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Joey wrote:This means you can charge into combat with a PCS/Priest and cannot be struck back by the enemy. That's 6 S6 PW attacks on the charge with re-rolls, or S8 with straken.

You can't be literally not targeted in close combat, but you can certainly reduce the exposure, assuming that you have space to be able to get a charge in. The big problem with punchy PCSs isn't that you can't keep the receiving damage low in close combat, but that you can't do much to keep them alive before they get there. You're still talking about only a handful of guardsmen, almost all of which have a 5+ save. Savvy opponents can always pick them off before they get into close combat.

Also, you're playing straken wrong. The +1S comes AFTER the doubling from the powerfist, not before. Those PF's are S7, not S8.

SITW reads "...at the start of your turn the unit may be removed as casualties if the player wishes, counting as destroyed."

As consolidation happens at the end of the Assault Phase, I don't believe the enemy would be able to make a consolidate move. This also lets you charge in a mess of conscripts, pull an enemy unit off an objective or out of cover, and hammer them with the rest of your guns, while your conscripts recycle.

kustom wrote:SITW reads "...at the start of your turn the unit may be removed as casualties if the player wishes, counting as destroyed."

As consolidation happens at the end of the Assault Phase, I don't believe the enemy would be able to make a consolidate move. This also lets you charge in a mess of conscripts, pull an enemy unit off an objective or out of cover, and hammer them with the rest of your guns, while your conscripts recycle.

If this is true then I just might have to give chenkov a try. The look on an opponents face as I intentionally lock all his units up and then remove them just to FRFSRF them all with my powerblobs would be priceless! Only problem is that's going to be a helluvalotta guardsmen on the table.

I'd assume you're doing something like this correct? That, or using a heck of a lot of artillery

Great thread, alot of great advice

I'm not going to mention stubborn
It looks like you are playing combined arms, which is a strong choice

20-30 man blobs are flavor country, I stick with 30's, but 1 30 and 1 20 to max out your infantry squads can work too.
Blobs are primarily to screen for your vehicles against melta and cc in my list, if you want to use them aggressively you want to stick at least one meltabomb (incase of dreads) in each blob.
Straken or creed or a priest can dramatically increase the power of your blobs if they get the assault off, most people will really underestimate them, but with 3 squads and a commisar with power weapons thats 16 S4 power weapon attacks (rerolling with priest) on the charge,which can be absolute madness.

However, a majority of the time the blob will tarpit the enemy for several rounds as they get beaten up, if you know you are going to lose combat on your turn, feel free to take a wound on the commisar, lose stubborn, and get your own squad wiped on purpose to make sure you get a shooting phase off on that unit before they assault..

kustom wrote:SITW reads "...at the start of your turn the unit may be removed as casualties if the player wishes, counting as destroyed."

As consolidation happens at the end of the Assault Phase, I don't believe the enemy would be able to make a consolidate move. This also lets you charge in a mess of conscripts, pull an enemy unit off an objective or out of cover, and hammer them with the rest of your guns, while your conscripts recycle.

I'm not sure that's quite right. Consolidation moves happen in the assault phase because that's when assaults happen; I believe consolidation moves are actually keyed to the unit being destroyed, not linked to a specific phase. Don't have my book with me so I can't confirm that right now, unfortunately.

@Mr.Moustaffa- Yup, pretty much.

And as far as consolidation goes... I'm pretty sure they can't. It's similar to hit and run.... just because you can do it in CC doesn't mean you can do it from being locked in CC in the shooting phase...

Also, fluff wise, that's pretty much what conscripts do,,,, roll in in a giant expendable wave. As Chenkov couldn't care less about his men, it makes sense to destroy the whole unit (basically assuming their own men bombed that area heedless of their lives, they were shot down retreating (IE Enemy at the Gates), or whatever. Either way, being able to line an entire table with them with someone like Yarrick behind them to provide LD, and they are a major pain. Especially for fast, hit and run type armies that do not want to get bogged down in an extended fight.

