Rite of War concept: Tactical Supremacy

[Indefragable]

Just trying my hand at an idea:

 

Hidden Content

 

Tactical Supremacy

 

As the preeminent military force of the Great Crusade The Space Marine Legions were created to rapidly re-conquer the galaxy. This meant adapting to the unknowable variations of foes—truant humanity, xenos, and the unclassifiable alike—while maintaining some form of strategic initiative at all times. The cornerstone of this ability was the Tactical Squad: a unit meant to excel at taking and holding ground at all costs, whether a simple bunker on the battlefield or the inner sanctum of the highest keep. Equally skilled at assaulting enemy positions as well as defending friendly ground, the unsung Tactical Squad achieved its purpose time and time again whilst the fortunes of other more specialist units waxed and waned.

 

Long the building block of the Principia Bellicosa, this Rite of War became often overlooked in the waning years of the Great Crusade as both the tactical idiosyncrasies of each Legion became more prominent and the rediscovered Primarchs effected changes to their own tastes. As the brutal internecine warfare of the Age of Darkness took its toll across a thousand sectors, the utility and simple effectiveness of this formation proved its worth yet again. Those commanders who still miraculously had enough of their forces intact to maintain this formation often returned to its use with renewed vigor.

 

Effects:

Death Ground: Legionary Tactical Squads from this Detachment maintaining squad coherency gain +1 attack and may make a Fury of the Legion attack even if they moved or while firing Overwatch, but may still not make a Fury of the Legion attack in the same turn they disembark from a vehicle or arrive from Deep Strike or Reserves. Tactical Squads may re-roll any Difficult or Dangerous Terrain tests they are required to take while within 12" of an objective.

 

Extra Munitions: Tactical Squads from this Detachment may opt to purchase munitions harnesses at a cost of 25pts per unit. Models upgraded in this manner gain Shred, Sunder, and Ignores Cover to all grenades and Melta bombs they carry.

 

Heart of the Legion: Any unit from this Detachment may add 1 to their To Wound rolls and Armour Penetration rolls when targeting an enemy unit that has already suffered an unsaved wound or Glancing or Penetrating Hit from a Tactical Squad in that same Turn. This effect is not cumulative with itself.  

 

By Sky or Land: Tactical squads may take Drop Pods as Dedicated Transports. Any Rhino chosen as a Dedicated Transport may take either Extra Armour or a Dozer Blade at no cost.

 

Limitations:

• Legionary Tactical Squads are the only Compulsory Troops and you must take a minimum of three of them.  
• Must take a Command Squad for any compulsory HQ able to take one.
• Must take a minimum of one unit from the Elites slot which must be any one of the following unit types: Terminator Squad (any type), Veteran Legionary Squad
• Must take a minimum of one unit from the Fast Attack slot which must be any one of the following unit types: Seeker Squad, Outriders, Attack Bike Squadron
• Must take a minimum of one unit from the Heavy Support slot which must be any one of the following unit types: Heavy Support Squad

 

This idea came up after a conversation with a friend where we realized/lamented the fact that one of the coolest parts of 30k was the big bricks of Tactical Marines yet they often lack use beyond Troop Tax slots. We also realized that there was a lack of a "normal" Rite of War for the Space Marine Legions, something that provided a bonus over a standard FOC build, yet was basic enough not to overshadow other RoW's.

 

My goal with this was to create something that made the Troops slot a bit more interesting, making Tacticals interesting and useful enough while really still enabling other units to shine. I also wanted to make it useful for all scenarios, Kill Points and Objective-based games alike, and also enable each Legion's nuances to show through, making shootier Legions a bit stabbier while also making stabbier Legions a bit shootier.

 

The Limitations are meant to represent a Company's "standard" loadout and also to act as a slight tax to prevent things getting a bit too out of hand.

 

Comments and critiques appreciated.

[StrangerOrders]

No master of balance but this seems fluffy as heck, especially since much is made about the value of tactical squads yet no Legion really seems to make use of them all that much (even the Ultramarines, who shockingly get more bonuses for Breachers). 

 

Full command squad seems like a bit much, can't speak for others but I always find that I am drawn away by other uses for the HQ and they are a bit pricey. 

 

I also can't say if you absolutely need that many requirements, even if you would wind up taking many of those under many circumstances anyway.

 

Cool idea over all, sorry I can't provide more insightful critique.

[Vykes]

Command Squads are surprisingly cheap when they aren't like mine and upgraded to the gills.  They don't even have to be fused with the character they're bought for, either, so it's a relatively cheap 3 man team that also has a fancy standard... and that just looks marvelous on the tabletop!  

 

Honestly, I love it.  It's not an auto-take by any means either (I'd be struggling to make some good choices.  Neither does it make Orbital Assault obsolete (this gives tac squads drop pods, not vets, seekers, or that command squad even if it might be wise too) as it doesn't allow deep strike termies or the multitude of others that it provides.  

 

A lot of the benefits are a touch tricky to use (kinda like the Black Reaving, and more so than the Ultramarine's Interlocking tactics, though ooooh lawd Lupercal does that sound like it wants to get some use), there's one thing that's super small that I really like: Rerolling difficult terrain tests within 12" of an objective.  Seriously, that sort of minor thing is awesome to see and actually feels fluffy.  I have a game literally last week where that would very likely have made a game-winning difference.  

 

Seriously, rocking idea. 

[Marshal Rohr]

I love this idea. It would be a great way to keep people who can’t afford the high cost models able to engage with the game and have fun. Brilliant. You should email FW.

 

 

Second thoughts: I also like how this could encourage people to play games with a rite that isn’t focused on legion elites. Since the first BB came out many of the ‘generic’ Rites lost their appeal as players were able to use the legion specific versions of the generic ones. My hope has been for a while FW would revisit the original generic ones and revamp them. For example, my Imperial Fists aren’t as great at armored warfare as Iron Hands, but if they revamped the generic mech infantry Rite I could still have a list themed around mech infantry or an assault company, etc.

[battle captain corpus]

Very fluffy! Be great to see some playtests done!

 

BCC

[Charlo]

Absolutely love it.

 

What Heresy should be, more scores of marines, less janky power builds!

[Nomadic Thunder]

I'd like to echo everyone else's sentiments here, great idea!

I've loved reading about big tactical formations swarming forward in the early heresy book series and this is a cool way to represent this.

Thanks for sharing.

[Noserenda]

Overall not bad, I really dont like the Drop pod bonus, but then i really dont like the 40k style random drop pods out of nowhere in the Heresy (Looking at you dreadnoughts!) either it all drops in on nothing does. I do recognise thats a little irrational though :P

Id look at a bonus for big squads too, rather than just transported ones, maybe re-rolling 1's to hit when over 10 marines strong? 

10 man nekked squads, certainly an assaulting build using this ROW would be savage as heck, with bonus attacks and bonuses to wound when working together, combine that with a melee loadout and a legion like World eaters you will have a nasty weenie swarm, which is kinda good, troops should be scary,

[Marshal Rohr]

Re-Rolling ones to hit would be a big bonus my Fists so I wholeheartedly support that before their tactical blob gets chewed alive by artillery and plasma. Makes them pretty lethal until they are below ten and then they’re back to normal which would be thematic representing reduced effectiveness as the battle goes on.

[Marshal Vespasian]

This would be great for my planned imperial fists. I like the Image of Tons of tacticals boltering down their enemies.

The 2+ we get for bolters feels kind of wasted with how underwhelming heavy bolters sadly are.