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How do you use Inceptors?


MeltaRange

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Is anyone using Inceptors?  I haven't seen too much buzz here since the codex, even though the received a price drop (bolter version) while going up to 3 wounds, and also will typically be coming in turn 2, the same turn that many marine armies will be in Tactical Doctrine for a sweet -2AP.

 

Still too expensive?  I really love them, and use 2x5 in many games.  Anyone have any thoughts on them?

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My biggest issue with the plasma is the swingy number of shots and the high potential that I blow up a 3 wound T5 model without a captain babysitting them.

To be fair because it is 2d3 per model the number of shots hasnt been particularly swingy when I have used them.

 

My biggest issue with the plasma is the swingy number of shots and the high potential that I blow up a 3 wound T5 model without a captain babysitting them.

To be fair because it is 2d3 per model the number of shots hasnt been particularly swingy when I have used them.

The low end is guaranteed at 6 shots for a 3 man squad.

 

But it could go up to 18. It's probably just my couple of bad experiences that colour the impression I have of the plasma, but they often drop, average barely 9 shots, and by the end of it one or two are dead from blowing up.

Well, that's the impractical part about plasmaceptors - unless you overcharge, the bolter versions will give you roughly the same anti-vehicle firepower per point as the plasmaceptors, but more wounds and more anti infantry.

 

I'll stick with bolterceptors. Auspex Scan on a large unit with Shrike nearby is brutal, RG have a strat to give the good old Storm of Fire bonus (6s to wound = AP improved by 1) stacking with doctrines for a turn, making them even more of a threat to everything with armour. And Shrike synergizes well - he can easily keep up, is shielded by the squad, can charge over their heads without overwatch and let them reroll charges too. In exchange they do hit a lot better due to CM buff...

 

 

My biggest issue with the plasma is the swingy number of shots and the high potential that I blow up a 3 wound T5 model without a captain babysitting them.

To be fair because it is 2d3 per model the number of shots hasnt been particularly swingy when I have used them.
The low end is guaranteed at 6 shots for a 3 man squad.

 

But it could go up to 18. It's probably just my couple of bad experiences that colour the impression I have of the plasma, but they often drop, average barely 9 shots, and by the end of it one or two are dead from blowing up.

Yeah or maybe I was lucky. My last game I think my lowest was 9 and the majority sat around the 12 mark.

 

Yeah or maybe I was lucky. My last game I think my lowest was 9 and the majority sat around the 12 mark.

12 is the average for a three-man squad, so not particularly lucky!
I am well aware of the average. My comment is more that I haven't rolled 6 shots etc a load of times....so I shall stick with my previous statement thank you!

I haven't tried this, but I've been thinking about giving a very Inceptor heavy force a go.  Probably using Indomitus Crusaders with a Banner of Ultima Founding toting Ancient riding in an Impulsor so he can position himself to plant the banner for a Turn 2 drop.

 

The Terminator Ancient is also interesting.

If Plasma only exploded on a natural 6, and/or just caused mortal wounds, the plasma ones would be great.

But overcharging Inceptors is just asking to roll dice horrifically slowly (each model has to be rolled seperately) and also have a decent chance of throwing a lot of points away, even with a captain reroll.

But the bolter ones are very solid

Wrong on all counts regarding plasma and they are much more resilient now with the new stratagems. I say this based on many many games. Sure some will often die but never the whole unit. I’ve found a squad of five to be perfect. The Bolter variant is good too but is superfluous for my list.

Wrong on all counts regarding plasma and they are much more resilient now with the new stratagems. I say this based on many many games. Sure some will often die but never the whole unit. I’ve found a squad of five to be perfect. The Bolter variant is good too but is superfluous for my list.

There's a small bit of a strawman here. I don't think anybody was worried too frequently about the whole unit exploding.

 

For me, even a single Inceptor killing itself is often too many, especially for the cost of the unit and its babysitters.

For whatever reason I tend to roll high... have nuked a knight several times... can’t do that with the exploding Bolters.

 

I love inceptors, both the bolter as wel as the plasma variants. I must say though that killing an undamaged knight in one turn with a plasma squad is extremely lucky and is not something you should bank on. without support 6 inceptors have 24 shots on average, hitting with 16. then they will wound with 8 and the knight will save 2-3 on his regular save or 4 if he rotates his ion shield. So if the knight doesn't rotate you're looking at 5-6 wounds and 10-12 damage on average. If the knight rotates his shields, you're doing 4 wounds and 8 damage. So nowehere near enough to kill a knight. Obviously the numbers would go up if you add in a lieutenant and a chaptermaster, but still not enough to reliably kill a knight. Perhaps with the ultramarine relic "the seal of oath" you have a more decent chance, but I still don't think it lets you kill a knight reliably.

The odds would be better, but as you can see in the math above, a knight with 10 wounds taken off still cannot be reliably taken down by 6 plasmaceptors. Add in some buffs and your chances go up, but it’s still not a sure thing, especially if he rotates the ion shields.

I did some quick math, but even when you use the seal of oath and use a CP to reroll a 1 shot to a 3 shots, and rounding everything in favour of the shooter, you still only do 9 wounds and 18 damage on average to a knight that’s rotating ion shields.

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