Exorcists in Planetstrike

[ArmouredWing]

Having read the overview of planetstrike in this months WD I've been considering whether a sisters player adopting the defending side would actually get any value from using those additional HS slots for exorcists.

 

Don't get me wrong, I believe the exorcist is one of the best HS choices in the standard game but taking into account the multiple large blast templates the attacking player gets at the start of the game would they survive to get a single shot off?

 

The other thing I have been thinking about as well is why we, as WH/SoB players, feel that we have to field exorcists and for me it comes down to a question of range. If this is therefore the case do we need this for planetstrike where we know that so many of the enemy forces will be appearing well within the range of flamer templates and melta weaponry. Maybe this is the where MM immolators and perhaps more especially MM retributers will come into their own, especially rets with the ability to get those big squads with all of those ablative wounds into the mix.

 

Anyway, thats my initial take on building a defenders list for PS, what do others think?

[Melissia]

Lol, MM immolators. Do you really think they're going to survivea ny longer? They'll suck just as bad as they do now, if not worse.

 

Multi-melta retributors-- MAYBE, but only if you stick them in a bastion.

[Eddie Orlock]

If I recall it right, reserves are on a 3+ from a random edge on turn one. So, I think the thing to do would be to put the half dozen or so in reserve and pull them out to counter hammer your targets.

 

Given that all models, (or was it just infantry?) are scoring in this format, Retributer squad Molly-melda and her heavy weapons would be good candidates to hold a bunker.

[Melissia]

Which for the most part Exorcists could do better than MM immolators, because they're hitting rear armor in that situation anyway. Against vehicles which have high rear armor, the MM immolators will probably be destroyed before they can get within melta range (or they're just as useless if not more useless, as against hte monolith).

[SJumppanen]

With all this Heavy Support i think that Penitent Engines might have place in my army.

[Grey Mage]

You want alot of Serphim in planestrike- They all have meltabombs and can assault out of deepstrike` wich cracks open enemy bastions and allows you to pummel them with your sisters units. Their options for Inferno Pistols also means theyre good at cracking open enemy positions.

 

The Exorcist isnt as useful on bastions as they are al AV 14... but it can be useful as a defender if you can put it in cover. Its also good for taking out any enemy tanks- they wont all be in bastions you know *only infantry can go into one that isnt ruined*

 

Also remember a flamer does d6 hits to the unit inside the building... always useful eh?

 

But thats as attackers.

 

As defenders? You get six firepoints on a Bastion, so you need to make them count- wich means retributers really as its the only HS infantry youve got.

 

Another thing to do is use alot of Aegis lines- wich give you a 4+ cover save and a 2+ if you go to ground, and possible use of the Trenches strategic asset- wich gives all your units not in cover a 5+ cover save during the Firestorm and the first turn.

 

Other good defensive strategems are Void Shield- wich gives one bastion an AV 12 protective layer and reinforced bastion wich allows one bastion to ignore its first destroyed or explodes result.

 

And yes, all units are scoring- but only infantry can be in an intact bastion and only one unit+ICs can be in it at a time. If the attacker has even a single model in a bastion- ruined or not- they can claim it. There is no contesting in planetstrike.

[Melissia]

Depends on how many bastions you get.

 

Personally?

 

Assuming three bastions, I'd dot he following for HS:

 

3x Retributor Squads with Multi-Meltas (the enemy's coming to you and quite possibly landing ontop of you after all, they aren't going to be avoiding your multi-melta shots if they want to take full advantage of all units able to capture)

2x Exorcists

1x Leman Russ Squadron (using the 'Ard Boyz rules)

 

Assuming I had the points for it. But still, bastions are one of the few places you'd want a multi-melta retributor squad, or at least a squad with one or two of them (then a veteran with a combiweapon), because they pretty much suck otherwise.... Even if you just have a single multi-melta in the retributor squad and three heavy bolters, it means that the bastion can pop a tank or MEQ each turn.

 

On attack, Dominians once again get left in the dust (as they always are) by Seraphim. 6x Seraphim squads with hand flamers can probably take a few bastions, especially if you focus two or three squads on a single Bastion.

[jeffersonian000]

I'm thinking HB Immolators w/ Blessed Ammo may see some spamming with Planet Strike; nothing like 36" shots that ignore cover!

 

SJ

[Melissia]

Which should be taken as transport so you do not waste an HS slot on something more valuable (like an HB ret squad).

[Eltnot]

Which should be taken as transport so you do not waste an HS slot on something more valuable (like an HB ret squad).

If infantry are scoring, then Celestians would be a good candidate for the units to be inside those Immolators. Small Units of six with a vet with eviscerator and book, can tie up enemy units quite successfully using SotM.

 

I haven't read the White Dwarf article yet but my copy of planetstrike is on it's way.

[Grey Mage]

Which should be taken as transport so you do not waste an HS slot on something more valuable (like an HB ret squad).

If infantry are scoring, then Celestians would be a good candidate for the units to be inside those Immolators. Small Units of six with a vet with eviscerator and book, can tie up enemy units quite successfully using SotM.

 

I haven't read the White Dwarf article yet but my copy of planetstrike is on it's way.

All units, even exorcists and spore mines are scoring.

