What have been your Surprise MVP Units?

[L30n1d4s]

Its seems like the Marine meta has kind of started to settle out, with certain key units consistently performing as "top tier" choices, agnostic of which Chapter you are playing.

 

 

From what I have seen, these universal "top tier" choices generally include the following:

 

HQ

-Primaris Chaplain on Bike

-Captain on Bike

-JP Librarians

 

TROOPS

-Incursors

-Intercessors

-Assault Intercessors

 

ELITES

-Bladeguard Veterans 

-Vanguard Veterans

-Company Veterans (as min squad Action monkeys)

-Apothecaries

-Judiciars

-Redemptor Dreads

-Invictor Warsuits

 

FAST ATTACK

-Inceptors 

-Attack Bike Squads (with Multi-Meltas)

-Outriders

 

HEAVY SUPPORT

-Devastators (with Drop Pods)

-Eradicators

-Whirlwinds (situational, seems to be taken a lot in supporting Assault based armies for "Suppressive Fire" Strat) 

 

 

Obviously there are others, especially certain Chapter specific units/characters like TWC, Sanguinary Guard, Tigurius, Ragnar Blackmane, Kor'sarro Khan, Deathwing Knights, etc., but based on what I have seen, these are some of the most well-known/prominent choices for Space Marines.

 

 

So, my question is, what units not on this list (or, at least, not from the units that you expect to be good) have performed unexpectedly well for you? Any surprise MVPs in your games recently? Any units that regularly surprise your opponents with how effective they are?

 

 

 

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

My devcents are mvp every game .

[Riddlesworth]

White Scars Boltstorm Aggressors.

 

Widespread assumption is their nerf made them unplayable.

 

Advance and shoot with no penalty. 3D powerfists in Assault doctrine.

 

Good candidates for fortress from a Libby or an apothecary bubble. They do work for me.

[GenerationTerrorist]

Scout Bikers (5 of them) with Grenade Launchers in my BT list have been MVP's in my few games so far in 9th. Thinking of adding another 5 to my army. I like the speed and versatile weapon type, plus they are not bad in combat now.

[Dracos]

Single unit of Eliminators: for the All-Primaris army, they are a cheap Action Monkey that naturally infiltrates.

[macradam_hue]

Bolt Inceptors. Absolutely guaranteed to drop in, delete at least 2 units and grab my an objective, as well as secondaries if I choose correctly. I take one squad of 5, and one of 3 at the moment. Once I get the extra two models I plan on having 2 squads of 5

[Debauchery101]

DW Stalker-intercessors. For Deathwatch they became one of the best units to pull combos with.

 

Choose Dev Doctrine

Character with Nowhere to Hide aura...pick any enemy to lose cover for core marines in aura range

Watch master reroll hits

Double buff with chaplain CoF and RoF

Swap chapter tactics to Fists, Crimson fists or dark angels

Load up SIA with strat

It didn't die?

Rapid Fire!

 

Anything t7 or lower will die if you want it too.

Edited January 12, 2021 by Debauchery101

[Jorin Helm-splitter]

I've had a lot of success with hellblasters with assault option, they're just a good flexible unit. They are a bit better for space wolves because we have keen senses, and an outflank stratagem but even without those abilities they'd be good imo.

[Seahawk]

My devcents are mvp every game .

What weapons do you give them?

[War of the Eagle]

I really stand by Infiltrators. Take the mid field, take the mini apothocary. Deny deep strikes in a large area and can bolter dicaplin with guaranteed wounds on hits of 6s can hurt even vechicals. Crap at CqC but they have held down some scarry units with their apothicary ignoring wounds and maybe some trans human thrown in.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

 

My devcents are mvp every game .

What weapons do you give them?

Iron Hands 3x twin las & hurricane bolters

 

Ultramarines twin las 2x grav & hurricane bolters

[SanguinaryGuardsman]

Surprise MVP... old school space marine bikers in units of 6 with double melta+thunder hammer.  These guys have been doing everything for me as white scars.  They are excellent screen clearers with bolter fire,  excellent in close combat with minor support, spectacular objective grabbers with the WS double move stratagem, and abusive harassers for tying up enemy units.  

