Dealing with votann

[phandaal]

6 minutes ago, BLACK BLΠFLY said:

I’ve played against them… they are nasty.

 

My Deathwing hate auto-wounds, especially on mass volume of fire. I am expecting the Space Marine buffs in January (supposedly) will help out quite a bit.

 

By the time I get my own Votann painted up, the world is going to be a different place. That is why I never banked on current power levels when building them.

[ValourousHeart]

On 12/5/2022 at 12:14 PM, phandaal said:

 

My Deathwing hate auto-wounds, especially on mass volume of fire. I am expecting the Space Marine buffs in January (supposedly) will help out quite a bit.

 

By the time I get my own Votann painted up, the world is going to be a different place. That is why I never banked on current power levels when building them.

 

Try setting back a little further in your deployment zone.  And go second if you can.  I know it sounds counter intuitive, but when your opponent is slow or has limited range the last movement phase is far more important than the first shooting phase.  And when they out class you on a phase taking away one turn they have really hurts.

 

You both have 5 inch movement and unless the Votann take the custom that gives them extra range, most of their weapons are 18-24 inches.  That means if you are playing a mission where deployment zones are 24 inches apart, setting up 6 inches back from your line means that they will only be able to hit you turn 1 if they take bikes, transports or 30+ range weapons, everything else in their codex will be out of range.

 

If you want to be really sneaky about it when you mark off your deployment zone short yourself 6" on the markers you place to obscure what you are doing.

 

Going second means that the Votann are going to push forward at least 5 inches.  Now you are only 25 inches away at the start of your turn, and can close to 20, giving you the opening salvo.  Shoot at his longest ranged units first, so that you force their shorter ranged units to keep moving toward you.  Votann advancing turn one doesn't help them, because you can just move 2 inches less on your turn to force them to move forward with their 18"range weapons to get them in range on turn 2.

 

If they advance turn 1 and you move your full distance that turn, you'll be 17 inches away, and they won't have to move on turn 2 to shoot you with everything, and you'll need a 12 inch charge.  So make sure they have to move some things on turn 2.

 

Their turn 2 will be the first real opportunity for them to fire at you, but if you played it right they will still have to move forward with any of their 18 inch weapons or miss out on a second shooting phase.  Most players with slow moving shooty armies tend to move them their max distance to make sure they get as many shooting phases as possible.  The savvy move here for the Votann players is to stop 18 inches away from you, so a little mind games to make sure they move their full distance and get to 15 inches away may be in order.

 

Your turn 2 you are now 15 inches away at the start of the turn.  That puts you at a 10 inch charge, needing an 8 if you have a chaplain with Canticle of Hate.  Plus any deep striking units needing a 9.  Your army likes charging, right?

 

Their turn 3 most of you army is already in assault meaning they are either falling back with limited options for shooting you, or you get to go first in assault as you turn on assault doctrine and everyone is hitting on 2+ because you didn't move (3+ with PF).