Just a quick reminder, the poll on the left hand column on the page closes in about 7 hours, so be sure to vote!
Let's talk about one of my favorite things in the new Guard Codex.
Vanquishers.
Rejoice, boys and girls, because gone are the days of relying on Bassies for tank sniping, using Demolishers with Multimeltas to pop Land Raiders, or spamming Lascannons against Mech Tau and Marines. The Imperial Guard now has the best tank killing weapon in the game: The Leman Russ Vanquisher. It's cheap, it's tough, and it slags armour like no one's business.
Now, I've heard a lot of people complaining about the downgrade of it's main gun. In Imperial Armour I, it could fire the AT shells (which used a small blast) AND a normal Battlecannon shot. Without sparking a huge debate, I'm just going to say this; The downgrade makes sense. If they left the profile the same, then no one would take a LRMBT. Also, rolling to hit instead of scattering is better, since you have less of a chance to hit dead on with scatter, and hole of the template HAS to be on the tank to get a full strength hit.
Now, moving on, let's talk about some upgrades for your Vanq
Hull HB or Lascannon: Lascannon, and I shouldn't have to tell you why.
Sponsons: I find these to be a waste. No point in putting Flamer, HB, or the uber expensive Plasma sponsons on the Vanq, as that will help it fill a role you shouldn't be using the Vanq for. Some people like Multimelta sponsons, but I find the range to be crippling when it comes to using them effectively. Honestly, just leave the Sponsons at home.
Pintle Mounts: Only useful for shooting at basic infantry, and you shouldn't be shooting your Vanquisher at basic infantry.
Hunter-Killer Missile: I would pass on these in general for the IG. Hitting on a 4+ just isn't worth it.
Dozer Blade: Only take it if you plan on moving your Vanq, and that should only happen if you decided to tack Multi Meltas on to it. I would just leave it behind.
Extra Armour: Again, only if you plan on moving. Otherwise, the difference between "Shaken" and "Stunned" really doesn't matter.
Camo Netting: Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes! If you plan on sitting back and sniping, and can spare the points, take this. it gives you a 3+ cover save when you're hiding in a building or woods, making your Vanq not only lethal, but also even harder to kill.
Knight Commander Pask: With the Hull Lascannon adding in another AT shot, I find that he's not essential, but he always helps if you can spare the points. I would honesty put him in a Vanq instead of any other Russ.
Now that you have an idea of what you're putting on your Vanquisher, let's figure out how many you should be taking. Generally, I always take one, and that's usually all I need. They really shine when working in pairs, though, as you can put one on either side of your deployment, so you can catch the enemy in their side armour. I prefer to run them separately, if I can, but taking them in squadrons isn't terrible. Still, only do it if you have to.
When it comes to deployment, I really do like putting them on the side of the table, to get better angles at enemy armour. putting them so they're hiding in woods or buildings is also a great idea, as it allows them some protection from the absurd amount of return fire they'll be getting after they pop the first tank. Make sure you have a clear field of fire down most of the table, too, so the enemy won't be getting any cover saves from the pain you're dishing out.
As for using them in the actual game, sitting back and sniping is what they do best. Have them target the heavy/critical stuff first (Land Raiders, Hammerheads, Dreads, etc), and leave the lighter stuff to your infantry. You can also use them to snipe any unescorted SCs that are wandering around, or put some pain on Termies that have deep struck behind you. Since the shots don't use templates, this means you can actually get away with shooting the Termies without worrying that the shot may scatter into your men.
There you go! Hope that helped you get to know the best tank killer out there a little better.
Reds
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Chimeras, or What a Real Man's APC Looks Like
Put your Rhinos down, kids. It's time to analyze the chimera.
It's a tank, comes with two heavy weapons, front armor of 12, ignores water, has five fire points out the top hatch while not becoming open-topped, and is overall a fairly awesome vehicle. It looks nice, too.
The tactics are a bit different from a rhino - the rhino is a dash-and-drop transport, while the chimera is more a mobile fire base. Having your rhinos destroyed at the end of a game is almost expected, but the chimera should still be shooting at stuff. Whereas the rhino should rush forward with reckless abandon and tank shock if appropriate, the chimera should hang back a touch, keeping it's AV10 side armor away from enemy LOS.
There are four ideas I have regarding the use of chimeras: Line Breaker APC, Objective Grabber, Objective Holder, and Command Range Extender.
Weapons load-out - Unless you plan on getting very close to the enemy, always keep the multi-laser. Otherwise use the heavy flamer. There's no tactical advantage the heavy bolter has over the multi-laser, except for specific conditions half of which will be better served by a S6 weapon than a AP4 weapon. For the hull mount, the heavy bolter should serve all around better than a heavy flamer, due to the limtations on its firing angle. For a pintle, it depends on who you're fighting - I just glued the heavy stubber on my chimeras... 36" range over 24" equates to better in my book. Your milage may vary.
Options - Extra armor is never a bad choice. Being able to move away from whatever just shot you is usually wise... Dozer blades would depend entirely on what kind of terrain you usually see. HKs are trash for IG unless you take a boatload of them. Even then, I don't think that they're worth the points. I definately will never take them on chimeras. Camo netting is nice for an Objective Holder, but it's so expensive. I leave it behind.
