Favorite underrated/underplayed unit?

[Connjurus]

What is your favorite unit that, either by dint of codex age, bad model sculpting, or simply "bad" rules do you like to run in your lists, and why? I have quite a few, actually...then again, I play Chaos Space Marines and Necron. Hah.

1) Possessed: I think these guys perfectly encapsulate the Chaos Space Marine playstyle - full of risk, but very powerful. The strength 5 is great, coupled with a 5+ invulnerable save - which I always change to a 4+ with MoT - makes them both heavy-hitters, and a tough nut to crack, even with heavy weapons fire like Plasma weaponry or Krak Missiles. All of their random mutations are useful, if random, to one degree or another, though nothing brings a smile to my face more than when I roll 2 or 6 (Furious Charge and Power Weapons, respectively).

2) Noise Marines: I think these guys get a bad reputation simply because people see the number of attacks and Furious Charge of 'zerkers for close-combat and the toughness and staying power of Plaguemarines. Personally, I think that any person who's played Chaos for longer than the current codex is able to look at each of the cult troops, and see a role for each. Personally, one of my favorite tricks with these guys involves a Land Raider, a Noise Champion with a Power Weapon and a Doom Siren, and a bunch of Sonic Blasters.
- Step 1: Charge Landraider towards enemy unit, preferably in cover for the lulz, or on an objective for the lulz and the tactix.
- Step 2: Dump payload of Noise Marines within Doom Siren range. Pump your Assault 2 Sonic Blasters into the enemy's face, and shoot a Doom Siren blast.
- Step 3: Charge, and enjoy your wiped out enemy squad, and your new objective filled with Initiative: 5 death and Heavy 3 bolters.

3) Thousand Sons: The OTHER cult troop with a bad reputation, these guys are definitely expensive. Does that mean you can't get away with taking a squad? Most assuredly not. I tend to run one squad of Thousand Sons and one of Plaguemarines as my objective holders, for one reason - what happens if one of those objectives you want gets put out in the open? Suddenly, the Plaguemarine's versatility and durability gets shot almost as much as they themselves will be. Move that rhino of Thousand Sons forward, put'em down, and enjoy the constant 4++ - not to mention the AP:3 bolters and independent character-killing Sorceror with a Force Weapon.

4) Scarab Swarms: In today's current tabletop mind-set, Necron either max their Fast Attack with Destroyers, or don't take Fast Attack at all. People that play this way shoot themselves in the foot. Repeatedly. With something painful and debilitating. The Necron, formerly the most durable army in the game, are now surprisingly fragile, and you have to keep that double-toughness firepower off them in anyway you can - and in the world of Long-Fang spam, I can't think of a better way to do this than with Scarabs. They're fast, cheap (for the codex), and ten of them have thirty wounds. You WILL tie up that Long Fang squad, possibly for the whole damn game. Tying up those god-damned Long Fangs has saved my *** in more games than I can count, to the point where my Space Wolf friend hardly fields them anymore - he certainly won't spam them.



What about you guys? Any units you love to use that would get you ridiculed in the current meta?

[blackarmchair]

I take deff koptas....I realize they're awful; they're just so cool.

Been having some luck with TwL Big Shootas though...

[Brotherjames]

I like the scout bikes. I just think their under utilized cluster mines are fun and upgrading to grenade launchers is good for outflanking low armored walkers and transports for a pretty cheap point cost.

Brother Corbulo. I dunno I just like his fluff and model. Strength 5 rending in cc, FnP on a 2+, and the far seeing eye is useful when your hq (Dante) gets insta killed for failing an invul save and you get to re roll it etc.

[fuzzbuket]

TS and

ill say it again

wraithguard !! :D

p.s. 5-man assault squads and SM scouts

[He who shall not be named]

For me its wraithguard due to their guns and stats just very expensive.

Another one is The support batteries for eldar. Its cool to have a D-cannon blast the only problem is that its only 24" range.

[eagleboy7259]

Slaanesh Demons - never underestimate 18" & 24" charge range w/ High I and Offensive Grenades. Pavene is an excellent accompaniment for Khrone demons who are slower than poo on their own.

Godhammer Land Raiders & TL Missile Dreadnoughts - they used to be so iconic and now I feel like I never see them. Not that they're bad, but POTMS, Drop Pods, and Varient Dreads & LR's give you better-ish options for the same cost.

Swooping Hawks - understandible why these guys are never seen. More expenseive than an assault marine and comparitive in price with the Warp Spider who is not only faster & boasts a much better gun, but can also be better in assault. Instead they get a garbage gun, a garbage ability to hit on 4+ w/ grenades (which is what you'll usually be hitting tanks on), and an exarch ability to go back into reserve and deepstrike again.

