How do the 'Rusty 17' benefit Custodes?

[.Torch.]

Evening all,

 

 

I'm seeing a lot of talk around a 'Rusty 17' Battalion replacing the Loyal 32 in some aspects. Has anyone got any experience with them? I really like the models, but I'm not convinced that they will be an out-and-out replacement for a Guard detachment.

 

 

From looking at the stats on Battlescribe (I do not have the Admech codex), I can see a few benefits. They have a 6++ for starters, but after that I can not really see many advantages of them over the Guard. The lack of bodies doesn't really bother me that much, as I imagine that the smaller squad size just limits how many models you could lose to moral.

 

 

Interested to see how the forum feels about them backing up the Custodes.

[MARK0SIAN]

Individually the rangers are better than a guardsman as they have a better save, better BS and their weapons have a longer range and better strength so they can sit at the back and still contribute more easily than guard. They also have the invulnerable and can benefit from canticles.

 

However, they can’t take orders like guardsmen, they don’t have access to mortars and it’s still 15 less bodies on the table.

 

If you are comparing the absolute bare bones Rusty 17 with the bare bones Loyal 32 then the cog boys are probably just slightly better if you want them to sit at the back on objectives but if you want to move and take a more active role in the game the guard are probably better as they’re more adaptable to the situation with orders and can cover more space.

 

Where it gets more interesting though is if you go for slightly more than bare bones Rusty 17. Mechanicus have access to a really cheap and really effective long range anti-armour platform, namely the dunecrawler with neutron laser. This is something Custodes have really lacked until the recent FW rules were released. For its points, the dunecrawler beats anything the Imperial Guard can field that is dedicated anti-armour.

 

The Rusty 17 with 1 or 2 Dunecrawlers is a great addition to the Custodes and shores up some of their long range shooting holes for a fraction of the cost of the Forgeworld units.

 

As a side note, transuranic arquebus upgrades on the rangers are also a really great addition as they can really threaten characters but the points cost of this adds up quickly and will eat into the number of Custodes you can bring.

[wildweasel]

Also if you want to go beyond the Rusty 17 and look at more AdMech synergies, I feel there’s a lot of mileage to be gotten from Skitarii Vanguad. A unit of 10 with no upgrades is 90 points and puts out 30 shots, to help with chaff clearing.

 

Moreover, they also have the -1 Toughness debuff in melee, so get them stuck in alongside Custodians and hit that much harder - one of the most significant shifts being spears then wounding T4 on a 2+.