Killhammer Strategy: Fast Attack

[Warp Angel]

I'm amazed by the number of armies that don't use the Fast Attack choices. The most common arguments I hear are "they cost too much" (bikes, vanguard), or "they're too fragile" (speeders, attack bikes), or "they don't survive" (assault marines/raptors). Grey Knights, you've got an exception here, since Fast Attack is relatively meaningless to you. Go back to Way of the Water Warrior. It's a lot more useful to you than this article will likely be.

 

All of the above are valid criticisms of fast attack.

 

If you assume that you're using them unsupported.

 

Never, ever, ever look at a Fast Attack choice except as how it supports or is supported by other units in your army. Isolated from support, or nearby (and more immediate/more dangerous threats), they're going to be torn to shreds by many opponents before they are able to do anything of significance. If you lead the charge with your bikes, they're the first target for the battlecannons and demolisher cannons. If you get overly aggressive with your land speeders, they're going to go down quickly to basic weapons.

 

Each of the fast attack choices operates (generally) as a Hunter or a Cleaner. The former means they have a primary target in the enemy army, the latter means that they're used to clean up behind your Killers and work with other Cleaners.

 

SUPPORTING YOUR FAST ATTACK

All of the squad based fast attack choices benefit greatly from the addition of a character. He's the Killer, and they provide the Cleaner for him. The problem with relying exclusively on a character to buff the squad, is that it doesn't increase their durability, and it doesn't provide a secondary target to draw away firepower. You've kind of supported them, but it's limited support. They're a swift hammer. They need an anvil.

 

The Anvil can be provided in any number of ways. But it's usually in the form of a very durable unit that's a threat in its own right. Team up an assault squad with a Dreadnaught and see what looks of despair you can get from your opponent. Use the bikes to follow behind a heavy weapon barrage from a Firebase unit that you've got. Or jumping on what's left of a unit from rapid firing, drop podded Sternguard can completely eliminate even large MEQ squads.

 

USING FAST ATTACK AS SUPPORT

One of the benefits of fast attack choices is that they are fast. This is not just good on offense, it's also a great defensive/supporting trait as well. Maneuvering your fast attack in such a way that it is within next-turn-support distance from more than one of your other units means that they can immediately add their offense to another unit... say a Defender tactical squad that's all of the sudden got some Outflanking Rhinos coming its way. Without the ability to bring your multi-melta landspeeders from wherever they happen to be, to within 24" of clear shooting in your next turn probably means that the Tactical Squad is going to be overwhelmed and destroyed, with the surviving attackers free to remount in their rhinos and roll over the next unit. Adding the weight of even a small assault squad to some beleagured tactical or devastator marines in hand to hand can swing a close loss into a clear victory very quickly.

 

DEPLOYING AND MOVING FAST ATTACK

It's very tempting to use your fast attack to advance, screaming across the table in the first turn, along the flanks, and attempt to roll your opponent. And it can be a very effective tactic. Emphasis on the CAN. By doing so, you've done the following things to your units:

 

1) The fast attack is now working isolated, relying exclusively on it's own capabilities and maybe some long range firepower to accomplish the mission that you set for it. Bad dice luck and the entire effort is wasted.

2) You've now made yourself a target, and put yourself as the easiest target for your opponent, essentially lowering the D2 of your unit by placing it in a position where it can be destroyed faster.

3) Masively increased the K2 against targets that are on the far side of the table

4) Limited your ability to provide support to other units in your army. You've made them one dimensional in that they REQUIRE support, but can't easily PROVIDE it. This makes you predictable. And that is a Bad Thing . Makes your S really, really low.

 

Most of my thoughts about reserves are found here. But I urge you to think about placing your fast atack in Reserve. Or at least some of it. The logic works like this: Fast attack is a prime target... high offense, with low defense. And like I pointed out at the start of this article, it's not necessarily all that good without support. When it arrives from reserve, it arrives in a place where you KNOW it will do you some good. It arrives completely undamaged, and can support or be supported as necessary. You're able to react to what your opponent is doing, but he can't react to you until it's too late. You've concentrated your forces or spread them out - whichever is best, and you've completely changed the makeup of the game in your favor.

