DEVASTATOR SQUADS

[rus11870]

I'm relatively new to 40K, about a year now, and I've had mixed results with Devastator Squads. I've used 5 man teams and full 10 man squads, just not sure of the points are worth the extra 10, just to eat up assault hits when those damn Orks or Nids show up. I rather use the points for more Tactical Squads and try to keep those close assault type armies aways from my Devastator Squads, but that me, what do you all think?

[Commander Sasha]

My Devs, known as "Love and Rockets" are Serg, always uses signum, 3 missiles, Lascannon, TL Las Razorback, and NEVER allow themselves into CC. 1st turn bus speeds into place, disembark; 2nd turn gain vantage point on hill, up building etc; rest of game play huntin' wabbits. No need for unarmed marines, and there's one spare seat in the bus for an IC should I want it!

[Koremu]

The extra Marines are not just for repelling Assaults. I personally would not be willing to take a Devastator Squad without the spare bodies to eat up incoming fire. Heavy Weapons Devastators are just too expensive to risk without their supporting Brother-Marines.

[King Tiger]

I'd always take 10, just so I could combat squad and have my heavy weapons spread out a little without a reduction in firepower

[rat of vengence]

If you are having your Devs assaulted, then perhaps you should take 10. Combat squad them and use the other 5 as a speed hump in front. They assault your marines, probably kill them, you light up their rears with heavy fire!

 

The better way of course is give the incoming assaulters some priority and take them down first.

[rus11870]

I have played too many horde armies it seems, Orks and Nids. I've had success with both config's, it just all seems i'm out numbered and out diced(if you know what I mean).

 

But I think I will try combat squading them next time and split my heavy weapons. I also wish the SIGNUM worked for all squad members not just one Brother-Marine.

[ShinyRhino]

I typically use a squad of 8. Three or four heavies, the sergeant, and the rest bolter Marines as ablative wounds. I don't want to lose firepower to the first shot I take, so I suck up some wounds with the bolters first.

[War Angel]

but if you take more then 3 wounds, wouldnt you run the risk of lossing the firepower anyway, even with out loosing the bolters?

[minigun762]

I'd agree with 10 man squads. That gives you 3 choices

1) Keep them as a 10 man squad, with 6 bullet sponges

2) Combat squad them with 2 heavies per squad, to split your firepower.

3) Combat squad them with 4 heavies in one squad, other squad moves off to kill things or screens the heavies.

[Lysimachus]

3) Combat squad them with 4 heavies in one squad, other squad moves off to kill things or screens the heavies.

 

quick question, but surely in this case you might as well keep it as 5 man and get a 5 man Tac squad. they count as 2 separate squads anyway and for only 15 pts more you get Vt Sgt and (more importantly, imo) Tac squad is then scoring. am i missing something?

 

 

Lysimachus

[Koremu]

3) Combat squad them with 4 heavies in one squad, other squad moves off to kill things or screens the heavies.

 

quick question, but surely in this case you might as well keep it as 5 man and get a 5 man Tac squad. they count as 2 separate squads anyway and for only 15 pts more you get Vt Sgt and (more importantly, imo) Tac squad is then scoring. am i missing something?

 

 

Lysimachus

 

The ability to Combat Squad or not Combat Squad as the situation requires.

[Brother Veritas]

but if you take more then 3 wounds, wouldnt you run the risk of lossing the firepower anyway, even with out loosing the bolters?

 

Let's say he has 4 wounds to allocate, for the purposes of our discussion. With the 8 man squad with 3 ablative wounds, I mean, extra battle-brothers, he only risks losing one heavy weapon. In the 5 man squad, he risks losing either his Sgt and 3 heavy weapons, or all of his heavy weapons. Given how often one's opponent is willing to throw the fire of a couple units at a Dev team with 4 Missile Launchers, I never leave home without spare wounds in that squad. Besides, if you're packing Missile Launchers and decide to throw some frags at infantry, the other guys can add bolter fire to the mix.

[Shiodome]

you could also take fewer heavy weapons and 'rhino bunker' them. 5 Devs with 2 heavy weapons in a rhino... 2 can fire from firing points, one using the signum BS5. then you've got the rhino hull as protection from assaults, or for manouverablity to just drive 12" away from the assault units (ofc giving up a turns shooting to do so).

[Banville]

In defence of the 5-man Devastator Squad, it is a terrific way to draw fire away from your other units. A four-missile Dev squad costs 150 points that the enemy HAS to deal with. If you stick them in cover they'll attract an awful lot of fire whilst still remaining pretty effective vs vehicles when even down to two models. They're a very nasty thorn in the side of any opponent and if used to anchor a refused flank along with a Dread or Predator they must be dealt with or they will do serious damage.

[Warp Angel]

I'd agree with 10 man squads. That gives you 3 choices

1) Keep them as a 10 man squad, with 6 bullet sponges

2) Combat squad them with 2 heavies per squad, to split your firepower.

