For the honor of the tact squad

[elithren]

Ever since I started rolling BA and lurking on the forum here, the general feeling is that the tact squad is to be ignored like the plague! That cuts me deep because those boys have saved me plenty of times to earn my love, respect, and devotion. So, I wanted to address this overall disapproval by fighting for their cause! I absolutely love the ability to have 3 melt weapons(multi, melta, combi) in the squad who when they shoot at a something mean, it will die and anything else with it suffers the rapid fire bolters! Just the other day, I had my tact squad hold true by dropping 2 ork dreads before they could get into the charge(terrain slowed them so they stopped close in front :tu: ). Yes, I have more RAS in my army then the tact, but I find that for fire support that lasts and has the flexibility that you need comes from the hardened ranks of the tact squad. And if you have the points, fielding them with a priest makes the best objective defender ever!

 

Now that I got that off my chest, I want to know the reasons why you do/dont take the tact squad in your army and dont be afraid to include a brief report/story of how they did something that saved the game.

[JamesI]

My main issue with the Tac squad is this.

 

If I want a squad to have special weapons, I need 10 men. Now when I buy them a rhino, there's no room for an IC.

 

And if I get a RAS with 8-10 guys and a rhino, its cheaper than the 10 tacs in a rhino.

[Erasmus of Baal]

I LOVE BA SHOOTING

 

No, really. It's awesome. Cheaper Devis, Fast vehicles, plus the usual--what's not to love? Oh, wait, that's right...the regular assault squad is a Troops choice in this codex which is a big thing, and we have Dexcent of Angels which is a big thing, and--so what? Tactical Squad with a Lascannon and a Plasma Gun and Feel No Pain is pretty hydroelectric dam hard to shift, especially in cover! There is no such thing as a "useless" Tactical Squad. There are army lists that should not take Tactical Squad, but the only ones of these that I can think of for Blood Angels are jump pack-obsessive lists. Mech can use these guys well, (being able to pop out of a transport and let out that much hell is not to be sniffed at lightly), my standing army loves them, and mixed lists, as far as I can tell, bascially need them. (I could be wrong on that last one, it is rather hyperbolic, but the point remains.) The Blood Angels love Tactical Squads as much as anyone else.

 

As for some kind of battle report--one time I was facing a Black Templars Land Raider-heavy army. He placed his three Land Raiders carefully, checking that none of my squads (I had first turn) had shots to him. He missed one shot that I had at his Land Raider with Assault Terminators and I-forget-who (some nasty Independent Character) with one Lascannon from a Tactical Squad that was camping on my home objective. When I started shooting and I opened with that shot, he was miffed that he hadn't noticed the shot, but whe was unconcerned. I promptly wrecked the Land Raider. In his deployment zone. On turn one. I gave the Marine an award! (I did lose the game anyways, but that was still a pretty nice moment.)

[Mezkh]

Double Plasma tacticals are good value too I think. Add FNP if you really want.

 

This gives you two useful things.

 

1. Something you can camp on a home objective and not feel like you're wasting resources.

2. A deepstrike deterrent. No one likes tempting fate by making nice circles for the Plasma cannon.

[Zeller]

I love tactical squads and field them over RAS every time. They're not being wasted if you aren't always moving forwards hunting for a target to charge. Rhino bunkers are great for sitting across a canal as a mad max sized force of trucks rushes your position. Bolters are then awesome for standing on the very same edge of the canal and double tapping at any ork foolish enough to close. And then when charging with a priest my boys are still effective. It seems I lose just as many RAS in a charge as I do tacticals so I'd take my general squad over the assault squad. I've also had better luck with my tacticals.

 

However, I do use RAS in a strike from the skies/ counterassault unit that lingers on the edge of my force ready to strike on a weakened squad.

 

Also, I play 2nd company, not an assault company so the number of tactical squads I use makes sense. Inb4 just play C:SM.

[Brother Nathan]

my plan is a tactical squad to hold my objective and support my devistator squad. might combat squad and put pure bolter guys infront just to act as a cover save too...

