Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. A Legacies unit with great rules. [The image is wrong - it is Legacies and not Journal Tactica - sorry!]
Background.
Shunned by many. Not use by several legions (e.g., Salamanders). Regarded as an evil necessity, and potentially dishonourable. Embraced fully by others (e.g., Death Guard). The Destroyer Squads are a remnant of the old wars on Terra and use weapons that are otherwise proscribed and leave behind a scorched earth.
Strengths.
Rad grenades in third edition remain an excellent option. Although small range, the phage on toughness combined with 2+ on poisoned is very strong - especially just before a charge. The key thing with the Destroyer Assault squad is to get the positioning right so that you can pull off both a rad attack at range and then close in with either this unit or another unit to finish them off with lower toughness.
Melta bombs and phosphex bombs are optional upgrades for the sergeant and remain great choices depending which way you are going to go. Phosphex should probably be the default though. Panic, poisoned, and breaching is a great combination with a base of AP=3. And, if you are going to commit war crimes, then you might as well not limit it to rad grenades.
Speaking of which, taking the rad missile launcher is highly recommended and should be a default upgrade. It is an assault weapon so can be shot on the move very easily. Again, it is poisoned and phage, but just has a much longer range making for a greater threat zone. Conversion possibilities here are encouraged since I think that the rad missiles / grenade launcher should look different to the classic frag missile launcher myself (a personal opinion). A heavy bolt gun as the basis could work, but I'd encourage players to also look up the resin version of the rad grenade launcher that used to be sold by Forge World - converting an analogue to that is reasonably okay.
For the other upgrades, I'm not tempted by the plasma pistol, nor the double volkite serpentas and double hand flamers. I'd keep it to the items above. However for the sergeant, and upgrade to a close combat weapon like a power fist or a thunder hammer is recommended. A power weapon upgrade is also viable.
Weaknesses.
One wound and a 3+ armour save makes this unit an expensive glass cannon. Positioning and timing your shots and charges is everything here.
Builds.
5 Destroyers, 1 Rad Missile Launcher, Sergeant with Power Fist and Phosphex Bombs (140 points).
Yes, the points cost is expensive. Also yes: it is very effective if you can time your shots and charges correctly. Consider melta bombs if wanted.
10 Destroyers, 2 Rad Missile Launchers, 2 Power Mauls, Sergeant with Thunder Hammer and Phosphex Bombs, Melta Bombs (275 points).
The full upgrade suite. Very expensive. Very effective. Very glass cannon territory and a target priority for your opponent. Very much consider a terminator squad instead perhaps? I actually prefer a smaller unit if I'm honest.
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