[SJumppanen]

Just a thought. How do you fight against Necrons in PS? Can't they just park a Monolith over a objective and stay there? WH armies don't have much that might kill a Monolith. Exept if LR Vanquisher gets that 2d6 against Mono as it is not "extra" d6, but natural 2d6 (but this is bit far fetched).

[ArmouredWing]

Lol, MM immolators. Do you really think they're going to survivea ny longer? They'll suck just as bad as they do now, if not worse.

 

Multi-melta retributors-- MAYBE, but only if you stick them in a bastion.

I can see your point, but I was thinking specifically about the initial bombardment that the attacker gets prior to the first turn. For me immolators stand a better chance of surviving because of their prominence in the game in general. Exorcists are (and always will be under the current codex) a particularly hot target. Their potential rate of fire and their front armour being the 2 main reasons why people want to kill them early on in the game.

 

Immolators on the other hand do not instill the same feeling of dread in opponents and its because of this I think they would stand a much better chance of survival because they are low on anyone's hit list. It's kind of the equivalent of hiding them in 'plain sight' and for the return in damage the big templates at the begining of the game would most definitely be better off aimed at some of the harder to kill targets such as bastions.

You've picked up on another advantage as well, being able to field immolators as transports, which effectively means doubling/tripling up on HS slots.

 

My final observation would be taking into account the losses from the initial bombardment and the low cost of an immolator compared to an exorcist. One of my favourite tactics has always been offering up a target rich environment for my opponents and immolators fill this function perfectly. I'd also have to speculate that a Spammolator list could potentially perform well in the attacker or defending role as the number of vehcles on the table would be hard to eliminate in one go and the 12" movement & fire (TL HF) would enable a very rapid attack when coming on from table edges.

[Chengar Qordath]

Just a thought. How do you fight against Necrons in PS? Can't they just park a Monolith over a objective and stay there? WH armies don't have much that might kill a Monolith. Exept if LR Vanquisher gets that 2d6 against Mono as it is not "extra" d6, but natural 2d6 (but this is bit far fetched).

As I recall, conventional wisdom is that Witch Hunters should go for phase-out when facing Necrons with Monoliths.

[Grey Mage]

Just a thought. How do you fight against Necrons in PS? Can't they just park a Monolith over a objective and stay there? WH armies don't have much that might kill a Monolith. Exept if LR Vanquisher gets that 2d6 against Mono as it is not "extra" d6, but natural 2d6 (but this is bit far fetched).

As I recall, conventional wisdom is that Witch Hunters should go for phase-out when facing Necrons with Monoliths.

Also an attacker only has three heavy support slots- so no matter how big the fight, you can make sure they cant hold enough bastions to win with monoliths alone if you have 6+. Of course, that means more strategem points for both attack and defender too... and then things can get wonky.

 

But if they only have one or two you can let them have them out of five and still win.

 

Also- as for survivability of the Exorcist- Trenchs will give it a 5+ save on turn 1 and during the firestorm, wich is really nice And note that firestorms scatter 2d6 as normal... so on the high average your opponent will get 5 large blasts, 1-2 of wich will hit, and then they effect side armor with str 9 and have to go through the normal vehicle destruction.

 

Firestorm is helpful, but its nothing to count on for the win unless you take alot of strategy points into it.

[WarriorFish]

Wait what? MM Rets might actually be useful now? Incredible, I think I may need to sit down for a while.

 

Rolling on from reserves sounds like a good idea to me, 48" range means you'll be in range of something. You would also benefit from allying in some Guardsmen Platoons as the defender too.

 

Yet to get my copy of PS so I can't comment on the no doubt weird and wonderful special abilities flying around, but they sound quite cool from what I've heard.

[Melissia]

ArmouredWing: Low cost? The MM Immolator is 85 points, 85 points easilly taken down due to it having the same armor as a rhino.

 

It's still useless.

[SJumppanen]

Just a thought. How do you fight against Necrons in PS? Can't they just park a Monolith over a objective and stay there? WH armies don't have much that might kill a Monolith. Exept if LR Vanquisher gets that 2d6 against Mono as it is not "extra" d6, but natural 2d6 (but this is bit far fetched).

As I recall, conventional wisdom is that Witch Hunters should go for phase-out when facing Necrons with Monoliths.

 

Well, if phase out is in this game too, then all is well.

[Grey Mage]

Phase outs not affected, the only thing that chages are:

 

Infantry, jump infantry, monstrous creatures, ICs, vehicles with DS all get DS- and if you had it already then you can assault out of DS.

 

Everything on the attackers side deploys in reserves and comes in on a 3+ first turn and automatically on the 3rd turn.

 

Phase out, Daemonic Assault, Drop Pod assault, faith, its all the same.

 

Oh, I suppose theres a small difference- you always fall back towards the nearest table edge.

[Eltnot]

ArmouredWing: Low cost? The MM Immolator is 85 points, 85 points easilly taken down due to it having the same armor as a rhino.

 

It's still useless.

I think you've missed his point.

[Melissia]

I didn't miss it. I understood his point-- I just disagree with it. TL-Multimelta Immolators don't fill people with the same dread because they're really that bad; in situations where the Immolator DOES present a threat it's far too easilly popped, even in (or perhaps especially in) Planetstrike.

[Justicar Valius]

It's called reserve. I belive the defender can have reserves and so should put all tanks in reserve other than landraiders (though I would like my raiders in res) Therefore you do need the range of the exorcist. Put the topic to bed there methinks.