Razormech

[SteelAngelJohn]

More and more, I see the benefit of being able to put down a mech army, or at least having that option. Almost every player in my gaming group runs mech, for the most part; I've never seen so many Rhinos in every colour aside from mine...

 

But what is the viability of mechanising with Razorbacks instead?

 

My logic: I tend to use Scouts a lot. It's part of my chapter's fluff, and I generally quite like them. So I don't often have a lot of actual MARINES on the table, thus I don't need to maximise my carrying capacity...

 

...but I like big guns. And I cannot lie. No firepoints makes me sad, sure - no driveby Melta attacks - but a TLLC Razorback? Surely that's worthy of consideration, especially if my tac combat squads are riding around in them...

 

What's the thoughts of my battle brothers? To Razorback, or not to Razorback?

[Koremu]

I use Razorbacks under two circumstances.

 

When I want them to carry a HQ unit (Captain and Command Squad, Librarian and 5 Sternguard being the two most frequent)

 

or

 

When I want to carry a 'short' Tactical Squad for either flanking purposes (with Khan or Sicarius), Scout moves (again with Sicarius) or for starting on the table as a forward unit in DoW (I always have a plan for dealing with DoW).

 

 

I almost never take them as Transports for units which can't fit in them entire - even with the ability to Combat Squad, I find that a mechanised force which can't actually mount all its Infantry is lacking, in verisimilitude, in the very definition of "mechanised" and in the sheer practicality of having exposed Infantry on a 40k battlefield. Remember the words of the Codex Astartes: Any visible target, no matter how well protected, is a casualty.

[Jackelope King]

With razorbacks, as Koremu implied, you either use a few to cart around a few elite units, or you go all-in. There's no in-between.

 

With Codex: Space Marines, the most effective way to go all-in with Razorbacks is to spam Las/Plas Razorbacks and create a long-ranged shooty army. A 5-man tactical squad in a Las/Plas razorback weighs in at only 165 points, so they're actually not that hard to get on the table. But you can't suffice with a handful of razorbacks: you need at least 9 (yes, 9). You want las cannon fire on turn one to be a tidal wave that crashes into your opponent, and then to ramp up the punishment with twin-linked plasma gun shots as the enemy closes. The idea is that no army can deal with such a huge amount of AV11, and definitely not at range.

 

Alternatively, if you prefer the up-close game, Codex: Blood Angels is probably the only Codex that can perform an Assault Cannon Razorback Spam, as their Razorbacks are fast, and thus have an easier time swinging around to try to score some Rends on the side armor of enemy vehicles. The plus side? You don't need nearly as many Razorbacks (I think you can get away with 3-4 of them), as you can support them with suicide melta assault squads and Baal Predators (for more assault cannon-y goodness).

 

Or if you're feeling really out there, there's always immolator spam with Codex: Witchhunters in a Sisters army.

[DarkGuard]

There's nothing wrong with having a Razorback for a full 10 man Tactical Squad. Some do use them with the intention of combat squadding, but I utilise mine with a squad with flamer and plasma cannon that sits on an objective in my deployment zone. The Razorback means I can jump in it if I get dangerously low on numbers, or I can combat squad (which I dislike) and one the sergeant and flamer in it. But the main reason I use it is so I can get an extra heavy weapon on the board, be it a heavy bolter or a lascannon. Most of the objectives at my local store will be in cover, so I don't need to worry too much about using their transport to protect them in the open.

 

Basically if I'm planning on moving forward with the squad then they're getting a Rhino. If they're designed to hold ground in my deployment zone then they're getting a Razorback for extra firepower. Plus as I don't rely on shooting out the top hatch my firepower isn't removed by a single glancing hit.

[Koremu]

There's nothing wrong with having a Razorback for a full 10 man Tactical Squad. Some do use them with the intention of combat squadding, but I utilise mine with a squad with flamer and plasma cannon that sits on an objective in my deployment zone. The Razorback means I can jump in it if I get dangerously low on numbers, or I can combat squad (which I dislike) and one the sergeant and flamer in it. But the main reason I use it is so I can get an extra heavy weapon on the board, be it a heavy bolter or a lascannon. Most of the objectives at my local store will be in cover, so I don't need to worry too much about using their transport to protect them in the open.

 

Basically if I'm planning on moving forward with the squad then they're getting a Rhino. If they're designed to hold ground in my deployment zone then they're getting a Razorback for extra firepower. Plus as I don't rely on shooting out the top hatch my firepower isn't removed by a single glancing hit.

I can see the 'escape pod' tactic, but in the context of a fully mechanised list, the point is to deny your enemies anti-infantry weaponry targets for as long as possible. Razorbacks in the 'escape pod' context are more analogous to other long-range low-AV firepower platforms such as the Land Speeder Typhoon and the Rifleman Dreadnought. Each features a slight twist on the theme (high mobility, higher armour and escape pod capability, respectively), but in that environment all three are there to support a gunline - which is a completely different army style in the field.

