Orbital Strikes; a review

[Reclusiarch Darius]

Ok, so this isn't very long but I just wanna highlight a largely-ignored tool in the Inquisition's arsenal.

 

NB: Witch-Hunter players require an Inquisitor Lord or Inquisitor to field an Orbital Strike, Daemonhunter players do not.

 

General changes: According to the FAQ's we largely ignore the unit entry (except the statline and points cost), and they are now all Ordnance Barrage weapons. What does this mean? The following;

 

Pinning: If you cause a wound, the enemy takes a Morale check at -1 Leadership. If failed they 'Go to Ground' (but as per the rules for 'Go to Ground' cannot claim any bonus to their cover saves, if any, because shooting has already been conducted)

Barrage: They always scatter 2D6, but no more. Cover saves are worked out from the central hole of the large blast template (after determining the final position of it). In general terms, this means that unless the enemy is holed up in actual area terrain, you'll ignore cover saves. You will always hit the side armour if the blast hits a vehicle.

Ordnance: They roll an extra dice when rolling for AP against vehicles, picking the highest.

 

The major advantage to be had with all Orbital Strikes is that their deployment.

 

In 'Seize Ground', objectives are placed before deployment zones are determined. In 'Capture and Control', you do have to nominate before he places his 'home' objective, but given you don't have to tell him where it is keyed to, he's still largely screwed. 'Capture and Control' makes it easier to 'deny objectives = win', because aside from your own 'home objective' (which you should be heavily defending) it's the only one he has.

You can choose when to roll for them (unlike in other armies where they have to roll), and with Improved Comms (on an allied LR or an Armoured First Chimera) you can re-roll to bring them on faster. Once they come on from Reserves, they are keyed to a terrain piece (that you chose just before 1st turn) and scatter 2D6 from the boundaries of that terrain piece. Once brought on they cannot be turned off, so they essentially function like a minefield. They can never be destroyed either, so never generate a KP and can't be disabled (unlike any other weapon in the game). They just keep firing until the last turn is concluded.

 

Now, onto the specific weapons:

 

Psyk-out warhead (WH only) : On paper it seems like a good idea, but psykers are few and far between in 40k. Anyway, as a WH you have far better equipment on your Inquisitor Lord for smiting enemy psykers (HotW for example) which don't eat a Heavy slot. Not worth it.

 

Barrage Bomb (DH only): The second cheapest and the most ineffectual. Never take it.

 

Lance Strike: I favoured it in 4th edition, but I'm choosing the melta-strike these days. The Lance Strike has the caveat of ignoring most saves in the game. Unless in hard cover (or the hole lands in front of the area terrain that the enemy is occupying), the enemy won't be able to make cover saves. Neither can they ever make an armour save, FNP or WBB (unless within range of a Res Orb). It also Instant-Deaths anything up to T5 (notwithstanding Eternal Warriors and Synapse), and wounds everything in the game (except C'Tan, which are soon to be removed) on a 2+.

Against vehicles, it has S10 if it hits with the central hole, S5 if the hole isn't over the hull. You then roll 2D6 (remember, against side armour AV value) and pick the highest, and if any glance/penetrate results you get +1 on the damage table.

 

Melta-Strike; The most expensive (although like all of them it's still cheap for what it does), but I think it's the most powerful and effective of all of them.

 

Firstly, lets just start off by admitting that if you wanna slay infantry, the Lance Strike is superior. It ignores every save bar invulnerable (and those invulnerable saves are usually 4+ or worse, so you'll still cause a lot of casualties), and Instant-Deaths up to T5. It's also a tad cheaper.

 

However, anti-infantry is usually not a problem with Daemonhunters (and for those stubborn FNP/WBB/2+ save units we have S6 Terminators and IST plasma guns, plus the henchman plasma cannon servitor, and plasma cannon on Dreadnought), it's anti-tank we sorely need. Your other two Heavy Slot should be taken up by Hellfire Dreadnoughts, leaving that third slot open for either a Landraider (only at 2,000pts+ though) or another Dreadnought. I would argue, for anti-tank purposes, a melta-strike is a steal.

