Are Witch Hunters Any Good? - Empire Hero Unit Focus

[@G1ingy]

Removing Accusation's damage was the right move. It was nonsensical and stupid that being accused dealt damage, such high damage no less.

[@OffToBattle]

Well sure it was silly. What do you think of the current version? I felt surprised because I hadn't really USED it before.

[@samfire3067]

It was damage to Their honor and pride. Hehe

[@OffToBattle]

@@samfire3067 Yes. Silly but not wholly out of character.

[@chapter_brother5437]

Vicious Mockery!

[@OffToBattle]

@@chapter_brother5437 I'm all for giving Witch Hunters more love, especially with the aesthetic, and I always liked that guy in Vermintide 1...

[@nachoguy5]

If Witch Hunters ever get an update, they need some sort of kit variation setting [like a mount option but changes their weapons] The whole shtick with Hunters is that they always have the tools for the job, so you should be able to kit them out based on whatever you happen to need them for

[@OffToBattle]

I'm all for them showing the hunters more love.

[@HannibalTheSnowman]

Love that at 6:51 a witch hunter just shoots his fellow hunter, just in case they're a rat.

[@OffToBattle]

Yeah, I couldn't focus on every detail while recording but a little "friendly" fire seemed inevitable.

[@andreacasazza3350]

1:07 that shot was so good. 2:07

[@OffToBattle]

Yeah, like I said, I had no right to make my boys look this good, haha...

[@andreacasazza3350]

#WitchHunterTeam

[@OffToBattle]

@@andreacasazza3350 Hey there was a time they were considered overpowered waaaay back. So I like the idea they'll be relevant to more people.

[@MrSquigglies]

He neds some sort of counter casting ability like the projectile reflection Cathay gets

[@MrSquigglies]

A mont would be good too

[@OffToBattle]

Not.. the same kind of guy, but Luthor Harkon inflicts Disruption even with his pistols now... as in, Silenced.

[@OffToBattle]

@@MrSquigglies I have no idea if the lore supports any mount options ever. Curious if anyone can chime in on that.

[@kirillrivkin4842]

I thought that he could get a horse?

[@MrSquigglies]

@@kirillrivkin4842 nope probably a mod for it though

[@alexjohn9546]

Would use these guys in armies if you didn’t have to buy a building and then upgrade it to increase the cap. So much cheaper to just build the warrior priest.

[@OffToBattle]

I'm going to get around to a warrior priest video. I've gamed out some early campaigns and lack of one is suffering. Sometimes you get one in an event. Sometimes you get a Witch Hunter in an event.

[@mazdrpan4099]

On legendary you need +public order buildings in every province so you get lots of these heroes.

[@OffToBattle]

@@mazdrpan4099 Reikland has to be graded on a curve for that since it's easier to keep it under control if it's not half in ruins, but more broadly? I would think so.

[@chapter_brother5437]

the biggest problem with that building is how u are limited by building slots to begin with. I can either grap +250gold cash at tier I and then up to 500 or take some public order thingy that is solved by bonuses from negative anyway (in TW:3 it's a problem to even get rebelions as Dark Elves or Wood Elves)... If I grab cash my economy is going to be better = more troops fielded and more cash for building advancments. Skavens are the only ones I sometimes get those pesky-unreliable rats (since u are always getting -30 for one turn penalty when conquering) but you are building their public order Bell to max level anyway for Lord ranks.

[@OffToBattle]

@@chapter_brother5437 Right. Building tax is a real thing.

[@Aircastegamer]

Not gonna lie the witch hunter design is epic 👌 I kinda see myself making a sick costume for Halloween 😎

[@OffToBattle]

He could wander into a Van Helsing or Victor Vran game with no changes, I think...

[@kirillrivkin4842]

He is a great hero, which addresses some of the weaknesses of the empire- lack or Magic damage. He also enhances Empire's natural strength- ranged firepower. I thought that he should get a binus vs infantry, to make him more of an assassin against Casters and be able to seriously damage infantry demonic units. I thought that he had a mount, but if he doesn't, he should get a horse at least- in lore Witch Hunters definitely muse horses for transportation and in battle. Giving them a Pegasus would probably make them OP.

[@OffToBattle]

No mount that I see. Of course we may soon see that change.

[@PesterJester3]

i love using them in volkmar's army of free company militia (FCM from here on out), I was once in a really tough spot and corner camped and used my 2 witch hunters to cast accusations on the chaos warriors who were approaching and they got melted by the FCM in seconds, even with shields due to the high number of them focusing fire on each unit. WH's really shine with a lot of missile units for the empire but i really love them with FCM's since they both have fire while moving and its nice seeing a unit get melted by my charging FCM's cause accusation also reduces melee defense so the FCM's soften them up a lot with their missiles and then shred them in melee

[@OffToBattle]

Wow, Chaos Warriors went down like that? Those buffs are no joke then.

[@PesterJester3]

@@OffToBattle reduction to armor and missile res, combod with volk's buffs to them and having like 16 of them fire at 1 unit really melts em

[@OffToBattle]

@@PesterJester3 Well yeah, that's what, over 1500 pistols firing? Whee

[@shiggydiggy6847]

I believe the resistances can't go into negatives. Fire weakness doesn't reduce resistance, it adds weakness which isn't a thing for other damage channels. Therefore accusation just reduces some resists if the enemy has those. Bloodpenguin said in an interview a while ago that it could use a slight rework since it isn't a really an amazing melee or ranged debuff.

