Introduction

The Bretonnian army has an incredibly strong stereotype associated with it, the inescapable mental image of an epic cavalry charge, spearheaded by chivalrous knights clad in burnished armour and brightly caparisoned with heraldic colours! It's probably fair to say that Bretonnian collectors probably know what they're letting themselves in for when they begin their army - there's no confusing the heroic and bold charges of the Bretonnians with the gunlines of other races such as the Empire and Dwarfs, nor the gibbering hordes of Orcs & Goblins or Skaven, oh no!

With that in mind, the astute reader might be wondering what the use is in a Bretonnian tactica? Surely their style of play resolves purely around storming across the board and into combat? Well, yes and no. Certainly there's no knightly virtue in fielding a Bretonnian army that focuses on long-ranged warfare, and there's very little point relying too heavily on magic either. Bretonnians win (or lose) their games in the Close Combat phase, where the gallantry of their knights shines through.

Over the next few pages we'll examine each unit in the Bretonnian army, from the lowliest peasant to the mightiest lords and nobles, discussing how to get the very best from each on the battlefield. Before we launch headfirst into looking at the units in the Bretonnian army, however, it's worth taking a brief look at the three main advantages of the Bretonnian army:

1) Powerful Core units: The Knights of the Realm and the Knights Errant are both incredibly hard-hitting heavy cavalry units. Thanks to the Bretonnian Lance special rule, even their core units hit like the lance of Gilles le Breton himself!
2) Expendable Peasantry: It's a hard life for the underclass in Bretonnian society, and never more so than on the battlefield. Many armies rely on their cheaper units to hold objectives or delay powerful enemy units, and for this the peasantry of Bretonnia are perfect.
3) Mighty Heroes: Bretonnian society revolves around the concept of powerful nobles protecting the citizenry, fighting gallant challenges and embarking on all manner of heroics. In the Bretonnian army, the Lords and Heroes available are, with the addition of some magic items and virtues (an upgrade purchased for your character, a little like a Chaos Gift), more than capable of fighting (and winning) challenges against all but the deadliest enemy characters.