Glorious Vanguard

[Baba Lem]

Morning, B/C.

 

I don't usually use Vanguard, but since it was one of those days where I had to bring righteous fury and a harsh buttkicking, after landing handsomely heroic, the First Company's Veterans rewarded my random mood with a stunning display. It made me laugh. My opponent, not so much however.

 

Two thousands points on each side, my Vanguard landed on turn three. They split up to cleanse a building. After all. Why wouldn't ten Blood Angels attack a building with only thirty Ultra Marines in them? I had to charge anyway, or their weapons would have torn my armoured assault apart. >_> But that's beside the point.

 

Combat Squad one cleaned house in the bottom floor and in two turns of combat, lost only one angel to the smurfs. They'd be charged by Terminators lately. And even though cornered and out-numbered by Ultramar's pride, the furious veterans lashed out with visions of Sanguinus filling their minds. They took down another terminator and the chaplain leading them before finally meeting their end.

 

The amusing thing though, was the combat squad which had landed on the roof. Each turn. Their regular attacks didn't do anything. But their powerfists were quite grabby. Each turn of combat, four blue bodies were tossed out of windows, through walls and over the roof's edge. The true power of the powerfist, apparently, is not the death-squeeze, but more so the ability to grab, hurl and throw.

 

Though charged by the untouched squad half-way through the cleansing, they only served as more victims.

 

I do believe that they woud have continued to throw bodies down on the streets, had it not been for the terminators from below being stopped in their advance upward by the Death Company breaking through the walls and mauling them in the process.

 

All hail Sanguinius!

[Judaz]

Awesome! I just love the vanguard. They are perfect against shooty armies. I usually play small battles, 1k or maybe 1,5k and then it might be hard to find points enough to field them. But when I do, they are really worth every point. I've used them maybe 11-12 times now. They have never scattered away from combat or into something. Everytime I've used them they have been able to assault something.

How do you equip your vets? I usually take a 5 man squad with 2 PW's. But when I take 10 and combat squad I deploy them separately. Roll for the whole big squad and then deploy them like two squads. I think that's the way to deploy a combat squadded squad, but I'm not sure.

[BOBMAKENZIE]

Wicked I've always enjoyed Vanguard Vets. Even when they were in the SM book and scattered 2d6. Way too much fun.

 

 

Now on to business not to be a downer but you cant deep strike on top of a building Lem. Otherwise you could have wicked fun with Cavalry that deep strike mishaps by putting them in a building they cant get down from.

[Elric the Silvercoat]

Wicked I've always enjoyed Vanguard Vets. Even when they were in the SM book and scattered 2d6. Way too much fun.

 

 

Now on to business not to be a downer but you cant deep strike on top of a building Lem. Otherwise you could have wicked fun with Cavalry that deep strike mishaps by putting them in a building they cant get down from.

Its understood at my LGS that you can deep strike on the top floor of a building but you still have to scatter and then after you land on top you have to do a dangerous terrian test. I will check my rule book but I thought it was prossible to do so.

[BOBMAKENZIE]

Wicked I've always enjoyed Vanguard Vets. Even when they were in the SM book and scattered 2d6. Way too much fun.

 

 

Now on to business not to be a downer but you cant deep strike on top of a building Lem. Otherwise you could have wicked fun with Cavalry that deep strike mishaps by putting them in a building they cant get down from.

Its understood at my LGS that you can deep strike on the top floor of a building but you still have to scatter and then after you land on top you have to do a dangerous terrian test. I will check my rule book but I thought it was prossible to do so.

 

Well are we talking Ruin or an actual honest to goodness ruin? Either way the answer is no. Just if its a real building you mishap because it is impassble terrain. If its a ruin the deep strike rules note you must be placed on the ground level.

[Judaz]

The rules says that you land on the bottom floor. But in my gaming party we have decided that if you DS on top of a building you either stay there or, if it's not possible to stand there, mishap. That's the way it should be IMO. But it's just us playing and bending the rules sometimes :woot:

[skawolf]

With buildings that have a flat roof surface we count it as open ground un till you hit the edge of the roof, but then again, we have some very large buildings with flat roofs perfect for deep striking onto so it could be different for others.

 

Edit: forgot to add the "s" to make building plural...... my bad :D

[Elric the Silvercoat]

Logicly if you are drop in with Jump Packs or being Teleported you want to land where you have the advantage and that would be high ground and alot of place that would be the top of a building.

[Baba Lem]

Awesome! I just love the vanguard. They are perfect against shooty armies. I usually play small battles, 1k or maybe 1,5k and then it might be hard to find points enough to field them. But when I do, they are really worth every point. I've used them maybe 11-12 times now. They have never scattered away from combat or into something. Everytime I've used them they have been able to assault something.

