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Grand Cathay · 144 points
Are Cathay Iron Hail Gunners good?
Cathay Iron Hail Gunners are the best shooting unit I have tested so far. They topped my results at both short and long range, and one rule explains most of it.
Quick answer: it depends what you point Cathay Iron Hail Gunners at
- Role
- All-round firebase
- Good against
- Knights of the Realm (2.9, 1st), Empire State Troops (5.3, 1st), Skaven Dregs (6.2, 2nd), Rat Ogres (3.4, 4th), Skirmishing Empire Archers (3.4, 5th)
- Struggles against
- Ironbreakers (1.2, 6th): weakest ranking
- Range
- Holds up at long range (91% kept)
All-round firebase is the job Cathay Iron Hail Gunners did best in my testing, and it is the yardstick I would judge them by, rather than their 1st-of-18 overall average.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 120 volleys with Cathay Iron Hail Gunners: 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 Cathay Iron Hail Gunners results.
I stripped the Cathay Iron Hail Gunners tests back on purpose, with no terrain, no magic, no characters and nobody deciding anything for the other side, which isolates the unit but is not a real game. With ten volleys per result, Cathay Iron Hail Gunners (3.7) and Skaven Jezzails (3.7) finished level at short range, so I would not read anything into their order. Read the Cathay Iron Hail Gunners results as a guide to roles and matchups rather than a forecast.
My verdict
In my opinion this is the unit to beat in the 140–150 point band. They led at long range against five of the six targets. Their one weak spot is Ironbreakers, where they fell to sixth at short range.
Best and worst targets for Cathay Iron Hail Gunners
Cathay Iron Hail Gunners by target. Ranks out of 18. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Target | Long | Rank | Short | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knights of the Realm | 2.7 | 1st | 2.9 | 1st |
| Ironbreakers | 1.5 | 4th | 1.2 | 6th |
| Empire State Troops | 4.2 | 1st | 5.3 | 1st |
| Skaven Dregs | 5.1 | 1st | 6.2 | 2nd |
| Rat Ogres | 3.6 | 1st | 3.4 | 4th |
| Skirmishing Empire Archers | 3.2 | 1st | 3.4 | 5th |
Range and armour
At long range Cathay Iron Hail Gunners kept 91% of their short-range damage, one of the flattest range profiles I tested. Their best long-range target was Skaven Dregs (5.1).
Against my two heavily armoured targets, Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Cathay Iron Hail Gunners averaged 2.1 wounds at short range. That puts them 4th of 18 for cracking armour.
Rules that shaped these numbers
- Iron Hail Guns ignore the long range and multiple shots To Hit penalties. That is why their long-range numbers stay so close to their short-range ones.
How I set up the test
12 models could shoot in every matchup. My method page has the full setup.
How do they compare?
Other Grand Cathay shooters
- Cathay Crane Gunners144 pts · 2.9 avg short, 1.7 avg long
- Cathay Sky Lantern150 pts · 2.2 avg short, 2.2 avg long
Similar overall damage
- Skaven JezzailsSkaven (Renegades fan list) · 3.7 avg short
- Empire crossbowmenEmpire of Man · 3.6 avg short
- Dwarf RangersDwarfen Mountain Holds · 3.5 avg short
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use Cathay Iron Hail Gunners for a firebase that punishes almost anything at either range, and not for Ironbreakers, where they dropped to sixth, to get the most out of them on the battlefield.
FAQs
What are Cathay Iron Hail Gunners best at shooting?
Skaven Dregs: Cathay Iron Hail Gunners did 6.2 wounds per short-range volley against them in my tests. Their lowest number was against Ironbreakers, at 1.2.
Are Cathay Iron Hail Gunners better at long or short range?
Short range. Cathay Iron Hail Gunners kept 91% of their short-range damage at long range, 2nd of 18 for holding up at range. They averaged 3.4 wounds at long range against 3.7 at short range.
Are Cathay Iron Hail Gunners good against armour?
Against Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Cathay Iron Hail Gunners averaged 2.1 wounds per short-range volley, 4th of the 18 units I tested.