Unit Composition (HornBlower, Icon Bearer, etc) Question

[MadCat]

Hi all: 

I never understood how the a unit should be composed, when they have the option to be HornBlower, Icon Bearer, etc. and the rules say "they can be..." 

The unit can only be one type? You need the model with the banner to have the characteristic? if so, if i have model with both (Banner, Horn or whatever) i would have Both Characteristic?........ really is a noob question, but i do not know how it works.

The Example i gave  was with Bloodreavers.

Can someone help me? 

Thank You

[Overread]

1 hour ago, MadCat said:

Hi all: 

I never understood how the a unit should be composed, when they have the option to be HornBlower, Icon Bearer, etc. and the rules say "they can be..." 

The unit can only be one type? You need the model with the banner to have the characteristic? if so, if i have model with both (Banner, Horn or whatever) i would have Both Characteristic?........ really is a noob question, but i do not know how it works.

The Example i gave  was with Bloodreavers.

Can someone help me? 

Thank You

Basically many of the current rules for banners/hornblowers are very casual in how they are designed. I think its  hangover from the old style of fantasy where you had rank and file and your hornblower and banner holder were always in the front rank, but you always removed casualties from the rear rank (the idea being that your units in front get killed, but those behind pick up the banner and horn to keep going - hence why you remove from the rear). 

So basically you'd never lose either model and either bonus until the entire unit was pretty much dead. 

 

 

In AoS that system is gone, you are instead left with a situation where, in theory, many units could have every model holding a banner and a horn/instrument and their regular weapons all with no cost or penalty. Of course visually that's silly. 

So most people tend to stick with one per unit of each. One musician and one bannerholder and then as the battle rages just remove other units from combat and remove those two as casualties last - unless the enemy gets an attack in such a way that they are the only viable choices to remove. It rewards sensible placements but also sneaky tactics by the enemy so its  rewarding and challenging to play; whilst being more visually in keeping with how one might envision armies to be.