What to do with Dark Angel Scouts?

[antacidbrn]

I was very happy to read the codex this weekend and see that Scouts are Troop Choices! That being said, I was shocked that there is no Land Speeder Storm as a transport? Either way, I plan to use these in my 6th edition lists.

 

I am wondering if I should run these as an annoying Sniper Unit with Flakk missiles or as a surprising assault unit. Here are my thoughts...

 

The Sniper Unit would hold objectives in the backfield and use ranged weapons to harrass. The ML can be used as Flakk for support against flyers. Seems like a cost effective *extra* to any list.

 

The fun part is imagining the possibilities for Assault Scouts. I think most people will be worried about my Ravenwing and Deathwing units (and rightly so). If I take a DarkShroud and a 5-10 man unit of scouts, I think I might be able to surprise some people. The special rules "Infiltrate", "Scouts", and "Move through Cover" are combined with the "Icon of Caliban" and the "Stealth" for what seems to be a really special, and cheap combo.

 

I am leaning towards shotguns, with te mobile Assault 2 stat line and 12 in range; I can get at least 10 shots on the move. I can always add a PF Sargeant and a Heavy Bolter too. Is this great enough, or would it be better to roll with Combat knife and bolt pistols for this unit?

[Onisuzume]

Oh what shall we do with the scouts~

What shall we do with the scouts~

What shall we do with the scouts~

Early after release~

 

Chuck him in a speeder till he's sober~

Put him in the speeder and make him bale her~

What shall we do with the scouts~

Lock him in the guard room till he's sober~

Put him in the scuppers with a hose-pipe on him~

Pull out the plug and wet him all over~

Tie him to the taffrail when she's yardarm under~

Heave him by the leg in a runnin' bowline~

Scrape the hair off his chest with a hoop-iron razor~

Give 'im a dose of salt and water~

Stick on his back a mustard plaster~

Keep him there and make 'im bale 'er~

Give 'im a taste of the bosun's rope-end~

What'll do with a limejuice skipper?~

Soak him in oil till he sprouts a flipper~

 

 

Anyhow, the only thing I'll do with scouts is ignore the entry alltogether.

[antacidbrn]

@onisuzume, very funny reply, but I do want some actual feedback from DA players about what they plan to do with Scouts.

[Azrael Turnbull]

The best thing about scouts are their infiltrate, especially with Snipers or other long ranged weaponry. On tabletop, their best capability is simply sitting on an objective that you don't want your army to be anywhere near. You know, that one that is no where near the actual fighting. They are cheap, and can annoy your opponent with their long range attacks, although don't count on them doing any lasting damage.

 

It's even better when your opponent actually pays attention to them, sending a much more expensive unit to deal with something you don't really need. So there you have it. Scouts are an objective supporty unit of sorts, but most people prefer to leave them at home in favour of something that can hurt their opponent. I like scouts, but then I usually go away from the normal power gaming style. I don't need it. ;)

[Onisuzume]

@onisuzume, very funny reply, but I do want some actual feedback from DA players about what they plan to do with Scouts.

I guess, but the thing is, I don't like scouts.

I don't like the models, I don't like the rules, I don't like the fluff.

So for my successor, I got all neophytes finishing their training on the homeworld before entering the effective fighting force.

 

If I want infiltration of snipers, I'll go get the IG.

[Brother Immolator]

Have them man a defensive line and use a techmarine to fortify it? You have a 2+ save and two anti air options (flakk missiles and the gun from the defense)albeit at lower BS.

[antacidbrn]

@Azrael - I tend to agree that most people leave Scouts at home in favor of units that "can actually hurt their opponent", but doesn't the Dark Shroud change the game a little bit?

 

A Dark Shroud is 80 points and a cheap 60 point scout squad before any upgrades; you are stacking a lot of special rules "Scout, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Stealth, Icon of Caliban". at 12 points a piece you can max out the unit and also upgrade the Sargeant. I feel like if you add Powerfist or Close Combat weapons, this can be effective, especially since it is so hard to remove them from the table. Not to mention, if you assault a stasis bombed squad, you go first too. Thoughts?

