Post by Julian Sharps on Aug 12, 2017 22:26:24 GMT -5
So, I've gotten a couple games of 8th under my belt. One was a crushing defeat vs. Tau (probably would have been tabled by turn 4 if i had continued) and a narrow defeat against Traitor Guard (conscript spam is terrifying to behold), but I've figured a fun little trick for dealing with hordes (but for some terrible rolling and some stupidity on my part, I might have brought down a 40-man conscript blob outright in two turns).
As you know, transports are now only limited by faction and carrying capacity, meaning that a Chimera can carry twelve models, regardless of how many units that makes up. Command Squads can take up to four special weapons, and do not need to drag their COs along with them. With this in mind, I suggest the following build for anyone playing mechanized:
HQ: Company Commander
HQ: Company Commander
Elites: Platoon Commander
Elites: Command Squad, 4x flamers
Elites: Command Squad, 4x flamers
Elites: Command Squad, 4x flamers
Elites: Commissar
Troops: Infantry Squad
Troops: Infantry Squad
Dedicated Transport: Chimera
Dedicated Transport: Chimera
Dedicated Transport: Chimera
All told, this is somewhere between 500-600 points, depending on upgrades.
On the table, you deploy the three Command Squads in one Chimera, and in each of the others, you deploy an Infantry Squad and a Company Commander, with one getting the Platoon Commander and the other the Commissar.
As long as you can make sure that on your turn you have your Chimeras within 12"-18" of your target unit, you can disembark 3", and advance 6+d6" on your turn. In the Shooting Phase, have your Company Commanders issue Bring It Down on your Command Squads. Because flamers are Assault weapons, they can shoot after advancing at the cost of a -1 penalty to hit - however, flamers hit automatically. So, with 4 flamers per squad, you're getting an average of 14 hits per squad, and 8-12 wounds depending on what you're shooting at. Even MEQs in cover will be failing one or two 2+ armor saves, (GEQs will fail 6-8 on average) and you're doing this three times. Statistically, that's about half a 50-man conscript blob gone in one round of shooting, and any attempt on their part to charge will be met with comparable fury by flamer overwatch. Even Space Marines will have difficulty absorbing their 4-5 losses in one round of shooting.
Now, something to be aware of is that this is very much a glass cannon. While yes, you are dropping 12 flamers on the enemy, this also means that any models you lose are also going to lose flamers - there are no expendable models in this setup. Don't be surprised if they don't live to next turn. Their whole purpose is to do as much damage as they can before they go up in flames (extra points if you tie up the remnants of your target in assault with your Chimeras to buy your Command Squads some more shooting time, something every Mech Guard player should probably be doing anyway).
Another thing to be aware of is that by giving your Command Squads 4 flamers, their BS 3+ is wasted on weapons that hit automatically. However, by amusing coincidence, a plasma gun costs the same as a flamer, so if you really wanted to screw up Space Marines, you could run 12 plasma guns, order each squad to Fire On My Target with their plasma guns on Overcharge (and thus mitigate Gets Hot!), and inflict an average of 9 wounds against MEQs in cover, at the cost of perhaps one or two of your plasma gunners, if you are supremely unlucky. Backed up by some AT firepower like a Valkyrie with Hellstrike Missiles and a Lascannon (perhaps one of our best AT units), and you could threaten enemy armor quite handily with this fusillade.
Another possibility is Bullgryns with slab shields and Bullgryn mauls riding in Chimeras. Play dirty with the Chimeras and use them to draw overwatch fire before you send your Bullgryns in to smash their targets - S7 with 4 attacks on the charge each is nothing to sniff at.
Thoughts?
As you know, transports are now only limited by faction and carrying capacity, meaning that a Chimera can carry twelve models, regardless of how many units that makes up. Command Squads can take up to four special weapons, and do not need to drag their COs along with them. With this in mind, I suggest the following build for anyone playing mechanized:
HQ: Company Commander
HQ: Company Commander
Elites: Platoon Commander
Elites: Command Squad, 4x flamers
Elites: Command Squad, 4x flamers
Elites: Command Squad, 4x flamers
Elites: Commissar
Troops: Infantry Squad
Troops: Infantry Squad
Dedicated Transport: Chimera
Dedicated Transport: Chimera
Dedicated Transport: Chimera
All told, this is somewhere between 500-600 points, depending on upgrades.
On the table, you deploy the three Command Squads in one Chimera, and in each of the others, you deploy an Infantry Squad and a Company Commander, with one getting the Platoon Commander and the other the Commissar.
As long as you can make sure that on your turn you have your Chimeras within 12"-18" of your target unit, you can disembark 3", and advance 6+d6" on your turn. In the Shooting Phase, have your Company Commanders issue Bring It Down on your Command Squads. Because flamers are Assault weapons, they can shoot after advancing at the cost of a -1 penalty to hit - however, flamers hit automatically. So, with 4 flamers per squad, you're getting an average of 14 hits per squad, and 8-12 wounds depending on what you're shooting at. Even MEQs in cover will be failing one or two 2+ armor saves, (GEQs will fail 6-8 on average) and you're doing this three times. Statistically, that's about half a 50-man conscript blob gone in one round of shooting, and any attempt on their part to charge will be met with comparable fury by flamer overwatch. Even Space Marines will have difficulty absorbing their 4-5 losses in one round of shooting.
Now, something to be aware of is that this is very much a glass cannon. While yes, you are dropping 12 flamers on the enemy, this also means that any models you lose are also going to lose flamers - there are no expendable models in this setup. Don't be surprised if they don't live to next turn. Their whole purpose is to do as much damage as they can before they go up in flames (extra points if you tie up the remnants of your target in assault with your Chimeras to buy your Command Squads some more shooting time, something every Mech Guard player should probably be doing anyway).
Another thing to be aware of is that by giving your Command Squads 4 flamers, their BS 3+ is wasted on weapons that hit automatically. However, by amusing coincidence, a plasma gun costs the same as a flamer, so if you really wanted to screw up Space Marines, you could run 12 plasma guns, order each squad to Fire On My Target with their plasma guns on Overcharge (and thus mitigate Gets Hot!), and inflict an average of 9 wounds against MEQs in cover, at the cost of perhaps one or two of your plasma gunners, if you are supremely unlucky. Backed up by some AT firepower like a Valkyrie with Hellstrike Missiles and a Lascannon (perhaps one of our best AT units), and you could threaten enemy armor quite handily with this fusillade.
Another possibility is Bullgryns with slab shields and Bullgryn mauls riding in Chimeras. Play dirty with the Chimeras and use them to draw overwatch fire before you send your Bullgryns in to smash their targets - S7 with 4 attacks on the charge each is nothing to sniff at.
Thoughts?