The 9th Age/Tactics/Kingdom Of Equitaine

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The fair use The 9th Age expy of Bretonnia of Warhammer Fantasy, itself an expy of French knights and Arthurian myth (so doubly French).

Tactics

These are the second edition tactics.

The Kingdom of Equitaine is a very straightforward army, but is very good at what it wants to do.

Army Rules

Impetuous The model rerolls failed charges and gains fearless and frenzy while in combat. Mostly good, the only downside is you rarely withold pursuit after winning a combat, making it possible to draw the unit into bad situations.

Serf If at least half the unit has serf, it gains +2" to march if it starts the turn within the commanding presence of a model with oath of fealty. A sneaky way to get some more movement out of your peasants.

The Blessing An aegis 6+ for every model with the blessing. If you pray they additionally get an aegis 5+ vs str 5 or more. If you pray you don't get any bonus to get first turn. Always pray, will give your knights significant survivability against their most common counters.

Lance Formation Fight in extra rank and only needs 3 models to form a complete first rank. Additionally gets devastating charge (fight in extra rank). Makes your knights crazy on the charge, not just with lances but with up to 4 ranks of attacks to the front with a very small unit width.

Armory

Bastard Sword A very flexible and powerful weapon. Is a great weapon (+2 str/ap but agi 0) that only takes 1 hand. Can also be used a spear (on foot) or light lance (mounted). Gives the units that have it amazing flexibility and can be a nasty surprise against armies that relied on you being slow.

Oaths

Grail Oath The model is fearless, gains Aeigs 5+, and Magic attacks. A character with this oath additionally gains +1 off and def skill. Only 1 character can be upgraded to the grail oath.

Oath of Fealty The model gains commanding presence, but only 6" and only for serfs. Mainly combos with serf to make them march fast, don't underestimate the range of your knight lances.

Questing Oath The model gains +2 advance to charge models with fear and has +1 to hit in close combat against models with fear. Depends on what you are fighting, but can be a nasty surprise to a dragon.

Hereditary Spell

Breath of the Lady You'll probably be blowing 2 or 3 dice to cast it consistently. The target rerolls to-hit and to-wound rolls of 1 in melee and armor rolls of 1. A great buff, especially seeing as most of your knights have 2+ armor saves. Will help you stomp in combat.

Virtues

All virtues are one of a kind unless stated otherwise.

Might +1 str/ap/attacks on the charge and when charging, each successful wound generates another attack. Can make your character solo pretty much anything on the charge.

Renown The bearer has lethal strike and to-wound rolls of 6 also inflict multiple wounds (d3). Won't trigger that often, you're better off with a more consistent option.

Valour The bearer issues a duel whenever possible and the duel must be accepted if possible. The bearer re-rolls failed to-hit and to-wound rolls in a duel. A nasty way to pick off a mage and makes the character a beast against almost any other character.

Piety The bearer and all R&F models in its unit gain Aegis +1 (max 5+). A great buff to your deathstar, cannot be put on pegasus units.

Audacity If the bearer is fighting a large model, it re-rolls failed to-hit rolls. If the enemy model is a towering presence, the bearer re-rolls failed to-hit and to-wound rolls. A great way to kit out a monster hunter.

Daring The charge range rolls of the bearer's unit are maximized. Allows you to reliably get 16-18" charges.

Humility max 2 per army. The bearer gains insignificant but increases it's commanding presence to 12" and gains rally around the flag but only for serfs. If you have a lot of peasants, take one of these to babysit them if you're worried.

Unit Analysis

Characters

Duke One of the top 3 best characters in the game. Sure WDG and vampires can get murderstomps all over, but they cost well over 400 points. You can kit out an extremely killy duke duel monster for under 300 points. 4 attacks, 4 res, and elf level offensive skill, defensive skill, and agility. Not to mention the built in 6++. For a relatively cheap human character, the Duke is so great because he has such great value per point.