 

Keep in mind, this is a unit that is never going to be primary, the big guns will have to deal with Deathwing/Ravenwing.

[Lion El Jason]

My Brother was using them with snipers to hold objectives close to his own DZ. this will just work better with cloaks and darkshroud.

[IanSturrock]

2 Dark Shrouds, one to go Flat Out from your Scouts to your Ravenwing each turn, the other to go Flat Out from your Ravenwing to your Scouts each turn.

[Azrael Turnbull]

@Azrael - I tend to agree that most people leave Scouts at home in favor of units that "can actually hurt their opponent", but doesn't the Dark Shroud change the game a little bit?

 

A Dark Shroud is 80 points and a cheap 60 point scout squad before any upgrades; you are stacking a lot of special rules "Scout, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Stealth, Icon of Caliban". at 12 points a piece you can max out the unit and also upgrade the Sargeant. I feel like if you add Powerfist or Close Combat weapons, this can be effective, especially since it is so hard to remove them from the table. Not to mention, if you assault a stasis bombed squad, you go first too. Thoughts?

 

Keep in mind, this is a unit that is never going to be primary, the big guns will have to deal with Deathwing/Ravenwing.

 

So you're saying run scouts alongside a Dark Shroud? Granted, it will work; as long as the Dark Shroud moves 1" every turn, your opponent will have a hard time shooting you down. Close combat, however...

 

I would not use this deployment myself. My rule of writing army lists is to imagine what the Dark Angels would actually field and do with their units. I can't imagine them deploying a Dark Shroud to keep Scouts even further hidden. Just my style of playing, that's all.

 

 

My Brother was using them with snipers to hold objectives close to his own DZ. this will just work better with cloaks and darkshroud.

 

Exactly! :) As I said, Scouts main purpose is to hold an objective that would otherwise require a more expensive unit, which you'd obviously want in a more ideal place, i.e. closer to the fighting, taking middle or enemy deployment zone objectives. A Dark Shroud would enhance the Scouts survivability, but under most circumstances, your opponent would not be wasting their time shooting scouts until they've secured the middle ground. Of course, outflankers and jump infantry might give it a shot, but they're 99% likely to be assaulting. In this situation, what good is any cover save?

[spamthulhu]

Usually the problem is that they aren't really cheaper to run when you deck them out to be survivable. I just accept that they won't cost me a transport to get them into position. Then I give them sniper rifles for longer range shooting and expect them to hold on to a rear objective while shooting into the conflict with occasional good rolls of a 6.

 

I love me some sniper scouts and I just try to ignore how little damage they end up actually doing. Unless the opponent has a high toughness monster then I am in love with them.

[lhg033]

i like the sniper rifles and what they can potentially do with precision shots but i'm much more likely to try and fit in a whirlwind or predator for the points i'd spend on a scout squad for more dedicated ranged support - i have other things to hold objectives

[Djulius]

Use mine behind Aegis defences with sniper/cloak and quad gun; anti-flyer and character hunters at range, even better if scoring on an objective.

 

Wanna waste time chasing these points and objectives while they literally snipe away at you?

Or are you going to be more worried about the Death and Raven forces that are coming your way anytime... NOW!

 

IMHO above tactic even more effective than used similarly in my BA army as there often one of the few things of mine starting on the board to worry about, but DA means you're guaranteed to be busy with other matters very soon!

 

Agree about the lack of LS Storm, mainly as I have one that didn't fit in my BA army...

[antacidbrn]

I want to add a Storm Talon Gunship to my Ravenwing and am still really mad I was unable to take one of these since it fits the theme or Dark Angels. If I take a cheap Space Marine HQ, Scout squad as toops, a Land Speeder Storm (with ML) and a Storm Talon, would this not fit very nicely into a 1,500 point list as allies?

[Djulius]

Unless I've missed something in the codex, Storm not an option.

[puck]

while i always run mine with sniper rifles and a flakk launcher, I did notice in the codex that the sergent has access to the melee and ranged wargear table...a scout sergent with a thunderhammer is legal. While probably extremely ineffective, and infiltrating alpha striking squad with a hammer sounds kinda fun...