So the last thing that I wanted to cover I've arrived at, and boy am I super excited to get this series done with! I hope you guys liked it but before I pat myself on the back, it's time to take a look at one of the best parts of any older book, the army's special items selection.
Magic Weapons:
The Silver Lance of the Blessed:
Works the same way as a normal lance (resolved at +2 Strength on the charge) except if the knight has the Blessing of the Lady then all attacks with this weapon automatically hit. This item is currently 65 points, and it's actually an okay item as is. However, I see it reappearing in our newest book, given the precedent that GW has set for it's newest books. Take any 7th edition book and look up the most expensive magic weapon it has. Then, take the 8th edition version of the book and see it made into a 100 point magical weapon. The Blade of Realities, the Battleaxe of the Last Waghh, the Runefang, I could list more examples, but you get my drift. I forsee this item reappearing, and getting upped in price and effect.The most obvious would be to allow it to auto-hit and auto-wound if you have the Blessing. I would take that item for 100 point on a Lord.
Sword of the Quest:
May be used as either a hand weapon or a great weapon (decided at the beginning of combat) and no armor saves are allowed for against attack from this weapon. For 50 points, this item is totally, totally worth it. It's almost an auto-include because it allows you to take a competitive character with the Questing Vow. My current list has a Paladin BSB with the Questing Vow and this magic weapon in a lance of Questing Knights. It allows your character to at least do some very serious damage before anything that isn't Skaven or Elves. This item allows my Questing Knights to go into units like Mournfang or Demigryphs with at least a bit more confidence then I normally would have. I would love to see at least one item for each Knightly Vow retained in our new book, and for Questing Knights, this definitely a weapon I would be keen to see again in a new book. I don't even think the price or the wording of this item should change. Just copy and paste this item into the new book and I think people would still take it.
Sword of the Lady's Champion:
The way that this item is worded is really, really weird, so I'll just cut to the chase. For 40 points it allows you to always wound on a 3+ because it makes your Strength always count as being 1 point above the opponent's Toughness. This modified Strength is also used to calculate penalties for Armor Saves and only a character with the Grail Vow can take this item. I think that this has potential on a character with the Gauntlet of the Duel. Other than that, I just see this is a not so great reward for paying the price of another knight just to be a Grail Knight. If it's redone to make it a little more utilitarian, I might warm up to it, but as is it's just not a big deal.
Sword of Heroes:
Against enemies with Toughness 5 or over, the bearer gets +1 Strength and then inflicts D3 wounds instead of one wound for each unsaved wound this weapon inflicts. For 35 points, this is a steal in my opinion. While this isn't exactly the most utilitarian weapon in the book, you're almost always going to run into some kind of monster or really nasty character that will have high Toughness. With the prevalence of Dwarves and Chaos Dwarves in my area (the Reno-Tahoe area to be more exact), this is a cheap way to deal with their ridiculously powerful characters and special units. While it's certainly no Sword of the Quest, if you're a miser with your points (stop playing Bretonnia) then this is a pretty good compromise I suppose. I don't think we'll be seeing this weapon in the new book though because god forbid our different armies be different! Lord knows GW can't make armies comprised of different races have any shred of difference between them.
The Heartwood Lance:
Allows you to re-roll all failed to-wound rolls when charging and actually using a lance. For 35 points, I think it's too expensive and there are just so many better items in this list that are so much superior. Don't care if it's in the new book and to fix it would mean replacing one of the better items that could be in the new book.
Birth-sword of Carcassonne:
Gives your character +1 Strength and enemies wounded with this weapon must re-roll their Armor Saves. For 35 points, I think this is another steal coming from the magic weapons selection. While I like this sword, I very rarely take it because of the Sword of the Quest and the item coming up right after this one. I would like to see this in the new book repriced to maybe 20-25 points, but it isn't in there, I won't bitch too much about it.
