Deathstar Units/Combos & BA Solutions

[CitadelArmyGuy]

A combo that I am dreading will be the "Ethereal Swan Dive."

 

 

Tau Army, either allied in or base army-- Ethereal begins the game standing on high terrain.

 

Turn1, he jumps.

.

.

.

.

 

Congratulations, all Tau now gain Preferred Enemy.

[benation]

I think the obvious answer to deathstars is: win on objectives? You don't have to kill the deathstar. If they spend 1000 points on 10 paladins + Draigo, then just take the objectives that they're not taking, if they have a weak unit like a transport around then take first blood on it, get in their deployment zone at the end of the game. Just run around the big unit and beat them on objectives.

[knife&fork]

.......*splat*

 

That's hilarious.

[wabbitrage]

IG vendettas'. How the heck do you counter them. 3 twin-linked lascannons each and up to 9 can be fielded in one detachment. at first glance i thought our SRs looked a great counter but for the price of 2 SR he can field 3 vendettas'. Thats 9 Twin-linked lascannons hitting on our precious strom-ravens if he fields 3. They're armour 12-12-10 3HPs so in a nutshell they're almost as good as SRs. Without buying terrain + fortifications i have no idea how to handle em.

[CitadelArmyGuy]

IG vendettas'. How the heck do you counter them. 3 twin-linked lascannons each and up to 9 can be fielded in one detachment. at first glance i thought our SRs looked a great counter but for the price of 2 SR he can field 3 vendettas'. Thats 9 Twin-linked lascannons hitting on our precious strom-ravens if he fields 3. They're armour 12-12-10 3HPs so in a nutshell they're almost as good as SRs. Without buying terrain + fortifications i have no idea how to handle em.

 

I fear this list, and also Necron Scythe-spam. I can really see those games not just being losing propositions, but not really being very fun either.

 

Many opinions think that Flyerspam lists will suffer from the minimum 18" rule--- don't think so at all, because many times they can just leave the board and re-enter. If timed correctly, the Flyers could survive all game.

 

9x Vendettas and CoCDR w/Astropath (for LOS hiding on the board) runs at 1250pts.

 

Lets looks at a Tournament which usually is fixed to 5 turns: Assume NO Vendettas get killed

 

 

Turn 2, 2/3 flyer units arrive and alphastrike.......................................................~2 squadrons of Vendettas: can shoot 2 targets.

 

Turn 3, 1st-wave moves 18", 2nd-wave 2/3 arrive...............................................~2-3 squadrons of Vendettas: can shoot 2 or 3 targets.

 

Turn 4, 1st-wave exits board, 2nd-wave move 18", 3rd-wave Auto-arrives...........~1-2 squadrons of Vendettas: can shoot 1 or 2 targets.

 

Turn 5, 1st wave re-enters, 2nd wave hovers/moves 18", 3rd-wave move 18"......3 squadrons of Vendettas: can shoot 3 targets.

 

 

So on average, a Vendetta-spam list can hammer 10 Units (less if squadrons combine fire). With a CoCDR w/Astropath hidden from LOS and with mixing in Hover mode so they don't leave the board (or if playing Long-table), that # of targets can rise to 12 maximum.

 

27 shots per turn, but only against 3 Targets.

 

So 3 Vendettas will give you 6.75 hits, 5.625 wounds, and 3.75 kills (if 5+ cover) against 1 target.

 

3 squadrons= 11.25 Kills per turn avg (5+ cover assumption) against 3 targets

 

45 Kills per game (5+ cover assumption) against 12 targets

 

 

 

Now the numbers get way better with 4+ cover, and also get better with each bird you DO manage to bring down. Flyer lists MUCH prefer to go 2nd, so on your first turn all scoring units HAUL A@@ towards the objectives and then go to ground... for like the rest of the game. Then your opponent must choose which to kill-- your scorers or your units which are capable of shooting back. Divination Libbys are going to be invaluable in a game like this, 3/7 powers will be useful (pray for Forewarning) and your heavy weapons can move all they'd like since they will be Snapfiring anyway.

 

Now of course your opponent will have the rest of his army list too, so you'll have to do the best you can locking in melee when possible, and finishing combat in his turn (pulling punches on charges if needed). All in All I can see this being a very grueling game.

 

A saving grace is that Horde Armies laugh at this list-- they can simply mob-up on the objectives. I think Horde Armies will be a reason this list never achieves super-tournament winner status. SO while the Vendettas and Astropath cost 1250pts, expect to see the rest of their points spent on anti-horde selections.

 

A final note towards fighting this list is GET IN THEIR FACE-- deep-strike everything you can as close into his deployment zone. When the flyers enter, it will take them 3 turns to realign towards something sitting in their own deployment zone, or else must hover. MAKE SURE you have units in-place which can capitalize on this situation if they ever go into Hover! And hide units in the flyers 'blind spot' whenever you can.

 

Someone playing a list like this is probably asleep at the wheel, trying to push the 'autowin' button. If you play smart and really think about what you're doing I think there's a shot at pulling one over on them.

[Morticon]

.

