Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Skitarii Tactics: I Hear You Like Radiation


Skitarii are the new boys, with new rules that have yet to be seen how they will synergize into the game. Vanguard have their special rule which causes units locked in combat with them to suffer -1 to their toughness due to how irradiated they are.  With that, I felt like persuing this theme to it's logical conclusion, so lets start pumping out radiation.


What we are trying to do is take advantage of the modifiers to toughness to give an edge in close combat, making a mediocre unit much more likely to kill what it's attacking.  So we have vanguard, whats next?  Rad grenades, which for me I want to get from inquisition.  So grab two ordo xenos inquisitors and pop on rad grenades and whatever other upgrades suit your fancy, though don't go crazy either, a psyker upgrade and force sword is enough here.

So now you have two squads that will minus an opponent's squads toughness by 2.  But you'll need to get there, so either you can walk it, or keep going with Inq to help you out here as well.  Acolyte squads only need a minimum of three and the pyskers are only 10pts apiece with good disciplines, and they unlock transports as DT, you will have to embark turn 1, but its not the worst issue. 

The final part will be rolling on biomancy to go for enfeeble, so you can do the whole -1 toughness thing again.  When you find that squad you want to kill, enfeeble, then assault it, bringing down its toughness quite a bit, especially MCs.

This will be harder to do than it sounds of course, but if you can get all of it to work at once, it will be a brutal assault in your favor. 

Note: Rhinos and Razorbacks can't carry bulky models, so ruststalkers can't ride in them if you were thinking that.

GG

11 comments:

  1. Does this mean I'll get radiation poisoning if I play them because I don't what my hair to fall out i like my hair....

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    1. Its a small price to pay for victory

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    2. Good thing I'm already balding anyway...

      In case of 30k, add a forgelord with rad grenades, put 'em in a LandRaider (squadron), and have fun...

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  2. Is it advisable to have 2 5-men Vanguard squads with nothing but Radium carbines? I know you said not to upgrade the Rangers and take them stock, and suggested that we upgrade one of the Vanguards with arc rifles, but what if we decided to take them without the special weapons? Is it still viable?

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    1. If playing guard has taught me anything: yes. If you don't take special weapons then your unit becomes much more specialised. There's a balance to this. You'll lack the extra strength and such like from fancy weapons, but you'll have 10 radium carbines in all. Against the right targets, that 30 effective shots per round (maximum of 60 wounds). Very nice against swarms or tough units that you need to make lots of saves. You'll also save a but-load of points that you can spend on units or upgrades that fit and work with your army more effectively. :)

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    2. Thanks! I think I will stick to keeping them stock, and save the points for conversion fields instead.

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  3. What about simply putting two ordo xenos guys with the rad grenades and the skitarii vanguard in a LR (trying to get enfeeble of course), and charging low toughness units instead?
    I know that easily wounding MCs sounds cool, but reducing the toughness of huge IG blobs to 0 (and hence immediately killing them!) looks like a better use for your points: the utimate horde remover!

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    1. Not sure you can reduce the toughness to zero as doesn't a 1 always fail?

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    2. Yes, it is possible!
      Check in the first few pages of the rulesbook, right where it explains what each ability score does: if a model's Strength or Toughness reaches 0, it dies.

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    3. It is possible, though the skitarii rad rule will only reduce to minimum of 1, so in this case you can only do it on T2 models, T3 or higher will not auto die.

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  4. I prefer the idea of drop pods instead of rhinos and razorbacks taking small units to go vehicle hunting and then divination on normal skitarii with carbines then using my space wolves to clean up what is left.I also like the idea of skitarri on an aegis line with quad gun with the right doctrination it is Bs 7 on a quad gun or lascannon that should down any flier

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