Dominion Squad loadout in 8ed?

[Gen.Steiner]

No, I'm well aware that they have different roles.

 

However; the mass of a Sisters army is best suited to anti-infantry roles - BSS and Celestians are good at this. As a result the best loadout, I feel, for the Dominons and their role as rapid alpha-strike high target priority removal is meltaguns.

If you really need more anti-infantry work, I'd prefer Retributors over SB Dominions, but a good case has been made in this thread (or elsewhere) for two Dominion squads each with 5 SBs - that puts out something silly like 40 shots at 12"; if you couple it with an Imagifer you get 40 shots at 24" and 80 and 12". So. You know.

EDIT:

Re Exorcists - I know they're sub-optimal at AT work, which is why I said "in a pinch". ;)

Edited July 11, 2017 by Gen.Steiner

[taikishi]

The different role thing was directed at Dracpanzer, not you And Dominions, especially SB-minions, are better than a BSS at anti-horde/anti-infantry for exactly the reasons you listed.

 

15BSS with 3 storm bolters: 36 S4 shots @ 12", 18 S4 shots @ 24", 141 pts

5 Dominions with storm bolters: 40 S4 shots @ 12", 20 S4 shots @ 24", 60 points

5 SB dominions + 5 ablative wounds: 50 S4 shots @ 12", 25 S4 shots @ 24", 110 pts

 

 

One SB-Minion squad puts out as much firepower as a 15-figure BSS for 81 fewer points and has the ability to get in rapid fire range faster due to Vanguard, even if not in a transport.

 

If you're shooting for a Battalion detachment, instead try for multiple Vanguard/Outrider/Spearhead detachments for those CP. BSS, atm, are completely outclassed by both Dominions and Retributors. The only thing BSSs do well that Dominions and Rets maybe can't is bubble wrap your tanks/Celestine, and Conscripts/Guardsmen do an even better job of that due to their price point.

Edited July 11, 2017 by taikishi

[Beams]

I had it at:

5*4=20 for 5 stormbolters

 

And 5*2=10 for the 5 ablative wounds

 

Then 30 at 12", 15 at 24", AoF to double that to 60 and 30?

[Gen.Steiner]

Beams - two squads of five gives 20-40 and 40-80 if Imagifer'd or otherwise AoF'd.

 

Taikishi - apologies! Also, hrm, I rather think that BSS are still good (not perhaps optimal, or best, but good) at anti-infantry work. Certainly for those of us with existing collections I think BSS and Celestians are the best go-to for anti-infantry work with anti-armour being taken by the usual suspects of Dominions, Immolators and Retributors (as well as Inferno pistol suicide-Seraphim).

[taikishi]

You're right, Beams. Sorry. I've been having a hell of a time waking up this morning and totally screwed up the Storm Bolters in their favor yet I managed to do it right in my Google Doc. @.@

 

Here's the corrected info, courtesy of Beams using a 10 figure BSS:

 

10 BSS with 3 SB

* Cost: 96 points

* Outside 12": 13 shots

* Inside 12": 26 shots

 

5 Dominions w/ SBs

* Cost: 60 points

* Outside 12": 10 shots

* Inside 12: 20 shots

 

5 SB Dominions + 5 ablative

* Cost: 110 pts

* Outside 12": 15 shots

* Inside 12": 30 shots

 

So you can either spend 36 less points for 3/6 less shots and the ability to get within Rapid Fire range quicker OR you can spend 14 more points to get 2/4 more shots and the ability to get within Rapid Fire range quicker.

Edited July 11, 2017 by taikishi

[taikishi]

Also of note:

 

2x 5 Dominions w/ storm bolters:

* Cost: 120 points

* Outside 12": 20 shots

* Inside 12: 40 shots

 

1x 10 BSS w/ 3 storm bolters

* Cost: 96 points

* Outside 12": 13 shots

* Inside 12": 26 shots

 

1x 15 BSS w/ 3 storm bolters

* Cost: 141

* Outside 12": 18

* Inside 12": 36

 

So you can spend 25% more points for ~54% more firepower with a larger coverage map on the battlefield due to being separate squads OR you can spend 15% less for 11% more firepower and a larger coverage map.

[Noeh]

I would very much prefer 2 squads of 5 over 1 squad of 15. You'll fail battleshock less and the enemy can't simply fire a high hitting weapon and have it spill over. A flamer hits d6? Well it will literally never be able to kill more than 5 in a 5 person squad. MSU SB Doms more or less defeat the dangers of a 15 person squad. If you're really worried about only having 10 of them, bring more. No reason you can't run a blob of 20 doms made up of 5 person groups. Imagifiers will be a bit less effective, but you shouldn't need to have them. You can just use the dominions as a blob of distraction bullets that will take more effort to kill.

[taikishi]

Thanks to you, Noeh, I have a new idea for a demo force for a game in a few weeks. *evil grin*

[Noeh]

I just feel like it's a much better proposal than trying to go for a blob of 15 girls. You could just have 3 squads of 5 doms with more firepower and less chance of all of them getting caught in melee.  It does sound a bit cheeserific though, ha!

[Gen.Steiner]

I dunno about cheeseriffic. Expensive, sure, but cheesy? Naah.

[Beams]

Also kill point heavy.

[sedibear]

will probably mean that you never go first.

 

i like BSS blobs visually, however. really nice to look at.

[Gen.Steiner]

You can always deploy your Dominions in Immolators and Rhinos; speeds up the deployment a lot.

[taikishi]

Also kill point heavy.

 

Eh. I don't like kill points -- the rules seem to favor armies with exceptionally large units to limit the amount of KP you have. Granted, so did 2E VPs, but at least you earned VPs based on what you actually killed:

 

1/2 its cost if the unit is below half points, if a MC is below half wounds or if a vehicle is immobilized or has all of its weapons destroyed. Full VP if it's falling back at the end of the game, fled the table, wiped out, dead if MC, destroyed if vehicle or is a vehicle and both immobilized with all weapons destroyed.

[Gen.Steiner]

I didn't realise Kill Points were still in the game... I just have the Battle Primer though so is it in some of the Scenarios?

[Beams]

Yeah, I'm not sure howany, but the last game we played, we rolled a mission that had kill points. I was running:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/336404-sisters-1000-with-pdf-cannons/?do=findComment&comment=4813793

And I had 15ish kill points to give up, and it was tough. Sure, that's a goofy list, but support characters make it real easy to score quick points, as do small squads.

[Gen.Steiner]

Bleah but KPs suuuuuuck. Bad GW! Bad!