they do?
Well i made two tests but i forgot to record, so here are the results;


                      VICTORYS    -  DEFEATS - CHANCES OF WIN
ZOMBIES               6                  6                 %50
                  ( 3 Beating/3 Ambush)

WRAITHS               6          -     6          -        %50


Great  ! Same as the tiny Goblins! the poor zombies can also defend from the "Wraith Menace"


Well then let's go ahead, call the Ghouls  !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlAL1M57uYQ

And since this is the last, let's make two more battles;

                     VICTORYS    -  DEFEATS - CHANCES OF WIN
GHOULS               14                  4                 %77,7
                  ( 4 Beating/10 Ambush)

WRAITHS               4          -     14          -        %22,2


Done, we can expect that the Skeletons are going to impreve that percent  .


And if i have only Singular Units in my army???!!! well if this oldies have some chances i must guess that the Troll and the rest of the Monsters and sorcerers can stand and fight haha;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV6Y9pGdM8Y

P.F.A.Q. (Possible Frequently Asked “Questions”):

- Yeah right, as if in the  MP battles involve a unit of Wraiths was so easy
Yes, usually it is.

- Yeah right, as if in the MP battles use the BOOST COMMAND  was so easy
- Its not so simple, but with practice you can calculate the time of the boost effect (in fact is 10 seconds) and return after some other order to power the boost again.

- What if I don’t have two units left?
If the last unit have a magic item or spell, still have some chances, if that’s not the case then you must try to charge the Wraiths form the rear or maybe  from one side, but this is  difficult even hiding your unit, usually you will lose the game.

- I’m playing a tournament with restrictions and my last army allowed is compose by two mortars and a cavalry, what I do?
That tournaments characteristic and a bit of bad luck usually ends in situations like the described, but I guess that everyone that wants to have a good performance in a tourney will include at least two mobile units.

- One unit of Wraiths almost destroy my entire army, how is that other units have chances against them?
Yes, in some of the test one unit of Wraiths went in some berserker rush and just keeping destroying the units that I send them, but that also happened to me with another units like the Flagellants, and in some other tests like when I face Flagllants vs Mummies (testing other thing),  I just saw for more than 25’ three Flagellants against 7 Mummies without any advance in the combat, I just have to end the game! So yes, the game have some bugs.



FINAL CONCLUSION: The Wraiths are totally defeatables, and this can be achieved without any magic item, and with no specific unit, even the basic and singular units are capable of dealing with the ghosts  .


p.d.: Yes a bit short the conclusion is but im sleepy, so goodbye until the next test.




 

[bembelimen]

Awesome stuff, thanks for the test, exceed all expectations I had. Did you push the Wraiths too?

[Mikademus]

Good stuff, and good of you to put this to the test! So we see that in ideal situations wraiths can usually be routed when charged in the rear. That said, normal battles usually disallow this precise kind of manoeuvring, and so it is much more difficult to pull of routing the wraiths.

(Also, why did the Wraiths flee from the single Flaggies?! Bug?)

[olly]

I was recently asked the question about Wraiths in Warhammer Table Top game. Do they really have "destroyed if routed"?
Or is that just an assignment of Dark Omen, considering the fact that you need magic swords to beat them...

yes in Table Top they are "Destroyed if Routed"

Warhammer Armies 4th Edition 1994 Undead Bestiary-Wraiths

Combat

Wraiths are insubstantial creatures and so cannot be harmed in combat except by attacks from magical weapons or daemons. They are affected by magic spells. They can still be beaten in hand-to-hand fighting because combat results are not wholly dependent upon casualties.

Combat Results
If they are beaten in combat, fail their break test and are forced to flee then Wraiths are immediately destroyed. If they win the combat then their enemy may flee (as troops beaten by creatures which cause fear or terror are automatically broken if outnumbered). Otherwise a unit fighting Wraiths must take a Break test at the end of every turn of hand-to-hand combat, and it will flee if this is failed. This means it is possible for a unit to win the combat, but still end up fleeing if the Wraiths are not destroyed.



http://forum.dark-omen.org/tavern/warhammer-table-top-rule-books-on-ebay-t367.0.html;msg2613#msg2613