The deep-strike mishap table can cause both the player and the opponent headaches when a deep-strike doesn't go the way it is supposed to. For armies such as daemons, Death Wing and the like, this can cause even more trouble.
As a daemons player, I often succumb to deep-strike mishaps. But only on a few occasions has an opponent taken maximum advantage of the situation. So for those players who do play against daemons (and other deep-strike armies), here's the key thing to punish your opponent for a poor deep-strike.
Firstly, the deep-strike mishap table has two results that you're interested in and a third that serves only a minor advantage (or potentially disadvantage). The latter that I speak of is returning the squad back to the reserves pool. This is probably the result that you don't want as the opposing player -- it is just delaying the inevitable return of the unit to the table somewhere, sometime. In many cases this can be an advantage as the opposing player gets to see where would be most critical for the unit to arrive. In late game turns, this might mean the difference between winning and losing if the sqaud materializes on top of an objective.
The mishap that destroys the squad is clearly to the opposing players avantage. Effortless kill points are always welcome!
But the most mis-understood mishap is the one where you get to decide where to place the unit. All too often when my opponents get this result, they simply shove my unfortunate unit in the corner of the gameboard, far away from where the action is. This is a mistake in my opinion. The unit that gets put in a corner will simply (slowly) slog its way to a useful position (or objective) eventually (so long as its not near the end of the game). In order to take maximum advantage of this result, I would encourage players to put the mishap squad in some difficult terrain (just as the deep strike mishap table suggests you should do). For a walking tank like a soul grinder, this might be devastating -- I've lost my soul grinders to this event frequently enough when facing good players. Even for small terminator squads, it is worth considering. Not only might they take unsavable wounds, but they'll also be slowed down by the terrain which makes for a double whammy.
[image: Warp Hornets terminators just after a deep strike]
[image: Warp Hornets terminators just after a deep strike]
I've always thought deep striking was more random than dangerous. I think some folks look at randomness and think of it as dangerous and that's my issue with it.
ReplyDeleteRon
From the Warp
Wouldn't you get inv saves? Or have I missed something:)
ReplyDeleteIf you deep strike only one unit (plus character) and its an expensive one you end up taking quite the risk. I think it's different if you deep strike a lot of units like deamons tend to do. Just my two cents:)
Hi Ron,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that randomness doesn't necessarily equate with dangerous.
Hi Flekkzo,
Yes - invulnerable saves do apply. But since they're worse than regular armour saves most of the time, I figured I might as well take a punt on a terminator or two failing those saves. Its a lot easier than wasting combi-plasma shots :)
I've played my fair share of Daemons and done my fair share of putting units in terrain to force the dangerous checks and watched units of 10 lose half their size. Granted, that's an extreme case but I agree, any time you can force a roll and potentially kill someone off you should do it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, being able to place them can be used to completely remove the unit too. Meaning, I could place the unit right in front of my gun line and mow it down or put it in charge range of a unit I know will destroy it.