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Are Havocs dropping out of favour?


NeverEnder

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I've used x2 AC and x2 ML havocs in fluffy games against my cousin with his orks and BA (I haven't played him in quite awhile now though). Planning on replacing the MLs with more ACs eventually. They're very reliable if you can keep them safe. They always make back their points too I've found.

I often run 8 havocs with 4 ac. They work ok-ish, but when I include a single LC they go from ok to good in my experience, since they most often shoot enemy vehicles. Also, against MCs you will be happy to have that AP2 shot too.

 

So, yeah, dunno. 4xACs look good on paper but have failed to deliver for me. They were really good at gunning down termies one game though, killing a unit of 5 over two shooting phases. :p

 

But seriously, I would place them squarely in the 'average' slot. Not good, nor bad. Just average. Oblits are 'good' because they can do so much, even fight in cc if they have to and deep strike and so on. 

I find that my opponents tend to overlook my squad of auto cannon havocs in favour of more immediate threats. They often do a lot of damage over the course of a game because people underestimate them.

 

I like having a squad of Oblits and a squad of Havocs with ACs.

Heavy bolters are too specialized I think. What happens if your opponent decides to switch it up with some mech or vehicles? AC are better for that I think. Specially if you give them prescience from a Tz herald or CS sorcerer. Prescience ACs are so fun!

 

 

 

 

What about a normal bastion? (for people playing without stronghold assault?) i heard that 3 broadsides will do insanely in 1 of those, i wonder how 4 AC havocs would.

Seems reasonable to me.

Remember that the unit inside is Fearless too.

The only problem with the Bastion is that it has at most 2 enclosed firing ports per side through which a total of only 2 models can fire out of (1 per firing port). The other 2 Havocs need to be up top on the Battlements which is only 4+ Cover and not AV14. Though it does have that Heavy Bolter emplacement.

 

The Bunker has 2 enclosed firing ports but through which a total of 8 models can fire out of (4 per firing port). So everyone would be in AV14.

Isn't it two per window for four total? Fifth fires heavy bolter.

Yes, it's 2 models per fire point, so you can have all 4 heavy weapons firing from one side of the bastion, with the champ manning the emplaced HB.

 

Obviously, you can kitbash/scratchbuild your own bastion, so long as it fits into the 9" x9" size for a medium building, with as many of the 4 emplaced HB and as many fire points as you can fit in!

What about a normal bastion? (for people playing without stronghold assault?) i heard that 3 broadsides will do insanely in 1 of those, i wonder how 4 AC havocs would.

Been thinking about the Skyshield myself.

 

Eg bunkers can be destroyed, that landing pad cannot, and now throw in mark of Tzeentch in this mix and guess what you have when the shields are up. Havocks with a 3+ invul save. (or Oblits)

5 man squad with 4 autocannons does the business for me

They've took down flyers, land speeders, some of the lighter IG tanks, and even thinned a few squads of marines

Rolling 8 dice definitely helps

How do you kit out the 5th marine?

 

I like the idea of bumping the numbers up and adding a couple of special weapons for variety.

 

 

this is all good stuff chaps, cheers.

Havocs have an interesting slot.

They can take 4 special guns, with a combi-gun for measure and their transport can take another combi gun of the same kind. This could lead to a clean 6 shots of melta in their face while following a land raider inside their rhino. Or a mix like two flamers, two meltas so they can pick either to fire out of the top hatch. Of these they can make use of other marks besides the ones that take ranged fire and be expected to act like troops do, but are less desired to kill in a grab mission.

 

Havocs are more appealing to the player who doesn't force himself to use three heavy support all the time so he can think of havocs as an "elite-like" unit to throw on the list and especially when he is an elite-full list kind of gamer. Chosen marines filling the elites and they pack some havocs with similar gear for example.

 

Heavy Bolter havocs are in swing here because they near-match the numbers a sonic marine unit can dish out. Except part of that firepower hits beyond 24" while bolter marines take the initial casualties. Letting your troops split up, take cover and handle whatever tries to get close to the havocs somewhat in the danger zone. Since he will go after the closest units, the havocs might as well be that non scoring unit he attacks right?

 

Autocannon havocs are great for that 48" firepower and tapping the aircraft as they fly by. Able to sit their backs to the wall so a flyer can't harass their rear and force their gunners to take the first hits. For the old time gamers having flakk available from the get-go was a saving grace since most of us had missile launchers laying around.

 

The 4 Lascannon unit is probably the least used. Can blame the laspredator and oblits for making everyone think so. Sometimes its easier to pack a lascannon here and there, letting none go to waste when one gets to pop the target vehicle.

 

I do like the 4 flamer+combi flamer havoc unit. I have angered more than a few ork players backstepping this unit while he tries to catch them and getting a wall of death each turn. By the time he catches them his orks already took two turns of fire if I do it right and he has nothing fast to use to stop them. Mostly because I can't justify walking up chosen when I like using other things in elites.

 

Think of havocs as non scoring marines they have to shoot instead of the scoring guys next to them. Filling firepower is more of a trick to try and avoid being shot by certain elements, like the aircraft flanking a predator and hitting its side armor or something similar.

This thread had made me rethink Havocs. My dual butcher cannon contemptor dread fills the same role as AC havocs but with better strength so I have begun to look at them more in terms of special weapons. I face a lot of terminators so I'm thinking a squad of 10 in a rhino with 4 plasma would work nicely or 4 melta for anti-tank/anti-paladins.

This thread had made me rethink Havocs. My dual butcher cannon contemptor dread fills the same role as AC havocs but with better strength so I have begun to look at them more in terms of special weapons. I face a lot of terminators so I'm thinking a squad of 10 in a rhino with 4 plasma would work nicely or 4 melta for anti-tank/anti-paladins.

Lol, last time I fielded plasma spam vs termies my bolsters killed far far more termies than the plasma did!

Kilofix that's only true is you're using the gw model. I've scratched built mine and each facing had 2 fire points. The heavy bolters are turret mounted on corners for a great arc of fire and is pentagonal not Square in shape. Means that the arc of fire is huge and you can always have at least 4 ac shots and 2 hb shots. There is only a tiny blind spot for the hb at the back

 

5 man squad with 4 autocannons does the business for me

They've took down flyers, land speeders, some of the lighter IG tanks, and even thinned a few squads of marines

Rolling 8 dice definitely helps

How do you kit out the 5th marine?

 

I like the idea of bumping the numbers up and adding a couple of special weapons for variety.

 

 

this is all good stuff chaps, cheers.

 

champion stands at the front to take the 1st unsaved wound

 

i prefer bikes or raptors for getting in people's grills with special weapons (meltas or flamers depending on who i'm playing)

with footslogging marines delivering the plasma from the mid-table

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