Purgation Squads and GS

[L30n1d4s]

I think one of the most points efficient units we have now is the humble Purgation Squad with Incinerators. For the cost of a completely unupgraded, 5 man Strike Squad, you can get 5 Purgators armed with 4 Incinerators. Put them in a a Psy-bolt Razorback and you have a mobile bunker for them that can put out 3 TL Strengh 6 shots a turn on the move. This unit can put out some exceptional damage if it gets in template range. 4 S6 AP 4 Templates will cause a lot of damage in both shooting and during Overwatch, if your opponent charges unit.

 

What really makes this "Burnator" squad a worthwhile investment is combining it with Grand Strategy. Let's look at the options:

 

1 - HAMMER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS - Notice this says reroll wounds of 1, not just close combat ones. Given that Incinerators auto hit anything under the template and wound most models (MEQs and below) on a 2+, this makes the Burnators reroll almost all of their To Wound rolls. Say each template hits 4 Enemy models... that's 16 hits, with each hit wounding on a re-rollable 2+, meaning almost all 16 hits will wound. Even against a Marine squad with 3+ save, you are going to cause around 5 unsaved wounds from a single round of shooting, which is nothing to look down on. Against anything with a 4+ save or worse, well, you can see how much damage that squad would likely take... Horde units like gaines, orks, scarabs, big wych squads, etc, really are vulnerable to this unit.

 

2 - SPEAR OF LIGHT - Scout enables the "Burnator" squad to get close enough for template use in multiple ways. First, you can use it in the traditional sense by having the squad move in its Psyback 12" closer to the enemy before the game starts, alllowing them to then move another 6" in the vehicle, dismount, and footslogger another 6" on Turn 1, putting the Burnators in potentially very good range to use their four Incinerators right off the bat.

 

Second, Scout can be used to Outflank the Burnators, bringing them and their Psyback in from a table side (very likely on Turn 2, since you have Pyschic Communion from the GM) to then jump out and flame storm an unsuspecting enemy unit on the flank... Remember, templates ignor cover, so those enemy Pathfinders sitting in a ruin with a 2+ cover save are going up like marshmellows in an Oil Well fire :)

 

3 - UNYIELDING ANVIL - This one is obvious, as it is always great to have more scoring units, especially in a GK army. While Burnators normally compete with Dreadknights, Pyflemen Dreads, and Land Raiders for HS slots, with the advent of Double FOC slots for 2000+ point games, this should be mitigated greatly.

 

4 - SHIELD OF BLADES - Arguably the least useful of the GS options, this still has a place, as combined with Overwatch, it can make a Burnator squad better able to survive being assaulted in CC. If you do use this with Burnators, recommend using a large squad (8 - 10 models) to maximize its utility. Overall, the other options are probably better, but at least this gives a decent buff to the squad.

[T3mpl@r Crusade]

ive always been attracted to burninators. but how viable do you think they would be without a GM? typically i dont run one because i prefer a librarian (even still with the mega nerf theyve recieved, theyll still be my favorite toolbox) or coteaz. if you dont run one, youve got the issue of how do i get them close enough? all vechs in general took a durability hit so would a rhino be the best way? certainly not by itself.

 

im thinking that if you are zipping burninators up to the front to lay down some hurt, they wont make it solo, unless you drop them out of a storm raven into someones face. but thinking abouth using rhinos, i would probably want to use a terminator wall escort or have another rhino or 2 in the area to provide cover. the only problem with burninators is that asral aim through a rhino just doesnt work.

 

so waht do you put in the escort rhinos? i eally want to work burninators into a list but without a gm having them sneak in or scout move, you kinda need to invest points into escort units to make sure they live to deliver their payload. normally with coteaz around, i give them psycannons and bunker in behind a wall for some astral aim, rerolling hits (on the divination table). they can be hidding well enough without another points sink.

 

what i guess im trying to say is. how do you build a viable list with no gm for them that doesnt require you to build a list around getting your phrgators up into the fray to do max damage? my mind is spinning on this

[L30n1d4s]

Well, without GS, I think there are a few potential options for employing Burnanators effectively:

 

1 - Storm Ravens - Like you brought up, using Storm Ravens to "rush" them up to the enemy (even use Shadow Skies if necessary) and drop multiple flame templates on them. Of course the SR has to start in reserve, so would come in turn 2 at the earliest and most likely wouldn't be able to dismount and shoot until turn 3 (coming in 6", dismounting, and moving 6" from a friendly table edge probably won't get them to the enemy on turn 2). If they are in a SR, I would recommend maxing them out with 10 models and equipping them with some good CC weapons, which are surprisingly cheap (cheaper than for GKSS/Interceptors). Honestly, though, if you want an assault based Incinerator Squad, then might as well poney up a few extra points and get Purifiers, who can get 4 Incinerators as well, plus Cleansing Flame, Fearless, and 2 attacks base.