Line Breaker APC
This is a lot like a rhino's shock transport, only the emphasis is on staying ~10 inches away from everything, unless the targets are marines/anything with krak. Then you stay ~16 inches away. Why? Assault phase - if the enemy does not have S4(or more) and/or krak grenades, then the chimera should be safe even if it doesn't cause a fall back from the shooting phase. The idea here, is to shoot the ever-loving crap out of your foe before he can shoot the sides of your armored box full of squishy guys. Hugging buildings on one side helps with the difficulty of positioning your chimera. Staying under 12" away from the target is ideal, so that you can add the firepower of five passengers to the hail of death coming from the chimera. If you've got a heavy weapon in there, great!
An alternate/combo of Line Breaker and Enemy-held Objective Grabber is the hellhound wannabe chimera. Slap a heavy flamer turret on there and tank shock/drive up to the contesting units. If you tank shocked, wait to see if you manage to make them run away in fear of your angry treads. If they didn't run, or you didn't want to waste time/risk a tank shock, unload that heavy flamer of doom. You did disembark the occupants, right? They can shoot too. Now you have two units contesting that the enemy has to shoot. If he didn't turn tail. If this objective is near his board edge, chase him with your infantry by extending your coherency to it's limit. You just have to keep one guy w/in 6" of the falling back unit, and he'll be unable to regroup. Dirty trick, but you're playing Guard...
A second alternate/combo: Mechanized platoon led by Al'Rahem. Support this idea with an astropath. I think that it's use is fairly obvious - your forces already on the table are the anvil, and here comes one or two hammers from the sides to catch everything off-guard. If you can master the use of one isolated chimera with minimal support, this is a major game winning tactic.
Third alternate: A squad of vets with three melta guns, led by Bastonne in a chimera to do drive bys on side/rear AV. If you distract the opponent enough, this becomes an option. Even if your chimera is destroyed, once you're in the enemy lines with that squad, you can do damage. At the very least it will relieve pressure on the rest of your army.
Objective Grabber
Much like the Line Breaker, the Objective Grabber is there to be on the offensive. These need a bit more support, though - you're getting unsafely close to the enemy, and it's likely that your chimera will not survive the experience. This is the finnese application of chimera movement - you want to get close to the objective while moving at combat speed. If the objective is already held, hang back and fire lots 'o guns at the enemy. Use a supporting unit to add some fire. Maybe even a shiny bait unit to get enemy to divide his fire, and give you an extra turn of shooting. Once you're w/in 12" of the objective, it's time to consider if you want to disembark your guys inside. It's a very situational thing, although if the chimera has been immobilized, you may as well...
Objective Holder
Basically in this role, the chimera is an added set of armor for a HWS. Stick some heavy bolter/ML guys in a chimera, and park them on an objective. Adding a multi-laser, a heavy stubber, and a heavy bolter from the chimera means that anything stepping into 36" radius will get a stern talking-to. This really won't hold against a concentrated effort, so be sure to occupy the enemy elsewhere. Preferably in the 24-36" range form the chimera, so that all that firepower isn't sitting there doing nothing...
Command Range Extender
Another slightly cheap trick, the Command Range Extender makes use of measuring from the hull for ability ranges. Stick a CCS in a chimera and let the orders fly at ~2-3" further than the poor sap who has to yell at the top of his lungs. It's not limited to orders - 'aura' abilities like Aura of Discipline and Cold Steel and Courage will become more effective.
Alternate for CRE: Take Straken with a medic and three plasma guns. Stick them in a chimera and advance into the enemy's face. MEQs fear this plan. Once you're all up ons, have them hop out and use the chimera as a LOS blocker that can also shoot. Unload much plasma pain onto enemy squads. It's expensive, but very much worth the cost.
If anyone has any more ideas on chimera useage, put it in a comment, and I'll add it here.
It's a tank, comes with two heavy weapons, front armor of 12, ignores water, has five fire points out the top hatch while not becoming open-topped, and is overall a fairly awesome vehicle. It looks nice, too.
The tactics are a bit different from a rhino - the rhino is a dash-and-drop transport, while the chimera is more a mobile fire base. Having your rhinos destroyed at the end of a game is almost expected, but the chimera should still be shooting at stuff. Whereas the rhino should rush forward with reckless abandon and tank shock if appropriate, the chimera should hang back a touch, keeping it's AV10 side armor away from enemy LOS.
There are four ideas I have regarding the use of chimeras: Line Breaker APC, Objective Grabber, Objective Holder, and Command Range Extender.
Weapons load-out - Unless you plan on getting very close to the enemy, always keep the multi-laser. Otherwise use the heavy flamer. There's no tactical advantage the heavy bolter has over the multi-laser, except for specific conditions half of which will be better served by a S6 weapon than a AP4 weapon. For the hull mount, the heavy bolter should serve all around better than a heavy flamer, due to the limtations on its firing angle. For a pintle, it depends on who you're fighting - I just glued the heavy stubber on my chimeras... 36" range over 24" equates to better in my book. Your milage may vary.
Options - Extra armor is never a bad choice. Being able to move away from whatever just shot you is usually wise... Dozer blades would depend entirely on what kind of terrain you usually see. HKs are trash for IG unless you take a boatload of them. Even then, I don't think that they're worth the points. I definately will never take them on chimeras. Camo netting is nice for an Objective Holder, but it's so expensive. I leave it behind.
