Tactics for Death Company

[biglou666]

When i do DC, i like to put 11 men in a land raider crusader, with a chaplain. 4 power weapons, 2 thunder hammers. Expensive yes, but they will anihalate anything, and getiing shot doesnt worry me too much, what with fnp... the way i see it, whats the point in making a combat last 2 turns, you want your squad to be moving swiflty around enemy lines, causing as much destruction and distruption as possible, as swiftly as possible! ;)

[Morollan]

When i do DC, i like to put 11 men in a land raider crusader, with a chaplain. 4 power weapons, 2 thunder hammers. Expensive yes, but they will anihalate anything, and getiing shot doesnt worry me too much, what with fnp... the way i see it, whats the point in making a combat last 2 turns, you want your squad to be moving swiflty around enemy lines, causing as much destruction and distruption as possible, as swiftly as possible! :devil:

 

How much mobility do you have and how much destruction and disruption are you causing whilst being shot at in your opponent's turn?

[Terrahawk]

I've been running 8 DC with 2 Power Weapons and a Thunder Hammer or a Power Fist, coupled with a Reclusiarch in a Land Raider Crusader.

 

They wreck anything they touch, but sometimes their overkilliness leaves them in the open and they get shot at in return. A lot. Often they survive all this shooting, despite taking losses, and continue to wreck face.

They will be flying in a Storm Raven once I get my model in the mail, added with a DC/Furioso Dread for maximum carnage.

 

I also sometimes run them with Jump Packs, and they have done pretty well. With JPs I tend to run a smaller squad, usually 5 DC with 2 Power Weapons and a Thunder Hammer coupled with Lemartes.

 

All in all, a great fluffy unit that does bring the pain. Rage can sometimes be annoying, but usually isn't and I think it brings a nice fluffy element to the table. You could say I'm a big of one of our, if not the most, iconic units. :P

[d@n]

Another point is alway give them bolters. 2 rapid fire shots are better then 1 extra cc attack.

[TrentL]

Another point is alway give them bolters. 2 rapid fire shots are better then 1 extra cc attack.

 

They can be but the difference of charging an enemy with 3 attacks (Base attack + 1 for charge) or 4 attacks, when you re-roll hit and wounding (Never play DC without a chaplain) is pretty signifigant... even 5-7 DC can just tear up a much larger squad.

[Astorath the Grim]

Another point is alway give them bolters. 2 rapid fire shots are better then 1 extra cc attack.

 

 

I disagree here, DC is a CC squad, always has been, always will be...even with relentless. Your giving up a str 5 initiative 5 attack for an extra str 4 attack. Its not DCs shooting attacks that scare people...so why outfit them to be more shooty?

[Morollan]

Another point is alway give them bolters. 2 rapid fire shots are better then 1 extra cc attack.

 

That's something that has been debated several times and I'm not sure it's as simple as you think it is. You only get one extra shot within 12" as your bolt pistol would be able to shoot at that range anyway. So, is one extra shot greater than one extra attack? Also, shoot too much and your opponent will just remove the closest models and leave you outside assault range.

[Electrolytes]

I think Death Company are a tricky unit what ever way you play them. To be fair they work either way but have to be played so carefully that its almost worth just using another assault squad or tactical squad instead. When ever i have used mine as someone said i destroy the unit i charge then get blown to hell by everything else. You have to try and control them to not charge at a unit that will actually get them all killed next turn. Why pay 400 points + on a unit that will kill 200/190 points then die? :[

[Gv0zD]

Another point is alway give them bolters. 2 rapid fire shots are better then 1 extra cc attack.

I partly agree here. However, I wouldn't say that 2 Rapid Fire shots are better, it just allows you to thin some units before you charge, or it enables DC to retaliate enemy shooting, when they are left with no one to chop near. Also you may find the bolters useful if your opponent assigns some unit to kite your DC shoot it instead of chasing it. But the real DC power is in HtH, so not using it is not wise.

[Joasht]

Given things like Furious Charge I'm not entirely certain that extra bolter shot above the bolt pistol is necessarily always worth it, but of course you might as well take bolters on the Powerfist guys.

[Vaesal]

Just wondering is there anyway to get D-Co back into a transport after disembarking??? Can they rage into it??

