Aggressor Bombs

[Riddlesworth]

Anyone else using a strong Aggressor presence coming from strategic reserves and finding it is absolute money for Ultramarines? Saw a couple of Salamanders lists do it but its pretty CP intensive for them. I've played 2 games using the Ultras book and I honestly feel that building my army round it is the way I want to play. The rest of the list focuses on holding objectives, clearing screens so the aggressors don't get boxed out and a couple of smash captain/eradicators for high threat removal. Also helps with scoring engage on all fronts, deploy scramblers for the late game etc.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

How many Aggressors do you run per squad ?

[Riddlesworth]

How many Aggressors do you run per squad ?

At 2k I took 2 units of 6 and combat squadded them into 4 units of 3. I like the ultramarine bomb over the salamander one- harder to screen out, doesn't rely on strats so can go msu.

 

The full allowance of 18 bois is somethjng I want to try, but i haven't had chance yet.

Edited September 9, 2020 by Riddlesworth

[Ishagu]

I think one or two units are enough. The Salamander version is far more useful against ANY target due to their +1 to wound strat.

 

I recently came across a Knight list and the Aggressor shooting isn't useful against them, and that point I would have preferred more troop units to dominate the mission.

[Riddlesworth]

I think one or two units are enough. The Salamander version is far more useful against ANY target due to their +1 to wound strat.

 

I recently came across a Knight list and the Aggressor shooting isn't useful against them, and that point I would have preferred more troop units to dominate the mission.

Thats the trade off vs the sallies version, who have the strat for bolters and the super doctrine for flamers.

 

I pack captain dakka, father pain on a bike and eradicators for harder targets and trust the volume of fire in getting out of the aggressors for anything else. Having the CP spare for gene wrought might on powerfists helps too

Edited September 9, 2020 by Riddlesworth

[Ishagu]

But you're also committing 450 points of your army to these units, if you run that many.

If they are performing in your local meta then by all means keep running them. I prefer a single squad of 5 to deliver to a key position against an optimum target.

[Riddlesworth]

But you're also committing 450 points of your army to these units, if you run that many.

If they are performing in your local meta then by all means keep running them. I prefer a single squad of 5 to deliver to a key position against an optimum target.

 

540. 2 squads of 6 that combat squad to 4 units of 3. as salamanders I wouldn't have the CP to keep them going but with 1 or 2 squads of 5, yeah, your point is well made.

 

Its just nice to have a book you could throw darts at while blindfold and still make it work in most environments 

[Guiltysparc]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the Ultramarines element that's saving the CP?

[Riddlesworth]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the Ultramarines element that's saving the CP?

 

Tactical Doctrine - Scions of Guilliman. When Aggressors arrive from strategic reserve, they are classed as stationary and can therefore double shoot. 

 

Salamanders have a stratagem that can make 1 unit count as stationary, so I've found if I'm running multiple aggressor units, I prefer the UItramarine doctrine.

[Ishagu]

 

 

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the Ultramarines element that's saving the CP?

Tactical Doctrine - Scions of Guilliman. When Aggressors arrive from strategic reserve, they are classed as stationary and can therefore double shoot.

 

Salamanders have a stratagem that can make 1 unit count as stationary, so I've found if I'm running multiple aggressor units, I prefer the UItramarine doctrine.

A squad of Salamander Aggressors can get twice the number of wounds against a T8 or up target, a t3 target, and 50% more against anything else.

 

Because one of their squads can do double the damage of one of ours, they are the best at Aggressor bombs, and are hence more efficient at running them, CP or not.

 

Also we do often use the Strat to put a unit in Tactical Doctrine anyways - I've often used it on turn 1 for my Aggressors.

Edited September 15, 2020 by Ishagu

[Guiltysparc]

 

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the Ultramarines element that's saving the CP?

 

Tactical Doctrine - Scions of Guilliman. When Aggressors arrive from strategic reserve, they are classed as stationary and can therefore double shoot. 

 

Salamanders have a stratagem that can make 1 unit count as stationary, so I've found if I'm running multiple aggressor units, I prefer the UItramarine doctrine.

 

 

Ah, right, the counts as stationary during tactical doctrine.  So you're walking them on the board from reserves and then double flamethrowering.  With the 12" flamers and 6" move from reserve, you have an 18" range on this, right?  That does sound pretty sweet.

[Riddlesworth]

 

 

Ah, right, the counts as stationary during tactical doctrine.  So you're walking them on the board from reserves and then double flamethrowering.  With the 12" flamers and 6" move from reserve, you have an 18" range on this, right?  That does sound pretty sweet.

 

If you were doing it with Flamestorm aggressors, the free +1 to wound Salamanders get with their doctrine is better. Especially if you are looking at running only 1 or 2 units. 1CP for a unit to stand still and 2 CP for max flamer shots for a second unit stacks up really well.

 

I'm combat squading to 4 units (of 3 aggressors each), so I can't spread the buffs around like that unless i do a wave 1 and wave 2. Scions of Guilliman means they all get double shot turning up on turn 2.

 

 

A squad of Salamander Aggressors can get twice the number of wounds against a T5 or up target, a t3 target, and 50% more against anything t4.

 

Because one of their squads can do double the damage of one of ours, they are the best at Aggressor bombs, and are hence more efficient at running them, CP or not.

 

Also we do often use the Strat to put a unit in Tactical Doctrine anyways - I've often used it on turn 1 for my Aggressors.

 

 

You are correct. Salamanders Aggressors are terrifying. Even more so in october when they don't have to spend a successor tactic on long range marksman and can add Adrax to the bomb.

 

I'm assuming your math is based on applying the strats for Salamanders? The reason I was justifying Ultramarines to myself (not least because I built boltstorm aggressors in 7th...) was that without CP spend, my math said an Ultramarine Aggressor out damages a Salamander Aggressor in Tactical doctrine when strategic reserves arrive:

 

Single Aggressor, Tactical Doctrine Active, Wounds before saves

Salamanders Flamestorm - T5 (3.5), T4 (4.6), T3 (5.8)

Ultramarines Boltstorm - T5 (4.22), T4 (6.33), T3 (8.44)

 

Salamanders can support 2 units, effectively doubling the output on both for 3CP. They could also take 1 unit of boltstorm and 1 unit of flamestorm and achieve similar results due to the +1 wound strat replicating the super doctrine. As I had 4 units and my meta has seen more hordes making it trickier to deep strike/reserve, I went with Ultras.

[Captain Idaho]

Just because a unit works great for one faction doesn't mean the unit doesn't work well with another. Sure, Salamanders do very, but so Ultramarines.

 

Anyways, taking lots of Aggressors is interesting, though I'd caution against skewing an army on S4 shots. If the army can handle it, then they can be very powerful coming on from Reserves of course.

[Riddlesworth]

Yeah the rest of the army has to compensate with some high quality firepower - plasma inceptors, eradicators, smash characters etc.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

I’m much more like heavy intercessors over Aggressors.The latter are one dimensional and often have a short life expectancy. I feel like the former is more tactical.