Editing Age of Sigmar/Tactics/Old/2e/Order/Stormcast Eternals (section)

===<span style="color:#01bbe3;">Battleline Units</span>===

All matched play games require 2-4 battleline units as a minimum. Some units are made battleline by your choice of general.

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====Strike Chamber====

*'''[http://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/warhammer-aos-liberators-en.pdf Liberators]:''' (Battleline, 95/480pts, Min:5, Max:30) Your basic melee troops, strong with average durability (4+ and 2 wounds). Sigmar tweaked those to be used against the strongest Chaos enemies, so always go for the biggest model on the field. Now let's talk a little about weapon options because you can have four different flavors of Liberators. If you want to arm them with a weapon and shield, it doesn't matter which weapon, as the math is the same (0,66 damage per model and you can reroll save rolls of 1 improving them from 50% to 58%) so long as there are no buffs and other special rules to change the odds. Really though, the differences between Sword and Hammer are so marginal you won't really see them; just remember that your Liberators get ''a lot'' better at punching if you heap on the buffs, going from 0,66 Wounds up to 1,29 Wounds per model if you do it juuust right. Also, get a choice to taking paired weapons for doubling hits on 6s or Shields to reroll saves of 1.
** Always choose to add the special weapon (the same efficiency again between the two, but doubled compared to the normal weapons and with a -1 rend). But even with all this, don't start to believe that your Liberators are powerful melee units, as a lot of stuff will outclass them on a Wound-to-Damage basis. What they can do is outlast most of those. Their job is to break the charge, hold objectives and keep your heroes safe. 
*** Regarding the shields. With paired weapons granting additional hits on unmodified rolls of 6 means, there is now a legitimate reason to not want to go with the shields. You will lose the re-rolling 1's for saves but gain potential extra damage. With the changes to mystic shield and other buffs from your new mages, it is entirely possible to make them just as survivable (for instance a paired weapon squad with a mystic shield is just as durable as a shield squad but better in combat. Though spells are never guaranteed and there is only a chance at additional hits as you need 6's unmodified. Though with a big enough squad you can increase your chances of 6 with enough attacks. If you are taking smaller squads it's probably better to stick with the shields, but in larger groups, the paired weapons may see more viability, especially with a mystic shield on them.
*** Alternative take: As an earlier anon said, Liberators aren't your killing machines, they're there to bear the impact of your opponent's attacks and survive long enough for Retributors and their other large-and-in-charge cousins to get smacking things. Are exploding sixes useful? Damn, right they are. Are your Liberators there to rain attacks down on your enemies when there are probably other units that can do the job much better? That depends on your personal strategies. But it's a choice between trading out the equivalent of a permanent, no-cast-required mystic shield on your unit that is built to endure vs. improving the offensive bottom line of a unit that arguably isn't build to be offensive. The choice is yours.

*'''[http://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/warhammer-aos-judicators-en.pdf Judicators]:''' (Stormcast Battleline, 150pts , Min:5, Max:20) Battleline if you're running a Stormcast Eternals army. Your basic ranged troops, same stats as the Liberators. They can reroll hit rolls of 1 against Chaos in the shooting phase. If you arm them with Skybolt Bow, you can do 0,44 damage per model with -1 rend at 24". With a Boltstorm Crossbow, you can do 0,66 damage per model with at 12" and if you don't move this number goes up to 0,99 damage per model. As with Liberators, always add the special weapon (1,54 damages per model with -1 rend at 24" for the Shockbolt Bow, 2 mortal wounds with the Thunderbolt Crossbow if it hits; the larger the target unit, the better your chances. It has a 1 in 3 chance of hitting a lone monster, so it isn't quite impossible to land a hit if there aren't any blobs of infantry around to blow up). In melee you do an average of 0,33 damage, the bare minimum to reply in combat, which is where these guys don't want to be. When it comes to weapon choice, different tactics apply. Bows will see you getting a better payoff in the long run; let them hang back and pincushion the enemy's units and they'll do fine. However, if you manage to set up the triple shots for the crossbows, you're going to darken the sky with bolts and chortle heartily at all the saves your opponent is forced to take. Spread your Liberators wide, so they act as a net to trap the enemy, then put Judicators behind them to tear up anyone foolish enough to attack you. This way your crossbowmen will start where they're most needed, and you needn't go to any extra effort to set them up.

*'''Vindictors:''' (Stormcast Battleline, 140 pts, Min: 5, Max: 20) The primaris-cast troops of Dominion are a considerable step up from the base liberators, given a flat 3+ save and spears that have a bit of range and hit and wound on a 3+ but can't be thrown. Of note here is that their spears also deal mortal wounds on a natural 6 to wound, which is a bit of a help. 1 in every 5 can come with a standard, which adds 1 to bravery for a grand total of 8, making them just as brave as the Praetors. Considering how they have shields for a 3+, one can only wonder if the same can be applied to Liberators to avoid these blokes being the auto-pick option... Despite their current warscroll lacking the Battleline keyword, GHB21 lists them as Battleline.

