HH3: How to equip Grey Slayers

[barek]

Bolter and Fenrisian  axe? Or shield and axe? 

[Shark in Exile]

I use one unit of 10 with Bolter and Axe and another of 15 with shield and Axe.

 

thinking of adding another 10 with bolster and axe. 

[barek]

Ah! Thank you. How do they compare?  Do you get better results with bolter and axe? Does the 'shield save' do you any good?

 

Edited August 1 by barek

[Chyttering]

Disclaimer: I haven't played a game in 3rd yet, just dipped my toes into writing lists.

 

In 2nd I ran mine in squads of 15: a challenge-oriented huscarl, 4 power spears, a power axe, and 9 with bolters and axes. I pretty much never used the bolters because I was running them every turn to get into combat and didn't want to risk Return Fire shooting snap shots. They ran over tactical squads, destroyers, etc but pretty much evaporated if I tried to take on elite melee units.

 

I think that loadout is going to stay the same in 3rd (they're already painted, after all) but utility will be different. Line (2) means they may end up sitting on objectives rather than racing into combat, so the bolters will potentially be useful to contribute something at range, whereas shields that only work against melee hits would become less attractive. 

 

I think their melee status will be about the same as 2nd - great to bully non-melee infantry, but probably even worse at punching up into elite units than they were in 2nd. Power weapons are cheaper on Slayers than on the core melee squads (Despoilers or Assault), and you can take more of them in a squad, but I think it's worth tempering the impulse to give everyone a power axe. You don't need that many to hammer at another line unit, and you're still going to lose a fight with veterans or terminators.