Enemies 101 - Complete

[Shadowstalker Grim]

can inquire as to which particular passage in the IG section you're referring? Im not sure which section you mean ;)

[Commander Sasha]

As a relatively new Tyranid player, I'd add a couple of things:

General Tactics and warnings:

 

Instinctive Behaviour and The Synapse Web

Most Tyranids are unintelligent beasts, who revert to one of two basic behaviours, Lurk or Feed, depending on the unit type, unless they are within 12" of a dominant, or "Synapse" creature. When this happens, the Tyranid player loses a fair amount of control over those units. As such, he will spread the leaders around the table, so taking these big critters out should be a priority. Synapse also makes all small critters in range Fearless.

 

Screening, or "The Onion"

With a lot of the 'Nid hard hitters being Monstrous Creatures, they get a cover save by being masked by smaller ones in front; expect a wave of cheap gribblies, followed by bigger ones, maybe even bigger ones after that. Beware of getting tarpitted then overpowered as the waves hit.

 

Low T, low Sv, no grenades

Massed firepower is your friend: rapid firing bolters sees loads go down, and if you're in cover, their lack of grenades means Initiaive 1. Flamers rock, Hot Wings anyone?

A lot of the better units, other than the big MCs, are T4, so those free krak missiles are Instant Death

 

A few units to watch out for:

Hive Tyrant

The main, though not ubiquitous, HQ choice. Beware of Lash Whips, reducing B2B models to I1, and Paroxysm, a psychic power reducing your WS and BS to 1 for his AND YOUR turns. Ouchie!

 

Tyrant Guard

These guys are like a retinue for the Hive Tyrant, and allow wound distribution, even though the HT is an MC. Also, as they are NOT MCs, the HT can get coversaves if the TG is a bit covered, due to the unit 50% rule.

 

Hive guard

A dedicated tank hunter, which doesn't need line of sight, so is good at lurking in cover, with S8 Ass2 shots. Nearly every Tyranid army will have these, and/or Zoeanthropes(mentioned already). BS3 means each one (up to 3 in a unit) will average a S8 hit each turn, trouble for armour.

 

Doom of Malantai

Scary brain that kills your guys, sucks their life, and gets stronger and more wounds as it does so. Still only T4 though, so Instakill with a missile or fist. Cannot affect units in transports, as per the GW FAQ(This was a big argument until the FAQ!)

 

Genestealers

Already mentioned, but I should add that they can Outflank, so don't set up within 18" of the sides of the table. (Move,Run,Fleet assault). Thunderfires and Devestators will get munched if they're not in the middle of your table edge.

 

 

Hope this is of use, please copy or rephrase any that is useful to you.

An excellent project, and a great tool for the beginner. Thanks for all your hard work.

[Shadowstalker Grim]

Thank you for this information Commander Sasha, its rather informative and relevent, i'll include it in the section! Thanks again! :)

[Shadowstalker Grim]

Hello again!

 

With the release of the new Grey Knight codex, i've made a few modifications to the daemonhunters section (currently named daemonhunters/grey knights) thought it was time to share!

 

 

Its under change at the moment, but with the help of some of the info in the topic by DarkGuard on grey knights I think theres some valuable information that i've managed to add.

 

Any further additions or scrutiny will be appreicated to the new section, or just to any section in general!

 

 

I'll be moving the Grey Knights to their appropriate location alphabetically in a few months, as they have held the Daemonhunter moniker for a long time!

 

Thanks,

 

- Grim

[Chapter Master Ignis Domus]

I was looking through the Space Wolves section, and noticed that it says they are weak at long range. From my experience playing and playing against Wolves, they seem to be an excellent ranged army, using Long Fangs/Cyclone Wolf Guard and Razorback gunlines to shoot things into oblivion, while Thunderwolves charge up and provide a distraction, and Wolf Scouts attack any vehicles trying to hide.

[Corby]

I was looking through the Space Wolves section, and noticed that it says they are weak at long range. From my experience playing and playing against Wolves, they seem to be an excellent ranged army, using Long Fangs/Cyclone Wolf Guard and Razorback gunlines to shoot things into oblivion, while Thunderwolves charge up and provide a distraction, and Wolf Scouts attack any vehicles trying to hide.

