Scoring units in 6th

[terminatorAM]

If 5th ed. games 2/3 of your missions were objectives which only troops could score. Now in 6th with 6 new standard mission (which all look awesome) troops are not going to be the only scoring units available. In two of the missions either fast or heavy now count as scoring. One mission has not objectives outside of killing each other. This leaves only 1/2 of the missions where only troops can score on the objectives.

 

Between the changes made to denial units (no more last minute fast tank contesting), the evident new importance of infantry, and the possibility of the warlord becoming a scoring unit is there really as much of a need for multiple troop selections as there were in 5th? Space marine troops are decent units, but they are not as specialized as our other choices (this goes for all codexes).

 

Before, if you ran a 1500-2000pnt list you were all but required to have at least 3 troops choices for scoring. Now I'm thinking even in these higher point games, we may only need 2 troops choices and are free to spend points on other more specialized units. I do think we will need to start including at least one of each heavy support and fast attack unit for the Big guns never tire and Scouring missions, but troops seem less important now IMO.

 

If you stick with the 'capture one, deny the rest' philosophy, then I think that we will only need around 20 power armored models (i.e. 2 units) to hold our objectives.

 

 

What does everyone else think? And discuss...

[Schultzhoffen]

I have always had 3 Scoring Units -x2 Tac Squads and a Sniper Scout Squad for camping. This amounts to roughly 525 points, leaving me 1325 points for the rest (we play 1850 points here).

 

Those scouts have won me many games by being in the right place at the right time.

 

If you want to save points you could always have x4 Scout Squads (will save points and Scouts are a good unit -esp Sniper Scouts in 6th) to have as scoring and PA/TA elites to do heavy lifting.

 

Might work (I just like the idea of Tac Squads - average as they are...).

 

Bottom line - I still think 3 Troop Choices are the minimum at 1500-2000 points.

[nurglez]

I play Draigo wing, and I have 2-3 scoring units (though I rarely combat squad the 10man) plus a heavy (which I rarely made scoring, as rerolling to wound rolls of 1s is just awesome.

 

In my current list, I'm rocking a second heavy but only have 10 pallies and a solodin, with the changes to combat squading, I'm more likely to combat squad. If my heavys are scoring. Cool. If not I'm more likely to make my heavys scoring over rerolling if I need.

 

I feel, you can either take a few fast and a few heavy, and only take 2 scoring units. But having a strong scoring presence is always useful, ans killing the enemy makes you need less :pinch:

[Grey Mage]

My rule of 1 large scoring unit per 500pts- IE 10 strong marine somethings- still holds, because its not just about the objectives its also about body count on the field. Wounds arent just the hit-points of your models, but also of your army.

[Captain Idaho]

I'm feeling like I need to add a 5 man Scout squad for camping since, as said by Grey Mage you need some bodies on the table. I haven't had good experiences with them in the past but with the Aegis Defence Lines they might be more useful to me.

 

That would give me 20 Power Armoured Space Marines and 5 Scouts as Scoring units. It would mean dropping a Landspeeder though! :D

[DarkGuard]

Due to my Double Guard list not working at 1750pts I'll be adding a small 5 man Scout sniper squad to my 3rd Company list for holding those backfield objectives. My new DA/C:SM hybrid list for my 1st and 10th list has 6 scoring units in it (although only 30 scoring models).

 

However, the main thing here is that I think scoring will be more valuable, and we may feel we need to put in more scoring units. You can't be sure your FA and HS will be a scoring unit, and Troops still score in those games. And with 5/6 games now about scoring, as opposed to 2/3, it's less likely you'll roll KPs and more likely you'll roll objectives. Therefore, scoring units should be considered more important, especially with the changes to deny which makes "hold one, contest the rest" so much harder.

[dadieau]

The average amount of objectives per game has also risen. I have only played one game but from what I have heard the average amount of carnage has also gone up. I'm thinking one more scoring unit than I would have used in 5th per army is a good idea.

[thade]

My rule of 1 large scoring unit per 500pts- IE 10 strong marine somethings- still holds, because its not just about the objectives its also about body count on the field. Wounds arent just the hit-points of your models, but also of your army.

I definitely ascribe to this too. It's easy, being a marine player (esp with the BA codex) as my basic Troop choices are also respectfully killy (Tacticals, Scouts, and Assault Marines...I don't use DC, nor do they Score anyway).

