Heavy Intercessors: Theoretical Loadout

[psyduck]

It's that time again..

 

Time to think about what guns to bring on the HI (assuming they're not easily magnetisable like standard ints, which I find an absolute pain)

I've been working on the assumption that Executors seem to be the best, primarily because they're AP-2 almost all the time, can 1 hit most marines (and equivalents), and have a 3 damage HB for gravis too. In addition, they avoid triggering the gravis defensive stratagem.

 

That said.. heavy bolt rifles + HB have their merits too, in that they're not so swingy, aren't wasted against 1w infantry, and perhaps most importantly, can use the martial + hellfire combo.

 

Hellstorms are ok I guess, might be useful if BAs / Slaneesh continue to do that very annoying thing of trying to charge you in deployment and be sticky.

 

My gut says executors still generally the way to go, at least at the moment.

What do people think, though?

[Prot]

I don't remember all the weapons. I associate the squad with a feeling of a mixed bag. I really don't know if they are worth it, but I'm sure I will get a single squad going.

 

All I know is that I usually go with whatever weapon best suits Ultra's, either through super doctrines, or strats... so that usually means being able to move and shoot without penalty (hard to take advantage of with HI), and/or taking advantage of moving and max range rapid fire.

 

So considering that I don't have a huge draw to most of these weapons.

[psyduck]

That's the thing. Ultras suit both executor bolt rifles (heavy1 s5 ap-2 D2) and heavy bolt rifles (rapidfire1 S5 ap-1 D1), so it's a bit more interesting. 

 

Their heavy bolters are respectively (heavy2 S5 ap-2 D3) and (heavy3 S5 ap-1 D2).

 

Move and shoot should be in theory fairly doable with them, in theory. I do hope they won't just end up being backfield objective holders..

[NKirkham24]

Looking at the profiles again, I think I would go for the Executor version. As you said the damage 2 on standard executor is very good against other Marines, and they've got the longest range too, so they could still have utility being stood still first turn to avoid any to hit penalty, and only moving once the our doctrine kicked in in turn 2 & 3. 

 

I think that offers at least some mobility which other chapters will struggle to replicate with them. I think these guys, in cover, with access to the Gravis strat & potential Inv saves from psychic fortress, are going to be really tough to shift off objectives.  

 

I do intend to get at least one squad whenever they're finally released, presumably in the new year now.

Edited November 26, 2020 by NKirkham24

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

I want to incorporate 1-2 squads using the Executor rifles.

[psyduck]

Looks like the consensus so far is the executor bolters. Might try a proxy squad to test it with.

[psyduck]

Did some brief testing. Pure executor on one squad is decent, but 2 squads of executor not so much - feels like there's a lot of firepower lost. In addition, it felt really bad when shooting a dreadnought only to have those 2 damage executors that went through do sweet fanny all.

 

Going to try 1x executor squad, 1x heavy bolt rifle squad. Think that might be a more balanced one.

[NKirkham24]

I think one squad with Executors will be enough, we have standard Intercessors and any of the phobos troop units to take out the chaff, leaving the Heavies to target some elites etc. 

[psyduck]

Trying out two squads with a view of making a majority gravis army. It sorta works, they're pretty tanky and can eat firepower up, just not dish it out as well.

[emperorpants]

I am going to use one squad wth executors sitting on a home objective. As others have said, phobos and normal intercessors will clear chaff. These boys will be tough to shift and can safely blast away at elites with the executor rifles with their 42" range. If we really want to make sure we kill those elites we can even pop squad doctrines on them and put them devestator doctrine for the extra bump to ap. Not the best use of the strat perhaps, but it's there if needed.

 

I personally think one squad of them is enough and really all that I can justify in a list.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Imma popping soem redwood ova heyA

[xommul]

These guys are very interesting with potential damage output to deal with elite troops and tanks. 

 

They clearly benefit mostly from T1 for increasing the ability to eat through armour saves but when you get to tactical and they can move and shoot and this helps with versatililty of getting onto objectives mid board and providing some intimidation however you then don't get the buff of AP. 

 

The thing is are they better than 10 Intercessors with bolt rifles able to achieve each round 40 shots at an effective 36" threat range -2AP 1 D getting +1 to hit and +1 to wound nearest and extra AP on 6s with WLT. Use CM re rolls or Scions of Gman Strat and place near a red dread using wisdom of ancients for re roll 1s. - This will delete a lot of chaff or elite infantry but due to lower strength will struggle against armour. 

 

You could buff a 10 man Hvy Intercessor unit similarly but would Rapid fire strat work on Heavy Intercessors as it just says intercessors in the wording of Rapid Fire. 

 

If you could then there is 8 Executors with 8 shots and 2 heavy bolters. 

Thats 12 S5 -2/-3 AP 2/3D hitting on 2+ wounding on 2/3+ deleting one marine per unsaved wound. and if you could shoot them twice then 24 shots. 

 

Trouble is they need dev doctrine to be most effective but want to move and shoot without penalty so like tactical too. Your option is the Strat to use all doctrines simultaneously but then the Redemptor likes that too. 

 

Hmm. 

 

Will take some looking at. 

 

UM like to castle up for T1 and then push out T2 onwards so with normal intercessors, aggressors, eradicators or inceptors all being viable and now Heavy intercessors being viable pics who gets the buffs and re rolls? 

[Rik Lightstar]

They DO have the keyword INTERCESSORS as a separate entry from HEAVY INTERCESSORS on the keywords section, so maybe but the Stratagem says Intercessor Squad or Veteran Intercessor Squad, which suggests you're looking at the Datasheet name instead.

 

Rik

[Oxydo]

They DO have the keyword INTERCESSORS as a separate entry from HEAVY INTERCESSORS on the keywords section, so maybe but the Stratagem says Intercessor Squad or Veteran Intercessor Squad, which suggests you're looking at the Datasheet name instead.

 

Rik

 

Intercessors have the INTERCESSOR SQUAD keyword while Vets have VETERAN INTERCESSOR SQUAD one, so we can be certain that we can't use Rapid Fire on Heavy intercessors.