Morning Star of Fracasse:
The bearer of this weapon has +2 Strength on the first round of combat, for each hit on a close combat opponent, roll a D6. On a roll of a 4+, if the opponent has a magic weapon, it's destroyed. For 25 points, this is perhaps the best item in the world for nullifying the greatest weakness of Bretonnia's Blessing Save. It's no secret that unless you really kit your character out accordingly, most combat Lords (who are starting to trickle back into the meta) will eat your Lord for breakfast. When I hand my book over to a Warriors of Chaos player, he just laughs at it. He knows that his Chaos Lord could liquefy my Knight Lord with but a glance. Then he cries when my Lord survives, swings back, and busts his 100 point magic weapon into pieces. Plus, the way I read it, this effect Dwarf Runic Weapons too. Yet another reason not to throw your Dwarf Lord into a Lance of Bretonnian Knights with a Knight Lord in it. Great item, and I'd love to see it stick around in the next book.
The Lance of Artois:
Acts like a normal lance and gives the knight the Killing Blow special rule, but only on the turn in which he charges. This, for 20 points, is a pretty damn good item. If you're hesitant to drop 40 points on a character for HKB, then this weapon is the perfect compromise. Right now, it's nice and I think decently priced. However, I would perhaps like to see some elite knights in our new Special and/or Rare section with Killing Blow already given to them. Again, it's a nice weapon as is and I don't think it needs to be redone. I'd much rather keep the Sword of the Quest and the Morning Star of Fracasse over this one.
The Wyrmlance:
Acts like a normal and allows once per game for the wielder to use a breath attack from the tip of the model's lance. All hits by this special attack are resolved at S3. In addition the character receives the Flaming Attacks special rule when using this lance in combat (ergo on the turn he charges). For 20 points, I always have to ask why not just take the Flaming Banner? It's cheaper and gives the whole unit Flaming Attacks. Now, if this lance were say, 5 points, I would see it a little differently. The tip of the lance caveat is pretty flexible and has a lot of room for finagling in terms of ranging it out. However, as is it's not worth the paper it's written on. If we were to see this in the new Bretonnian book, I would like to see this maybe changed so that it does extra damage to Monster (+D3 wounds or something). However, I have to slap any Bretonnian player I know who's using this weapon in an attempt to put some more sense into them.
Magic Armor:
Guilded Cuirass:
Can only be worn by a character with the Grail Vow and replaces his Heavy Armor. It provides a 5+ Armor Save that can be combined with other equipment as normal and gives the character Regeneration. Considering Grail Knights already come with the Blessing Save, and in 8th edition Regen and Ward Saves cannot be combined as they could in 6th edition, this armor is pretty much crap. 55 points of crap. Now, if it gave a better Ward Save to the Blessing, then I'd be all over this in the new book. As for now, not a big fan and I wouldn't poo-poo if it didn't make into the next book.
Armor of the Midsummer Sun:
Replaces the Knights Heavy Armor and gives him a 5+ Armor Save that can be combined with other equipment as usual. Opponent's suffer a -1 to-hit penalty in both shooting and close combat attacks. Or you can take Beasts Magic and use Curse of Anraheir for free. -1 isn't that big of deal, and for 45 points, this item is way overcosted for what it does. Plus most knights have a 2+ Armor Save anyway which makes most missile fire, with the exception of artillery, nearly useless in the first place. Don't care about this item and I most certainly don't want it coming back, unless it somehow shields the wearer from war machines, then I might take a bit more of an interest in it.
The Grail Shield:
Can only be taken by a character with the Grail Vow. It acts as a regular shield but it also ups the wearers Blessing Save to a 4+ against attacks of any Strength value. This save can be lost the same way a Blessing Save would usually be lost. For 35 points, this is the second best piece of armor in this book and perhaps the most cost effective. Anything that acts as a combined Talisman of Preservation and shield for 13 less points then both of them is a winner in my book. I'd love to keep this piece of armor in the new book, but knowing GW's talent for disappointing Bretonnian fans, I won't keep my finger crossed.
Gromril Great Helm:
Gives a 6+ armor save that may be warn in addition to other armors. The bearer of this armor may re-roll failed Armor Saves. For 30 points, this is the other item that without a doubt is a steal and should be an auto include. Automatically makes your Lord or Paladin have a 1+ re-rollable armor save, provided he isn't a Questing Knight. I need this piece to be in the new book, without it a 1+ Armor Save with HKB and the Gunatlet of the Duel will be forever lost. Without a doubt this is my favorite piece of armor because it is accessible to whatever Vow you put your character on. A great item, and should remain as is. Copy and paste GW, copy and paste.