[vonny]

I'm having lots of tactical squads in my army atm, because I wanted to paint a whole battle company (By now I'm wondering how I ever got that idea).

so I started painting with the first squad, then the second, then I wanted an assault squad for a change.... and I suddenly was able to field a 1000 pts army, but only if I put everything I painted into it.

 

So, not very effective maybe, but it has won me more games than my tyranids did :D With 2 tac squads even!

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Assault squads have more advantages versus tactical squads which I think was intentional for Blood Angels. As noted you can attach characters to a full assault squad with no penalty. If you want to do this with a tactical squad then you'll need a full squad with a transport and combat squad. There is no reduction in cost for the tactical squad's transport. Blood Angels were designed to be a highly mobile force and to me that is the main reason why tactical squads are no longer popular. Being able to field assault squads as a troop choice is a real blessing.

 

0b :D

[Zeller]

Though tacticals can move 18 inches in the tank until destroyed or immobilized. I think the advantage to capitalize on for tacticals is this: your boys are in their box, they drive up, PK nobs assault the transport, your boys are fine.

[Brother-Captain Devlonir]

I feel 1 Tactical Squad in a Rhino is a real blessing to any BA Army. Especially the mechanized version.

You simply have a mobile firing base for a heavy weapon and a special weapon (Plasma Cannon and Gun for example) which is safer behind the mobile cover of the Rhino.

Compared to all other things in your Mech list, the Tactical Squad seems like a little threat, so it allows you to use it for a number of rounds before it becomes a prime target for enemy shooting.

 

Also, as mentioned above. A 12 inch move, disembark, shoot option for the Tactical Squad can be very nasty, especially if you run it with a Flamer. They are deadly before a RAS is, who has to time their disembark untill after a round of shooting of the enemy to really do all it can.

7 boltguns, a flamer and hand flamer can be really painful to any Blob of troops your enemy has on the field. And with a Sang Priest nearby (preferably one who travels with your jump infantery), even the 1 less attack makes them still about as deadly as vanilla assault marines on the charge.

[Corby]

I feel 1 Tactical Squad in a Rhino is a real blessing to any BA Army. Especially the mechanized version.

You simply have a mobile firing base for a heavy weapon and a special weapon (Plasma Cannon and Gun for example) which is safer behind the mobile cover of the Rhino.

Compared to all other things in your Mech list, the Tactical Squad seems like a little threat, so it allows you to use it for a number of rounds before it becomes a prime target for enemy shooting.

 

Also, as mentioned above. A 12 inch move, disembark, shoot option for the Tactical Squad can be very nasty, especially if you run it with a Flamer. They are deadly before a RAS is, who has to time their disembark untill after a round of shooting of the enemy to really do all it can.

7 boltguns, a flamer and hand flamer can be really painful to any Blob of troops your enemy has on the field. And with a Sang Priest nearby (preferably one who travels with your jump infantery), even the 1 less attack makes them still about as deadly as vanilla assault marines on the charge.

 

 

I presume you mean a combi flamer on the Sgt? As tacticals can't take hand flamers. Generally Blood angel mech should be highly mobile and the static stand and shoot approach of marines does not fit this. Also the combination you described of Sang priest and Tacticals, while turning weak a combat unit into something remotely decent , A ba assault squad has the advantage of mobility over you , so they'll be the ones charging you. Not you charging them.

 

And wow. A tactical squad with any sort of decent weapons + transport is well over 200 points. The best objective camper would be a 5 man assault marine squad in lascannon razorback. Far cheaper , far more mobile , Far more effective.

[Brother-Captain Devlonir]

The best objective camper would be a 5 man assault marine squad in lascannon razorback. Far cheaper , far more mobile , Far more effective.

 

When you talk about upsides, also mention downsides:

- Far easier killed by shooting or assault

- A far bigger target because their Razorback is more than just a transport

- No ranged threat = has to get off the objective whenever they want to threaten what is shooting them from 13+ inch away.

