Librarian Assault Squad?

[Master of the Shields]

In anticipation of the arrival of my first Libby, I couldn't help but notice they can be fitted with Jump Packs. So I was wondering if anyone has tried running a full assault squad with an attached Librarian? Say with two flamers and a powerfist for refrence. Or is this wasteful? Would a chaplain be most effective with his special rules as opposed to the librarians superior killiness?

 

I just keep thinking how awesome a jump pack librarian would look, with his assault squad following behind him in matching armor. =P

[spartan249]

It could work. Give it a shot, you may like it :D

[ShinyRhino]

I've run the exact unit you're thinking of.

 

Librarian with jump pack, Avenger, and another power.

10-man Assault Squad, two flamers, one powerfist.

 

I tend to run it as a "flamer bomb" unit. I leave the unit in reserve, to arrive by deepstrike. On arrival, I combat squad the sergeant and four Marines into one unit, and the two flamers, three Marines, and the Linto another. I place the first regular marine model from the Libby squad as the unit marker, and then roll for scatter. Once landed, place the Libby and two flamers toward the front of the formation, and the two other Marines toward the back. Test for Avenger, and light up the flamers. If you didn't scatter too far, you fry a whole lot of models.

 

The AP3 of Avenger makes this viable against anything that doesn't have a 2+ armor save, or a 3+ invulnerable. The real trick is landing on-target.

 

I've used this tactic to burn down Marines, Ork Lootas, etc. But I've also had it scatter badly and end up a sitting duck, as well as scatter badly and land on top of an existing close combat for a Destroyed! mishap result.

 

All in all, it's awesome for breaking up an infantry-based firebase unit, but largely useless against vehicles. No guts, no glory!

 

I don't have a ton of experience jumping them across the table, though they could do so reliably depending on terrain and composition of your opponent.

[Master of the Shields]

Yeah if I do I'll probably scream them behind one of my vindies and use the assault squad as a sort of linebreaker unit, uprooting dug in defenseiv units, like havocs, snipers, fire warriors, etc. Or to attack enemy ICs with their own retinues using the Libby to Lightsaber the commander and the assault marines to flamer/fist the weaklings

[minigun762]

I think it would work just fine. I'd almost be tempted to try Force Dome, allowing you to take a more direct path (not having to hide in/behind cover) while still having some kind of increased save.

[Koremu]

The only problem with it is that it puts your Librarian into CC, where the major advantage of being in a unit (immunity to direct targetting) is nullified. That means that you can very easily lose your Psy Hood to a PWpn or PFist

[Xeonic]

I've run a winged libby with warptim-er...

 

I've been wanting to try a jumppack libby with nullzone and force dome with assault marines with 2 plasma pistol and a sarge with plasma pistol and a lightning claw. Deep strike, and if you land near elites, nullzone and plonk 4 PP shots on them, followed by the rest of your armies low AP fire. If you scatter, have to move into the open, or are in danger of being charged, force dome it up for the randomness of a 5+ invulnerable save. :)

 

With flamers I imagine he could add a lot to the squad as a third and heavier flamer template. In this case I'd be tempted to give sarge dual claws and again, give the libby nullzone. Add in a jump chaplain and you'd be murderous on the charge too. :yes:

Rerolls to hit, rerolls to wound on sarge, and they reroll invulnerable saves. You could take the epistolary plunge too and cast nullzone+might for a relic blade light as well.

 

I'm however a boring person and I usually have my foot libby leading sternguard in a rhino, or my termie libby(VORTEX OF DOOOOM!) slogging or deep striking with tac termies. :woot:

[Brother_Fatiswon]

you might think about this: 5 man assault squad w/flamer + Jump packing Libby (avenger/null zone) supporting a FULL Vanguard squad with Jump packs,Melta bombs and maybe a Thunder hammer. you can combat squad the Vanguards for dual armor peeling duty, or keep them whole for The Heroic charge on a Nulled target...

[ShinyRhino]

you might think about this: 5 man assault squad w/flamer + Jump packing Libby (avenger/null zone) supporting a FULL Vanguard squad with Jump packs,Melta bombs and maybe a Thunder hammer. you can combat squad the Vanguards for dual armor peeling duty, or keep them whole for The Heroic charge on a Nulled target...

 

That's a lot of moving parts for a gimmick move, IMO.

[Koremu]

Personally if I was using a Librarian in an Assault Context, I'd use a Biker Librarian, as the increased Toughness compensates somewhat for the lack of a genuine personal Invulnerable Save.

[mowglie]

Personally if I was using a Librarian in an Assault Context, I'd use a Biker Librarian, as the increased Toughness compensates somewhat for the lack of a genuine personal Invulnerable Save.

 

I agree here. I've played Bike Captain, Bike Librarian, Assault-geared Bike Command Squad before. T5, FNP means I'm much less unhappy about my psy-hood being in assault.