Paladin Same stats as the EoS marshal for 30 points less. Your option for BSB and can be a combat beast on his own. Take a few as cruise missiles and send them to kill things and soften up your opponent before your main force arrives.

Damsel Your spellcaster. She can form up with units with lance formation in ways that protect her from attacks and duels, which is good as she can't get any armor unlike other army's spellcasters. She has great path choices, Divination is good buffs for offense and defense, Druidism is great sustainability and defensive buffs, Shamanism is great buffs and debuffs and totemic summon can get you some easy flankers. She is insignificant, so if she bites it your knights don't care. Chivalry is dead.

Castellan A very flexible and very cheap unit. Your peasant character, can act as a standard bearer for peasant them or make him a weapon master with +1 attacks to give your chaff more teeth. If you have a big block of peasants, take one or two (or three or four, only 70 points each).

Character Mounts

Horse A dirty horse for your dirty castellan. Gives them +1 armor and feigned flight, if you want them rolling with yeomen this is what you want.

Barded Warhorse For your Dukes, Paladins, and Damsels. +2 armor and devastating charge (+1 str/ap). Yes, the horse gets its own devastating charge effect. Never forget to attack with your horses.

Equitan Unicorn A faster horse option for your damsel that gives them better speed and offense as well as better magic resistance. Also gives the unit they're in magical attacks and forest strider, against some armies these will make it easy to dump on them.

Pegasus A good armor boost and good offense for a mount. Is quick and can fly so can be used for mobility on your spellcaster, duel monster, or so your character can group up with pegasus knights.

Hippogriff Killier than the pegasus but with -1 armor and can't ride with any unit. If you want more defenses on your fly guy, take the pegasus. If you want more murder, take the Hippogriff.

Core

Knights Aspirant Your cheapest knight option. They have amazing offense on the charge but will be lackluster after that.

Knights of the Realm Better stats than the Aspirants but without the devastating charge nuttiness. If you have a lot of peasants, these guys will support them whereas Knights Aspirant are only charge monsters.

Peasant Levy Stats of a skeleton (cheaper too, but that's because you can resurrect models) and come in bricks of 30 to 60. Leave them vanilla if you just want an anvil for your knights, the parry will help them survive. Spears can make them somewhat scary to charge, don't bother with halberds unless you plan on buffing them with Divination.

Peasant Bowmen Great value longbow archers. Only an average 10 points a model for a unit that brings its own fence, essentially hard target (1) as long as they don't move. They can get flaming attacks whenever they want which can really screw over some armies, or you can shell out on them to give them crossbows to knights.

Special

Knights of the Quest Same stats as Knights of the Realm but with the questing oath and bastard swords. Your scary can opener unit that can reasonably take on any opponent.

Knights Forlorn Same as above but on foot. Your elite infantry in the elite cavalry army. Incredibly tanky and powerful. Enemy units charging them don't count as charging for devastating charge, crippling other cavalry based armies or other units that rely on charging.

Knights of the Grail Some of the scariest cavalry in the game. 2 attacks per base, can make all attacks as supporting attacks, Divine attacks, and 2+/5++. Will cost you a nutty amount and you can only take 2 units (1 with a siege weapon).

The Green Knight A single model, requires you to have an alive damsel to summon him from your reserves. 5 str 6 AP 3 attacks is wild and he has ghost step allowing him to get into wild charges. He is supernal, so he can die from combat resolution, but should be unlikely. Your opponent will be shitting their pants trying to kill him before he can trash his characters.

Yeoman Outriders Your cheapest cavalry and has bows and feigned flight, allowing them to pester and annoy enemy units while running chaff duty for your long knight lances.

Brigands Better archers with skirmish, so more mobile as well. If anything manages to get into melee with them you might as well remove them, but they will do some work

Peasant Crusaders Some wilder peasant levies, if your taking them it's to take the below option with them.

Sacred Reliquary A great support platform, giving units joined by it fight in extra rank and +1 armor. If you have peasant crusaders or even Knights Forlorn this is a great support option.

