Tactica fundamentus: counter-charge unit

[BrotherMoses]

I'm starting these tactica fundamentus threads to supplement my own knowledge of game basics and to make sure I'm not confused on certain issues. These are going to be threads dedicated to basic principles and fundamentals of the game. Its all about building a good tactical foundation.

 

Today's question is: What is a counter-charge unit? What is the purpose of a counter-charge unit? What makes it special and how do you optimize a counter-charge unit to be the best it can be? What is its goal?

 

Please don't spam and lets make this as informative as possible.

[Captain Juan Juarez]

What is a counter-assault - I prefer that term - unit?

A unit for dealing with enemy assault units, if not by defeating them then by delaying or harrassing them.

 

What is the purpose of a counter-assault unit?

Such a unit is chosen and designed to combat any opposing close combat threat that can be expect to reach the players line.

 

The Goal?

To prevent an opposing assault force from reaching your lines and disrupting your plans, by whatever means is required.

 

Other Notes on Counter-Assault Units

It is important to note that sometimes it is less about what you get into combat, than that you simply get anything into combat. Delaying that deadly Terminator squad with Scouts may seem hopeless, but buys time to reorientate and deal with the threat by other means.

[minigun762]

In essence, its the unit(s) that protect your other units from being assaulted.

 

As for what characteristics they should have, I would use the following list:

1) some sort of movement boost (transport, Jump Pack etc)

2) Moderate-Strong CC abilities

3) Moderate durability

4) Cheap-Moderate price tag

 

I think its important to note that a couter-assault unit doesn't HAVE to be able to beat a dedicated assault unit at its own game, but it NEEDS to be able to either severely damage it or tarpit for a significant amount of time.

[the jeske]

it has to be able to kill 6-7 meq on charge or a MC with t6 and 4 wounds . and cost less then 400 pts.

[Disruptor_fe404]

I echo all previous statements, though I personally prefer tarpit units as my counter-assault units.

 

My local metagame results in my counter-assault units being used to whittle down an opposing assault unit and then either tie them down and delay them or remove them from play completely. It does not to neutralize them immediately to be effective.

 

As for optimization, I prefer to use things that either move fast to redeploy quickly (if it's required), or have reasonable power in the Shooting phase to give them something to do while redeploying (again, if it's required). The unit needs to be tough to survive the inevitable Assault phase. It also needs to reliably whittle (or even shatter) the opposing assault unit.

[Bannus]

it has to be able to kill 6-7 meq on charge or a MC with t6 and 4 wounds . and cost less then 400 pts.

Hmmm...that might be a bit much - but I can agree that it should be pretty close to these abilities - and a lot cheaper if its only purpose is counter-assualt.

[Captain Idaho]

What is a counter-assault - I prefer that term - unit?

A unit for dealing with enemy assault units, if not by defeating them then by delaying or harrassing them

 

To add to that, I would say to weaken is also a valid usage of a Counter Assault unit. If it dies reducing the threatening assault force enough for your forces to deal with them, thus allowing you to win the game, the the counter assault unit did it's job. Even lowly Assault Marines that die to a man the first assault phase have done their job if they killed 2 of those 5 Ork Nobz (remember that they shoot before charging) or take off 2 wounds of an MC!

 

Mobility is an important aspect people have left off the required attributes of a counter assault unit. Being able to dish out pain is all well and good, but if your Terminator assault squad are on the wrong side of your deployment zone they won't be protecting your other units from the enemy assault force. Of course, this can drum costs up and even change the dynamic of your army (like a Landraider in the case of Terminator Assault squads) so you have to consider carefully the exact choice of unit to include in your list.

[Koremu]

it has to be able to kill 6-7 meq on charge or a MC with t6 and 4 wounds . and cost less then 400 pts.

No, that's an Assault unit. A counter-assault unit has to be able to delay that assault unit.

[Ming]

I think of a counter assault unit as a "cleaner" that has the purpose of "piling on" when your front line unit is already assaulted. It needs to have a torrent of CC attacks, be survivable, and does not have to have special weapons except assault weapons. It is a unit that backstops your line, running off to plug holes or countercharge. Even better is to have some additional cheap character that gives them a bonus or amplifier for their power. These guys do not need a transport.

 

Example - assault squad w/ a chaplain, no jump packs, maybe with 2 plasma pistols.

[Xeonic]

I've used tactical squads with powerfists as last ditch countercharge units before, to hold things up in CC long enough for the rest of my army to clear away some riff-raff, then autofailing morale to blast away at whatever was sitting there.

Tac squads work fine as long as the goal isn't to kill anything. :)

[Captain Juan Juarez]

I think of a counter assault unit as a "cleaner" that has the purpose of "piling on" when your front line unit is already assaulted. It needs to have a torrent of CC attacks, be survivable, and does not have to have special weapons except assault weapons. It is a unit that backstops your line, running off to plug holes or countercharge. Even better is to have some additional cheap character that gives them a bonus or amplifier for their power. These guys do not need a transport.

