Multimeltas

[Apogee]

So: I have 4 Multimelta sisters, which I rarely use. With 5th ed out, I'm using them even less now. They have alot against them:

1: Costly! 25 in a Retributor squad, or 15 in a Celestian squad

2: Str 8 - has a tough time hurting big tanks, unless they get close

3: Fragile - in practice, you've got a model that has T3, and a 3+/4+ cover. Not all that hard to dislodge, particularly if they're tied into melee.

4: Limited firepower - 4 S8 AP1 shots are good, but an Exorcist does 3.5 on average - and twice as far.

 

A squad of say, nine, has 4 MMs, 4 regular troops, and a Superior. This squad, with nothing but the MMs and a BoSL will cost you over 200 points - compared to 140 for the arguabley superior Excorcist with extra armour. Is there really a reason to use these girls anymore, particularly in Retributor squads? It seems a waste, and the models look really cool. I may just field a few in Celestian squads for now.

[krewl]

As far as I can see these are just units who are not that well thought out. (Kinda like the chainsaw sister (repentia)).

They have but one small advantage and that is that with a Sister superior they supply a faith point to your faith pool.

Apart from that they are arguably less survivable then an exorsist, though a bit less random for the following reason:

 

The biggest thing killing MM sisters is the fact that it's a heavy on a non stable firing platform.

The short range of the MM combined with the fact that it works better in 12" (That's charge range for these poor girls, they're toast) means that these would be suicide units, even worse useless suicide units as they'd have to get into the danger zone (Within 12" of an enemy unit) and stand still for a turn because they can't move and fire.

 

I love MM's but only on: Speeders, Attack bikes, and the immolator. (Where I do feel they have a role.) Perhaps on dreads in drop pods aswell, but I don't have any of those so no real comments on them.

 

In short I can't see any reasons to use them over an excorsist.

[WAR]

I am getting ready to try the ten model retributor with 4 mm out. I have been playing a foot slogging army with:

 

canoness bolter melta BOSL Cloak and frag

12 Repentias + mistress

5 (15 model) squads of Sisters (BoSL, HVY flmr, melta frag)

8 seraphim 2 hand flamers bosl

10 retrib 4 heavy bolters

 

after a few games I have Learned Repentias will be dead by turn 2 no matter what

 

for the points I am switching out the repentias for ten model retributor with 4 mm and dropping the seraphim for a 9 model celestian bodyguard and meltabombs on all the squad leaders

 

I am playing against Mech armies so I feel the stand and deliever with the MM and celestians will help more than a running chain fist and seraphim....I 'll so find out

[Grabsnikk]

Retributors with Multi Meltas can be useful depending on where you place them during deployment. I have used them a couple of time and have come to the conclusion that they are generally only useful against a couple of types of armies. The armies that I feel they are the most useful against are:

 

Nob Bikers - These guys are high in points cost but low in numbers which means that the MM can do serious damage if give enough of a chance to fire every turn. Lets face it, MM will insta-kill Nobz provided that they fail their cover save, and even killing one or 2 a turn can hurt them a lot because of their low model count.

 

Nidzilla - Lets face it, with the new 5th edition their anti tank weapons such as barbed strangler and venom cannon actually got worse as the barbed strangler is just not strong enough against tanks and the venom cannon got nerfed by the new glancing hits rule. This means that if they want to reliably bust your tanks open they are going to have to come to you to either assault you or to get in range of things such as warp blast to take out tanks. This is when MM really shine as they can take a couple of wounds off a Carnifex or a Tyrant each shooting phase with luck. Combine them with an Exorcist or two and you will really start to see those big bugs fall. Not to mention all the other melta weaponry that the sisters can pack for closer range.

 

 

Ravenwing/Deathwing Armies - These armies tend to fight around the 12" to 24" range as most of their basic troop weapons do best at this distance. Not to mention they have expensive models and a low model count. Combine this with the fact that Dreads and Landspeeders are common in these armies and they go down pretty easily when you start shooting them at close range.

 

Black Templars - Whether they go Raider spam or not, they are still going to have to come to you as they do better in assault than in shooting. This is where you can blast them to kindom come as they will have to advance straight into the teeth of all those MM. They don't really have a choice in the matter either as if you shoot them and they pass their leadership test they will most likely to run towards you.

 

Blood Angels - Same as Black Templars above really except that their troops cost even more than the Templars' do. Combined with a lowish model count and big nasty assault units lets you have a good time with the MM. They also tend to have quite a few vehicles too so that is a good thing since they are generally transporting units that do best at close range.

 

Mechanized Eldar (Harlequin Spam) - Just take out those Falcons/Wave Serpents when they come close to drop off their assaulty troops, also they have higher than average points costs for their elite units so they are generally low on model count.

