More and more meltaguns are taking over, the question is, should they be? Just a thought here, don't kick my ass for it, but these are supposed to be rare weapons, and yet, they are probably one of the most common special weapons. Now what if they put a limit, like, 3 Meltas per army? That would certainly be welcomed by me, even though I don't use vehicles that much, I don't use a lot of Melta either. And while we are speaking hypothetically, perhaps it's time to make a new weapon, an LMG would certainly be welcomed on my part, like a S3 assault 3 AP6 weapon, with range 24. I think that'd be nice for sure, I'd put one in all my squads. Now I can hear the griping allready, that's what the Heavy Bolter and other Heavy Weapons are for. Well, two things, first, a Heavy Bolter is the equivilent of a Mk19 Grenade Launcher, it fires 44mm explosive shells, just like the Mk19, only difference is the Heavy Bolter has a rediculously high rate of fire. Now that said, the Heavy Bolter is also a Heavy Weapon, I just want an LMG, you know, Light Machine Gun, one that can be used for offense.
Anywho, my new years Resolution is to learn how to play Warhammer Fantasy as well, I'm torn between Warriors of Chaos, Dwarves (I will forever pronounce it the Tolkien way, the way God intended), and Orcs (no not goblins too). Happy wargaming, and new year.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Vanquisher
Hands down my favorite tank is the Vanquisher, there isn't a vehicle in the game (apocalypse withstanding) that has a chance in hell of surviving a hit from a Vanquisher. For me the Vanquisher is my answer to mech, and anything my lascannons can't handle, and it does both jobs perfectly. I also am a fan of slapping a lascannon onto it, so if the cannon misses, and it certainly does, I have a back up. Speaking of which, if I had to say it had any weaknesses, well it misses, with only BS 3, its a risk that you could never hit anything. The other weakness is, it lacks versatility, it can kill infantry, but only one at a time, so that's useless, except against heroes. In order to add some versatility, I had to add sponsons, and a stubber, so it's pretty expensive, but it's gunna take more than a weapon destroyed to take this sucker out of the game. Now I am usually a fan of taking squadrons, but not here, you only need one Vanquisher, preferably with camo netting, and just hide it somewhere. With 72" range, there isn't a whole lot it can't hit, so feel free to put it anywhere on the table. Lastly, I do realize the Vanquisher isn't for everyone, if you have a gunline consisting of 25 lascannons, don't bother, you're covered, but for people like me, who don't have a whole lot of anti-tank, it's a Godsend.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
The Two Monks
As Wargamers, do we have to complain about everything? and that answer is yes. There are few bonds like that of a common enemy. We all get mad a GW whenever they release a new codex now and constantly complain about prices. Granted those are valid arguments, but I think we are just doing it for arguments sake. I consider it another aspect of the game, part of the whole who has what opinion, and it's totally up to you.
Anyway, I know it wasn't much of an article, but it's something that I think about.
Anyway, I know it wasn't much of an article, but it's something that I think about.
Frozen Fields
Earlier today, warhammer.com, released an article that focused on winter battles. Being the ever obsessed player that I am, I had to try out the new stuff. I quickly found myself not caring for the 40k entry however. I simply didn't have crystals, and the crystals didn't change the game much, it was fairly boring. However I did rather enjoy the Warhammer Fantasy article, so I combined a bit of the two, and had a great time. It would behoove you to read the article before reading mine any further.
Now the tank rules, I kept, but that was pretty much it as far as 40k side of the article. I really liked the concept of fighting over a frozen lake, so I went with that. It was only a 750 point game, and on a very narrow table. Now I won't go into detail, but the rules for sinking into the ice, are a godsend if you fight space marines, they are almost guaranteed to fail, which is great. However, because I use Straken, he wound up falling through the ice because a nearby unit fled. I really enjoyed playing the winter battle, and recommend you and a buddy try it out.
Now the tank rules, I kept, but that was pretty much it as far as 40k side of the article. I really liked the concept of fighting over a frozen lake, so I went with that. It was only a 750 point game, and on a very narrow table. Now I won't go into detail, but the rules for sinking into the ice, are a godsend if you fight space marines, they are almost guaranteed to fail, which is great. However, because I use Straken, he wound up falling through the ice because a nearby unit fled. I really enjoyed playing the winter battle, and recommend you and a buddy try it out.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Psychology and Mind Games
One of my favorite aspects of the hobby is the battle of wits and, if I'm feeling particularly evil, mind games. Now The real key to mind games is doing the unexpected, and for IG that's three things: massive reserves, HQ's, and snipers.
Massive reserves are the easiest, simply pull another two hundred men out on top of your force, and watch their expression change. To take advantage of this, downplay your army, and keep them hidden in your travel case or whatever. Downplaying your army should be easy, just get your ass kicked, and throw a bit of a fit, then when he is over confident and overextending his frontline, launch the counter attack with a massive platoon or two, and watch him burn.
Now HQ's are surprising as well, because of orders and mainly Straken. Straken is the strongest human being... ever, including space marines. He is strength 6, Primarchs are only strength 4. Anywho, he is also a fantastic leader, and only around 90 points. Now the key here is to create an aura of awesome around him. Given a medic in his command squad, he has 3 wounds and feel no pain, and 3+ save, and toughness 4, unarguably the toughest IG model around. So, either, march him out, and put him and his squad in cover, and let them get shot up (this only works with people you play regularly) and let them get frustrated at how much firepower they have to pour in to take out 5 men. Or march him out and wipe out large units of crappy infantrymen, and let them watch in horror as a few men take out a platoon. Of course the second is best, because it gets kills, but in the long term, the first approach makes the strongest impression. Also Orders are important with HQ's because we are the only army that gets them a lot of players won't know what they are about, so use that to your advantage.
Lastly and most difficult to master, are the snipers. Now the best snipers are the ones they will totally ignore in most missions, and those are 3-5 squads of Ratlings (Hobbits). Now they key here is to have your opponent disregard them, which in all but annihilation they should, also feel free to make a distraction, a nearby demolisher or platoon works great. Then use the Ratlings to snipe at their HQ, if you get lucky, you can take out a whole bunch of stuff. Best of all, there is no harm done if it doesn't work, they were only 30 points.
Massive reserves are the easiest, simply pull another two hundred men out on top of your force, and watch their expression change. To take advantage of this, downplay your army, and keep them hidden in your travel case or whatever. Downplaying your army should be easy, just get your ass kicked, and throw a bit of a fit, then when he is over confident and overextending his frontline, launch the counter attack with a massive platoon or two, and watch him burn.
Now HQ's are surprising as well, because of orders and mainly Straken. Straken is the strongest human being... ever, including space marines. He is strength 6, Primarchs are only strength 4. Anywho, he is also a fantastic leader, and only around 90 points. Now the key here is to create an aura of awesome around him. Given a medic in his command squad, he has 3 wounds and feel no pain, and 3+ save, and toughness 4, unarguably the toughest IG model around. So, either, march him out, and put him and his squad in cover, and let them get shot up (this only works with people you play regularly) and let them get frustrated at how much firepower they have to pour in to take out 5 men. Or march him out and wipe out large units of crappy infantrymen, and let them watch in horror as a few men take out a platoon. Of course the second is best, because it gets kills, but in the long term, the first approach makes the strongest impression. Also Orders are important with HQ's because we are the only army that gets them a lot of players won't know what they are about, so use that to your advantage.
Lastly and most difficult to master, are the snipers. Now the best snipers are the ones they will totally ignore in most missions, and those are 3-5 squads of Ratlings (Hobbits). Now they key here is to have your opponent disregard them, which in all but annihilation they should, also feel free to make a distraction, a nearby demolisher or platoon works great. Then use the Ratlings to snipe at their HQ, if you get lucky, you can take out a whole bunch of stuff. Best of all, there is no harm done if it doesn't work, they were only 30 points.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Combat Engineers
One of my favorite units is my combat engineers. They are a special weapons team with three flamers and a demolitions charge. Now these weapons are all only practical if I'm really close, and with a 5+ armorsave, and only 6 men in the unit, how will I ever get them where I need them? Well, that's where the transports come in. Preferably, a Vendetta, which can zoom in from a table edge, and drop these badboys pretty much anywhere guaranteeing at least one good round of whoopass, and with a transport capacity of 12, I could squeeze in another special weapons unit, however I think that's too many points for what I want to accomplish. Now if a Vendetta is not available, a chimera works, but my suggestion here is to take them with a whole bunch of other Chimeras as part of a mobile platoon, just seat these guys with the officer in the command Chimera.
With three flamers there isn't a whole lot that can survive that, well, at least anything on foot. But that's what the Demolitions charge is for, it lends an incredible amount of versatility. If I need to crack space marines ridiculous armor, then the demo charge will do that. If I need to blow up a building, then the democharge will do that, no matter what, the democharge is perfect for the situation, so long as you are close by. Now I know what your thinking, whats the point of blowing up the transport if your flamers can't burn the survivors. Well, the Vendetta does a wonderful job of popping transports, with even one twinlinked lascannon shot, firing at the rear/side armor of a transport, is usually enough to pry it open, then the recently disembarked flamers can burn the even more recently disembarked screwed whoever it is.
When using my combat engineers I use them to pry the enemy off objectives. When my friend who plays Tau parks on his objective with a bunch of firewarriors, I simply fly up my flamers, and burn them off of it. Now it gets even better, after they turn those lads into a fine layer of ashes, they can now hold the objective, because they are troops. And when its an annihilation match, his kroot are doomed.
There isn't a single thing on the board my Vendetta/combat engineer team can't take care of, from killing hordes of troops, to blowing up tanks and monsters, they've got the tools for the job... of course they never survive, so all their awards are given posthumously, but this is war after all, and they know the price.
With three flamers there isn't a whole lot that can survive that, well, at least anything on foot. But that's what the Demolitions charge is for, it lends an incredible amount of versatility. If I need to crack space marines ridiculous armor, then the demo charge will do that. If I need to blow up a building, then the democharge will do that, no matter what, the democharge is perfect for the situation, so long as you are close by. Now I know what your thinking, whats the point of blowing up the transport if your flamers can't burn the survivors. Well, the Vendetta does a wonderful job of popping transports, with even one twinlinked lascannon shot, firing at the rear/side armor of a transport, is usually enough to pry it open, then the recently disembarked flamers can burn the even more recently disembarked screwed whoever it is.
When using my combat engineers I use them to pry the enemy off objectives. When my friend who plays Tau parks on his objective with a bunch of firewarriors, I simply fly up my flamers, and burn them off of it. Now it gets even better, after they turn those lads into a fine layer of ashes, they can now hold the objective, because they are troops. And when its an annihilation match, his kroot are doomed.
There isn't a single thing on the board my Vendetta/combat engineer team can't take care of, from killing hordes of troops, to blowing up tanks and monsters, they've got the tools for the job... of course they never survive, so all their awards are given posthumously, but this is war after all, and they know the price.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Facing the Swarm
When I started playing Warhammer 40k, I was originally 3rd edition Tyrannids, and I hated it. I always lost, ALWAYS but I persisted because I knew that I wanted to play Guard, and could win with them, because I knew a lot of real life strategies and tactics. So I returned my friends army as soon as possible, which was my 17th birthday, and got my own army. However, thanks to having played Tyrannids I know what its like to be on the other side now. Granted, a good bit has changed since 3rd edition Tyrannids, but it looks like it hasn't changed too awful much. That said, Tyrannids are a bitch to fight as Guard. Our men are too soft compared to the onrushing hordes, and we really have to use thought if we want to win.
