Any MECH Tactics?

[chrisult]

Hi guys, later this month when my 2 baals arrive I'm going to play my first BA MECH game. Anyone can give me some advices on how to approach a game with a mech list? maybe you have some good tactics for baals. I would like to hear you strategies on how you approach a game with these kind of lists.

 

My list looks like this..

 

HQ

 

Reclusiarch

 

Troops

 

10 Tactical Squad

7 bolters

1 missile launcher

1 meltagun

1 combi melta

 

Razorback

With T/L heavy flamer and hunter-killer missile

 

5 Assault Squad

3 bolt pistol and chainsword

1 PF

1 hand flamer

 

Razorback

With T/L assault cannon and hunter-killer missile

 

7 Death Company Squad

5 boltpistols and chainswords

1 PF

1 PW

 

1 Rhino

 

Fast Attack

 

2 Baal Preds

With T/L assault cannon and heavy bolter sponsons

 

3 Attack Bikes

With multi-melta

[knife&fork]

Which if any units have jump packs?

[chrisult]

none.. all in transport

[knife&fork]

none.. all in transport

 

You'll have to be very agressive with your bikes and baals then. I think you might want to tweak your list a bit. As it is now it all depends on very few bodies and lots of AV11. If you don't get the first turn you'll have a problem against everything except orks.

[chrisult]

what do you suggest to change?

 

P.S this is a 1250pts list

[knife&fork]

I don't know what else you have in terms of models, so without changing things around too much I would put the tac squad in the rhino and drop one of the DC (incl the power weapon) so you can put them in the razorback, the reqluisarch can ride with the assault squad and join the DC after they dismount. Use the extra points (if you can) to upgrade that heavy flamer to a TLLC, a bit more ranged AT wouldn't hurt.

 

Combat squadding the tacticals is not worth it. You'll need more bodies before you just park 25% of your troops in the back. Also remember that the rhino can work as a mobile bunker. If you haven't moved 2 models can fire from the hatch, much more useful for tacticals than your assault squads. Marines inside rhinos are very survivable.

[chrisult]

but I don't think that in Mech lists they take full squads of tactical or 10 assault since they put them in razorbacks

[knife&fork]

but I don't think that in Mech lists they take full squads of tactical or 10 assault since they put them in razorbacks

 

First, half a tac squad in the back is not good support for the amount of points you spend. Second, you need to take a full tac squad to get the upgrades.

 

So if you want to take a tac squad you'll usually take a full 10 man and keep them together, otherwise it makes more sense to just take another assault squad.

[chrisult]

but I don't think that in Mech lists they take full squads of tactical or 10 assault since they put them in razorbacks

... you need to take a full tac squad to get the upgrades.

 

So if you want to take a tac squad you'll usually take a full 10 man and keep them together, otherwise it makes more sense to just take another assault squad.

 

I dont think so, you can take full 10man tac squad with upgrades and then if I'm not mistaken you can combat squad them on deploy. The BA rule. Mine is like that 10man tac and combat squad them on deploy.

[knife&fork]

I dont think so, you can take full 10man tac squad with upgrades and then if I'm not mistaken you can combat squad them on deploy. The BA rule. Mine is like that 10man tac and combat squad them on deploy.

 

Of course you can. It's just that they are less effective when you split them, specially since you have so few marines to begin with.

[Korloth Darkwolf]

I run a mech list (with a few extras such as a Furioso in a drop pod and a storm raven). The emphasis for my lists is very mobile units and lots of shots. I've found (and this is just my own opinion) that the best troop choice for cost and flexibility in a mech list is the following:

 

5 man assault squad, powerfist, meltagun and a razorback.

 

I usually try to get 3+ of these in a list (usually TLAC razors).

 

The reasoning for the standard load out is that the first line of attack in my list is the tanks. I always try to move and fire every turn, to stay out of charge range and improve shot coverage. If and when the Razor gets popped the 5 man assault has, in my mind, a better chance of survival than a 5 man tactical.

 

I do couple this list with a Furioso with frag cannon and magna grapple in a drop pod. It great at targeting that big anti armour unit on your first turn and afterwards is a real pain for the opposition if they can't take it down.

 

I'm not a tournament player and I dare say the lists I produce would not fare as well in that environment but they have a fair chance in my local gaming group.

[chrisult]

Thanks for reply.. I thought of making 3 assault squads, but I currently own only 5man and 10 tact. The biggest problem that I have is the DC. I know that their rhino will be the main target of the opponent and since they are not controllable once they are out I don't know If I replace them with vanguard vets instead.

 

One other thing that I would like to know.. Do you keep your army together?

[Korloth Darkwolf]

The biggest problem that I have is the DC. I know that their rhino will be the main target of the opponent and since they are not controllable once they are out I don't know If I replace them with vanguard vets instead.

 

At 1500pts I run 8 DC without JP and they live in the Stormraven with a Reclusiarch and a DC dread with talons. Their role is to take on any combat heavy units whilst the rest of the force is taking out everything else. At less than 1500pts I lose them completely and go for a Librarian in one of the razors instead. I'm not a fan of using DC in a non-assault vehicle as Rage isn't as much of an issue as it sounds if you can get them where you want to and assault when you want to.