Armour of Agiluf:
Replaces a knights heavy armor and gives him a shield for a 4+ Armor Save. This armor prevents him from using any two-handed weapons. This also gives the knight Weapon Skill 10 (this cannot be further increased by items) to whoever is wearing it. For 25 points, I think that this is a very decent item, especially for if and/or when your character gets into a challenge. It makes him very hard to hit, and makes him pretty much incredible. Combining this with the Virtue of Knightly Temper makes for some very impressive damage output from your Knight Lord. I think it's really nice, but I highly doubt we'll be seeing this item ever again. It's just one of those items that made sense in a prior edition, but is much too powerful now.
Cuirass of Fortune:
Replaces the knight's armor with a 5+ Armor Save which may be combined with other defensive items as normal. When rolling in close combat, the knight may re-roll any failed to-wound rolls of 1. For 20 points, if you can spare it on a blank Paladin, then I think it's just fine. Other than that, there's just too many more cost effective and impressive magical armor pieces out there that I would rather be using. Much like anything else, I wouldn't be sad to see it go exactly.
Orcbane Shield:
I have no doubt in my mind that this will make it into the new Bretonnian book as the Skavenpelt Banner and the Standard of Beards made into their armies' respective lists. It works just like a normal shield with the exception of the fact that any unengaged Orc and Goblin unit within 12" of the bearer fails an Animosity Test on a roll of a 1 and 2. Even for 15 points, I still think it's a waste. Any item that specializes in specifically effecting a single army in particular is a waste to me. I want this thing gone, but again, knowing GW's talent for maximizing my disappointment this piece of shit will be in the next book.
Talismans:
Sirienne's Locket:
This can only be put on a Bretonnian Lord, and it prevents a Knight Lord from taking anymore than 1 from non-magical attacks. Even weapons with multiple wound (war machines too) can only cause a single wound. After the first wound is taken, all the others acquired in the phase are ignored. The bearer can still be effected by Killing Blow and can be run down if he flees from combat as normal. For 55 points, it's an okay item. The only problem is that every time I look at this item, I have to wrestle with my inner miser. My Lord already comes with a 2+ Armor Save and 6+ Ward Save. He's pretty well defended as is, and for 55 points, what are you loosing access to that could be used to wipe out an entire rank of enemies. I'd be interested to see it re-done in the next book, but definitely with some re-tooling gone into this unit.
Token of the Damsel:
Can only by equipped on a Knight Lord or Paladin. Against the first wound suffered, the Knight gets a 2+ Ward Save. For 35 points, this is a fair purchase and I think it should stay in the next book but go down 10 or 15 points. This is a nice item for all you crazy people who love putting your Knight Lord on a Hippogryph. Other than that, I again refer you to reasoning for Sirienne's Locket. You already have a guy who's got exceptionally high defensive abilities. Between this and the Grail Shield, and I just think that the Grail Shield is a better bang for your buck.
Insignia of the Quest:
Can only be taken by a character with the Questing Vow. If the bearer of this item is ever reduced to 1 wound remaining the knight instantly gets a 3+ Ward Save. If he's hit by something that causes multiple wounds and he has more than 1 wound remaining (cannons, bolt throwers, magical missiles, etc) but the shot will kill him, he gets to use the 3+ Ward Save to protect himself with this item. For 30 points, I think this is a highly overpriced item for what it does. Not really a good item in my opinion. It's not worth fixing because I doubt this item will be popping up again in our future book.
Braid of Bordeleaux:
A one use 25 point item. It's used at the start of the Bretonnian player's turn and it increases the character's Leadership by 1 point for that turn. In addition, the turn in which the item is used the character and the unit he is in have the Strider Special Rule and they benefit from Soft Cover while in said terrain. This is an item that can really save your ass from one of Bretonnia's many, many natural enemies. Terrain. Terrain is evil if you play cavalry. Being able to fling your Lance through an otherwise dangerous piece of terrain that your opponent is using to screen his troops is a nice tactical thing to be able to do. This and a Dispel Scroll on a Damsel in a Lance of Knights of the Realm. Total, total destruction into your poor unsuspecting enemy. However, only put it on a Damsel. On anything else, it just takes away from what you can do. I would like to see this item reappear, but I fear not.
