Shooty GK armies...

[YourMumRang]

Hi all. I'm trying to come up with a resilient, shooty GK army. I already have a few ideas in mind but would love some other insights into making the shootiest but not spammiest shooty GK army.

 

- Psykers: Having the ability to throw some big, AP2 pie plates around is just brilliant. I take 2 units of 5 of thesein Rhinos with the 4pt insurance of an Acolyte. Mobile, cheaper Vindicators which will implode at the slightest breeze? Yes please!

 

- Vindicare: Self-explanatory really.

 

- Dreads: The Dual Autocannon + Psybolt seems mandatory here. 2 of these?

 

And here are a few other random ideas which might work.

 

- Paladin Squad: Expensive but hugely resilient; taking 5 or so wounds before losing models can be very useful. 2 Psycannons seem obvious.

 

- 5-man, Incinerator-carrying Interceptor squads to flash forward and take a unit off cover.

 

- Shooty Dreadknights?

 

All advice/ideas are welcome.

[Cpt. Blood Donator]

Hi all. I'm trying to come up with a resilient, shooty GK army. I already have a few ideas in mind but would love some other insights into making the shootiest but not spammiest shooty GK army.

 

- Psykers: Having the ability to throw some big, AP2 pie plates around is just brilliant. I take 2 units of 5 of thesein Rhinos with the 4pt insurance of an Acolyte. Mobile, cheaper Vindicators which will implode at the slightest breeze? Yes please!

 

- Vindicare: Self-explanatory really.

 

- Dreads: The Dual Autocannon + Psybolt seems mandatory here. 2 of these?

 

And here are a few other random ideas which might work.

 

- Paladin Squad: Expensive but hugely resilient; taking 5 or so wounds before losing models can be very useful. 2 Psycannons seem obvious.

 

- 5-man, Incinerator-carrying Interceptor squads to flash forward and take a unit off cover.

 

- Shooty Dreadknights?

 

All advice/ideas are welcome.

 

A paladin squad will lose a model for every wound it takes, as it will probably be shot at by str. 8 weapons. Possibly you'll dodge some plasma heat. Also, in order to take 2 psycannons, you need 10 models in the squad. 600 points seems a bit.. over the top for shooting. Even devastators would put out more dakka for those points. So finally... eeer. Use terminators if you want mobile psycannons for shooting.

[Drudge Dreadnought]

Henchmen with meltas/plasmas in razorbacks?

[Custodian Athiair]

i would have said a 10 man Purgation Squad with Psycannons for your 3rd Heavy Suppot. In my opinion Dreadknightsfor shooting arn't great as the only really good one is the Heavy Psycannon, which means your sort of wasting the slot

 

but that's just my opinion, because no one seems to like Purgation Squads despite Astral Aim being one of the most useful powers in the game imo, especially with armies who like cover (how we usually have difficulty with) eg Dark Eldar, Eldar, Guard

 

as i said i may be talking nonsense ;)

 

Athiair :D

[Brother Captain Kezef]

Here follows the Prayer of Purgation, learn it, know it, embrace it:

 

This is my Psycannon. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My Psycannon is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My psycannon, without me, is useless. Without my Psycannon, I am useless. I must fire my Psycannon true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will...

 

My psycannon and myself know that what counts in this war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit...

 

My Psycannon is Astartes, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will ever guard it against the ravages of weather and damage as I will ever guard my legs, my arms, my eyes and my hearts against damage. I will keep my Psycannon clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will...

 

Before the Emperor, I swear this creed. My psycannon and myself are the defenders of His Imperium. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is the Emperor's and there is no enemy, but peace!

[Abaddonshand]

A paladin squad will lose a model for every wound it takes, as it will probably be shot at by str. 8 weapons. Possibly you'll dodge some plasma heat. Also, in order to take 2 psycannons, you need 10 models in the squad. 600 points seems a bit.. over the top for shooting. Even devastators would put out more dakka for those points. So finally... eeer. Use terminators if you want mobile psycannons for shooting.

 

You can get 2 ranged weapon upgrades per 5 men in a paladin squad, as is the case with purifiers. As for the strength 8+, these weapons aren't fired in a vacuum. Except for imperial guard heav weapon squads and devs/long fangs, most units will only have one or two. Take a tactical squad with lasplas ten men. It'll fire the lascannon and possibly instant kill a paladin, then it'll fire the plasma gun, probably wounding another paladin. The won't stop there though, the 8 Bolter shots will also b fired, now the multiple wounds and an apothecary come into their own.