 

After racking up all the generic advantages of an Orbital Strike (see above), against armour it's pretty god-like. First, determine whether the large blast gets the centre hole over the vehicle, or just partially hits it. If hole over hull, S8; if partial, S4. Adding to this, you roll 3D6 and pick the two highest rolls, discarding the lowest. You resolve all hits against the vehicles side armour (regardless of how you hit it), which represents the barrage hitting the top of the vehicle.

 

Most vehicles don't have anything better than AV11 for side armour. The only two examples would be walkers (AV12 usually, AV13 on the Iron-Clad and Soulgrinder) or the Landraider (who have AV14 all around). Monolith is a special case, I'll address it later.

 

An average roll, you'll get a 5 and a 3 or 4 (discarding the 1 or 2 of the third die). That gives you, on a partial hit, a total AP score of 11 or 12, which is sufficient to cause damage to most side armour and even penetrate reliably. If you manage to get the central hole over the vehicle, it's an average AP score of 16, which penetrates every vehicle in the game.

 

Remember, you only need to barely graze a model/vehicle hull with the large blast template to score a hit, so even with bad scatter you will probably still hit something. Firing the melta blast onto his home objective is a great start. He can't camp it in a vehicle, nor can he camp it with infantry (unless they have 2+ armour, get into solid cover on the objective and 'Go to Ground' or they have unmodified T5+FNP ie Plaguebearers). So, as an objective denial system, it's pretty effective. Given the above average rolls (you'll see crazier stuff on 3D6, I guarantee), it's also great to deny a flank to an armoured push. It contrains mechanised armies (especially those bothersome skimmer armies like Tau and Eldar) and cleans up infantry pretty well (although Lance Strike is the king of anti-infantry).

 

If you hit a Monolith, the melta-strike is nerfed (like every other weapon) down to Strength+2D6, pick the highest (because 'Living Metal' allows Ordnance bonus to apply).

 

 

So, in summary? If you expect a decent amount of armour, take melta-strike. If you think your Hellfire Dreadnoughts and IST meltaguns can handle enemy armour just fine (or if he has no armour, for example Ork horde or any Tyrand army), take the Lance Strike.

[Tauren]

One thing to note, the melta version leaves the armor saves on your termies. Termies can survive melta strikes. Makes for less of a worry of having your heavy infantry near a planted strike, or even on the objective should you need to contest it.

 

Key this thing to a piece of terrain near an open pathway of travel or on a bridge and hilarity will ensue. OR better yet in corner to corner deployment with the need to kill the opponent against a CC army? Key the thing to a piece of terrain between you and him.

[benmothershaw]

I'd like to add a trick, target it on a river, then place is anyway on the river the turn it arrives!

 

I also think the Melta Strike is best, although more expensive, it certainly has an edge against vehicles.

I'd like to argue against a Lance Strike. Lance Strikes are certainly weaker against vehicles, due to the penetration, because when the hole hasn't landed directly over the hull of the tank the Melta has better penetration.

 

I'd like to add, if you place it directly on top of objectives as I do, then Ap 3 and Strength 8 is more than enough to kill the TROOPS which is important. Therefore Melta Torpedo still kicks ass over the Lance Strike.

... Besides whose gonna have Terminators and T5 guys hanging on their objective?

 

I'm glad you brought up orbital strikes Reclusiarch Darius it's definately made me re-consider taking one! :P

[GTang]

You can use a regular Inquisitor to get access to an Orbital Strike for WH. It's on the right column, lower call-out box of pg. 37in the codex.

[Reclusiarch Darius]

One thing to note, the melta version leaves the armor saves on your termies. Termies can survive melta strikes. Makes for less of a worry of having your heavy infantry near a planted strike, or even on the objective should you need to contest it.

