Generic Breacher Squads

[arnesh88]

Picked up 2 boarding shields upgrade pack to make a 10 man breacher squad with a bunch of leftover mk III & IV models. How would you equip them given the following:

- Taking a Land Raider Proteus as a Transport

- Not taking Volkite Chargers

- Not taking flamers (because I have enough in my army that it's overkill at this point)

- Salamanders Legion

 

Which weapon would you choose (lascutter, meltagun, or graviton gun)? What would you equip the sergeant with? I have enough bits to fit him out with pretty much anything. If it helps to give an answer, my goal is to have an army with a variety of different infantry that uses Land Raiders as Dedicated Transports. So far, I have Pyroclasts, Adherents, and Firedrakes, and I can technically run an Armoured Spearhead to have Tactical/Support Squads taking them as well.

[ierp]

I am not sure they are that interesting to embark in a vehicule. They are already quite expensive for doing nothing spectacular, so it's better to keep them cheap and footslog them toward a rear objective. 

[Xenith]

In my Alphas I'm going to be taking all chargers and 2 grav guns. The grav can drop 2 difficult terrain templates on overwatch/reaction, meaning +4" to any potential chargers, hopefully leaving them stranded away from the objective the breachers will be on. 

[Mandragola]

I must say I think volkite chargers are a very good option for breachers, especially if they're coming out of a Land Raider. It's a major increase in firepower over just using their pistols before a charge. Alternatively you could keep the bolters but stick chain bayonets on them, so you wound things more. This is better than having chainswords since you can't get the bonus two-weapon attack when using a boarding shield.

 

I'd also consider adding some sort of fighty character. The breachers themselves won't do all that much in melee but they make a decent unit to accompany a Praetor. That way you'll inflict a few wounds to get combats going in your favour.

 

That said, there are many better options for units to put in a Land Raider. I tend to agree with Xenith that they'd be better off foot-slogging, especially if you can get them to outflank or something. You could add a Moritat to gain scout and add to your shooting - which would be useful as his chain fire and your bolters both prevent charges. But see if you can make him Heavy - maybe by giving him a boarding shield too (which he's allowed, perhaps oddly). You could convert Fafnir Rann (quite heavily) if you wanted a model with a shield on his back.

[Cadmus Tyro]

I’ve been looking at my immortals in recent weeks and I’m considering running them as standard breachers in certain lists. 
 

The one really interesting option for breachers is their access to a dedicated Terrax termite. Have a look at the subterranean assault rules, it’s the only method of alternative deployment that essentially protects the unit from interceptor fire, as the unit does not have to disembark until after interceptor fire has been resolved. This means the termite is the target for interceptor fire, so there’s a good chance the unit will survive their deployment.

 

With regards to load out, Melta all the way if you’re deploying via Terrax or LR, and consider a Combi Melta on the sergeant. A character might also be a good option as well, but that’s another discussion altogether!
 

Footslogging will be a slow affair as they can’t run….

 

Cadmus 

[Cleon]

1 hour ago, Mandragola said:

I must say I think volkite chargers are a very good option for breachers, especially if they're coming out of a Land Raider. It's a major increase in firepower over just using their pistols before a charge. Alternatively you could keep the bolters but stick chain bayonets on them, so you wound things more. This is better than having chainswords since you can't get the bonus two-weapon attack when using a boarding shield.

 

 

Unfortunately, unless there are multiple versions of the Libre out there (I won't say anyone is wrong about anything when there are at least 3 variants of the rulebook), Breachers can't take bayonets.

[SkimaskMohawk]

55 minutes ago, Cleon said:

 

Unfortunately, unless there are multiple versions of the Libre out there (I won't say anyone is wrong about anything when there are at least 3 variants of the rulebook), Breachers can't take bayonets.

 

Yea it's because bayonets are two handed and boarding shields disallow attacks with two handed weapons. Removing the option just saves people from wasting points.

[Ripper.McGuirl]

I havent tried mine out of a raider yet, but I have foot slogged them (not recommended), and put them in a drill (worked really well). I am also running salamanders and gave them melta guns and bolters. 
I really like them in the termite. The three melta shots from the drill, plus the two from the squad, are pretty great. I am planning on trying an armistos with a multimelta in with them at some point to really up the damage even more.

[Agramar_The_Luna_Wolf]

I have 2 units of 10 Breachers with my SoH. One with volkites, vexila, sarge with thunder hammer and 2 meltas, and the other with 2 meltas, vexila and sarge with power fist. In the first one usually an apothecary is attached.

A bit expensive specially the first unit, I know, but I use a lot of Tacticals and other Troops and is compensate.

 

With Salamanders, I will put meltas, vexila, sarge with hammer and attached an apothecary or a techmarine with another melta. And give an opportunity to volkites, specially if the unit has a transport.

 

Anyway, my personal recommendation or counsel is: if you are going to use Mk Ill or IV, do not glue the bolters, and make them exchangebles, so you can make combinations of ranged weapons. And magnet the sarge's close combat arm (or al least, use tac). And experiment!

 

And, another thing: have you seen Mantic's Veer-Myn tunnelers?. An awesome proxy!

https://www.manticgames.com/games/warpath/veer-myn-tunneller/?wmc-currency=EUR

Edited February 24, 2023 by AGRAMAR

[Gorgoff]

50 minutes ago, Ripper.McGuirl said:

I havent tried mine out of a raider yet, but I have foot slogged them (not recommended), and put them in a drill (worked really well). I am also running salamanders and gave them melta guns and bolters. 
I really like them in the termite. The three melta shots from the drill, plus the two from the squad, are pretty great. I am planning on trying an armistos with a multimelta in with them at some point to really up the damage even more.

