Assault Marines

[Nova_chron]

I'm eagerly awaiting the revised LACAL book in th hopes that assault marines become more attractive I want chain axes on jump packs. The imagery is just glorious

[Noserenda]

Ive run a squad of 20 before with A fist, 2 hand flamers (The models had flamers) and 2 power axes with my Alpha Legion, its a bit of a blunt instrument, albeit a fun one but the points involved are too much for regular play. One of my opponents regularly fielded 2 10 man units with Melta bombs which were terrifying in our tank dominated meta and shifted a lot of focus onto themselves.

Im considering a squad for my Blood Angels, but ill be waiting for the new book (As im fielding a drop company i cant use DoR :(  )

[Terminus]

I think you'll be waiting on that book a while.

 

I'm eagerly awaiting the revised LACAL book in th hopes that assault marines become more attractive I want chain axes on jump packs. The imagery is just glorious

Sons of Horus have chainaxe jump reavers, Ashen Circle have hybrid chainaxe/warpicks.

[Slips]

I think you'll be waiting on that book a while.

 

I'm eagerly awaiting the revised LACAL book in th hopes that assault marines become more attractive I want chain axes on jump packs. The imagery is just glorious

Sons of Horus have chainaxe jump reavers, Ashen Circle have hybrid chainaxe/warpicks.

 

Ashen Circle also have Power Axes for +5ppm, which is nice.

[Nova_chron]

 

 

I think you'll be waiting on that book a while.

 

I'm eagerly awaiting the revised LACAL book in th hopes that assault marines become more attractive I want chain axes on jump packs. The imagery is just glorious

Sons of Horus have chainaxe jump reavers, Ashen Circle have hybrid chainaxe/warpicks.

Ashen Circle also have Power Axes for +5ppm, which is nice.

I'm a world eater... Haha but I know we have options and trust me I gave sons of horus serious thought to the point I'm stealing reavers to make veteran assault units.

[Ishagu]

Assault Marines are really, really un-attractive at the moment. They should cost below 200 for 10 before they are worth considering.

 

They are more mobile yes, and marginally better in cc. For that you sacrifice the protection of a transport (big issue in the 30k meta) and a significant portion of firepower. I believe the jump pack should cost 3 points per Marine. 180 for 10.

 

Their cost should remain 18pts per Marine no matter the number in the unit.

[Blindhamster]

I'd bet the LACAL book will be at the next major event that FW are at. Or shortly after pretty good draw to release at an event though

[Theredknight]

Well 'Warhammer fest' is in May, so that might tie in with the printing time frame.

Who can guess. If it does it will probably overshadow the gw side.. Like it does every time lol

[Blindhamster]

I'll be at warhammer fest on the Saturday for what it's worth so u can only hope haha

[Terminus]

Nah, they will have the questoris/militia/Auxilia book there. At most, they may have a teaser of the cover of any alleged crusade book.

[Blindhamster]

Do we know that for sure?

[Terminus]

Nothing is for sure, except that we have seen the triple red book and were told its at the printers.

 

The new CAL thing is vague wishlisting/rumors that was not covered in any seminar and the only mention I can find is one guy's post on heresy30k where he supposedly spoke to Bligh who said he "would like to" make such and such changes to assault marines in a hypothetical CAL reprint (the same post also "quoted" Bligh as clarifying/nerfing dreadclaws and making dreadnough talons broken by letting them all take pods).

 

So I have not seen anything to suggest the new CAL is even in the work queue, much less toward the end of the production process.

[Arac]

For what it's worth, I remember reading that they won't ever change Point costs of troop choices. I suspect they get other improvements. Like an equivalent for "Fury of the Legion" or other USRs.

[Ishagu]

USRs won't make a difference. One tank that costs 115 points will remove that 250pt squad in one turn.

[helterskelter]

USRs won't make a difference. One tank that costs 115 points will remove that 250pt squad in one turn.

That same tank can also do the same to not assault squads. What's your point and what bearing is it on assault marine tactica?

Might as well say let's all take typhons and kill all the things.

 

Now here's a consideration for your assault mariney ears.

Destroyers. And yes I can hear you all cry but expensive but listen if you will.

So all of them come with 2 pistols AND a ccw of some description. They have rad nades and counter attack.

They can also take rad ML so have this in addition to BP and CCW.

Full ten with jump pack neat is 325, leaving room for whatever you wish to do.

Yes expensive it is, but utilising them in the right places using the rad to their advantage can put the hurt on.