 

I don't support that tactic, because it strikes me as very risky. Sure, you still get your 2+ armour save, but you're still taking a lot of S8 hits on the unit. It may deter the enemy assaulting you, but it doesn't stop them shooting the Terminators and getting a slight buff by the fact you're friendly-firing onto them as well.

 

I prefer to fire Orbital Strikes deep inside enemy lines, it's a lot simpler and disperses his army quite well. It's kinda useless against Drop Pod Marines and Chaos Daemons (because they wholly Deepstrike), but thats why you brought Mystics ;) .

I'd like to add a trick, target it on a river, then place is anyway on the river the turn it arrives!

 

Yeah, I've done this before, pretty funny, and the new scatter rules for Orbital Strikes means they won't totally miss what you intended to hit (hopefully). I usually fight on heavy-terrain city-fight boards, so keying it to an enemy-held building (his home objective usually) works a treat.

I'd like to argue against a Lance Strike. Lance Strikes are certainly weaker against vehicles, due to the penetration, because when the hole hasn't landed directly over the hull of the tank the Melta has better penetration.

 

Oh yeah, certainly. Its just that the Lance Strike is better if you need to sweep some Plaguebearers or Deathwing Terminators off the objective (they're all Troops btw). It's better in the anti-infantry role.

I'd like to add, if you place it directly on top of objectives as I do, then Ap 3 and Strength 8 is more than enough to kill the TROOPS which is important. Therefore Melta Torpedo still kicks ass over the Lance Strike.

... Besides whose gonna have Terminators and T5 guys hanging on their objective?

 

Well, S8 AP3 is usually sufficient, but there are a few Troop types that will shrug it off. Deathwing Terminators are one (however they're even more Elite than a typical Daemonhunters army, so provided you brought some GKT's and AP2 weaponry they'll be pretty easy to clean up). Plaguebearers are the other unit that can shrug off S8 AP3, but not Lance Strike.

 

However, I'll concede these are limited examples, so for most armies the melta-strike is going to be sufficient to wipe their Troops off the objective. (I was going to add Necron Warriors to the 'take a Lance Strike' list, but then I realised due to Res Orb they have same survivability against both, so meh).

 

I'm glad you brought up orbital strikes Reclusiarch Darius it's definately made me re-consider taking one! smile.gif

 

Not a problem. I got talked out of them a while ago, took IST's instead. But given the rules changes I have outlined, melta-strike is looking pretty damn effective for a modest points outlay (fills a hole in the anti-tank department), and Lance Strike is good for general-purpose destruction (no infantry can survive it).

 

You can use a regular Inquisitor to get access to an Orbital Strike for WH. It's on the right column, lower call-out box of pg. 37in the codex.

 

Yes, you are correct. I'll re-edit the OP accordingly.

[iamnothere]

Thanks for bringing this up, I intend to use one in my next game.

 

I've checked the FAQ and the codex and this is (please correct me if I'm wrong) how you place them:

 

In a designated terrain piecs so that the centre hole is completly in teh piece but the marker can go out side the terrain.

 

Roll for scatter with 1d6.

 

If a hit is rolled, move the marker in the direction of the small arrow on the hit symbol.

If a miss is rolled, move the marker double the distance rolled on the d6 in the direction of the arrow.

 

Is this right?

[Tauren]

Way I see it, it has many advantages that newer players like me would love...

 

Sheer destruction of it... Nothing is more fun than placing a pie-plate that big for something that nasty...

Easy to use... Harder to perfect, its fun and easy for newer players to use, doesn't give up VP's either.

It never goes away, so you get a shot off each turn and there is nothing your opponent can do about it.

Capable of destroying a battle plan and forcing your opponent to rush to get away from the kill zone. Perfect for divide and conquer-like plans.

 

Plus... you don't need to buy a model for it... Just the pie-plate. Although buying a small grey knights battle cruiser on a stand and placing it to denote the terrain you are highlighting would be worth it for the sheer fun of it.

