ratlings

[Deleted]

HI
Just wondering what your thoughts are on ratlings?
I like them and would use sniper models instead
I don't know how to use them or how they go in a game.

Any ideas welcome,
swarmtime

[sammy1979]

rats are the bomb used well they can totally cream the kill to cost ratio. they infiltrate so you can position them well, put therm into some high cover if buildings are in play or a forest or wall otherwise they are dead meat exposed.
they can cause havoc, a squad of ten can cream any exposed smurfs or tough units in one turn of shooting,
how ever they are very much the tool of a static IG player, if the gun line is your thing then rats are a must have.
however if you want to get up close and personal they are a points drain. you need a good line of sight once you attain that you just concentrate your fire on terminators or monstrous creatures, or anything that is normally hard to wound, as the sniper rule ignores toughness.

as you might guess i love the little fellas and often field 20 of them, dug in and dropping anything exposed.

[Deleted]

sammy - as you can only take a maximum of 0-1 squad of 10 rats ... how do you field 20?

Swarmtime - Welcome to the board.

ratlings are great, but don't overestimate the sniper rifle. It needs to be used in numbers (8-10) to be effective and is better against lower armoured troops (as it has no armour modifier). Psychologically, you would expect to target the commanders/tough troops and do well - but statistically this isn't so.

I often take ratlings as a detterent against infiltrating close combat troops and wraithlords (bane of my life!), with 3' range I position them behind the command squad (don't underestimate rats rubbish leadership - use the 12" bonus) and use them as a detterent.

They are very useful against high toughness monsters (4+ to wound) and low armour troops. Otherwise get plasma/melta in to finish the job. I find with snipers (I face Alaitoc pathfinders a lot: see commissar.proboards22.com/index.cgi?board=aar&action=display&thread=2919 for details) ... and sniper rifles are universally overrated and pounded by both sides so take them as an option, not the be all and end all.

However they are really cheap for a sniper squad. They saving throw is good, but they ain't all that - and to ordinance, flamers and close combat they are the epitome of squishy.

[sammy1979]

by cheating thats how. but as i never play in store or @ tournaments these days. my friends and i pick and choose as we set fit, and i built a sharps company style rifle company of rats, they thought i had to use them so i do. how ever in a single unit of ten they are v cool, as i said they are tops in cover, any one that lets them get any where near close combat has more tactical things to worry about.

[Deleted]

Thanks
They are cheaper than my units of 10 storm troopers so i will probably try them in a while.

[Deleted]

I also heard that in 5th, all snipers have the on 6s to wound it becomes ap1 instead of just for eldar. Naturally this is just a rumor but it would make a squad of 10 ratlings at 11 points each with a 3+ cover-save most of the time pretty damn good.

[fatuous]

Yeah the sniper rifle update looks gd if they include it, as was unfair Eldars being better than other snipers.

I love my rattlings, they always perform well, even if that usually involves being bullet magnets, my opponentss just don't like them, so pour fire on them, which they can usually weatehr for a turn or 2. Only have 5, they have always made up their points, taking on wraith lords (my fav target for them) and even light vehicles.

Don't delay, get some hobbits today!!!!!!!
the only think I want is a plastic set with more wine bottles and chicken legs to add to them (any one else notice the chicken leg sticking out the bag of one of em

[Deleted]

I employ the ratlings and use the other sniper models to represent them. I usually use 6 of them and it makes a useful tactic as it makes your opponent think twice when you mention you've got infiltrators.

My only advice is make sure you don't deploy them too close. The last thing you need is for a jumping platform for the assault armies to get closer to you (adding the 6'' assault plus any overrun and such).

[Deleted]

It is not actually AP1 it is rending

[Deleted]

which is even better

[majorbragdon]

I use ratlings and most of the time they work good for me.

[Deleted]

rending is almost the same as ap1 for now

[Deleted]

Ratlings rock with the new rending rule. In a battle yesterday my 5 ratlings killed 1 wraithlord, 5 wraithguards, 2 dark reapers and 1 eldar prince!!

not bad for a price of 55 points