Line Breaker APC
This is a lot like a rhino's shock transport, only the emphasis is on staying ~10 inches away from everything, unless the targets are marines/anything with krak. Then you stay ~16 inches away. Why? Assault phase - if the enemy does not have S4(or more) and/or krak grenades, then the chimera should be safe even if it doesn't cause a fall back from the shooting phase. The idea here, is to shoot the ever-loving crap out of your foe before he can shoot the sides of your armored box full of squishy guys. Hugging buildings on one side helps with the difficulty of positioning your chimera. Staying under 12" away from the target is ideal, so that you can add the firepower of five passengers to the hail of death coming from the chimera. If you've got a heavy weapon in there, great!
An alternate/combo of Line Breaker and Enemy-held Objective Grabber is the hellhound wannabe chimera. Slap a heavy flamer turret on there and tank shock/drive up to the contesting units. If you tank shocked, wait to see if you manage to make them run away in fear of your angry treads. If they didn't run, or you didn't want to waste time/risk a tank shock, unload that heavy flamer of doom. You did disembark the occupants, right? They can shoot too. Now you have two units contesting that the enemy has to shoot. If he didn't turn tail. If this objective is near his board edge, chase him with your infantry by extending your coherency to it's limit. You just have to keep one guy w/in 6" of the falling back unit, and he'll be unable to regroup. Dirty trick, but you're playing Guard...
A second alternate/combo: Mechanized platoon led by Al'Rahem. Support this idea with an astropath. I think that it's use is fairly obvious - your forces already on the table are the anvil, and here comes one or two hammers from the sides to catch everything off-guard. If you can master the use of one isolated chimera with minimal support, this is a major game winning tactic.
Third alternate: A squad of vets with three melta guns, led by Bastonne in a chimera to do drive bys on side/rear AV. If you distract the opponent enough, this becomes an option. Even if your chimera is destroyed, once you're in the enemy lines with that squad, you can do damage. At the very least it will relieve pressure on the rest of your army.
Objective Grabber
Much like the Line Breaker, the Objective Grabber is there to be on the offensive. These need a bit more support, though - you're getting unsafely close to the enemy, and it's likely that your chimera will not survive the experience. This is the finnese application of chimera movement - you want to get close to the objective while moving at combat speed. If the objective is already held, hang back and fire lots 'o guns at the enemy. Use a supporting unit to add some fire. Maybe even a shiny bait unit to get enemy to divide his fire, and give you an extra turn of shooting. Once you're w/in 12" of the objective, it's time to consider if you want to disembark your guys inside. It's a very situational thing, although if the chimera has been immobilized, you may as well...
Objective Holder
Basically in this role, the chimera is an added set of armor for a HWS. Stick some heavy bolter/ML guys in a chimera, and park them on an objective. Adding a multi-laser, a heavy stubber, and a heavy bolter from the chimera means that anything stepping into 36" radius will get a stern talking-to. This really won't hold against a concentrated effort, so be sure to occupy the enemy elsewhere. Preferably in the 24-36" range form the chimera, so that all that firepower isn't sitting there doing nothing...
Command Range Extender
Another slightly cheap trick, the Command Range Extender makes use of measuring from the hull for ability ranges. Stick a CCS in a chimera and let the orders fly at ~2-3" further than the poor sap who has to yell at the top of his lungs. It's not limited to orders - 'aura' abilities like Aura of Discipline and Cold Steel and Courage will become more effective.
Alternate for CRE: Take Straken with a medic and three plasma guns. Stick them in a chimera and advance into the enemy's face. MEQs fear this plan. Once you're all up ons, have them hop out and use the chimera as a LOS blocker that can also shoot. Unload much plasma pain onto enemy squads. It's expensive, but very much worth the cost.
If anyone has any more ideas on chimera useage, put it in a comment, and I'll add it here.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Specializing Russes (and why you should do it)
A little while back, I had a debate with another IGMB member about outfitting Russes.
His suggestion was to put Plasma Cannons on a pair of Russes for a list. His logic was that this makes your Russes able to deal with most anything they run across, thus spreading your effectiveness out and meaning your tanks can handle anything.
My suggestion was that he take a Vanquisher and a Russ with HB Sponsons. My logic was that this allows the tanks to kill intended targets with greater ease, and allows you to always hit infantry and armour effectively every turn.
The person who had asked for advice went with my suggestion, and it worked like a charm. You can read the thread here.
Now, the question is why? Here are a few reasons why, with the IG, specializing Russes (and infantry as well) is a good idea.
1. We aren't Space Marines. We can't always hit on a 3+. Thus, I find it useful to kit out a Russ or Squad with all sorts of AT weaponry if I want it to pop tanks, or AI weaponry if I want it to paste infantry. That way I'm throwing a lot of the right kind of ordinance down range, and WILL kill something. Compare a Russ with HB sponsons to a Russ with Plasma. The former has 10 shots, while the latter has 6. Also, those templates have less of a chance of hitting the target then an HB (50% chance for normal weapon, just over 33% with templates if you factor in the BS). Yes, there is a chance the template will hit something else, but in my experience, it ends up being nothing but the table.
