Does anyone use whitesheild platoons/conscripts?

[napolianspacewarp]

Does anyone use white sheild platoons or conscripts? Why do you?

They just seem really really cheap crud soldiers, and more modelling time than the are worth. Is that whatthey are?

[Deleted]

i hiss at u guest...hissssssssssssssssss

[Goddess of Darkness]

Usually the 'crud' can be used a shield for the better units. Cannon fodder is what i think it is called...when you sacrifice one unit to wipe out an enemy with a better unit.

There more than likely is other purposes for them and if there is i am sure someone will let us know...but that is what i would use them for. If they are cheap and are holding up the enemy then they have a vital role in the game, even if it is only for 1-2 turns.

Hopefully that makes sense.

Malachi...was that necessary? He is in the members list. If you make people feel welcome they might become members.

[Woz]

Conscripts were useful in 3rd ed when you had to fire at the nearest enemy unit. By placing a squad of conscripts in front of your normal troops you were in effect using them as a "meat shield". But they sort of lost their usefulness when 4th ed rules allowed you to shot at other units. Now you're opponent can ignore the meat sheild and shoot at your main troops.

[Deleted]

i..im sorry..iwas just kiddin 'round.

[Deleted]

I don't use them but mostly because I don't want to paint a pile of extra minis just to have them whiped out in turn 1. That said, in city fight with the cover save having a pile of them on an objective would be sweet. It would take days to boot them all off.

[Deleted]

Yes, as AddictiveWoz said, they lost much of their usefullyness as a meatshield when 4th edition rules came into place. However, what with their massive squad size, they can often tie up an opponent's best offensive troops, for such a low cost! Take, for instance, a unit of Chaos Chosen. 500 or so points, ready to destroy your important troops. Your conscripts charge them, and tie them up for the entire game. Sure, they can try to kill them, but there's just so darned many of the little meatsacks! Sometimes, these numbers can even end up killing a few!

[Deleted]

hey they do some damage in hand to hand! they hit on 4's just like anyone else and on the charge you get >so< many dice...it's rediculous. stuff dies. then beyond that, yes, like psilophyte said, stuff stays tied up for a while.

I have a squad in my army that was once a conscript platoon..I left em with their flamer just to keep the 'hey we used to be the company conscript platoon' feel cant wait to raise my new conscript platoon, unfortunately it's heavy weapon squad time so that's got to be put off for a lil while.

[dethklok]

i know a person who runes 3 squads of 50 at me. nothing says kill me im annoying like 150 guardsmen running at you with a commissar leading so they are sure not to run away. i lost Red Square becuase of those filthy conscripts in a COD campaign i was running.

[Turtleboy(AWOL)]

... wow. just...wow. painting that would make you cry tears of futility. 150 conscripts painted and you are only up to...200pts (I exaggerate but yeah).

[dethklok]

yeah then have fun killing the rest of his army. Big Pain. i had to kill the rest of his army useing 2 wraithlords, darkreapers, 2 vypers 2 ranger squads and some fire dragons.

[Turtleboy(AWOL)]

well it sounded pretty successful against you..

[dethklok]

he killed 78 guardians and my farseer. he also managed to get lucky by killing one of my vypers. i would have killed them all with no problem if his stupid tanks hadnt blasted my avatar into oblivion. CURSE YOU NEW FISH!!!!

[Turtleboy(AWOL)]

haha! 'new fish' taken from the slang used in 'Fifteen Hours'?? I'm in the middle of that one right now - great guard novel!

[dethklok]

eh its ok ive read better.

[Turtleboy(AWOL)]

I've been passing up my opportunities to add conscripts to my army simply because it's alot of models to pack onto the table. having an infantry company I already use alot of troops based selections so a gigantic pack of 20-50 infantrymen just don't have a place to deploy in my battle lines

[The Refined Gentleman (M.I.A)]

concripts are good becuase they can be human sheild 4 your better infantry as they march towards the enemy. they bock the enemys vision (meatsheild, always works)!

[Deleted]

My conscript platoon of 50 men keep my oponents jumpy hehe especially when deciding to neglect them and wait until i get into some major rapid fire range or to kill em all and let my other stuff rampage through his army

[Deleted]

I use a 50 man conscript platoon to tie up my opponent. I stretch the line back around my command platoon so that it takes at least 4 rounds in combat or 2 turns of combat before I have to move my command squad in range of the conscripts. By spreading them out and keeping them with 12" range of an officer all you have to do is kill everything in base to base so that your enemy can't pursue if you fail your test for some reason. This works really well and can provide you with a good assault shield if done right as well.

[knight (M.I.A)]

50 Conscripts + Independet Commissar = FUN!!!
Use such a force to tie every unit you like. Failed Ld tests aren't a problem anymore. You just have to watch for you commissar that he'll never be colse enough to the opponent

[Warmaster Stabwhiskers]

Meatshields! Meatshields!

[Commissar]

Commissars are pretty resilient, you know what?
Give him the honorifica imperialius just to lead 50 men into savage doom!

[Deleted]

I havent tested my new list out yet, but I have a platoon of 30 Conscripts im running in it, and on paper theyre there to block LOS to my HQ as they move forward and I hope to try to use them as Hand-to-hand last ditc reinforcements. Almost half my list Infiltrates, or Deepstrikes, or is mounted in Chimeras. My HQ, a couple attached heavy weapon squads, and the Conscripts are the only slow moving infantry really... so the are ineffective as meatshields... just a points slot taker and hopfully something to throw into combat after its insued.