Non standard Marine Tactics.

[chicop76]

Well I been diving in the Marine codex to figure out what to expect from dem marines. While reading I saw a few combos which would catch me off guard in a normal game. If said tactics is mentioned or even deployed I never faced or saw them. Anyway I am on 40k break and just reading the books.

Tactic one:

Well this came up when I was comparing the land speeder to the really cheap flyer the marines have and came to the conclusion the flyer is much better and slightly more cost efficient than a speeder. With me wanting to cram my fast slots with the cheap flyer over the speeder I was at a lost on how to fit the speeder back in a decent marine list.

It than dawn on me that the speeder transport option is slightly cheaper and can be a decent option. Looking at the weapon choices I personally think the heavy flamer is a good choice due to cover save abundance. Also a heavy flamer roast most xenos who try to take cover in terrain. The other weapon options came to mind, but I think you get more bang for your buck with the heavy flamer.

The benefits of being an open topped vehicle also creeped into my mind. For staters you can assault out of it which quite frankly isn't an option for 5 scouts with no real combat weapons. The other option is to do the ole chimera drive by shooting with 5 guys shooting while the vehicle moved. However my issue is 10 bs 3 bolter shots within rapid fire range is not devastating. Also unlike the guard the scouts can't carry around 4 melta or plasma guns to shoot from out the vehicle.

What I came up with is to take 5 scouts with camo cloaks and sniper rifles with a speeder transport. This gives you lots of options. For starters you can have 5 guys and a vehicle anywhere you need them to be at game start. You can also field the vehicle and guys seperate. What is an excellent option is you can ds flame with the speeder, outflank flame with it as well..

The benefits of this unit it can easily be slightly at 100 points and give you much more versatility than tactical marines. 12 units for 600 points is very gravy with marine armies. The heavy flamers help with hordes and the sniper rifles help with thicker armour and higher toughness armies. If playing 1850 you have 1250 to easily round off the rest of your army.


Tactic two:

The problem here is how to get them centurians to a location that they would be effective. Most are going with a raider, but after lots of throught I decided the raider is not really the best way to go. My solution is to drop them out of the mini flying landraider.

The problem with a raider is that it have to get it's payload to point a to point b. The problem is you have meltas that typically prevent a raider from doing it's job. Also your assault unit tends to engage the throw away unit instead of the unit you really need them to engage.

The flying raider seemed to be another problem since due to range you really couldn't assault out of it when you do come on to the board. However the flyer gives the unit the ability to ds on the board. Now with a flyers movement range and the range from lets say grav guns you can easily be in range of anything you desired. Also with the high toughness and multiple wounds they can survive a ds and return fire, especially if you can deep strike them into ruins for that 4 plus cover save. The only thing that can stop this from coming to pass is if the other side have weapons that can fire at your plane when you come in. However with armour 12 it is unlikely to get shot down. In my best opnion I think it is best to take out those platforms on turn one, so you don't have to worry about your plane gettint shot down.

[Sly]

"For staters you can assault out of it which quite frankly isn't an option for 5 scouts with no real combat weapons."
How many of the backfield units that you would want to assault have any kind of combat weapons? Either with Shotguns or with CCW/BP, the Scouts will assault 10 man squads of Kroot, Cultists, or Fire Warriors with reasonable success. Come in with an Outflank, hit the unit with the Speeder's HF and shoot with the Shotguns, then next turn you can Assault and remove them from an objective. Or hide behind an LOS-blocking terrain piece, jump out next turn, and do the same. If you can bypass the more serious units that are coming at you to control midfield, they can actually match up reasonably well against backfield objective holders.

[DWest]

Or pounce on artillery, the DKoK Heavy Artillery Battery is becoming ridiculously popular where I play.

[chicop76]

I am talking mostly vs all armies in general. The assault of 5 scouts only really work against a handful of different armies. If the scouts had melta bombs or maybe equipped like space wolf scouts you may have all around useful unit. My concern is if you fight lets say daemons than the assaulting option for the most part is shot down.

I still rather bolters ovet shot guns. The range and ap sings to me. The only draw back is the scouts can't assault which isn't really a bad thing in this edition since they can overwatch.

However would you assault fite warriors which probably would wipe out that unit. Which means small groups of kroot which not everyone runs.

I thought about the assault allocations and seen it done several times to call it standard marine operations. Sadly it hasnt really did anything to warrant giving it praise.

[Alex Aggro]

The Landspeeder Storm has actually been a staple of my marine tactics since last edition. The combination of short range weapons, a fast skimmer platform and Scout makes this unit very effective. My favorite was a multimelta, though I admit I always ran Vulkan for the twin link. In the contemporary infantry-heavy environment, the heavy flamer might be very useful.