2. We aren't Space Marines, Round Two. Because all of our infantry is so firggin cheap, we can afford to roll 2-3 Russes in 1500-2000pt lists. That means that we don't have to have a single Russ that has to do everything. We can roll several that can be tweaked to do one job well. Yes, that means you have all your eggs in one basket if you lose a tank, but...
3. We have Infantry support. There is no reason whatsoever, with cheap HWs for your even cheaper infantry, for you to have to rely on the Vanq to do all the AT work. Likewise, The Exterminator isn't the only AI unit you should be throwing down. Taking a Lascannon or Missile Section (or both, or two of one type), and placing HBs in your squads ensures that, no matter what happens to your armour, you're still putting out a lot of AI and AT with good range. While the Russes are the stars of the show, the whole performance would fall flat on it's face without the supporting cast, the Infantry.
4. Jack of all Trades, Master of None. Consider the Plasma Russ. Yes, it's great for killing MEQs who are foolish enough to venture into the open, but it struggles with AV 13. Also, as mentioned above, it doesn't put out the same amount of shots as the HB Sponson Russ, and the shots are less accurate, thus making it less effective against line infantry. So, while it can do all jobs (except serious AT work), it does none of them very well.
5. Cost. The "Do it all" Russ is actually 20pts more expensive then either the Hull Las Vanquisher OR the HB Sponson Russ. So, not only are you taking up an FOC slot for a unit that doesn't do any job it's supposed to do very well, but you're paying more then you should for it.
So, there you have it. Here are a few suggestions for Russ build outs.
Basic Three Russes (These are great for fielding in almost any game)
Vanquisher w/ Hull Lascannon- Best tank buster out there. I always take one, and usually slap on camo netting.
LRMBT w/Hull HB and HB Sponsons- The best "All purpose" build, it's good against just about anything on foot.
Exterminator w/Hull HB and HB Sponsons- Great for dealing with IG, Tau, Eldar, Orks, and, well, anything that isn't an MEQ. It's also a living nightmare for light Transports.
Three Fancy Russes (Use these only when the situation warrents)
Leman Russ Eradicator w/Hull HB and HB Sponsons- Very much Anti-Infantry, it will put out a LOT of pain against non-MEQs. The reason it's here instead of as a basic Russ is that it's more expensive then the Exterminator, and doesn't have the same Anti-Transport capability. I would only take one of these.
Leman Russ Executioner w/Plasma Sponsons and Hull Las- VERY Expensive but VERY good at killing MEQs, it's main gun essentially combines the shot of a Plasma Cannon with the RoF of a Heavy Bolter. Flinging a whopping five Small Blast templates around also helps to offset the fact that you aren't rolling to hit. Still, it's very expensive, and that Russ+Plasma Sponsons combo is a cheaper solution.
Leman Russ Demolisher w/Anything- This is when you want it dead. Period. They're expensive, though, and it's usually a good idea to run Plasma or Melta Sponsons on it. Again, one or two would be all you need, and it should go after the biggest, baddest, hardest target your opponent throws down.
There you go guys. Any thoughts? Do you mix your roles, or specialize?
Reds
His suggestion was to put Plasma Cannons on a pair of Russes for a list. His logic was that this makes your Russes able to deal with most anything they run across, thus spreading your effectiveness out and meaning your tanks can handle anything.
My suggestion was that he take a Vanquisher and a Russ with HB Sponsons. My logic was that this allows the tanks to kill intended targets with greater ease, and allows you to always hit infantry and armour effectively every turn.
The person who had asked for advice went with my suggestion, and it worked like a charm. You can read the thread here.
Now, the question is why? Here are a few reasons why, with the IG, specializing Russes (and infantry as well) is a good idea.
1. We aren't Space Marines. We can't always hit on a 3+. Thus, I find it useful to kit out a Russ or Squad with all sorts of AT weaponry if I want it to pop tanks, or AI weaponry if I want it to paste infantry. That way I'm throwing a lot of the right kind of ordinance down range, and WILL kill something. Compare a Russ with HB sponsons to a Russ with Plasma. The former has 10 shots, while the latter has 6. Also, those templates have less of a chance of hitting the target then an HB (50% chance for normal weapon, just over 33% with templates if you factor in the BS). Yes, there is a chance the template will hit something else, but in my experience, it ends up being nothing but the table.
2. We aren't Space Marines, Round Two. Because all of our infantry is so firggin cheap, we can afford to roll 2-3 Russes in 1500-2000pt lists. That means that we don't have to have a single Russ that has to do everything. We can roll several that can be tweaked to do one job well. Yes, that means you have all your eggs in one basket if you lose a tank, but...
3. We have Infantry support. There is no reason whatsoever, with cheap HWs for your even cheaper infantry, for you to have to rely on the Vanq to do all the AT work. Likewise, The Exterminator isn't the only AI unit you should be throwing down. Taking a Lascannon or Missile Section (or both, or two of one type), and placing HBs in your squads ensures that, no matter what happens to your armour, you're still putting out a lot of AI and AT with good range. While the Russes are the stars of the show, the whole performance would fall flat on it's face without the supporting cast, the Infantry.
4. Jack of all Trades, Master of None. Consider the Plasma Russ. Yes, it's great for killing MEQs who are foolish enough to venture into the open, but it struggles with AV 13. Also, as mentioned above, it doesn't put out the same amount of shots as the HB Sponson Russ, and the shots are less accurate, thus making it less effective against line infantry. So, while it can do all jobs (except serious AT work), it does none of them very well.
