SYLVANETH TACTICS: Swords vs Scythes

Welcome to a new Age of Sigmar in-depth strategy guide! In this video we talk about the Swords vs Scythes conundrum! Ryan brings out his math hammer and swings it all the ways you can imagine.
Interested in more strategy guides or do you want to learn more about the other aelven races? Let us know in the comments! Please like, share and subscribe! It goes a long way in helping the channel grow.
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Images:
All images in this video are owned by Games Workshop.
Music:
Leaving Home by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.filmmusic.io/song...
License: filmmusic.io/standard-license

[@biowiener7825]

bless this channel, so great to start playing sylvaneth with those videos. i just wish that there would be channel slike this for skaven and soulbight (and maybe nighthaunt)

[@strategoi]

Very happy to see you're enjoying the content! Keep an eye out for more sylvaneth stuff 🥳

[@biowiener7825]

@@strategoi thats awesome, cant wait!

[@jcbarritus]

Really appreciate the math hammer here. I do think that alternating attack order and the strike and fade ability really have to be taken into consideration vice msu swords. I.e. - You are not guaranteed to hit with a full second unit of swords where as you def get all 6 scyths. (These considerations are covered briefly in the summary)

[@strategoi]

Oh for sure. We can only reliably put the damage numbers in, the other benefits or downsides to both units are too hard (or impossible) to put into statistics. What I like about the entirety of it, is that, yes, swords look very good when doing the math, but as you say: there's more to each unit than just that. If you have hard hitting units that are already using your strike and fade, I'd go swords still. If you're aching for a hammer unit though, Scythes serve us well 👍

[@Nummerschield]

I'm glad that each variant plays a role.

[@strategoi]

Yeah, it's cool how they managed to balance that, right?

[@mjpegasus1079]

Feels like Bows right now lol! But yes, happy to hear there is use for either depending on the roles

[@strategoi]

I've always found bows the coolest but worst option. Just waiting for someone to prove me wrong 😁

[@RTBurruss]

Yeah, I think I'm gonna start working in a clear way to represent their difference in swinginess graphically to better help visualize the reason one would choose Scythes.

[@VinnieinChina]

It looks good, but as a non-mathematician, it is still a lot that was explained but flew above my head.

[@strategoi]

Thanks for the feedback, Hernan! We aim to provide some content for everyone, so hopefully you found the conclusion still useful. ;-)

[@RavenUSIMP]

I like it! Now --- Lancers vs Seekers. ;)

[@RTBurruss]

Def much harder to compare, but I’m down!

[@strategoi]

@@RTBurruss Got thirty more hours to spend? 😉

[@Nummerschield]

In fact, 2 days ago I played a Kurnoth-hunter list with a Lancer and Seeker unit. Lancer as Efficient Bounty Hunters and the Seekers along with 6 Scythes and Arch Revenant as the Death Star. The seekers always bring back models.

[@georgevathipoulias30]

Good job guys! 🙂

[@RTBurruss]

Thanks buddy. And thanks for the quick catch

[@Blondiauthomas]

As good as usual ❤

[@RTBurruss]

Thanks, Thomas! This might easily be the most time spent on a single video to-date, so clearly keeping the quality up is important to us!

[@Chance_25]

So basically- Scythes are consistent but Swords have more potential?

[@strategoi]

That sums it up, yes! At least when you're solely looking at damage 😉

[@johnpolhill8699]

nice

[@RTBurruss]

Thanks, John!

[@salsathe4th]

Would you want reinforced swords if they can be battleline? Then you can fight in two ranks.

[@RTBurruss]

Unfortunately Dan, they have a wounds characteristic of 5 and therefore don’t qualify for the fighting in two tanks ability you’re referring to in the current GHB. That said, it’s technically possible to get 6 swords in combat while still maintaining coherency, but it requires extremely precise base placement

[@lunaticphoenix]

Very nice video but i have one question: Why you have to choose if the Swords explode with everdusk or do mortal wounds? Is there any core rule i missed out?

[@ryanburruss]

Hey, sorry for the delay on the answer. If you haven’t sorted it out yet, the issue comes down to the fact that you can’t have two effects trigger on the same roll. See Core Rules 1.6.4 (triggered effects)

[@lunaticphoenix]

@@ryanburruss oh yeah i just recognized - will consider it in my future army lists thank you for the hint

[@mkulchar]

Looks like scythes going up 10points to 260. Is that going affect which is better? Cause that is 20point gain where could be put elsewhere

[@strategoi]

Will mostly likely depend on what else you're running. But if you've got the points for either, it'll mostly remain the same.

[@mkulchar]

@@strategoi thanks for the reply, can't wait for an update on our army when the points changes happens and new battle pitch. What has changed and If army lists has altered

[@strategoi]

@@mkulchar Eager to get into that as well! Will see you there in the comments ;-)

[@user-ug4tp9vn8i]

Can I have the discord link?

[@CPyJIb]

Why or ? I would take both 2x3 Swords and 1x6 Scythes.

[@strategoi]

Hey there! Not 100% sure if I'll be answering the question you're asking, but I can def start by saying that back when this video was made (thanks for checking it out btw!), the unit coherency cutoff for being able to string each model out separately was 5 models instead of 6 (as it now is after a Battlescroll update). As such, seeing as swords have shorter range and that the models were on big bases, if you took them in 6's back then, the back row often didn't get to fight, so you were losing half your output until at least one of the Kurnoths died and they became of unit of 5. The scythes never had this problem due to their increased melee range. Nowadays, you can definitely take swords confidently in groups of 6 if you prefer the mortals over the extra rend!

[@CPyJIb]

@@strategoi please read the comment again.