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Post by hendrik on Jul 14, 2013 13:02:52 GMT -5
Since I couldn't really find a topic discussing shooty blods I thought why not start a topic about them!
My main questions are:
-what size is your shooty blob?
-How many shooting blobs do you run normally, are they all an individual platoon?(so you can have maximum FRFSRF?
-what special weapons/heavy weapons does it pack, if any?
-Do you include a commissar?
-do you let them advance upon the enemy, napoleonic era like, unleashing a torrent of lasfire as they go, or do you keep them waiting in your DZ (tactics in general)
-How do you equip their platoon command squad? I always thought 4 flamers was a no brainer, untill i started thinking about points. for only 30 more points(say, by not taking any special weapons in the blob?) i can include another 10 men to the blob!
I'm currently thinking of including two shooty blobs of 30 men each in my 2000 pts armoured battalion using normal guardsmen as allies. each would have its own PCS with 4 flamer and a vox. Blob A would have 3 flamers and a vox, blob B 3 meltas and a vox. I'm currently thinking if i should just drop the special weapons and just go for more bodies? the rest of the list usually includes a manticore and 4-6 leman russes
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Post by WestRider on Jul 14, 2013 17:09:38 GMT -5
I usually only run one. My default is 30 Models, 3 Autocannon or Lascannon, 3 Plasmaguns, and a Commissar. There's usually a Rune Priest or DA Librarian attached as well, and sometimes I'll drop the commissar in favour of a Vox Caster that case.
I tried trimming them down to Grenade Launchers on a number of occasions, which resulted in the distaste for GLs that I expressed in that thread.
Historically, they generally sit back and hold an Objective while providing fire support into Midfield. But since I've been playing against Tau relatively often recently, and wanting to stay in that 16-24" sweet spot where I've actually got a chance against Fire Warriors, I've started sometimes deploying the Heavy Weapons near the front of the Unit, and walking the mooks and Plasmagunners up into midfield so they can get in range.
Their PCS varies. Sometimes it's just a Mortar or no upgrades at all, and they just hide and hold a backfield Objective. Other times, they get 3 Meltas and a Flamer, or 4 Flamers, and get loaded in a Valkyrie/Vendetta to take stuff out on the other side of the field. I wouldn't bother investing Points in them unless they've got a Transport of some kind. They're really fragile, and adding firepower on top of that makes them a high priority target.
I've been considering going to 40, and sometimes splitting them into 2x20, sometimes running them all together, depending on what my Screening needs were and how flexible I was going to need to be with my firepower. That would probably involve a Commissar and an Allied IC, so each half could get one, and when they all blobbed together I'd have some redundancy in case someone sniped my Commissar out.
I've also been thinking about Flamers, mostly for Overwatch purposes. Seems kind of expensive just for a bit of Assault Defense, tho.
In your case, I think I'd try to maximize the number of bodies on the field. You've got your Russes and Manticore to do the heavy hitting, so I'd focus with these guys on Charge Screening the Tanks and holding Objectives.
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Post by Comrade on Jul 14, 2013 22:23:49 GMT -5
Nowadays I run Multiples of 30 man blobs, 1 per 500 points, each containing:
3 Lascannons, and 3 Flamers. W/ 1 Commissar <---important
PCS w/ Mortar
(Usually a LRMBT for every 1.5 platoons)
Tactics:
Stand still and blast armor with lascannons until enemy closes. Fire mortars while hiding behind something big at infantry. Once all armor is removed or untargetable move on to shooting infantry.
If the enemy closes and charges, chargers receice 3x D3 auto wounds, then throw in lasguns.
If you want you can place PCS in Chimeras for late game objective gathering.
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Post by hendrik on Jul 15, 2013 1:46:37 GMT -5
it seems sitting them to the rear is a popular tactic. Do any of you have tried to just use them to grab the midfield/the opponents objectives?
another fact that amazes me is the choice for a commissar. Doesn't his bonus mostly help against CC. Wouldn't an extra 10 men be more usefull?
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Post by dangerrod on Jul 15, 2013 2:07:09 GMT -5
it seems sitting them to the rear is a popular tactic. Do any of you have tried to just use them to grab the midfield/the opponents objectives? another fact that amazes me is the choice for a commissar. Doesn't his bonus mostly help against CC. Wouldn't an extra 10 men be more usefull? Not really, if you need to test for leadership at any stage, testing on his Ld9 is way more useful than the Sergeants Ld8! I usually blob 20 - 30 guardsmen together back field and behind an Aegis guarding any manticores or artillery. Drop a couple of auto cannons in there and stick the commissar on the quad gun and you can threaten the midfield |
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Post by hendrik on Jul 15, 2013 3:14:26 GMT -5
my main argument is that it's only a small difference in Ld,and 10 more bodies will make you take morale tests etc much later since your 30 men blob just became a 40 men blob.
Do you run the commissar barebones as well? My AA is uasually covered by 3 sabre platforms.
Normally I'll be getting an apoc game next weekend with my guard. I think i'll give your shooty blob a try, together with the more bare bones one and see which does more damage. Both westrider and comrade blobs seem to be all rounder blobs though, which as far as i was aware something that's better avoided since we usually suck at doing multiple tings with the guard, and we can afford to spend multiple units for just one task. doesn't the same principle apply to shooty blobs?
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Post by dangerrod on Jul 15, 2013 8:08:07 GMT -5
I just find that's my general game plan/play with my Guard anyway "Com and get me!" it generally works quite well.....unless your playing Tau!
I'd still run a commissar(always bare bones for me) anyways, Ld9 makes a big difference! Plus the Stubborn and summary execution USR come in handy, more than you think!
If your going to leave them at the back your better of giving them some autocannons anyway, just so their not just sitting there doing nothing!
And if the enemy does close in, then 20-30 lasguns to the face and on overwatch can be brutal!
Sabre platforms are nice, but never put them in squads, always keep them separate, their low leadership and immobile rules mean if they have to test and fail you will lose all of them!
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Post by hendrik on Jul 15, 2013 8:35:33 GMT -5
good point about the "come and get to me", usually my games are somewhat similar although i'm most often facing a combined force of tau and necrons, necrons+bloodangels, or bloodangels+tau and given that with some bad luck you might end up in situations where you do need to advance upon the enemy (like when he has the high point objectives, the relic etc) that i'm considering more mobile units marching forward, not to mention the point cost of a shooty blobb with 3 lascannons is rather hihg if i recall correctly, especially considering you're "wasting" all those lasguns shooting at tanks(i'm not a huge fan of BS3 lascannons though, they never seem to hit something).
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Post by WestRider on Jul 15, 2013 13:08:34 GMT -5
Commissar Ld: Also helpful for Orders and Pinning Tests. And remember that they provide a Re-roll as well as the Ld boost, so they take you from a 10/36 chance of failing to a 1/36 chance of failing a Morale Test.
Taking Midfield: That's where I go for an Assault Blob, with all the Power Axes, no Heavy Weapons, a mix of Flamers and Meltaguns. As I said, tho, I do sometimes edge my Shooty Blob up into Midfield against other shooty Opponents.
BS3 Lascannon/Plasmaguns: I pretty much always have either Prescience or Bring It Down going on a Blob that's using those Weapons. Makes them better than BS4 without the Re-rolls, and cuts way down on the odds of Overheats from the Plasma.
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