Tell me about Inceptors.

[IVIilitarus]

I don't believe I've seen a dedicated thread to these troops so here's one.

 

Of all the units that came with the initial Primaris release, the Inceptors interested me the most. Rather than being a taller version of an existing troop, Inceptors almost introduced a new role to space marines: short-ranged heavy drop infantry. They're pretty unique and defy conventional classification.

 

On paper: they give you a fairly tough, hard hitting unit that always has initiative because they can always get the first shot upon arriving from deep strike. Unlike a lot of deep striking units, they're a range-focused unit so they can reliably lay down damage for at least one turn. They're very expensive, sledgehammer troops but seem to be made to disrupt enemy lines or assassinate crucial infantry units.

 

Rather a pity I read so little about them.

 

With the release of the Codex, their price has been reduced. Standard Inceptors are now 60 points per model with their wargear, a reduction of 15 points per model. The reduction of 20% plus now having a plasma option (albeit one at a comical 86 points per model) makes them much more viable.

 

I'd like to hear about people's experiences in using Inceptors - Squad sizes? Bolters or plasma? Uses?

[Frater Cornelius]

There is a reason you do not read much about them. Barely anyone uses them. They are, in my opinion, way overcosted. T5 3+ 2W is not as tough as it appears to be with multi damage weapons and AP being common, as people who tried Aggressors can testify. Their output with Bolters is solid, but they are yet more anti-infantry in an army that can mow down infantry very well as it is. The Plasma variant is either slightly better anti-infantry or solid anti-tank, which would make it worth it, if not for the exorbitant 86ppm. If they overcharge, they need some sort of re-rolls, be they based on a Stratagem or Character, which is even more investment.

 

Do not get me wrong, their output is solid. Very solid. Many units will struggle to achieve that much dakka. However, they will be able to do it once, because they are a threat and squishy. In order to include them, you need to give up something else. 180pts for 3 Bolter guys is okay, but redundant in most Primaris or even Marine setups as Gatlings, THB and TAC exist and cost less. 258 for 3 Plasma guys is ridiculous. I can almost get a Repulsor for that, or 6 Hellblasters and a Scout Squad.

 

You get the idea. Good output, bad platform. Having said that, I have not tried the Plasma myself. Maybe they are pure gold in some setups, especially UM with the Scions of Guilliman Stratagem. I am looking for feedback on Plasmas myself. Tried the Bolters though. It was quite good firepower, but there are better ways to spend the points. A Redemptor comes to mind. They may be worth it in some setups though where you need mobility. Scouts, Scout Bikes, Reiver and Inceptors probably get some mileage. Not sure how competitive that is though, if that matters to you.

[SydonianDragoon404]

Everyone knows they are massively overcosted, especially the Plasma guys. I plan to try them out anyway in a game or two to see if I can take the odd opponent off guard with what is basically a tactical plasma nuke. Drop them plus a jump captain to re-roll ones on the overcharge. Main thing I don't like is the D3 shots. That's either going to be awesome or screw you over. With my dice rolls, more likely to screw me over. I would have rather had Assault 2 or Rapid Fire 1. Maybe if they were Rapid Fire 2 they would be worth the points? 

 

I am hoping in a future FAQ that GW reduces the points cost of the platform itself or the plasma weaponry, or both. 

 

Something I have started to figure out as I have started playing against more and more various armies is that for the most part, any army you face that contains psykers (which is many of them) do not care how tough you are, do not care what your save is, and do not care if you have an invulnerable save because they just smite the gak out of you. So yes, your opponent will focus these guys, and they will die after one turn of shooting. 

 

If they survive past the turn they drop, your opponent is either stupid or their army is already so decimated that they can't do anything about them. 

 

Case in point- Thunder Hammer Storm Shield Terminators. Yet another very threatening, expensive, elite unit. Smite and other mortal wound psyker powers don't care about armor or invuln saves. They just kill you. And that psyker probably costed half what you spent on the models he kills. 

 

That or in the case of the Inceptors they'll just lob a few autocannon shots at them and poof. 

[Frater Cornelius]

MW through majicks can somewhat be mitigated through Psychic Fortress though.

[Prot]

Well I've posted a lot of batreps here using my Inceptors so you can check those out.

But I can save you the trouble because it's all the same for those dudes. Here's the short version.... they are glass cannons. They drop in, hurt infantry and die every single time.

I've used them with Calgar, and Cataphractii, and even Reivers.... they just die.