The major problems when fighting Tyrannids are, charging 12", Genestealers, and Carnifexes. That's pretty much it, but those are big problems. Not only are Hormagaunts slightly better than Guardsmen, but they are way faster, and equipped with the right things they can crush Guardsmen.
There are a few units that really shine against Tyrannids though, those units mainly being Commissars, and wait for it... Priests. Priests, who uses those? Well with the coming of the new Tyrannid codex, you might want to stock up on them. For 60 points you get a man with an eviscerator (one of my favorite weapons in the game) rosarius (4+ invulnerable save), but best of all, he and any unit he is with may re-roll failed closecombat attacks. Used with a unit of 20 or more Guardsmen, with a Commissar and a Priest, these lads will actually win close combat, which is important against Tyrannids. Now Commissars are necessary as well if you want to stand a chance, their enhanced leadership, combined with stubborn will prevent your men from breaking. Also they are good fighters, and sure to get a lot of kills.
Now one of the keys to killing Hormagaunts is to time your step forward. Your average table is 4X6, and naturally he is going to place his Hormagaunts as close as possible making them 36 inches away from your table edge. He will move up 12 inches, making him 12 inches from your advancing line, here is where you spring your trap. Take 2nd turn, deploy your men about 8" from your table edge, and they should end up around 16" away. Now simply step forward 6" and fire at full auto with a FRFSRF, which is just about the only order you want to be giving throughout the battle anyway. With a standard of 30 Guardsmen and an officer's cadre that's almost one hundred shots. You are going to get charged anyway, and those 30 or so extra shots, are definitely worth their weight in gold. Now when you get charged is when the Commissar, Priest, and Platoon Standard, come in handy. Each of those three models is designed to help hold the line and win closecombat.
Genestealers are worse to deal with than Hormagaunts, assuming you have taken second turn, its a good idea to castle up against Tyrannids, not only does it make the battle look cooler, but it really is a good idea. However, Genestealers are going to make you think twice about it. With scuttlers, they can outflank, and if they have a Broodlord with them, well, lets just say it's gunna get nasty. Now Priests and Commissars will help with this, but they are needed at the front line where they will stem the tide against the Hormagaunts and Carnifexes. So when you castle up be aware of what units you want to fight the Genestealers. I like to use my mortar team and stormtroopers for this. My mortars which naturally are in the back, are of no use against Tyrannids, they may kill a few, but in reality, they are worthless, but they do provide a nice target for the Genestealers. Best of all, they are almost assured to die in the attack, being only 3 models with 2 wounds each. So when the Genestealers come in, slam down your stormtroopers, and let their flamers and hotshots do the talkin. Also worth noting, is holding units in reserve, a nice unit of veterans with shotguns ought to be able to deal with those pesky Genestealers.
And last, but the furthest from least, is the Carnifex. These monstrosities soak up Autocannon fire like they like it, and smash through helpless lines of Guardsmen who can't even scratch them. So how do you deal with these? I focus my Autocannons on them, and my tank, which should kill at least one per turn, so long as you give your Autocannons the Bring 'em Down order. Then when they get close, either have my Vendetta finish em off if possible, or have Straken bring em down personally, with a plasmapistol and like 5 str 6 AP1 attacks, he is bound to kill one himself. If you don't have those models, then perhaps a battery of tanks or chimeras could do it, but short of that you will be hard pressed.
Just remember, let them have first turn, and deploy accordingly, if your line is stretched it will break.
The major problems when fighting Tyrannids are, charging 12", Genestealers, and Carnifexes. That's pretty much it, but those are big problems. Not only are Hormagaunts slightly better than Guardsmen, but they are way faster, and equipped with the right things they can crush Guardsmen.
There are a few units that really shine against Tyrannids though, those units mainly being Commissars, and wait for it... Priests. Priests, who uses those? Well with the coming of the new Tyrannid codex, you might want to stock up on them. For 60 points you get a man with an eviscerator (one of my favorite weapons in the game) rosarius (4+ invulnerable save), but best of all, he and any unit he is with may re-roll failed closecombat attacks. Used with a unit of 20 or more Guardsmen, with a Commissar and a Priest, these lads will actually win close combat, which is important against Tyrannids. Now Commissars are necessary as well if you want to stand a chance, their enhanced leadership, combined with stubborn will prevent your men from breaking. Also they are good fighters, and sure to get a lot of kills.
Now one of the keys to killing Hormagaunts is to time your step forward. Your average table is 4X6, and naturally he is going to place his Hormagaunts as close as possible making them 36 inches away from your table edge. He will move up 12 inches, making him 12 inches from your advancing line, here is where you spring your trap. Take 2nd turn, deploy your men about 8" from your table edge, and they should end up around 16" away. Now simply step forward 6" and fire at full auto with a FRFSRF, which is just about the only order you want to be giving throughout the battle anyway. With a standard of 30 Guardsmen and an officer's cadre that's almost one hundred shots. You are going to get charged anyway, and those 30 or so extra shots, are definitely worth their weight in gold. Now when you get charged is when the Commissar, Priest, and Platoon Standard, come in handy. Each of those three models is designed to help hold the line and win closecombat.
Genestealers are worse to deal with than Hormagaunts, assuming you have taken second turn, its a good idea to castle up against Tyrannids, not only does it make the battle look cooler, but it really is a good idea. However, Genestealers are going to make you think twice about it. With scuttlers, they can outflank, and if they have a Broodlord with them, well, lets just say it's gunna get nasty. Now Priests and Commissars will help with this, but they are needed at the front line where they will stem the tide against the Hormagaunts and Carnifexes. So when you castle up be aware of what units you want to fight the Genestealers. I like to use my mortar team and stormtroopers for this. My mortars which naturally are in the back, are of no use against Tyrannids, they may kill a few, but in reality, they are worthless, but they do provide a nice target for the Genestealers. Best of all, they are almost assured to die in the attack, being only 3 models with 2 wounds each. So when the Genestealers come in, slam down your stormtroopers, and let their flamers and hotshots do the talkin. Also worth noting, is holding units in reserve, a nice unit of veterans with shotguns ought to be able to deal with those pesky Genestealers.
And last, but the furthest from least, is the Carnifex. These monstrosities soak up Autocannon fire like they like it, and smash through helpless lines of Guardsmen who can't even scratch them. So how do you deal with these? I focus my Autocannons on them, and my tank, which should kill at least one per turn, so long as you give your Autocannons the Bring 'em Down order. Then when they get close, either have my Vendetta finish em off if possible, or have Straken bring em down personally, with a plasmapistol and like 5 str 6 AP1 attacks, he is bound to kill one himself. If you don't have those models, then perhaps a battery of tanks or chimeras could do it, but short of that you will be hard pressed.
Just remember, let them have first turn, and deploy accordingly, if your line is stretched it will break.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Battle Report: Breaking The Terminus Line
Background: Due to heavy shelling and rain, a marshy pocket opened up in the Terminus line, the final defense of the chaos bastion. However a full scale assault wouldn't work, the rest of the line is still to heavily defended, and the pocket is fairly small. So a single platoon was sent in to breach the new found pocket in the line.
Battlefield: Smack in the center of the 5X4 table was a large marsh, with a single duckboard bridge leading across it. On the attackers edge I placed a small forest that was clearly heavily shelled (i.e. no leaves, broken trunks, and craters). Two craters were also placed at random, I represent that by using a scatter die. And that's all the cover the attackers got. Defenders got plenty of cover: a watchtower, over 5 sandbagged positions, and a small generator next to command post at the very edge of the board.
Forces:
attackers:
Captain Colt (colonel straken)
special weapons squad w/ three flamers and a democharge
veteran squad w/ three snipers and an autocannon
Lieutenant Wal (chenkov)
and two squads of basic guardsmen with boltpistol sergeants and grenade launchers
Defenders:
Lieutenant w/ bolt pistol
5 squads of blank guardsmen
autcannon squad
mortar squad
stormtrooper squad
leman russ
Deployment:
Defenders deployed first, placing the Lieutenant in the watchtower, along with three of the squads
at the base of it deployed in sandbags. Then smack at the end of the bridge were the autocannons, and the tank. Over on the right side, were two more squads behind sandbags, and the mortars were hidden behind the generator, touching the edge of the table.
The attackers then deployed with their two squads and Lieutenant wall in the craters facing the majority of the enemy at the lip of the marsh. Special weapons squad, along with the command squad were placed as close as possible to the duckboard bridge. Lastly the veterans were placed in the bombed out forest, across from the two squads and mortars.
First Turn:
My plan here was to use my veterans to pin the .50 cal autocannons, who would simply pulp my men crossing the bridge. Well, instead of pinning the autocannon squad, they killed them all, which was unexpected, but certainly not unwelcome. The two squads with the Lieutenant moved up, and fired upon the defending platoon, and rolled terribly only causing three enemy casualties. At the end of the turn I used scatter die to represent where shells would fall, these shells however weren't explosives, but smoke canisters, representing the support a unit would get in this position. I rolled a 3 sided die, and rolled a two, so I got two smoke shells. Then I rolled a die for each, which represented the size of the smoke, one was a large, the other small. Then I rolled a scatter for each. Now the large one landed smack where I wanted it to, right next to the duckboard bridge, provided a nice coversave to my men who were marching in a single file clusterfuck. The other I tried to use to support them as well, but rolled off to the right, and in front of the forest.
So now the defenders opened up, and the two squads and Lieutenant took a heavy beating, losing all but three men in a squad, and the Lieutenant missing all of his men, save a standard bearer. Other than that, they didn't manage to kill anyone.
Turn Two:
The Imperial Guard side managed to get revenge on their fallen comrades, and then some. The passing special weapons squad, and the Command squad burnt the living bejesus out of the entire platoon. The attack was punctuated by the demolition charge blowing up the watchtower and causing it to collapse, killing the Lieutenant as well. The remaining few chaos worshipers ran off praying to their new found gods for deliverance. Which unfortunately was answered.
It was answered in the form of stormtroopers raining from the blood red dawn, just as the sun came up they landed right at the head of the duckboard bridge, and fired everything they had at full auto on to the men. Them accompanied by the coaxial bolter killed the entire special weapons squad. But again, the mortars and the other two squads failed to do anything.
Turn Three:
The captain and his retinue charged the stormtroopers, in an attempt to save themselves from the tank's cannon, which barely missed last turn. However the heavy flamer wiped out all but one of the stormtroopers, and the other fled, leaving my Captain totally exposed to a finishing shot from the battle cannon.
The Leman Russ fired its cannon with a thunderous roar, only to have the shell splat harmlessly in the mud. Again, the other squads and mortar, did NOTHING, honestly it was getting embarrassing, but against a 3+ coversave, and armed only with lasguns, and firing at range, there wasn't a whole lot they could do.
Turn Four:
The Captain and his unit assaulted the Leman Russ, ending up with two penetrating hits, and rolling a 2 and a 5, leaving the tank destroyed.
At this point the battle was simply mopping up, which was rather easy, which just proves, that though outnumbered, the forces of the Imperium were not outclassed, and won the day.
I purposefully massively outclassed my forces, I mean really, 60+ against 30+ and the 60+ had a tank to boot. The big turning point was certainly when all the flamers opened up, and the democharge went off. To lose 35 men in a single turn was a death knell for them. However any awards I would give my special weapons unit, would be awarded posthumously. Other than the Flamers, MVU would probably go to my veteran snipers, who failed to kill anything after turn one, but turn one, they certainly saved the day. I know that my men wouldn't have stood a chance of getting across that swamp had those autcannons been able to fire.
