Charge defence skill for units

[NygaPliz]

I have played warhammer for a while lately and know there are a lot of units with this defensive skill. From what I know and understand from reading the description, the unit posessing the trait negates the charge bonus of the unit advancing on it, when bracing.

So heres the deal...I'm either having an l2p issue (because I can't use the unit properly) or there is some malfunction with the units (and I'm getting ripped off during gameplay ). I made tests during custom and campaign battles. I played as dwarfs, as you probably know, dwarfs lack cavarly, so it would make total sense for CA to make the infantry units solid against whatever is thrown at them. For example, when using Ironbrakers, I make a deep formation (about 6 ranks) and turn then facing forward against advancing Chaos Knights. My brakers hold still as they should and expect that charge. When Chaos does charge in though, not only the brakers dont absorb the impact of the charge (the marvellous animation of flying and backflipping dwarfs is just amazing, something I found missing in previous TW titles), but they take heavy casualties. I mean at least 800 HP (Chaos Knights don't have a big AP bonus, so no dwarfs dead during charge) is lost.

How does this defensive tactic work? Are units with the trait supposed to absorb the impact of the charge or just the damage? And if so, why do units defending take casualties when charged into?

[Påsan]

I belive it only negates the extra melee attack and damage the knights get. Every one of those flying ironbreakers still gets hit by the normal attack of the knights.

[NygaPliz]

PåsanI don't think it works that way though. The normal attack of the knights doesn't exceed the defense Ironbrakers have. Losses in melee are acceptable, but it's obvious that the knights cause bigger casualties when they charge in. Although they should lose the buff of the charge.


How do you use units with that skill yourself? Do you press guard mode or just have them standing still?

[Ichon]

Ironbreakers have expert charge defense and thus negate the BONUS charge damage of any attacker. They will still take normal damage and what I believe is happening when they seem to take extra damage is that the charge knocks them out of formation while also exposing each model in the unit to more attacks as the Chaos Knights unit penetrate deeper into the lines. If you test vs solitary or few units in the charging unit the difference between braced and not is quite obvious but for smaller numbers units vs relatively large numbers or high mass/melee attack units a charge even vs braced does more damage than just walking up to a unit but still alot less than if that unit wasn't braced.

Test other charge defense units vs smaller or similar numbers units and the charge defense seems better. Although I haven't used Ironbreakers at all in campaign or custom battles there should be a noticeable difference between braced and not. If there isn't it could be a bug... few other units have some weird interactions as well.