[Red Lost Soldier]

Triple Plasma Cannon Servitor unit, with an Inquisitor. Flavour with Hellrifle, Jokaero(s) and Warrior Acolytes to taste. Side dish of Chimera if preferred.

[number6]

The shootiest GK army?

 

Start with Crowe.

 

Take at least two of the following Purifier Troops units:

5 Purifiers, 2 psycannons; Razorback, psybolts (190 pts)

 

Now mix and match additional Purifier units with the following Purgation units until you get the mix you like and/or you run out of points:

5 Purgation Squad GKs, 2 psycannons; Razorback, psybolts (190 pts)

 

Done.

[Chairman_woo]

Im my most humble opinion the key seems to be splitting between longrange and midfield. About 1/3rd of the army shoots 36"+, so Psyflemen, Vindicare and shooty henchmen seem like the order of the day (Jokaero, gun servitors and psykers spring to mind).

 

As far as the midfield goes it seems to me like:

 

1. Psybolts for everyone! Much like with deathwing every shot is valuble, S5 turns stormbolters from competent to daingerous.

 

2. Deepstrike, coupled with plentifull skulls and 24" range allows you to get into the midfield and apply firefower where needed and react to the enemys strategy with what would otherwize be a fiarly static army. (communion inquisitor in the firebase comes in very handy here)

 

3. Strike squads and terninators have a natural synergy. Strikes are cheaper and better for S5 shooting & bodies. Terminators are better in an assault (attacking or defending). The terminators can provide a pretty effective assault screen whilst putting out healthy ammounts of shooting to augment the Strike squad. Droping in pairs of combat squads (i.e. 1 of each) seems like it has alot of potential, with enough Psycannon fire to crack open a vehicle or cripple a squad on the drop. You just need to pick your spots and targets carefully, there will only be so much ap2 & 1 around and that is the only thing you need to genuinely fear. Remember they arnt suicide squads, 24" range lets you avoid alot threats so always think about what kind of trouble will come their way next turn. You simply cant afford to go down without taking plenty of the heathens with you!

 

4. Paladins can dominate a piece of terain like nothing else. With a Librarian in cover they are almost impossible to shift without a concerted effort from most of the enemys army and 3+ cover helps alot to mitigate those pesky S8 hits and anything with ap2 & 1.

 

5. Servoskulls not only help with DS but also add another incentive for your enemy not to castle. If you take 5 or 6 you can afford to place a couple agressively to try and taunt your opponent out. Personaly I want the enemy to come into the midfield as it gives more oportunities to split them appart a bit at a time.

[Cpt. Blood Donator]

A paladin squad will lose a model for every wound it takes, as it will probably be shot at by str. 8 weapons. Possibly you'll dodge some plasma heat. Also, in order to take 2 psycannons, you need 10 models in the squad. 600 points seems a bit.. over the top for shooting. Even devastators would put out more dakka for those points. So finally... eeer. Use terminators if you want mobile psycannons for shooting.

 

You can get 2 ranged weapon upgrades per 5 men in a paladin squad, as is the case with purifiers. As for the strength 8+, these weapons aren't fired in a vacuum. Except for imperial guard heav weapon squads and devs/long fangs, most units will only have one or two. Take a tactical squad with lasplas ten men. It'll fire the lascannon and possibly instant kill a paladin, then it'll fire the plasma gun, probably wounding another paladin. The won't stop there though, the 8 Bolter shots will also b fired, now the multiple wounds and an apothecary come into their own.

 

Well, I was going for the range thing, not for quantity. I assumed he wanted psycannons on paladins for the range, as he wants himself a shooty army. But yeah, I'm sure a 700 point paladin squad would be great for a shooty army. The internet has decided that the apotechary is not ever worth it, as he has to save four wounds to pay his cost. Which he simply won't.

 

As a sidenote, las-plas is probably not as common as it once once, more probably you're looking at multi-melta/m.l and meltagun, in which case the apotechary will be a fancy hood-ornament for the squad. 8 bolter shots won't even make you lose a wound more than 80% of the time.

[Abaddonshand]

Well, I was going for the range thing, not for quantity. I assumed he wanted psycannons on paladins for the range, as he wants himself a shooty army. But yeah, I'm sure a 700 point paladin squad would be great for a shooty army. The internet has decided that the apotechary is not ever worth it, as he has to save four wounds to pay his cost. Which he simply won't.

 

As a sidenote, las-plas is probably not as common as it once once, more probably you're looking at multi-melta/m.l and meltagun, in which case the apotechary will be a fancy hood-ornament for the squad. 8 bolter shots won't even make you lose a wound more than 80% of the time.