The scouts inside, in my opinion, are best armed with shotguns or BP/CCW. Keep in mind that the sarge can take a combi weapon and melta bombs. I used to use the Storm for a first turn assault (not viable anymore due to changes in the Scout rule). Now, you might be best served using it as a first turn template delivery system. Flamers in teh right place on the first turn can be devastating, even to marine armies (roll how many saves??)/

[chicop76]

The Landspeeder Storm has actually been a staple of my marine tactics since last edition. The combination of short range weapons, a fast skimmer platform and Scout makes this unit very effective. My favorite was a multimelta, though I admit I always ran Vulkan for the twin link. In the contemporary infantry-heavy environment, the heavy flamer might be very useful.

The scouts inside, in my opinion, are best armed with shotguns or BP/CCW. Keep in mind that the sarge can take a combi weapon and melta bombs. I used to use the Storm for a first turn assault (not viable anymore due to changes in the Scout rule). Now, you might be best served using it as a first turn template delivery system. Flamers in teh right place on the first turn can be devastating, even to marine armies (roll how many saves??)/

If you go second you can assault turn one.

The is a good point. Could work well with white scars with everything being able to assault game turn one. What is nasty you will only get shot in the face in turn one.

Thinking about it more you can add this unit on top of scout bikes which can assault turn one. Too bad a land raider can't have infiltrate on top of being able to scout.

[chicop76]

Conversion Beamer as a mobile platform.

Before I get into this subject I would like to point out thay tech marines and the master of the forge can take bikes or jump packs. I can't really remember if they could had done so in the past and just only noticed it this edition. However keeping with sound tactics no one uses this is one I haven't seen deployed yet.

This tactic sets you back a costly 130 points. What is cool you can add a techmarine on bike to absorb wounds. However I suggest adding to a regular bike squad that is geared out for long range shooty. However he woukd be best on his own joining and leaving squads when need be.

The ideal is that the conversion beamer ideal range is to shoot at targets outside of 42" the problem with pulling that off is an army can close that range in a turn or two and reduce the effectiveness of the weapon, to make matters worst is that if you move you cant shoot it.

The solution to the problem is to put your vuy on a bike, by doing so you added a mobile weapon platform that is akin to a Tau Hammer Head. If you choose to go White Scars you will have at least a 4 plus jink save with a two plus save. The benefits of a bike is you can move 12" in any direction. The 12" movement can help you stay out of 42" a lot longer which will get you the most bang for your buck.

Also being on a bike you can always move flat out which with your 12" move allow you to move 36" and if you went white scarsgive you a plus 3 jink save.

This guy is great if you form your army in the center which your conversion gunner can use hit and run away from your army.

The added plus of being a durable character will make killing this guy not an easy task.

[Patrick Boyle]

Conversion Beamer as a mobile platform.

Before I get into this subject I would like to point out thay tech marines and the master of the forge can take bikes or jump packs. I can't really remember if they could had done so in the past and just only noticed it this edition. However keeping with sound tactics no one uses this is one I haven't seen deployed yet.


You need to double check the Special Issue Wargear list. Techmarines and the Master of the Forge are specifically prohibited from taking bikes and jump packs.

[chicop76]

You need to double check the Special Issue Wargear list. Techmarines and the Master of the Forge are specifically prohibited from taking bikes and jump packs.

Just doubled checked. We both wrong and right. No on jump packs and yes on bikes, so unless FAQ says otherwise they can take bikes, but not packs.

They are wearing artificer armour and not terminator armour. It would mean artificer wearing captains couldn't ride a bike either.

The subnote 2 is the techmarine restriction which the bike have 1 and 3.

[chicop76]

Here is a tactic that everyone can do and I am a bit surprised that I am the only one I see do it. It's a simple tactic that is great with jump out and shoot units.

1. First you deploy for this purpose stern guard in a rhino. The purpose is to move said rhino in rapid fire range.
2. You hop out the rhino and rapid fire said target. When you do this make sure you are slightly behind the rhino on the side of it.
3. Once yoi finished rapid firing your vehicle have a 6" move which you can use to block line of sight to you veteran squad or provide them with a cover save.

If you use this tactic it would force the other side to shoot the vehicle to get to the marines.

Oh correction I forgot you can't do that, but it still work with marine bikes. You fire your bikes and use the rhino to block them from being shot back.

I keep forgetting you can't deploy or disembark and do the extra shooting move. It still works really well with bikes and assault marines.