To echoe the above, they are sadly overcosted. ( I still think most Primaris is. You will almost always get more bang for the buck using marine equivalents).

The Plasma variant was tempting to buy but it's just more of the same and assault Bolters are overpriced but the plasma variant are ridiculously costed. I don't think they're going to sell many. Plus they will likely be out of Aura range and an overcharged misfire is super costly for them. Just a really bad unit with cool models in my opinion.

Edited August 13, 2017 by Prot

[IVIilitarus]

That's terribly discouraging to hear because they're my favourite models and ideas of the whole Primaris range :/. I'll probably still run them a bit regardless just as a distraction.

[Gothical]

Everyone knows they are massively overcosted, especially the Plasma guys. I plan to try them out anyway in a game or two to see if I can take the odd opponent off guard with what is basically a tactical plasma nuke. Drop them plus a jump captain to re-roll ones on the overcharge. Main thing I don't like is the D3 shots. That's either going to be awesome or screw you over. With my dice rolls, more likely to screw me over. I would have rather had Assault 2 or Rapid Fire 1. Maybe if they were Rapid Fire 2 they would be worth the points? 

 

The thing that saves the Plasma ones, for me, is that they carry 2 Plasma Exterminators each, meaning each model puts out 2D3 S7/S8 AP-3 shots, which is pretty good when most other Plasma platforms are D3 or D6 shots. They're also Assault-typed, meaning the squad itself is extremely manoeuvrable so can really get the Plasma where you want it.

 

They are very expensive and compete with Hellblasters though, but I have found the tactical niche of being able to deploy that much firepower wherever and whenever I need it to be a great boon, especially since I try to use Hellblasters, Repulsors and Redemptors to increase my target saturation.

 

The Heavy Bolter ones are great for taking on lower-toughness vehicles and for keeping as a reserve to take on horde units - if you get flanked by Genestealers or have some Cultists pop up behind you, being able to drop in 6+ Heavy Bolters on this emerging threat neutralises them really well - especially as should you get charged by the survivors you can retreat out of combat and still shoot thanks to the Fly keyword.

[duz_]

Hrmm, damning assessments here...

 

However I don't think you've deterred me from getting a box next week to drop in with my RG! :P

 

The plasma sounds expensive but I think that's how I am gonna run them. :D

[CCE1981]

I think the easiest fix for these guys is pay the points for the weapons once. 45 pts per model on the Assault heavy bolters would be a lot better. We will just have to see.

[Frater Cornelius]

I think the easiest fix for these guys is pay the points for the weapons once. 45 pts per model on the Assault heavy bolters would be a lot better. We will just have to see.

 

Definitely. Aggressors pay once, although the amount of shots are already summed up.

[Blindhamster]

I think using the inceptors ability to charge and cause mortal wounds is important too, because they have fly, they can jum0 out of the fight again on your turn.

[Jacques Corbin]

I really, really want to model them in overstuffed reclining chairs, because of how they are posed.

[Disruptor_fe404]

I plan to build five plasma Inceptors and six bolter Inceptors, but I'll probably only be using them in Open Play.

 

I really like the concept of a rapid insertion, high mobility, heavy firepower unit, but their points cost is a little too much for my preferred loadout.

[Ishagu]

Plasma Inceptors are too expensive.

 

For the same cost I can have 4/5 squads of Plasma scions.

[Lemondish]

Plasma Inceptors are too expensive.

 

For the same cost I can have 4/5 squads of Plasma scions.

Sure, at the cost of 4/5 Primes and a separate detachment.

[Bukimimaru]

I've had nothing but tremendous success with them. To be honest I'm shocked to see so many people saying how little they like them.
When the index first dropped I really thought they were waaaay overcosted so I played my first few games without them.

After a few games my friends wanted to pay some large games so I eventually got round to building and using them and I have to say, I would hesitate to leave them behind now.

(Please note I only have experience with the bolter variants)

 

The ability to drop down 6 heavy bolters anywhere you want on the battle field really shouldn't be sniffed at, and now they are even cheaper with the SM codex, I really rate them highly.
If your opponent makes a sloppy move / gets in a difficult position and leaves a character exposed, they can drop in and punk him.
If your opponent is running a huge blob of cc units (Orks or Hormagaunts in particular) you can drop them behind the advancing unit and mow a big chunk of them down. You opponent then either has to turn the unit around or keep going and continue getting rinsed.

