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Fun with Spearhead


waaanial00

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Hi all,

 

Found myself in a rather post holiday cant be bothered mood at work so I thought I would share my experiences with Spearhead and ask about other people. I like it here in the Ultra forum, people are friendly and all, so I dont fancy putting it anywhere else but if a mod wants to move there is nothing I can do to stop them.

 

My club ran a couple of games a few weeks ago and I had the pleasure of building a 2K spearhead vs a friends IG. I have to say that on first look the rules looked a lot of fun and a real shake up, however when I sat down to build a list I realised how horrible you can be. Knowing that I would have to out nasty my opponent, because no matter what I say he will build an evil list, I took the following

 

HQ

 

Cassius

 

Spearhead 1 - Mechanised Assault

 

5 TH/SS Terminators

 

Landraider Crusader

MM, Extra Armour

 

5 Tactical Terminators

Cyclone, 2 Chainfists

 

Land Raider

MM, Extra Armour

 

Spearhead 2 - Ambush

 

Dreadnought

2 x TL Autocannons

 

Dreadnought

TL Lascannon, Heavy Flamer

 

Spearhead 3 - Tank Hunter

 

Tri Las Predator

 

Spearhead 4 - Seek and Destroy

 

2 x MM Attack Bikes

 

2 x MM Attack Bikes

 

Total - 1995

 

I figured that this would be sufficient to take on his list as he is a notorious tread head. He took something like

 

Spearhead 1 - 5+ Inv

 

2 x Lemon Russ (squadron)

 

2 x Devildog

 

1 x Snubnosed cannon, AV11 rear armour Russ thing

 

Spearhead 2 - Mechanised Assault

 

2 x Vet squads

Chimeras, 3 meltas[/b]

 

1 Command squad

Chimera, 2 Melta, 1 Plasma, Master of Ordenance, Master of Fleet

 

Spearhead 3 - Apoc one

 

1 x Baneblade with Heavy Bolters everywhere :P

 

Fast Attack

 

2 Armoured Sentinels

Lascannons

 

 

 

Basically it was a massacre for me, I managed to get the first turn and due to my infiltrating Dreadnoughts on one side and my Landraiders coming on the other I was able to sandwich between his Devildogs and Lemon Russ tanks and destroy almost all of them. Only one of the Russ tanks survived till turn 2. I was then able to concentrate on killing the rest of his army, which didnt actually take very long.

 

Was fun to watch my lascannons make holes in the baneblade and my attack bikes killing a Chimera then charging his command squad and killing them all.

 

Still it was very one sided, we figured that depending on list build if you got first turn then you would be very hard pressed to lose. My opponent didnt have much fun at all and given that he was sulking a little it robbed me of some fun.

 

Has anyone played any spearhead yet? Whats your reaction to it? It feels very Apocalypse light and given that I dont like apoc its probably not going to become a regular thing.

 

Wan

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I've had two Spearhead games that both ended up lopsided in my favor after the 2nd turn or so. I meant to make reports of them but forgot, sorry!

 

This is the 2000pt list I've been using:

 

Ambush Spearhead

Dreadnought w/ assault cannon

Dreadnought w/ assault cannon, heavy flamer

Dreadnought w/ twin-linked autocannons

 

Tank Hunter Spearhead

Predator Annihilator w/ all lascannons

Predator Annihilator w/ all lascannons

Predator Destructor w/ heavy bolters, storm bolter

 

Mechanized Assault Spearhead

Land Raider w/ multi-melta, hk missile

--> Carrying: 2 tech Servitors, joined by a Techmarine and Master of the Forge w/ power axe

 

Seek and Destroy Spearhead

Landspeeder Tornado w/ multi-melta, heavy flamer

Landspeeder Tornado w/ heavy bolter, assault cannon

Landspeeder Typhoon w/ heavy bolter

 

Landspeeder Storm w/ heavy flamer

5 Scouts w/ power weapon and meltabombs

Vindicator

 

The best part is, it's all painted! Played against IG and Dark Angels, same thing happened. Predators were firebase, dreadnoughts made a nuisance of themselves, landspeeders zipped all over the place, and land raider + LSS wiped the flanks. The IG did better, holding onto objectives until the bitter end, though as I held the vital objective it didn't really matter.

