Blood Angels Unit of the Week series Unit of the Week: Suppressor Squad

[Jolemai]

 

Welcome to part two of the Blood Angels Unit of the Week Series!

Following the release of the 9^th edition Supplement, there is no better time to discuss all the units we have access to. Each week a different unit will appear, with the idea being that we discuss how best to use that model on the battlefield. Where part one will focus on the unique BA units and part two will focus on BA units that are new to this edition of the Codex, part three will discuss how to get the best use the generic units from the past that are still with us (and that many of us have in our armies still), and part four will discuss the Legends units that we still own and love. Forge World and Forge World Legends comprise parts five and six.

Note, this isn't to lament any nerfs, etc, from previous editions; the rules are as they are so try to unlock its potential for those who wish to use them all the same. Similarly, this thread is only for using the option being discussed; it matters not if you feel something is a better choice as such comments aren't constructive to the topic and shall be removed.

Without further ado, here's this week's entry:

 

Suppressor Squad

What are you thoughts here folks? How best would you use a Suppressor Squad?

 

• To compliment a list, or to build a list around? Will the current Warzone and Balance Dataslates affect your list(s)?
• Will you be running multiple units?
• How are you making use of  Suppressing Fire?
• Are you buffing this unit? If so, how?
• Stratagems of note?

 

Over to you.
 

 

Edited November 11, 2022 by Jolemai
Updated!

[Jolemai]

Should you want your model on display here (or on another thread from the series), then submit a photo here please.

[Panzer]

A heavy weapon squad with Jump Packs that is able to deny overwatch? Was there ever a more perfect fire support unit for Blood Angels?

 

Deploy them as far away as possible from the enemy (aka ~48") so they're out of range of most of your opponents units. That makes them really durable without having any additional defenses.

Despite having Jump Packs, only move them if you absolutely have to. Like to gain LoS or to capture an objective late in the game. It's nice to have if you need it but it's not something you'd want to make use of every turn. However it does add quite a bit of height to the models which makes getting LoS to targets a bit easier (also makes it harder to hide so you really need to utilise the 48" range to survive).

The anti-overwatch ability requires them to actually kill a model so imo it's somewhat of a trap. Take them for their damage output. They don't do as much damage as Plasma Inceptors or such, however their damage output is decent enough and their range high enough for them to pull their weight over the course of a game. Especially with combat doctrines which boosts them to AP-3 turn 1!

Treat them as secondary anti-tank unit that can also deal with tougher infantry without it feeling as if you're wasting shots.

 

And since we are Blood Angels, if the opponent thinks he can sneakily kill them with a deep striking unit ... just charge them after shooting. They still have the same base profile as any Primaris after all.

 

Also since you can take only 3 in a unit and they're quite cheap (<100p) you are pretty much required to bring multiple units to really feel them actually doing something; which is not necessarily a bad thing since it also helps you fill a Brigade detachment quite a lot cheaper than it would be the case with most other Fast Attack options (yes, they are Fast Attack despite being Fire Support fluff-wise).

Edited February 18, 2020 by Panzer

[Karhedron]

I agree, they look useful and shutting down Overwatch is definitely a tasty bonus if you can pull it off.

 

My hunch is that they synergise quite well with Eliminators (of both flavours) as they give you a range of fire support options for around the 100-point mark (slightly less for sniper eliminators, slightly more for Las Fusils).

 

Their stats also make them nice against multi-wound units that rely on invulnerable saves.

[Majkhel]

I like them. Cheap autocanons they carry are really nice for our T1 Devastator doctrine. In my meta they quickly get enemy's attention, so I like to start them on the board behind LoS blocking piece of terrain and the hop-up to shoot something, preferably with the Chaplain's +1 to hit Litany. 

I agree they work better when's there are more than one unit of them.
I also agree with the synergy with Eliminators. Also because Eliminators tend to get more attention from the enemy :)

Edited February 18, 2020 by Majkhel

[Indefragable]

I have been very heavily playing around with them, and to be honest, the verdict is still out.

 

Pros:

All the stuff mentioned above

-Mobile 10"+ movement

-long range 48" guns

-decent mid-range firepower, Heavy 2 S7 AP-2 D:2

-like many Vanguard units, can pop Smoke Grenades for -1 To Hit

-Ability to turn off overwatch...something we Baal boys love

 

Cons:

-Heavy weapon types means -1 To Hit when moving....which as a Jump unit you will want to be doing 

-mid-range firepower means it is not quite wounding on 2+ many units while still only getting 5+ against heavier targets 

-Volume of fire (6 shots for a full unit) is just short of what it needs to be to be reliable: 9 shots per unit would be solid.

-You need to kill a model to turn off overwatch: poor target choice due to the OW-denial ability being "wasted" on vehicles and such. 

