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Grand Cathay · 144 points
Are Cathay Iron Hail Gunners good?
Cathay Iron Hail Gunners are one of the hardest-hitting shooting units I have tested, as long as the target is within 12 inches. They topped this table at both short and long range of their own weapon, and one rule explains most of it.
Quick answer: it depends what you point Cathay Iron Hail Gunners at
- Role
- All-round firebase
- Good against
- Knights of the Realm (2.9, 1st), Empire State Troops (5.3, 1st), Skaven Dregs (6.2, 2nd), Rat Ogres (3.4, 5th)
- Struggles against
- Skirmishing Empire Archers (3.4, 9th): weakest ranking
- Range
- Holds up at long range (91% kept)
All-round firebase is the job Cathay Iron Hail Gunners did best in my testing, and it is the yardstick I would judge them by, rather than their 1st-of-29 overall average.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 120 volleys with Cathay Iron Hail Gunners: ten fresh volleys at each of six targets, at both long and short range. I then fired 1,800 more Cathay Iron Hail Gunners volleys at fixed distances, after moving and into cover. Those main volleys were part of the 4,080 I ran across 29 shooting units, and these were the Cathay Iron Hail Gunners results.
I stripped the Cathay Iron Hail Gunners tests back on purpose, with no terrain, no magic, no characters and nobody deciding anything for the other side, which isolates the unit but is not a real game. With ten volleys per result, Cathay Iron Hail Gunners (3.7) and Dwarf Irondrakes (3.7) finished level at short range, so I would not read anything into their order. Read the Cathay Iron Hail Gunners results as a guide to roles and matchups rather than a forecast.
My verdict
In my opinion this is the unit to beat in the 140–150 point band once it is in range. This table measures range against each weapon’s own maximum, so their long range is 9 inches, and the gun cannot fire beyond 12. That is their real limit: in my dedicated Cathay test, Crane Gunners did more damage over a five-turn approach because they shoot from 36 inches. Their other weak spot is Ironbreakers, where they fell to seventh at short range.
For how they compare with Crane Gunners over a whole approach, with 10,000 trials per matchup, five real enemy units and a five-turn approach, read Iron Hail Gunners vs Crane Gunners.
Best and worst targets for Cathay Iron Hail Gunners
Cathay Iron Hail Gunners by target. Ranks out of 29. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Target | Long | Rank | Short | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knights of the Realm | 2.7 | 1st | 2.9 | 1st |
| Ironbreakers | 1.5 | 4th | 1.2 | 7th |
| Empire State Troops | 4.2 | 1st | 5.3 | 1st |
| Skaven Dregs | 5.1 | 1st | 6.2 | 2nd |
| Rat Ogres | 3.6 | 1st | 3.4 | 5th |
| Skirmishing Empire Archers | 3.2 | 2nd | 3.4 | 9th |
Range and armour
At long range Cathay Iron Hail Gunners kept 91% of their short-range damage, one of the flattest range profiles I tested. Their best long-range target was Skaven Dregs (5.1).
Against my two heavily armoured targets, Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Cathay Iron Hail Gunners averaged 2.1 wounds at short range. That puts them 4th of 29 for cracking armour.
Rules that shaped these numbers
- Iron Hail Guns ignore the long range and multiple shots To Hit penalties. That is why their long-range numbers stay so close to their short-range ones.
Cathay Iron Hail Gunners after moving and in cover
My main table is a clean volley in the open, so I also fired Cathay Iron Hail Gunners at fixed distances, after moving and at targets in partial cover. Cathay Iron Hail Gunners could not reach a target 22 inches away, so the short distances are the ones that matter here. Standing still in the open at 10 inches, Cathay Iron Hail Gunners averaged 3.97 (2nd of 18).
Cathay Iron Hail Gunners: mean wounds across all six targets. Still or moved, open ground or partial cover. n = 60 volleys per cell
| Distance | Still, open | Moved, open | Still, cover | Moved, cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 inches | 3.97 (2nd) | 2.27 (2nd) | 2.25 (4th) | 1.10 (6th) |
| 22 inches | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Ranks in brackets compare Cathay Iron Hail Gunners with the other 17 units in the fixed-distance test.
Cathay Iron Hail Gunners after moving into partial cover, by distance. n = 60 volleys per cell
| 6in | 10in | 16in | 22in | 28in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.17 | 1.10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Cathay Iron Hail Gunners into State Troops only, including full cover. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Distance | Still, open | Moved, partial cover | Moved, full cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 inches | 6.3 | 1.9 | 0.8 |
| 22 inches | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
How I set up the test
12 models could shoot in every matchup. My method page has the full setup.
How do they compare?
Other Grand Cathay shooters
- Cathay Crane Gunners144 pts · 2.9 avg short, 1.7 avg long
- Cathay Sky Lantern150 pts · 2.2 avg short, 2.2 avg long
Similar overall damage
- Dwarf IrondrakesDwarfen Mountain Holds · 3.7 avg short
- Skaven JezzailsSkaven (Renegades fan list) · 3.7 avg short
- Empire crossbowmenEmpire of Man · 3.6 avg short
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use Cathay Iron Hail Gunners for close-range fire that punishes almost anything within 12 inches, and not for Ironbreakers, where they dropped to sixth, to get the most out of them on the battlefield.
FAQs
What are Cathay Iron Hail Gunners best at shooting?
Skaven Dregs: Cathay Iron Hail Gunners did 6.2 wounds per short-range volley against them in my tests. Their lowest number was against Ironbreakers, at 1.2.
Are Cathay Iron Hail Gunners better at long or short range?
Short range. Cathay Iron Hail Gunners kept 91% of their short-range damage at long range, 4th of 29 for holding up at range. Cathay Iron Hail Gunners averaged 3.4 wounds at long range against 3.7 at short range.
Are Cathay Iron Hail Gunners good against armour?
Against Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Cathay Iron Hail Gunners averaged 2.1 wounds per short-range volley, 4th of the 29 units I tested.