Tactica: Strategem - Strike of the Archangels

[Brother_Mike]

Given that I have a bunch of nicely painted terminators from the Space Hulk box, I've been looking into ways of using them in my lists with the new codex. Naturally I noticed the Strike of the Archangels strategem, and was both excited and a little disappointed. Rerolling ALL hits until the start of your NEXT turn (so your turn, then your opponent's turn) seems great.

 

But at the same time, I like to maximize. And I usually run my terminators in deep strike reserve, then set them up somewhere to provide a strongpoint/reinforcement to battleline squads. So I can reroll shots when I come in from deep strike, but making a charge after deep strike is...unlikely as we have all experienced by this point. So it maybe that you can only reroll one round of shooting when you use the strategem. But if you CAN get into combat on the turn you activate the strategem, you get to reroll close combat attacks on you turn AND your opponent's turn.

 

So I did a bit more thinking, and started looking into the pre- requisites to use the strategem, "Use this strategem immediately after a BLOOD ANGELS TERMINATOR unit from your army is set up on the battlefield". So I started looking around for things that "set up" units on the battlefield and I noticed disembarking from a transport used the EXACT same terminology "Any unit that begins its Movement phase embarked within a transport can disembark...When a unit disembarks, SET it UP on the BATTLEFIELD".

 

So in essence brothers, we can load up a terminator squad in a transport, disembark them from that transport near a unit we REALLY wanna delete, activate the strategem and get rerolls to hit on all those juicy close combat weapons. Suddenly, those power fist & thunder hammer attacks are gonna hit a lot more. And if you took tactical terminators, you'll REALLY be able to clear some chaff when all your stormbolters shots are suddenly hitting.

 

Wanted to share that wisdom with you all, cause that makes the transport & terminator combo very potent in my opinion. I wouldn't even want to add any characters into the mix because that strategem is so strong, any of the auras we have would be better used elsewhere.

 

Has anyone had any experience with this strategem yet? Any other creative ways of employing it?

[Are Verlo]

This will work with teleport homers as well

[Aothaine]

I would use it with shooty focused terminators with combi-bolters, assault cannon and missile launcher. If they get in danger of assault then you blink them away with the teleport homers which would be about 9" behind where they are deployed. Possibly in terrain to give them a cover bonus.

[Brother Crimson]

I guess this will be clarified in the FAQ. I still hope it can work from transport.

 

Otherwise strike of the archangel is a good stratagem for a very bad and overcosted unit. It is sad but terminator don’t really pull it, except a few games where th/ss survived a couple of rounds I always found that terminators were point sink. Vanguard, DC, sanguinary Guard are all options that works better IMO. I hope in the next big update their cost will be reduced to make them useful.

[Quixus]

This will work with teleport homers as well

True, but teleport homers have the same 9" problem as deep striking.

[Panzer]

 

This will work with teleport homers as well

True, but teleport homers have the same 9" problem as deep striking.

 

Not really. The Teleport Homer gets deactivated if an enemy unit is within 9" of it but when you use it you can put your Terminators within 6" of the Teleport Homer without any other range restriction (aka ~3" away from the enemy unit if they are as close as possible without deactivating it).

[Aothaine]

 

 

This will work with teleport homers as well

True, but teleport homers have the same 9" problem as deep striking.

 

Not really. The Teleport Homer gets deactivated if an enemy unit is within 9" of it but when you use it you can put your Terminators within 6" of the Teleport Homer without any other range restriction (aka ~3" away from the enemy unit if they are as close as possible without deactivating it).

 

 

Can't scouts deploy teleport homers?

[Panzer]

 

 

 

This will work with teleport homers as well

True, but teleport homers have the same 9" problem as deep striking.

 

Not really. The Teleport Homer gets deactivated if an enemy unit is within 9" of it but when you use it you can put your Terminators within 6" of the Teleport Homer without any other range restriction (aka ~3" away from the enemy unit if they are as close as possible without deactivating it).

 

 

Can't scouts deploy teleport homers?

 

Not that I know of. Teleport Homer is a special rule of Terminators. It's a beacon that gets placed within your own deployment zone which you can activate once as long as it's active to do an emergency teleport to that spot with that Terminator unit.

[Brother_Mike]

Can't scouts deploy teleport homers?

 

In previous editions they could buy them for points and use them when the terminators deep strike to make sure they don't scatter. In 8th, now they are a special rule in the Terminator dataslates, scouts aren't involved anymore.

 

Not that I know of. Teleport Homer is a special rule of Terminators. It's a beacon that gets placed within your own deployment zone which you can activate once as long as it's active to do an emergency teleport to that spot with that Terminator unit.

 

It's worth noting as well that any teleport homer can be used by any terminator squad. So if you have more than one teleport homer, it'll be hard for your opponent to deactivate them all before pulling of a real sneaky beaky move that changes the game (if they even remember/want to do that).

 

A question that begs asking as well while on the topic of teleport homers:

 

Let's say for instance I do have a terminator squad mounted in a transport, can they use the teleport homer to teleport OUT of the transport and to the place the teleport homer is?

Edited December 27, 2017 by Brother_Mike

[Aothaine]

 

Let's say for instance I do have a terminator squad mounted in a transport, can they use the teleport homer to teleport OUT of the transport and to the place the teleport homer is?

 

 

I would say yes. But I don't have the rules on me. so...

[Panzer]

 

 

Let's say for instance I do have a terminator squad mounted in a transport, can they use the teleport homer to teleport OUT of the transport and to the place the teleport homer is?

 

They can't since only models that are on the board can use abilities.

[Aothaine]

 

 

 

Let's say for instance I do have a terminator squad mounted in a transport, can they use the teleport homer to teleport OUT of the transport and to the place the teleport homer is?

 

They can't since only models that are on the board can use abilities.

 

 

Well... there you have it!

[Diagramdude]

Im not sure the exact wording since I don't have the codex with me but I think it says to remove them from the battlefield and set up again.

 

They can't be removed since they aren't on the battlefield, so I don't think you can use the homer while they are in the transport