 

Example - assault squad w/ a chaplain, no jump packs, maybe with 2 plasma pistols.

 

If you are allowing your line to be assaulted then you have already lost the initiative and probably the game.

 

The CA unit needs to intervene before combat is met, otherwise you will lose coherency in your battle line and your plan will come apart.

[Koremu]

I think of a counter assault unit as a "cleaner" that has the purpose of "piling on" when your front line unit is already assaulted. It needs to have a torrent of CC attacks, be survivable, and does not have to have special weapons except assault weapons. It is a unit that backstops your line, running off to plug holes or countercharge. Even better is to have some additional cheap character that gives them a bonus or amplifier for their power. These guys do not need a transport.

 

Example - assault squad w/ a chaplain, no jump packs, maybe with 2 plasma pistols.

 

If you are allowing your line to be assaulted then you have already lost the initiative and probably the game.

 

The CA unit needs to intervene before combat is met, otherwise you will lose coherency in your battle line and your plan will come apart.

On the contrary, if you've managed to catch an enemy Assault unit with a Tactical Squad, being able to then pile in with a counter-charge (especially if you managed to Combat Tactics out) is very valuable.

[FlamingDeth]

-= Edited due to unfortunate inaccuracy! =-

[Koremu]

I think of a counter assault unit as a "cleaner" that has the purpose of "piling on" when your front line unit is already assaulted. It needs to have a torrent of CC attacks, be survivable, and does not have to have special weapons except assault weapons. It is a unit that backstops your line, running off to plug holes or countercharge. Even better is to have some additional cheap character that gives them a bonus or amplifier for their power. These guys do not need a transport.

 

Example - assault squad w/ a chaplain, no jump packs, maybe with 2 plasma pistols.

It's worth noting that if that's the way you're using them, then they don't even need to be survivable. If the enemy unit is already engaged in CC when you charge them, they have to direct their attacks at the unit they were previously attacking, so your new unit joining the fray is safe to attack without risk.

No, they don't, the rule that you are misreading applies per combat round. This has been covered in Official Rules quite recently

[FlamingDeth]

Ugh, guess I need to visit the rules forum more often. Took a little search-fu, but was able to find it. Ignore my previous post!

[deepstrike]

For me a counter assault unit is a mobile high firepower unit that can come in on an assault squad and burn down most of the squad. Landspeeder squadrons are great for this. command squads with multiple specials deploying from transport. sternguard not ideal but will do in a pinch. Anything that lays down a concentrated barrage. It would function like this. General frontline squad, say a combat squad with multimelta, picks off incoming transport then switches to next target. assault squad continues to close but before it assaults counter assault unit moves in and decimates. Ideally I would have jump pack combat squad of assault marines available to finish off remnants leaving rest of the units to move on but regardless enemy squad should be so weakened that it is combat ineffective. Combat squads are your friend in this instance as a 5 man sergeant flamer squad can also be the mop up unit.

 

Blood angels will excel at this. Baal predators with inferno cannons followed up by assault squads troops.

 

Sisters can lay down massed short range fire followed up by seraphim.

 

Regular marines can do it as well if you can be mentally flexible enough to switch your tactics to fit your opponent.

 

Chaos marines are great at this. summoned fearless screens for mop up, plague marine plasma squads for the decimate. But they are far more likely to be applying the assault pressure.

 

Coordination and concentration. imagine that.

[Koremu]

For me a counter assault unit is a mobile high firepower unit that can come in on an assault squad and burn down most of the squad. Landspeeder squadrons are great for this. command squads with multiple specials. sternguard. Anything that lays down a concentrated barrage. It would function like this. General frontline squad picks off incoming transport then switches to next. assault squad continues to close but before it assaults counter assault unit jumps out and decimates. Ideally I would have jump pack squad of assault marines available to finish off remnants leaving rest of unit to move on but ideally that squad should be so weakened that it is combat ineffective. Sisters do it well so do any marines.

Oddly enough, Space Marine Assault Squads are better at shooting than they are at CC (assuming 2 Flamers hitting 6 targets each), and can be used to do exactly as you do here.

[deepstrike]

true but some people cant seem to see the many uses of assault marines

[Chengar Qordath]

Oddly enough, Space Marine Assault Squads are better at shooting than they are at CC (assuming 2 Flamers hitting 6 targets each), and can be used to do exactly as you do here.

A lot of people discount the power of Assault Marine shooting, which is a mistake in my opinion. Two flamer templates and some pistol shots can be very valuable for softening up enemy units before you actually get stuck in. Of course, you have to be careful with placement so that your opponent cannot strategically remove models in order to deny you the ability to charge.