 

I've become thoroughly annoyed at the Outrider Spearhead, with the chumps taking the hits for the vital tank. Both opponents used it, and because of that their ordnances blew apart too much stuff.

 

Amusingly, my tech-unit either won big or lost sadly. In the first game, both techmarines got out, the MotF to assault a squad IG and the regular techmarine to go kill a tank or two. Since the tech's target tank moved last turn, I wanted to immobilize it with shooting to make kraking it easier. Turns out, the tank blew up instead, killing the techmarine :blush: The Motf shot a couple guardsmen, then they ran out of charge distance! Bah, silly tech dudes...

 

In the second game they made up for it, wiping out a Ravenwing biker squad without a single casualty in CC.

 

The scouts mopped up in both games. In the first, they flanked a Leman Russ squadron and infantry squad. Killed the squad in CC, then grenaded both tanks to explosions...took a single casualty throughout. In the second game they wiped out a tactical squad in CC (though, that was after firing the LSS, scouts, and 3 dreadnoughts at them).

Spearhead is a great excuse for me to go against my Guard friend and other players at our store considering for just my dedicated Ultras I can run:

 

3 Land Raider Phobos'

2 Land Raider Crusaders'

1 Land Raider Terminus Ultra

1 Land Raider Redeemer

1 Land Raider Prometheus

1 Land Raider Helios

2 Whirlwinds

4 Vindicators

3 Predators (All Magnetized)

12 Razorbacks/Rhinos (All able to switch what they are)

6 Land Speeders

10 Dreadnoughts (All Magnetized!!!)

1 Thunderhawk Gunship

 

Now, if I wanted to get mean, I could take my pair of Warhound Titans and drop in 13 Drop Pods as well stick Chronus in the Terminus Ultra. Sooner or later I'm going to get another Reaver Titan to replace my stolen one.

 

Typically when I play my Guard friend, it's like 2 or so Armored Companies duking it out with me as we play "Who's the better Desert Fox". Hahaha! Against my friends Tau it's "who's better at Target Prioritizing?", and with my my Ork friend it's 'What's still alive on the table after turn three?"

 

And yes, I'm aware my friends and I have A TON of Tanks, and a A TON of money and time to waste on toy soldiers... :no:

And yes, I'm aware my friends and I have A TON of Tanks, and a A TON of money and time to waste on toy soldiers... :lol:

Your skill at understatement has just gone up 1 point.

 

 

You'd be surprised at how much free-time work gives me when I can't leave the office. :)

3 Land Raider Phobos'

2 Land Raider Crusaders'

1 Land Raider Terminus Ultra

1 Land Raider Redeemer

1 Land Raider Prometheus

1 Land Raider Helios

2 Whirlwinds

4 Vindicators

3 Predators (All Magnetized)

12 Razorbacks/Rhinos (All able to switch what they are)

6 Land Speeders

10 Dreadnoughts (All Magnetized!!!)

1 Thunderhawk Gunship

 

 

This list made my jaw drop. Very impressive. My armored list so far consists of 2 Razorbacks, 1 Rhino, 1 Predator, 3 Attack Bikes and 1 Land Speeder. Nowhere near enough for a spearhead battle.

1 Land Raider Terminus Ultra
Can't use this one though, as it is only an Apocalypse unit. The rest are FW or a single Superheavy, which is allowable. Just sayin' :wub:.

 

2 Razorbacks, 1 Rhino, 1 Predator, 3 Attack Bikes and 1 Land Speeder. Nowhere near enough for a spearhead battle
I see a Mechanized Spearhead, Seek and Destroy Spearhead, and Tank Hunter Spearhead in those. More than enough to play!
Jeske, Spearhead is not a game for you. I wouldnt try it, save your money.

dont need to . I have more then enough walkers and tanks to play it now.

