Awesomeness of BA devastators

[BrotherMoses]

People give devastators a hard time. I can understand it seeing as how its a squad that basicall never moves, but I think they have some strengths especially with our codex. For one, red thirst gives them the chance of becoming fearless. This is really nice for a squad that you do NOT want to have to make a fall back move. Every turn these guys aren't shooting you are losing points.

 

Normally, its not a good idea to have a 5 man devastator squad because you start losing your expensive specials very quick. However, with BA devastators we can stick a Sanguinary Priest with them and voila they are now a very surviveable heavy weapons squad.

 

Anyone else got any ideas, combos, or tactics for making our devastators work for us?

[Grey Mage]

Yeah, put them in cover, and put down a fast vindicator on the table... people wont have their priorities straight I promise you.

[tahrikmili]

My favorite setup is 5 Devs with 3MLs in a Razorback with TLLC.

 

Setup on a good vantage point with Razorback as cover against enemy, and let fly at 48" range, enjoy popping AV12/13 right and left. I can't imagine not taking them to a battle.

 

Would I stick a SP with them? Ehh.. no, just FNP hardly justifies a 50pt investment, the most expensive model I hve in there is 25pts and they all cost 205 pts, so losing them won't kill me, if they pop a rhino and a predator by then I'll have made my pts back anyway.

[Whitefireinferno]

I use Devs alot due to my group has a fair amount of large buildings so I take a squad of 10 combat squad them so each has 2 Missle launchers and deploy them on the highest thing in my deployment zone and then they rain missles of Krak and boom upon prettymuch everything they have NEVER failed me yet.

[BrotherMoses]

Would I stick a SP with them? Ehh.. no, just FNP hardly justifies a 50pt investment, the most expensive model I hve in there is 25pts and they all cost 205 pts, so losing them won't kill me, if they pop a rhino and a predator by then I'll have made my pts back anyway.

 

 

Well, I could see that but if you haven't used Corbulo's ability it may be prudent to retain him in the rear ranks. That and I use a lot of plasma cannons so FNP pulls double duty.

[tahrikmili]

Would I stick a SP with them? Ehh.. no, just FNP hardly justifies a 50pt investment, the most expensive model I hve in there is 25pts and they all cost 205 pts, so losing them won't kill me, if they pop a rhino and a predator by then I'll have made my pts back anyway.

 

 

Well, I could see that but if you haven't used Corbulo's ability it may be prudent to retain him in the rear ranks. That and I use a lot of plasma cannons so FNP pulls double duty.

 

This is a good point, but if (and when) I do field a SP I stick him in with my Plasmagun/Combi-Plasma sternguard.. That's better for me because:

 

1. After unloading their S7 AP2 10 shot salvo it gives me a lot of flexibility on what to do next. With a PW or PF thrown in the unit can now assault with 3A each and has S5 I5 on the charge, making them scary in both shooting (2Pgs, 3Hf rounds) and assault (3 PF attacks, 12 S5 I5 attacks).

 

2. Sternguard are more 'in your face' so they will get shot/assaulted more often, meaning FNP will come into play more.

[Knyx]

People give devastators a hard time. I can understand it seeing as how its a squad that basicall never moves, but I think they have some strengths especially with our codex. For one, red thirst gives them the chance of becoming fearless. This is really nice for a squad that you do NOT want to have to make a fall back move. Every turn these guys aren't shooting you are losing points.

 

Normally, its not a good idea to have a 5 man devastator squad because you start losing your expensive specials very quick. However, with BA devastators we can stick a Sanguinary Priest with them and voila they are now a very surviveable heavy weapons squad.

 

Anyone else got any ideas, combos, or tactics for making our devastators work for us?

 

 

People give Devastators a hard time because they have no staying power. The fact that they have no synergy with the rest of the codex is almost a secondary complaint.

Like you say, they are not mobile and have a hard time getting clear shots at things because people can angle an easy cover save (or total LOS block) by singling out the models with Cannons thanks to true LOS.

On top of the fact this, they are easily the weakest link in the codex. Even Dire Avengers can charge them out of cover.

