Machine Curse: ever useful?

[ShinyRhino]

I don't knwo why, but I'm fascinated by this power. Maybe I like to hamstring myself, who knows.

I keep thinking it would be interesting to take a Libby on a bike, with this power in my bike-centered force.

But, when is Machine Curse useful? I'm sure most of you will probably say "Never, it sucks, use Gate," but I'd like to have a brainstorming session about the possible uses of this power.

 

I can see it being semi-useful against Tau Hammerheads, so you can stop the firing for a turn, at least, and maybe even knock out the railgun.

Not very useful against a Land Raider, unless you score Immobilized or Weapon destroyed. But the LR has so many weapons that you'd be hard-pressed to cripple one with this power, unless you were somehow parked in its rear arc for turn upon turn.

Open-topped vehicles might be nice, since you can still destroy one on a roll of 4. (The +1 for hits against open-topped).

Also not too shabby for quieting a Russ for a turn.

Any other ideas?

 

I feel the only way to get this power off successfully is to put the Librarian on a bike. Footslogging him will get him shot to pieces. The bike allows 12" of movement to close to range from behind some cover, and still fire due to Relentless.

But, in my bike list, I'm going to be melta-heavy, I think. Machine Curse almost feels like the neglected little brother in that list.

 

Thoughts, opinions?

[Koremu]

It's good for a stun/imob result vs. a Dreadnought, which process makes it much easier to subsequently destroy it in CC.

[Vissah]

Last week I played one of me mates for 1000 points and he brought his Tank COmpany with some IG infantry with it. I just stuck me Libby with his squad in an rhino and race him around the board casting Machine Curse all over the place. He took out his Leman Russ and one Chimera.

Since I started playing I always been fascinated by Librarians specially in the smaller games that is why Im giving my old time Libby some new armour and weapons cause he been so good to me.

 

But yeah Machine Curse is very usefull when you know you facing some armour, specially the one wich are opentopped ;)

[Castus Xanthis]

It is useful, but if you are going for bikes anyway I would suggest Might of the Ancients and Quickening.

[Captain Malachi]

While probably useful in some builds, I very much doubt a melta heavy bike army is one of them.

[gonzo]

I have used Machine Curse to great effect. During a 1000point game recently where I fielded 2 libbys, both with MC and Vortex of Doom, I took out about half the oppenents IG troops and reduced his leman to a smoldering pile of metal and body parts (took out all weapons in 2 rounds, not bad).

 

In short, yes, Machine Curse can be useful if you know what you are playing against.

[ObsidianIchor]

Open-topped vehicles might be nice, since you can still destroy one on a roll of 4. (The +1 for hits against open-topped).

 

Just a note, glances are -2 and open-topped gives +1, so you have a -1 total on the roll. It's better than a normal glance, but you only destroy it on a 6.

[lucifer light bearer]

I once kept a vindi from shooting for three turns in a row with it.

[eyescrossed]

As lucifer said, it's great for stopping things with big guns shooting, like vindicators, leman russes and basilisks.