Interceptors plus Allies

[L30n1d4s]

So they got a little points drop and also a reduction to ranged special weapons... what do you all think of Interceptors now?

 

With the ability to Gate of Infinite free once per game, plus use CPs to keep doing it in future turns, I think a detachment of Voldus plus three Interceptor squads can make a very mobile foundation for an army, especially if you bring some long range allies as a firebase.

 

This ability to "bounce" around the table all game long is pretty amazing, especially for getting objectives and out-concentrating critical enemy forces with masses combat power (i.e. three Interceptor squads bounce behind a squad of 25 Ork Lootas, blow away their Grot screen, and then stormbolter the Lootas into oblivion on turn 1).

 

While still expensive and relatively not that durable, the almost unparalleled mobility of GK Interceptors might make them a real threat in competitive venues, if handled properly.

 

Thoughts?

[TheGoldenThrone]

I was thinking the same thing. Even before the points drop I liked Interceptors for their mobility. And the Voldus points drop is like icing on the in-your-face cake. This ability is still unique to GK and I am in the process of building a list around it.

[HighMarshalAmp]

They're mobile indeed, but you need a CP battery to make the most of it.

But usually you have them in battle after the first teleport, their 12" move + charge should take them anywhere you might want them later on, so the limited number of CP they generate might suffice.

 

Instantly relocating to objectives might be a serious bonus in some games though.

[Panzer]

That is if they survive long enough to do so. They are still just basic Marines durablity-wise and that's not very durable currently.

[Corvus Fortis]

To be honest, I don't see why everyone like interceptors so much. In GK only army they may be ok objective grabbers, but in soup there are lots of other mobile units. Jumping through the field is not unique for interceptors - blood angels could do the same. Other GK units can use gate of infinity with similar effect - not for every squad but CP free and 2 points-per-model cheaper. If they are not in reroll aura, SB's aren't that great. To take objective from enemy squad, they will need to wait a turn for a charge after shunt. And they are still 3+ model for 23 pts.

[Waking Dreamer]

Lawrence from Tabletop Tactics used 30 interceptors for his Soup Army in a top-level tournament recently. I think he won 3 out of 5 games. They are a bit overcosted he said, but used properly they do real work even on a tourney-level.

[Waking Dreamer]

Here is the Vox Cast: 

 

 

Lawrence breaks down each of his 5 games, so it's really good to hear how the Interceptors fared against tourney-level units.

[Capt. Mytre]

GK undoubtedly have some stupidly powerful things. Given to a decently powerful army, our psychic powers would be broken.

 

The issue comes down to how poorly the codex works together. At least with tournaments, given that they are far more reliant on scoring points than regular games, GK has somewhat of an edge via mobility, but you won't see them tabling opponents (other than maybe all melee armies? GK could be pretty hard to lock down as they can just bail in or before combat).

 

Still doesn't change the fact that the army is a low effort codex that doesn't feel "GK".

[Bjarni St.]

Which GK powers would be broken in other armies though? Not "nice, usable" but actually broken?

[Capt. Mytre]

Which GK powers would be broken in other armies though? Not "nice, usable" but actually broken?

 

Astral Aim on Dark Reapers, Gate of Infinity/Sanctuary on a leviathan dreadnought, Orks with hammerhand, Eldar with Purge Soul. Imperial Knights with Sanctuary/Astral Aim/Gate of Infinity. There are tons of armies that would love to have some of our powers.

 

Literally the only power that I can't see being broken would be Vortex, given it can't be buffed or buff a unit - unless there's a way to double damage from psychic abilities that I don't know about.

[Captain Coolpants]

Yeahhh I agree. Having some super heavy shoot its crazy powerful gun without line of sight or a close combat super heavy type creature gate of infinity up to assault range turn 1 would be very silly.

 

And a massive mob of orks with hammerhand, again, would just be silly.

[Bjarni St.]

I'll preempt that I'm not saying you're wrong, Mytre, I agree with your earlier point about these tools falling short in the GK arsenal, and I'm not trying to run away with the goalposts. Those points are fair.

 

What I just want to highlight is that in the context of the armies you and Coolpants mentioned I'm not sure they would take the trade or they already have similar capability. If we just take existing armies and improve their best invuln save by 1, sure that's nice, but look at it in a wider context.

 

Obviously Orks would like to have Hammerhand and Gate on top but they have Da Jump and Warpath already. For 2 attack models wounding on 5s normally Hammerhand and Warpath are the same. Warpath is better against T3. Hammerhand caps out (can't wound on 1s) but Warpath doesn't.

 

A Superheavy with a big enough gun to 'break' Astral probably can't hide out of LoS in most games so there you're left with shooting stuff that's hiding (still good). It'd be good on Reapers no doubt but how many would you give up to get that out of Jinx, Guide, Doom, the Soulburst power and the Fire and Fade stratagem that basically lets them shoot from cover anyway? Would you pay for another psyker to do it?

 

Imperial Knights already have Rotate Ion Shields, which only Vect can stop and never fails to cast and never causes Perils and doesn't rely on a seperate model to cast it. It only works in one phase but that's not really been a liability so far. Someone might counter 'what about Heed!?' and sure Heed is better than Rotate and all of them stacked is busted but the base capability of Sanctuary or Heed is already there is my point.

 

The only problematic deepstriking superheavies we've had was the brief moment when Magnus and Morty could do it and that was only broken because it let them hide if they were going second (Gate doesn't do that) and then could combine it with Warp Time so they wouldn't be stuck if they failed a dodgy 9" charge from there.

 

Those guys have Warptime, can fly and start with 12 and 16" Moves - they don't need Gate to get where they're going (though it can be easy to forget that as we shuffle our DKs 8" forward).

[HighMarshalAmp]

That is if they survive long enough to do so. They are still just basic Marines durablity-wise and that's not very durable currently.

Unfortunately, that is true.