 

But when you deploy them from reserve, you've got to think about HOW to use them. Flexibility is always better than fixed use.

 

1) Bikes, Attack Bikes, Land Speeders - assuming there's no immediate need or ability for them to engage the enemy when they come in from reserves, they have the ability to move 24" up the table, essentially opening a new front on the battlefield (that your opponent probably isn't prepared to defend against), or placing themselves in a relatively central position on the table to support any number of units.

 

2) Assault Marines and Vanguard - They've got a shorter (and more vulnerable without cover/turbo boost) deployment range from your table edge, but can pack a more significant impact in the form of CC dominance than the bikes can. They also have the option of deep strike, which, while reducing total K (can't shoot AND assault), and potentially reducing D2 by sitting out in the open, can totally screw up an opponent's battle plan.

 

3) Some bikes can outflank - I'm not a fan of the random nature of Outflank, but it provides an amazing ability to both support your forces and bring immediate attack to the enemy, as well as opening a new battlefront. Depending on the choices that you make, you might have some of the same vulnerabilities as deep striking, but you could possibly have all the advantages of deep striking AND all the advantages of traditional deployment from reserves.

 

So, what Fast Attack choices are best?

 

Whichever ones work best with your army, of course. Like choosing your heavies, it's really what best matches your army and playstyle, but I honestly believe that Fast Attack is more important in a 5th edition than Heavy Support ever could be. It's my opinion, but if I've got limited points, and my choice is between heavy support and fast attack, I'm probably going to pick a fast attack every time.

 

Oh... and if you can get a fast attack choice as a troops choice (Ravenwing, BA Assault Squads, Bikes under a Bike Captain), it might just be a Good Thing .

[Vissah]

I really like this article mate my whole army is made up out of Fast Attack units and I really love them. My tacticals ride with them in Rhino's so they are almost never outnumbered but I can see were you going at. Only thing is that Vaguards can assault after they Deepstrike so you got some K comin your way when they do that ;)

[Warp Angel]

I really like this article mate my whole army is made up out of Fast Attack units and I really love them. My tacticals ride with them in Rhino's so they are almost never outnumbered but I can see were you going at. Only thing is that Vaguards can assault after they Deepstrike so you got some K comin your way when they do that ;)

 

And Assault Marines can shoot. But they can't do both in the same round. Which means your K1 goes down for that turn. Shooting + Assault is always more effective (in terms of potential enemy dead) than just assaulting or just shooting with pistols/assault weapons. This, of course, assumes that it's a good idea to get into assault in the first place.

[Vissah]

Ah ok I get your point mate cheers for the article :D

[Resv]

I have tossed this out in previous threads on the subject of my love of Chaos Nurgle Bike units that having an Icon or Transponder on your bikes is one of the best buys for that unit. This allows you to put put down your Anvil unit right behind your bikes as fire support or in front as a screen. Setting up a fire base right in your opponents backyard while your assault moves from unit to unit can be a game decider. Proper fast attack can be a fearsome weapon and a Bike unit, weather it be Chaos or Loyal, has a ton of utility in upgrades.

[Democratus]

Shooting + Assault is always more effective (in terms of potential enemy dead) than just assaulting or just shooting with pistols/assault weapons. This, of course, assumes that it's a good idea to get into assault in the first place.

 

It also assumes that your enemy doesn't have Combat Tactics, which could allow them to Fall Back if you shoot before Assaulting and therefore deny you the Assault entirely.

 

It's a complicated tactical circle. ;)

[Warp Angel]

Shooting + Assault is always more effective (in terms of potential enemy dead) than just assaulting or just shooting with pistols/assault weapons. This, of course, assumes that it's a good idea to get into assault in the first place.

 

It also assumes that your enemy doesn't have Combat Tactics, which could allow them to Fall Back if you shoot before Assaulting and therefore deny you the Assault entirely.

 

It's a complicated tactical circle. ;)

 

Yeah, it's complicated. But if I can send my opponent back towards his table edge 2d6", there's a good chance that's a victory in and of itself. Especially if they're within 12" of the board edge. You can only fall back so far before being eaten by "The Nothing".