 

Sorry, but camping is not what a RAS does well, as they simply do not threaten enemies at range, they need to assault to take away a threat. While a Tactical Squad can just stay on the objective, possibly in cover, and shoot whatever shooting the enemy throws at them. And a full Tactical Squad has more shooting 'oomph' than most shooty armies have in their Troop choice.

[Plague Angel]

My main issue with the Tac squad is this.

 

If I want a squad to have special weapons, I need 10 men. Now when I buy them a rhino, there's no room for an IC.

Combat squads help with this. If there's an objective in or near my deployment zone, I can send half a tacsquad to camp it on foot, and have the other half take the Rhino/Razorback. A priest can go or stay with either half depending on need.

[JamesI]

My main issue with the Tac squad is this.

 

If I want a squad to have special weapons, I need 10 men. Now when I buy them a rhino, there's no room for an IC.

Combat squads help with this. If there's an objective in or near my deployment zone, I can send half a tacsquad to camp it on foot, and have the other half take the Rhino/Razorback. A priest can go or stay with either half depending on need.

I'm not a big fan of designing squads with the intention that they combat squad. Some games I'll use it, but I prefer to keep my squads large.

[Corby]

The best objective camper would be a 5 man assault marine squad in lascannon razorback. Far cheaper , far more mobile , Far more effective.

 

When you talk about upsides, also mention downsides:

- Far easier killed by shooting or assault

- A far bigger target because their Razorback is more than just a transport

- No ranged threat = has to get off the objective whenever they want to threaten what is shooting them from 13+ inch away.

 

Sorry, but camping is not what a RAS does well, as they simply do not threaten enemies at range, they need to assault to take away a threat. While a Tactical Squad can just stay on the objective, possibly in cover, and shoot whatever shooting the enemy throws at them. And a full Tactical Squad has more shooting 'oomph' than most shooty armies have in their Troop choice.

 

 

Its got a lascannon? How is that not a ranged threat to my opponent? Heck and if he wants to waste his long range shots tyring to pop my razorback at the far edge of the board , thats fine by me , as the rest of my army won't be eating the shots. And Assault marines do not need to assault to be effective, keep those 5 lads in a razorback to give you a highly mobile scroing unit , that can dish out some hurt of its own. If my opponent wants to waste shots on it , thats fine.

 

Also the 5 assault marines really shine as the removed jump pack discount makes gives me a razorback on the cheaper side of things.

[Brother Perun]

I do not use them anymore, the BA is CC army (at least for me) ;) and I prefer to take Baal predator with AC and HB spons rather than tactical squad as a fire support. My goal is to remove the enemy from its HQ, or to kill all the troops so that he can not occupy the objectives. very aggressive tactics but i like to play like that :) ;)

 

dunno, maybe I´ll try them again after this topic ;) ;)

[bulley]

I run razor spam so tactical squads do not present me with anyway to get special weapons in a razor. Also a x5 man ras squad wth razor is slightly cheaper, so more razor loving.

 

If I do run rhinos instead, I will absolutely go for the tactical squads.

 

I do think about doing x10 tacticals and a razor then combat squad, but I lose out on 1 razor in that scenario, and for 55 I get a HB/flamer vs lasplas or AC.

 

If I did count as SM or SW I'd absolutely run tactics (or GH), much better option in this case in my eyes, as both armies dynamic changes a bit (i'd rather the x10 GH w/ special weapons and counter charge, and the SM's would stil there and shoot the hell out of the armies).

[Plague Angel]

My main issue with the Tac squad is this.

 

If I want a squad to have special weapons, I need 10 men. Now when I buy them a rhino, there's no room for an IC.

Combat squads help with this. If there's an objective in or near my deployment zone, I can send half a tacsquad to camp it on foot, and have the other half take the Rhino/Razorback. A priest can go or stay with either half depending on need.

I'm not a big fan of designing squads with the intention that they combat squad. Some games I'll use it, but I prefer to keep my squads large.

The average game I play is 1250 points, so I guess I can get away with it easier and it kind of colors my viewpoints a bit.