Sons of Horus tactics

[Noctus Cornix]

Thanks Spu00sed. Actually no I never thought of taking Seekers. Reavers will be troops, either by Malgohurst (who is awesome) or a Praetor with Black Reaving Rite of War.

 

For elite choices, I going to keep it in the open for Justaerians (who can deep strike with the Black Reaving rite. ), Destroyers, and Contemptor Dreadsnoughts in Dread Claws.

 

Seekers loaded up with Combi-Plasmas could really add some much needed anti-terminator/Character capacity to it while keeping with my Elite Spec Ops theme. This way I don't really have to deal with any vehicles or tanks outside maybe Storm Eagles

[SillyDreadnought]

I'd probably give your Reaver list a fire support block to cover their bounding advance. I do like the idea though, so I might pinch it and try it myself. I hadn't even considered jump packs. I was looking primarily at Rhinos, with a mix of Volkite and Banestrike squads to keep my packs roughly more flexible.

[Noctus Cornix]

Honestly, the reason why I chose Jump Packs wasn't originally made as a tactical decision...

 

Back when I first started 40k, I got the Chaos Space Marines codex. (3.5) the artwork in that codex was amazing but for some reason, the one that always stood out the most was the dropsite massacre artwork, not for the battle scene but for a single assault marine in the background, sailing through the air with a bolter kicking in his arms.

 

Don't ask me why but i thought that was the COOLEST thing in the world and its still the most memorable thing to me. So when i found out that I could make an Army of sick badass killers with bolters and jump packs, I jumped on that! How could i not?

[AekoldHelbrass]

Unfortunately, champion cannot take both axe and sword, he can replace only ccw. I really wanted him with pf+claw...

[SillyDreadnought]

noctus, you could also take Veteran Tacticals in the Elites slot and take the Sniper skill, to stay in theme. But that's a huge amount of infantry running about. It may be offputting.

[Noctus Cornix]

Ya I can but really with the Reaver squads and potentially Seeker squads, I've already got my Infantry stock pile and id rather save my elite slots for destroyers, Contemptors, and Justerian.

[Kais Klip]

Fair enough if you are taking non-MEQs into account, but we are in agreement that otherwise, SoH Reavers are upgraded seekers for the same role (hunting fellow Astartes squads, while still packing a traditional punch with banestrike and axes), or am I overlooking something?

[SillyDreadnought]

That is the gist I'm getting from Reavers. They're more like a mix of Despoiler Squads and Seeker Squads. A very interesting unit in their own right though, filling both roles but not making either squad it's adopting the role from obsolete thanks to the ease of making them a Troops slot unit and their complete flexibility in loadout. So many options! They're also the only way we can get mass Volkite weapons outside Heavy and Special weapon squads.

[Noctus Cornix]

Absolutely. Like I said before, this is an army list based purely around making Reavers work and I honestly feel that as a single squad, they just don't fit the bill that can't be done better by cheaper Assault Marine squads or head popping Seekers. If you're going to use Reavers, you HAVE to have atleast two squads that work in unison.

 

Reavers (especially with the Black Reaving Rite) are the epitome of the Pack Mentality and this is so clearly shown in the rules. Wolves that encircle their foe, that gnash and bite at them, to bleed them out and widdle them down, tear at the throats of the leaders and those who keep the moral. And then, when there is nothing left but battered and broken stragglers, they dive in for the kill and ruthlessly rip them apart limb from limb.

 

Merciless Fighters, Cut them down, Assassin's Eye. All these rules just bleed this idea  and hammers it home.

 

 

 

Edit: Also, simply because I love it so much, here's the Dropsite Massacre image I was talking about. The Assault Marine in question is up towards the top left, right behind the Assault Marine jumping right at the cover. I don't know man. Its such a small thing but its SO FREAKING COOL!

 

http://i49.tinypic.com/72akp2.jpg

[Sanct]

Cut them down - how do you think it applies?  Do they get the bonus if the target was charged prior that turn or a only in a previous turn?

[SillyDreadnought]

It's pretty clear. You only get Rage if the target is locked in an on-going combat. And since all charges are done simultaneously, you won't get Cut Them Down during one assault phase's worth of charges.

[Noctus Cornix]

Which is fine because the standard approach of assault is to have first squad unload a series of bolter shells at rapid fire into the squad and let the second squad charge into the softened enemies. Turn two comes around and first squad is sitting their at full strength while the target is undoubtedly ripped up badly. First Squad charges into them with 4 attacks a piece, adding the attacks from second squad, your target is ripped apart. And if they some how miraculously live through combat of turn 2, Merciless Killers activates giving your Reavers from both squads a free attack.

[Sanct]

Which is fine because the standard approach of assault is to have first squad unload a series of bolter shells at rapid fire into the squad and let the second squad charge into the softened enemies. Turn two comes around and first squad is sitting their at full strength while the target is undoubtedly ripped up badly. First Squad charges into them with 4 attacks a piece, adding the attacks from second squad, your target is ripped apart. And if they some how miraculously live through combat of turn 2, Merciless Killers activates giving your Reavers from both squads a free attack.

