[HH1.0] Raven Guard Tactics

[Slips]

Yes, but taken on a command squad which already get a 2+ is a redundancy that you still end up paying for :p

[defl0]

Yup. Same with the forge lord. He comes with a 2+ as well. 

[Nova_chron]

So it seems to be if I'm going command squad regular bikes are a better choice. If not jet bikes. Also what's people's takes on our relic sword

[Slips]

Good for eeking out a win on squads you might not assuredly win in combat against such as IF with Dorn and his +D3 Combat Resolution or Emperors Children with their own CR Buffs.

[SkimaskMohawk]

The only thing you have to do is not put your character with it on base to base with someone who has a 2+ . Otherwise you can go in, butcher people with you lightning claw or whatever and stack up a huge combat res bonus as the relic says "the bearer" when it comes to its effect

[defl0]

Never think our praetor or any HQ for that matter will win against another praetor or combat specialist. We simply don't have the wargear or rules. Raven Guard shoot HQs to death. Our characters are set up to be force multipliers or mobile with a focus on butchering infantry. 

[xera32]

The only thing you have to do is not put your character with it on base to base with someone who has a 2+ . Otherwise you can go in, butcher people with you lightning claw or whatever and stack up a huge combat res bonus as the relic says "the bearer" when it comes to its effect

Bearer doesn't mean anything when you get to assault. You only ever use the special rules of the weapon you are striking with during the fight sub phase

 

MORE THAN ONE WEAPON P41

If a model has more than one Melee weapon, he

must choose which one to attack with when he

comes to strike blows - he cannot mix and match

the abilities of several different Melee weapons.

 

Doesn't matter if the weapon says bearer or not, you don't get to use its special rules when you decide to strike with a different weapon. This argument has come up many times before btw, as the Daemons codex has 3 weapons with this wording, the harlequins have 1 weapon, the KDK have 2.

 

[Nova_chron]

Yeah I don't plan on having a CC monster unit for the simple reason of our tactics don't fit them but I still want some counter assault elements

Feels like either backfield terminators or a highly mobile unit are my best options.

[defl0]

For something like rear guard consider a jetbike squad with plasma cannons, melta bombs. You could even put an hq in it if you wanted to hide the slay the warlord points and give the squad a little more ooomph.

 

It gives you range, mobility, anti infantry and anti tank.

 

It's only issue is that it doesn't score and I feel rear guard units should be able to hold down an objective in your deployment zone

[Nova_chron]

Yeah I know the feeling that's why it's a tough call on what unit to take because there is no clear winner in that job for us

[defl0]

I use a tac squad in a rhino. Sometimes I give the tac ccws. And the rhino usually has a combi melta or Hvy bolter.

 

It's mobile. Scores. Beats other tac squads in hth. Can pop transports with krak.

 

You get the point.

[Nova_chron]

Interesting it helps keep them cheap too

[stang]

Or (just throwing it out there) - those 10 man Assault Marines w/ 3 power axes that Hesh has been advocating? 

[SkimaskMohawk]

@xera - that rule can be easily argued based on the sentence structure for the sake of being pedantic

[defl0]

Or (just throwing it out there) - those 10 man Assault Marines w/ 3 power axes that Hesh has been advocating? 

 

They can be great. Especially in a list that has a mix of grav weapons, rad grenades and blind. You can also do hammer anvil tactics where a fearless unit tar pits and the assault squads come in and smashes your opponent.

 

Another nice quality is that they can be held in reserves and are mobile but don't give up another KP because of a transport.  

 

They do cost 100 points more than the tac squad is going to though... So IMO it only makes sense if you can add some value through synergy. 

[Nova_chron]

Yeah I feel like most jump units are over costed besides dark furies those guys are spot on the money

[stang]

 

Another nice quality is that they can be held in reserves and are mobile but don't give up another KP because of a transport.  

 

They do cost 100 points more than the tac squad is going to though... So IMO it only makes sense if you can add some value through synergy. 

 

The lack of that easy transport KP, Troops slot mobility and CC ability are what got me thinking about them (Plus fluff points).

