My last post focused on what I have planned for my next legion, The Emperor's Children. Today I want to discuss my current thoughts on how I will play them. I would love to here from you all what you think of my plans and any suggestions you might have to help me out once I get them to the table!
A quick reminder on the army that I have planned:
Troops:
2 x 20 man tactical marines
2x 10 man tactical marines with rhino's
Elites:
10 Phoenix Terminators
2 x 10 man Platine Blades (I think with jump packs but I haven't decided yet.)
Fast attack
6 Jetbikes
3 Javelin attack speeders
Xiphon
Heavy support
10 heavy support marines with lascannons
Sicaran
3 Predators with lascannons
Lords of War:
Fell blade
The army is set during the Great Crusade and will of course contain a selection of characters to lead them. I am very keen to capture the perfect style of warfare that the Emperor's Children aimed to achieve, with a fast moving attack to hit the enemy hard.
I plan on using the Unique Rite of War: The Maru Skara. This looks like a great starting place to capture the legions feel. It consists of an Open Blade which provides bonuses to movement on the first turn for all units and a Hidden Blade that gives 3 elites/and or fast attack units outflank and a guarantied arrival turn.
Currently I am thinking that I will use the Hidden Blade for my 3 fast attack choices to provide some hard hitting firepower to one flank of my opponent when I think it will be needed most.
The game plan thus looks like this:
1. All units deploy, except the 3 in the Hidden Blade
2. Make use of the extra 1" move on the first turn to push all units up the mid field to put some serious pressure on my opponent straight away.
3. Bring the hidden Blade in from one side of my opponent on turn 2 to try to push them into one corner.
4. Send in the Palatine Blades, Phoenix Guard and 2 20 man tactical squads to assault the enemy infantry.
5. Use the 2 tactical squads in Rhino's to support the assaulting units and provide reinforcement where required.
6. The tanks and lascannon squad focus on any armour and providing fire support to see of any counter assault units where possible.
Currently I am thinking:
Are the 3 fast attack choices the best for the Hidden Blade?
Do you think Phoenix Guard or Palatine Blades could go with the Hidden Blade?
What turn is best for the Hidden Blade to arrive on?
Any help or advice you could provide would be awesome!
Darien
Generally I've found when playing Maru Skara (with proxies but still :P) that stuff that is already fast or can deepstrike/scout is kind of wasted on the Hidden Blade, they're not bad choices at all, but having some nasty elite choices guaranteed to appear on a certain turn and likely to come in on the flank you want is best.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best things I tried the other day was having a whole Contemptor Talon of 3 Kheres and fist Contemptors (a talon deploys as a single unit so is a single choice for the Hidden Blade) and two sniper veteran tacticals with suspensor heavy bolters and phoenix spear leaders was devastating.
Usually I'd balk at having that many points in reserve but with their relatively short effective range and being guaranteed to appear they were NASTY, one round of shooting took apart my opponents backfield and left two objectives for the veteran tacticals to easily gobble up.
Generally that's what I've found works best with the Maru Skara, short ranged powerful shooting in the Hidden Blade to appear and immediately punch a hole, long range shooting and fast assault options deployed normally (having now tried jump-pack palantines with a few phoenix spears in there they're a difficult to use but effective unit) to be able to hide and pounce when the Hidden Blade have made an opening.
With your list as is not sure if the phoenix terminators or the palantines would be good for the Hidden Blade as they wouldn't be able to charge and would likely just get shot to pieces before doing anything when they appear (though if you push a single flank hard they may survive thanks to threat overload on the pushed flank and your opponent ignoring the non-pushed flank).
Oh and as for turn to arrive, I've found either 2 or 3, 2 usually particularly if your opponents army is fast moving, but 3 if they're slow and defensive so you can pounce on objectives on turn 4 that your Hidden Blade has shot off the board on arriving on turn 3 and give them less time to come back.
DeleteSome great advice!! Thank you! I had thought contemptors would be a good choice for the hidden blade. However want to stay away from dreads as I have a lot in my SoH. I'm keen to use different units where possible for all my legions!
DeleteGiven what you have said I may have ago with the 2 20 man tactical squads in the hidden blade! Would be fun having 40 outflanking marines!
Haven't got the book on me but I think Hidden Blade units have to be elites or fast attack choices?
DeleteYes! This is a very good point! I did wonder why such an awesome idea hadn't occurred to me before and it's because you can't do it! Moment of madness took hold!
DeleteGive the phoenix guard a spartan as dedicated transport and watch your opponent panic attacks the very thought of an outflanking spartan. Plus, with no shooting weapons, I guarantee that the phoenix guard will get cut to ribbons without a transport. For EC, my experience has been spartan for the phoenix guard or don't bring them. Best of luck.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to list the Spartan but they do indeed have one! An outflanking Spartan has crossed my mind but means 3rd turn assaulting at the earliest. I think I would rather they start on the table for a chance at turn 2 melee!
DeleteBeing normally a slow and grinding player I was surprised to find this tactic worked brilliantly (I tried it out with my Soul Drinkers to see if the Third was for me). For the hidden blade I made use of two veteran tac squads outfitted for short range firefights and close combat and a contemptor talon fitted with two Volkite and fists full of Melta and a third with two flamer fists.
ReplyDeleteUsed a pair of Predator squadrons for my armour support which I held back behind cover until I revealed the hidden blade and hammered it into the opposite flank. Worked perfectly, forced the solid mass of Stone Fist Imperial Fists to break up in order to counter the three point attack.
Sounds awesome and the sort of thing I want to achieve! You're the second person to mention veteran tactical squads and contemptors. I was planning on staying away from dreads but they are tempting! I will also be taking a look at adding in some veterans!
DeleteDreads are always a valuable addition to a force, my tenancy to have them with one anti infantry weapon and one anti armour makes for a very adaptable and resilient unit.
ReplyDeleteI also found that contemptor dreads work better in this role than standard dreads (which I tend to only use as a gun platform), their more powerful death explosion makes them valuable if spent right in close combat. Eliminating heavy targets and their weight in infantry before having a last laugh. Makes them a priceless unit to strike at unprotected flanks or draw fire from units that could heavily disrupt your battle plan.
I make use of dreads a lot in my SoH. So I wanted to not repeat too many units between different legions for fear of them getting to similar!
DeleteI found with the trait that two contemptors outflanking with fists and chainfists, and two graviton guns are fantastic at three roles:
Deleteslowing down units to ensure your charge.
Tearing apart armour with the guns and fists.
Soaking up an insane amount of enemy firepower, allowing your other units to advance relatively unmolested.
I know you said you don't really want to use them, but in my experience lascannon devs are far too expensive and squishy, one template can ruin an entire squad.
Plus converting EC dreads to hold swords (as counts as chainfists) is amazing :3
It does sound very tempting, I will be giving it some thought! The lascannon heavy squad is in as it was a favoured of fulgrim!
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