Battlefield: Smack in the center of the 5X4 table was a large marsh, with a single duckboard bridge leading across it. On the attackers edge I placed a small forest that was clearly heavily shelled (i.e. no leaves, broken trunks, and craters). Two craters were also placed at random, I represent that by using a scatter die. And that's all the cover the attackers got. Defenders got plenty of cover: a watchtower, over 5 sandbagged positions, and a small generator next to command post at the very edge of the board.
Forces:
attackers:
Captain Colt (colonel straken)
special weapons squad w/ three flamers and a democharge
veteran squad w/ three snipers and an autocannon
Lieutenant Wal (chenkov)
and two squads of basic guardsmen with boltpistol sergeants and grenade launchers
Defenders:
Lieutenant w/ bolt pistol
5 squads of blank guardsmen
autcannon squad
mortar squad
stormtrooper squad
leman russ
Deployment:
Defenders deployed first, placing the Lieutenant in the watchtower, along with three of the squads
at the base of it deployed in sandbags. Then smack at the end of the bridge were the autocannons, and the tank. Over on the right side, were two more squads behind sandbags, and the mortars were hidden behind the generator, touching the edge of the table.
The attackers then deployed with their two squads and Lieutenant wall in the craters facing the majority of the enemy at the lip of the marsh. Special weapons squad, along with the command squad were placed as close as possible to the duckboard bridge. Lastly the veterans were placed in the bombed out forest, across from the two squads and mortars.
First Turn:
My plan here was to use my veterans to pin the .50 cal autocannons, who would simply pulp my men crossing the bridge. Well, instead of pinning the autocannon squad, they killed them all, which was unexpected, but certainly not unwelcome. The two squads with the Lieutenant moved up, and fired upon the defending platoon, and rolled terribly only causing three enemy casualties. At the end of the turn I used scatter die to represent where shells would fall, these shells however weren't explosives, but smoke canisters, representing the support a unit would get in this position. I rolled a 3 sided die, and rolled a two, so I got two smoke shells. Then I rolled a die for each, which represented the size of the smoke, one was a large, the other small. Then I rolled a scatter for each. Now the large one landed smack where I wanted it to, right next to the duckboard bridge, provided a nice coversave to my men who were marching in a single file clusterfuck. The other I tried to use to support them as well, but rolled off to the right, and in front of the forest.
So now the defenders opened up, and the two squads and Lieutenant took a heavy beating, losing all but three men in a squad, and the Lieutenant missing all of his men, save a standard bearer. Other than that, they didn't manage to kill anyone.
Turn Two:
The Imperial Guard side managed to get revenge on their fallen comrades, and then some. The passing special weapons squad, and the Command squad burnt the living bejesus out of the entire platoon. The attack was punctuated by the demolition charge blowing up the watchtower and causing it to collapse, killing the Lieutenant as well. The remaining few chaos worshipers ran off praying to their new found gods for deliverance. Which unfortunately was answered.
It was answered in the form of stormtroopers raining from the blood red dawn, just as the sun came up they landed right at the head of the duckboard bridge, and fired everything they had at full auto on to the men. Them accompanied by the coaxial bolter killed the entire special weapons squad. But again, the mortars and the other two squads failed to do anything.
Turn Three:
The captain and his retinue charged the stormtroopers, in an attempt to save themselves from the tank's cannon, which barely missed last turn. However the heavy flamer wiped out all but one of the stormtroopers, and the other fled, leaving my Captain totally exposed to a finishing shot from the battle cannon.
The Leman Russ fired its cannon with a thunderous roar, only to have the shell splat harmlessly in the mud. Again, the other squads and mortar, did NOTHING, honestly it was getting embarrassing, but against a 3+ coversave, and armed only with lasguns, and firing at range, there wasn't a whole lot they could do.
Turn Four:
The Captain and his unit assaulted the Leman Russ, ending up with two penetrating hits, and rolling a 2 and a 5, leaving the tank destroyed.
At this point the battle was simply mopping up, which was rather easy, which just proves, that though outnumbered, the forces of the Imperium were not outclassed, and won the day.
I purposefully massively outclassed my forces, I mean really, 60+ against 30+ and the 60+ had a tank to boot. The big turning point was certainly when all the flamers opened up, and the democharge went off. To lose 35 men in a single turn was a death knell for them. However any awards I would give my special weapons unit, would be awarded posthumously. Other than the Flamers, MVU would probably go to my veteran snipers, who failed to kill anything after turn one, but turn one, they certainly saved the day. I know that my men wouldn't have stood a chance of getting across that swamp had those autcannons been able to fire.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Battlements
One of the things that players take for granted is the lovely scenery that GW provides. However, perhaps they should, in favor of their own terrain. While I may not be the next Jawaballs when it comes to painting, I like to consider myself a builder before a painter. I have more terrain pieces than units, and part of that is the ridiculous price of the miniatures, but also because I like to create things with my own two hands. From mounds of sandbags, to complex bunkers. From simple billows of smoke, to full on landscapes. Best of all, it all looks good. But this article isn't to brag about my collection of terrain, its about something different entirely.
How certain terrain effects gameplay is a key factor to winning battles, and as a Guard player, its also key to my units survival. Now there is a lot more to it than just being cover, provided you have the time, and you can make a terrain piece that's as essential as the unit within.
I like to add Palisades and barbwire to my pieces, that makes any unit assaulting a unit within require a dangerous terrain roll. Also, boarding up the windows in a building with some popsicle sticks (as long as it looks good, I like the ones that have flat ends, that way you don't have to cut all the ends off) lends the ruins a better coversave. If you like trenches (my favorite) then another good idea is to make the area leading up to the trench sloped, and add some rubble as well (miniwargaming recently released a video on meteors, and in that is a unique terrain idea, that using water and glue soaked toilet paper makes for some great looking freshly moved dirt) this makes gettin up the slope difficult terrain. At the entrances to the trench a barrel, or even some sandbags, will prevent total destruction if attacked from the side. Lastly, a firing step in the trenches is handy if facing Tau, or even hiding from tanks, simply keep your men off the step, so that the entire model is hidden, then when the Tau are in range, simply step onto the firing step, and open up.
I hope this article has inspired you to make some fantastic terrain, that not only looks good, but is functional to winning the battle.
How certain terrain effects gameplay is a key factor to winning battles, and as a Guard player, its also key to my units survival. Now there is a lot more to it than just being cover, provided you have the time, and you can make a terrain piece that's as essential as the unit within.
I like to add Palisades and barbwire to my pieces, that makes any unit assaulting a unit within require a dangerous terrain roll. Also, boarding up the windows in a building with some popsicle sticks (as long as it looks good, I like the ones that have flat ends, that way you don't have to cut all the ends off) lends the ruins a better coversave. If you like trenches (my favorite) then another good idea is to make the area leading up to the trench sloped, and add some rubble as well (miniwargaming recently released a video on meteors, and in that is a unique terrain idea, that using water and glue soaked toilet paper makes for some great looking freshly moved dirt) this makes gettin up the slope difficult terrain. At the entrances to the trench a barrel, or even some sandbags, will prevent total destruction if attacked from the side. Lastly, a firing step in the trenches is handy if facing Tau, or even hiding from tanks, simply keep your men off the step, so that the entire model is hidden, then when the Tau are in range, simply step onto the firing step, and open up.
I hope this article has inspired you to make some fantastic terrain, that not only looks good, but is functional to winning the battle.
Love at First Fight
It has been quoted that there is nothing a dogface loves more than artillery, and it couldn't be more true. What is it about them that we love so much? Is it the heavy firepower? The impunity of range? Or just the scale of it all? Probably all of those and more.
Now in Warhammer, the only real pieces of artillery I can think of is the Ork kannon, and the Space Marine Thunderfire Cannon, why don't the guard get a real artillery piece, other than the $80 Forgeworld model? I know, I know, we have the Basilisk, but its mobile artillery, and I'm sorry, but I hate the way it looks compared to the Forgeworld model, which is more expensive, and slightly worse. But enough griping, lets talk big guns.
Now when it comes to mobile artillery, Imperial Guard is king. We have so many choices, but in all reality, the only one worth taking, is the Basilisk. All the other guns, are either too short ranged, or too weak. The Basilisk is cheap, and more effective in general. So it will be the subject of this article from here on out.
Now, many players say that it is killed by its 36 inch minimum range, well they're wrong. Its 36 inches, if you fire indirectly, if you fire head on, it can still fire. That said, it is a problem nonetheless. Now you counter this, by how you place it on the table. Unlike most units, you want it opposite of where you want to use it. Most units you place nearby where they will effect. The Basilisk should be as far as possible from its target. Also, make sure it is deep in terrain when you place it. It doesn't have to be tall terrain that blocks line of sight, or even terrain big enough to give it a cover save, just enough terrain to make a Deepstriker think twice. Granted, if the enemy unit makes it, you lose your artillery, but he is now in the middle of freakin nowhere. The real threat here isn't Deepstrikers, but Outflankers. The only way to stop Outflankers, is to put a massive piece of terrain between your Basilisk and the edge of the board. So in the beginning of the match, take heed and see if there are any outflanking units. Now that we have spoken of its downfalls, we can get to the fun stuff.
The Earthshaker cannon is without doubt, one of the best weapons in the game. It's ordinance, it's 240" range, it's strength 9, and its AP3. Fired indirectly it can hit the top of a vehicle, so it's auto penetration. Fired directly, it's strength 9 so it's going to probably penetrate most vehicles. Against infantry, it's large blast, and against even Space Marines, anything under that template is just gone, no rolls, just gone. Oh and did I mention it's pinning? Against Guard, Tau, Eldar, Orks, and Chaos Space Marines, it does wonders with pinning. Against hordes, odds are you will pin multiple units, against elite armies, you stand a chance of either pinning, or just plain wiping our the whole squad.
With all these options where do you aim? Well, if you are like me, and play mostly infantry, then take out what can kill your troops, they are the main element of your army, so take out either what they can't, or can take them out. If you play mech, then take out what can take out your Chimeras. Its all pretty straight forward really. Take out what is the deadliest to your units, leave your troops, or whatever other main element you have, to take out those guys parked on the objectives.
The Basilisk is a support unit, it should never win battles, simply help you do so, either by sacrificing itself to an enemy elite (i. e. Deepstriking terminators, who are now too far away to do anything), or helping your main element survive.
Infantry win firefights
Tanks win battles
Artillery win wars.
Now in Warhammer, the only real pieces of artillery I can think of is the Ork kannon, and the Space Marine Thunderfire Cannon, why don't the guard get a real artillery piece, other than the $80 Forgeworld model? I know, I know, we have the Basilisk, but its mobile artillery, and I'm sorry, but I hate the way it looks compared to the Forgeworld model, which is more expensive, and slightly worse. But enough griping, lets talk big guns.
Now when it comes to mobile artillery, Imperial Guard is king. We have so many choices, but in all reality, the only one worth taking, is the Basilisk. All the other guns, are either too short ranged, or too weak. The Basilisk is cheap, and more effective in general. So it will be the subject of this article from here on out.
Now, many players say that it is killed by its 36 inch minimum range, well they're wrong. Its 36 inches, if you fire indirectly, if you fire head on, it can still fire. That said, it is a problem nonetheless. Now you counter this, by how you place it on the table. Unlike most units, you want it opposite of where you want to use it. Most units you place nearby where they will effect. The Basilisk should be as far as possible from its target. Also, make sure it is deep in terrain when you place it. It doesn't have to be tall terrain that blocks line of sight, or even terrain big enough to give it a cover save, just enough terrain to make a Deepstriker think twice. Granted, if the enemy unit makes it, you lose your artillery, but he is now in the middle of freakin nowhere. The real threat here isn't Deepstrikers, but Outflankers. The only way to stop Outflankers, is to put a massive piece of terrain between your Basilisk and the edge of the board. So in the beginning of the match, take heed and see if there are any outflanking units. Now that we have spoken of its downfalls, we can get to the fun stuff.
