Disclosure: This post is reader-powered and contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Empire of Man · 144 points
Are Empire handgunners good?
Empire handgunners are good against medium infantry. They shared the lead in my short-range tests against State Troops, at 5.3 wounds per volley, and finished seventh of 29 at short range and sixth at long range.
Quick answer: it depends what you point Empire handgunners at
- Role
- Anti-infantry gunline
- Good against
- Empire State Troops (5.3, 1st)
- Struggles against
- Ironbreakers (1.0, 12th): weakest ranking
- Range
- Loses some damage at range (69% kept)
Anti-infantry gunline is the job Empire handgunners did best in my testing, and it is the yardstick I would judge them by, rather than their 7th-of-29 overall average.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 120 volleys with Empire handgunners: ten fresh volleys at each of six targets, at both long and short range. I then fired 1,800 more Empire handgunners 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 Empire handgunners results.
A simulation is only as good as its assumptions, and the ones behind my Empire handgunners results leave out terrain, magic, characters and a thinking opponent. With ten volleys per result, Empire handgunners (3.2) and Dwarf Thunderers (3.2) finished level at short range, so I would not read anything into their order. I use them to decide the job for Empire handgunners, not to predict a single game.
My verdict
In my opinion handguns and crossbows do slightly different jobs. Handguns did more to State Troops and skirmishers at short range; crossbows did more to Dregs and Rat Ogres and held up better at long range.
Best and worst targets for Empire handgunners
Empire handgunners by target. Ranks out of 29. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Target | Long | Rank | Short | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knights of the Realm | 1.8 | 5th | 1.6 | 12th |
| Ironbreakers | 0.4 | 19th | 1.0 | 12th |
| Empire State Troops | 3.5 | 3rd | 5.3 | 1st |
| Skaven Dregs | 3.8 | 9th | 4.7 | 11th |
| Rat Ogres | 1.7 | 12th | 3.3 | 7th |
| Skirmishing Empire Archers | 2.1 | 8th | 3.5 | 7th |
Range and armour
At long range Empire handgunners kept 69% of their short-range damage. Their best long-range target was Skaven Dregs (3.8).
Against my two heavily armoured targets, Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Empire handgunners averaged 1.3 wounds at short range. That puts them 9th of 29 for cracking armour.
Empire handgunners after moving and in cover
My main table is a clean volley in the open, so I also fired Empire handgunners at fixed distances, after moving and at targets in partial cover. At 22 inches after moving into partial cover, Empire handgunners averaged 0.50 wounds across the six targets, 6th of the 18 units I tested this way. Standing still in the open at 10 inches, Empire handgunners averaged 3.18 (4th of 18).
Empire handgunners: 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 | 3.18 (4th) | 1.02 (10th) | 2.17 (7th) | 0.62 (9th) |
| 22 inches | 2.37 (4th) | 0.38 (9th) | 0.95 (9th) | 0.50 (6th) |
Ranks in brackets compare Empire handgunners with the other 17 units in the fixed-distance test.
Empire handgunners after moving into partial cover, by distance. n = 60 volleys per cell
| 6in | 10in | 16in | 22in | 28in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.52 | 0.62 | 0.38 | 0.50 | 0.00 |
Empire handgunners into State Troops only, including full cover. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Distance | Still, open | Moved, partial cover | Moved, full cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 inches | 4.0 | 1.6 | 0.7 |
| 22 inches | 3.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 |
How I set up the test
Against the Knights, 18 Empire handgunners could shoot at long range and 16 at short range; against the skirmishing archers, 18 and 18. My method page has the full setup.
How do they compare?
Other Empire of Man shooters
- Empire crossbowmen140 pts · 3.6 avg short, 2.7 avg long
Similar overall damage
- Dwarf ThunderersDwarfen Mountain Holds · 3.2 avg short
- Sisters of AvelornHigh Elf Realms · 3.2 avg short
- Ungor archersBeastmen Brayherds · 3.3 avg short
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use Empire handgunners for shooting medium infantry such as State Troops at short range, and not for Ironbreakers or long-range work, to get the most out of them on the battlefield.
FAQs
What are Empire handgunners best at shooting?
Empire State Troops: Empire handgunners did 5.3 wounds per short-range volley against them in my tests. Their lowest number was against Ironbreakers, at 1.0.
Are Empire handgunners better at long or short range?
Short range. Empire handgunners kept 69% of their short-range damage at long range, 15th of 29 for holding up at range. Empire handgunners averaged 2.2 wounds at long range against 3.2 at short range.
Are Empire handgunners good against armour?
Against Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Empire handgunners averaged 1.3 wounds per short-range volley, 9th of the 29 units I tested.