Assault marines & Rhinos....

[Marshal Wilhelm]

For those using C:SM and running a mech list, do you ever buy 5 man assault squads to trade in 10 pts of Jump pack to get 35 pts of Rhino?

 

This would be to have ablative/cover Rhinos for the rest of your Rhinos....

[Mal]

Depending on the field your likely to be playing on, yes.

 

For example, if the board is largely ruins/jungle the jump pack becomes a liability due to the constant need for dangerous terrain tests if you move more than 6 inches. But in a tank you only take 1 test as opposed to 5.

 

It really depends on how you want to play.

[thade]

I've half a mind to go through all of my assault troops and magnetize their jump packs so I can get them into Rhinos when I wish. There's been more than a few times that I've been really curious to try a foot-slogging assault squad in a Rhino.

 

Bezerkers and Space Wolves do it; no reason we can't. Keep in mind that a Rhino is not an assault vehicle, meaning that it has to sit still for a full turn before your assault squad can disembark and assault on the same turn. You'll be riding the 4/6 chance that your Rhino is not popped during the interim, but those are not bad odds.

[ShinyRhino]

I could see the value of "extra" Rhinos in anything but a Killpoint game, but I'm not sure footslogging Assault Marines are the way to get them. What do you do with the Marines?

[thade]

I could see the value of "extra" Rhinos in anything but a Killpoint game, but I'm not sure footslogging Assault Marines are the way to get them. What do you do with the Marines?

 

Charge them out and kick the crap out of something. Preferably a unit that does not do well under an assault (i.e. most Eldar units, IG troops, tactical squads, a softened-up squad of boyz, any Tau troops at all, etc). Stick a foot-slogging chaplain in there too and watch the fun.

 

Point is, with jump packs they are not always very survivable. The Rhino will boost their survivability. The point is not to get more Rhinos on the table. =) Though I have used Rhinos to hide my jumppack wearing troops behind anyway.

[Hfran Morkai]

What you do is you charge the rhino up, turn it and put your marines behind it for a turn, using it as cover, then next turn you either move the rhino or move round it to assault.

 

I used that tactic with Blood Claws for years before I could afford a Land Raider and that was when they were 50 points, if you have the option to take a free rhino I suggest you try it. It works surprisingly well, especially if you've agreed non-disclosure on contents (I find it more interesting but will go with my opponent) and they expect a tac squad to rapid fire them.

[thade]

Non-disclosure on contents involves a lot of trust that your opponent will not play the "Magical Swapping Bodies Teleporting Between Rhinos" game. I fully endorse full disclosure with regards to everything, short of strategy.

[Hfran Morkai]

Non-disclosure on contents involves a lot of trust that your opponent will not play the "Magical Swapping Bodies Teleporting Between Rhinos" game. I fully endorse full disclosure with regards to everything, short of strategy.

 

Oh yes, that is a problem. With me it's not so much of an issue because I tend to field the same units and paint panels on my vehicles to match the shoulder pads of the pack, means they don't have to see the list unless there's an issue and prevents blatant cheating.

 

I myself trust my opponent, if they are prepared to offer me the same courtesy then I'm happy. I go with what they want.

 

It adds to the tactics of the game though, I fail to see just how you know what pack is in which transport, should be pot luck but its a game and not real life.

 

But still rhinos and assault units can work well if you use it as a giant shield then move around it to assault them.