 

Chaos (Kult Troop Armies) - Cult troops are expensive at the very least and mostly can't do anythng to the enemy when over 24" away. Khorne will run straight at you making themselves obvious choices to shoot with the MM, and Plague Marines will die quickly to them too. Thousand Sons arn't that great a threat as if you are in cover you are almost safe from their bolters, and lastly the Noise Marines, these operate best in the 12"-24" zone as well so are right in range of your guns. They also tend to be very small armies as the average points cost of each model is quite high.

 

Daemonhunters - The MM can be useful if they are taking Crusaders and coming to get you but otherwise they will mostly be staying away from your guns leaving their Dreads/Godhammers to take care of you from range which draws you out towards them meaning that their basic troops can shoot you without being in range of the MM.

 

Thats all that I can thin of at the moment except to state the obvious which is to shoot the MM at anything that come within range that you are sure you can do damage to. It's vital that they are doing something to your opponents army otherwise they are just wasted space.

[Eltnot]

I haven't used them before and so haven't tried this but, I would use them in this way:

 

Take a unit of 6 rets with a VSS (possibly with combi melta) and two MM's. Buy them a standard Immolator.

Deploy them amongst your line of rhinos at the front of the deployment zone.

First turn, move the immolator 12" up alongside some area terrain, deploy the rets and have them run into the terrain.

Turn two, the wall of armour moves forward towards the enemy, the rets stay stationary and provide some firepower.

Objective: People won't want to move a tank within 12" of them and since now they're in the middle of the board, you have a reasonable section of the board covered. By being near an objective they can help prevent it from being taken.

 

That said, it's still 130 points for the squad...

[SJumppanen]

How about using MMs with that "Holy War" Apoc. stratagem?

[Sister Rosette Soulknyt]

What is a "Holy War" stratagem??

 

For me ive used them effectively in most games from small to Apoc battles.

Yes put them near a objective is a great idea, back them with a Battle Squad and tanks and other units wont come near you.

Near the middle of the field in terrain of course i must, covering as much open ground as possible.

Moving them forward a round with a Transport is wise too as mentioned, most enemy tanks wont be in rang anyway until turn 2.

[WarriorFish]

Yeah, MM Rets can work, it's just that it's not easy to find a place they do. Thanks to the short range and heavy status they're pretty much stuck in a defensive role. As Sister Rosette said, with some support they can hold an objective pretty well. It's not hard to see why the HB gets taken more often.

[Melissia]

MM rets can work, it's just that it's inefficient excpet in very specific circumstances. Being short ranged and unable to move while it fires, it just isn't suitable for the majority of battlefield situations.

[Cath]

Melissia has spoken!

[Melissia]

Speaking from a purely tactical standpoint, something like a multimelta would be great for an ambush, but there are no ambushes in 40K tabletop; every commander always has perfect information about the entire battlefield, all the time. He knows exactly which units are where, how many of them there are, and what they're equipped with at all times. Heck, the commander even knows exactly how injured each of his opponents are at any given time. That, combined with the fact that Retributors can't infiltrate to begin with, and they really have greatly reduced tactical purpose.

 

Were I a commander in 40K, I'd pretty much only use them to breach the walls of a bunker or fortress, riding them up to the walls in rhinos and then depositing them in melta range, and having them blast away until there's a suitably sized hole for flame-thrower wielding Sisters to come through on. For all other purposes, the Sisters have more efficient methods. But then, you don't have to worry about utmost efficiency to win, given how battles work in 40K TT, so... there's a few other purposes that are highly specialized and very specific, but even those are few-- for example, in case I already know the enemy's going to be dropping dreadnaughts into my army, or to guard a small area in the close combat of an urban battlefield (where I'd probably have three heavy bolters and one multimelta in the squad, or half and half)

[ArmouredWing]

I think MM ret squads would be perfect in big points games (either apoc or standard) where you want to just sit and hold a flank. They're ideal against the likes of lighter skimmers (land speeders etc) especially if you make a large squad out of them. I used to use them occiasionally when I knew I would be facing rosters with a number of bikes/attack bikes as that extra punch and the 24" range could make the difference and blunt an otherwise strong attack on one side of the table.

 

In a regular points game however they are an overly expensive points sink and remove a valuable HS slot from a roster that can be filled with a cheaper and, arguably, more effective (although somewhat unreliable) exorcist.

[WAR]

"HOLY WAR" strategm is from APoc Reloaded last year, Sister only strategm, yaH we have 1 APOC UNIT compared to everyone elses 20 billion

[Cath]

I've had some rather good work out of my HB Retributors, including taking out a Lord of Change, a unit of Horrors and chewing up an ork mob that I had no rhinos in position to hit.