Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hi All,

I was thinking about conscripts. Thats right, those BS 2, cheap, LD 5 units that you always overlook in your codex. I think I came up with a use for them. Similar to the issue seen with blocking transport access points and then wrecking them, what happens if you block the sides of a board with conscripts? If I have 50 of them, I can put them along a 100" border, with 1" between each one. Thats 72" for the long end of the table along with >12" on either side snaking up my deployment zone. Now, 200 pts seems like a lot for an easily assaulted/destroyed picket fence, but it gets even funnier with Chenkov, because you can keep calling them right back and having them back in place with a single movement, if you have them run.

I guess my question for YMDC is if this is a legal means of blocking outflankers and stuff like Ork Kommandos from being able to sneak onto your side of the table, and to take it one step further, if I had two squads of conscripts go down either side, completely blocking the short end of the tables, what happens to any troops that the opponent tried to outflank?

There are actually no rules covering this situation, so a RaW answer is impossible.

I just want to add that it is actually a very weak strategy as all one needs to do is kill a few conscripts, forcing them to move into coherency and opening up a gap.

Concerning strategy, I was considering running two squads of them, each squad right next to the other base to base, that way i can thin out and still keep a cohesive line. Most of the time I play against Eldar and Orks, so either way, another major advantage is that they have to get something close enough to actually be able to HIT the conscripts. Another thing making it worth it against the Eldar player is that he loves outflanking stuff. I agree that it is expensive and impractical, but I was considering fielding them for a game tonight as a test case to see how it fared. I just wanted to get a rule clarification on it to know how he might react.

daedalus wrote:I just wanted to get a rule clarification on it to know how he might react.

That's fair enough. You are going to have to deal with it Pre game however, and your opponent might not take kindly to such a tactic, but thats for another discussion

In theory it works; assuming your opponent doesn't fly over the blocking unit, Tank Shock them out of the way, or shoot enough to force you to make space.

But what would you assume happens to the troops if he cant do any of that? If reserves come up, you HAVE to deploy them that round as I understand it (at least thats what everyone I've ever played has always done). If you declared they would outflank, and there is no valid point to deploy, would they be destroyed? I guess thats might just be something we have to agree on beforehand, but I would love to hear arguments from either side on this.

As I have said, there is no rule to cover a situation where a model cannot deploy from reserves. Some say they are destroyed, others say they just wait until they can arrive.

You have to clarify this pre game because the rules do not exist to deal with this situation

I believe Gwar is correct as to their not being any rules to cover the situation.

What I've done in similar situations (in friendly games) is delayed the unit and attempted to outflank them in the subsequent turn. Any units not on the board by the end of the game I've counted as destroyed. I don't believe this is RaW, but I think it's consistent with other forms of units being unable to enter.

Once upon a time, GW did say that Space puppy Scouts who were unable to enter the board due to a picket fence were destroyed. That was also the call made for the GW US GTs in the judges pre-tourney discussions (ie discussed ahead of time and not a snap judgement). Never made it into any "official" FAQs tho, so it has no "official" bearing. As others have already said, discuss it with your opponents pre-game or ask tourney organizers prior to the ebvent.

Yup. No current official ruling. If you're planning to use it in any competitive vanue, it's a good idea to get a firm ruling from the organizers, and discuss it with your opponents before game start.

Well with the great leadership of conscripts be aware since you would be touching your board edge also that if they fail a leadership they will auto be destroyed.

Also, how did you get into the other players deployment zone to set up this picket so fast?

I have used cheap Guardmen as picket on the sides of the tables near my expensive shooty guys in big games to prevent flanking guys from slicing and dicing tanks and other expensive things with no warning.....

BUT, I have never tried a picket line all around my board edge.......thats too many pts waisted I think

I think you might spend more time setting up and moving your models than actually playing, and its an ugly tactic.

However I cant actually see a problem....

Although my 1ksons would be delighted to see a solid line of meatshield to advance and rapid fire at!

.... I've just run the maths a unit of conscripts lined out like that will out best get 4or5 people into close combat. This means that in theory (dice gods not hating you) nothing will lose combat and they will always die, if charged.

Tri wrote:.... I've just run the maths a unit of conscripts lined out like that will out best get 4or5 people into close combat. This means that in theory (dice gods not hating you) nothing will lose combat and they will always die, if charged.

Now That is something to see, charging in with 10 marines, killing 5 then sweeping advancing them

Gwar! wrote:

Tri wrote:.... I've just run the maths a unit of conscripts lined out like that will out best get 4or5 people into close combat. This means that in theory (dice gods not hating you) nothing will lose combat and they will always die, if charged.

Now That is something to see, charging in with 10 marines, killing 5 then sweeping advancing them

Marines? I mean anything. 10 grots and ork would likely win.