Sions still worth it?

[domsto]

Hello guys

I am wondering after the new Deepstrike rule from the big March FAQ made deep striker less good, if Sions are still worth taking.

I always played a Battalion of Sions of about 450p to Support my Regular Guardsman. But since they can at the earliest come on Turn 2 to make some Damage i am concern if it would be better to drop them from my List and replace them with something that can make Damage from Turn 1 on.

Turn 2 seems a little to late for them to make their Points back, particular on Tournaments where most Game won't see a Turn 4.

 

So what are your thoughts on this?

[sairence]

Really depends on the kind of games you're playing. I often run a Scion battalion as well, but I see them just as much in terms of board control and making my opponent react as I see them as damage dealers. I rarely dropped the whole battalion in T1 before as it was.

 

The way I do it now is that I may drop in my command squads in my deployment zone T1 if a high priority target is looking to charge in early, and all other squads in T2 or 3 for targets of opportunity, objective grabbing and jusy being general nuisances. Very similar to before really, as I often needed to kill a screen T1 to get the most out of them anyway.

 

For pure Scion forces it's changed even less I would imagine.

[Frater Cornelius]

If they are you main hammer, no. They would arrive too late. You need their power T1 these days. However, if you are running them as a supplementary force, then they are still good. They aren't clearly superior to the Infantry Squad anymore and you need to be smart about the deployment. Sometimes, sticking them in a Prime is better. I'll still be running my a few units, but I did cut down their numbers from 30 to 15-20 and the Primes from 3 to 2. It would be too many points stuck in reserve.

[WarriorFish]

I agree with Cornelius, the Beta if it goes into the main rules will severely hamper a heavy Stormie list (though I imagine it might have changes before it does). For a supporting force though I don't think it's an issue, as you likely want to arrive a bit later to exploit gaps and assassinate targets.

[noigrim]

Suicide plasma/melta squad and a tempestor to drop for objectives/relic/linebreaker

[domsto]

the next problem i ran into is that on Turn 2 or 3 there isn't much space left to drop in. I once played against a Primaris Deathwatch list and on Turn 2 they where so spread out i couldn't even drop somewhere. Not to mention against Orks or other horde armys

[sairence]

hordes generally won't be susceptible to drop play against a semi-competent player. It's something of a natural counter.

 

How a Primaris DW army was able to cover the board is a bit of a mystery though. :p

 

Regardless, you have another portion to your army. Use it to clear out screens or a flank to open opportunities for your drops.

[Captain_Krash]

Doesn't the Deep strike FAQ beta rule only apply to Match Play? So tournaments only. Unless you and your opponents always play match play.

 

Krash

[TheUbikator]

I like using them in valkyries. I can put the entire scion battalion in one drop during deployment. It's somewhat expansive (around 300 extra points for valks) but you can get them withing enemy deployment zone T1 (jumping off valks counts as disembarkment not deep strike). Tempestor with command rod and laurels is great for an alpha strike.

[Lord Blackwood]

I also use Valkyries when playing my Scions 

3 of them  at sub 3000  4 of them at 3000 

This supports 3 - 4 Imperial Knights though so it makes my opponent have to choose to fight the giant robots or shoot down the birds.  

I like rolling thicker squads as well   with  5 ( T , 2 x SW , 2 Regular dude )  + 4 SW command squad in a valk with a prime  

Two squads like that. 

Two tamer squads with rifles and volley guns. 

The knights are usually a mix between the more close combat oriented Gallants pushing forward hard ,  and the Castellan and some armigers for mid/backfield 

Not saying my way is right, just some food for thought, I  still use em. 

[duz_]

I use 1-3 squads still and like them

They DS anywhere from T1 (in my own zone) to T3 depending on how they're required

 

They still offer a lot of precision firepower for a low cost

[Frater Cornelius]

I think the point where I stopped using them as my main hammer is when I went second and really needed to kill the exposed Dark Reapers in the enemy deployment zone, but couldn't due to deep strike restriction. Thus I needed to expend low AP firepower to kill them, costing me significant resources.