 

Congratulations, all Tau that aren't running away from the break checks they failed now gain Preferred Enemy.

 

fixed that for ya :P

[wabbitrage]

What is the ruling on Missile launcher dev squads? do they have flak missiles or are they not allowed to use it? Was thinking dev squad in a ageis defense line.

[EricBasser]

Here's a unit to laugh at Paladins. Not sure of it will work or not, but looks fun. Everything has Jump Packs.

 

 

Dante

10 Vanguard Veterans

9 with dual Infernos Pistols, Sarg with Storm Shield and Infernis Pistol.

Sang Priest wirh Infernos Pistol

Wolf Priest with Plasma Pistol

 

Squad has Fearless, Hit and Run, and Preferred Enemy. A lot of points, but ability to Deepstrike and not scatter means death to paladins.

[SnorriSnorrison]

Here's a unit to laugh at Paladins. Not sure of it will work or not, but looks fun. Everything has Jump Packs.

 

 

Dante

10 Vanguard Veterans

9 with dual Infernos Pistols, Sarg with Storm Shield and Infernis Pistol.

Sang Priest wirh Infernos Pistol

Wolf Priest with Plasma Pistol

 

Squad has Fearless, Hit and Run, and Preferred Enemy. A lot of points, but ability to Deepstrike and not scatter means death to paladins.

 

It would work, technically. Not sure if I wanted to spend that many points on one unit...countering a Death star with another? The Paladins still have a Invul save of some sort...interesting, but very costly concept. However, the unit could not use DoA to re-roll the reserve roll, since the Wolf Priest doesn't have a BA Jp...but it shouldn't be too hard to get this unit on a 3+. :lol:

 

 

Snorri

[Morticon]

remember- that wolf priest's PE wont work on the BA>

[EricBasser]

Darn. That's what I couldn't remember if it worked. Would have been too awesome.

[Morticon]

Darn. That's what I couldn't remember if it worked. Would have been too awesome.

 

Not a problem :P Check out the primaris power on Divinity chart for the The BA libbies ;) Even better :D

[EricBasser]

So add a libby with infernos pistol too. . . A lot of points. But I like how deadly it is.

[CitadelArmyGuy]

Darn. That's what I couldn't remember if it worked. Would have been too awesome.

 

Not a problem :P Check out the primaris power on Divinity chart for the The BA libbies ;) Even better :D

 

 

Just remember that none of the Divination powers may be cast when a Librarian arrvies from reserve.

 

Blessings&Maledictions are cast 'at the beginning of the movement phase'

 

Units may not use any abilities that occur at the beginning of the movement phase when they arrive from reserves.

 

 

 

So Droppod or JP-deepstrike Divination Libbys are unable to cast.

[wabbitrage]

I keep seeing vv and honour guard combos with expensive upgrades or running around with plasma guns or dual pistols etc etc etc. Although its kinda funny to think up these squads and maybe even proxy them in for a laugh in a game or two. Its really not going to be a competative list if you use these specalist god-squads. I dunno if people are trolling but if you start putting things into perspective. VV squad with jump packs and dual pistols you're talking 60pts per model.

 

60pt models with a 3+ save and can't capture objectives unless you get a specfic mission type but it can fire 2 shots each of awesomeness.

 

When you think about it though, for 40pts (50pts if you if you upgrade to an infernus pistol) you can take sangunairy guard which have a 2+ save (which is god-mode in sixth) and if you take dante count as scoring. So to me VV and honour guard squads are kinda cool to have for lulz but unless you're going to do some fancy 2nd turn charge from deep strike with the VV then they're dead units for competative play.

 

Anyhow i'm desperate to play BA competatively in sixth i'm praying to 40k gods to bring me a silver-lining. I just can't see it yet.

 

 

Reading back my post i feel like i'm too depressive?

[EricBasser]

Oh, it wouldn't be competitive. But can you imagine your opponent when placing that unit. It wouldn't be good against Storm Shield terminators though.

 

List would be;

Dante

Libby

 

3 Sang Priests

 

3x Sang Guard

 

10 Vanguard Vets

 

Would do horrible at objectives, but coming from a Ork army, I like the low model count.

[CitadelArmyGuy]

What is the ruling on Missile launcher dev squads? do they have flak missiles or are they not allowed to use it? Was thinking dev squad in a ageis defense line.

 

 

Current consensus RAW is currently NO GO on Flakk missiles.

 

However, JamesI wrote an email to GW asking about the DevSgt Signum. Result:

 

Signum applies BS5 when snapfiring, but ONLY in your shooting phase.

 

 

 

Implications of GW's email-reply:

 

 

Moving Heavy Weapons, Gone to Ground shooting, and shooting at Flyers (AND any combination of those)-- Signum applies BS5.

 

Overwatch-- Signum does not apply.

 

 

 

 

So you can move the Devastators and fire one BS5 at a Flyer. Or you can go to ground in an Aegis Defense Line for a 2+ cover save, then still fire one BS5 at flyers. SOoooooo..... keep that Signum alive.

 

Please note not all areas recognize GW email-replies concerning rules. Go to the OFFICIAL RULES section of B&C for more details.