*'''Vanquishers:''' (Stormcast Battleline, Unknown point cost, Min: 5?, Max: ???) Did you miss being able to bring Greatsword infantry? Then these are the Battleline for you! Presumably, these guys are fairly similar to Vindicators (as they're wearing the same armor), but exchange that 3+ save for some extra hitting power with their swords.

====Sacrosanct Chamber====

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/Downloads//ENG_Stormcast_Sequitors.pdf Sequitors]:''' (Conditional Battline: Lord Arcanum General, 130pts, Min:5, Max:20) Battleline if '''LORD-ARCANUM''' is your General. All in all, Sequitors are upgraded Liberators: firstly, Sequitors' mauls have a To Hit value of 3+ against all targets, while the Liberators' hammers only have said advantage against beefy enemies. In addition, they can also take a sword instead that only wounds on 4's, but they get three attacks each; These upgrades already sound sweet, but wait until you hear the second one: at the beginning of '''every''' combat phase, the unit can choose to be more offensive, rerolling all failed To Hit rolls, or more defensive, rerolling all failed Save rolls. Combining the upgraded shields with a Lord-Castellant or with your trusty Staunch Defender makes them one of the toughest battlelines in the game, both stronger and tankier than regular Liberators. 2 in 5 models in the unit can take a Stormsmite Greatmace, in addition to that the Sequitor-Prime can have a Greatmace too. This makes 3 Greatmaces (3+/3+/-1/2) per Unit. You'll have to give up the mortal wound on 4+ in combat, which the Prime is able to dish out with his redemption cache when he is not holding that big hammer. In addition, Greatmaces score d3 hits to '''Daemons''' or '''Nighthaunts''' on a Hit roll of 6+. These upgrades are not free, as Sequitors are slightly more expensive than Liberators, and on another note, you can't take Sequitors in as big a squad as Liberators (max 20 in comparison to the Liberators 30), but this is more than compensated by the Sequitors inherent effectiveness. They are a great option as a battleline alternative, and a '''fundamental''' one in a magic-focused Stormcast Eternals army.
** Important Change: Sequitors lost their Soulshield rend reduction ability, but in exchange, when they use their defensive Aetheric Channeling they now gain a 5+ ward save instead. This, combined with buffs from a Knight Castellant's Lantern, makes them amoung the most durable infantry in the game. 5 Sequitors in their defensive curl will tank an unbelievable amount of damage from just about any source.
** Sequitors vs Liberators: This is going to be a tough one going forward as both units have uses to bring. Liberators have gotten some upgrades to their bravery and weapon options that ups their game in comparison to Sequitors a bit, though Sequitors are still obviously better per model. The Sequitors are more effective in combat and on the defense than Liberators, but are more expensive and come in smaller unit sizes. And since you can fit more models into Liberator squads with the potential of their new paired-weapons to generate more attacks they can potentially put out a lot more attacks, but less effective ones. A good option could be to use both. Use Liberators more defensively, using their greater numbers and reasonable combat abilities as objective grabbers and charge breakers, while deepstriking in the Sequitor units into the enemy lines as assault units. Really both have their uses and it is up to the player on what they want to do with both. Against other elite order armies you're taking these guys to dunk on Saurus Guard, Hearthguard Beserkers, Sisters of Slaughter,and Lumineth stone hats.

====Vanguard Auxiliary Chamber====

*'''[https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/PDF/AoS_Warscrolls/aos-warscroll-Vanguard-Hunters-en.pdf Vanguard-Hunters]:''' (Conditional Battline: Lord Aquilor General, 110pts, Min:5, Max:15) Battleline if '''LORD-AQUILOR''' is your General. They are armed with either a sabre or handaxe (which, stat-wise, have the same relationship as the hammer vs. sword on your Liberators) and all carry a Run & Shoot Boltstorm Pistol 9"/2/3+/4+/-/1, making them an odd Jack-Of-All-Trades unit. Further, they have an 'Astral Compass', which affords an ability similar to 40k's outflank (but better!). Rather than deploying normally with '''Scions of The Storm''', on the first turn during your movement phases, you can just walk them on from any table edge - so long as you are within 6" of that edge, and more than 7" from enemy models. Meaning it's more probable than not you can make a charge against the thing you just shoot, making them pretty good at alpha strike/beheading first turn offensives.
**Coming in at more than Liberators and without the option to take that all-important Sigmarite shield, Vanguard-Hunters are notably more squishy than their brethren. Their lack of 'special' weapon makes them the only battleline choice that doesn't have something a little more choppy to fall back on (but between ranged and melee attacks they make 4 each, while Liberators make only 2). That being said, the application of a well-timed Astral Compass can really swing things in your favor.

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