[@OffToBattle]

I thought that could be the case but I didn't want to say for sure. It's still helpful, but it's support, not amazing just as you said. I'm absolutely fine with them re-buffing the Witch Hunter because he was once considered too strong I think? Some tweaking is fine.

[@shiggydiggy6847]

@@OffToBattle I believe it used to be a free damage over time ability which was just nuts. But if it was changed to be either armor and missile block debuff, or melee defence and speed debuff it would create synergy with their cavalry or help their guns against tanky shielded targets like Sigvald.

[@OffToBattle]

@@shiggydiggy6847 Yeah, these are legitimate options, and I welcome CA exploring what they feel might be better than our current situation.

[@mazdrpan4099]

He is useful in battle, but is still better on campaign map. Accusation+flaming sword from Bright Wizard does stack resistances into negatives and is completely monstrous. Its pretty much a "this unit dies in the next volley" combo, no matter what it is.

[@OffToBattle]

Good, thanks for confirming. It may take a bit of time but I'll try one in campaign with a Huntsman-General stack and see how it works with buffed archers and stuff.

[@G1ingy]

It's really really good when you combine it with Nets from Huntsman General or light wizards. However I feel like they take up way too much of the Hero's power budget so you're literally bringing this guy along solely for this single super debuff, which flavourwise I dislike. I rather nerf Accusation and compensate by giving them a toolbelt of different smaller abilities like a short snare, flashbangs, etc. Thematically they're supposed to be Van Helsings or Batmans of the Warhammer world with a tool for every situation.

[@OffToBattle]

Yeah, I can see your logic for ditching Accusation and having more tools. The existing version feels like a product of its era... before a lot more modern factions were even invented (total war-wise).

[@coaiemandushman1079]

if only they had a summon. Summon of a 'Witch Hunter Retinue' to be more exact.

[@OffToBattle]

Ahh I see what you mean, Empire has nothing like Skavenslave summons... or zombies.

[@PedroRodrigues-je6xp]

Anyone else noticed the triple headshot at 2:50 😂😂

[@OffToBattle]

I was too busy fighting the battle to notice every detail but now I'll rewatch it ^^

[@me-memachine5272]

Thought about doing a video like this for the vampire counts Banshee? I think its terrible but some people disagree with me and say its a good duelist.

[@OffToBattle]

Well, both can be true in some sense. I've decided I really need to address the current version of Gotrek and Felix because I... hadn't recruited them once in their current state until last night, and if I don't understand something it's hard for me to use it, hah. So that'll be today's project. Banshee sounds interesting though. Edit: Getting lots of requests - which is great - but I predict I'll forget a few, so remind me later, it's not a bother!

[@CalDoggyDaddu]

I honestly only use Witch Hunters as agents/spies on the campaign map 😂

[@OffToBattle]

You and lots and lots and LOTS of people.

[@Wanderer-nw2so]

So the witch hunter is there to buff your backline to do more damage to everything. How many charges does accusation have? I think Turin would love him if he knew about this.

[@dontgankmebruv7273]

infinite and its unlockable at level two

[@OffToBattle]

No charges but too long a cooldown, which is why Volkmar giving a global cooldown reduction for his faction is powerful. But hey, if you only need one to melt Vlad or Grimgor, it pays for itself. Having said that... ...I don't know if it's bugged or what, but the Huntsman General buff on archers that is now "working"? It's more than working, it's insanity. A Witch Hunter helping would make it even more insane. But I have to do specific videos for all that stuff.

[@ricoarmstrong7440]

Turin used to play Witch hunter and Balthasar Gelt together with Outriders for lord Sniping.

[@Wanderer-nw2so]

@@ricoarmstrong7440 I know he has done it a few times but more recently he really hasn't that's why I asked

[@jabloko992]

They are useless in battle, but invaluable in campaign. On the campaign map they have all the best agent actions and are far more useful than they would be if you put them in your army.

[@OffToBattle]

As you can see, I've come to find they are not literally useless, but I know they're really useful on campaign and that's how most people will (and should) use them. I respect the well-established opinion on them.

[@ricoarmstrong7440]

I am very dissapointed by the single target damage of Witch hunters.

[@OffToBattle]

Yeah, it's amazing they had to nerf these guys down from back in the old days... and never really buffed them back enough for people to use them a lot.

[@semi-useful5178]

@@OffToBattle It'd be nice if they got mounts if they ever get buffed. Maybe Thrones of Decay will give them some love? Even just a Horse and maybe a Pegasus could help them out.

[@Frederatorr]

@@semi-useful5178 nah it wouldn't fit properly, I just hope they get an increase in their melee attack, as their missile strength is not that high to warrant their insanely bad melee stats.

[@semi-useful5178]

@@Frederatorr How do mounts not fit?

[@Frederatorr]

@@semi-useful5178 it would be weird for him to ride a horse, never mind a pegasus, as he's like a spy almost. Would be weird for him to be on a massive mount

[@brotherbango1560]

how bout a vid on bone giants next?

[@OffToBattle]

That's another one I covered once loooong ago, but I don't mind doing one now because it's so old I got tired of adding old stuff to the Master List playlist, and I want a baseline to compare the new Cathay construct legendary hero to. I'll keep it in mind. But, I'm still going to fill holes in my Empire coverage and Slaanesh seems to be getting decent reactions.

[@brotherbango1560]

@@OffToBattle Gnarly

[@kirillrivkin4842]

You will have a very long to do list soon 😮

[@yanomamo89]

They look cool

[@OffToBattle]

Glad I could make them look good. I was surprised.