3) Combat squad them with 4 heavies in one squad, other squad moves off to kill things or screens the heavies.

 

Completely agree, but give them a Razorback transport to do all the nifty things that Razorbacks do for your army and give you another heavy weapon.

 

That said, I'm not a fan of Devastator squads. They don't move fast enough, and can't fire when they move at all.

[Warp Angel]

In defence of the 5-man Devastator Squad, it is a terrific way to draw fire away from your other units. A four-missile Dev squad costs 150 points that the enemy HAS to deal with. If you stick them in cover they'll attract an awful lot of fire whilst still remaining pretty effective vs vehicles when even down to two models. They're a very nasty thorn in the side of any opponent and if used to anchor a refused flank along with a Dread or Predator they must be dealt with or they will do serious damage.

 

For that same 150 points I can get a Techmarine with Servo Harness and his Thunderfire Cannon AND an attack bike with multi melta.

For that same 150 points I can get any of a couple predator variants or a pimped out Vindicator.

For that same 150 points I can get a 5 man sternguard squad with a similar heavy weapons loadout.

For that same 150 points I can get two landspeeder Typhoons or 3 attack bikes.

For that same 150 points I can upgrade an existing heavy support choice to a Land Raider.

For that same 150 points I can get a Dakka Predator and an upgraded landspeeder.

 

Your assertion that it's 150 points well spent doesn't hold up when you can do the same thing (firepower wise) or better, and be more survivable and versatile to boot.

[Sternguard sergeant McColl]

Not saying that those things are useless, but why would you point out that for 150 PTS you can have something that will get wiped across the board by said devs? Almost everything you listed wouldn't survive a shooting phase from them. I know it's not the point, but for what they are and what they can do it's a good 150 PTS. I think you've been brainwashed by your, "Mobility is the key" doctrine.

[I AM THE AWESOME]

Yeah, well, a five-man dev squad wouldn't really survive a round of fire from any of the above listed options. And also, missile launchers ain't all that.

[newach]

I like to take 10 man squads,

take 2 different weapons (2 Missile launchers, 2 Lascannon or 2 Multi-melta, 2 Lascannons)

Combat Squad the unit, then Devastate the enemy from 2 spots.

[Banville]

@Warp Angel: The immobility of a static Dev squad is a given, which is why I was referring to a specific tactic. There's no way a Dev squad would be included in a biker list but as part of a mechanised list, with say two rhinos and an LRC, they can perform an "anchoring" role quite well. Add a Dread alongside them and they can stop your main assault being outflanked and provide alternative targets for your opponent's long-range and usually high-strength weaponry. Weaponry that might otherwise be exclusively targetted at your transports.

 

@I Am the Awesome: I think someone did an article recently on the utility of missile launchers that, point-for-point, proves them to be the most cost-effective and efficient way to pop enemy armour and heavy infantry.

[Warp Angel]

Yeah, well, a five-man dev squad wouldn't really survive a round of fire from any of the above listed options. And also, missile launchers ain't all that.

 

In addition, most of my selections included TWO things. Shoot at one, don't kill it and you've got two to deal with. Do kill it and you still have to spend a second round getting the other unit.

[Warp Angel]

@Warp Angel: The immobility of a static Dev squad is a given, which is why I was referring to a specific tactic. There's no way a Dev squad would be included in a biker list but as part of a mechanised list, with say two rhinos and an LRC, they can perform an "anchoring" role quite well. Add a Dread alongside them and they can stop your main assault being outflanked and provide alternative targets for your opponent's long-range and usually high-strength weaponry. Weaponry that might otherwise be exclusively targetted at your transports.

 

I still prefer 5 man sternguard squads with two heavy weapons to devastator squads if I want static shooting.

[theredcorsair]

Get a 10 man dev squad cause' you just take away the non heavy weapon marines, also it helps to have more firepower if you got something closing in on you

[Brother Veritas]

@Warp Angel: The immobility of a static Dev squad is a given, which is why I was referring to a specific tactic. There's no way a Dev squad would be included in a biker list but as part of a mechanised list, with say two rhinos and an LRC, they can perform an "anchoring" role quite well. Add a Dread alongside them and they can stop your main assault being outflanked and provide alternative targets for your opponent's long-range and usually high-strength weaponry. Weaponry that might otherwise be exclusively targetted at your transports.

 

I still prefer 5 man sternguard squads with two heavy weapons to devastator squads if I want static shooting.

 

The idea of putting actual Heavy Weapons in Sternguard squads strikes me as somewhat heretical. It seems to me that they're designed to be on the move and engaging at short-medium range.

[StormTAG]

The idea of putting actual Heavy Weapons in Sternguard squads strikes me as somewhat heretical. It seems to me that they're designed to be on the move and engaging at short-medium range.

 

Sure, if you discount the possibility of actually using the 30" rounds to their fullest extent. ^_^