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I use the three demo charge squad a lot, and it is brilliant!

Use it as a counter assault unit. I have had them nuke a 10 man diverse nob squad down to 1 model when they and Marbo chucked 4 demo charges on the squad.

Just sit them back out of LOS in your lines, when something gets close, deep strikes, out flanks, etc. nuke them. It is pure murder.

I have used them in a Valk/Vendetta. Drop them out the back and nuke something, and then have them run onto an objective and hide.

Use them in a Chimera in the same roles as above but now they have more protection and greater reach.

The squad is a brutal, blunt force tool. Yes it is expensive but with proper positioning and play, you can put three srt 8 ap 2 pie plates where you need them in one go. That is incredibly powerful if played well.

If played poorly, they suck and are a waste of points.

Try them out for yourself in a few games and see what they do for you. Mine is nearly always a standout performer in every game I use them.

Reecius wrote:That is incredibly powerful if played well.

This being the opportune phrase. Demo charges, like priests and rough riders and flame-template weapons and SWSs (among other things) are capable of putting out an extreme amount of damage. They are also highly futzy. I mean, if you're bad at using flamers then you might as well bring bags of marshmallows as a special weapon.

If you're bad with them, then they will preform very poorly, if you're good with them, you will own all. It all depends on your ability to move and deploy them properly relative to your opponent. The question, then, is one of if it's better to rightly point out how bad they are when you suck with them, or to point out the potential that they have once you take the time to learn to use them right.

I still maintain three charges is overkill, and 2 plus a flamer gives a unit that's cheaper and more flexible/useful in more situations.

TO each their own, for sure. Just speaking from my own experience, I have been totally impressed with them. And I do not agree that 3 is overkill as against a hammer unit you want to stack as many wound as possible and with 2, you may miss. When you mix in a flamer, you can actually decrease the amount of damage you do because of the different AP values of the weapons allows your opponent to stack wounds in a way to decrease casualties.

Again, that is just my opinion, but I have had great results with that squad.

The real question is: what else are you bringing to the table?

I have 3 Russes plus a special squad (1 Demo charge, 2 flamers) the Russes provide cover while the squad with the flamers move up to root troops out of cover.

As a drop pod reactionary force though, why not just field some armor? Demo charges are 1 shot only and are innaccurate at best. Leman Russes last longer than 2 or 3 turns, besides.

But really, with all of this edition's mobility and the punching the rear armor, etc. Russes aren't really going to last that long. More importantly, you don't need to blow up a russ in order to stop it from shooting. I mean, how many shots is a russ really going to get most games anyways?

Better throw down 3 shots all at once than to pitter patter 3 shots over the course of the game (at the same accuracy, I should note).

Exactly, I agree.

I would rather have three shots at a critical moment than 3 spread out over the game at random depending on when my opponent shoots the tank.

Again, to each their own. But I have had that little demolition squad turn the course of a game for me.

Once they chuck their bombs, they become an ultra low priority target, too. They are still scoring and so you can go hide the little buggers on an objective and go to ground if anyone farts in their general direction.

IIRC,you can only have 1 demo charge per special weapon squad
So you might as well just have more 1-demo-squads than one multi-demo-squad

You remember incorrectly.

[delayed post--please ignore]

Yeah, that WAS true in the old codex.

Then again, I don't seem to recall anybody ever taking SWSs in the old codex, much less anyone ever taking a demo charge.

I used them all the time in the last book, I love the idea of a man portable mini nuke!

In 4th ed I ran a MSU drop troop guard army that was really successful. I don't mean successful like IG are now, but very good.

So, I guess I am just really biased!