 

Your non-Scoring units (Elites, Fast, Heavy, ICs) really exist to defend your Scoring units as they are expendable (and often more killy)...but if you're hiding your Scoring units (like I did when I first started out, leaving Tacs in Rhinos, just using the free heavy weapon once per turn) you're wasting all of that delicious Rapid Fire. So, expendables in front and in first, Scoring squads just behind to offer fire support, and one or two in Reserve to fully protect them from early game fire and pick up that rear objective for me later.

 

I seldom use Scouts as objective campers. Let's face it: Scouts can sit on that objective, sure...but they're almost as costly as marines (for their Infiltrate, etc.) and sit on the same spot (the Objective) the entire game, asking for a Heavy Flamer to come nuke them. Hell, it's arguably not worth the Infiltrate cost since your opponent knows right where you're going to Infiltrate them: the Objective!

 

I sometimes leave five man tactical squads (one or two) in Reserves to just footslog on to Objectives later. Yes, my objective campers are marines...but with Fast Rhinos I can press the line forward a bit or shift weight elsewhere on the field (towards another objective) so that tiny little unit can slog in and take cover without too much stress.

[Kingkaneda]

I think with the secondary objectives you dont really need scoring units that badly anymore. Make sure they dont score and win on secondary. I play with 15 scouts as my whole scoring force in 1750 points. Works out pretty well since I can put more points into attack power(3 predators, 2 dreads, 10 terminators, lysander, 2 speeders, 3 scoutbikes). Having a lot of attack power spread out will make it hard for your opponent to focus on your troops.

[DarkGuard]

Remember though that secondary objectives aren't as valuable as primary objectives. You could net them all, and still lose because your opponent has a normal objective and stuck a unit in your deployment zone.

[Ricter]

Remember with linebreaker it has to be a scoring (and maybe denial, too, I'm away from books) in order to claim it.

 

Also, vehicles can't contest objectives anymore, except hs in one mission and fa in another. This means you can no longer rely on your rhinos shoving up next to opponent's objectives and denying them on the last turn.

[thade]

Denial units need not be Scoring units; they just need to be outside of their transport, iirc.

[Kingkaneda]

Remember though that secondary objectives aren't as valuable as primary objectives. You could net them all, and still lose because your opponent has a normal objective and stuck a unit in your deployment zone.

 

That is why I said "make sure they don't score". So when you want to minimize on scoring troops, your new primary objective becomes killing or denying your opponents scoring troops before 5th turn.

[DarkGuard]

Well you can say make sure they don't score, but changes to denial units makes that a lot harder. Certainly it's a lot more of a risky strategy now, and I'd prefer to have more scoring units.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

Remember though that secondary objectives aren't as valuable as primary objectives. You could net them all, and still lose because your opponent has a normal objective and stuck a unit in your deployment zone.

 

That is why I said "make sure they don't score". So when you want to minimize on scoring troops, your new primary objective becomes killing or denying your opponents scoring troops before 5th turn.

 

That's not always as easy as you make it sound, either. GK, for instance, can flood the field with TDA, and Paladins can be made scoring, and they're not at all easy to get rid of. Think of your average ork army, where you're normally so busy trying to kill the bikers and boyz that are in your face that you can't devote sufficient killing power to wipe the squad or two of Lootas in the backfield. . . . who become scoring units in The Big Guns Never Tire.

 

Killing the enemy is the point of a wargame, sure, but "kill every scoring model" isn't a good strategy to build an army around. There are too many variables in terrain, tactics, mission, and army composition out there to be able to reliably do so. Plus, there's that whole thing about the enemy getting to shoot back...

[Ricter]

Not to mention many savvy opponents can and will leave a scoring unit in reserve, limiting your ability to kill it drastically.

[Kingkaneda]

I never said it was going to be easy. But it is still a good option in my opinion. I don't like spending points for JUST scoring, so I keep it cheap with 15 scouts(who do ALOT more than just scoring, Scoring is acually their secondary objective in my playing style) and focus my points more on killing power and armor saturation. If my opponent decides to keep scoring units in reserve, Im happy that can throw my 1750 points of pure killing power against his army that is less than 1750 points at that moment.

 

But that is just my style at the moment. Of course it can be a good strategy to have alot of scoring, and durable scoring.