 

 

Yes. The guide does really need to be updated. Space wolf shooting is up there with Imperial guard as some of the best in the game.

[DarkGuard]

About the Grey Knights, you've still got them down as having unlimited range psychic hoods Grim, they now have a range of 24" like everyone else. However, this is somewhat compensated for by having the Aegis, which makes direct psychic powers harder to get off, especially with the presence of a nearby Dreadnought.

 

I'd also suggest combat as being a strength of Grey Knights, because it is. Nearly every model comes equipped with a force weapon which imbues them with additional bonuses and properties, and with pretty much all of their ranged weaponry being assault they can hit assault hard. However, also keep in mind that except for some units, such as the Dreadnought of standard Land Raider, pretty much all Grey Knights ranged weaponry is mid-short range, meaning that a weakness of there's is long-ranged firepower.

 

Mobility for Terminators is also an issue Grey Knights may run into.

 

In things to look out for I'd mention the Reinforced Aegis in the Dread section, if a Dread is within 12" of a unit being targeted by a psychic power that power is made with a Ld modifier of -4. Also, Paladins might be worth a mention in the Terminator bit, equipped correctly they can play wound allocation games really well and be tough to kill.

 

Otherwise it all looks good.

 

 

@Chapter Master Ignis Domus and Corby: I believe this 101 was made before lots of people ran into Space Wolf armies with lots of Long Fangs, and therefore the idea of long-range firepower not being their strong point stemmed from the focus on short-ranged fire fights and combat. I imagine Grim means for this to be a living document, and so stuff like this will be updated when he gets the time.

[Shadowstalker Grim]

Thanks for the pointers guys!

 

Yeah I do mean to do updates every few months in batches, but at the moment i've been really pressed for time! I'll get round to making changes and alterations when I get a nice solid period.

 

Thanks greatly for the pointers, sometimes keeping on top of such a large article is tough! Wouldnt be able to do it without you! :)

[Brother Navaer Solaq]

bump.

 

when is the next update for this happening?

[DarkGuard]

Just had a flick through. Is it just Necrons and Sisters that need updating?

[Chengar Qordath]

Yeah, those are the only two new codices. Updating the Sisters entry is going to be rather depressing though; fewer strengths and all the same weaknesses, except moreso.

 

What to watch for:

Battle Conclaves: Combining the hard-hitting Death Cult Assassins and the very durable Crusaders into a single unit that packs a nasty cc punch, especially with a confessor letting them re-roll to hit on the charge. Be especially wary of a squad led by the SC Uriah Jacobus, who grants his squad an extra attack and Feel No Pain. However, they have no ranged firepower, and the Sisters don't have any durable or fast transports. Kill their Rhino, and force them to walk while hitting them with torrent fire.

 

Exorcists: Capable of putting out enough tank-busting missiles to make anything softer than a Land Raider nervous, especially with AP 1, and also quite capable of shooting up heavy infantry in a pinch. The random number of shots does introduce a luck element, but you can always expect them to get the full six shots at the worst possible time.

 

Dominions: Special Weapon carriers with the ability to Scout and outflank, plus and Act of Faith that makes their weapons twin-linked.

[DarkGuard]

I think those are the main ones. Unless someone else can do it I'll be more than happy to do update Sisters as I did a lot for them in the first one. Will have to wait until after next Monday though due to real life commitments.

 

EDIT: chengar, I'd imagine you'd know more than me anyway ;).

[Chengar Qordath]

Not sure on that; DarkGuard; my utter loathing of the Sister's Dwarfdex might throw my analysis off on some points. Anyway, to elaborate on my previous entry.

 

Strengths:

 

None, because Matt Ward hates women

 

The Sisters can produce a dangerous amount of close-range firepower. The sisters can pack a lot of bolters, flamers and melta weapons into a list, and if they can effectively bring all that firepower to beat the end result is pain. While Sisters are cheaper than Marines, their shooting is every bit as deadly, and can be even worse with the right Act of Faith.

 

While the new codex has decreased the threat posed by Faith, it can still provide a nice little bonus when everything comes together for it to work properly.

