Look Out Sir! and Stripping Character Escorts

[L30n1d4s]

Now that 9th Edition Rules have changed so that characters can only be protected from shooting if they are not the closest unit AND they are within 3" of a vehicle, monster, or unit of 3(+) models, I think Raven Guard are going to have a whole new way of playing opened up to them.

 

 

Specifically, if they can strip away the enemy units within 3" of your opponent's characters, then suddenly those characters become targetable by everything from your Lascannon Devastators to Boltstorm Aggressors.... with +1 to Hit and +1 to Wound In the Tactical Doctrine (i.e. turns 2 and 3 of the game), enemy characters are going to be exceptionally vulnerable to Raven Guard firepower if you can remove enough of those escort units so that there is no one left within 3" of the character(s) you are trying to kill.

 

 

If the enemy character is running with an escort of "basic" infantry, then massed small arms fire (like Hurricane Bolters, or Intercessors shooting with the Rapid Fire Stratagem) might be enough to whittle the escort squad down to 2 models, leaving the character exposed to, say, a squad of 3 Suppressors... with +1 to Hit and Wound, against a "normal" Chaos Lord with a 4++, then Suppressors would have 5-6 hits, 5-6 wounds, 2-3 unsaved wounds, and 4-6 damage inflicted, so a good chance of zapping that character even without Sniper Weapons. Similarly, if the "escort" was a vehicle (say a Helbrute) you can use your anti-tank weapons to kill the Helbrute, then switch to massed small arms fire (boosted by the +1 to Hit/+1 to Wound) to take out the exposed character.

 

 

Given how characters have become more and more central to the game, especially with all they buffs they hand out via rules, Strats, Relics, and WL Traits, I think being able to take them out early in the game, without being reliant solely on Sniper weapons, is going to be a major boost for the Raven Guard and its Successor Chapters.

Edited July 13, 2020 by L30n1d4s

[MajorNese]

It might be time to get out an older pic...

 

 

That being said, I guess a lot of players will go for either resilient infanty to cover a character (think Intercessor blobs, kataphron etc.), vehicles, or outright place them behind terrain to make them untargetable.

 

The latter would make any indirect fire extremely valuable - whirlwinds, TFCs, whirlwind scorpius, can all whittle down the bodyguard and then target the character directly. Mobile anti tank could get around obstacles to take out the bodyguard tank.

[Ishagu]

Characters are extremely vulnerable in 9th.

 

I actually feel a lot of them deserve significant point reductions.

[Dracos]

I'm not saying your wrong but considering the sub-forum your in your barking up the wrong Chapter. :)

 

Honestly they need a little more TLC than before but that just means people can't use them so recklessly. I know why it came about, but not being able to target a Farseer because the Rangers slipped in closer in reserve unseen behind a building was just total 

 

Plus Raven Guard characters generally can't compare to other Chapter's beatsticks. One Special Character so weak that the out of date no model ever made ForgeWorld Successor character was more competitive.

 

Your a bro Ishagu, I agree with you more than most but with way Raven Guard abilities have been watered down and handed out like candy, I'm feeling a little salty about my Chapter uniqueness right now. Two stratagems. Two relics. After that we might as well paint our armor blue.

[duz_]

:huh:

 

Dracos report to the Company Chaplain immediately <_<

[WAR]

 

Dracos report to the Company Chaplain immediately

 

Dracos at least he said Company Chaplain not Inquistor

Edited July 15, 2020 by war009

[duz_]

Or Judiciar :lol:

But we digress ;)

[Dracos]

Chaplain said to go sit 24 hours in the Shadows ... see you Thursday.

[Frater Cornelius]

With the new Outriders and general capabilities of SM anti infantry, stripping the models around characters shouldn't be too hard. Having said that, with RG sniping being what it is, I still think it is better taking them out with snipers and focus resources on things that matter. But things being as they are, I am not feeling all that bad anymore about maybe bringing Las Fusils. It gives RG options and I like that.