 

"What's that?"

"That's the image your troops see when they look up at the sky..."

"Huh?"

"Orbital strike incoming..." *inquisitor grins*

 

Really it's just to bad you can't take more than 1... I'd buy up 3 for heavy choices and bombard the hell outa the opposing side.

[Reclusiarch Darius]

I've checked the FAQ and the codex and this is (please correct me if I'm wrong) how you place them:

 

In a designated terrain piecs so that the centre hole is completly in teh piece but the marker can go out side the terrain.

 

Roll for scatter with 1d6.

 

If a hit is rolled, move the marker in the direction of the small arrow on the hit symbol.

If a miss is rolled, move the marker double the distance rolled on the d6 in the direction of the arrow.

 

Is this right?

 

No no. This is the progression;

 

Select a type of Orbital Strike (from the list), and add it to your Heavy Support (just one).

 

Just before the 1st turn begins (it says 'at the start of the battle'), pick a piece of area terrain as the 'keyed location' for the Orbital Strike.

 

Roll for Reserves like normal (I like taking Inducted IG with Improved Comms to bring it on faster). Once it comes on from Reserves, it can't be turned off. You can however delay rolling for it, but it comes on automatically on Turn 5.

 

Place the hole of the large blast template anywhere on the terrain piece. The hole has to be within the boundaries of the terrain piece, but you can place it anywhere within those boundaries.

 

Roll the scatter die and 2D6. If a hit is rolled just leave the large blast template where it was. If you roll an arrow, move it in that direction the number of inches rolled from the 2D6 (usually 7" total). This is the final position of the Orbital Strike.

 

Once you know where it has ended up, you auto-hit any model touched by the template. Cover saves are worked out from the central hole, so for example if you hit a squad that has 'Gone to Ground' behind a piece of area terrain, but the hole lands on top of them or behind them (ie so that the terrain piece isn't between the target and the Orbital Strike template), they don't receive cover saves. Same principle applies to 'screening units' etc.

Against vehicles, if you hit it you always resolve damage against side armour. In the case of all but the melta-strike, you roll 2D6 and pick the highest, adding it to the Strength of the Orbital Strike (Strength is halved if the central hole isn't over the hull).

In the case of the melta-strike, you roll 3D6 and pick the two highest, discarding the lowest roll, and add it to S8 (S4 if central hole isn't over the hull).

 

Really it's just to bad you can't take more than 1... I'd buy up 3 for heavy choices and bombard the hell outa the opposing side.

 

Hey, come on now, then thats no contest. It's just lolz for you. Gotta make it so that the game could potentially be won by them ;) .

[iamnothere]

OK this's the bit I can't find:

 

Roll the scatter die and 2D6. If a hit is rolled just leave the large blast template where it was. If you roll an arrow, move it in that direction the number of inches rolled from the 2D6 (usually 7" total). This is the final position of the Orbital Strike.

 

I know the Codex uses an old mechanic but can you point me to where it says to use this newer one.

 

Thanks

[Kadaeux]

Really it's just to bad you can't take more than 1... I'd buy up 3 for heavy choices and bombard the hell outa the opposing side.

 

Imagine an Apocalypse Game where your entire 3000-4000 point list is Orbital Strikes ;)

 

DeploymentOpponent: *Sets up. "You're turn."*

DeploymentYou: I'm done.

DeploymentOpponent: ":cuss?"

DeploymentYou: "I'm running an "Exterminatus" list.

DO: "What is that?"

DY: "Its where all my points are spent on Melta and Lance Orbital Bombardments. Oh in all fairness I should tell you. All the Terrain has a bombard marked to it...."

 

(Quick Calc, 4'000 points gets you exactly 50 Melta Strikes.)

[Maharajah]

OK this's the bit I can't find:

 

Roll the scatter die and 2D6. If a hit is rolled just leave the large blast template where it was. If you roll an arrow, move it in that direction the number of inches rolled from the 2D6 (usually 7" total). This is the final position of the Orbital Strike.