Dragon's Claw:
So, as of the most recent FAQ, this item does the following for 25 points. The bearer of the item has his/her Blessing Save increased to a permanent 5+ (this can be lost the same way that Blessing is normally lost) and gets a 2+ Ward Save against Flaming Attacks. It's okay, if you want to take a character who can just destroy a unit with the Flaming Banner on it, than this is it. It's nice, and considering the fact that everyone takes a Flaming Banner in a tournament list to deal with Regen units, I think it's an okay item. There's really no downside to it and I would like to see it again in the newest book.
Mantle of Damsel Elena:
For 20 points, this item makes the bearer immune to Killing Blow and Poison. It's a very nice item if you're worried about somebody assassinating your Lord or some Skinks lighting your troops up with Blow Pipes and Javelins, then this a nice item to have. My problem is that every time I play a game where my opponent has a model or unit with either of these rules, there are five more games I play where my opponents don't have either of these abilities in their army. They're okay, but I'm just not big fan of this item because it never seems to be a very helpful item overall.
Enchanted Items:
Falcon-Horn of Fredemund:
A one use item that may be used at the start of any Bretonnian turn. No enemy unit may fly, they are forced to use their ground-based movement instead. The FAQ deletes the last sentence of this item, which used to allow you to use this to alter fleeing distances for Flying units. For 45 points, this is probably the worst item in the book per points. Skip it, don't even bother with it.
Holy Icon:
For 40 points, it gives the character Magic Resistance 3. If Magic Resistance gets you off, then it should be noted that this item is 5 points cheaper than the Obsidian Lodestone from the BRB. Otherwise, I think it's a bit too expensive in the context of this army. Keep in mind, this would make a Knight Lord/Paladin have a 3+ Ward Save and the Prophetess/Damsel have a 1+ against Magical Attacks. I guess if you play a lot of Death Magic, than this a great way to keep your characters alive. Again, I'd rather take an item that gives me a direct Ward Save or at the least expands upon my Blessing Save against any kind of attack that comes my way. If it comes down in price and/or does something else in addition to giving MR, then I'd be okay seeing it in a new book.
The Ruby Goblet:
This item activates at the end of the first phase during which the bearer or his/her unit takes any unsaved wound(s). For the rest of the game, the bearer and the unit he/she is in cannot be wounded by anything non-magical on better than a 3+. For 30 points, this is a great item, because it makes cannons cry in frustration. If you play it smart, what it does it makes cannons only wound your unit on a 2. Because a 1 always fails and with this item activated, a 3+ fails to wound now too. Wanna make Questing Knights survivable? This thing right here. I think it's a very gamey piece of gear though, so I don't take this item unless I know I'm going to face the Chaos Dwarf Gun Line (I'm also praying they don't make their artillery pieces magical) from hell. Even helps in close combat. Fun item, enjoy it while it lasts because I would be willing to bet that this thing will be gone in the next book.
Mane of the Purebreed:
Character on warhorse only, gives +1 Strength to the character's warhorse and and the other horses of the unit your character is in for the first time they charge. For 25 points, it can make a nice little surprise and it most certainly can make the first charge into combat (the most important part for Bretonnia) go a little bit further. Throw it on an excess Paladin in one of your Lances if you have the points, it's pretty nice and I would like to see some item that boosts our horses in the next book.
Antlers of the Great Hunt:
As of the FAQ, this item now allows your Knight and the unit he's in to roll 3D6 when pursuing and select the highest two dice. For 25 points, I think it's okay. It makes me sad though, because it reminds me of the Jaguar Standard in the 7th edition Lizardmen. Look that shit up, it was what made Cold One Riders usable. If you are fanatical about finishing off your opponent and not leaving him rallying his army up to fate, then this is the item for you. It's okay, but I just don't really have any points for it because there are so many other items I would rather carry.
