Scions alternative tactics.

[Machine Gun Kelly]

I've been thinking, which according to my wife seldom ends well.

The age old tactics for Stormtroopers have always been to drop close to something. Blow it up with meltas only to die a horrible death the next round. The Emperors protects...

But with rule changes for cover saves et cetera and the fact that according too II2, for every five scions they can have a hotshot volley gun. This seems to me like a good holding the battle line squad. Especially if they can hug good cover and get support from other units?

Have any one used them this way and how has it worked?

[nutty]

I haven't used them myself because I don't have any volley guns (I use the Kasrkin models for my scions). But I'm pretty sure that people took command squads with 4 volleyguns to do just that in 7th.

If you ask me 8th edition has only made it a stronger option.

[RedsandRoyals]

Yes, this is a pretty decent setup if you want a cheap elite choice that's good at mowing down infantry. Their ability to deepstrike grants them rapid-reaction capability (or the option to be flung in on a suicide drop), and the new 8th Ed rules for moving and shooting heavy weapons makes that viable, if not necessarily efficient.

There are some other things to consider, though...

- Are you taking them in a separate detachment that's all Scions? If you can, you should. Their specific doctrine only kicks in if they're the only ones in the detachment (or you're only including units that don't count toward making it a mixed detachment like Commissars and Primaris Psykers), and it buffs their shooting.

- Where are you putting your Tempestus Prime? The issue here is that you want the prime to be going where he can make the most impact. That'll be with your suicide drop squads. That said, a battalion detachment requires 2 HQs, so take one to go with the command squad, and one to go with the melta/plasma goons.

- Should you be taking something else? Maybe, depends on the list. Despite the price bump, four plasma guns are still mean, and have a much wider range of versatility.

- Can anything do the same job better? Perhaps not in quite the same way, but we're not short on anti infantry options. Mortars are still dirt cheap and can spam hits, and two squads of them are only 6pts more than the Volley Gun command squad. While less effective, special weapon teams with flamers can still spam hits too, for 15pts less. Both of those also benefit from whatever <Regiment> you've chosen, and from Company Commander orders. If price is no object (and given how cheap most of our stuff is, it sort of isn't once you start looking at 1500pts or higher), a command punisher is basically Bullet Jesus, throwing 20-40 shots down range that hit on a 3+ and can reroll 1s if you have it issue an order to itself. These aren't reasons NOT to take Scions, but they should be considered as viable alternatives.

In short, if you're taking them in a separate detachment, or you need to fill an elite slot to round out a brigade or something, they're a solid choice. If you're tossing them into a brigade that's mostly non-Scion, I'd urge you to consider other options.

[StillANoob]

Fully agree with Reds. You can do it, but we've got alot of ways to make a gun line.

[RedsandRoyals]

Nov 9, 2017 14:38:03 GMT -5 StillANoob said:

Fully agree with Reds. You can do it, but we've got alot of ways to make a gun line.

I'd just like to point out how nice it is that we can say this with our current rules. "This is viable, but you have other options" isn't something that can be said about, say, the Mechanicus codex. We're spoiled for choice with good builds.

[StillANoob]

It's a good time to be in the Guard. Theres alot of versatility and the addition of regiment rules allows you to bring the edge for some less conventional builds

[glutebite]

Can Tank Commanders issue orders to themselves? I was thinking you had to pick another Russ within 6" (same regiment) to issue order to.

[StillANoob]

They count as a friendly leman russ therefore they can issue orders to themselves. Fairly straightforward. Which is nice