 

err 5 attacks with the activated cut them down? Effectively 6 if they use jumppack HoW? 7 by I1 since with jumppacks they're bulky?

Kinda why I'd prefer the volkite on them - the longer double shot range and assault profile won't stop the reavers from charging

[Noctus Cornix]

 

Which is fine because the standard approach of assault is to have first squad unload a series of bolter shells at rapid fire into the squad and let the second squad charge into the softened enemies. Turn two comes around and first squad is sitting their at full strength while the target is undoubtedly ripped up badly. First Squad charges into them with 4 attacks a piece, adding the attacks from second squad, your target is ripped apart. And if they some how miraculously live through combat of turn 2, Merciless Killers activates giving your Reavers from both squads a free attack.

 

err 5 attacks with the activated cut them down? Effectively 6 if they use jumppack HoW? 7 by I1 since with jumppacks they're bulky?

Kinda why I'd prefer the volkite on them - the longer double shot range and assault profile won't stop the reavers from charging

 

But Bolters are cool. Also, the point is that one shoots and the other charges in, allowing the first squad to charge in with Rage on the second turn of combat. Thus the volikte chargers arent exactly as effective since it doesn't have the potential AP3 and the assault weapon aspect isn't all that useful.

[SillyDreadnought]

 

 

Which is fine because the standard approach of assault is to have first squad unload a series of bolter shells at rapid fire into the squad and let the second squad charge into the softened enemies. Turn two comes around and first squad is sitting their at full strength while the target is undoubtedly ripped up badly. First Squad charges into them with 4 attacks a piece, adding the attacks from second squad, your target is ripped apart. And if they some how miraculously live through combat of turn 2, Merciless Killers activates giving your Reavers from both squads a free attack.

 

err 5 attacks with the activated cut them down? Effectively 6 if they use jumppack HoW? 7 by I1 since with jumppacks they're bulky?

Kinda why I'd prefer the volkite on them - the longer double shot range and assault profile won't stop the reavers from charging

 

But Bolters are cool. Also, the point is that one shoots and the other charges in, allowing the first squad to charge in with Rage on the second turn of combat. Thus the volikte chargers arent exactly as effective since it doesn't have the potential AP3 and the assault weapon aspect isn't all that useful.

It's apples and oranges with Volkites vs Banestrikes. Both work. If you wanted a barrage of fire followed by an immediate assault by the shooting unit, then go with Volkites. If you're going with more pack tactics, as noctus says, go with the Banestrikes.

 

I'd personally put Volkites on Reavers that I plan to run by themselves. And Banestrikes on Reaver based armies.

[Noctus Cornix]

But.... Bolters are cool.

[Durfast Spiritwolf]

I had planned on a Seeker squad, but I'm struggling to see what they would bring that Reavers can't do and more. Am I missing something, guys?

[Noctus Cornix]

Seekers have more versatility and are better equipped for range combat. Reavers are a healthy mix between Seekers and Assault marines. Good at both, better at none.

[Sanct]

What do you think about a mass reaver army with the angel's wrath RoW? It would require maloghurst with a buddy unit in a dreadclaw but now all your jumppack reavers have hit'n'run.

Definite prospect with mass volkite since it multiplies the damage out.

[AekoldHelbrass]

So, anyone tried reavers with bolters? I've done some mathhammering, and they are far from impressive, they cost a lot of points while having marginally better kill ratio than normal bolters.

[Noctus Cornix]

Haven't tried it yet, but that's fine. Its the concept that matters to me, not the actual success-rate. Mathhammer has no place in my life. Rule of cool is all that matters.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Great thread. I've learned a lot about the Reavers. :)

[MiR]

Anyone with an Army List of Reavers, the have been testet and willing to post?

Im not that expirienced in play/write lists. Reavers are so expensive, and things like Contemptor Dereadnought with double Kheres eats Reavers for breakfest.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Every unit has a bad matchup.

[SillyDreadnought]

Anyone with an Army List of Reavers, the have been testet and willing to post?

Im not that expirienced in play/write lists. Reavers are so expensive, and things like Contemptor Dereadnought with double Kheres eats Reavers for breakfest.

Double Kheres Contemptors eat anything. But why are you letting your Reavers ( in this theoretical ) go up against such a unit? Where are your tank hunting units, like Lascannon predators or Sicarans, or your heavy and special weapons squads, or your own dreadnoughts? Saying "Reavers die to Kheres Contemptors!!11!!" is really silly since you're saying an -infantry unit- is bad when faced with an -anti-infantry- Dreadnought.

 

As for an All-Reaver list, I've been plotting one. It's not even remotely close to being finished in the list building stage, let alone the model building.