Tress of Isoulde:
What the fuck is a Tress anyway? I guess it's a one-use only that allows you to nominate a single enemy model in any Combat Phase that makes to-hit rolls by the bearer of this item that on a roll of a 2+ regardless of any modifiers. For 20 points, I think it acts very well in combination with the Morningstar and the Virtue of Heroism. It's a nice piece of gear that may have some tactical use for Bretonnia, but it needs to be cheaper if it's one-use only. I'd rather see a few other things reappear in the new book, but if this little trinket pops up again, I'd be okay with that.
Guantlet of the Duel:
Any challenged issued by the bearer cannot be refused. For 10 points, this item is pretty much an auto-include in any army. This item no longer makes me fear Skaven as a Bretonnian player. When, as a Bretonnian player, you find that your opponent's characters are very vulnerable to direct damage you take full advantage of that. This why Tomb King and Vampire Count armies will be very reluctant to play a Bretonnian army. Once their Vampire Lord or Hirophant goes pop, the game is practically over. Skaven, while not Undead, are still very much reliant on their characters allowing them to have Leadership 10 (which is fucking bullshit) and re-rolls via the BSB. This item means the Skaven player can't use his Verminous Valor special rule. You will liquify a Grey Seer or a Skaven Warlord with a Bretonnian Lord. Unless your opponent it totting the Fell Blade, this item can allow you to cripple Skaven and pick at their biggest overall weakness, their Leadership. Even when you're not against Skaven, this is still a great item, especially for 10 points. Just be VERY careful picking your fights as the Bretonnian Lord is a machine, but he is still a squishy human. I would love to see this appear on our next book.
Arcane Items:
The Silver Mirror:
Any army that allows you to run dual Dispel Scrolls is instantly an A+ in my book. For 40 points, this is a damned fine item to bring along. First off, it's stated that it works exactly as a Dispel Scroll. In addition, the Wizard that cast the spell suffers an immediate Strength 6 hit. The strength in this item is not in how much damage it does. It's what it does to your opponent's psyche that makes it worth 40 points. In the era of 6-dicing bombspells, this will make most people think twice. Loosing your Level 4 is almost impossible to come back from. In the short-term, you threw a Dwellers Below on my Knights. In the long term, you're no longer at +4 to cast, and more importantly, to dispel. This will make many opponent's very reluctant to chuck their 6 dice when their Lord is one or two wounds in. Great item, stick it on your Prophetess.
Sacrament of the Lady:
As of the most recent FAQ, this item no longer exists. Which is sad, because this used to allow Bretonnians to have bangin' magic phases.
The Verdant Heart:
For 40 points, this item seems very unimpressive, until you get to the latter part of the item's paragraph. If the character with this item (which shall only be a Level 4 Prophetess on Life) is wholly within a Forest, then the Forest automatically counts as Dangerous Terrain. Ignore this part, but not what's coming up next. In addition, the bearer is +1 to cast from the Lore of Life. This will make your opponent sweat bullets. If I've said it once, I've said it a million times. Lore of Life is very reliant of synergy. The easier time you have throwing out spells, the better. This will allow you to shove Throne of Vines, Dwellers Bellow, and all the other nice Augments in the lore off with much more ease than before. Unless you're playing Dwarves, certain Slann builds, or High Elf armies with the Book of Hoeth, this will allow you to basically rape your opponent in the Magic Phase. Knights at +2 (or +4 with Throne of Vines up) Toughness will solve a lot of the grinding problems that Bretonnia faces after the charge. I love this item. If I don't take the Silver Mirror (because it does become a one-trick pony eventually) then I'm taking this item. Absolutely great, I would love to see this item come back, but either boosted in effect and points or dropped a bit as is.
Prayer Icon of Quenelles:
This item can be revealed at any time in the game, and it is a one-use item. Once revealed, it gives the wielder and the unit she is in the Blessing of the Lady. This can be used to give a unit that has lost the Blessing save to re-gain it. The Blessing given from this item can be lost in the normal way a Blessing can normally be lost. For 25 points, this item has two possible uses. One, it allows you to ignore a single challenge with your Lord, something that would normally be the biggest thorn in the side of Bretonnian Knights. Two, it allows you to give Men-At-Arms the Blessing Save. A very popular tactic is to take a Damsel on foot with this item and a Dispel Scroll in a horde of fifty or so Men-At-Arms to make the tar-pit unit from hell. Honestly, it's not that many points and it can save your ass or make a horrible unit at least die a little less quickly. I love, but I doubt that if our Blessing Save gets modded that we will be seeing this item again, unless we get a new Prophetess special character that has this as a special item.