 

One other thing that I would like to know.. Do you keep your army together?

 

Sort of. Though I have different units aimed at different things so it's kind of fluid. The drop pod Furioso is purely there to land as close to a big anti armour unit and kill it and then harass anything else. The storm raven will pretty much use all its missiles on armour 1st turn (with POTMS you've got a good chance of taking out/ crippling two targets) and then aim to get its contents into combat as soon as possible. The baals are aimed making a scout move to take out any flanking threats such as speeders, bikes, deffkoptas, scouts etc.

The rest of the main force stays together and acts like a squadron (focussing on a single unit at a time). It's amazing how quickly units fall to three TLAC Razors.

 

With all the above in mind my first aim is to remove threats to the Raven first then anything else that can take out the rhinos. If a unit can't realistically harm the rhinos (either by shooting or combat) then its ignored completely until there's nothing else worth targeting.

[exetus]

I try to keep my army together as much as possible to enable support between units. Unless you simply have an objective that is totally undefended and you drop someone on that, keep your army together. Even if it's overkill, massed units assaulting will give you a better chance of doing heavy damage in your assault round and then, in their turn, finish them off, freeing your unit for movement in YOUR phase instead of theirs which ofter happens with smaller units or ones that are left unsupported (this is really true when talking about 5 man RAS and 5-10 man TAC squads). It also lets you take advantage of bubbles from Sanguinary Priests, etc...

 

Your tanks and support, however, can always poach around the board. I use Stormravens that literally fly around to kill stuff and I use the machine spirit to fire a single weapon if moving flat-out. Baals have a couple of good builds, but most people around here use the flamestorm variation and run them with their infantry. Get them in close, torch em, assault em. Having a unit or two that wreaks havoc in the back (like a podded dread or two) is never a bad idea so long as you don't commit them foolishly.

[chrisult]

If I remove the DC at 1250pts, what do you suggest to take instead of them? 10 full assault squad or vangard vets? because that's true without an assault vehicle they will get a lot of shooting + rage won't let you attack what you actually want to attack.

 

Honor Guard looks like a good choice too.

[Korloth Darkwolf]

At those points I'd be inclined to drop the DC, swap the Reclusiarch for a Librarian and lose the two hunter killer missiles.

 

In their place I'd add in two 5 man assaults in Razorbacks (one with TLLC and one with TLHB) and it would still leave a few points for an upgrade or two.

 

You're swapping one unarmed target (the rhino) for two armed targets (the razors).

 

With regards to the Honour Guard I'd just use an assault squad as for what you will use it for in a mech list its a cheaper option.

[chrisult]

but what will I use to kill elite squads? like example terminators. I don't think that the RAS will do much against them.

[knife&fork]

but what will I use to kill elite squads? like example terminators. I don't think that the RAS will do much against them.

We are still talking about using your current models and playing a low point game right?

 

Nothing you have is enough if someone wants to be a dick and bring a 800 point deathstar unit to a 1250 game.

[chrisult]

hmm ic ic.. so I take more RAS then

[1Drop]

Melta attack bikes, Baal preds and vindicators are all amazing and can work in perfect synergy with one another, I'd seriously look at all of these units if you're wanting to run a mech list bro

 

One two combos with the vindies and baals, the vindie strikes first and the baals mop up the rest as do your attack bikes, all that melta at such speed and manuverablitiy is awesome.

[chrisult]

yes vindis look cool.. if I don't take the dc u take 3 squads of RAS and add 2 preds.. but I will have to buy some more stuff ;)

[1Drop]

Yeah, I really like DC but I would only add them after you have atleast 20 RAS models first (I run 10 with jp's and two lots of 5 in lasplas RB's or 4 lots of 5 in lasplas RB's)

 

DC are a great hammer unit as are cc terminators (I run both)

 

I'm quite fond of lists with alot of mech but also with a few jp units too

I run my DC in a stormraven with lemartes and a DC dread

My cc terminators are either in a second stormraven or a landraider of some description!

[chrisult]

Right now I'm only going to play 1250pts till I buy more models hehe, so expensive -_-... but ye DC + Chap + DC dread in stormraven looks super, at least they can assault.

[1Drop]

Yeah it is a very good unit but you must protect it or it'll get popped. Take out threats to it before you bring it into firing range, also fire all of it's bloodstrike missiles at threats to your tanks early on as they have great range.

Also having more things on the table that are scary to your opponent will divide firepower, best thing is to rush the

With big threats to their armour so they don't know what hit them and further still do Know what to fire back at

As far as I'm concerned the most important thing in the early stages of the game is get your SR cargo delivered in one piece and I'm pretty sure once your DC have disembarked the SR will not be a priority anymore and it can play tank hunter or better still lay down some supporting fire and keep your precious DC alive for longer!

Another good tactic is more than one SR, if there are two it'll split their fire even more and they are alot more likely to survive.