 

After a few games with them (have one unit, proxying 2 more since I am both holding out for a standalone kit and I'm not sold enough to put down the $ for another 2 units), they definitely have potential. That being said, they are a finesse unit if ever there has been one. The biggest scariest things are not an ideal target since S7 guns and can't turn off OW. Thus, you're left usually going after things like Rhinos, hoping to plink away some wounds in support of a lascannon or two...or focusing on taking on Intercessors or other such units that you want to charge early and often with your own Troops. And therein lies the rub: 6 shots of S7 AP-2/3 D:2, even more so if you moved, is just not the sort of reliable shooting needed to make sure you kill a model. Mathwise, yes you're likely to kill at least one Intercessor, but there's just enough margin that you'll whiff more often than you'd like. Which means bringing a second or third unit of them or supporting them with a Captain or such. In which case you're effectively dumping even more points into them (I always go by the rule of if you plan on unit x's output being reliant on a buffing character, you're essentially paying a tax for unit x). And if you dump 2-3 units of them into a unit you want to charge, you're often overkilling when rolls go well, thus preventing your own unit from charging. 

 

They are a finicky unit for sure, though I do think they have potential. They are simply not as point-and-shoot as they may appear.

 

One trick to keep in mind is to pop Smoke the turn you Advance. That way you can reposition and be -1 To Hit. With our +1 To Advance rolls, its' a great tactic to deploy out of LoS and then Advance + Smoke T1 to get into position for T2. You lose the shooting, but more and more I think that is generally how BA need to survive in the current meta. 

[Panzer]

 

Cons:

-Heavy weapon types means -1 To Hit when moving....which as a Jump unit you will want to be doing 

-mid-range firepower means it is not quite wounding on 2+ many units while still only getting 5+ against heavier targets 

-Volume of fire (6 shots for a full unit) is just short of what it needs to be to be reliable: 9 shots per unit would be solid.

 

 

I feel like you are underselling them with those points. You mention some of those a bit in your text but people often skip texts, especially when there's a summary provided as well so I wanted to get back to those points.

 

 

 

[...] which as a Jump unit you will want to be doing

You really don't. You want to use them like Devastators. The Jump Pack is just nice to have IF you have to move, but that should remain the exception instead of being the norm.

 

 

while still only getting 5+ against heavier targets

Heavier targets you wound on 4+. Only the heaviest you wound on 5+. For those targets you have stuff like Lascannons and Thunderhammers though. Shooting T8 is not the Suppressors' job.

 

 

Volume of fire (6 shots for a full unit) is just short of what it needs to be to be reliable

Well it's a unit of fix 3 models for less than 100p. They are about as reliable as a unit of Devastators (4 heavy weapons). That's why you take more than one unit. It's not just nice to have more, it's absolutely recommended. As it's for pretty much any unit in the game except for expensive death-star like units.

Taking more than one unit doesn't even hurt because they are so cheap and FOC slots aren't exactly limited in a meaningful way (in fact filling out more FOC slots is better because it means more CP).

There also shouldn't be any risk of overkilling since you can split shots freely this edition. Think 12 shots is too much? Just shoot with 8 or 10 at the intended target and with the remaining at another. You should easily have enough targets in range with 48".

[Neuralshock]

I like the guys, Ive been running them in concert with my 3x whirlwinds since the beginning of the year. Here's why though, they don't operate well enough that they draw all of the enemy's agro, but they'll do something every turn. And even if my opponent turns around and punts them off the board, I'm more than okay to see those 180 points go if they're not focused on my actually killy stuff

[Jolemai]

On 2/18/2020 at 10:47 AM, Jolemai said:

 

Welcome to part two of the Blood Angels Unit of the Week Series!

Following the release of the 9^th edition Supplement, there is no better time to discuss all the units we have access to. Each week a different unit will appear, with the idea being that we discuss how best to use that model on the battlefield. Where part one will focus on the unique BA units and part two will focus on BA units that are new to this edition of the Codex, part three will discuss how to get the best use the generic units from the past that are still with us (and that many of us have in our armies still), and part four will discuss the Legends units that we still own and love. Forge World and Forge World Legends comprise parts five and six.

Note, this isn't to lament any nerfs, etc, from previous editions; the rules are as they are so try to unlock its potential for those who wish to use them all the same. Similarly, this thread is only for using the option being discussed; it matters not if you feel something is a better choice as such comments aren't constructive to the topic and shall be removed.

Without further ado, here's this week's entry:

 

Suppressor Squad

What are you thoughts here folks? How best would you use a Suppressor Squad?

 

• To compliment a list, or to build a list around? Will the current Warzone and Balance Dataslates affect your list(s)?
• Will you be running multiple units?
• How are you making use of  Suppressing Fire?
• Are you buffing this unit? If so, how?
• Stratagems of note?

 

Over to you.
 

 

 

Updated for the current era. These are creeping up into lists again, how are you using yours?

 

[Karhedron]

Hmm, 9th edition seems to have brought these guys mixed fortunes. Going to Heavy 3 is nice but Armour of Contempt has significantly affected their performance against MEQs. Having said that, they are quite good against certain meta armies at the moment like Nids, Eldar (all flavours) and Daemons.

 

Edited November 16, 2022 by Jolemai
OT Removed