Chalice of Malfleur:
At the start of the opponent's Magic Phase, the bearer may drink from the chalice. Roll a D6, on a roll of a 1, she takes a single wound with no saves of any kind allowed. On a roll of a 2-6, you get an extra Dispel Dice to your pool. For 20 points, this item has a lot of potential. While Verdant Heart is a lot of points to make your Magic Phase measurably better, this item makes your ability to dispel much higher. You have a 16.5% chance of hurting yourself, but with Life magic, you can heal that right up. I love it in combination with Verdant Heart and/or the Silver Mirror. I would like to see it again, but I highly doubt that I will.
Potion of Sacre:
A one-use item only that is used before rolling dice for casting or dispelling. After the dice are rolled, you may add +1 to the result of one dice. This can be used to make your caster cast with Irresistible Force, but no longer allows you to prevent a miscast per the latest FAQ. For 10 points, it would be awesome in any other army. Why not for Bretonnia? Well, unless you have your Prophetess/Damsel in a horde of Men-At-Arms, a miscast is very bad not for the caster, as she has MR and a Blessing Save, but for all the other knights in the Lance she is in. If she miscasts in a group of Peasants, she hits two when she miscasts in base-to-base and who really gives a shit about Peasant anyway? In a Lance of Knights? You're wiping out a whole rank, and that's best case scenario. Miscasts are very, very scary if you play Bretonnia. This item was better in my opinion before the FAQ so as to allow you to prevent a miscast. If you like gunning for Irresistible Force? Yes. If you're me? No. I don't see this item coming back in the new book as 8th edition got rid of a lot of the 7th edition items that did this kind of thing.
Magic Banners (FUCK YEAH!!!):
Banner of the Lady:
Can be wielded by a model on foot or on a Bretonnian Warhorse. For 100 points, this banner makes all enemy models with at least one model in base-to-base contact with bearer of the banner receives no combat resolution from ranks. As you can tell, this is by far my favorite item section in all of the unique magical items of Bretonnia. This banner is VERY powerful for Bretonnia because it mitigates one of the things that Bretonnia has a difficult time dealing with. Static Combat Resolution. A full bus of Knights of the Realm is capped at 15 models. Throwing in a Paladin, a Lord, and Prophetess/Damsel, you're now at 6 ranks deep. This seems very powerful, until you realize we're now very susceptible to flank charges and our ranks are only 3 wide. Three successful wounds means one rank goes bye bye. Means that a Lance with this banner is going to be beating even horde of elite infantry because of a combination of our defensive capabilities, small frontage, and Lance Formation rules. It's expensive, and for what it does it should be. I want to see it in the next book as 100 point banners are very popular in army books right now and thus I really hope to see it again.
Valorous Standard:
Can only be taken in a Knight unit. For 50 points, this banner gives the Cold-Blooded special rule (rolls 3D6 for Leadership test and discards the highest number on the dice) to the unit it is in. As a Lizardmen player, I can tell you that Cold-Blooded is an awesome rule. This, is a nice little banner, but for the points the Leadership Banner (+1 Leadership but can't use General's Leadership) is just a better buy. In an army where everything is really overpriced, this is neat, but only if you just have nothing to do with 50 points. However, this is the worst item (again, in my opinion) in this section, and it's still something that can be very, very effective. That should tell you about something about where the power in the magic items resides.