How do you equip your vets? I usually take a 5 man squad with 2 PW's. But when I take 10 and combat squad I deploy them separately. Roll for the whole big squad and then deploy them like two squads. I think that's the way to deploy a combat squadded squad, but I'm not sure.

 

 

It was multiple stories. A mixture of a building and ruin. Pretty big too! And open.

 

How do you think thirty Ultra Marines would have fit there on multiple stories?

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Congratulations on the glorious retribution your veterans reaped! It sounded most awesome. :o

 

G <_<

[Morticon]

Lembo,

 

great minds my man :D I've been speaking to James in the last few days. I've just built 10 VVs for potential use in the upcoming nationals tournament. You reckon combat squad is the way to go yeh ? (ie: 10guys)

[BOBMAKENZIE]

Lembo,

 

great minds my man :) I've been speaking to James in the last few days. I've just built 10 VVs for potential use in the upcoming nationals tournament. You reckon combat squad is the way to go yeh ? (ie: 10guys)

 

I've been using 8man VAS lately with great Success mort. I've even lost 1/2 in 2-3 out of 6 games and still one makes a huge difference. Definitely alot of fun and a useful unit but Im not sure 5 are enough on their own in alot of cases. Remember they wont always have Furious Charge.

[Baba Lem]

Lembo,

 

great minds my man :P I've been speaking to James in the last few days. I've just built 10 VVs for potential use in the upcoming nationals tournament. You reckon combat squad is the way to go yeh ? (ie: 10guys)

 

 

Usually, I'd never ask myself that question. Because usually, I'd only deploy a five man team, perhaps six if I feel they need some beef.

 

But in case of deploying a ten man squad to begin with, I'd probably split them up every time.

 

In addition to ten veterans jumping down on a target being overkill, this is likely to leave you in range of a lot of rapid firing weapons while not being in the range of a Sanguinius priest, as the Vanguard will rarely be on the turn they arrive. You could attempt for multi-assaults, of course, utilizing the high model count's advantage. But that option is limited by the scatter of deepstrike and the fact that you have to clump-up deploy in that deep strike ball.

 

For me, Vanguard is not a damage dealer.

 

They're a tactical bomb that I drop to tie up the opponent's heavy weapon base.

 

Two squads give you the ability to attack two targets. And they give you the 'safety-net' of a second scatter roll.

 

Who can really show their face when there's two devastator squads of three long fang packs in well-protected positions? >_>

 

Vanguard give the ability to stall the firebase by tying them up. Doesn't even matter if the Vanguards survive. They're only meant to buy time for your army's main bulk. In close combat, fire base units usually lack the punch to get rid of vanguards after the first turn of combat anyway.

 

 

 

Lembo,

 

great minds my man :P I've been speaking to James in the last few days. I've just built 10 VVs for potential use in the upcoming nationals tournament. You reckon combat squad is the way to go yeh ? (ie: 10guys)

 

I've been using 8man VAS lately with great Success mort. I've even lost 1/2 in 2-3 out of 6 games and still one makes a huge difference. Definitely alot of fun and a useful unit but Im not sure 5 are enough on their own in alot of cases. Remember they wont always have Furious Charge.

 

Still calling them VAS. :) You're the man, Bob. For the good old times!

[BOBMAKENZIE]

Lembo,

 

great minds my man :P I've been speaking to James in the last few days. I've just built 10 VVs for potential use in the upcoming nationals tournament. You reckon combat squad is the way to go yeh ? (ie: 10guys)

 

I've been using 8man VAS lately with great Success mort. I've even lost 1/2 in 2-3 out of 6 games and still one makes a huge difference. Definitely alot of fun and a useful unit but Im not sure 5 are enough on their own in alot of cases. Remember they wont always have Furious Charge.

 

Still calling them VAS. B) You're the man, Bob. For the good old times!

 

Well they stole our VASs I'm gonna call em what they really are not this silly new name :lol:

 

Your points about VAS are pretty good. They remind me alot of Ymargl Genestealers might be good to look into tactics for them to compare and adjust. Ymargls are pretty darn good at taking on Devastators and Long fangs in the backfield.

[Morticon]

Lem, its this exact reason why I'm considering them in my list.

 

The game here is being dominated by shooty armies (fang spam/guard etc). This will help loads.

Thing is, at 1750 - 350points of VAS is rough.

 

Thats why ive "compromised" with 7.

[SamaNagol]

I really can't read 'in character' posts on 40k forums lol

[sp4rky]

Hi guys,

 

In my last few games I've run 5 Vanguard with a couple of power weapons and dropped them in on a locator beacon from either scouts (needing support from camping an objective) or a Storm Raven. Not scattering then assaulting is great fun :huh:.

 

Especially dropping them in next to the Raven just as the passengers (squad and dreadnought) disembark at the same time and can assault 3 separate targets. I find this very useful for castling opponents.