Best Use of the Darkshroud?

[antacidbrn]

I have decided that this model looks way too cool not to own. I will run it with an assault cannon for 100 points. So when I finally own it, what is the best way to use it on the battlefield?

[Ronin_eX]

A few different ways that I've considered. My main one is to have it be the focal point of a Black Knight vanguard to give them the survivability they need to make it to the second turn and bring the Deathwing in. Basically have the Black Knights turbo-boost and have the Darkshroud up with them (also going flat out) and you have 2+ cover saves all around (5+ Jink, +1 for Skilled Rider, +1 for Turbo-boost and +1 for Stealth; or for the Dark Shroud Jink for the 5+, +1 for flat-out and +2 for Shrouded). The next turn the Black Knights bring down the Deathwing on target, fire on troublesome units (including hitting up tough units with Rad Grenades). The Dark Shroud can break off to keep the Black Knights covered and provide close support with the Assault Cannon.

 

Alternatively you can use them a bit more statically by having them buff covered units in your back line. Techmarine to bolster and then have a Dark Shroud stick around to buff the improved cover save. This can make for a really hard to kill firebase.

 

Finally in a pure Ravenwing force, where every model has Jink, it is a pure buff unit that can hang out wherever you want things not to die. May be nice to try in a list with the Standard of Destruction in a RW Command Squad and a mobile firebase of Ravenwing spitting Salvo 2/4 boltgun shots out of the bubble of darkness. In this list the Black Knights can act as outriders for flanking maneuvers (instead of sticking to the bubble).

 

Keep in mind that Helldrakes will be a bane against these kinds of tactics because their Baleflamer is AP3 and ignores cover. So you may want to field something with a Power Field generator if you're expecting to see Chaos's premier flyer. But outside of that, it is fairly solid.

[Lion El Jason]

I would say I will be using mine with heavy bolters and probably never shooting. Just move flat out every turn for the save and give cover saves to everything.

[antacidbrn]

I do like the idea of shrouded Firebases; Perhaps I park this next to my Devastators and take chip shots with the assault cannon since it is the same long range as the max for the Dev squad weapons.

[Storm Dragons 3rd Company]

I do like the idea of shrouded Firebases; Perhaps I park this next to my Devastators and take chip shots with the assault cannon since it is the same long range as the max for the Dev squad weapons.

 

 

I thought the AssCan was significantly shorter ranged than the 48" of MLs and LCs. 'course, if your Dev's have MMs it makes more sense.

 

 

Keep in mind that Helldrakes will be a bane against these kinds of tactics because their Baleflamer is AP3 and ignores cover. So you may want to field something with a Power Field generator if you're expecting to see Chaos's premier flyer. But outside of that, it is fairly solid.

 

If memory serves, and I'm still coming to grips with the new 'dex, the power field also gives the 4++ to ALL nearby units. Thus, this might work well in a unit like devs or some other long range shooty firebase type unit, but I don't think I would ever want to give one to my assault units. Their defense against Heldrakes will probably have to be storm shields or getting stuck in.

[Nightmare84]

I used it well 2 days ago when we rolled short end deployment zones.

Moves tanks 6 inches pop smoke and turbo dark shroud in between them for 3+ cover.

I lost nothing to his 6 board sides.!

[Ronin_eX]

I do like the idea of shrouded Firebases; Perhaps I park this next to my Devastators and take chip shots with the assault cannon since it is the same long range as the max for the Dev squad weapons.

 

 

I thought the AssCan was significantly shorter ranged than the 48" of MLs and LCs. 'course, if your Dev's have MMs it makes more sense.

 

 

Keep in mind that Helldrakes will be a bane against these kinds of tactics because their Baleflamer is AP3 and ignores cover. So you may want to field something with a Power Field generator if you're expecting to see Chaos's premier flyer. But outside of that, it is fairly solid.

 

If memory serves, and I'm still coming to grips with the new 'dex, the power field also gives the 4++ to ALL nearby units. Thus, this might work well in a unit like devs or some other long range shooty firebase type unit, but I don't think I would ever want to give one to my assault units. Their defense against Heldrakes will probably have to be storm shields or getting stuck in.

 

Only all models within 3" unfortunately (and fortunately, since careful placement can deny saves as easily as giving them). Luckily you can run Black Knights as a pure shooty unit and can always break off the Librarian to a safe distance if they need to charge something. But with TL'd S7AP2 Rapid Fire weaponry, the Black Knights don't really need to charge anything. So I prefer the flexibility of the Librarian in their ranks to provide them an invuln. if they need it. And if giving your enemy a 4++ is a bad idea at a given time, then he is mobile enough to bugger off to where he is needed more. But I don't see Black Knights as an assault unit, I see them as a shooty unit that doesn't suck during assaults.

[Brother Landrain]

I like the idea of a stealthed Fireline with a Daka-Banner behind a defense line...

[CovertToaster]

I've liked the idea of darkshroud's in pure RW armies from the start. You can field a couple of nephilim jet fighters to shoot down helldrake's but I feel it would get owned by a salamanders force. All good salamander's armies field Vulkan and then pack as many melta/flamer weapons into the army that they can. At least helldrake spam still has to field troops and an HQ and if you have good opposition for the drake's then they may drop the numbers for an answer to your answer.