Ratling Snipers?

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

I was thinking about adding some snipers to my list, and ratlings seem the best way to do it. I've employed sniper scouts in my wolves, but I've not tried them in IG yet. I have seen them used, and they did OK, are they worth taking?

 

Or is there a better alternative?

[Chefzilla]

So I've never used ratlings but my Vinidcare Assassin has become such a force multiplier. My opponents practically wet their pants worrying if I'm bringing him in. The really funny thing is...

 

He really hasn't done all that much. He can be a real bear to deal with but just seeing how he affects the game has always brought a smile to my face.

[Sviar]

Or is there a better alternative?

A Russ

I have not had the best experince with snipers, so I usually spend more points for extra armour for my vets instead. But you should give it a try to see if they fit your playstyle, use "count as" before purchasing any models and find out if it works for you. And if you're curious about snipers then I think that the Ratlings are the best due to higher BS and they are quite cheap too.

[WarriorFish]

Ratlings are cheap, and you can take small squads. They're a great way to spend the last points in a list. We're not usually fighting for Elite units and some Hobbits to hide in cover (+1 cover save) with accurate sniper fire can be surprisingly effective. They won't be your brightest star but often draw disproportionate fire giving the rest of your army some slack and when their shots pay off it can make all the difference!

 

There are certainly worse ways to spend a few points, and no better way to have snipers in a Guard army. Small models means quicker and easier to paint too :P

[Nicodemus Doloroso]

Interestingly I have found my ratlings to be a force multiplier too. Not to the extent of Chefzilla's Vindicare but still way out of proportion to the damage they could potentially inflict. People seem to overestimate snipers, even ratlings.

 

I think they're wirthwhile for that factor alone. Don't ecoect them to kill much. I know my ratlings haven't.

[Vel'Cona]

I really consider all Sniper units sub-optimal for the points, probably because they don't Pin anymore for some silly reason. If you simply must have them:

 

-Special Weapon Teams:  Poor choice.  BS3 means they hit like Space Marine Scouts, and they don't have the 4+ save or decent Toughness to fall back on.  They're cheap and get ObjSec, but without access to a way to improve their Cover Save or Armor Save, they're wasted points.

 

-Veterans:  If you just want Sniper Rifles, these are probably the best bet.  You get a full stack of 3 for less than 70 points (I think) and you can back them up with a nice Heavy Weapon Team, too.  Additionally, access to Forward Sentries/Grenadiers can help to keep them in the game a little longer.  Also, ObjSec for holding their position and they have access to a transport, which is nice.  Probably the best option (yes I'm serious).

 

-Ratlings:  Just no.  Absymal stats (other than BS) aren't helping these guys, and the points cost is higher than I think they warrant.  Their special rules are cool on paper, but they won't keep them alive vs. decent torrent shooting AND they're Elites so they don't get ObjSec!

 

-Vindicare Assassin:  The Big Boss of sniping, this guy is great for threatening ONE of nearly any model on the board, but I want to stress again that it's literally ONE target per turn.  He's hard to nail down and slippery on deployment, but is vulnerable to anything that can throw 10 shots at him comfortably.  That said, just the threat of him in a position can lead your opponent to do very silly things, so I don't think he's a bad idea (but he is the most significant cost-wise, so consider it carefully).

[WarriorFish]

3 BS4 snipers for 30pts, with a built in stealth rule - not something you can dismiss out of hand for the investment. Put them in cover and let them plink away, they can make their points back well enough and they can alter the course of a game with some luck (which all snipers need anyway). They're no less vulnerable to torrent either, especially the Vindicare who costs a hell of a lot more points!

[wulfgar hammerfist]

I've used them in a couple of games now. They do have their uses but I would only include them if I had a few spare points left over. They can be annoying but not really game changing.

[Vel'Cona]

I suppose there are worse ways to spend that amount of points.  I wish they still had Pinning though, then I would consider them a much more useful/powerful unit!

[march10k]

I'd rather have a scout sentinel for the same points...harder to kill, and it draws fire away from my chimeras, which ratlings just don't...ratlings are probably the "leftover points" solution for a list with 3+ platoons, but if you're going mech, you want more AV12 to thin enemy fire, not more bodies to thin enemy fire.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

Since my force is designed more around light vehicles and air assault I'm thinking they might be useful for drawing some attention. I can't take them with Elysians, but that's ok, since I have other Ideas for that. At 2000 points I'll just add a Vindicare assassin. For the regular guard ally list, I'll use the ratlings, since I have the left over points available, and I like to play "fluffy" lists. 

[Raulmichile]

I don't deploy them very often because of points limits (I tend to play small to medium games so I normally run out of points before choosing them) but when they are in the table they usually are worth the investment. The secret for me is to use them to knock out monsters, wraithlords, bikes, Avatars and any other high toughness model they come across and slowly bleed it out until it is destroyed or effectively nullified. That they are squishy? Yes. That they suck at properly sniping units? Yes. That they need an officer near to remain effective when they begin to receive punishment? Also yes, but when putting an 8 model unit on the board and try shots for 3 turns against an Avatar or Wraithlord and taking two or three wounds out of it while slowly advancing at your lines then the threat is much more manageable than it seemed at the beginning of the game.

 

I see them as some sort of equalizing unit aimed to cope with those threats massed lasguns are not able to hurt while using the same tactic (massed firepower), not as snipers by any means.

 

Hope this helps.