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Grand Cathay · 138 points · Infantry
Are Jade Warriors good? Shields vs halberds
Jade Warriors are good, and with shields they were the best conventional Cathay melee unit I tested. Fifteen shield Jade Warriors won 82 of 120 combats, including 44 of 60 when the enemy charged first.
Quick answer: it depends what you point Jade Warriors at
- Best all-round
- 15 with shields: 82 of 120 won
- More offensive
- 15 with halberds: 69 of 120 won, about 1.73 opening-round wounds when charging against 0.93 with shields
- Avoid
- Stubborn, when it costs three models: 54 and 42 of 120
Shield Jade Warriors win by refusing to disappear, not by dealing damage, so I would give them the objective and let the enemy come to them.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 480 complete combats with four Jade Warrior builds, 120 each, all at 138 points: 10 against each of six benchmark opponents while charging, and 10 more against each while receiving. These were the results.
Shield Jade Warriors won partly by surviving long fights, and my duels always ran to a finish; in a real game a turn limit or an objective can end things before a slow Jade Warrior win arrives. Ten fights per matchup is also an exploratory sample.
Jade Warrior builds compared
Jade Warrior builds at 138 points, wins from 60 combats each way. n = 60 combats per direction ±13 points
| Build | Charging | Receiving | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jade Warriors, shields | 38/60 | 44/60 | 82/120 |
| 15 Jade Warriors, halberds | 32/60 | 37/60 | 69/120 |
| 12 Stubborn Jade Warriors, shields | 28/60 | 26/60 | 54/120 |
| 12 Stubborn Jade Warriors, halberds | 18/60 | 24/60 | 42/120 |
Why shields worked so well
- Heavy armour, a shield and a hand weapon benefit from Parry in combat.
- Defensive Stance rerolls natural armour-save rolls of 1 when the unit has not charged.
- Press of Battle lets the block fight deeper when receiving, so it stays dangerous after taking casualties.
Halberds: the offensive version
Fifteen halberd Jade Warriors still won 69 of 120. The revised halberd gives S+1, AP−1 and Armour Bane (1), rising to AP−2 against an enemy they charged, which is why they did nearly twice the opening-round damage of the shield unit.
Why Stubborn lost to extra bodies
At the same 138 points, the Stubborn versions had to drop from 15 models to 12. The lost bodies cost more combat mass than Stubborn gave back: 82 wins became 54 with shields, and 69 became 42 with halberds.
See all six Cathay melee builds on my Grand Cathay units page.
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use 15 shield Jade Warriors as the main anvil and objective holder, and not pay for Stubborn if it costs three bodies.
FAQs
Shields or halberds on Jade Warriors?
Shields for an all-round unit and objective holder (82 of 120 won), halberds if you want more damage on the charge (69 of 120, but nearly twice the opening-round damage).
Is Stubborn worth it on Jade Warriors?
Not when it costs models. At 138 points, 12 Stubborn shield Jade Warriors won 54 of 120, against 82 for 15 without it.
Why are shield Jade Warriors so good when charged?
Parry, Defensive Stance rerolling armour-save 1s, and Press of Battle letting a deeper block fight back. They won 44 of 60 fights when the enemy charged first.