Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5 stars. The rules are good.
Background.
Jump pack equipped despoiler squads, these marines are very useful for rapid attack insertions and hit and run actions. Every legion has some, even the more static ones, although clearly legions like the Raven Guard favour them much more strongly.
Strengths.
As with some other close combat orientated squads, the assault squad can be built in a variety of ways and for some different purposes. Their chief strength though arises from the jump pack and the attractive baseline points cost (in my opinion). On top of this, the Line rule is valuable for the objective mission(s) that the player might be involved in.
Weaknesses.
As with other troops choices, I have no real complaints here. I genuinely like assault squads and regularly fielded an Alpha Legion one in first edition that often did well. They are still trans-human stat line, be beware still of the Ld=7 among the base troops.
Difference to First Edition.
Neutral just about. Very similar to first edition. Improved if we compare to first edition original points costings. No thunder hammer here though.
Builds.
As with other troops selections, I provide a variety of different options here but the list is not exhaustive so much as indicative.
10 Legionaries, Sergeant with Power Fist (160 points).
The bare minimum you should run. You won't see this much as players like to take a more tooled up variation, and that is understandable.
10 Legionaries, 2 Plasma Pistols, Sergeant with Melta Bombs, Plasma Pistol and Power Fist (200 points).
A plasma death squad. Treat as you would a termicide squad. Although the plasma pistol is much maligned, this is still a powerful configuration.
10 Legionaries, 2 hand flamers, Sergeant with hand flamer, Artificer Armour and Power Fist (185 points).
As with the plasma, the flamers are too often maligned as well. The jump packs should enable you to get in position with this, but beware reactions. Expand to 20 men to be sure.
20 Legionaries, 4 Power Weapons, 4 Volkite Serpenta, Sergeant with Power Fist, Volkite Serpenta, Artificer Armour and Melta Bombs (325 points).
The general rule for Volkite is to go big. This is a general unit able to take on many in the game. The price tag is attractive as well.
20 Legionaries, All with Combat Shields, 4 Power Weapons, Sergeant with Power Fist and Artificer Armour (350 points).
The combat "escort" unit to embed a character (e.g., consul) within. A bit expensive to be honest, but it works.
2 comments:
I have always played 2x10 or 1x20 assault squad(s) in my EC lists and I find them amazing in this edition (especially the 20 man squad with several power swords, Serge with phoenix power spear and apothecary)...the only thing that still makes me scratch my head is the usefulness of combat shields, what is your opinion about them?
I am not a fan of the combat shields overall. Given the price tag, they are often just not worth the cost and marines without them perform just as well on the whole with an almost similar survivability. However if we know in advance what game is being played, and against what opponent, then there might be good reason to use them. Other than that, one main use is to keep alive a character added to the unit and therefore reducing the squad to ablative wounds.
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