Tuesday, October 30, 2012
6th Edition and Close Combat
Having played several 6th edition games now,
I am noticing a trend. The lack of close combat in my games. I've even played a full game with no assaults at all. Now the question stands: Is this due to game mechanics or my list building?
List wise, I have moved away from assault units in transports. Once a unit could no longer disembark from a transport and charge, I shifted to only shooting units. This even holds more true with transports only allowed a 6 inch move for units to disembark.
Overwatch kills Harlequins!
One thing I've observed is light armored units such as Harlequins with their +5 inv save really take it on the chin. Basically I feel a player must use two units in an assault for these guys to be effective close quarter fighters. Gone are the days that they can charge a medium to larger sized enemy unit solo. They basically, in 6th edition, need a charge partner such as a Wraithlord to take any Overwatch fire. So the Wraithlord charges first, then the unit is locked and cannot Overwatch the second unit (i.e.) Harlequins.
Scorpions are still the class of the Eldar in assault.
Gifted with their +3 Armor, the Striking Scorpion is still the best unit an Eldar player can use in CC. Despite not having Fleet (I expect them to have it when the new codex comes out) 4 attacks on the charge at strength 4 is nothing to sneeze at. Overwatch has much less an effect on a well armored unit, meaning Scorps can still charge a enemy unit solo.
I have never built uber assault Eldar lists. I generally use a couple assault units only in a list.
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I've been looking through the assault rules, and it seems like there are only a few routes for great assault units with low armor saves.
ReplyDelete1) Only assault units that have a low rate of fire. Ten-man units with bolters might not be a great idea, and 15-boy strong units of Lootas is suicide. Devastator squads are better targets, as their heavy weapons (as long as they aren't heavy bolters!) are less likely to harm you. Units like Harlequins should probably be targeting other assault-based units rather than ones that are skirmishers.
2) Prepare for the casualties. Put the least-valuable harlequins up-front, and soak up the fire. With 8 Marines firing bolters (16 shots) and one from a heavy weapon (17) and one (for simple math) from a Sergeant (18) you've got 3 shots hitting. At S4 vs T3, a little more than 50% wound (2), and at worst, 2 die from fire whether or not it is lascannons or bolt pistols.
3) Like you said, assault with a Wraithlord, which is kinda overkill for most units you wish to fight, and a Wraithlord is probably better out of combat than in it.
4) Assault out of cover.
I think the problem most assault units face are the changes to fleet and the random assault move. With a solid fleet, a player could actually predict whether or not his units would be within charge range. Now 3" away is still a risk. And this happens! Just last year I was in a tournament where I disembarked into cover 4" away from Abbadon. I smoked his friends with a Redeemer Land Raider, and then rolled for difficult terrain with my disembarked Honor Guard. You guessed it: 2".
This uncertainty will probably push more players to play their assault units as late-turn counter-assault, rather than turn-two opening assault units.
Why run them into the open?
But you'll still need some assault units, if only to deal with ork hoards protected by battlewagons and kustum force fields or guardsman blobs.
I like the look of your blog, and I thought I'd post something that probably is longer than all of your first posts combined. I'm like that. Plus the baby is asleep and I'm drinking coffee.
Thanks for your opinion, just getting it going :)
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