5. Cost. The "Do it all" Russ is actually 20pts more expensive then either the Hull Las Vanquisher OR the HB Sponson Russ. So, not only are you taking up an FOC slot for a unit that doesn't do any job it's supposed to do very well, but you're paying more then you should for it.
So, there you have it. Here are a few suggestions for Russ build outs.
Basic Three Russes (These are great for fielding in almost any game)
Vanquisher w/ Hull Lascannon- Best tank buster out there. I always take one, and usually slap on camo netting.
LRMBT w/Hull HB and HB Sponsons- The best "All purpose" build, it's good against just about anything on foot.
Exterminator w/Hull HB and HB Sponsons- Great for dealing with IG, Tau, Eldar, Orks, and, well, anything that isn't an MEQ. It's also a living nightmare for light Transports.
Three Fancy Russes (Use these only when the situation warrents)
Leman Russ Eradicator w/Hull HB and HB Sponsons- Very much Anti-Infantry, it will put out a LOT of pain against non-MEQs. The reason it's here instead of as a basic Russ is that it's more expensive then the Exterminator, and doesn't have the same Anti-Transport capability. I would only take one of these.
Leman Russ Executioner w/Plasma Sponsons and Hull Las- VERY Expensive but VERY good at killing MEQs, it's main gun essentially combines the shot of a Plasma Cannon with the RoF of a Heavy Bolter. Flinging a whopping five Small Blast templates around also helps to offset the fact that you aren't rolling to hit. Still, it's very expensive, and that Russ+Plasma Sponsons combo is a cheaper solution.
Leman Russ Demolisher w/Anything- This is when you want it dead. Period. They're expensive, though, and it's usually a good idea to run Plasma or Melta Sponsons on it. Again, one or two would be all you need, and it should go after the biggest, baddest, hardest target your opponent throws down.
There you go guys. Any thoughts? Do you mix your roles, or specialize?
Reds
Sunday, July 12, 2009
SW Tacticas
In an effort to explore more of the fancy features of Google Blogger, I've added a poll to the left under "Followers". I'm going to write an in depth Tactica on an SW, and I want you guys to vote on which one. I'll break down which units to put it in, what to hit with it, and how to get your points' worth out of it. It will essentially be a more developed version of the little blurb I wrote about each one when I gave an overview.
So have at it guys!
Reds
So have at it guys!
Reds
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Roll Call
Yesterday, I decided to draw up an army list for my IG and SoB. Both are within FOC (and thus I had to leave out about half my tanks), and are designed to be thrown down together.
IG
HQ: 320
Creed, Kell, Astropath, Fleet Officer, HB, Vox, Camo Cloaks
HQ: 240pts
Straken, 3 Flamers, Carapace, 2 Bodyguards, Medic
Stormies: 195pts
10 Stormies, 2 Plasma Guns, “Behind enemy lines”
Infantry Platoon: 845pts
HQ w/ 3 Plasma guns, Medic (105pts)
5 Squads w/ HBs, GLs, Voxes (305pts)
2 ML Sections (180pts)
2 AC Sections (150pts)
Lascannon Section (105pts)
Infantry Platoon: 660pts
HQ w/ Rahemo, 3 Meltaguns, Medic, Commissar w/Power Fist (150pts)
3 Squads w/ GLs, Voxes (180pts)
2 Squads w/ GLs, Voxes, Commissar (190pts)
1 SW Squad w/ 3 Flamers (50pts)
1 SW Squad w/ 3 GLs (50pts)
Vet Squad: 160pts
3 GLs, Harker, ML, Vox, Shotguns
Vet Squad: 195pts
3 Meltas, Demolitions, Bastonne, Vox, Shotguns
Vet Squad: 135pts
Carapace, Shotguns, 2 Flamers, Heavy Flamer, Vox
Vet Squad: 135pts
Carapace, Shotguns, 2 Flamers, Heavy Flamer, Vox
Leman Russ Squadron: 380pts
2 Vanquishers with Camo Netting, Hull Lascannon
Leman Russ Squadron: 380pts
2 LRMBTs with HB Sponsons, Camo Netting
Leman Russ Eradicator: 210pts
HB Sponsons, Camo Netting
3660pts
SoB
HQ: 150pts
Inferno Pistol, Jump Pack, Blessed Weapon, Mantle of Ophelia, Cloak of St. Aspira, Book of St. Lucius
Seraphim Squad: 160pts
4 Sisters, Veteran Sister Superior w/ Book of St. Lucius, 2 Hand Flamers, Meltabombs
Battle Sister Squad: 147pts
Flamer, Heavy Flamer, Veteran Sister Superior w/ Book of St. Lucius
Battle Sister Squad: 147pts
Flamer, Heavy Flamer, Veteran Sister Superior w/ Book of St. Lucius
Battle Sister Squad: 139pts
2 Storm Bolters, Veteran Sister Superior w/ Book of St. Lucius
Dominion Squad: 198pts
4 Sisters w/ Flamers, Veteran Sister Superior w/ Book of St. Lucius, Immolator tank w/ Heavy Flamers, Smoke, Extra Armour, Holy Promethium.
Exorcist: 145pts
Blessed Ammunition
986pts
Total: 4646
So, what do you guys think?