@Connjurus - Scarab swarms are one nasty beast. Jetbike swarms? they tie everything up.

[Connjurus]

@Connjurus - Scarab swarms are one nasty beast. Jetbike swarms? they tie everything up.

They are. It's just everyone is either "DESTROYERZ" or "WARRIORZ", and never think to take anything else except the odd Immortal Squad.

[DarkLink]

Possessed are definitely underrated. I've never understood why people malign them so much. Their random rules are a little sucky, but they're still a solid unit.

[Xas]

I take deff koptas....I realize they're awful; they're just so cool.

Been having some luck with TwL Big Shootas though...

I think defcoptaz arent underrated just very hard to come by/expensive (if you arent of the social type that has many marine newbies to trade with you have to basically buy a full black reach starter set for only 3 of them).

I do however second the notion that they are kickass at both tank hunting (TL rokkits) and tieing up heavy hitters (like longfangs or tau battlesuits) with their 2wounds t5 and 4+ armor save.

[MaltonNecromancer]

Deffkoptas are a superb little unit.

My personal favourite never-hear-of-anyone-using-it is still Ogryns; massively expensive (points and £'s), but field a full squad of 10, and regardless of what your opponent is fielding, that is a scary damn unit.

[Mr.Pickelz]

Orbital Bombardment from C: DH.

the ability to toss a pie plate at a peice of terrain near an objective (or not near it ;) ) and watch the crazy scatter adds alot to the game while at the same time doing some major damage (10S 1AP)

[Whoop!]

I'm not a big orka, but I love the deffkoptas too! when linked is the only way to get big shoota to hit. What could be cooler?

Necrons, my first, the scarab swarms are my favorites!!! I like to bang 'em with the destroyer Lord with nightmare shroud. Then another unit of scarabs to harrie anybody who runs! with disruption fields they are Tank killers too.
Ahhhhh so nice.

the space wolves blood claws. 60 attacks on the charge, and still inferior to the grey Hunter.

[Lerra]

Daemonhosts. They are unpredictable and a bit hard to use, but can be excellent in the right situation. They are also a ton of fun to play with.

Daemonettes. In most army lists, daemonettes are pretty subpar, but in certain army lists (Skarbrand or horde daemonettes) they can be a real threat.

[Connjurus]

Oh god, Horde Daemonettes. My Berzerkers hate them.

[Daemonette666]

I use Noise Marines all the time. I am well known for rushing a couple squads up in rhinos backed up by a berserker squad with or without Kharn in a Landraider. The noise Marines do the shooting, and the berserkers assault in.

Next round I move the noise Marines in (after using the Rhinos as shields against enemy counter fire).

The other unit I like using but have heard many other Chaos Marine players give a bad rep to is Summoned Lesser Daemons. They are one of the few units in the game that can still deep strike and assault on the turn they arrive. What is more, they have to use an icon to arrive, so they never deviate. That is their only achilles heel, as they can not deep strike if an Icon is not available, and are destroyed. However they only cost 13 points each, do not count to the maximums for troop choices for the FOC, being fearless and have a WS, Initiative and Tougnhess of 4 with 2 base attacks, and a 5+ invul save. they are hard to ignore. Who cares about power weapons.

For my Radical Witch Hunters Army (The Sisters of Slaaneshes Perfection), I like to use a squad or 2 of Imperial Storm Troopers from time to time. You can hold objectives, give you access to special and heavy weapons the IG have, and can get a 4+ save with a BS of 4. All this at a nice cheap cost as well.

[eldargal]

Howling Banshees, which I've never thought of us underrated, but I've lost track of the amount of times I've been scoffed at for taking them only to have them be unit of the match.

As to genuinely underpowered, Eldar support weapons. Gorgeous new models, excellent fluff, lacklustre rules. For gods sake give Eldar weapons a decent range.:rolleyes:

[Xas]

imperial stormtroopers with more than 5 models/2meltaguns.

I really like to outflank a full 10 man squad /w 2 meltaguns, 1 power weapon and a chimaera with their power that gives infitlrate (outflank) and pinning in first firing turn. the chimaera gives them the tactical flexibility they need with the flamer vs hordes, meltaguns mean they can make your oponent think twice about deploying any sort of vehicle near the sides and if you have a psyker battle squad ready to support (reduce lds) they can turn a tactical squad on a far back objective into nothing over two turns (first turn kill some with rapidfire and pin them thanks to psykers and turn two rapidfire the rest).

if you ahve a flier to ferry in a troop squad (or a special weapon squad that is beeing ignored and can footslog their cheap-butts over over the course of the game) you can even claim an objective otherwise impossible to claim and the stormtroopers are very good at distracting from any troop unit that isnt a veteran squad. due tot heir 4+ save they can also leave cover many times without problems and with 2A and 4+ even hold their own in combat against marines with 1A and no power fist/weapon.

they might seldom be cost-efficient in raw killing but their tactical value is far higher.