 

Weaknesses:

The army has little in the way of variety with a very limited FOC to start with and several sub-optimal units. The only real changes from list to list will be relatively minor things like taking one Heavy Bolter Retributor Squad instead of an Exorcist or a Seraphim Squad instead of Dominions. Once you've faced one Sisters list, you'll have more or less faced them all.

 

The new Faith mechanics are not terribly reliable, and don't scale very well. It's not reliable enough to be an important part of your opponent's strategies; so there's not much you can do beyond hope the dice gods favor you. It's worth remembering that squad leaders increase the odds of an Act of Faith working, so if you have some way to snipe them out that's worth considering.

 

With the exception of the Battle Conclaves, the army doesn't have much in the way of close combat ability. Getting stuck in will almost always be a winning strategy, and since the army relies on close range firepower to do damage there should be plenty of opportunities for that.

 

The army has no psychic defense, so a Librarian/Sorcerer should be able to operate unimpeded.

 

The army is lacking in long-ranged firepower; aside from the Exorcist, the only weapon the army has that can reach past 24" is the heavy bolter.

[Shadowstalker Grim]

Thanks for making the update Chengar, I've made some modifications to the 101 now,

 

- Daemonhunters/Grey Knights was re-written in places and moved to its appropriate alphabetical place (I think its been long enough since the newer codex that the daemonhunters information will no longer be neccessary)

 

- Sisters of Battle (Formerly Witch Hunters) has been re-written a bit and placed in alphabetical order

 

 

 

I'll make an update to necrons sometime soon, it sounds like that'll need some more attention as I think they've accrued quite a few more dangerous units.....but at least they are more or less the same. But if I remember theres been changes to the We'll be Back rule? It might need some reviewing once I get round to making an update.

 

Thanks again for helping me with this everyone :jaw:

[DarkGuard]

Necrons we'll be back rule is now Reanimation Protocol. Basically when a Necron model in a unit dies you remove it as normal, and leave a counter in its place. At the end of the phase, as long as the unit is not falling back or completely wiped out, you roll a die for each Necron model in the unit that died. On a 5+ they return, placed anywhere in unit coherency of the unit. ICs tend to have the "Everliving" rule which works similarly except for unit restrictions, I believe they can still return if the unit is dead but the unit can't return if only the IC is alive.

 

So basically RP is better than WBB. It's a lower chance of bringing them back, but there are no restrictions on using your RP roll on certain weapon types, so they still get it against missile launcher, power weapons etc. Likewise it's a lot simpler and more streamlined than the bulky old rules. Beware res orbs which boost the roll from 5+ to 4+ for the character and his unit, due to price it'll often be used in expensive elite squads like Lyche Guard and maybe vital objective holders.

 

Also Necrons have the ability in any list to make you fight in Night Fight for one turn, while they aren't affected. Many will have two of these Solar Pulses giving you two turns of being in Night Fighting. Army lists build around Imotekh may have Night Fighting on for longer, though the Crons get affected, but then your units can get struck randomly with S8 lightning, very bad for mech lists.

 

Crypteks can also carry nasty weapons like a shorter range AP2 assault missile launcher, or a flamer template that ignores armour (forget exact wounding value). One nasty trick is to put the flamer Cryptek into a Deathmark squad, marking an enemy unit and wounding on 2s against that unit.

 

Scarab swarms got nasty against parking lots, with their attacks having a chance to remove one point of armour, and if that armour value goes below 0 the vehicle is destroyed. Scarabs are what Carnifexes wanted to be, cheap MCs with different options allowed in the squad, and they keep pooping out Scarab swarms into living Scarab units nearby. They can only replenish though, not create. Wraiths also got lash whips effectively, so expect to see these units in Fast Attack a lot.

 

Lyche Guard are their response to Terminators. They'll normally have power weapons and a 3+/4++ save while accompanied by a Warscythe Lord (itself basically acting like a Sergeant), allowing them to deal with most things. S5 and T5 means they hit hard and are durable, and again RP keeps them healthy, especially if the Lord has a Res Orb. Also beware Mindshackle Scarabs, more than guaranteed to make a model in your unit strike against the unit. In fact there's a squad based around using loads of mindshackle scarabs called "Derp hammer".