 

On the other hand, if he's already on a bike I think he's better off with Null-zone and Vortex.

[Ming]

Horde killer -

 

libby, null, avenger

assault sergeant, pf (or claw), combiflamer

2 assault marines with flamers

7 regular assault marines.

 

Now we are at 4 flamer templates (one is AP3, the others AP5) on the drop.

 

If you have a pod, give it the beacon, and you can drop there with no scatter.

 

If you are near Kantor, you are now inspired...if you drop with shrike or a chaplain, somebody will need to change their shorts...if you drop nearby another assault squad or move up a tac squad, now you have flankers protecting this main unit.

 

If your opponent is coming to you, might as well start on board in cover so you can counter attack them.

 

(oh, how I wish o wish o wish someone would sell combiflamers in 5 packs...)

[Xeonic]

Assault sergeant can't take a combi in codex space marines.

 

I think that the issue with the libby in CC is not the toughness, it's the utter lack of invulnerable save... this is fine vs some armies, but vs anything with a hidden powerfist you're going to eat it and die in the first round of combat. A bike does nothing to help out here, a fist still wounds on a 2+ and causes ID, but termie armor can get you a 3++, at the cost of 1A(actually making you *less* killy!). My terminator libbie has done pretty good for himself leading a tac termie squad by the way, but even so he's no assault juggernaut. The other way to get an invuln is force dome, but that's a 5+ randomness save, good for protecting a big squad of guys, not so much for trying to keep one model alive.

 

The libby entry would be so much nicer if he could purchase artificer armor and/or just a storm/combat shield in PA. Still, he's so fun to run around avengering things with.

Oh yes, I have a heavy flamer... IT'S MY MIND! :P

[Master of the Shields]

Personally if I was using a Librarian in an Assault Context, I'd use a Biker Librarian, as the increased Toughness compensates somewhat for the lack of a genuine personal Invulnerable Save.

 

but then I'd have to buy one! Lol, no but yeah if I ran the Libby by his lonesome, then I'd def consider taking a bike. Otherwise if I took a bike squad with him I don't think the unit would serve the same role on the field. Or does the T5 outway this concern?

[ShinyRhino]

A Biker Librarian does not fulfill the same role as a Jump Librarian.

 

Sure, you could attach the Biker Libby to the Assault Squad, but then you miss out on the whole point of jump packs...moving over terrain, or instant application of flamers to faces via deepstrike.

 

T5 really won't save you versus anything that already threatens a Librarian in close combat.

[Arikel]

For a cc libby, would it be a good idea to take epistolary upgrade, quickening and avenger(or might of the ancients)? You could flame plate and hit at ini 10 or force death someone or if it's a big ic gribbly you could skip the template and ini 10 force death him. With might of the ancients you'd have the potential to have an ini 10 relicblade that also trashes av14 handily if you come across a landraider.

[ShinyRhino]

For a cc libby, would it be a good idea to take epistolary upgrade, quickening and avenger(or might of the ancients)? You could flame plate and hit at ini 10 or force death someone or if it's a big ic gribbly you could skip the template and ini 10 force death him. With might of the ancients you'd have the potential to have an ini 10 relicblade that also trashes av14 handily if you come across a landraider.

 

I've often wondered the same thing...if the points for Epistolary is worth it, and when. Two powers per turn would be nice, but would be even nicer with a larger repitoire of powers, like Tigurius has. But Tiggy doesn't get the chance for a jump pack or Terminator armor.

 

I10 from Quickening would be nice for cutting down enemy ICs, especially when paired with Might for the S6 hits. Honestly, I don't see Force Weapons being "activated" much, because so many units are immune to ID now, or have a reliable invulnerable save.

[Master of the Shields]

I would give mine avenger and probably either might or quickening (leaning closer to might) as the local armies I contend with are at a 2:1 ratio of space marines of every flavor but dark angel. Fry a few power armored opponents before the charge then chop up a few more during the assault. With the supporting squad, they can take down any tac squad equivelents, and with proper placement I can avoid getting singled out by the powerfist sarge, though I don't think many local players employ tac sarges with fists as often as I do.

[rat of vengence]

I have been running a 8 man assault squad with jp libby for quite a while. The squad has a flamer and a powerfist, and the libby takes avenger and machine curse. I tend to keep them back as counter assault/threat, or move them up behind my vindi and rhinos to pounce on sdomething that has been weakened by rapid fire.

Avenger is obvious, and great, but machine curse is unusual. I keep my libby cheap and cheerful, so only one power a turn for him. If he is not about to lay down a template of death on MEQ or something squishy, or lining up a character for some instant death, he is able to reach out and quite reliably reduce the amount of fire inbound from opposition armour. Machine curse is not much use against nids though :)

 

Remember, your assault squad and libby are only there to allow your scoring units to take objectives, so be willing to sacrafice them if it will achieve that. Be a tad more conservative in kill point missions though ;)

 

RoV