Desk Cleaning

10/25/2011

So, I have company coming and here I am sorting the piles of paper on my desk into new piles for review or the recycle bag. I came across a printout of a scratch tactica for Max Body Drop Pods using Black Templar. I think it was from Bolter & Chainsword, but I forget the author. Something I notice, it touts having a lower KP than the MSU versions, but not so much I'm thinking. After all, it has 3x Elites, 3x FA, 4xTroops 7xDrop Pods & 1xHQ in the 1500 point version. Which gives it 18 KP. At 1500 points! In keeping with the formula of 1 Troop/400, at 2k it would add 4 KP for two Troop choices bringing it up to 22 and the only way to avoid more KP would be to add another pair of Typhoon Speeders. That is not "less" KP.

I also note that it avoids Terminator squads entirely because they will have to take the concentrated firepower of the opponent, supposedly as a weakness, but I'll note that Terminator squads are a lot more durable than Dreadnoughts and the long range of the Cyclones lets you avoid a lot of that firepower in most lists, while area terrain gives you the common 4++ save.

2 Comments

Devjon link

10/26/2011 01:44:43

You know, I've thought of another reason that you don't have as much luck with Dreadnoughts. In my list I've only got two, yet they drop in against the most dangerous enemy units specifically to cause crippling damage (as do the Terminators, but I'm more careful with them). Even though I've only got two, they pose an immense threat, and they drop down next to the most deadly enemy units I can find, they still survive the whole game (both of them). Yet you have trouble.

When mine drop down, they land along with a handful of other pods right in the enemy's face. Mobility is almost completely denied, LoS is almost gone for anything except what's in the immediate vicinity (a huge problem for Predators, I've found) and simply not enough can be brought against the Dreadnoughts to bring them down. Yes, almost everything is more effective against Dreadnoughts than against Terminators Point for Point, but their large Base size and the available Multi-Melta make them very good choices to take over the Terminators. Further, Terminators can't quite as easily fulfill that role of taking down major targets. They can't handle units that actually want to get into Close Combat, they aren't as reliable in killing those tanks (unless they get the charge), and other units are less afraid of charging them because they can actually be killed by low-Strength weapons. The Dreadnought, on the other hand, is a towering monster that refuses to die. Even if you stun it, it just charges into one of your vehicles and takes it out.

However Dreadnoughts don't fit into your list quite as well (though having Drop Pods for them would help) because they become much more durable with so many Drop Pods around that are themselves causing problems for your Target Priorities.

I would really like to find a way to nicely conclude this comment but I'm to distracted by two Blog Posts that I suddenly want to write as well as one I've promised that I would. Sorry.

Algesan link

10/26/2011 08:37:45

You concluded nicely enough. ;)

I'd have to reach back to February sometime for the last time I ran a multiple Dreadnought list (IIRC, I actually have five Dreadnoughts, three ready to play). They didn't drop down together so they got to be picked on in turn. Yes and they missed a lot. To the point in my sixth or seventh game, when I said "Woohoo! The multimelta hit!" Several of the other guys who had played me laughed and asked "Finally?" Then we all laughed when I rolled snake eyes followed by a one to glance and shake the Rhino I was trying to open up.

Now matter how I dropped in their face to get that multimelta shot (and if you drop adjacent, you will get the melta bonus with a MM), I think I wrecked one vehicle. I never had a Dreadnought get its points back and it also offered up its drop pod as a second KP.

OTOH, people who didn't fear plain jane Terminators in the assault are finding out different. Before we even get to the saving throws, 3/4 of the attacks are gone.

Nobody locally screws around with Dreadnoughts of any sort. They kill them quickly for all the same reasons you gave. Interestingly enough, I don't think I've seen more than three or four Predators on the tables down here for Marines. Most of those were Baal Predators.

Desk Cleaning

Leave a Reply.

Author

Archives

Categories