I agree. They work rather well out of a Termite.

[Ripper.McGuirl]

3 hours ago, AGRAMAR said:

 

And, another thing: have you seen Mantic's Veer-Myn tunnelers?. An awesome proxy!

https://www.manticgames.com/games/warpath/veer-myn-tunneller/?wmc-currency=EUR

I’m holding out hope for plastic drills and breachers from GW!

I would really love to try a drill army with my Salamanders, or even just another squad of breachers with volkite so I don’t have to rip up my finished squad!

[arnesh88]

I agree that 20 man blobs are better for breachers after hearing your arguments. Main reason I wanted to stick with Land Raiders is because that’s a theme I’m aiming for: variety of different infantry with land raider dedicated transports. So far, I have pyroclasts, breachers, firedrakes, and am building adherents now.

[Gorgoff]

On 2/25/2023 at 12:41 AM, arnesh88 said:

I agree that 20 man blobs are better for breachers after hearing your arguments. 

They cost 300+ points and have boltguns. You get 30 tacticals for this which have fury of the Legion, can run and have heart of the legions. Three things Breachers don't have or can't do so my question is: what do breachers do what the 30 tacticals can't?

Edited February 26, 2023 by Gorgoff

[RoadRunna]

I run a squad of 10 in a termite to contest objectives in the opponents deployment zone.  I run them with bolters and meltagun with Sgt having Artificer armour and a powerAxe.  Grav are no good as they are are heavy weapons.  They are hard to shift off an objective.  With the meltaguns they can give enemy vehicles in the backline a bit of trouble.  

 

Keep them cheap...

[Gorgoff]

3 hours ago, RoadRunna said:

I run a squad of 10 in a termite to contest objectives in the opponents deployment zone.  I run them with bolters and meltagun with Sgt having Artificer armour and a powerAxe.  Grav are no good as they are are heavy weapons.  They are hard to shift off an objective.  With the meltaguns they can give enemy vehicles in the backline a bit of trouble.  

 

Keep them cheap...

I play ten in a Termite with two lascutters and they work rwther well. The lascutter because they can have them and I am a sucker for unique equipment. Since they jump out of a Termite anyway the shorter range is nat that big an issue. I gave them volkite as well for a similar reason and although it gives them way more firepower I think they could live without them. 

But CHOOOM CHOOOM POWER trumps all.

[Xenith]

One question I have is whether breachers are worth it over Tacs, as Gorgoff says. Breachers are more durable against AP3+ as they get the invuln, however tacticals, point for point are more durable than breachers due to greater numbers and heart of the legion. So how they perform, or whether to include them at all, can depend on your local meta and what will be shooting at them. Offensively, they're outperformed by tacticals, or maybe vets with special weapons, unless you give them chargers which makes them more dangerous. 

[Galron]

Breachers also have hardened armor, no? Therefore blasts allow rerolls for fails.  Also vs a tactical they get 4 special weapons which yes increase the cost but also allow them to do some damage on overwatch. They are very pricy but I have twenty for my Iron Warriors. I also have people in my meta with plasma cannon support squads so I might find them a bit more useful than some of you.

[Agramar_The_Luna_Wolf]

58 minutes ago, Galron said:

Breachers also have hardened armor, no? Therefore blasts allow rerolls for fails.  Also vs a tactical they get 4 special weapons which yes increase the cost but also allow them to do some damage on overwatch. They are very pricy but I have twenty for my Iron Warriors. I also have people in my meta with plasma cannon support squads so I might find them a bit more useful than some of you.

 

Now is "heavy" unit sub-type. Hardenef armor is no longer.

They re-roll armor saves against blast and template weapons and if the have Boarding Shields +5 inv save. They can't Run , if they have Boarding Shield, no +1 attack having two close combat weapon and if they make a Mov in a Reaction based on Initiative characteristic, they have a -1.

Any infantry miniature with boarding shield gains Heavy sub-type but you can be Heavy without it (For example, Ashen Circle, Terminators,...)

 

About having Special Weapons the can have 1 per 5 member plus a combi weapon for the sarge if you change the bolter and you can put another one if you attached a tecnomarine with it.

Edited February 27, 2023 by AGRAMAR

[arnesh88]

2 hours ago, Xenith said:

One question I have is whether breachers are worth it over Tacs, as Gorgoff says. Breachers are more durable against AP3+ as they get the invuln, however tacticals, point for point are more durable than breachers due to greater numbers and heart of the legion. So how they perform, or whether to include them at all, can depend on your local meta and what will be shooting at them. Offensively, they're outperformed by tacticals, or maybe vets with special weapons, unless you give them chargers which makes them more dangerous. 

Because my opponents use a lot of STR 8+ Rending/Breaching/AP2 shots. So Heart of the Legion is borderline useless for me, and so are apothecaries. Why waste the points there? He's built his IW army (fluffy wise), but they're one of the legions that benefit going that route this edition, so it's been an uphill battle. While he has offered to make changes to his list, I know he's tight on money and time, and I don't want to discourage someone from building their legion appropriately. So I'm making adjustments to my list, and right now, am including Breachers to survive his artillery (reaper batteries and scorpiuses), and bringing my own Scorpiuses to handle the lascannon Iron Havocs that keep blowing up my vehicles quickly. His dreadnoughts have been the least of my problems.

Edited February 27, 2023 by arnesh88