Banner of Defence:
As long as the unit with this banner is affected by the Blessing of the Lady, the unit gets a 4+ Ward Save against all missile fire at a Strength 5 or higher level. If the Blessing of the Lady is lost then so is the effect generated from this banner. For 30 points, this banner is a really, really nice item to include when you play in a meta where artillery wins games. My Grail Knights with this banner will fuck a Gun Line list up. Cannons who try to evaporate these guys will find themselves at a severe disadvantage. This is what can keep Bretonnian Lances alive from the always popular and effective Chaos Dwarf/Dwarf/Empire Gun Lines who seem to just fuck up everyone's day with no concern for anyone at all. I'd like to see it reappear, and I think the fluff supports it, since knights hate missile weapons and this is a perfect way to incorporate it via way of the fluff.
Twilight Banner:
No, this does not allow you to use shiny emo whiny vampires (who turned the coolest supernatural creatures into pussies BTW) to set upon your enemies. It's a one-use item that can be used in the Reaming Moves sub-section of the Movement Phase (basically anything that isn't charging, fleeing, or rallying). This allows your unit to move through pretty much anything except for enemy units. In addition, the unit cannot end it's movement phase inside Impassible Terrain, though they may move through it when under the effect of this banner. For 25 points, I think it's another item that makes terrain much less of a problem to deal with as Bretonnians. A Lance of Knights suddenly marching through what you thought was an effective screening device is a terrifying thing to behold. I love this banner, I think it's a much cheaper alternative to the Ranger Standard (another effective pick for Bretonnia), and in an army where everything is overcosted, the ability to pinch pennies like that in terms of points is a really nice boon. Doubt we'll be seeing it again, unless it's boosted up and grants the Ethereal special rule to the unit and costs a 100 points.
Conquerors Tapestry:
Per FAQ, this item now grants double victory points if the enemy's banner is slain or removed due to the Last Stand special rule by the unit with this banner in it. In addition, if the bearer of this banner is slain, then it counts as 50 victory points instead of the usual 25. For 25 points, I think it makes a nice addition to a Bretonnian Death Star Lance. My friend Art swears by this item, and I will admit that it has some merit, I just personally do not take it. It's not because it's a bad item, or an over-costed one. If anything I think it's very much under-costed for what it does. I would just rather have a Banner than helps me win combats! If you take Bretonnia to GT's, then you have one goal in mind, table the guy across from you, or you will be tabled. While it seems like a hell-and-leather strategy, it is the one I feel makes the most sense for Bretonnia and it does work very well. Watch some tournament batreps from the Sustainable Center for reference. Again, I think it's effective in tournaments, and if you're a big tourney goer, then this is a banner you should very seriously consider taking. I think that this banner will be disappearing for the same reason that the Potion of Sacre will probably not be making a reappearance.
Errantry Banner:
Ohboyohboyohboyohboyohboy!!! I love this banner because it allows you to create the Cruise Missile Lance! For 20 points, it can only go on your Errant Knights. They suffer -2 Leadership to their Impetuous Tests, but they get +1 Strength on any turn in which they charge. This effect is not extended to characters in the Lance or the knights' mounts. I know a lot of people who question this tactic, until my Errant Knights blow through their Rat Swarms and into their Hell Pit Abomination and destroy it. Having access to ITP units with S6, via this banner, on the charge is incredible. If you take a Lance of Errant Knights, I highly suggest you run them with this banner. This item should be in the next book, if only available as an upgrade for the unit itself (like the VC's Blood Knights with their special standard). I love, I want it to make a reappearance for sure. my love for my Bretonnian Cruise Missile is so great that I would be happy to see it stay for that same amount of points.
Banner of Chalons:
For 10 points, this banner makes it impossible for your opponent to make Stand and Shoot reactions against you. I cannot tell you how helpful this is against Scouts, Thunderers/Quarrelers, Darkshards, Dark Riders, Skinks, Lothern Sea Guard, etc. It does have some potential to be combined with the Virtue of Noble Disdain for a full blown anti-range unit. What else can I say besides it's cheap, it's effective, and in an army book that was written in 6th edition, that's all I could ask for. Very underrated, very nice to have. Especially against Ogres with their fucking Leadbelchers!
So that's it folks, the last webisode of BBIF, and I hope you all enjoyed it. For all my readers out there who I tired of me talking about Bretonnia, don't worry, I'm hoping to go back to blogging on magic, as that it was seems to get the most views and comments. Until then, +1, if you're loyal to the Lady!
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