The Earthshaker cannon is without doubt, one of the best weapons in the game. It's ordinance, it's 240" range, it's strength 9, and its AP3. Fired indirectly it can hit the top of a vehicle, so it's auto penetration. Fired directly, it's strength 9 so it's going to probably penetrate most vehicles. Against infantry, it's large blast, and against even Space Marines, anything under that template is just gone, no rolls, just gone. Oh and did I mention it's pinning? Against Guard, Tau, Eldar, Orks, and Chaos Space Marines, it does wonders with pinning. Against hordes, odds are you will pin multiple units, against elite armies, you stand a chance of either pinning, or just plain wiping our the whole squad.
With all these options where do you aim? Well, if you are like me, and play mostly infantry, then take out what can kill your troops, they are the main element of your army, so take out either what they can't, or can take them out. If you play mech, then take out what can take out your Chimeras. Its all pretty straight forward really. Take out what is the deadliest to your units, leave your troops, or whatever other main element you have, to take out those guys parked on the objectives.
The Basilisk is a support unit, it should never win battles, simply help you do so, either by sacrificing itself to an enemy elite (i. e. Deepstriking terminators, who are now too far away to do anything), or helping your main element survive.
Infantry win firefights
Tanks win battles
Artillery win wars.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Orders, Sir?
Orders are what really give Guard a chance in combat, and help us from being too inflexible. A well timed order has won me the day more times than not. Best of all, there is an order for every single type of situation.
Need to get rid of those pesky Tau Firewarriors who are hiding behind their cover, and mowing down your brave Guardsmen? use the Fire on My Target order. Used on some veteran snipers with an autocannon, and they will not only beat the Tau to a pulp, probably forcing a morale check, but the snipers are pinning. Best of all, with the order, there is little they can do to stop the onslaught.
Your men falling back, or pinned? Get Back in the Fight! order is perfect, now your men never have to stop fighting!
Need to hold that objective one more turn, and the men defending it are clearly going to take a beating? Use the Incoming! order. Perfect, if you got first turn, to deny your enemy that victory.
The other orders are very straight forward, but you get an idea of how to use them. Now the problem with orders is that Guardsmen are only leadership 7, so a little over half the time they work, the rest of the time, they fail. Also, Lieutenants can only give orders up to 12" away, so you have to have a pretty tight knit group, and your Lieutenant has to be able to slug it out with his men. Originally I had a shooty Lieutenant, but now I see it is much more prevalent to keep him advancing with the men. Now the easiest way to keep your units from failing to receive an order, is to give them a Vox caster, its only 5 points, so make sure, if you want to use orders effectively, you invest the five points. Also if you're like me, and don't really care for the model with the vox caster, fiddle around with some unique positions, also consider taking a knife to the Vox caster, and trimming it down to a smaller, more light infantry themed unit.
Need to get rid of those pesky Tau Firewarriors who are hiding behind their cover, and mowing down your brave Guardsmen? use the Fire on My Target order. Used on some veteran snipers with an autocannon, and they will not only beat the Tau to a pulp, probably forcing a morale check, but the snipers are pinning. Best of all, with the order, there is little they can do to stop the onslaught.
Your men falling back, or pinned? Get Back in the Fight! order is perfect, now your men never have to stop fighting!
Need to hold that objective one more turn, and the men defending it are clearly going to take a beating? Use the Incoming! order. Perfect, if you got first turn, to deny your enemy that victory.
The other orders are very straight forward, but you get an idea of how to use them. Now the problem with orders is that Guardsmen are only leadership 7, so a little over half the time they work, the rest of the time, they fail. Also, Lieutenants can only give orders up to 12" away, so you have to have a pretty tight knit group, and your Lieutenant has to be able to slug it out with his men. Originally I had a shooty Lieutenant, but now I see it is much more prevalent to keep him advancing with the men. Now the easiest way to keep your units from failing to receive an order, is to give them a Vox caster, its only 5 points, so make sure, if you want to use orders effectively, you invest the five points. Also if you're like me, and don't really care for the model with the vox caster, fiddle around with some unique positions, also consider taking a knife to the Vox caster, and trimming it down to a smaller, more light infantry themed unit.
A Look Back
I find myself the only person who actually, deeply misses the old IG codex. If for nothing else, for light infantry doctrine, I always took that, as well as sharpshooters, cameleoline, and hardened veterans. That made my army a whole lot pricier, but in the end it was worth it. People don't expect to fight a Gaurd army where everyone can infiltrate, and move through cover, get better coversaves, win in close combat, as well as essentially being ballistic skill 3.5 (reroll ones).
I think that without the doctrines, we certainly lost a big advantage. That's where the real fluff for IG came from. You could have any unique army you wanted, and I certainly enjoyed playing that army more than the new stuff. I like new platoon system, its a lot more defined, and I like the new stormtroopers, but overall, I don't care for the codex anywhere near as much. Granted, orders help with some of that, and keeps your army far more flexible, but I miss the fluff, and being an underdog. Now I feel like a cheapskate everytime I win, and people chalk it up to an OP army, instead of a tactical victory, I don't always want to win.
I think that without the doctrines, we certainly lost a big advantage. That's where the real fluff for IG came from. You could have any unique army you wanted, and I certainly enjoyed playing that army more than the new stuff. I like new platoon system, its a lot more defined, and I like the new stormtroopers, but overall, I don't care for the codex anywhere near as much. Granted, orders help with some of that, and keeps your army far more flexible, but I miss the fluff, and being an underdog. Now I feel like a cheapskate everytime I win, and people chalk it up to an OP army, instead of a tactical victory, I don't always want to win.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Quickdraw
Ever wish you could give all your sergeants bolt pistols? or one of your lieutenants plasma pistols? well, by cutting off the barrel of the laspistol, you get a slightly smaller bolt pistol. Take it one step further, and cut off the clip, and you get a plasma pistol. Best of all, its FREE.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Dealing With the Emperors Finest
Dealing with Space Marines is a troublesome task for Guard players, and as Space Marines are the most common army, that's a problem. Luckily there is a unit designed to kill Space Marines for our playing pleasure. It is the Stormtrooper, the hotshot lasgun is AP 3, which is exactly what the doctor ordered. Throw in a powersword, and a plasmagun or two, and you have yourself a dandy Space Marine killer. However, Stormtroopers are expensive to buy, so what else can we do?
I find for dealing with those pesky Terminators a lot easier when you have a Demolisher tank by your side, instant death, and it pierces their armor. But again, that's a lot of money. Our heavy weapons are AP 4 pretty much across the board, and the lascannon is just too inefficient to kill those bastards. There is still hope however, and I found it in one man, Colonel Iron Hand Straken. WS 5, and S 6, 3+ armor saves, and much more goodness to be found there. He is cheap, and perfect for any infantry commander. He is my true answer to killing Space Marines, and he is even better with a regimental standard, medic, pair of bodyguards, and heavy flamer and flamer, which is what I take with him. Against Guard, you can count on him to live forever, against Space Marines, you can count on him to rack up a high body count. Best of all, he is practically free money wise, because you have to have a commander anyway, simply do a little converting, and you have a free Straken.
Also, for those who's budget knows few bounds, there's Ogryns, who do a fantastic job of wiping the floor with Space Marines, but they are pricey both in points and money.
Now, what are some tactics to beating Space Marines?
Simply put, you know what they are going to do as soon as you see the army. If it is mostly Rhinos, then it's pretty obvious, or mostly drop pods, or even mostly infantry, you can pretty much guess what play style they lend to.
If its a Rhino rush, beat them to a pulp with your heavy weapons, and make sure that your tank or two are right there to say hi, so they are targeted instead of your infantry, which are what really matter.
Drop pods give us the most trouble, because, we have no hope in close combat, so make sure you are ready to deal with them, and a timely, First Rank Fire, Second Rank Fire! can certainly win the day.
Lastly, mostly infantry is also particularly troublesome, make sure you pack a lot of heavy weaponry (as always) to deal with these guys. Range is your best friend here, use your Autocannons to bash them from the start, and when the time comes, maybe a sacrificial charge or so to keep them a little further away will help.
Here are some general notes on beating Space Marines as well:
their Devastator Teams are small enough to be devastated by snipers, a unit of Veterans with sniper rifles, an autocannon, and Forward Sentries, should easily beat them.
while we are on the subject, those same Veterans above, should be able to pulp Scouts, with the autocannon, and the sniper rifles, they don't stand a chance.
Space Marine tanks just can't compare to the Leman Russ, use that to your advantage.
Basalisks work well if you can keep your distance.
All that said, I hope you found something useful in there, good luck.
I find for dealing with those pesky Terminators a lot easier when you have a Demolisher tank by your side, instant death, and it pierces their armor. But again, that's a lot of money. Our heavy weapons are AP 4 pretty much across the board, and the lascannon is just too inefficient to kill those bastards. There is still hope however, and I found it in one man, Colonel Iron Hand Straken. WS 5, and S 6, 3+ armor saves, and much more goodness to be found there. He is cheap, and perfect for any infantry commander. He is my true answer to killing Space Marines, and he is even better with a regimental standard, medic, pair of bodyguards, and heavy flamer and flamer, which is what I take with him. Against Guard, you can count on him to live forever, against Space Marines, you can count on him to rack up a high body count. Best of all, he is practically free money wise, because you have to have a commander anyway, simply do a little converting, and you have a free Straken.
Also, for those who's budget knows few bounds, there's Ogryns, who do a fantastic job of wiping the floor with Space Marines, but they are pricey both in points and money.
Now, what are some tactics to beating Space Marines?
Simply put, you know what they are going to do as soon as you see the army. If it is mostly Rhinos, then it's pretty obvious, or mostly drop pods, or even mostly infantry, you can pretty much guess what play style they lend to.
If its a Rhino rush, beat them to a pulp with your heavy weapons, and make sure that your tank or two are right there to say hi, so they are targeted instead of your infantry, which are what really matter.
Drop pods give us the most trouble, because, we have no hope in close combat, so make sure you are ready to deal with them, and a timely, First Rank Fire, Second Rank Fire! can certainly win the day.
Lastly, mostly infantry is also particularly troublesome, make sure you pack a lot of heavy weaponry (as always) to deal with these guys. Range is your best friend here, use your Autocannons to bash them from the start, and when the time comes, maybe a sacrificial charge or so to keep them a little further away will help.
Here are some general notes on beating Space Marines as well:
their Devastator Teams are small enough to be devastated by snipers, a unit of Veterans with sniper rifles, an autocannon, and Forward Sentries, should easily beat them.
while we are on the subject, those same Veterans above, should be able to pulp Scouts, with the autocannon, and the sniper rifles, they don't stand a chance.
Space Marine tanks just can't compare to the Leman Russ, use that to your advantage.
Basalisks work well if you can keep your distance.
All that said, I hope you found something useful in there, good luck.
Doubles Match
Gearing up for a big game is one of the best parts of the hobby. Its that thrill of massing your army, preparing to fight a great foe, for glory and possibly loot. I find myself gearing up for a doubles match in about a month or so. Its nothing too major, just 1500 a person, and there are only 4 of us. However, it should be interesting nonetheless. My teammate is fairly new to the hobby, it will be about his third game, but I'm confident he will do fine.