2nd beloved underrated unit is the blood angels tactical squad. countless times these guys have won me games by simply beeing able to sit on an objective, hold out to most fire my oponent can divert without collapsing to the assoult elements and with 24" bolters and a heavy weapon are not TOTALLY useless while just sitting around (like an assoult squad would be).

[eagleboy7259]

Daemonhosts. They are unpredictable and a bit hard to use, but can be excellent in the right situation. They are also a ton of fun to play with.

Daemonettes. In most army lists, daemonettes are pretty subpar, but in certain army lists (Skarbrand or horde daemonettes) they can be a real threat.

The charge range and the high I value makes them pretty dang decent IMOP. Like Skarbrand, Fateweaver helps you get your points worth when taking them, helping to absorb some of the shooting before they can get into CC the next turn.

[Mellowshade]

Until recently D-Cannons and Wraithguard. Since Necrons have been showing up at groups though they are worth taking to crack open Monoliths.

I'm fielding a 2000 defensive army that is made up with no Aspect warriors as part of a 10000 map campaign force that uses all the defence platforms so will see how they do.

[Drew da Destroya]

I've got to admit, I love my Flash Gitz. The turn where I roll AP1/2 and wreck a unit of Plaguemarines just makes my day.

I usually toss a Big Mek in there with a bosspole, Burna, and a KFF. Gives them the 5+ against shooting, and a bit of CC threat if they need to finish a unit off.

[SierraFiveOne]

Pariahs. I had a unit of five of them walk through a group of eight TH/SS Terminators in a single turn. Those blasters in the shooting phase combined with strength that wounds marines on a 3+ and a weapon that ignores both kinds of save in assault can be devastating if used correctly

Unfortunately they cost something like $14 a model. Hopefully we'll get plastics or at least a box set with the new codex, whenever that may be

[doom-kitten]

So picking Space marine captains...XD I miss him so much back when I first started I played SM with a captain zipping around with lightning claws and a jump pack but then they nerfed him and I cried alittle inside I still run him cause it's amusing to watch your opponent laugh at his frailties only to have his shiny uber-char clawed to death. Despite the lack of tactical use of a captain I'm very much in favour of the fluff that says a Chapter master can't be everywhere at once and yeah you get an orbital bombardment for only 15 pts more but come on I could get another assualt marine for 15 pts (vague attempt at justifing my captain).

[mynameisgrax]

I don't think deffkoptas or SM scouts are underrated by most people. Deffkoptas work very well in squads of 1-2 w/rokkits and 1 buzzsaw, outflanking. I think many people give them too many upgrades, and don't outflank with them, making them very likely to quickly die, and use up a lot of points.

SM scouts are fantastic with 4 sniper rifles + missile launcher on Sgt. They're also good with either CCW or Shotguns, and a combi-weapon (and possibly a powerfist), either outflanking on foot, or in a land speeder storm with either a MM or HF.

I also really like Flash Gitz and Noise Marines. Flash Gitz only work in larger games, but a squad of 9-10 w/painboy, every gun upgrade, cybork, and a battlewagon is an amazing (if costly) unit, that is often underestimated, and can turn the tide of battle in both the shooting and close combat phase. That's what I love about them, they're great shooters and great assaulters.

Noise marines work best for me as objective grabbers. My favorite setup is 5 w/1 sonic blaster and 1 blastmaster, in a rhino w/havoc launcher. That is a lot of shooting, hidden in a rhino, that can be very difficult to shift, and won't cost too much. I prefer them to plague marines, simply because plague marines don't do much. Yeah, they're tough to kill, but I want to be the one doing the killing.

I also like Razorbacks w/assault cannons. I prefer them over the more popular las/plas combination, since you can move and still get all of your shots. In fact, I like assault cannons in general. I'm surprised they don't get used more.

[Unzuul the Lascivious]

Changeling - You'd be surprised how many times my high leadership opponent has fluffed his test and shot the crap out of his own troops...so sweet!

[archimbald]

chaos havocs, i can , and have used them to get the same amount of attacks as KBs and even with a rhino it works out cheaper points wise

[eagleboy7259]

Changeling - You'd be surprised how many times my high leadership opponent has fluffed his test and shot the crap out of his own troops...so sweet!

If you take horrors, you take the changling. He's the best 5pt upgrade in the game. I don't think I ever see people running horrors without the changling.