Halberd a 'must' on small units?

[jeffersonian000]

Like many of us former DH players, I have quite a few PAGK with Halbards, which I intend to eventually use as Purifiers at some point when I get tired of my Ghostwing. But I still have the minis, and I still have my old army lists from 3rd that were updated to 5th, using all of the my old metal minis. So, much like Sirduck13, when my GKSS are on the field, they have Halbards regardless of cost.

 

Am I wasting points? I don't think so. Too many possible assaults have been detered by the knowledge that my attacker will not be going first. Its the hedgehog effect, of more specifically, its a Tercio (pikes, swords and arquebuses). You just don't charge pikes, ever, if you have choice. And pikes behind cover are an even bigger deterent.

 

So when my little metal lads go Purifier, they will be still be Tercios through and through.

 

SJ

[breng77]

I think that effect works because people don't really understand just how bad GKSS are in close combat. If they did any reasonably good assault unit would charge any chance it got.

[DarkGuard]

I think that effect works because people don't really understand just how bad GKSS are in close combat. If they did any reasonably good assault unit would charge any chance it got.

 

It depends on the unit. Hammernators, sure. Genestealers, go ahead, even if they have halberds. Honour Guard? Nope, definitely if they have halberds, and I'd be loathe to put them in against swords. Yes I know GKSS have 1A each and hit on 4s, but the opportunity to wound and therefore kill on 3s against my expensive squads is one I don't want to give them. You see, there's more things to consider than how good the unit is in assault, survivability, cost etc must also be taken into account.

[breng77]

That 10 man Strike squad with Halberds likely costs more than the Honor Guard(unless it is 10 strong) you are sending to fight them in the first place. The squad above is 285 points. In addition Honor Guard are not really an elite combat unit that is good at dealing with other elite combat units (not that the strike squads are.), they don't fare well against mass power weapons, and they don't fare well against things with higher I (especially with Power weapons) for.

 

Look at it this way if I have four 10 man GKSS and I spend 35 points to give each of them Halberds. It really adds up and you sacrifice something elsewhere. As you said you would already be loath to charge a unit with swords. Also this topic was in reference to small squads. A 5 man Strike squad with 3 Halberds is only somewhat likely to kill 1 Honor Guard before getting wiped out, I get the same effect if we strike at the same time.

 

Also if you are not charging strike squads with your Honor Guard, than against GKs what are you charging? Every other unit (save those with lots of heavy weapons or some henchmen units) would kill you much faster. If the answer is nothing then you may as well leave the Honor Guard at home with the number of GK armies out there.

[Dr von Hohenheim]

I don't understand why the points costs for halberds are backwards for strike squads and purifiers. Surely they should cost more for purifiers, since they are the ones with two attacks?

 

It's nonsensical.

[breng77]

I think the answer for that is two fold.

 

1.) Purifiers are more points base. So with a halberd they still cost one more point (though what you get for that point is a lot)

2.) Purifiers are elites. Without taking Crowe the most you can get is 30 (and that is hard to do if you want to take other things as well.)

[Dr von Hohenheim]

It still makes no sense to me.

 

Would 2-point halberds really be unbalanced for strike squads?

 

 

I find the 20-point incinerators confusing too.

[thade]

Like many of us former DH players, I have quite a few PAGK with Halbards, which I intend to eventually use as Purifiers...

I am in this same boat as well. Will be a simple task of painting their helmets white. So many metal halberds...which were iconic for them. They still are, in my mind, new codex rules and points efficiency not withstanding. -_-

[breng77]

It still makes no sense to me.

 

Would 2-point halberds really be unbalanced for strike squads?

 

 

I find the 20-point incinerators confusing too.

 

unbalanced, compared to purifiers maybe, maybe not, compared to other dexes, most certainly 22 point I6 Power weapon Wielding Troops. 5 points makes them a tought decision, 2 makes them mush more of an auto-include (see purifiers). Purifiers are better than strike squads in every way (which maybe was the intention).

 

As for the incinerators I think that they tried to Increase/Decrease the prices of special weapons dependent upon the squads they come on. Purgation squads get free incinerators and more expensive psycannons due to their psychic powers. Purifiers seem to have the best options with Free incinerators, and 10 point psycannons, they have expensive Psylincers (which suck) but I think the idea will be that these guys are moving forward. I think GW decided that they wanted the options to cost the same on Interceptors and Strike squads (since they are the same just without PTs) and cheap incinerators on Interceptors would be nasty (last turn shunt to an objective and burn the squad on it.