Now, we don't exactly know what armies our foes will bring, because each has two armies, and they are staying pretty closed lipped about which they will bring. One foe, I am absolutely not worried about, because he plays either Tau, or IG, both of which my army easily beats. The other player is a bit more worrisome, he will either be playing Chaos Space Marines, or Necrons. I have no idea what CSM army he has collected, and I've only fought Necrons once, and they were on my team, so I don't know much about fighting them.
IG have a problem against Space Marines (and therefore Chaos Space Marines) and Necrons.
their armor, and other tough as nails attributes are just too much for the lasgun. So here's the plan:
My buddy, who collects Space Marines, will be dropping in with a couple of drop pods, and hopefully tie up the Chaos, or Crons. While he does that, My Vendetta, with Grae's Grenadiers in it, will be flying over the Tau or IG lines. I will drop my men into their gunline and kill as many as possible, which should be alot, while my Vendetta will blast at one of the Cron, or Chaos units. What will probably happen, is after two turns, our harassment forces should be killed off, however, they bought precious time for the rest of our army. My guard, led by Straken and a hefty unit of flamers, should make short work of any surviving Tau or IG. While my stormtroopers, aided by my buddies Terminators and other Marines, should be able to kill the rest of the Chaos or Crons.
Granted, it's simple, but the more simple the stronger they are, because fewer things can go wrong. I hope it works, and no matter what, it will be fun.
Now, we don't exactly know what armies our foes will bring, because each has two armies, and they are staying pretty closed lipped about which they will bring. One foe, I am absolutely not worried about, because he plays either Tau, or IG, both of which my army easily beats. The other player is a bit more worrisome, he will either be playing Chaos Space Marines, or Necrons. I have no idea what CSM army he has collected, and I've only fought Necrons once, and they were on my team, so I don't know much about fighting them.
IG have a problem against Space Marines (and therefore Chaos Space Marines) and Necrons.
their armor, and other tough as nails attributes are just too much for the lasgun. So here's the plan:
My buddy, who collects Space Marines, will be dropping in with a couple of drop pods, and hopefully tie up the Chaos, or Crons. While he does that, My Vendetta, with Grae's Grenadiers in it, will be flying over the Tau or IG lines. I will drop my men into their gunline and kill as many as possible, which should be alot, while my Vendetta will blast at one of the Cron, or Chaos units. What will probably happen, is after two turns, our harassment forces should be killed off, however, they bought precious time for the rest of our army. My guard, led by Straken and a hefty unit of flamers, should make short work of any surviving Tau or IG. While my stormtroopers, aided by my buddies Terminators and other Marines, should be able to kill the rest of the Chaos or Crons.
Granted, it's simple, but the more simple the stronger they are, because fewer things can go wrong. I hope it works, and no matter what, it will be fun.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Let Thy Valkryies Fly!
Well, one of my favorite vehicles now is, of course, the Valkyrie, but specifically the Vendetta build. For those of you who don't know, the Vendetta is only 30 points more, and has three twin linked lascannons, pretty awesome for only thirty more points. Now that I'm done drooling over it, lets talk about how I use it on the table.
I pretty much always reserve it, especially if I'm going second, which means I don't get the save from moving fast. I always outflank with it as well, because I am coming in from a mostly unexpected angle, I get 3 twin linked lascannons to fire at rear armor, tell me that won't fuck up most mech. If the enemy doesn't have any armor that poses a major threat to me, then I run it up and drop off my veteran squad, Grae's Grenadiers if you have read that article then you know they are pretty good on foot, imagine them in a Vendetta. Simply drop them, and blast away with the flamethrowers and shotguns, can't ask for much more against horde armies. Lastly, I always take the door gunners, I don't know if it's my love of the door gunner, or what, but I like fluff, and i think any good aerial transport should have door gunners.
Perhaps the best thing about the Vendetta is that it's a fast skimmer, which means it can easily dominate cityfights, and has the movement speed to help it survive in places where there is no cover. Of course you can't always move fast, you have to shoot, to help it with that, its got 12 armor on the front and sides, so it can take a surprising beating. Personally, I love grav chute deployment, its risky, but I think it spices up the game, a lot.
I recommend taking either melta/plasma toting veterans with shotguns, or stormtroopers in the Vendetta. Those are all units that perform wonderfully in close combat, particularly the stormtroopers, just remember about those pistols, that's an extra attack per trooper, and it's assault, with AP 3, perfect for breaking Space Marines.
Lastly, and I have to say this, is the Valkyrie/Vendetta a broken unit? does it trash the rules, and throw away the fun? I don't think that the Valkyrie is, but the Vendetta is, however, the Imperial Guard have been the laughing stock of Warhammer 40k for a long time, and its about time we Guard players have gotten our dues. I wish that we weren't so unfair, but I can't say I mind the attention.
I pretty much always reserve it, especially if I'm going second, which means I don't get the save from moving fast. I always outflank with it as well, because I am coming in from a mostly unexpected angle, I get 3 twin linked lascannons to fire at rear armor, tell me that won't fuck up most mech. If the enemy doesn't have any armor that poses a major threat to me, then I run it up and drop off my veteran squad, Grae's Grenadiers if you have read that article then you know they are pretty good on foot, imagine them in a Vendetta. Simply drop them, and blast away with the flamethrowers and shotguns, can't ask for much more against horde armies. Lastly, I always take the door gunners, I don't know if it's my love of the door gunner, or what, but I like fluff, and i think any good aerial transport should have door gunners.
Perhaps the best thing about the Vendetta is that it's a fast skimmer, which means it can easily dominate cityfights, and has the movement speed to help it survive in places where there is no cover. Of course you can't always move fast, you have to shoot, to help it with that, its got 12 armor on the front and sides, so it can take a surprising beating. Personally, I love grav chute deployment, its risky, but I think it spices up the game, a lot.
I recommend taking either melta/plasma toting veterans with shotguns, or stormtroopers in the Vendetta. Those are all units that perform wonderfully in close combat, particularly the stormtroopers, just remember about those pistols, that's an extra attack per trooper, and it's assault, with AP 3, perfect for breaking Space Marines.
Lastly, and I have to say this, is the Valkyrie/Vendetta a broken unit? does it trash the rules, and throw away the fun? I don't think that the Valkyrie is, but the Vendetta is, however, the Imperial Guard have been the laughing stock of Warhammer 40k for a long time, and its about time we Guard players have gotten our dues. I wish that we weren't so unfair, but I can't say I mind the attention.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Using Reserve
Occasionally I will see a friend of mine use reserve, but for the most part, no one else I play does. Now why is that? Well to put it simply, from a straightforward point of view reserve is dumb, it means you have less guys on the field at one time, and there is nothing special that comes with it, especially for slow moving armies like infantry based Imperial Guard armies.
So why do it? well, it gives you a lot of neat tricks, but ones that aren't necessarily obvious game changers. First trick we will talk about is, shifting your army. Basically your opponent will look at what you have on the table, which most likely, as Guard, looks like your whole army, and he will deploy accordingly. Then when your platoon or two comes in from reserve, or any tanks or vendettas, you can totally shift everything out of what he perceived, and ruin his plan. Also you can morph your army, what started out as a tank army can easily become a massed infantry army. Or a static gunline can quickly become a sweep of vendetta squadrons. Both of these strategies are based on throwing your opponent off balance.
Lastly reserves are great because it allows you to be more flexible, if a part of table edge seems particularly pressed, then you can simply put more guys there.
In the end reserve is a handy tool with which you can craft your strategy, and therefore your victory. I encourage everyone to use it.
So why do it? well, it gives you a lot of neat tricks, but ones that aren't necessarily obvious game changers. First trick we will talk about is, shifting your army. Basically your opponent will look at what you have on the table, which most likely, as Guard, looks like your whole army, and he will deploy accordingly. Then when your platoon or two comes in from reserve, or any tanks or vendettas, you can totally shift everything out of what he perceived, and ruin his plan. Also you can morph your army, what started out as a tank army can easily become a massed infantry army. Or a static gunline can quickly become a sweep of vendetta squadrons. Both of these strategies are based on throwing your opponent off balance.
Lastly reserves are great because it allows you to be more flexible, if a part of table edge seems particularly pressed, then you can simply put more guys there.
In the end reserve is a handy tool with which you can craft your strategy, and therefore your victory. I encourage everyone to use it.
Monday, November 9, 2009
This Party is Rue-eeind.
In what situations is it better to get in an intact building than a ruin, and when is a ruin better than a building? Ruins are generally better against vehicles, seeing as they are already destroyed, and buildings are better against infantrymen who can't pierce that armor. There, settled... what do you mean that article was short? I have a cold okay. Fine, I'll add more.
Now how do I make my buildings or ruins you ask? Well, since I need all my money for models, I can't afford GW ruins. Instead of spending $30 or so on a building, I simply make my own. Out of cardboard YAAAY! but in order to make it look better there are a ton of things you can do. For instance adding some small rocks, mud, or boarded windows is a great plan. Always make sure you base coat the building in black, or even grey. Then usually I slap on some textured spray-paint, the stone kind from Lowes, and there you go, some awesome ruins. Lastly I like to glue helmets in the windows, like they used to do in WWII so the snipers would shoot them, and having a row of lasguns on the wall helps too.
Now how do I make my buildings or ruins you ask? Well, since I need all my money for models, I can't afford GW ruins. Instead of spending $30 or so on a building, I simply make my own. Out of cardboard YAAAY! but in order to make it look better there are a ton of things you can do. For instance adding some small rocks, mud, or boarded windows is a great plan. Always make sure you base coat the building in black, or even grey. Then usually I slap on some textured spray-paint, the stone kind from Lowes, and there you go, some awesome ruins. Lastly I like to glue helmets in the windows, like they used to do in WWII so the snipers would shoot them, and having a row of lasguns on the wall helps too.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Killing is My Business...
A lot of people overlook snipers in the Imperial Guard, and I don't know why. I have two veterans I currently field, one for offense Grae's Grenadiers (covered in a previous article), and another for defense, they are the subject of this article.
With Cameleoline they are afforded the stealth special rule, and with snare mines, they are even better on defense. Now the reason I don't field my snipers as part of a special weapons team, is those only have BS 3, and don't have stealth or snaremines. Veteran's have BS 4 and all that snipery goodness. Now what makes snipers worth it? Well for starters they lend a fantastic weapon to the unit, it can take anything out, regardless of toughness on a 4+, and on rolls to wound that roll a 6, it is an instant wound, regardless of any saves. On top of that, it counts as pinning, and has 12 inches on a normal rifle. This saves my but against Tau, which are easy to pin, and hate it when you have them in range, and they don't have you in range. I use my snipers for all sorts of things, and just to make sure that the job gets done, they have an autocannon in the unit.
The sniper rifle is truly a great, and overlooked weapon, it can deal with light-infantry by pinning them, and heavy infantry, even monstrous creatures, with its rending rule, and the fact it ignores toughness.
With Cameleoline they are afforded the stealth special rule, and with snare mines, they are even better on defense. Now the reason I don't field my snipers as part of a special weapons team, is those only have BS 3, and don't have stealth or snaremines. Veteran's have BS 4 and all that snipery goodness. Now what makes snipers worth it? Well for starters they lend a fantastic weapon to the unit, it can take anything out, regardless of toughness on a 4+, and on rolls to wound that roll a 6, it is an instant wound, regardless of any saves. On top of that, it counts as pinning, and has 12 inches on a normal rifle. This saves my but against Tau, which are easy to pin, and hate it when you have them in range, and they don't have you in range. I use my snipers for all sorts of things, and just to make sure that the job gets done, they have an autocannon in the unit.