 

Overlords will nearly always be used to allow use of Crypteks and Lords. I hear a common set up is warscythe in a barge, giving them a near melta equivalent capable of attacking tanks 24" away. Overlord can give up wounds to keep barge active. And as long as he didn't move flat out the player can always get him out the barge after having already attacked something in the barge and then charge another unit, while the barge shoots a different unit itself.

 

And then we have tesla, which is a new weapons type. Although assault 1 and AP-, it has the same range of a storm bolter, allowing Necrons to play midfield. Also, any roll of a 6 to hit provides an extra 2 hits, so at 12"+ range it's actually a better weapon than gauss weapons. Factor in that the lowest strength weapon is S5, and like gauss it can get plenty of glancing hits on vehicles of AV10-11 (like our Rhinos and Speeders), although Gauss obviously does better vs AV12+. The tesla destructer is mounted on an annihilation barge and one of their common transports, being S7 heavy 4 twin-linked, making it a good anti-transport weapons. Can also "arc" hits onto other squads so be careful of clumping up.

 

They've also got a new transport, the Ghost Arc, that is Necron Warrior exclusive in selection. It also helps replenish casualties, so can keep a unit strong, while having two sets of gauss blasters that can fire at different targets, while being open topped means the unit inside can fire at a different target. Also can be made into a Vindicator rip off, with better range, better AP? but worst strength and inability to move to fire the good gun. Also more expensive.

 

They've also got two vehicles that had everyone screaming cheese. A walker that has a heavy 2 MM but costs twice as much as a MM/HF Speeder, and a flyer that can cause S10 hits on anything in a straight line, a little like Blood Lance. Don't expect to see these much, along with their other flyers due to a lack of models.

 

Also note that nearly all their vehicles have defences against stun lock and are near immune to shaken results, while also having AV13 front and sides, until a penetrating hit sends them back down to their natural AV11. However, it does means a mech Necron army can be hard to break down, although thankfully those vehicles are rare.

 

Hope that helps a little, seems the gist of what they can do and the more dangerous units. Apologies mods if there's too many rules in there, I'd be more than happy to take some out.

[Captain Idaho]

I'd like to point out that Tesla is rubbish at glancing vehicles since it has a -3 on the damage chart, so the S5 Carbine version is going to be a purely anti-infantry weapon or just a noise maker unless firing at Landspeeders.

 

Adjust our target priority accordingly.

[DarkGuard]

Well when glancing vehicles tesla is looking for stunning results, preventing our Rhinos from moving (because who uses extra armour these days), and at least shaking Razorbacks and Speeders to stop them from shooting. Speeders of course they can pen. It's not the most sound strategy but it's still a trick up their sleeve if they're other anti-tank units don't do well. Also, tesla Immortal squads may have a lance Cryptek or two hanging around to give them that added kick against transports.

 

But I do agree, small tesla primarily anti-infantry, it's the bigger ones that are anti-transport/infantry.

[Validar]

I think there have been made an unfair accout to the Grey Knights. If I were to have a word I'd change the following slightly:

 

GK isn't exactly an assault army (though it may look at it at first glance and the GK will definitely play like it against some armies) - GK is a 24" shooting counter-assault army. The might of s5 stormbolters are not to be underestimated and with strike squads and terminators sporting the mighty psycannon, why would you move for CC before you have to?

Against most armies I would rather play my GK defensively and keep the 23" distance to my enemy for as long as possible and do everything I can to determine the assault (IE sacreficing a unit so I can counter-charge and wipe the deathstar).

 

And a not on terminators: The crazy thing (like with everything else I write: In my oppinion!) is not their psychic powers. They don't actually have access to anything awesome there. The grenades, gentlemen, it is terminators not only sporting ini 6 at no additional cost, it is terminators with ini 6 and grenades.

 

I think another thing needs to be noted: Hammerhand stacks. The reason why this is crazy is not only does not only include that an independent character buffs the unit even further, it is that we're not talking str 5 anymore. We're talking str 6, ladies and gentlemen, str 6 which is beond awesome when against a specific type of toughness very common in the grim darkness of the far future: The killing marines on 2+ toughness.