 

what do you guys do to not auto lose the game turn 1 , if you dont get the first turn under 2k points played ?
Take cover and don't deploy near the edges. It's actually quite easy.

 

with battle wagons being longer the LR + the size of the death roller. and them moving in formation of 2-3 . you would have to play on a table that is bigger then 4x6 [and then it means your no longer playing 1.5-2k point games about which am asking] , on smaller tables you wont fit all the tanks in the middle and rollers get you no matter what side they come from.

 

Or am I understanding the part about cover wrong and you actualy deploy inside buildings ? and block charge and LoS with walls and then snipe through the windows[as you cant be tank shocked if the tank shocker would end his movment on top of a wall or somewhere where it cant stand without help] . + how do you deal with flyers or stuff that can move more then 12" per turn ?

Am realy interested in what tactics people use.

with battle wagons being longer the LR + the size of the death roller
It doesn't get to move any farther onto the table than a rhino. You don't ever include the deff rolla when measuring anything so that doesn't count, and if it wanted to move only 6" for example, you're allowed to hang off the table. Model size is no advantage. If, for some reason, the deff rolla is included in measurements, again it being the front of the vehicle, it can only go 12/13" from the table edge, or 18/19" if it's fast (I don't remember). Regardless, you have space (10-12") to not get hit by it. Column deployment FTW.

 

Against fast vehicles and punchers, place units to take the assault (and likely die, of course). Then obliterate what comes on with units capable to doing so, like vindicators. I did this exact tactic against hammernators coming out of a land raider. Placed my crappy predator and landspeeder to take the charge, used terrain to make assaulting other things out of the question, then blatted both units after I sacked the predator. Easy.

 

Use cover on the flanks to block/funnel/jam flanking vehicles. Buildings, forests, whatever. Anything that gets immobilized that didn't want to gets chumped.

 

how do you deal with flyers or stuff that can move more then 12" per turn
Shoot them? Combat is ineffective/not possible against them, so yea.

 

Or am I understanding the part about cover wrong and you actualy deploy inside buildings
Yea I suppose. We use well-made terrain that actually blocks LOS more often than not, not that crappy 4th ed "2 tree a template" terrain.
  • 2 weeks later...
Jeske, Spearhead is not a game for you. I wouldnt try it, save your money.

dont need to . I have more then enough walkers and tanks to play it now.

 

what do you guys do to not auto lose the game turn 1 , if you dont get the first turn under 2k points played ?
Take cover and don't deploy near the edges. It's actually quite easy.

 

with battle wagons being longer the LR + the size of the death roller. and them moving in formation of 2-3 . you would have to play on a table that is bigger then 4x6 [and then it means your no longer playing 1.5-2k point games about which am asking] , on smaller tables you wont fit all the tanks in the middle and rollers get you no matter what side they come from.

 

Or am I understanding the part about cover wrong and you actualy deploy inside buildings ? and block charge and LoS with walls and then snipe through the windows[as you cant be tank shocked if the tank shocker would end his movment on top of a wall or somewhere where it cant stand without help] . + how do you deal with flyers or stuff that can move more then 12" per turn ?

Am realy interested in what tactics people use.

Umm... dont deploy as far forward as humanly possible? Use terrain to your advantage? Reserves? Outflank things?

 

Flyers arent something you see in spearhead- theyre apocalypse. Unless your opponents are bringing vampires and thunderhawks?

 

As for things just moving more than 12" a turn, youd be silly not to bring some of your own- attack bikes, landspeeders, drop podding counter-assault units, theyre all good for hunting enemy skimmers, along with the joys of having mobile shooting predators for a change.

own- attack bikes, landspeeders, drop podding counter-assault units,

nids and chaos dont have any of those.

As Palladorus stated, theres always Mycetic Spores.

 

As for Landspeeders theres always harpies, winged hive tyrants, et all. How about A Mawloc- in your DZ from accross the board in a single turn.

 

Of course, none of this matters at all to how an ultramarine would play it.

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