Scorpion A cheap bolt thrower that fills a hybrid roll of bolt thrower and cannon. A strong weapon, but watch out for the aim 4+, only 50% hit is not too hot.

Trebuchet A strong catapult with great range and good strength and penetration. Again, only 50% hit chance with no penalties but you can dump on big infantry blocks with it.

Airborne Gallantry

Pegasus Knights The only unit in this section. Essentially knights of the realm that can fly. Loose Formation will make it harder to shoot them down, but will hurt their combat contact. Vanguard is always good.

Magic Items

Weapon Enchantments

Divine Judgment Lance only, adds devastating charge (multiple wounds d3+1) and becomes magical attacks. A steal at 80 points and in an army that should plan on charging anyways, this gives you an average 3 wounds per attack on the charge.

Tristan's Resolve hand weapons only. +1 str, ap, and attacks. After determining the number of successful hits (not wounds) with this weapon, you may discard one of those hits and instead destroy a weapon enchantment carried by the hit model. A good general buff and makes your character a monster to be in combat with because he not only will slam like a KoE character, but will also cripple enemy characters.

Wrymwood Core Lance only, the wielder gains a beefy breath attack and attacks with the weapon gain flaming attacks and magical attacks. A great general enchantment, you're paying 25 points for a str 5 breath attack, so worth it.

Armor Enchantments

Crusader's Salvation Heavy armor only, +1 armor and reroll failed armor saves. Pumps your character to that 1+ save on the warhorse and rerollable too. Is a great armor piece.

Faith of Percival Shield only, Aegis +1 (max 4+) and attacks against the bearer with divine attacks lose that attribute. Makes your character incredibly durable.

Fortress of Faith Shield only, to-hit, to-wound, and armor saves of 1 must be rerolled. Another good buff, especially seeing as your characters tend to have a 2+ save.

Uther's Conviction Heavy Armor, +1 armor and Aegis (+1, max 4+, but only AP 6 or more). Just sack up and take faith of percival, it will serve you better.

Banner Enchantments

Banner of the Last Charge Cavalry models in the bearer's unit gain Impact Hits (x) where x is the number of full ranks in the unit. The impact hits are str 4 and AP 1. If you really stack up, you can get Impact hits (5) onto the models, which translates to 15 hits on a knight lance charge. It is only R&F cavalry, so don't waste characters in this unit.

Oriflamme Not Core units, the bearer gains fear and enemy units in base contact cannot benefit from rally around the flag. Helps a unit break units, depending on the opposing army will be more or less effective.

Banner of Roland The bearer's unit gain Aegis (+1, max 4+ vs shooting attacks) and enemy units cannot declare stand and shoot reactions against the unit. Makes a unit incredibly scary to a gunline army. Even cannons will have trouble cracking a unit with this.

Banner of the Green Knight 2 per army. One use only, when used the unit gains +2" march and ghost step. Better than banner of the relentless company and gives you incredible maneuverability being able to move through terrain and friendly units with ease.

Artefacts

Black Knight's Tabard The first time the bearer is reduced to 0 hp, resolve any other hits from the same phase (unit shooting, magic spell, melee initiative step), then set the bearer to 1 hp and give them Aegis 3+ until the end of the turn. Your army already has good survivability, but if you are spooked about your characters surviving this will do the trick for a turn.

Storm Clarion one use only. Activate at the start of any player turn, enemy units cannot use flying movement this turn. Situation on who you are fighting, but can cripple the movement of some armies.

Crystal of the Valiant Charge Wizard only, one use only. Activate at the start of your opponent's magic phase, you steal veil tokens from them equal to the number of friendly units in close combat within 18" from the bearer. You usually want your Damsels near the fighting anyways to support your knights or peasants so you should be able to consistently get 3-4 veil tokens out of this.

Wafers of Penitence Wizard only, one use only. After rolling a dispell attempt, you may use this item and add 2 to the dispell total. A small but significant swing that can help you control magic phases on crucial turns.