The sniper rifle is truly a great, and overlooked weapon, it can deal with light-infantry by pinning them, and heavy infantry, even monstrous creatures, with its rending rule, and the fact it ignores toughness.
Glory Boys
Stormtroopers, the word conjures both images of the pristine white servants of the evil Star Wars Empire, and the elite of the Imperial Guard. We will speak of the latter.
Stormtroopers are your answer to those pesky Space Marines, roughly the same cost in points, and 1v1 they are evenly matched, however you get even more with a stormtrooper, you get Spec Ops.
There are three Spec Ops options:
Reconnaissance (scouts, move through cover): I rarely use this, but in games like a cityfight, or in a jungle map, it could be handy, but generally you are better off using one of the other options. But this is nice if you need that scouts move, so determine before deployment if you need that scout move worse than your previous plan. Also remember if you put them in a Chimera, the transport also gains the scouts rule, so keep that in mind. You could potentially outflank with that Chimera, imagine their surprise when a tank shows up at their back door.
Airborne Assault (re-roll scatter dice for deepstrike): This is pretty obvious, if you are deepstriking, take this, it will greatly benefit you, almost ensuring your units survival.
Behind Enemy Lines (infiltrate and first shot is pinning): This is my favorite, it gives me more options than the rest. Do I want to infiltrate, or outflank (more than once their outflanking charge has saved the day.) Also the pinning thing is great, because that is the potential to have 20 pinning shots from a single unit, pretty awesome.
Let's talk about the stormtrooper's capabilities, one of the important factors people often forget about, is the fact that every stormtrooper carries a hotshot pistol. This allows them to assault and fire their AP 3 pistols in the same turn, and gives them all an extra attack, making them even better. I often use this to my advantage when I outflank, it makes a big difference when you count the pistols. Now because I use them this way, I often give the sergeant a powersword and a plasmapistol, this enables him to rip through Space Marines, or anything else foolish enough to get in the way of my lads. Also I usually use a plasmagun and a flamer in my squad, this enables them to deal with both light infantry and heavy infantry.
Their are some downsides to stormtroopers, like a crummy WS and only range 18" but between deepstrike, scout, or infiltrate, you shouldn't have a problem getting in close. Other than that, there aren't a whole lot of downsides.
Lastly, don't forget their ability to act as simply superior Guardsmen, with their increased ballistic skill, heavy armor, and improved weaponry, they are right at home leading a charge or taking heavy fire like the rest of them.
Stormtroopers are your answer to those pesky Space Marines, roughly the same cost in points, and 1v1 they are evenly matched, however you get even more with a stormtrooper, you get Spec Ops.
There are three Spec Ops options:
Reconnaissance (scouts, move through cover): I rarely use this, but in games like a cityfight, or in a jungle map, it could be handy, but generally you are better off using one of the other options. But this is nice if you need that scouts move, so determine before deployment if you need that scout move worse than your previous plan. Also remember if you put them in a Chimera, the transport also gains the scouts rule, so keep that in mind. You could potentially outflank with that Chimera, imagine their surprise when a tank shows up at their back door.
Airborne Assault (re-roll scatter dice for deepstrike): This is pretty obvious, if you are deepstriking, take this, it will greatly benefit you, almost ensuring your units survival.
Behind Enemy Lines (infiltrate and first shot is pinning): This is my favorite, it gives me more options than the rest. Do I want to infiltrate, or outflank (more than once their outflanking charge has saved the day.) Also the pinning thing is great, because that is the potential to have 20 pinning shots from a single unit, pretty awesome.
Let's talk about the stormtrooper's capabilities, one of the important factors people often forget about, is the fact that every stormtrooper carries a hotshot pistol. This allows them to assault and fire their AP 3 pistols in the same turn, and gives them all an extra attack, making them even better. I often use this to my advantage when I outflank, it makes a big difference when you count the pistols. Now because I use them this way, I often give the sergeant a powersword and a plasmapistol, this enables him to rip through Space Marines, or anything else foolish enough to get in the way of my lads. Also I usually use a plasmagun and a flamer in my squad, this enables them to deal with both light infantry and heavy infantry.
Their are some downsides to stormtroopers, like a crummy WS and only range 18" but between deepstrike, scout, or infiltrate, you shouldn't have a problem getting in close. Other than that, there aren't a whole lot of downsides.
Lastly, don't forget their ability to act as simply superior Guardsmen, with their increased ballistic skill, heavy armor, and improved weaponry, they are right at home leading a charge or taking heavy fire like the rest of them.
"Hello World." "Here's Your Gun."
In reference to the title, conscripts are basically untrained and too young to fight under normal circumstances, however hard times call for desperate measures. As far as on the game board conscripts are totally rejected, I have never seen another player use them. I however love the drama there.
As usual, I will talk about what makes them bad first. Look at the veteran, increased BS and leadership than the normal Guardsman, he is two points more, then look at the conscript, worse in absolutely every way (other than armor, weapon, strength and toughness) and is but a single point less. In my opinion they should be at least 2 points less, but I think in order for people to except them they need to be 2 points a piece. I know that is ridiculous, but I mean no one uses these guys. Man per man, point for point, you are actually better off using a Guardsman.
Now what makes these young 'uns worth bringing to the table?
There are two ways to field them that work, in small units and large units, and it all depends on what you're using them for. If you want defenders take a small unit, and give them Send In The Next Wave. With that special rule you essentially have an unlimited reserve of conscripts. These are handy in capture and control where your firebase is within your deployment zone so your conscripts can essentially always be there to defend it. The other way to field them is as a large group of around 50, this is decent on defense, but really shines on offense, and is a little more versatile to the smaller ones that are constantly coming in and dying. They are more versatile because you aren't constantly having to start over with them, so they can actually go out and do something, however don't expect any to be left alive by the end of the game. Use your conscripts as expendable fodder, I usually don't do this to my beloved men, however I do like to play into the lore, and a bit of heartlessness is refreshing. Ideally use them to act as a meatshield for advancing tanks or waves of infantry. Ideally their large size, should prevent them from taking too many morale checks. Also a good thought for conscripts is to look like another large unit, about 30 or so men in a ruin or something is a hard thing to dig out, even if they are conscripts. When used as a faux unit, I will usually give them a heavy weapons squad of autocannons, to make up for their lack of firepower and range.
There is another thing that conscripts are good for, and that's large armies. When a platoon comes in from reserve, or is deployed, you can have up to one hundred models or more come in. This is especially handy in dawn of war, or if you just want to shock your opponent. In dawn of war, you can pretty much start out with your entire army on the table, or at least look like it to your opponent, who has like 20 space marines compared to your 200 Guard. Do you need conscripts for this? not really, but that's a lot of extra models that only help look like a massive wave of Guard.
Is the conscript worth it in the end? No, but I try and field them anyway, for the simple fact it brings me some unexpected options, and more bodies on the table. I encourage any Guard player to give them a shot in your next game, and use them in creative ways, especially playing to their perceived uselessness.
As usual, I will talk about what makes them bad first. Look at the veteran, increased BS and leadership than the normal Guardsman, he is two points more, then look at the conscript, worse in absolutely every way (other than armor, weapon, strength and toughness) and is but a single point less. In my opinion they should be at least 2 points less, but I think in order for people to except them they need to be 2 points a piece. I know that is ridiculous, but I mean no one uses these guys. Man per man, point for point, you are actually better off using a Guardsman.
Now what makes these young 'uns worth bringing to the table?
There are two ways to field them that work, in small units and large units, and it all depends on what you're using them for. If you want defenders take a small unit, and give them Send In The Next Wave. With that special rule you essentially have an unlimited reserve of conscripts. These are handy in capture and control where your firebase is within your deployment zone so your conscripts can essentially always be there to defend it. The other way to field them is as a large group of around 50, this is decent on defense, but really shines on offense, and is a little more versatile to the smaller ones that are constantly coming in and dying. They are more versatile because you aren't constantly having to start over with them, so they can actually go out and do something, however don't expect any to be left alive by the end of the game. Use your conscripts as expendable fodder, I usually don't do this to my beloved men, however I do like to play into the lore, and a bit of heartlessness is refreshing. Ideally use them to act as a meatshield for advancing tanks or waves of infantry. Ideally their large size, should prevent them from taking too many morale checks. Also a good thought for conscripts is to look like another large unit, about 30 or so men in a ruin or something is a hard thing to dig out, even if they are conscripts. When used as a faux unit, I will usually give them a heavy weapons squad of autocannons, to make up for their lack of firepower and range.
There is another thing that conscripts are good for, and that's large armies. When a platoon comes in from reserve, or is deployed, you can have up to one hundred models or more come in. This is especially handy in dawn of war, or if you just want to shock your opponent. In dawn of war, you can pretty much start out with your entire army on the table, or at least look like it to your opponent, who has like 20 space marines compared to your 200 Guard. Do you need conscripts for this? not really, but that's a lot of extra models that only help look like a massive wave of Guard.
Is the conscript worth it in the end? No, but I try and field them anyway, for the simple fact it brings me some unexpected options, and more bodies on the table. I encourage any Guard player to give them a shot in your next game, and use them in creative ways, especially playing to their perceived uselessness.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Gunnery Sergeant Grae
One of the things I love about Warhammer is that you can create your own characters, just make sure you don't make them too good, and let your buddy know everything about your character first, that said lets check out one of my own character's I've created.
Gunnery Sergeant Grae is based on the model Gunnery Sergeant Harker, however, instead of a heavy bolter I gave him an eviscerator, and instead of Catachan Devils, I gave him grenadiers.
Grae's Grenadiers is a unit I had always wanted, their a hybrid of Cadian and Catachan models, and I love the iconography of their poses I posed them in. I gave them all shotguns, except for a flamer, and as soon as I order some more models I will pay the extra 6 or so dollars for 5 meltaguns, and put one or two in the unit as well. Grae is the same points as Harker as he isn't much of a deviation, and the feel no pain comes in handy when assaulting (more often than not Grae is the only one left standing after an assault or two).
Now for experienced Guard players your probably thinking "assaulting with Guard?" well I didn't start out to make him that way, I made what would in my opinion be a cool Sergeant, and saw Harker and thought "gee I don't really care for heavy bolters... and an eviscerator sounds cool, if I was a Gunnery Sergeant I would certainly want the biggest sword of the bunch, and as a veteran who's not to say he could have picked one up?" thus Grae was born. Since he wasn't a Catachan, and infiltrating an assault unit like this is a little unfair, I took Catachan Devils out. Without Catachan Devils, grenadiers could come in. Grae is a phenomenal unit though, well worth his points, and adds a unique flare to my offensive capabilities.
A true story about this model:
I was playing a game against a Tau player, and he had a large gunline taking cover behind his remote (he wasn't a gamer who liked to make terrain, and I hadn't brought any). This gunline was just far enough away so that my platoon couldn't shoot it, but the Firewarriors could certainly hit my men. Not only that, but there was a smal groop of Kroot taking cover in a jungle (made of paper lol) and they were 6" in the jungle so I couldn't shoot them, and yet again my enemy could shoot me. This was obviously a bit of a perdicament for me. Grae and his boys ran out of the ruins the platoon was in, while mortars fired at the Kroot. With the jungle between Grae and the Firewarrior gunline, he was safe from thier AP 4 rifles, and the Kroot were pinned by a lucky mortar shell. Grae and his lads charged into the jungle, Eviscerator purring, shotguns roaring, and flamer belching. After a merciless slaughter of the 11 remaining Kroot, my mortar managed to pin one of the Firewarriors squads. Grae's men still took heavy casualties as they pressed on though, losing 4 men, and passing the ensuing morale check. Soon after my flamer killed over half the squad of Tau, and the shotguns finished off the rest. The other ten man squad however had an open 20 shots at my men now... they killed all of the veterans... except Grae, thanks in no small part to his Fell No Pain rule. Grae soon found himself at their throats, and killed the entire squad by himself, with WS4 the Tau were no match. Grae however met his doom at the hands of a Crisis Suit the next turn. But if it were not for the brave actions of he and his squad, that platoon would have probably been killed in those ruins. True story (well as true as a story can be that portrays the actions of models lol).