 

My point is you can have a 350 point paladin 5 man squad carrying two psycannons, so if you want to maximise psycannons firing at best effect, it's better to take a five man paladin squad than a 10 man terminator squad that'll cost 450 pts. Even factoring in the apothecary, paladins are still cheaper forthe same number o psycannons. And in the tac squad setup you mentioned, even more useful, as a marine squad with meltagun will be in rapid fire range, so 16 Bolter shots, which by your own math should cause wounds on terminators 40% of time.

 

P.s. I never trust the interwebs completely, after all conventional wisdom says tyranids and deathwing without th/ss are under powered, but I seem to do all right with them :lol:

[TyrionTheImp]

A few more ideas:

 

Ordo Xenos inquisitors with Converstion Beamers?

 

Techmarines with conversion Beamers?

 

Pepper with servo skulls and you get a wicked alpha strike.

[Cpt. Blood Donator]

A paladin squad will lose a model for every wound it takes, as it will probably be shot at by str. 8 weapons. Possibly you'll dodge some plasma heat. Also, in order to take 2 psycannons, you need 10 models in the squad. 600 points seems a bit.. over the top for shooting. Even devastators would put out more dakka for those points. So finally... eeer. Use terminators if you want mobile psycannons for shooting.

 

You can get 2 ranged weapon upgrades per 5 men in a paladin squad, as is the case with purifiers. As for the strength 8+, these weapons aren't fired in a vacuum. Except for imperial guard heav weapon squads and devs/long fangs, most units will only have one or two. Take a tactical squad with lasplas ten men. It'll fire the lascannon and possibly instant kill a paladin, then it'll fire the plasma gun, probably wounding another paladin. The won't stop there though, the 8 Bolter shots will also b fired, now the multiple wounds and an apothecary come into their own.

 

Well, I was going for the range thing, not for quantity. I assumed he wanted psycannons on paladins for the range, as he wants himself a shooty army. But yeah, I'm sure a 700 point paladin squad would be great for a shooty army. The internet has decided that the apotechary is not ever worth it, as he has to save four wounds to pay his cost. Which he simply won't.

 

As a sidenote, las-plas is probably not as common as it once once, more probably you're looking at multi-melta/m.l and meltagun, in which case the apotechary will be a fancy hood-ornament for the squad. 8 bolter shots won't even make you lose a wound more than 80% of the time.

 

You're right. I also didn't notice the part for every 5, have 2. Then Paladins are... eeer, better I guess.

 

And I believe you about you D.W =) I used to have one as well, before the codex update, and never needed any 3++ or heavy 2 C.M.

[Captain Psycho]

A few more ideas:

 

Ordo Xenos inquisitors with Converstion Beamers?

 

Techmarines with conversion Beamers?

 

Pepper with servo skulls and you get a wicked alpha strike.

 

I'll second that - combined with a second wave of GKTs / GKSS deep striking into the midfield (with servo skulls) to get into psycannon range.

 

Another nice combo is Techmarine with Conversion Beamer and Vindicare Assassin for the reinforced cover for the Vindicare.

[Hackbar]

I intend to experiment with 2x techmarine with OSR joined to a purgation squad and stuck in a corner somewhere. Costs 380+ and gives you 2 orbital bombardments per turn pretty much anywhere you want, plus 2 pieces of bolstered terrain for your other squads, rifle dreads, assassins, shooty henchmen, or whatever floats your boat.

[Reclusiarch Darius]

@ OP: So, you mean you're just trying to make a Knight army? :tu: :)

 

With regards to shooty units, here are your staples;

 

- Strike squad with dual psycannon in a Rhino: Cheap, brings scoring bodies and plenty of dakka.

- Dreadnought w/2 x twin-linked autocannon+psybolts: Cheap, adds more armour saturation, breaks open transports very efficiently

 

Also for your consideration;

 

- 5 x Paladins with dual psycannon: Expensive, but much better in combat than regular Terminators and better fire support

- Purifier squad with 2-4 psycannon: Only two psycannon if they're 5-9 man, 10 unlocks two more. IMO they're one of the best units to spam psycannon on outside of Strike squads, because they can shoot and fight reasonable well in close-combat too. Don't forget a hammer and halberds for the rest of the squad.

- Vindicare: Snipes out powerfists, breaks Landraiders, he's pretty annoying. Expensive and he dies in close-combat pretty quickly, but very useful regardless of opponent due to his special rounds

 

Ignore Purgators, they're overpriced trash.