Reds
IG
HQ: 320
Creed, Kell, Astropath, Fleet Officer, HB, Vox, Camo Cloaks
HQ: 240pts
Straken, 3 Flamers, Carapace, 2 Bodyguards, Medic
Stormies: 195pts
10 Stormies, 2 Plasma Guns, “Behind enemy lines”
Infantry Platoon: 845pts
HQ w/ 3 Plasma guns, Medic (105pts)
5 Squads w/ HBs, GLs, Voxes (305pts)
2 ML Sections (180pts)
2 AC Sections (150pts)
Lascannon Section (105pts)
Infantry Platoon: 660pts
HQ w/ Rahemo, 3 Meltaguns, Medic, Commissar w/Power Fist (150pts)
3 Squads w/ GLs, Voxes (180pts)
2 Squads w/ GLs, Voxes, Commissar (190pts)
1 SW Squad w/ 3 Flamers (50pts)
1 SW Squad w/ 3 GLs (50pts)
Vet Squad: 160pts
3 GLs, Harker, ML, Vox, Shotguns
Vet Squad: 195pts
3 Meltas, Demolitions, Bastonne, Vox, Shotguns
Vet Squad: 135pts
Carapace, Shotguns, 2 Flamers, Heavy Flamer, Vox
Vet Squad: 135pts
Carapace, Shotguns, 2 Flamers, Heavy Flamer, Vox
Leman Russ Squadron: 380pts
2 Vanquishers with Camo Netting, Hull Lascannon
Leman Russ Squadron: 380pts
2 LRMBTs with HB Sponsons, Camo Netting
Leman Russ Eradicator: 210pts
HB Sponsons, Camo Netting
3660pts
SoB
HQ: 150pts
Inferno Pistol, Jump Pack, Blessed Weapon, Mantle of Ophelia, Cloak of St. Aspira, Book of St. Lucius
Seraphim Squad: 160pts
4 Sisters, Veteran Sister Superior w/ Book of St. Lucius, 2 Hand Flamers, Meltabombs
Battle Sister Squad: 147pts
Flamer, Heavy Flamer, Veteran Sister Superior w/ Book of St. Lucius
Battle Sister Squad: 147pts
Flamer, Heavy Flamer, Veteran Sister Superior w/ Book of St. Lucius
Battle Sister Squad: 139pts
2 Storm Bolters, Veteran Sister Superior w/ Book of St. Lucius
Dominion Squad: 198pts
4 Sisters w/ Flamers, Veteran Sister Superior w/ Book of St. Lucius, Immolator tank w/ Heavy Flamers, Smoke, Extra Armour, Holy Promethium.
Exorcist: 145pts
Blessed Ammunition
986pts
Total: 4646
So, what do you guys think?
Reds
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Very Special Weapons
Okay, it was a long time in coming, but here it is at last.
Special Weapons
(Note: These are presented in no particular order)
1. The Flamer
I consider this to be one of the "Staple" weapons of the Imperial Guard. It's cheap, can put out a lot of wounds, and doesn't need to roll to hit. It's great for toasting Orks, Nids, IG, and Eldar, and has the bonus of ignoring cover. It's range is a bit of a handicap, as are the Str and AP of the weapon.
Tips for use: I like putting these in PCS squads, and using them for counter assault and objective grabbing. 4 Templates will make even MEQs sweat those armour saves, and will roast just about any infantry unit. They're also a good staple in mobile platoons, flankers, etc. Some people don't like putting them with Vets (because it's a waste of BS 4), but Vets in Carapace with 3 Flamers and a bunch of Shotguns are a very nasty counter charge unit. Some people also put them in line squads when they know they're going to get charged (like when playing Orks). It can be effective, but it limits the amount of ranged shots you put out.
2. Grenade Launcher
This is the other "Staple" weapon. This, and the Flamer, should really be the only weapon your basic infantry should ever really have. Anything else is too expensive or dangerous to be used properly by line squads. Anyway, the GL is a good multi purpose weapon to give to your boys. It has good range for an SW, and the Krak round will do ugly things to most infantry and light vehicles. The Frag round is worse, as it's essentially a lasgun shot that uses the small blast template, and will therefore struggle to bring down anything with a toughness of 4 or better. Even against IG, it's not too great, as it only wounds on a 4+.
Tips for use: I put these in my Gunline squads, just to give them a little ranged punch. A PCS rolling 4 GLs will mess up small squads of Eldar and Tau pretty badly, and can usually pick off a Marine or two. That said, I don't recommend them fot Command Squads, since other weapons are better there. If you're having trouble with Rhinos or Trukks, take a Vet Squad with an Autocannon and 3 GLs. Three str 6 shots and two Str 7 shots, all hitting on a 3+, will end most light vehicles.
3. Meltagun
If you want to kill armour, Termies, high toughness creatures, or SCs, use this. It's reasonably priced, but for only one shot, you want to put them in a squad that can take several, and preferably hit on 3+. It has very short range as well, so you have to be close. That said, if it hits something, it almost always going to kill it.
Tips for use: I always give it to Vets with shotguns. If I know I'm facing deepstriking Termies, Drop Pods, or Battlesuits, I keep them in reserve. Then, when the target shows up, I march my Vets on, have them shoot the crap out of the target, and then charge. It's usually enough to finish them off, or at least tie them down. Giving Vets Meltas and packing them into Valkryies also tends to work out nicely, especially if you give them Shotguns and "Demolitions". That combo will kill just about any tank you point them at. It's also a good combo for Stormies, allowing them to pop up somewhere and shoot a tank to death.