Gunnery Sergeant Grae is based on the model Gunnery Sergeant Harker, however, instead of a heavy bolter I gave him an eviscerator, and instead of Catachan Devils, I gave him grenadiers.
Grae's Grenadiers is a unit I had always wanted, their a hybrid of Cadian and Catachan models, and I love the iconography of their poses I posed them in. I gave them all shotguns, except for a flamer, and as soon as I order some more models I will pay the extra 6 or so dollars for 5 meltaguns, and put one or two in the unit as well. Grae is the same points as Harker as he isn't much of a deviation, and the feel no pain comes in handy when assaulting (more often than not Grae is the only one left standing after an assault or two).
Now for experienced Guard players your probably thinking "assaulting with Guard?" well I didn't start out to make him that way, I made what would in my opinion be a cool Sergeant, and saw Harker and thought "gee I don't really care for heavy bolters... and an eviscerator sounds cool, if I was a Gunnery Sergeant I would certainly want the biggest sword of the bunch, and as a veteran who's not to say he could have picked one up?" thus Grae was born. Since he wasn't a Catachan, and infiltrating an assault unit like this is a little unfair, I took Catachan Devils out. Without Catachan Devils, grenadiers could come in. Grae is a phenomenal unit though, well worth his points, and adds a unique flare to my offensive capabilities.
A true story about this model:
I was playing a game against a Tau player, and he had a large gunline taking cover behind his remote (he wasn't a gamer who liked to make terrain, and I hadn't brought any). This gunline was just far enough away so that my platoon couldn't shoot it, but the Firewarriors could certainly hit my men. Not only that, but there was a smal groop of Kroot taking cover in a jungle (made of paper lol) and they were 6" in the jungle so I couldn't shoot them, and yet again my enemy could shoot me. This was obviously a bit of a perdicament for me. Grae and his boys ran out of the ruins the platoon was in, while mortars fired at the Kroot. With the jungle between Grae and the Firewarrior gunline, he was safe from thier AP 4 rifles, and the Kroot were pinned by a lucky mortar shell. Grae and his lads charged into the jungle, Eviscerator purring, shotguns roaring, and flamer belching. After a merciless slaughter of the 11 remaining Kroot, my mortar managed to pin one of the Firewarriors squads. Grae's men still took heavy casualties as they pressed on though, losing 4 men, and passing the ensuing morale check. Soon after my flamer killed over half the squad of Tau, and the shotguns finished off the rest. The other ten man squad however had an open 20 shots at my men now... they killed all of the veterans... except Grae, thanks in no small part to his Fell No Pain rule. Grae soon found himself at their throats, and killed the entire squad by himself, with WS4 the Tau were no match. Grae however met his doom at the hands of a Crisis Suit the next turn. But if it were not for the brave actions of he and his squad, that platoon would have probably been killed in those ruins. True story (well as true as a story can be that portrays the actions of models lol).
Heavy Weapons
Basically heavy weapons are the means by which you win battles, dirt cheap, and pack a massive punch, better yet, they are troops. Heavy weapons can either park on objectives, or act as the support role in your army. Personally I have a love hate relationship with them, because they are $35, how do I overcome this? some creative modeling, instead of spending that, simply convert six men from a squad into them, this works great with rocket launchers, but it works just fine with things like autocannons too. One of my men has an autocannon and uses a mortar stand as a bipod.
Mortar:
One of my favorite heavy weapons is the mortar, easily convertable so you don't need to spend that money on extra troops (just use the same troops from whatever squad gave 4 men up to an officer's squad, then you have 6 left over, perfect for a heavy weapons squad), and I like the mortars for their range and pinning power. Against Tau, the mortar works wonders, and also against other Guard. A lot of other Guard players dismiss the mortar due to its minimal strength 4, and AP 5, and its only a small blast, so how is it going to hit anything, let alone kill it? Well, some things lend the mortar strength beyond its statistics, its barrage, so you can fire over cover, and the whole "you can't use the model's BS to keep it on course" only applies if the model can't see it's target. Speaking of which, it can fire over terrain, so you can place them behind a large piece of terrain, and your opponent usually won't see a threat in them, so they will go the entire battle unharmed. This weapon won't kill a whole lot of people, however, its only 60 points and at the very least it can hold objectives.
Autocannon:
Without doubt, my favorite piece of heavy weaponry is the .50 cal autocannon, with two strength 7 shots it pulps Guard, Tau, Eldar infantry, and Nid Gaunts instantly, and with range 48, what's not to love? its cheap, strong, and long ranged. I field them with my defensive squads, this is the only heavy weapon I suggest for infantry squads, because it lends to their strengths, as long as they are on defense.
Heavy Bolter:
If you only fight Guard or Nids, then yeah go for it. Otherwise, I can't say I love this weapon. If you do field it, then field it in a heavy weapon squad, that's nine strength 5 shots in a single turn, from a relatively cheap unit, perfect for fighting horde armies.
Lascannon:
Don't ever field this with an infantry squad, they don't work well in the same unit. That said, lascannons are perfect for killing terminators, vehicles, and monstrous creatures, and work particularly well with the "Bring it Down!" order, which makes them count as twinlinked.
Rocket Launcher:
My least favorite heavy weapon of all, with strength 8, it will take out a light vehicle, but for the points it's not worth it, and as an anti-infantry weapon, there are weapons that do it far better.
Now that I've covered that, understand the different roles that heavy weapons can play. On defense heavy bolters should be placed directly on the objective, so their short range isn't so much of a problem, and you can use their immense firepower effectively. A great supplement to any defense, is mortars, placed a good distance away, they can hammer anyone attacking your defenders, or even if the enemy has captured the objective. If the mortar pins them then use the other elements to finish the enemy unit off. Even if the Mortar doesn't kill them then at least they are a nearby unit that could potentially contest, or at the very least force your opponent to go out of his way to kill them. As a support, mortars also come into play, so make sure when you place them, you place them so they can both defend and support. Lascannons shouldn't care about their own welfare, simply take out what poses the greatest threat to you, such as enemy tanks (obviously) and those pesky terminators. Autocannons should do their best to support the infantry from afar helping them advance by mowing down swathes of enemy heavy troops, the lasguns can get the rest.
So there you go, any more questions, ask and I will answer.
Mortar:
One of my favorite heavy weapons is the mortar, easily convertable so you don't need to spend that money on extra troops (just use the same troops from whatever squad gave 4 men up to an officer's squad, then you have 6 left over, perfect for a heavy weapons squad), and I like the mortars for their range and pinning power. Against Tau, the mortar works wonders, and also against other Guard. A lot of other Guard players dismiss the mortar due to its minimal strength 4, and AP 5, and its only a small blast, so how is it going to hit anything, let alone kill it? Well, some things lend the mortar strength beyond its statistics, its barrage, so you can fire over cover, and the whole "you can't use the model's BS to keep it on course" only applies if the model can't see it's target. Speaking of which, it can fire over terrain, so you can place them behind a large piece of terrain, and your opponent usually won't see a threat in them, so they will go the entire battle unharmed. This weapon won't kill a whole lot of people, however, its only 60 points and at the very least it can hold objectives.
Autocannon:
Without doubt, my favorite piece of heavy weaponry is the .50 cal autocannon, with two strength 7 shots it pulps Guard, Tau, Eldar infantry, and Nid Gaunts instantly, and with range 48, what's not to love? its cheap, strong, and long ranged. I field them with my defensive squads, this is the only heavy weapon I suggest for infantry squads, because it lends to their strengths, as long as they are on defense.
Heavy Bolter:
If you only fight Guard or Nids, then yeah go for it. Otherwise, I can't say I love this weapon. If you do field it, then field it in a heavy weapon squad, that's nine strength 5 shots in a single turn, from a relatively cheap unit, perfect for fighting horde armies.
Lascannon:
Don't ever field this with an infantry squad, they don't work well in the same unit. That said, lascannons are perfect for killing terminators, vehicles, and monstrous creatures, and work particularly well with the "Bring it Down!" order, which makes them count as twinlinked.
Rocket Launcher:
My least favorite heavy weapon of all, with strength 8, it will take out a light vehicle, but for the points it's not worth it, and as an anti-infantry weapon, there are weapons that do it far better.
Now that I've covered that, understand the different roles that heavy weapons can play. On defense heavy bolters should be placed directly on the objective, so their short range isn't so much of a problem, and you can use their immense firepower effectively. A great supplement to any defense, is mortars, placed a good distance away, they can hammer anyone attacking your defenders, or even if the enemy has captured the objective. If the mortar pins them then use the other elements to finish the enemy unit off. Even if the Mortar doesn't kill them then at least they are a nearby unit that could potentially contest, or at the very least force your opponent to go out of his way to kill them. As a support, mortars also come into play, so make sure when you place them, you place them so they can both defend and support. Lascannons shouldn't care about their own welfare, simply take out what poses the greatest threat to you, such as enemy tanks (obviously) and those pesky terminators. Autocannons should do their best to support the infantry from afar helping them advance by mowing down swathes of enemy heavy troops, the lasguns can get the rest.
So there you go, any more questions, ask and I will answer.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Sentinel
There are three builds of the sentinel I love to field, the first is my general purpose sentinel:
Optimally fielded as two separate scout sentinels so they can fire at multiple targets if necessary, this is a defensive sentinel build, equipped with an autocannon so i can target just about anything, and cammo netting. Basically use your scout movement to get your sentinels into cover and killing by turn one.
second is my anti-infantry sentinel:
also a scout sentinel, and instead equipped with a heavy flamer, that's it. I simply outflank with my sentinels, and use them both in the same unit, that way, they can burn the bejesus out of any light infantry, and enter close combat in the same turn, to prevent the enemy from shooting any of the big stuff at them. This build is fantastic for fighting Guard, Tyrannids, even Tau if used properly (kroot hate flamers).
And lastly, is my least used build, the Anti-tank sentinel:
This is a heavy sentinel, with smoke launchers, and a lascannon. Use both sentinels together so you can keep them moving across the table (units in squadrons treat crew shaken as crew stunned, so they can keep moving even if they can't fire) and use the smoke launchers to create cover where there is none, just make sure only one pops smoke at a time, so the other can save it's if need be. I don't use this build a whole lot, because my Vanquisher tank does most of the vehicle killing, and armor 12 isn't enough to keep this alive long against most heavy weapons for the price of these guys.
Optimally fielded as two separate scout sentinels so they can fire at multiple targets if necessary, this is a defensive sentinel build, equipped with an autocannon so i can target just about anything, and cammo netting. Basically use your scout movement to get your sentinels into cover and killing by turn one.
second is my anti-infantry sentinel:
also a scout sentinel, and instead equipped with a heavy flamer, that's it. I simply outflank with my sentinels, and use them both in the same unit, that way, they can burn the bejesus out of any light infantry, and enter close combat in the same turn, to prevent the enemy from shooting any of the big stuff at them. This build is fantastic for fighting Guard, Tyrannids, even Tau if used properly (kroot hate flamers).