Worst still? Heavy Support slot in a book with the best Heavy Support choices this side of the Imperial Guard codex.

Sadly, they cannot split fire like Long Fangs.

Finally, they are going to be close to your table edge. One bad test, and thats it they're gone.

 

 

I don't agree at all that the red thirst is very decisive for including them in a list, either. Whats the point in having a squad that has a good chance of preforming the roll you assign it 1 out of six games, but is liable to be escorted off the board the other 5? Its just to much of a risk for such an important part of your army. When your fire-base fails you, you find yourself pulling at straws.

 

 

 

In the end I think Devastators are for friendly play, and not strictly winning games. If you wanted have the best shot at winning games, there are better things to take.

Which is not a bad thing at all, people who aren't always concerned with winning by the largest possible margin are the core of the hobby and make the game enjoyable for everyone around them.

[Emperors Immortals]

I take a full squad in my larger games, and drop them from a pod into the mid range after turn 2, roughly near the mech.WIth 3 dreads and a few preds i always get my PC shots off and take after either several large units or a couple of great mechs.

[Wildfire]

I wouldn't bother with Devs when you have fast Preds and Vindis available, unless I was trying to make an all infantry list for some reason.

[Isryion]

While Vindis and Preds are probably better shooting platforms than devs, 5 devs do seem very cost effective in our dex and potentially have more staying power than vehicles, provided they don't get one of the big mean templates.

 

I don't have room for them in my list, but I can see some merit.

[Freakiq]

If any codex has place for Devastators.

 

We have Land Raider as dedicated transports and Predators as fast attack.

I doubt I'll ever fill out my heavy support.

 

 

Besides, four plasma cannons with feel no pain in a nice firing position will decimate entire units of MEQ's in a turn of shooting.

 

Unlike the Flamestorm Baal they don't need to expose themselves in order to unleash hell.

[Vel'Cona]

While most of the other reasons for and against Devs are pretty much covered here, I would say my primary problem with them is just the lack of mobility. Since they have to stand still (and in cover) to do much of anything over the course of a game, Devs are generally going to be left behind by the rest of my army. Honestly, there's really not much point to a static unit in an army that has Fast Tanks and a predominance of Jump Infantry and Deep Striking units. Some could argue that I am a fan of Tactical Squads for static defense and this counters my argument in some ways, but Tactical Squads have the option of going mobile in their Rhino to do a Rapid Fire attack, or sitting pretty on an objective (which they can actually score, unlike the Devs) and dropping reasonable firepower.

 

I really did want to like the Devs, but there's just nothing compelling me to take them. :P

[Durkah]

My favorite setup is 5 Devs with 3MLs in a Razorback with TLLC.

 

Setup on a good vantage point with Razorback as cover against enemy, and let fly at 48" range, enjoy popping AV12/13 right and left. I can't imagine not taking them to a battle.

 

Would I stick a SP with them? Ehh.. no, just FNP hardly justifies a 50pt investment, the most expensive model I hve in there is 25pts and they all cost 205 pts, so losing them won't kill me, if they pop a rhino and a predator by then I'll have made my pts back anyway.

 

Razorbacks dont have fire points... so you putting the razorback deployed in front of the Devs? For the cover save?

[redthirst]

I love Devastators, but then, I play a LR heavy list and without Devs heavy Vendetta armies just wreck me.

[vahouth]

We have perhaps the only Devastators that can be fearless.

Then, these guys won't be going anywhere!

Of course this can be more easy in a list with Astorath...

[skyst]

While most of the other reasons for and against Devs are pretty much covered here, I would say my primary problem with them is just the lack of mobility. Since they have to stand still (and in cover) to do much of anything over the course of a game, Devs are generally going to be left behind by the rest of my army. Honestly, there's really not much point to a static unit in an army that has Fast Tanks and a predominance of Jump Infantry and Deep Striking units. Some could argue that I am a fan of Tactical Squads for static defense and this counters my argument in some ways, but Tactical Squads have the option of going mobile in their Rhino to do a Rapid Fire attack, or sitting pretty on an objective (which they can actually score, unlike the Devs) and dropping reasonable firepower.