 

I know the Codex uses an old mechanic but can you point me to where it says to use this newer one.

 

Thanks

 

It's in the WH FAQ that is downloadable from GW. It tells you to treat the strike as a barrage bombardment without LOS.

[march10k]

Really it's just to bad you can't take more than 1... I'd buy up 3 for heavy choices and bombard the hell outa the opposing side.

 

Imagine an Apocalypse Game where your entire 3000-4000 point list is Orbital Strikes ;)

 

DeploymentOpponent: *Sets up. "You're turn."*

DeploymentYou: I'm done.

DeploymentOpponent: ":cuss?"

DeploymentYou: "I'm running an "Exterminatus" list.

DO: "What is that?"

DY: "Its where all my points are spent on Melta and Lance Orbital Bombardments. Oh in all fairness I should tell you. All the Terrain has a bombard marked to it...."

 

(Quick Calc, 4'000 points gets you exactly 50 Melta Strikes.)

 

Um...so the best you can do is force a draw, since you can't exactly hold any objectives? That makes for a fun game...

 

Besides whose gonna have Terminators and T5 guys hanging on their objective?

 

Uh, Deathwing?

[Kadaeux]

Really it's just to bad you can't take more than 1... I'd buy up 3 for heavy choices and bombard the hell outa the opposing side.

 

Imagine an Apocalypse Game where your entire 3000-4000 point list is Orbital Strikes ;)

 

DeploymentOpponent: *Sets up. "You're turn."*

DeploymentYou: I'm done.

DeploymentOpponent: ":cuss?"

DeploymentYou: "I'm running an "Exterminatus" list.

DO: "What is that?"

DY: "Its where all my points are spent on Melta and Lance Orbital Bombardments. Oh in all fairness I should tell you. All the Terrain has a bombard marked to it...."

 

(Quick Calc, 4'000 points gets you exactly 50 Melta Strikes.)

 

Um...so the best you can do is force a draw, since you can't exactly hold any objectives? That makes for a fun game...

 

A fun game is all i'd do it for. Though I think my opponent would disagree on the fun part, being unable to attack your enemy as he strikes you with impugnity. Unless you take a Defence laser or two.

 

Plus if I killed all his units by the end of the game I win due to the Wipeout result. ;)

[Reclusiarch Darius]

Uh, Deathwing?

 

Did you read my post? I explained that they were a limited example of where the Lance Strike > Melta-Torpedo Strike. However, most Troops are not as powerful as Deathwing, so melta sufficies in most games, and is better in the anti-tank department (which is a hole in the list that needs to be filled with Daemonhunters).

[benmothershaw]

Mind you, who can force you to use a WH FAQ if you play DH, I guess you get to choose...

[iamnothere]

Thanks gents, I'll mosey on over and check out the WH faq.

[Tauren]

Even in a normal nasty game could you imagine 3 players using 3 bombardments? power to the inquisition.

[iamnothere]

I suppose that the real problem is where to deploy it. Some random terrain that is no threat to you. A thin barricade somwhere in the deployment zone?

 

Every table is different and I think this could either make or break a game.

[Gaz1858]

If it didnt take up a Heavy Support choice id use it more often. Think it makes for an exciting game and an occasional bit of fun

[number6]

Sadly, according to RAW, orbital strikes for the DH and the WH are different beasts. The WH FAQ does indeed change orbital strikes into barrage weapons that follow the 5th edition rules for scatter. However, the DH codex has not been FAQ'd as such, so they still follow all of the old, original rules, meaning they are not barrage weapons and they follow the codex (in)accuracy rule instead of the 5th edition template scatter dice rules.

 

I would definitely recommend that DH players adopt the WH FAQ ... but it isn't RAW to do so.