And lastly, is my least used build, the Anti-tank sentinel:
This is a heavy sentinel, with smoke launchers, and a lascannon. Use both sentinels together so you can keep them moving across the table (units in squadrons treat crew shaken as crew stunned, so they can keep moving even if they can't fire) and use the smoke launchers to create cover where there is none, just make sure only one pops smoke at a time, so the other can save it's if need be. I don't use this build a whole lot, because my Vanquisher tank does most of the vehicle killing, and armor 12 isn't enough to keep this alive long against most heavy weapons for the price of these guys.
A Word on Terrain
It takes me a long time to collect an army, seeing as IG is one of the most expensive armies. So when I get that hankerin' for some creativity, I can't use it on models, so I use it on terrain. I have a wide range of terrain, from a small city, to a swamp complete with duckboards to act as difficult and dangerous terrain for anyone with the balls to cross it.
Naturally with so many pieces of terrain, I have developed my own style of making terrain. When it comes to making terrain make sure you have a lot of time on your hands, perfect for over the summer, or a sick day when nothing is on T.V. As far as materials go, I say the cheaper the better, you can go into walmart and buy everything you need for a dozen terrain projects for under $10. For all you experienced painters who say Applebarrel makes for lame paints, that's what I am looking for actually, my favorite warzone was WWI with muddy barren fields, and mass infantry charges, so any dullness to the paint is just some added flavor.
The one thing I run the most out of, is definitely PVA glue, its the one thing (other than probably a knife) that is involved in every single terrain project. So stock up on plenty of glue.
The thing I probably find the hardest when it comes to making the terrain look good, is to get a consistent color, if you want your terrain to look good, make sure it all matches, I find a twoparts mix of brown with a one parts green make for a dark muddy brown.
Also probably the coolest out of the box idea with terrain I know comes from a buddy of mine; basically you buy the stuff that is in diapers, its a white small foamlike substance, and when you add water to that, it swells up, and becomes cold, and within 24 hours it shrinks back down, and is reusable. Well, if you have a mind for terrain, your thinking, modular snow! that's right. Want a snow map today? just add some water to your instant snow, and presto snow, just sprinkle it on where you want it. Don't want a snow map today? easy, just wipe it off your board and back into the tub. Could it get any easier?
Here's a link to the instant snow:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/giftsunder10/79ea
Naturally with so many pieces of terrain, I have developed my own style of making terrain. When it comes to making terrain make sure you have a lot of time on your hands, perfect for over the summer, or a sick day when nothing is on T.V. As far as materials go, I say the cheaper the better, you can go into walmart and buy everything you need for a dozen terrain projects for under $10. For all you experienced painters who say Applebarrel makes for lame paints, that's what I am looking for actually, my favorite warzone was WWI with muddy barren fields, and mass infantry charges, so any dullness to the paint is just some added flavor.
The one thing I run the most out of, is definitely PVA glue, its the one thing (other than probably a knife) that is involved in every single terrain project. So stock up on plenty of glue.
The thing I probably find the hardest when it comes to making the terrain look good, is to get a consistent color, if you want your terrain to look good, make sure it all matches, I find a twoparts mix of brown with a one parts green make for a dark muddy brown.
Also probably the coolest out of the box idea with terrain I know comes from a buddy of mine; basically you buy the stuff that is in diapers, its a white small foamlike substance, and when you add water to that, it swells up, and becomes cold, and within 24 hours it shrinks back down, and is reusable. Well, if you have a mind for terrain, your thinking, modular snow! that's right. Want a snow map today? just add some water to your instant snow, and presto snow, just sprinkle it on where you want it. Don't want a snow map today? easy, just wipe it off your board and back into the tub. Could it get any easier?
Here's a link to the instant snow:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/giftsunder10/79ea
Some Neat Guardsman Tricks
One of the unique factors of the IG is that every single infantry unit is essentially a squad of Guardsman (i.e. Conscripts, Guardsmen, Veterans, penal legions...) how do you use this to your advantage?
When in doubt with the IG, look to history. There was a particular battle in the Revolutionary War, when General Green and Cornwallis engaged head on (a rarity for the budding Americans). What makes this battle stand out, is there were three types of infantry under Green's command: Militia (conscripts), Regulars (Guardsman), and Marksman (veterans). Green deployed his militia in a way where they were going to give him two or so volleys, then fall back. To do this yourself simply use a large units of conscripts, and run them forward turn one, and use FRFSRF on them, and at the last moment (right before they either break, or are assaulted) pull them back behind the cover of your regulars, i mean, Guardsmen.
Green also used his regulars how we would our Guardsmen, they were outclassed by the British, but they held the line just fine. While they are doing this try and use your veterans on your flanks, so they don't break, and your men aren't surrounded.
One of the important aspects of this strategy, is that your opponent probably won't ask if they are Guardsman, conscripts, or veterans, so its a total gamble he doesn't even know he is taking, and when those guys who need to roll 5's and 6's suddenly are replaced with guys who hit on 3's or higher, and have a whole lot of special weapons, he will be thrown off his game, this is especially handy against new players.
When in doubt with the IG, look to history. There was a particular battle in the Revolutionary War, when General Green and Cornwallis engaged head on (a rarity for the budding Americans). What makes this battle stand out, is there were three types of infantry under Green's command: Militia (conscripts), Regulars (Guardsman), and Marksman (veterans). Green deployed his militia in a way where they were going to give him two or so volleys, then fall back. To do this yourself simply use a large units of conscripts, and run them forward turn one, and use FRFSRF on them, and at the last moment (right before they either break, or are assaulted) pull them back behind the cover of your regulars, i mean, Guardsmen.
Green also used his regulars how we would our Guardsmen, they were outclassed by the British, but they held the line just fine. While they are doing this try and use your veterans on your flanks, so they don't break, and your men aren't surrounded.
One of the important aspects of this strategy, is that your opponent probably won't ask if they are Guardsman, conscripts, or veterans, so its a total gamble he doesn't even know he is taking, and when those guys who need to roll 5's and 6's suddenly are replaced with guys who hit on 3's or higher, and have a whole lot of special weapons, he will be thrown off his game, this is especially handy against new players.
The Lowly Guardsman
When the Imperium of Man comes under attack, the first line of defense, and the last one to mop up, is usually some dogfaced soldier of the Imperial Guard. The entire reason I chose to play IG, was the militaristic feel, and when I think military, I think infantryman, so naturally I fell in love with the Guardsman. I feel they get the short end of the stick when it comes to lore and even over all portrayal.
Now before you start thinking I'm blowing smoke up your ass, I understand all the shortcomings of the Guardsman. With a mediocre statline at best, and without doubt one of (if not the) worst guns in the game.
Now, on to what makes them good. Simply put, they are cheap in points, but more than that. Where Hormagaunts are cheap, they are only good at one thing, as are Termigaunts, but again, only good at one thing, Tau Firewarriors and kroot are also fairly cheap, but again, we come upon the same problem: lack of versatility. The Imperial Guardsman has a good chance kill a Hormagaunt, he can definitely out shoot a Termigaunt, Guardsmen platoon equal to the price of the kroot, can overwhelm them, and the Firewarriors guns are too strong for Guardsmen, its simply overkill, to the point where all the guardsmen have to do is charge, and they can certainly beat the living snot out of the Tau in close combat. The point is, Guardsman are versatile, far more than you would think.
Here are some suggestions for your guardsman:
If you take heavy weapons with a squad, don't bring a lascannon, or a rocket launcher, these are anti vehicle weaponry, better suited to a heavy weapon's squad. Any men you put with those will simply spend the game dying, not even shooting.
I highly recommend Autocannons, their .50 caliber shells can punch straight through light vehicles like Ork Trukks, and are strong enough to outright kill most infantry, and with 48" range, they put the hurtin' on the enemy from turn one.
This should certainly go without saying, but your Guardsmen's best friend is cover, they benefit far more from cover than any other unit in the game, it makes up for their crappy armor, and with their sheer numbers, they should be able to hold on for a long time.
When you bring Guardsmen you don't have to field them in squads of 10, you can field them in squads up to 50, though I don't recommend that. However, there are advantages to fielding larger units. For example, you won't have to take leadership tests as often, seeing as 25% of the unit is now 13 men. A simple order goes much further, like FRFSRF (first rank fire...) where as normally a Lieutenant could only give that to ten men, now it goes to however many squads are combined.
Chimeras are great for IG, they are dirt cheap, pack a suprising punch, and are immune to most small arms fire. As far as increasing mobility, they will only help you squeeze a couple more inches, so really just throw this in as a supplement to the firepower and durability of the unit, not for mobility.
I find that special weapons add a lot of flavor to a unit, my favorite is probably the plasmagun, it is ruthless, both to the target and the shooter, but if a single guardsman dies, its a small price to pay for flat out killing a Space Marine. Also against Tau, the sniper rifle does wonders to pin their firewarriors, and it has 6" on them. The sniper also fares well against Space Marines and monstrous creatures by always wounding on a 6.
Lastly keep in mind thirty Guardsmen can beat Space Marines, easily. So its all about how many you can bring to the table.
Now before you start thinking I'm blowing smoke up your ass, I understand all the shortcomings of the Guardsman. With a mediocre statline at best, and without doubt one of (if not the) worst guns in the game.
Now, on to what makes them good. Simply put, they are cheap in points, but more than that. Where Hormagaunts are cheap, they are only good at one thing, as are Termigaunts, but again, only good at one thing, Tau Firewarriors and kroot are also fairly cheap, but again, we come upon the same problem: lack of versatility. The Imperial Guardsman has a good chance kill a Hormagaunt, he can definitely out shoot a Termigaunt, Guardsmen platoon equal to the price of the kroot, can overwhelm them, and the Firewarriors guns are too strong for Guardsmen, its simply overkill, to the point where all the guardsmen have to do is charge, and they can certainly beat the living snot out of the Tau in close combat. The point is, Guardsman are versatile, far more than you would think.
Here are some suggestions for your guardsman:
If you take heavy weapons with a squad, don't bring a lascannon, or a rocket launcher, these are anti vehicle weaponry, better suited to a heavy weapon's squad. Any men you put with those will simply spend the game dying, not even shooting.
I highly recommend Autocannons, their .50 caliber shells can punch straight through light vehicles like Ork Trukks, and are strong enough to outright kill most infantry, and with 48" range, they put the hurtin' on the enemy from turn one.
This should certainly go without saying, but your Guardsmen's best friend is cover, they benefit far more from cover than any other unit in the game, it makes up for their crappy armor, and with their sheer numbers, they should be able to hold on for a long time.
When you bring Guardsmen you don't have to field them in squads of 10, you can field them in squads up to 50, though I don't recommend that. However, there are advantages to fielding larger units. For example, you won't have to take leadership tests as often, seeing as 25% of the unit is now 13 men. A simple order goes much further, like FRFSRF (first rank fire...) where as normally a Lieutenant could only give that to ten men, now it goes to however many squads are combined.
Chimeras are great for IG, they are dirt cheap, pack a suprising punch, and are immune to most small arms fire. As far as increasing mobility, they will only help you squeeze a couple more inches, so really just throw this in as a supplement to the firepower and durability of the unit, not for mobility.
I find that special weapons add a lot of flavor to a unit, my favorite is probably the plasmagun, it is ruthless, both to the target and the shooter, but if a single guardsman dies, its a small price to pay for flat out killing a Space Marine. Also against Tau, the sniper rifle does wonders to pin their firewarriors, and it has 6" on them. The sniper also fares well against Space Marines and monstrous creatures by always wounding on a 6.
Lastly keep in mind thirty Guardsmen can beat Space Marines, easily. So its all about how many you can bring to the table.
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