[DarkGuard]

There's nothing wrong with having a Razorback for a full 10 man Tactical Squad. Some do use them with the intention of combat squadding, but I utilise mine with a squad with flamer and plasma cannon that sits on an objective in my deployment zone. The Razorback means I can jump in it if I get dangerously low on numbers, or I can combat squad (which I dislike) and one the sergeant and flamer in it. But the main reason I use it is so I can get an extra heavy weapon on the board, be it a heavy bolter or a lascannon. Most of the objectives at my local store will be in cover, so I don't need to worry too much about using their transport to protect them in the open.

 

Basically if I'm planning on moving forward with the squad then they're getting a Rhino. If they're designed to hold ground in my deployment zone then they're getting a Razorback for extra firepower. Plus as I don't rely on shooting out the top hatch my firepower isn't removed by a single glancing hit.

I can see the 'escape pod' tactic, but in the context of a fully mechanised list, the point is to deny your enemies anti-infantry weaponry targets for as long as possible. Razorbacks in the 'escape pod' context are more analogous to other long-range low-AV firepower platforms such as the Land Speeder Typhoon and the Rifleman Dreadnought. Each features a slight twist on the theme (high mobility, higher armour and escape pod capability, respectively), but in that environment all three are there to support a gunline - which is a completely different army style in the field.

 

So I'm not fielding mech but some kind of hybrid? Darn it! :D

[DerekLee688]

A full unit of 10 tacs, a razorback, and dread seem like a solid unit. They can all fire most of their weapons moving 6" and make it where no one unit can easily take them out:Razor and dread hide infantry and infantry prevent the dread from being tarpited. That's one way to make use of a single razor with a unit of 10.

[Ryjak]

I miss my Razorbacks from before 5th Edition, when I could get a useful Tactical Squad with a Razorback. Now, they mostly just sit on the shelf, or pretend to be Rhinos...

 

But this got me thinking. First, the crazy idea. You could get 3 Tactical Squad 3 Razorbacks, split 'em into Combat Squads, and put 3 Combat Squads in Razorbacks, and 3 Combat Squads in Land Raiders. I don't know how viable an army like that would be, though. Other than making it Scoring, is there a good reason to put a half-Tac Squad in a Land Raider?

 

Now that's out of my system, here are all the units which can get Razorbacks:

 

Honor Guard

Command Squad

Sternguard Veterans

Tactical Squad

Vanguard Veterans

Devestator Squad

 

Now, if you think about what an IFV like the Razorback is for...

The Infantry Fighting Vehicle

The concept of the IFV is that of a hybrid, which by extension means that it will unfortunately fall under the "jack of all trades, master of none" sobriquet. The Razorback IFV is capable of multiple a multitude of weapon choices, which gives an Astartes commander a wide array of options for use against a similarly wide array of potential threats, including the anti-tank role which is traditionally the role of other Main Battle Tanks (MBTs). Razorbacks, but their very nature, usually take a more sedate approach to combat than do Rhinos; they move slowly, laying down fire from their turreted weaponry while simultaneously providing protected transport for a small infantry force. And herein lies the cardinal difference in roles between the APC and IFV that many people forget (or else never learn): Rhinos are transports. Razorbacks fight. If you are pushing Razorbacks 12" a turn, popping smoke, trying to get your infantry dumped off on an Objective, then you have missed the entire point of the IFV. The IFV doesn't support the infantry it carries! The infantry an IFV carries support it. You're paying points for those turrets -- use them.

So, what kind of support does the Razorback need? Well, after some thought, it depends on what gun you give it. Three options have good range, while two (Assault Cannons and Heavy Flamers) are short-ranged. The long-range Razors could probably use some more long-range supporting fire, while the up-close brawlers want someone to help deliver a good punch to the nose, if not a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick.

 

For brawling, I'd say the Captain/Master with a Command Squad/Honor Guard, or the Vanguard Veterans are a good choice. As the 6-man Captain w/ Command Squad cannot fully utilize the Rhino's capacity, it's not a terrible idea to give them a Razorback that pretends to be a Rhino. The Honor Guard and Vanguard might prefer a Rhino, or Land Raider. Sternguard sporting meltaguns or Heavy Flamers would do well here as well.

 

So, that leaves us with three shooty elements. If we limit them all to six models, the Sternguard far outshine the Tactical and Devestator Squads. For me, Devs get a black mark for taking up a Heavy Support choice, while small Tactical Squads are nigh useless. Well, they do make the Razorback Scoring, but that just makes it more of a target. Doesn't sound like very good support to me.

 

I think that's a good start. Your turn.