They also make great screens and bubblewrap, especially in your rear areas, since a unit like Snikrot and his kommandoes can come on, assault the concripts, if they hold, great, if not, same deal, next turn, you take them off, gun down the infiltrating unit, and if it survives, your next turn, they have to deal with another 50 conscripts rolling in behind them.

kustom wrote:@Mr.Moustaffa- Yup, pretty much.

And as far as consolidation goes... I'm pretty sure they can't. It's similar to hit and run.... just because you can do it in CC doesn't mean you can do it from being locked in CC in the shooting phase...

Also, fluff wise, that's pretty much what conscripts do,,,, roll in in a giant expendable wave. As Chenkov couldn't care less about his men, it makes sense to destroy the whole unit (basically assuming their own men bombed that area heedless of their lives, they were shot down retreating (IE Enemy at the Gates), or whatever. Either way, being able to line an entire table with them with someone like Yarrick behind them to provide LD, and they are a major pain. Especially for fast, hit and run type armies that do not want to get bogged down in an extended fight.

They also make great screens and bubblewrap, especially in your rear areas, since a unit like Snikrot and his kommandoes can come on, assault the concripts, if they hold, great, if not, same deal, next turn, you take them off, gun down the infiltrating unit, and if it survives, your next turn, they have to deal with another 50 conscripts rolling in behind them.

Funny you mention Yarrick, I literally just got this idea about 5 minutes ago. I'm going to a crazy tournament this weekend and we only get 2 troop choices. I'm thinking about bringing 50 conscripts with Yarrick as well a full platoon and seeing how much of a pain I can be

UMGuy wrote:I run my blob squads as adviced, 2 IS, Commissar,as many PWs as I can fit, MB(if points permit), and Meltaguns. I usually run 2 of these in my list (posted below). But small squads from the enemy just wipe the floor with me.

There's your problem. You want to use 4 squads. 40 guys gets you 5 Power Weapons (4 Sgts, 1 Commisar) and enough bodies to properly tarpit people. That's also 35 wounds before you lose any Power Weapons (which are likely the only things actually killing MEQ).

Also, don't forget to sacrifice the Commissar when you need the squad to break. Being able to leave dedicated assault units exposed to your firepower is key. Its no use just keeping them there forever. Many of them will be scoring, or mobile enough to threaten your own units. Or even better if its KPs, you can probably regroup (unless you suffered 21 casualties and don't ahve any Senior Officers around) when you fall back so you don't just give up the KP in order to take out their unit.

There's no point adding anything else to the blobs. Use your orders so they can shoot at things before they tarpit (40 Lasguns with First Rank, Second Rank is more deadly than you'd think). And use their platoon to bring heavy weapon squads and special weapon squads (if you have any Vendettas). Keep it simple.

You really want Melta Guns in your blobs, especially in larger point games. They can potentially break open a tank, but more importantly you can put them at important intersections in the terrain. What you want is to set it up so that in order for an enemy to tank shock onto an objective they need to pass through one of your 2-4 melta guns you stand a good chance of stopping that tank from contesting.

Also be careful when you sacrifice Commissar's to break. It can work well against Orks, but its incredibly risky against Eldar, Dark Eldar, and Space Marines. Initiative 3 makes you very vulnerable to sweeping advance... Of course against Terminators go for it. If you have 2 blobs engaged, or a Blob and a Sentinel in the same combat, its a lot safer to lose the commissar, as you are protected from sweeping advance since the opposing squad is still locked in combat.

So, I had my first game since posting seeking the advice of fellow guardsmen players and things went quite a bit differently. I was able to use my blobs to smash thru 2 squads of genestealers and 2 broadlords and some were still left standing. They worked amazingly well and now people at my flgs now longer laugh at guardsmen entering cc.

I will try either a priest, straken, or adding more blobs next week. Thanks again everyone.