 

Another guy that needs mentioning is the Vindicare Assassin. Capable of taking out character's invul save, rip 2 wounds of a model or kill your favorite icon bearer/powerfist sergeant/something on 2+ makes him a very good unit - top that with his ability to take out armor 14-13 vehicles at a whim and he's all-out crazy. As you wrote the GK army has a problem with high armored vehicles outside CC (daemon hammers in CC will take out anything) - the Vindicare makes up for that. And with infiltrate he can start right in front of that land raider and take it out first shot of the game.

Weakness: The vindicare will die. He's got 3+ cover, so it'll take 3 s8 wounds to take him out. Your enemy should be able to spare that. So quite a glass cannon.

 

Another mentioning would be the Techmarine. Sporting equipment that makes his price match a C: SM techmarine exactly in price, with added psychic powers at no extra cost, the Techmarine can take granedes and stack hammerhand, buffing a unit significantly (see above) - he can also reinforce a ruin, but who would... Wait a minute, that makes the vindicare a 2+ saver instead of 3+, upping the cost to kill him from 3 s8 shots to 6 s8 shots! Whoopy!! And what if we combine it with the Librarians The Shrouding psychic power? Is that a 2+ cover for the entire army? An entire army spitting out s5 and s7 shots like there was no tomorrow? Ouch...

 

At last you may add that the rifle-man dreadnought in c: GK gets another +1 str from the cheap psybolt upgrade, still sporting all the good things you mentioned under the dreadnought, but now being much cheaper and supporting the whole "lets blow our enemy to pieces before they reach us" strategy :)

 

There are, ofcourse, also trick armies in the codex. Like taking corteaz, which allows for 6 troop choices ticking in at 12 points (3x warrior acolyte). These accolytes can take a razorback with twin-linked assault cannon and psybolt ammunition, still allowing lots of points to fill up the other expensive choices in the codex. But that is really only something you should do against opponents you want to spit in the face and laugh, so don't say that I encuraged you to it ;)

[Polythemus]

are there any plans to update this tactica for 6th?

[DarkGuard]

Grim's not been about recently and has been quite busy. I believe when we last spoke about the various 101 projects we were going to start we were going to wait until 6th, and give it sometime before doing so. When I can I'll try and get in touch with him and find out what his plans for this project are.

[Shadowstalker Grim]

Hullo!

 

Whilst I would really like to update this whole article for 6th straight away I don't think I'm going to be able to spare the time on putting together as comprehensive an article as you all really deserve.

 

So this leaves us at a bit of a crossroads, this article can either exist as a relic of the 5th ed, or *Queue Bane voice* I give it you, the people!

 

If anyone feels like assembling articles on the various armies out there I will endeavor to try and put them on the front page as part of a new 6th Ed enemies 101, made by the people for the people! Or if someone would prefer to create a new thread and take over management that's fine too.

 

I leave it to you brothers...

[pyroknight]

Guys, I did a Tau update for 6th edtion. Hopefully someone can add this to the article. I did not erase the original entry written by KhorneHunter57x, but added useful additions to it. Changes are in red. I hope this serves you well.

 

Tau Empire

 

How they play:

- The Tau are known for their powerful shooting, as well as good mobility. Although they don't have the sheer speed of the Eldar, Tau have the ability to move-shoot-move, offering them deadly hit and fade tactics. Tau are the middle ground between an elite army like Space Marines and a horde army like Imperial Guard. Tau become more of an 'elite-lite' army, with good armor and weaponry. However, the Tau are totally reliant on shooting.

 

Strength:

- Tau favor medium-long range shooting, as they have a decent BS and are equipped with good armor and ranged weaponry. The basic infantryman's gun is strong enough to threaten even Rhinos, and most other Tau units have the ability to threaten both armor and infantry with shooting. Use cover to your advantage and close with them. Tau have the ability to ignore both night fighting and cover saves. All their vehicles have a Jink save, which increases to 4+ if you are not in 12” range. Most of their vehicles are front armor 13. Tau drones act as ablative wounds to shooting, so avoid shooting at them head on. Many of their vehicles carry drone squads which can deny objectives or block your assaults.

