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.
Kingdom of Bretonnia · 140 points
Are Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen good?
Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen are decent value for their points. They finished ninth of 18 at short range in my tests and did well into skirmishers.
Quick answer: it depends what you point Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen at
- Role
- Cheap support archers
- Good against
- Empire State Troops (4.0, 5th), Skirmishing Empire Archers (4.4, 2nd)
- Struggles against
- Rat Ogres (1.3, 16th)
- Range
- Loses some damage at range (62% kept)
Cheap support archers is the job Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen did best in my testing, and it is the yardstick I would judge them by, rather than their 9th-of-18 overall average.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 120 volleys with Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen: ten fresh volleys at each of six targets, at both long and short range. Those volleys were part of the 2,160 I ran across 18 shooting units, and these were the Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen results.
A simulation is only as good as its assumptions, and the ones behind my Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen results leave out terrain, magic, characters and a thinking opponent. With ten volleys per result, Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen (2.9) and Cathay Crane Gunners (2.9) finished level at short range, so I would not read anything into their order. I use them to decide the job for Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen, not to predict a single game.
My verdict
I think Bowmen do their job without standing out. Their best targets were Dregs (4.6) and skirmishing archers (4.4) at short range.
Best and worst targets for Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen
Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen by target. Ranks out of 18. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Target | Long | Rank | Short | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knights of the Realm | 1.1 | 10th | 1.9 | 6th |
| Ironbreakers | 0.8 | 8th | 1.1 | 9th |
| Empire State Troops | 2.1 | 12th | 4.0 | 5th |
| Skaven Dregs | 3.3 | 7th | 4.6 | 9th |
| Rat Ogres | 1.5 | 12th | 1.3 | 16th |
| Skirmishing Empire Archers | 2.0 | 7th | 4.4 | 2nd |
Range and armour
At long range Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen kept 62% of their short-range damage. Their best long-range target was Skaven Dregs (3.3).
Against my two heavily armoured targets, Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen averaged 1.5 wounds at short range. That puts them 7th of 18 for cracking armour.
How I set up the test
Against the Knights, 20 Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen could shoot at long range and 18 at short range; against the skirmishing archers, 20 and 20. My method page has the full setup.
How do they compare?
Other Kingdom of Bretonnia shooters
- Bretonnian Mounted Yeomen143 pts · 1.5 avg short, 1.1 avg long
Similar overall damage
- Cathay Crane GunnersGrand Cathay · 2.9 avg short
- High Elf ArchersHigh Elf Realms · 2.9 avg short
- Sisters of AvelornHigh Elf Realms · 3.2 avg short
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen for cheap support fire into light infantry and skirmishers, and not for Rat Ogres or heavy armour, to get the most out of them on the battlefield.
FAQs
What are Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen best at shooting?
Skaven Dregs: Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen did 4.6 wounds per short-range volley against them in my tests. Their lowest number was against Ironbreakers, at 1.1.
Are Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen better at long or short range?
Short range. Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen kept 62% of their short-range damage at long range, 15th of 18 for holding up at range. They averaged 1.8 wounds at long range against 2.9 at short range.
Are Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen good against armour?
Against Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Bretonnian Peasant Bowmen averaged 1.5 wounds per short-range volley, 7th of the 18 units I tested.