I can has no assault grenades!! Suggested rules change?

[Crotch Lictor]

As a 'Nid player, I was thinking about how a good many of our units have no access to assault grenades, and in a lot of cases, these units also are assault oriented. What about a rules change where, if the unit being assaulted opts to snap fire at the assaulting unit, then the assaulting unit gets to attack at its regular, unmodified initiative order? Seems like a decent trade off to me. Thoughts? Has this already been discussed and I missed it?

[DrLove42]

Thing is Assault grenades aren't that common outside of the SPESS MUHREEENS

A lot of dedicated assault units (Incubi and Spawn are the two i encounter most) don't have them.

I think there might be something in the Tau codex that lets you be crapper in combat, but better in overwatch to simulate their tactics. But thats just a fan dex thing from me.

[Crotch Lictor]

Fair enough, but I think that this rule change could apply across the board, no? I was just talking 'Nids, because I play them.

Eldar, also have Assault grenades btw, right? Aren't plasma grenades off/def?

[DrLove42]

Some assualt units int he Eldar dex have them....i believe Wyches do, and some of the Aspect in Craftworld.

But in those cases it really matches the fluff, wheras I can't see Nids hurling grenades to cover their advance. They just rely on numbers

[DarkLink]

What's the point of assault grenades if everyone everywhere always has them?

[Wolfshade]

I think one of the biggest changes is that you can now use grenades against monstrous creatures...(unless I am miss-reading the rules)

[ElectricPaladin]

Yeah, I'm with the "this is not a problem" crowd. While it must be frustrating to have your 'Nids dropped to I1 when charging through cover... that's what cover is for. It's why it's useful when you're, well... fighting 'Nids. If we remove the effects of cover, then we remove one of the primary effects of the table, and the table is part of what makes games unpredictable and... fun.

[Wolfshade]

I suppose the other way that they could "resolve it" is that the defensive grenades give you a boon to your snap shots. But while it is frustrating it is just the spacemarines that tend to be loaded out with them

[DWest]

Another option (not super-reliable, but it's there) is to throw Pinning weapons at the baddies, such as Barbed Strangler, Stranglewebs, and Spore Mines. Units who are Pinned are forced to Go to Ground, and a unit who has Gone to Ground does not penalize the I of any units assaulting it (BRB pg 18). Furthermore, Know No Fear doesn't prevent Pinning, although it prevents virtually everything else. It's a tricky, wonky solution requiring a lot of coordination to pull off; i.e. it's 'Nids in a nutshell.

[Dorsai]

Given how many monstrous creature you have, or have Move Through Cover, I don't see the problem. And also, would a gaunt really throw something, or just charge in? Of course, how often do you have just a single hormagaunt? You should have large numbers of them. The same thing applies when I field a fifty man squad of guardsmen. Yeah, the marines might be able to kill ten to twenty before I get to swing, but the survivors get to take their swings. As long as I get the charge, I can always keep the marines from destroying a unit before it gets to swing back.