Need a durable unit to drop on top of a relic and then scoot away with it? These guys will do it.

Your opponents Vindicare assassin hiding at the back and giving you trouble? These guys will drop alongside him and give him hell.

 

Yes, the Inceptors will die. Nothing you can do about that, they ALWAYS die, but so do Dreadknights and Carnifexes. They are scary and your opponent wants to remove them ASAP before they can repeat the carnage they wrought when they arrived.

 

They are nasty distractions, fast objective grabbers, brilliant hoard thinners and sneaky character snipers.

 

I'd strongly recommencement giving them a few games before anyone writes them off as useless. :)

[Ishagu]

That's the point. They die.

 

I can drop a more damaging, less durable unit in that will die anyways. You are paying points for the wounds, toughness, save, etc. but it' not good enough to keep them alive. Hence, they are over-costed.

[duz_]

I have to say I was a bit taken back when I saw the difference between the bolters and the plasma guns

Still isn't going to stop me from building and fielding them :D

[Blindhamster]

That's the point. They die.

 

I can drop a more damaging, less durable unit in that will die anyways. You are paying points for the wounds, toughness, save, etc. but it' not good enough to keep them alive. Hence, they are over-costed.

 

As i said in a different thread about Aggressors, they die if they are dropped in somewhere on their own.

 

if you've been advancing other stuff, and are making use of stuff like hellblasters/repulsor/redemptor(s)/aggressors, suddenly target priority is more difficult.

 

I feel like thats a key thing for primaris stuff, it works well backed up, the extra wounds across the board really shine when units aren't focus fired.

 

When playing against tau, my inceptors (6 man unit to be fair) were able to drop in and murder a battlesuit commander, they only died after two turns of shooting from multiple units because we had other things on the table to make the tau player struggle to effectively pick targets. Also, consider dropping them places where they're in cover/behind LOS blocking terrain.

 

basically, I don't think primaris armies do well at alpha strike, but they're resilient enough to play a slightly longer game.

Edited August 17, 2017 by Blindhamster

[Lemondish]

That's the point. They die.

 

I can drop a more damaging, less durable unit in that will die anyways. You are paying points for the wounds, toughness, save, etc. but it' not good enough to keep them alive. Hence, they are over-costed.

You're going to lose units to the enemy in this game. Any infantry unit will die if focused. Every unit on its own without support will likely die. But every gun focused on them is one less firing elsewhere.

 

This game isn't a separate series of one on one comparisons between two singular units. It's about whole armies. And the reality is that their durability means the enemy needs to devote more attention to killing them than they would a weaker target. Sure, maybe both will die after a single turn of shooting, but they also won't be the only thing your opponent is shooting at.

[Stoic Raptor]

I think that's key with Primaris tactics.  Find the units that synergize and use them to make the other even more effective.  Like Aggressors + Reivers.

[Prot]

Okay so my latest Primaris (perhaps foolish) purchase was a new box of these Inceptors.

 

I personally have been a non- believer in the unit, and have tried it mixed with everything.

 

But I love the aesthetics of the unit and want to see if I can build a real deep threat into my Ultras.

 

So although I really wish we could blend these units, it's just not allowed. This being the case I want to build them as plasma and have them come in with the assault Heavy Bolter Inceptors.

 

The cost is hideous but could it be worth it?

 

I would prefer to build them as plasma, but am I fooling myself? Should I just create another 3 assault Bolter models and have them become a 6 man squad? Thoughts?

[duz_]

I bought my box today too

 

Im planning on magnetising the arms / weapons and running plasma first

I think there is utility in them although a price adjustment in a future FAQ would be nice

 

6 of the bolter versions would be scary though ... and only slightly more expensive than the plasma options .... (yeh someone messed the numbers up on that)

[SydonianDragoon404]

Don't forget people, if GW figures that the points cost is a problem, which most people still believe it is, their points cost can be changed via FAQ or Chapter Approved. They annoyingly have all of the point costs in the back for a reason, so they only have to errata a single page to change point costs. 

[duz_]

So ran the plasma ones today

It was fun overcharging them with Shrike and a Lt around and knocking off 8 wounds from a GM NDK.

They did die shortly after but that whole deep strike team did because it was a bad idea but it was a fun game.

 

I do think 6 bolter version would be devastating against light to medium infantry. Im going to try the plasma again but more reasonably next time and see how they go. 6D3 shots is still a lot of plasma!