Tell Me All About......

[Bannus]

Building upon and complimenting the Elemental Styles of armies is the general build of the army. While there are numerous variations to any given theme, I've placed them in some rather simplistic categories as follows:

 

1) The "Gun Line" Army (also known as the "shooty" army)

 

2) The Mechanized Army (also known to as "the Rhino Rush")

 

3) The Biker Army (a favorite of White Scars armies)

 

4) The Drop-pod army (a favorite of Raven Guard armies)

 

5) The "Balanced" Army (most favored by Water players and employs a little of everything)

 

6) The Assault Army (or close combat army)

 

If you wish to discuss a variation that is not specifically mentioned here (or applies as part of the elemental styles), let me know. It may fit as a variation within one of the preexisting topics or I can generate one if it doesn't mesh well with what we already have.

 

 

The threads on the elemental styles focus on how the army army plays (and a bit on builds favored by each style), while these threads will focus on on favored builds and tactics based on the actual build of the army. In the end, I hope we will have a good foundation of raw material to build upon.

 

So while the elemental threads focus on tactics first and then builds, these threads will focus on builds first and then tactics.

 

What we need to know here is what works and what doesn't work for a particular build of army - the genius and folly.

 

This particular thread focuses on the Assault-oriented army.

 

Normally, I would post links to other extant threads that relate to the subject, but time is a bit tight this week, so feel free to post links to related topics within the tread and I'll move them to the first post later.

 

I appreciate all your help!

 

Let the discussions begin.....

[Malthe]

A rare breed when it comes to C:SM armies!

 

Then most common is probably Shrike with infiltrating, fleeting scouts for a turn 1 charge.

Season with assault marines, land speeder storms (with more scouts), and assault terminators, to your liking.

Problem is that if you don't go first or you opponent doesn't start with his units on the board, you're usually in trouble.

Basically it's an alpha-strike army, with all the problems that bears with it.

Also there are a lot of units that a space marine doesn't want to engage in close-combat, howling banshees, genestealers, mega-nobz, etc.

I suppose you could make a somewhat balanced close-combat army, by having cc-scouts in land raiders as your troops, problem is that after that initial charge, scouts drop like flies.

Vanguards would be really helpful in a cc-army, but they are horribly expensive and HI is very unreliable.

 

Guess it comes down to this:

Yes you can make an effective Assault Army with C:SM, but if you happen to fight against another army dedicated to close-combat your almost always gonna be in huge troubles.

A shame really ;)

I love to see a decent close-combat C:SM army!

[Captain Juan Juarez]

In terms of C:SM Armies, the fact you rarely see one that is primarily Assault is down to two factors; the relatively weak CC abilities of Assault Squads and the high cost and FoC restricitions on the more elite CC-orientated units. These two things reduced the viability of an assault-orientated army, especially in competitive terms.

 

 

There-in lies both the advantage and disadvantge of using an assault based army; it is harder to use so presents a challenge but also, if played well, can be unbeatable against foes unfamiliar with the style.

 

 

 

A few thoughts to begin, possibly more later when I've had time to think properly.

[Squirrel]

Another assault army would be an all dread MotF, though this seems to be losing out to the versitily that a rifle man dread army can present, and seems to become a ranged list.

 

i find sm by far a shooty army, and their strength lies in concentrating their fire, with mechanization. The exception being you usually want to assault the more dedicated shooty armies, like guard and tau

[Paulochromis]

@Malthe, Captain JJ: interesting that you have assumed C:SM only - I didn't read that anywhere.

 

Obviously, C:BA, C:BT, C:SW and C:CSM can all muster PA-based assault armies.

 

In so far as C:SM is concerned, what about LR rush loaded with assault termies, or HG, or even a command squad or vanguard vets with a suitable HQ choice (chaplain, lysander, calgar, khan)

 

Cheers, Paul.

[Br0ther Rafen]

To Paulchromis, that isn't really an assault army, per say, that's more of a deathstar unit.

An assault army for C:SM I think would have to include lots of cc scouts for troops, land speeders/assault squads to support

the scouts and mabye cc Termies for distractions.

My 2 cents

 

Ps that wasn't meant as an insult, just stating a fact.

[Hellios]

To Paulchromis, that isn't really an assault army, per say, that's more of a deathstar unit.

An assault army for C:SM I think would have to include lots of cc scouts for troops, land speeders/assault squads to support

the scouts and mabye cc Termies for distractions.

My 2 cents

 

Ps that wasn't meant as an insult, just stating a fact.

 

Deathstar is the type of units used... instead of say MSU type army... now either one can be shooty or choppy or whatever I would say an army that consisted of transports full of CC specialist units is a assault army...

 

I'm not sure aboput your scout army... scouts can do stuff but I would expect an all CC scout army to be wiped all over the floor by a dedicated CC army unlessw the Land speeders are killing a lot in which case is it a dedicated assault army anymore?

[Armor Athlete]

To Paulchromis, that isn't really an assault army, per say, that's more of a deathstar unit.

An assault army for C:SM I think would have to include lots of cc scouts for troops, land speeders/assault squads to support

the scouts and mabye cc Termies for distractions.

My 2 cents

 

Ps that wasn't meant as an insult, just stating a fact.

 

 

This is pretty much my theme for my whole Chapter. I really wanted an "Aerial Superiority" type of Chapter. 1) I dont know if I want to drop the dollars to get this army. 2) Would it really work? Like playing WS but with Assault SQs and Landspeeder SQs with Scouts as troops...

 

I do think that SMs overall are "shooty" but give people the choice to play what ever you want.

 

Good discussion

 

I also thought about the whole army rolling in Razorbacks and 6 man sqs... lots of shooty and then just basic Marine assault.