4. Plasma Gun
Very much a staple for fighting MEQs, Plasma does ugly things to anybody rolling around in Power Armour, and can mess up Rhinos and Trukks as well. It also puts out a lot of shots, and has good range. The downside is that it's expensive. Oh, and it might blow up in your face.
Tips for use: The only army I never use Plasma against is IG, just because there's no point. Every other army has a 3+ or 2+ armour save floating around in their codex. Some people like to take Plasma with Vets or Stormies, but I find that to be a waste. For 20pts less then Plasma Vets in Carapace (and you ALWAYS want to have a better save then 5+), you can give your CCS 3 Plasma guns and a Medic, which means that in the case of an overheat, you have a 5+ save AND a 4+ FNP save. Stormies are okay with plasma, but remember; Plasma is Rapid Fire, so the Stormies can't use their Hotshot pistols and then charge.
5. Heavy Flamer
I would consider this to be a "maybe" weapon. It's better then it's little brother, the Flamer, and can punch through 4+ armour and wound most basic infantry on a 2+. It suffers from the same range drawback as the Flamer, though, and is VERY expensive for an SW.
Tips for use: Putting them with Counter Charge Vets and PCS' are really the only good place for them, and you might as well just save the points and go with a normal flamer instead. 3-4 Templates will burn up a lot, even if they're mid Str. I would say skip it, unless you really need it or you can't spend the points elsewhere.
6. Sniper Rifles
Ooooh boy, here we go. Now, as some of you from the IGMB know, I don't like Sniper Rifles. I may have even called them "A Swirling Vortex of Pure Suck" on more then one occasion. So, I'll try to lay out the basic stats, then explain WHY I hate them. They are pretty cheap, and have the best range of any SW. They always wound on a 4+, which can be an advantage if you're taking pot shots at the Nightbringer or other High Toughness enemies. It also makes them horrible for dealing with Str 3 armies, like the IG or Eldar. Also, they have no AP, and have to rely on Rending to punch through armour. They also cause pinning.
Okay. Here is why I hate them and they suck. Say I have a Special Weapon Squad with three Sniper Rifles. I take my shots (*rolls dice*) and get two hits. Now, I roll to wound (*rolls dice a second time*) and get a single wound. The target shall now take an Armour save (We're going to say 4+, because that way we can represent an armour save or a cover save, as most targets have a cover save with the 5th Ed rules), and passes. Assuming he didn't I rolled a Morale check, and passed that. Thus, you just payed about 40-50pts for a unit that did absolutely nothing.
Let's try it again with GLs and krak rounds (Let's assume the target has Toughness 3 or 4, and can therefore be wounded on a 2+). I have 2 hits. I have 2 wounds. Assuming they have a cover save, one failed. Assuming they were relying on Armour, both would have been dead. Thus, you can choose between a unit that will wound (and very probably kill) it's target if it hits, as opposed to a weapon that may not wound it's target, and will give them an armour save 2/3rds of the time.
Sniper Rifles are horrible against T 3 and 4. Against T3, EVERY SINGLE SW wounds on at least a 3+, except for Sniper Rifles. Against T4, the Sniper Rifle and the Flamer wound on 4+, and everything else does better. Even here, the Flamer is better, because it can dish out multiple wounds, and doesn't need to roll to hit. Against T5+, go ahead and pay the extra points for Plasma guns or Meltas, because they almost always match or best the 4+ to wound required of the Sniper Rifle, and they ALWAYS deny the target an armour save.
So, yeah, don't take Sniper Rifles.
Reds
Special Weapons
(Note: These are presented in no particular order)
1. The Flamer
I consider this to be one of the "Staple" weapons of the Imperial Guard. It's cheap, can put out a lot of wounds, and doesn't need to roll to hit. It's great for toasting Orks, Nids, IG, and Eldar, and has the bonus of ignoring cover. It's range is a bit of a handicap, as are the Str and AP of the weapon.
Tips for use: I like putting these in PCS squads, and using them for counter assault and objective grabbing. 4 Templates will make even MEQs sweat those armour saves, and will roast just about any infantry unit. They're also a good staple in mobile platoons, flankers, etc. Some people don't like putting them with Vets (because it's a waste of BS 4), but Vets in Carapace with 3 Flamers and a bunch of Shotguns are a very nasty counter charge unit. Some people also put them in line squads when they know they're going to get charged (like when playing Orks). It can be effective, but it limits the amount of ranged shots you put out.
2. Grenade Launcher
This is the other "Staple" weapon. This, and the Flamer, should really be the only weapon your basic infantry should ever really have. Anything else is too expensive or dangerous to be used properly by line squads. Anyway, the GL is a good multi purpose weapon to give to your boys. It has good range for an SW, and the Krak round will do ugly things to most infantry and light vehicles. The Frag round is worse, as it's essentially a lasgun shot that uses the small blast template, and will therefore struggle to bring down anything with a toughness of 4 or better. Even against IG, it's not too great, as it only wounds on a 4+.