However, I lost sight of that 100 points increase.

 

What units would synergise well with them?

 

 

Nova - Dark furies aren't troops though.

Edited November 19, 2015 by stang

[defl0]

What units would synergise well with them?

Nova - Dark furies aren't troops though.

 

 

 

 

 

So from an anvil perspective I would aim for fearless. 

 - units with chaplain

- vets that chose fearless as there special rule

- castellax 

- centemptor or dreadnoughts or knights

- corax

 

From a mulitplier perspective you have:

- blind, so think boarding shield on an HQ or dark wings

- graviton drop Initiative to 1, so it works with blind, and it works well with power axes

- chaplains give you re roll to hits

- maun, command rhinos, com relays caan give you reserve manipulation

- destroyers with rad missiles

- anyone with a thunder hammer

- unit's that keep you from scattering on deepstrike. 

- void shield, and the personal void shield relic

 

You also want to probably soften up units before you assault

- scorpius 

- quad rapiers

- medusa

- fire raptors

- plasma seekers in pods

- flamer mor deythan in rhinos

 

Finally, if power axes and hth is a main focus of the list consider:

- bikes with power axes

- termies in a storm raven or cestus

- dark fury

 

My point is that you can build an entire list around the concept of mobile power axes, that drop units to T3 and obliterate them with S6 power axe attacks, but this is really only truly powerful against t4 multiple wound models. BUT power axes are so really good if you are stuck in Close comabt and need to grind, which is the case with fearless units. So adding all those concepts and sprinkling in some conscussive and some blind weapons can give you an upper hand. 

Edited November 19, 2015 by defl0

[Nova_chron]

I know but I genuinely have a problem paying 10 points a model for jump packs it just irks me

[defl0]

True for most legions. But with Raven guard you are paying 10 points for a jump pack AND FURIOUS CHARGE. 

 

Which is one of the best legion rules you can get for these guys. 

[Nusquam]

Now that RG has been out for a while. What are some peoples favorite AT options? Has anyone tried missile javelins recently? It's one of those units I was considering way back when. We've discussed various things from a theory perspective, but what have people used that they liked?

[GreyCrow]

True for most legions. But with Raven guard you are paying 10 points for a jump pack AND FURIOUS CHARGE. 

 

Which is one of the best legion rules you can get for these guys. 

 

Indeed. I know fluff wise it's undesirable to have destroyers in Raven Guard armies, but with Jump Packs, they're now wounding on 2s without having to resort to Rad Missiles (but might as well :D). If you have Rad missiles, you're still wounding on 2s but now you're instagibbing the multi wound models should they fail a save.

 

I know the destroyers are more of a debuff unit for other squads, but just picture this when charging in with units with a super high number of attacks.

[SkimaskMohawk]

Missile javelins with multimelta, Hunter killers and maun crush anything that's not 14 all around with armoured ceramite. Always getting flank or rear armour with 5 str 8 shots per is amazing for less than 100points

[GreyCrow]

Out of curiosity, is Kaedes Nex  good enough ?

 

He looks like an interesting concept, but I'm not really sure his Hand Cannons are doing the job. He does sound like a very good Consul assassin especially with precision shot but I'm wondering about the proper tabletop track record. Also, his BS6 can theoretically make some fun shenanigans due to rolling a 6 needed to start the Chain Fire again and thus triggerring a precision shot.

But I don't know, his Fulcrums seem pretty weak.

 

EDIT : Maybe it's his victory points bonuses that help ? He doesn't seem to have to kill to bring that, just inflict wounds in shooting or just be involved in the combat.

Edited November 20, 2015 by GreyCrow

[Nusquam]

I use nex in tandem with a pod of seekers. Once they both killed angron and his bodyguard top of turn one. That was a lot of victory points.

 

I plan on having ad mech allies and krios squadrons but i wanted some "in-legion" AT thar wasn't grav rapiers. I might invest in some javs and maybe a lighting for harder targets.

Edited November 20, 2015 by Nusquam