 

2 - The Summoning - You mentioned liking a Librarian... well, if you can get him within 12" or so of the enemy, you could use The Summoning to teleport a Burnanator Squad in from the other side of the table... as long as they don't mishap/scatter too badly, they should be in good position to drop a wall of burning prometheum on the enemy that same turn. I believe this tactic would work best when combined with another unit dropping in, such as a Dreadknight using its Shunt move to "leap" 30" and land right next to the Summoned Burnanators that same turn... I think that would cause target priority issues for your opponent, as well as psychologically disrupt him a little (i.e. nothing is near his units except a Libarian, then, BAM!! a MC and a squad with four S6 Templates drops on his flank out of nowhere.

 

3 - "Defensive ambush" unit - Use the Burnanators as a "counterattack" unit. Usually this role is held by a strong CC unit, but in this case you can kind of view Burnanators as a CC unit with S6, AP4 weapons that attack at Initiative 11...basicaly, place them near a unit that is holding an objective/critical terrain, but out of primary enemy LOS (i.e. hidden behind terrain, in a vehicle, etc.). When a strong enemy assault unit rolls up close, ready to assault next turn, push the Burnanators forward and hit the enemy with mass Incinerator carnage. Again, this works best with hordes/units with 4+ saves or worse, not so great against Assault Terminators or multi would units like Nid Warriors. This tactic kind of requires waiting for the enemy to come to you and ambushing them with your hidden Burnanator squad, so probably would only work against an opponent one time before he is on to it in future games.

 

4 - Allies - While GKs have no Battle Brothers, and so cannot benfit from allied unit powers, auras, etc, there are a few options which allies possess that synergize well with Burnanators. For example, if you take an IG allied detachment and use a Leman Russ Squadron to support you, the Burnanators could run behind the tanks for cover from enemy shooting as the tanks advance. The tanks can continue to shoot at the enemy while they move and, if an enemy unit attempts to move up and destroy the tanks in CC/with close range melta shooting, the Burnanators can flame them down... this is kind of like the tank-infantry teams we use in real life in the military... they mutually support one another and put the enemy on the horns of a dilemma. Another option is deploying a Burnanator Squad in a Rhino next to a fast, dangerous allies assault unit, say a BA Death Company squad with jump packs.... the squad moves 12" and then runs another D6" toward the enemy, while the Burnanators move 12" in their Rhino, plus another 6" Flat Out. This again forces target priority for the enemy... does he target the Burnanators and leave the Death Company ready to drop the hammer on him next turn, or does he target the Death Company and leave the Burnanators free to dismount and smother him in blue fire next turn? Either way, it is a potential win for your side (note, if you don't want to use Allies, a great "partner" unit for Burninators using this tactic is a Dreadknight with a Personal Teleporter, since it provides that same threat potential).

 

Hope some of that helps.

[Toasterfree]

only thing about a libby is that you would have to have him already on the table at the beginning of the turn. wouldnt be a big deal if he was in the SR since you could give the raven stealth which would give it +1 to a dive save (tee 4+ diving!!) and then summon them with the libby.

 

i think you WOULD have to use a GM and GS in order to make that unit worth while. it will be a fun experiement, im on board to try!

[Raus]

I can honesly never see how it is viable to give them counter-attack. When you are playing a squad of 10 Purgators, the big question is why you haven't gone for purifiers instead, and in a squad of 5, those extra attack really aren't worthwile when competing with being scoring or rerolling 1s to wound.

 

Actually, assuming a 5man squad with 4 incinerators being assaultet by MEQ, you will make around the same amount of wounds from rerolling 1s on overwatch as you would having counterattack.

[Reclusiarch Darius]

Yeah, the Trogdor build (Justicar hammer, 4 x incinerators, Rhino) is pretty much the only worthwhile way to run them. Even then, I'd only run it for fun, in a tournament it would get the chop.

 

The central problem is your opponent knows exactly what that unit is doing, and where it has to be. So, he'll de-mech them (easier now in 6th, Rhinos weren't exactly durable in 5th either), then all he has to kill is 5 Marines. The only upside is that its a pretty cheap unit (cost of a Vindicare), so it won't hurt your list too much losing them.