Power Fists Vs Power Weapons in challenges.

VS.

This just hit me like a cold night on Fenris when I was working on a possible list for next month when I was looking at Wolf Guard.

In 5^th, the favorite package was to give them a combi-melta and power fists. My friend and I used to put power weapons in the Grey Hunter squads to balance that out as this option worked better than Wulfin.

With 6^th, we have a new issue being they are “characters” when they attach to a unit. So, a power fist could be challenged now and killed removing the threat from the combat. On the other hand if you swap the power weapon for the fist, the Wolf Guard has a slightly better chance to survive but you take the loss of a +1 attack. Still, this is better than NEVER being able to attack at all if you get challenged (and killed) or you refuse and are unable to fight.

Many other Marine armies are going to take this worse as their Sergeant is usually the only model to have the option to take a power fist. This now comes down to a simple, challenge and kill concept that could push the popularity of the power fist back as time goes on if the Challenge system starts to be used in an aggressive format in games.

Well, this means I will be pulling out my figures tonight and doing a few weapon swaps! 

Necron Warrior Ghost Movement

We have all have heard of the stories of how Scarabs can do some weird tricks to get up to a 48” table coverage using 3 Spyders and you can do this with three swarms of 10 and 9 spyders if you feel like being really silly. I have yet to see anyone discuss the Warrior option that could make or break a game. Especially on that last turn that is critical for objective based games.

Elements you need: Unit of Necron Warriors and Ghost Ark (at least 1, 2 or more is better).

Process:

Reanimation Protocols allows for you to roll on a 5/6 at the end of the phase to see if a Necron Warrior can be returned to the unit within coherency. This can be bumped to a 4+ if you have a resurrection Orb. With a Ghost Ark you have at the start of the movement phase the option to nominate one Necron unit to regain d3 models back to their starting total.

Without a doubt you will take some losses to your unit, so make sure you have a unit large enough to deal with losses and not risk being wiped out. So, at the end of the enemy shooting phase you can add models back to the unit. These models added back to the unit must be within 2” of the models on the table currently.

At the top of your phase, you use the Ghost Ark to nominate a unit and add d3 models back to that unit. In theory if you have a second Ghost Ark within range, you could add another D3 models. Let’s assume the average of 2.

Say you started with a 10 man unit. Lost 6 didn’t fail your moral check and got two back. So you’re at 6 models now. X is your current 4 models left and the O is the two that just reanimated back.

O    O

X    X     X

X   

At the start of your turn you could now roll for the Ghost Arks, again let’s average 2 and assume they are both within range. Now, the Ghost Ark does not state that models have to be already on the table until the Reanimation Protocols. So we add our 4 models with A and assume each space is a 2” divide.

A

A

A

A

O    O

X    X     X

X   

With this method you picked up 10” in distance for this unit in model spacing alone of the models you just placed and this does not include the 1” base size for each model, this would add another 5” in theory. Now you wonder how this could help you in a game? Simply put, this could be used in one of two methods.

Method 1: Avoidance, as you take losses next turn X is assumed to be closer to the enemy. You pull your losses from X and put them forward to the unit to stay away from range of weapons and possible charge arcs as well as allowing you to position yourself perhaps even into cover to better shield your unit.

Method 2: Grabbing objectives: By using this method you could string towards an objective in a game in theory towards the end of the game to capture or contest multiple objectives. Clever use of this could pull you from a loss to a draw or perhaps even a simple win. Imagine this going into effect the last turn of a game and you snatch victory from the jaws of your opponent because they killed and removed some of your unit only to allow you to replace them into a more strategic spot to claim victory!

Is it cheesy? Yea, it is just like the scarab/spyder shenanigans would people call you a douche for it? Maybe. At least until a FAQ comes out that tells you must deploy models within coherency much like the needed FAQ for scarabs and spyders.

Necron Nasties! Tactica

So, I have been already reading over the codex some and some nasty works have already started to surface.

Take a few Crypteks to lead your Warriors or Immortals. Notice I left Lycheguard and Deathmarks out, that is because they are both elites and there is better choices  to be found among elites.

Give all Crypteks the Harbringer of Destruction and give them all eldrich lances. This will give each Necron unit a 36", STR 8, AP 2 move and fire lascannon. This is huge to soften up mech armies before the entire army is in range to rapid fire them to death.

Second the Solar Pulse is a must have, take 2 or 3 if you can afford it. Why? Because you can either cancel night fight or cause night fight. You can even engage it on your opponents turn. So, they have first turn and a nasty Alpha Strike army? *lights out* Oh you can't shoot? Damm....do this multiple time and watch an IG player go bonkers that is used to sitting back and shooting down his targets.

Orikan the Diviner plus C'tan with Writhing Worldscape and Grand Illusion:
The package here is another nasty surprise, while it is an investment it can work to be an ugly one.

Orikan's Temporal Snares: During the first game turn, all enemy units that move count as moving through difficult terrain. If they are actually moving through difficult terrain, then a unit must move and take the lowest d6 result on their test.

Writhing Worldscape: While the C'tan is on the field all difficult terrain is also dangerous for the enemy. If the terrain is dangerous, they fail on a 1 or 2.

Grand Illusion: After all deployment and scout moves, you may redeploy d3 enemy units  subject to normal deployment rules. You  may even take models out of reserve or put them into reserve!

The dinner table now: So, you have here is all enemy units count as moving through difficult terrain first turn. If they are already in difficult terrain they take a check on two dice and must take the lowest. With the C'tan now all difficult terrain is dangerous now. If the terrain is dangerous they fail on a 1 or 2. So, now all units are rolling two dice for difficult terrain checks AND are forced to roll dangerous terrain for each model. Grand Illusion can either put models into cover (if they are are jump troops for example) to force difficult terrain checks or you can move them out for units that rely on terrain for cover like IG. In any case, you can manipulate the battlefield to a serious control situation. Either they will take the risk of losses or be afraid to move as they are worried of the end results.

Add some CryptTeks with Tremorstaves instead of the Solar Pulses if you wish to maintain this pressure for each turn.