[Deus_Sanguinius]

Of course. If there is no enemy in LOS to the DC they can move normal. Or the unit has to rage towards the nearest enemy. Only thing you have to do is to place a Transport in that way that the DC is within 2" after their movement so that they can embark. Remember you don't have to assault after the rage movement.

 

Cheers

Sang

[Astorath the Grim]

I think Death Company are a tricky unit what ever way you play them. To be fair they work either way but have to be played so carefully that its almost worth just using another assault squad or tactical squad instead. When ever i have used mine as someone said i destroy the unit i charge then get blown to hell by everything else. You have to try and control them to not charge at a unit that will actually get them all killed next turn. Why pay 400 points + on a unit that will kill 200/190 points then die? :[

 

 

I guess I can't say I've ever had this happen before...my dc have yet to disappoint me. With their armor and fnp they should be extremely survivable, unless your opponent is dedicating the heavy weapons fire to take them out asap. In which case at least they aren't shooting your armor with said heavy weapons fire.

[Isryion]

I think Death Company are a tricky unit what ever way you play them. To be fair they work either way but have to be played so carefully that its almost worth just using another assault squad or tactical squad instead. When ever i have used mine as someone said i destroy the unit i charge then get blown to hell by everything else. You have to try and control them to not charge at a unit that will actually get them all killed next turn. Why pay 400 points + on a unit that will kill 200/190 points then die? :[

 

 

I guess I can't say I've ever had this happen before...my dc have yet to disappoint me. With their armor and fnp they should be extremely survivable, unless your opponent is dedicating the heavy weapons fire to take them out asap. In which case at least they aren't shooting your armor with said heavy weapons fire.

 

I tend to have a similar experience to Astorath's, though I go with a 6-man 215 point DC. Even if they don't end up killing = to their points, they have usually 3 or 4 times the attention of anything else I can field equal their points (except maybe a SR). Usually they destroy one or two units and then are whittled enough that they die to shooting, but like I said, after they've drawn fare more attention than they are worth.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

I think you have to build your army around them. They are an extremely hardcore unit.

 

G :tu:

[Dark Legionnare]

6 DC w/1 Power sword + Lemartes in a raven with a Furioso on the back. Lets them horribly mangle an enemy squad, without usually killing it outright in the assault. Then in their phase Lemartes usually hits first and most likely has one wound on him already so he gets 6 power weapon attacks, finishing off that squad in their turn, that way you don't get shot from over killing in the initial assauly

 

I see some people running with 2 fists, + swords, + Lemartes. I used to run just 2 swords + Lemartes and that got me over killing the enemy usually, resulting in my DC getting shot to hell in their turn. So whoever is running that many power weapons, god help you you're lucky. XD

 

After that first contact mine continue to run around with the Furioso in front of them to block most LoS for rage and to give them a cover save. Continue trotting across the field until they meet more unfortunate souls.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

That is too situational an approach for me. Often I have had Lemartes make every save thrown at him. I would rather just kill a unit outright on the charge.

 

G :lol:

[Dark Legionnare]

That is too situational an approach for me. Often I have had Lemartes make every save thrown at him. I would rather just kill a unit outright on the charge.

 

G :o

 

But then you're going to get shot to bits. D: Maybe not bits, but you're bound to lose 1 or 2 DC. And even if Lemartes doesn't get wounded he still strikes at Init 6 with 3 power weapon attacks. Usually if anything survives the charge it's only 1 or 2 models. And against hordes that may survive with 8+ models the DC are hard enough to kill, and then there's the 3 power weapon attacks from the 1 DC and all the chainswords to boot. >.>

 

I feel much safer being all secure in melee with a foe I'll finish off in their turn and be safe from gunfire. This also stems from the insane amount of fellow marines I go up against. I hate plasma guns and cannons!!!

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Well if that works for you then stick with it for sure. I was just offering a counter point :)

 

G :o

[SamaNagol]

Lemartes will kill half a 10 man squad on his own on the charge. You don't need more than 1 Power Weapon and 1 Fist or Hammer in the unit if you are using him.

[Astorath the Grim]

This is why I take a 10 man squad of dc, I can afford to loose 2-3 to shooting and still slaughter everything they run across. My last game with DC had a 1500 pt tau army shooting at them for 3 -4 turns, while my assault squads held objectives. DC nearly wiped out half the tau army single handedly and only lost 4 members.