For example (guess what legions coming up... go on ;) ) Night Lords destroyers absolutely rock talent for murder when jump pack armed. Counting as 20 bods for a full squad on the charge you will be hitting on 3s, wounding a lot of things on 2s with your bare hands.

Saves are there to be made but there's something to be said for weight of dice. Giving your sarge a weapon will also help matters (and if you played it in terror if you charge in the dark hit at I5 to boot)

[Slips]

Use them to support other assault units with their Rad Grenades and Bodies in the case of Night Lords and Sons of Horus. A single Forge Lord can only do so much to spread the Rad Grenade love after all.

[Ishagu]

The thing is, at least with normal marines they can have protection for a turn.

And you can run twice as many tacticals for the price of 10 assault marines.

 

As it stands change is needed, they just aren't efficient enough and a few additional rules won't change that. I'd like to run them but they're a poor entry compared to almost anything in the LCAL.

[ElectricPaladin]

I can't say that I use them. As a Salamanders player, assault marines are just a bad joke. They have short charges, can't catch a fleeing foe, and if they lose the fight, they're practically guaranteed to get swept. That said, I'm planning on buying a set anyway because 1) they look awesome and 2) I am going to field them alongside a jump pack Knight Errant as a workaround, because they can use his Initiative for sweeping and fleeing (you use the highest Initiative in the unit, and he joins the unit, so...). I would probably do a couple of power axes plus artificer armor and a power sword on the sergeant, so he can take on lesser challenges for the Knight.

[Slips]

If they could Move, Run and Charge in the same turn coupled with being able to use their Jump Packs in the Movement and Assault phase, that'd go a long way to helping them. Maybe with the restriction that they cant do it again the following turn. Kinda like their own "Fury of the Legion"

 

Obviously the caveat remains that to do so they cannot have Scouted, Infiltrated or Deep Struck that same turn.

[Ishagu]

If they could jink, perhaps.

If you want great speed there's always jetbikes...

[Slips]

Jetbikes dont have the CC punch unless taken as a Command Squad and are annoyingly only 1W models.

 

Assault Marines should be able to do what their Name Implies: Assault Stuff. Sadly, the game, as it stands, has too much getting in the way of them being able to effectively do that not to mention their cost.

 

But think about it. If they could Move 12" -> Run -> Charge w/ Re-roll in the same turn (if eligible to charge) and you gave them all Melta Bombs as a 10 Man Squad, for example, they be a viable threat to any Forward or Advancing Armor. If they cost 250 for 10 w/ Melta Bombs I'd feel that that'd be a bit more fair if the previously mentioned ability was included.

 

But, until we actually see what FW is doing to change them, this is only me wishlisting.

 

That said, in our Apoc Games, we've House Ruled that Jump Pack models arriving from Deepstrike can declare Disordered Charges in the same turn. Makes them a bit more of a threat since you could take a 20 man squad with melta bombs, risk dropping in Danger Close and Multi Charge a whole heap of stuff thanks to the large footprint.

 

Certainly makes them a lot less useless, thats for sure.

[ThatOneMarshal]

I would imagine that your friendly resident night lord player was happy about that. I would also imagine they aren't as bad at that point level.

 

Since I started the game with Blood Angels I've always had a special place for assualt marines. It would be nice to repurpose my 50+ assualt marines. However it's a shame that they are too expensive.

 

Just of curiosity for when their price goes down, ignoring cost for a minute how do they play when you go 15 or 20 man? I love the idea of big boobs of them though 20 guys seems too unwieldy.

[Sircyn]

"I love the idea of big boobs..."

You're not alone there fella.

 

They can get difficult to handle past a certain size, but I'd certainly try that at least once just for the experience.

 

I feel like for character delivery, you'll want the extra ablative wounds, for melta bomb delivery you can afford to shave a few guys. If you have multiple units dropping to 15 will give you flexibility.

 

It all depends on your meta too as some places scrimp on terrain which will make larger units harder to obscure.

 

I don't think there's a definite right or wrong answer. You just need to consider your circumstances.

[Da Once & Future Git]

 

"I love the idea of big boobs..."

You're not alone there fella.

 

They can get difficult to handle past a certain size, but I'd certainly try that at least once just for the experience.

 

Agree with all of the above...

 

Back on topic, What do people think about combat shields?  Gives them a chance against Typhons and the like and gives them a decent chance in combat...  Worth the 3pts?

[Ishagu]

The Squad of 10 will then cost you almost the same as 10 Cataphractii Termies....