 

I really did want to like the Devs, but there's just nothing compelling me to take them. :P

 

Slightly off topic, but I see this point as being very important. I think a lot of us cutting Tacticals for a purely assault unit army are going to be in trouble.

[Somar]

i use a squad of 10 devs, split into 2x5 with 2 LC and 2 ML. those 2 units along with a combat tac squad with PC are in the back with one SP giving them FNP.

that, together with a typhoon is my long range fire that supports my 2 RAS, DC, HG and libby and it works very well. they pop transports and other vehicles, the PC likes to shoot at infantry that had to disembark their destroyed vehicle and make the job for the assault wave a lot easier. the PC squad also usually holds an objective while the devs draw fire because they are more threatening.

 

the other tactical combat squad has the sarge with PW and PP and one PG. they just grab another objective and chill, when something comes close they can still dish out some pain though.

[mysteriousmaskedmystery]

i have to admit that i don't normally take devs, but i don't discount them.

 

still, the preds are better, mobile fire power, especially now with fast, you can take more heavy weapons in a dev squad, but it will cost you, and you might be able to buy two or three preds for that cost if you're not dumping your points into upgrades for them.

 

devs could be useful in an all DS army. they take up another pod, which means you are giving yourself more numbers for drop pod assault.

 

i use a tac squad to hold my rear objective sometimes, but the dev squad could only contest so i don't think they are a straight replacement but maybe a five or 6 man dev with 2-3 heavy weapons would be a good choice to support my tacs, or possibly, only take a five man tac squad with bolters and a sgt with pw/combi weapon and a 5 man tac with two heavies. the devs shoot, the tacs counter-assault/hold the objective. works even better with a 5 man RAS really.

[Vostok3]

They're super spiffy if you play defender in Planetstrike. You park them on the roof of a bastion, giving them LOS on everything; the attacker seldom has any kind of cover, aside from craters. Plus you get heavy choices out the wazoo.

 

I don't bother with them in standard games, though.

[Corby]

One dev squad with 4 Mls is 130pts. they have the flexibility of picking on hordes or light vehicles. at 130pts they can easily get their points back with one kill.

[THE_Lim_Dul]

The benefit of devs over preds is that it only takes 1 shot to kill a predator, and it takes more to wipe out a dev squad. That and you can't put plasma cannons on a predator.

 

The benefit of the preds, obviously, is mobility and armour saturation.

 

I haven't included devastators in any lists I've drawn up, but I am finding it tempting the more I think about it.

[T_roy]

i ran a jumper list with 3x devs with 12 ML's...........

i killed what i wanted, when i wanted.

[pararanger]

I tend to run a 5 man Dev squad with 3 ML and 1 LC. Give the LC the signum bonus and start popping enemy armor with it and use the ML's to whittle down infantry and other light armor. Well worth the points in my opinion. Volcatus, I believe runs 3 Dev squads with 12 ML's. I've been on the receiving end of that combination twice now and am very tempted to run it myself.

[JamesI]

I sometimes run jump lists with 2 dev units in it. Most games the ML were worthwhile, though I started to play almost nothing but Dawn of War games and removed the devs in favor of more jumpers.

[Volcatus]

I tend to run a 5 man Dev squad with 3 ML and 1 LC. Give the LC the signum bonus and start popping enemy armor with it and use the ML's to whittle down infantry and other light armor. Well worth the points in my opinion. Volcatus, I believe runs 3 Dev squads with 12 ML's. I've been on the receiving end of that combination twice now and am very tempted to run it myself.

 

Yep. 3 Dev squads, 4 ML's each. If I have the extra points, I'd run them like yours though. 3ML, 1 Lascannon is nice, even if the lascannon is a bit overpriced.

 

Devs aren't for everyone, as they require a different approach than mech in order to use them. Simply discounting them as "not mobile" is silly though. Mobility isn't as much as an issue if your threat range extends to every corner of the board.

 

I will continue to use mine, and continue to win. They're generally the MVP's of my list.