Vs Knights

[Beams]

Besides taking a knight of our own, how do we fight opponents Knights?

 

I feel like ranged melta should work, but the 3++ or 4++ usually means I'm not getting enough shots in, and being within 6" when a Castellan explodes is deadly for our expensive melta sisters.

 

Does anyone have any good experience Knight Hunting?

[Eddie Orlock]

I’ve never actually faced a knight, but it seems against massed t8, 3+, probable 4++, it might we worth considering an unholy amount of s5, -1? So, arco’s and heavy flamer type things? Maybe heavy Bolters as part of a general plan to sand blast it to death?

 

I remember reading someone’s bat-rep where they talked about repentia martyrdom being clutch, but not owning any repentia I’ve no first hand thoughts.

[Focslain]

As a knight player here are a few things from the sisters that are high on my target list:

 

Repentia and Pentiant Engines: That inv save only works against ranged, melee units that can dish out large amounts of damage are an issue. Castellans are also the slowest knight so catching one isn't too hard.

 

Diminion Melta squads: Meltaguns really hurt at close range and a squad that can bring multiple and is an MEQ can be a problem.

HB Retrobution: Weight of fire does hurt, especially if targeting non-warlords as it's lowering our saves.

 

Exorists: Multi-shot krak missles, that needs to go. Low on the list for castellans, but still an issue since it can pop it with a well placed lance, other knights it goes up the priority chart.

 

I'm not too familiar with the current AoF s, but anything that increases the # of shots/hits, adds +1 to wounding or AP are all good against knights.

 

If facing multiple knights, remember that the rotate strat can only be used once per phase and to rotate on a Castellan (or Valient) is 3 CP instead of the normal 1. So making your opponent blink isn't a bad idea.

 

Try hitting his big knight with a moderate threat, have them rotate then focus fire on a less protected knight.

 

Make sure you focus fire. Knights have a strat that for 1 cp allows us to run at full wounds for a phase.

 

Also anything that does MW is good to have in numbers.

[ValourousHeart]

The options Sisters have for fighting against IK are the obvious anti-tank options in our codex.

Exorcists, Dominions, Retributors, Repentia and Penitent Engines.

 

That said, most armies don't have many great options to take when squaring off against IK.

And when viewed from that lense, our options are decent among the rest.

 

I have an IK army with 5 knights and have found that even when my opponents bring one Knight of their own it just doesn't tip the scale enough.

I'm even bringing a Valiant instead of a Castellan, and I've stopped taking a Crusader and a Gallant just to tone down how abusive my list is.

 

Really our best bet to get units capable of dealing with Knights we need to focus our energies on the beta codex feedback.

 

There are lots of ways we could subtly change our codex that would make us better able to deal with the competition.

But giving our CC units Holy Rage again is probably the best solution.

Holy Rage gave Arco Flagelants, Repentia and Penitent Engines +d6 movement, at a time in the game's history when run or advance was not part of the rules.

It also required those units to charge if in range.

 

Any way to get our CC units int CC faster will improve our codex.

 

The other option is a change to make to all Imperial Armies.

Non-Imperial Armies have different weapon profiles for vehicle mounted weapons vs the man-portable version.

This generally makes the weapon more optimized based on how it is carried.

Imperial Armies generally have the same weapon profile for weapons both vehicle mounted and man-portable.

And only a few vehicles take this into account and add a rule that accounts for the stabilized weapon mount.

[Ficinus]

Hide. If you're playing ITC rules, where the first floor of all buildings block all line of sight this is easier than with most terrain which fails to totally block line of sight (since LoS to one model lets you kill the whole unit). Hide and make them come to you, hopefully spreading out and buying enough time to grab objectives before the game ends and they murder everything.

 

My one experience of 6 Repentia and a knight didn't do much. They managed to get in combat without losing a model, 4 attacks each, rerolling to hit... and they didn't even cripple it. AP-2 and 2 damage just wasn't quite enough, especially needing 4+ to wound.

 

I guess Penitent Engines are good if there is enough LoS blocking terrain for a model their size? But given how LoS works, that seems hard.

[Montford]

Played against two Knight lists (2,000 pts) in Beta. Did very well.

 

My best performing units:

 

-Retributor Multi Melta squad (full 10 models including a Simulacrum) 

-Seraphim with Inferno Pistols (at least 8 models in the Squads)

 

My girls butchered them: in one game got a  9-6 win and in the other had a 17-17 tie but would have won if we had not stopped early due to store closure as he had one Knight left with 14 health and I still had an Exorcist, the MM Retributors, Celestine and a Troop squad with a melta and heavy flamer which could get to him and was going to pull off a Holy Trinity.

[A.T.]

I've always found it to be pot luck against knights. Any given shot from a melta or exorcist has a one in six chance of wounding against BS3+ T8 4++ and the knight player will ion-up whichever model you get your meltas next to.

 

Like other tough models saving the command reroll for the damage dice can help.

[ERJAK]

Besides taking a knight of our own, how do we fight opponents Knights?

 

I feel like ranged melta should work, but the 3++ or 4++ usually means I'm not getting enough shots in, and being within 6" when a Castellan explodes is deadly for our expensive melta sisters.

 

Does anyone have any good experience Knight Hunting?

An army with 1 knight is rough. An army with all knights you just force them to Rotate Ion Shield one and decimate the others.

[A.T.]

An army with 1 knight is rough. An army with all knights you just force them to Rotate Ion Shield one and decimate the others.

(stacks fifteen meltaguns around one knight): "I'm going to shoot my exorcist at this other knight over here, would you like to use your shield stratagem on it?"

 

Range and the timing of the ion shield means the sisters have limited options for subtly, and while the units can be spread around they end up not having the firepower individually. Exorcists give some of that but it's where a big hitter like the allied castellan shines in creating more of a 'choose which knight to lose' situation.

 

If knights had to make their choice earlier in the phases it would be different, the reactive nature of the stratagem is big when an opponent has to commit first.

[Focslain]

 

An army with 1 knight is rough. An army with all knights you just force them to Rotate Ion Shield one and decimate the others.

(stacks fifteen meltaguns around one knight): "I'm going to shoot my exorcist at this other knight over here, would you like to use your shield stratagem on it?"

 

Range and the timing of the ion shield means the sisters have limited options for subtly, and while the units can be spread around they end up not having the firepower individually. Exorcists give some of that but it's where a big hitter like the allied castellan shines in creating more of a 'choose which knight to lose' situation.

 

If knights had to make their choice earlier in the phases it would be different, the reactive nature of the stratagem is big when an opponent has to commit first.

 

 

Actually in your example you kind of made the choice for them. 

 

In general when facing a full knight force it's best to focus on one knight at a time, but position to take on multiples.

 

As for force a flinch, targeting the one with Ion Bulwark first is a bad idea, better to tag one that doesn't have the 4++ normally. That might force them to use rotate to get the 4++ or just bank on the 5++, which can be better.

 

Make sure to ask about traits so you know who to target. Intel is key.