[Helias_Tancred]

I second the previous mention of Hellblasters armed with the assault incinerator plasma rifles.

[Prot]

I think most of the popular stuff has been talked about above, but I actually think the stuff I've been seeing do better than I thought definitely includes Firstborn Bikes... all types, mixed squads etc. I do strongly believe they are point for point, a better option than Outriders. In part this is because of First born flexibility.

 

The FAQ took the Outriders out of competitive play options for me since I always found the first born a bit better anyway. 

[Debauchery101]

I think most of the popular stuff has been talked about above, but I actually think the stuff I've been seeing do better than I thought definitely includes Firstborn Bikes... all types, mixed squads etc. I do strongly believe they are point for point, a better option than Outriders. In part this is because of First born flexibility.

 

The FAQ took the Outriders out of competitive play options for me since I always found the first born a bit better anyway.

they made them too good with just chainswords and crap at only 3 models unit size. They can still mow down a decent amount of stuff but vs T5+ they struggle. I feel they should have got the mortals on charge or a str bonus on charge. Because that as deadly as that can be it is more limited. If they give those massive attacks bonus to anything but chainswords they would be broken strong. Especially for white scars, blood angels and Deathwatch. Thats why they haven't gotten anything else and i kinda think its delaying scars and dark angels. They need to be able to roll out with rules that make them good but not broken for those players who stacked up on them. Edited January 19, 2021 by Debauchery101

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Deathwatch can field five man units via combat squads.

[Riddlesworth]

If outriders became 3-6, i might actually cry with happiness. Only thing holding them back for me in a White Scars list

[Marshal Mittens]

My eliminators with bolt rifles pretty much always make their points back, and killing off characters is nice.

[Dracos]

If outriders became 3-6, i might actually cry with happiness. Only thing holding them back for me in a White Scars list

 

But then you'd have to nerf the Outrider. As they are they are the reason we don't see an Assault Inceptor ... imo. 

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

They need to be able to field in a larger size squad - Deathwatch can do five man squads and nobody has reported them breaking the game.

[Dracos]

You could be right, I just don't think the sample set is large enough to be definitive on that yet. I get a bad feeling thinking about 37 (?) attacks on a 14" move T5 4W platform in the hands of the Blood Angels Space Wolves and White Scars. 

[BrainFireBob]

I have a kung fu Devastator with missile launcher. In 20 years and numberless games, he's only hit 3 or 4 times, penned something once, but has consistently killed things in Cc- including the time he took down 5 Berzerkers by himself over three turns of CC.

 

I always tell people his tube's dented from hitting things, and only able to hit at point blank range.

 

Edit: Yes, I roll separately for him in CC.

Edited January 25, 2021 by BrainFireBob

[solarisqc]

You could be right, I just don't think the sample set is large enough to be definitive on that yet. I get a bad feeling thinking about 37 (?) attacks on a 14" move T5 4W platform in the hands of the Blood Angels Space Wolves and White Scars. 

6 outrider (300), you get 37 attack when you charge, 25 when charged and 19 on normal combat (all astarte chainsword). 6 outrider is 6x4 W (24W)

8 bike (240), you get 25 attack when you charge/get charge, and 17 on normal combat (all astarte chainsword) 8 biker is 8x3W (24W)

 

For SW, you have the option for 10 bike for (300), with 31 attack when you charge/get charge, and 21 on normal combat (all astarte chainsword) 10 biker is 10x3W (30W)

For a crazy (450) you can have 15 swiftclaw with 46 attack when you charge/get charge, and 31 on normal combat (all astarte chainsword) 15 biker is 8x3W (45W)

 

With bike, for a small extra you have the option to lose 1 attack for a power sword/fist or thunder hammer on the bike sergent and 2 special weapon for 2 attack.

 

6 outrider is just a different version of biker, there is no reason it's not available when you can have big bike squad with chainsword.

[Brother Kraskor]

 

 

My devcents are mvp every game .

What weapons do you give them?

Iron Hands 3x twin las & hurricane bolters

 

Ultramarines twin las 2x grav & hurricane bolters

 

 

Interesting, may I ask why the bolters and not the missiles? Would've thought most marines generally have sufficient bolters elsewhere, and means you can deploy even further back.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

I’d rather have mass fire power.