[Sir Blayse]

I run 9 DC with a Chaplain in a Rhino. I like to run 2 PW's and a Thunderhammer, plus 3 bolters. I prefer the win in your opponents turn strategy, but it can hard to pull off sometimes. Against squishies like tau and guard I usually completely wipe them out in one turn. Against orks and bugs I may or may not be even done by the opponents turn. Against marines usually I come out winning by the opponents turn. It's hard to really set up a good mix that will ensure your going to not get shot up. Usually I try and set mine on the enemies hardest unit and go from there.

 

Sometimes I just get stuck sending my DC to kill enemy armor, just have to hope I get a wrecked result to get a cover save. Not a great idea, but sometimes you just have to take something out.

[SamaNagol]

Wiping out the opponent in their turn is absolutely vital to keep the Death Company leapfrogging from combat to combat

[Dark Legionnare]

Wiping out the opponent in their turn is absolutely vital to keep the Death Company leapfrogging from combat to combat

 

EXACTLY!!! I like to engage squads with heavy weapons or other squads near them first thing when I disembark. If they know you'll be able to assault next turn chances are they'll move their forces in their turn, disrupting nearby heavy weapon squads most of the time to avoid the impending DC next turn.

[Morticon]

I've changed my mind about DC recently, following a successful tournament.

 

I used to tell all my friends, and people online that they shouldnt bother with DC without a Chaplain. And while I still maintain that a DC/Chap combo is INSANELY good, its no longer a necessity in my mind.

 

We need to look at a few (obvious?) things when thinking about the DC.

 

Firstly, their perks:

 

WS5.

Base 2 attacks.

FC.

FNP.

Fearless.

Relatively low per model cost.

Multiple Special Weapons.

 

Then, their disadvantages:

 

Rage

Expensive JPs.

 

 

Their disadvantages are VERY easy to deal with.

One - dont use JPs. (Which means poor Lemmy is only gonna see use in a Raven).

Two - learn how to use and mitigate "Rage" where you can.

 

 

Dealing With Rage Issues ( :D ) :

 

1: Understand that moving towards the closest visible enemy unit does not mean you must charge that unit.

 

Most of us are aware of this point by now, but it still slips by some people.

 

2: Understand that moving towards the closest visible enemy unit does not prevent you from moving the majority of your squad somewhere else or where you need it to go*

 

*This is a contentious issue due to its counter-intuitiveness, but a very clear one by rules. If one DC model has moved from its start position to a position closer to the nearest visible enemy unit, then the rest of the unit is free to move anywhere.

 

The reason? The unit is now closer to the unit.

People often argue that the unit = models and that all models must move closer. This is not the case, and not supported by the rules.

In the (poor windows paint) pic below, take a look at the light grey area. This area is "the unit". Take a look at A and B.

The unit is now closer in B than it was in A. This is us fulfilling the Rage movement requirement.

 

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/6868/dcmovement.jpg

 

In this picture, for arguments sake, if we are now in charge range of the big pink unit, we are good to go. We could even shoot that unit too.

 

The only disadvantage to this is that we spread our models so far out that we risk not gaining enough attacks to kill a unit.

 

 

Other stuff:

 

 

DC are a hammer unit. Pure and simple. They are a fire and forget style unit, or an uber-counter if you need one. They are troops, but not scoring. Use them to strike terror into the hearts of the opponent.

 

 

One thing to be very careful of and its also why I wont bling on PowerWeapons too much, DC can sometimes do too many wounds (especially with a Chaplain) allowing the enemy to save those power weapon wounds thanks to wound allocation shenanigans. I would DEFINITELY go with one powerfist for every 5 DC, or part thereof - ie: 8 DC - two fists/hammers.

 

With a Chaplain, I would field a minimum of 6 DC. Maybe with one fist.

Without a Chaplain, I would field a minimum of 8 DC. For my tastes and points notwithstanding I would go for a hammer, a fist and a PW.

 

Also, remember that every hammer/fist should get a bolter and an additional bolter is not a bad idea as far as wound allocation is concerned!

 

My choice of transport for DC is a Rhino, though a Raven and a Land Raider seem like very viable options too.

I have no experience with pods, so would prefer not to speculate beyond the theory hammer concern of you dropping down and getting targetted by anything/everything and then countered into oblivion.

 

 

My thoughts on using the DC!

 

Good luck.