This post continues with a discussion I'm having mostly with myself about whether Praetorian Swordsmen with their UA or Nihilators are a better infantry unit for Skorne. The first part of this series, entitled Math and Tough, can be found here.
I've heard people say that Warmachine is a game of inches. What they usually mean is that every inch matters. Even the slightest increase in threat range can make a great deal of difference when it comes to planning your turn. Comparing Nihilators to Praetorian Swordsmen, I'll specifically consider 1.5 inches, (the difference in engagement range between a model with Reach and a model without Reach), and 2 inches (the extra movement granted by Side Step). This time around, Nihilators have Reach, while Praetorian Swordsmen have Side Step.
The Reach advantage is pretty straightforward. A model with Reach has a melee range of 2" rather than 0.5." In terms of strategy, this has several effects. First, it boosts a unit's threat range by 1.5 inches, which is a pretty big deal. First strikes can deal a lot of damage to an enemy army in Warmachine, and an extra 1.5" makes it that much easier to set up an effective charge. More importantly, Reach lets any one model in a unit threaten a wider area, which in turn allows the unit to engage more enemy models. This is especially important for Swordsmen and Nihilators. Their primary battlefield role is often to protect warbeasts from enemy charges, and the ability to engage multiple models and threaten charge angles past models is very important. Mathematically, a Swordsman engages around 1.25 square inches around its base (very rough figure - I did not feel like working in mm then converting back). A Nihilator engages around 10 square inches, about 8 times as much. Even accepting that the radius of engagement is a more important measure than the area (it probably is, to be honest), the difference is big, a 4-fold advantage for an individual Nihilator. A unit of Nihilators can potentially engage targets a lot more thoroughly than a unit of Swordsmen, and removing a few Nihilators is less likely to free key models from melee (leaving them unable to shoot or channel spells, subject to Free Strikes, etc.).
Side Step is a little more complicated. It lets a model move an extra 2" when it hits with an initial attack or special attack (though not a power attack). Its more offensive than Reach. Reach is always active, and always threatens a wide area around the model. Side Step doesn't let a Swordsman engage any extra models on the enemy's turn. It does let Swordsmen engage a player's second rank, however. If they hit with their first attack, Swordsmen can move to engage troops they wouldn't otherwise be able to reach. Since Swordsmen have two attacks each, they can potentially penetrate an enemy unit to engage soldiers 4.5" behind the front line. The total potential engagement threat range is 13.5" from where they started, compared to the Nihilators' 11". If you're looking to engage a well placed infantry unit, that is potentially significantly better than the 2" reach without additional movement that Nihilators have.
Being able to side-step into the second and subsequent lines is fairly useful offensively. It's easier to get more attacks in against an opponent who spaces infantry well. When you know you'll be on the receiving end of an infantry charge, the best thing to do is often to spread out your unit. Put 2 or 3 troopers in the front rank, and the rest several inches behind them. If the opponent is using reach infantry (which is pretty common), those 2-3 models will be able to block off the rest of the unit from your infantry. If you were hoping to deal damage to the unit, the extra half-inch engagement range might be enough to contact a second model. Even if it isn't, it will let swordsmen set up a mirror formation, with 2-3 swordsmen 2 inches further ahead of the others. Without reach, they won't be as effective in protecting their fellows as Nihilators, but they'll also probably be less clumped up after charging a unit, and will therefore be less vulnerable to enemy charges, tramples, and blasts.
There are two limiting factors to Side Step. The first is that it requires the Swordsmen to hit their target. At Mat 6, that means the Swordsmen will be making Side Step moves about half the time against most infantry, and about two thirds of the time against a lot of warbeasts and jacks. Any Mat bonus they receive helps them out a lot here. They're right at the cusp of being able to threaten mid-to-high def infantry reliably, and a +2 bonus (which we Skorne have several of) will get them there. The second is that Side Step is a Granted ability. If the Swordsmen officer is killed off, they lose it. Many opponents will try to snipe out the officer using ranged and magic attacks in order to get rid of the Swordsmen's signature offensive ability.
So these are my thoughts on Swordsmen, Nihilators, threat ranges, and engagement potential. The winner is a little harder to pick out this time. Nihilators can tie down more enemies individually, and have a longer base threat range with Reach. Swordsmen can pierce deeper into an enemy infantry formation to engage secondary targets, and have a higher potential engagement range if their initial attacks hit.
Overall, Reach makes Nihilators better at jamming units and beasts/jacks and claiming objectives, while Side Step gives Swordsmen the edge in engaging a spread-out formation, and resisting a counterattack. Which is better is going to depend on what qualities you're looking for in an army list.
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