 

Weakness:

- The major weakness of a Tau army is close combat. Most Tau units have an Initiative of 3 or worse, and they also suffer from a horrible weapon skill. Tau players hate close combat, and will sometimes go to great lengths to avoid it. Use this to your advantage. Tau also have some of the worst leadership of any army, and their leadership upgrades are costly. Tau rely greatly on their cover saves on both infantry and vehicles, so are vulnerable to templates. Tau have no access to psychic powers or psychic hoods, so are vulnerable to your librarians. Their highest toughness is 4, so use instant death to your advantage.

 

Key units to watch for:

- Hammerhead Gunships. Between good armor, a main weapon that can switch between anti-tank and anti-infantry modes, and upgrades that allow it to fire like a Fast vehicle and gain a permanent cover save, the Hammerhead combines flexibility, mobility, and durability. They have thin rear armor, so get in close, and get behind them.

- Broadside Battlesuits. Aptly named, they are the ultimate anti-tank unit outside of Apocalypse. With a twin-linked Railgun, a 2+ save, and a pair of wounds, the Broadside is tough to kill and it is lethal to anything with an armor value. Usually they will be either parked in cover (sometimes with Shield Drones, which are effectively extra ablative models) or equipped with the ability to move and fire (continuing the Tau theme of mobility) and used more aggressively. Like all Tau units, they are weak in close combat, and they are slow, making it easier for you to catch them.

- Crisis Battlesuits. Although not as tough as their cousin, the Broadside, they still pack a good amount of firepower and can move and fire to full effect. They can be equipped with weapons to take down anything from hordes to elite units to transports to heavy armor. The most common loadout is one that combines an Autocannon and a slightly weaker Plasma Gun with the ability to fire two weapons at once. Also, they move like standard Jump Infantry, but their move is split between the Movement and Assault phase, allowing them to jump in front of cover, shoot, and then jump back behind it. They are expensive and vulnerable to assaults, but they are quick and agile enough to avoid it. Also, Krak missiles are powerful enough to ignore their armor and insta-kill them.

- Pathfinders. Although not very strong on their own, they can boost the already good shooting of other Tau units to even better levels. They will usually be deployed in cover, but they are no tougher than a regular Fire Warrior though (T 3, 4+ Sv), so get them in close combat, or even shoot them to pieces.

-Stealth suits. Now a threat in 6th edition, these expensive suits have 3+ armor, 18” heavy bolters, and sometimes a meltagun. They have outflank (with reroll), and have both stealth and shroud. This provides them with a 4+ cover save in the open, but 2+ save in cover. They can also move-shoot-move. Shooting them is very difficult, and it is best to assault them with fast moving infantry or use template weapons. They confer their cover save to any drones with them, offering them powerful ablative wounds.

 

 

By: KhorneHunter57x (Updated by Pyroknight)

[Jehoel]

Guys, I did a Tau update for 6th edtion. Hopefully someone can add this to the article. I did not erase the original entry written by KhorneHunter57x, but added useful additions to it. Changes are in red. I hope this serves you well.

 

Tau Empire

 

-Stealth suits. A new threat from 6th edition, these expensive suits have 3+ armor, 18” heavy bolters, and sometimes a meltagun. They have outflank (with reroll), and have both stealth and shroud. This provides them with a 4+ cover save in the open, but 2+ save in cover. They can also move-shoot-move. Shooting them is very difficult, and it is best to assault them with fast moving infantry or use template weapons. They confer their cover save to any drones with them, offering them powerful ablative wounds.

 

 

By: KhorneHunter57x (Updated by Pyroknight)

Just a point, Stealth suits are not new. They are a standard part of the Tau codex. Now, they maybe a greater threat, but the way you wrote that implies that they were just added since 6th edition released. I used them in 4th ed to great effect, back when I ran a Farsight Enclave army.

[pyroknight]

A did say a new threat, not a new unit.

 

Stealth suits have been given a huge boost in 6th edition. It makes them much more dangerous now, compared to their embarrassing performance in 5th edition.

 

I suppose I could have worded it better.

 

How about I say "Now a threat in 6th edition..."

[Jehoel]

The wording that caused me to respond was the "A new threat FROM 6th edition," part. It implies they are new to the codex. They were quite dangerous in 4th, but 5th may have weakened them. I stopped playing Tau just before 5th released, so I don't know. The way you have it worded at the end there is much clearer with regards to the boost they got in 6th.