Tips for use: I put these in my Gunline squads, just to give them a little ranged punch. A PCS rolling 4 GLs will mess up small squads of Eldar and Tau pretty badly, and can usually pick off a Marine or two. That said, I don't recommend them fot Command Squads, since other weapons are better there. If you're having trouble with Rhinos or Trukks, take a Vet Squad with an Autocannon and 3 GLs. Three str 6 shots and two Str 7 shots, all hitting on a 3+, will end most light vehicles.
3. Meltagun
If you want to kill armour, Termies, high toughness creatures, or SCs, use this. It's reasonably priced, but for only one shot, you want to put them in a squad that can take several, and preferably hit on 3+. It has very short range as well, so you have to be close. That said, if it hits something, it almost always going to kill it.
Tips for use: I always give it to Vets with shotguns. If I know I'm facing deepstriking Termies, Drop Pods, or Battlesuits, I keep them in reserve. Then, when the target shows up, I march my Vets on, have them shoot the crap out of the target, and then charge. It's usually enough to finish them off, or at least tie them down. Giving Vets Meltas and packing them into Valkryies also tends to work out nicely, especially if you give them Shotguns and "Demolitions". That combo will kill just about any tank you point them at. It's also a good combo for Stormies, allowing them to pop up somewhere and shoot a tank to death.
4. Plasma Gun
Very much a staple for fighting MEQs, Plasma does ugly things to anybody rolling around in Power Armour, and can mess up Rhinos and Trukks as well. It also puts out a lot of shots, and has good range. The downside is that it's expensive. Oh, and it might blow up in your face.
Tips for use: The only army I never use Plasma against is IG, just because there's no point. Every other army has a 3+ or 2+ armour save floating around in their codex. Some people like to take Plasma with Vets or Stormies, but I find that to be a waste. For 20pts less then Plasma Vets in Carapace (and you ALWAYS want to have a better save then 5+), you can give your CCS 3 Plasma guns and a Medic, which means that in the case of an overheat, you have a 5+ save AND a 4+ FNP save. Stormies are okay with plasma, but remember; Plasma is Rapid Fire, so the Stormies can't use their Hotshot pistols and then charge.
5. Heavy Flamer
I would consider this to be a "maybe" weapon. It's better then it's little brother, the Flamer, and can punch through 4+ armour and wound most basic infantry on a 2+. It suffers from the same range drawback as the Flamer, though, and is VERY expensive for an SW.
Tips for use: Putting them with Counter Charge Vets and PCS' are really the only good place for them, and you might as well just save the points and go with a normal flamer instead. 3-4 Templates will burn up a lot, even if they're mid Str. I would say skip it, unless you really need it or you can't spend the points elsewhere.
6. Sniper Rifles
Ooooh boy, here we go. Now, as some of you from the IGMB know, I don't like Sniper Rifles. I may have even called them "A Swirling Vortex of Pure Suck" on more then one occasion. So, I'll try to lay out the basic stats, then explain WHY I hate them. They are pretty cheap, and have the best range of any SW. They always wound on a 4+, which can be an advantage if you're taking pot shots at the Nightbringer or other High Toughness enemies. It also makes them horrible for dealing with Str 3 armies, like the IG or Eldar. Also, they have no AP, and have to rely on Rending to punch through armour. They also cause pinning.
Okay. Here is why I hate them and they suck. Say I have a Special Weapon Squad with three Sniper Rifles. I take my shots (*rolls dice*) and get two hits. Now, I roll to wound (*rolls dice a second time*) and get a single wound. The target shall now take an Armour save (We're going to say 4+, because that way we can represent an armour save or a cover save, as most targets have a cover save with the 5th Ed rules), and passes. Assuming he didn't I rolled a Morale check, and passed that. Thus, you just payed about 40-50pts for a unit that did absolutely nothing.
Let's try it again with GLs and krak rounds (Let's assume the target has Toughness 3 or 4, and can therefore be wounded on a 2+). I have 2 hits. I have 2 wounds. Assuming they have a cover save, one failed. Assuming they were relying on Armour, both would have been dead. Thus, you can choose between a unit that will wound (and very probably kill) it's target if it hits, as opposed to a weapon that may not wound it's target, and will give them an armour save 2/3rds of the time.
Sniper Rifles are horrible against T 3 and 4. Against T3, EVERY SINGLE SW wounds on at least a 3+, except for Sniper Rifles. Against T4, the Sniper Rifle and the Flamer wound on 4+, and everything else does better. Even here, the Flamer is better, because it can dish out multiple wounds, and doesn't need to roll to hit. Against T5+, go ahead and pay the extra points for Plasma guns or Meltas, because they almost always match or best the 4+ to wound required of the Sniper Rifle, and they ALWAYS deny the target an armour save.
So, yeah, don't take Sniper Rifles.
Reds
Do You want to be the Man behind the Curtain?
So, I've been racking my brain trying to think of something to write about, and I had a great (lazy) idea: I'll ask the readers what they want me to talk about.
Here's how it works: the first idea that someone gives me in a comment that I know enough about to not sound like an idiot wins. This will be a step forward in the Blogger to reader relationship, and I hope that at least, it will entertain everyone...
Here's how it works: the first idea that someone gives me in a comment that I know enough about to not sound like an idiot wins. This will be a step forward in the Blogger to reader relationship, and I hope that at least, it will entertain everyone...
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