[Reclusiarch Darius]

Sadly, according to RAW, orbital strikes for the DH and the WH are different beasts. The WH FAQ does indeed change orbital strikes into barrage weapons that follow the 5th edition rules for scatter. However, the DH codex has not been FAQ'd as such, so they still follow all of the old, original rules, meaning they are not barrage weapons and they follow the codex (in)accuracy rule instead of the 5th edition template scatter dice rules.

 

I would definitely recommend that DH players adopt the WH FAQ ... but it isn't RAW to do so.

 

Hey dude, we're the Inquisition :rolleyes: . Our codex is 2 editions out of date, RAW is just stupid. Making it an Ordnance Barrage weapon was the right move, don't see why DH's should miss out.

 

Given that WH Assassins should be no different to DH Assassins, I combine both FAQ's when determining the changes made to them. It would be pure RAW stupidity to insist on one or the other; they're both Inquisiton FAQ's, should be seen as a complete set.

[number6]

It would be pure RAW stupidity to insist on one or the other; they're both Inquisiton FAQ's, should be seen as a complete set.

"RAW stupidity"! With respect to Warhammer and Games Workshop, isn't that redundantly repetitive? ;)

[Charred Heretic]

Hey dude, we're the Inquisition :wallbash: . Our codex is 2 editions out of date, RAW is just stupid. Making it an Ordnance Barrage weapon was the right move, don't see why DH's should miss out.

 

Given that WH Assassins should be no different to DH Assassins, I combine both FAQ's when determining the changes made to them. It would be pure RAW stupidity to insist on one or the other; they're both Inquisiton FAQ's, should be seen as a complete set.

 

I think you're completley reasonable, and I would advise you to play it as you say.

 

Just be aware that in the most extreme cases (extreme jerk, or extremely scrutinous judge),

there is a possibility of a ruling to go against you.

[Reclusiarch Darius]

"RAW stupidity"! With respect to Warhammer and Games Workshop, isn't that redundantly repetitive? laugh.gif

 

Yeah :) I guess you're right.

 

I think you're completley reasonable, and I would advise you to play it as you say.

 

Just be aware that in the most extreme cases (extreme jerk, or extremely scrutinous judge),

there is a possibility of a ruling to go against you.

 

Cheers. I'm not going to playing in any official games anytime soon, it's all friendly stuff with mates or down at my LGS. And in all honestly, whenever my Inquisition shenanigans come up, the red-shirts guesses are as good as mine. They usually don't care, just like 'hey man, FAQ didn't say one way or the other, so I guess you're right'. And normally, they let codex > rulebook.

 

Mind you though, they don't let the Grandmaster's force weapon slide :) and smoke launchers are the generic 4+ type, but it's a small price to pay I think. Entirely theoretical as well, because I've yet to play a game large enough to get the Grandmaster out, and I don't usually have the points available for transports.

[Reclusiarch Darius]

Something I just realised (and I'll add it to the OP).

 

With the melta-strike, the profile is simply 'S8 AP3, roll 2D6 against armor'. It's not the 'melta' rule, or is it a bonus, it's simply the normal profile.

 

Also, being an ordnance barrage weapon (well, being ordnance is enough), it rolls a total of Strength+3D6 against armour, discarding the lowest roll. Again, this is not a bonus, it is the normal rules for the weapon.

 

Necron FAQ clarified that normal profiles apply (so powerfists still double Strength), and that the Vindicare turbo-penetrator rolls normally (3D6, no Strength value added). It also clarified that ordnance weapons still roll an extra dice and pick the highest.

 

 

So, against any vehicle (Monoliths included), you hit side armour (AV11/10 in most cases, LR and 'Lith have AV14) always, rolling 3D6+Strength, discarding the lowest dice roll. If hole over hull, normal S8 added. If hole not over hull, S4 added.

 

I know I already stated this, but I just wanna clarify that the melta-torpedo doesn't recieve the 'melta' bonus, it simply has 3D6+Strength, discard the lowest dice roll, against AV.

 

So for 80 points, it's not a bad option for supplementing our anti-tank, and kills most infantry pretty effectively as well.