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How exactly do you properly equip a blob squad? I'm not just talking about gunline blob squads, but also sit-on-objectives blob squads. How many combined squads is a good idea? What weapons and upgrades do you give them? I've always been iffy about using them since I don't particularly like the idea of marching that many guardsmen on foot, but there are advantages to consider and I'd appreciate any insights you guys could offer.

It depends entiirely on what you want them to do.

If you intend for them to sit on objectives, combining two squads and giving them a heavy weapon (mortar/autocannon usually works best) and a special weapon is usually the way foreward. However, you could always run a single 'naked' squad and order them to 'GtG' throughout the game.

The most common use of combined PIS is as a massive tarpit. Combine three squads, give them all flamers and a Commisar and watch them tie up elite hand-to-hand units for most of the game. The only major disadvantage of this unit is that it is quite unwieldy and you may find yourself encumbered by more terrain than you would normally.

Other things of note is that you can chnge the composition of your squads to minimise kill-points or maximise the amount of seperate PIS you can use to grab objectives. The great thing about the rule is you get to decide if you want to combine pre-deployment so it grants you a great amount of tactical flexibility.

Hope this helps!

L. Wrex

blob squad?

I believe a blob squad is a large, cheap squad, often seen in hordes. I think...

No, Blob squads are specific to the Imperial Guard. Platoon Infantry Squads of the same Platoon (Troop slot) can be combined into a single unit before the game begins. This was built to alleviate the Imperial Guard's inherent weakness to kill points.

DarkHound wrote:No, Blob squads are specific to the Imperial Guard. Platoon Infantry Squads of the same Platoon (Troop slot) can be combined into a single unit before the game begins. This was built to alleviate the Imperial Guard's inherent weakness to kill points.

Yes, I know what a blob squad is. I was just asking how best to equip them as I've never used them before and, being a beginner, I value the advice of others here.

...I was talking to the two posters above me.

When i do it i usually do

3 squads with grenade launchers, Sgts have power weapons and a commissar

grenade launchers are pretty slick, commissar ensures that you cant get broken and run down, and then the power weapons give you a bit of a rebuttle in melee, so not only do you tie down elite cc squads, you can potentially beat them(or at least thin them)

but thats just how i do it, im sure other people do it other ways

An interesting question with no real short answer. The way I do it typically depends on how I've kitted out the rest of my army. Generally, I don't equip them because I don't take Infantry Platoons. In a game I played over the last weekend, however, I took a platoon which worked out rather well. I had three infantry squads with one commissar, 1 HB each, and 1 GL each. I was playing 3000 pts vs 1500 CSM and 1500 DE. Normally I'd go for the AC over the HB, but I thought I'd give Ailaros's strategy some consideration. I missed the improved range of the AC, but overall, I'd say that having the extra shot more than made up for it. Eventually they ran out of targets, which is a problem with HWTs in infantry squads: They really make you try to be static.

If I was going to bring any infantry platoons, the ideal way I would handle it would be to bring one kitted out as follows, with the rest of my "troop choice point allowance" being allocated to vet squads in chimeras/vendettas:

PCS:
- 4 flamers
IS:
- Commissar
- GL
- HB (maybe an AC)
IS:
- GL
- HB (maybe an AC)
IS:
- Commissar
- GL
- HB (maybe an AC)
IS:
- GL
- HB (maybe an AC)

Split the Infantry Squads right down the middle, so that each one gets a commissar. One goes on one objective, the other goes on another objective. The only solid way to push them off is to assault them. Consider giving each half krak grenades. If there's only one objective on your side, blob all four squads together. If you end up with a KP mission, blob all four squads together. Last but least, make the rest of your army HIGHLY mobile to make up for the fact that you have this boat anchor of points sitting around on your half of the table. Finally, it's not blob squad tactics, but if I was doing another infantry platoon heavy list, I'd probably either do "Al'Rahem outflank in Chimeras" (which I've still not playtested yet, hopefully this week) or I'd just go for Chimera spam.

It really depends on how you want your army to play out.

I do 2 full platoons each with 3 HB/GL squads with 1 commissar who has a Power weapon, and 2 Las/Plas squads also with a PW commissar. This is for a Gun line. the 4 total squads allow me to make very good use of Orders from my Command section. The Power weapons on my commissars is extra insurance for when the enemy assaults me(and despite all the firepower I know this will happen). I use my PCS and Harkers vet squad to sieze objectives.

The other major alternative has already been brought up; 1 Commissar per blob, commie and sgts all have PW no Heavy weapons.

so, to me, blobbing squads for the sake of blobbing squads is rather worthless. To make blobs effective, you really have to have a purpose to them. As far as I can tell, blobs have two purposes:

camping blobs: lots of dudes sit on an objective in cover. They're basically immune to gunfire with incoming and cover saves, and they basically net you a free objective. These are best kept very cheap with perhaps a few heavy weapons to throw down some nuisance fire. The only weakness to this kind of blob is being assaulted off an objective. As such, a bare-bones commissar is highly encouraged.

power blobs: this is what I use, personally. The point of the blob is to provide 18 dudes to act as a meat shield for the choppy madness hiding withing. Said madness is comprised of two sergeants with power weapons, a commissar with a power weapon (hence "power" blob), and a priest with an eviscerator (meltabombs also dispensed when points available).

This squad puts down 12 rerollable power weapon attacks and 3 rerollable powerfist attacks on the charge. This is wrapped in a lot of abblative wounds, and even if it loses combat, it's stubborn, so you're still sticking around. Few things survive against 20 power weapon attacks and 5 power fist attacks over the course of two close combat phases, and unless your blob is REALLY hurt (or you're being charged by something particularly nasty that can wipe out 20 dudes in a single go), you're going to survive the combat. This works especially well against CC units that rely on doing a lot of damage quickly because they don't have a lot of staying power (wyches, banshees, etc.). Plus, the eviscerator is also great against vehicles, and it can be split off from the rest of the blob if you want.

Of course, power blobs cost a lot more, but they also do a lot more, while alleviating some of the worse problems of infantry guard lists (durability while footslogging, and close combat, among others).

'Power blobs' are great, and what is even better is that it doesn't prevent you from still taking a bunch of guns and burying yourself on an objective. I think the ideal number for a Power blob is 30 though. Same is true of any horde. Anything larger than 30 is too difficult to move, and get into close combat.

Personally I would never use a priest. 45pts bare for an IC, which means it has to be in b2b in order to attack and at I3 or 1 with the eviseratorwill most likely just be killed before it gets a chance to swing, and it adds another kill point to an already high kill point army. For 50pts you can just throw another 10 guardsmen into the fray.

I run a blob in my army, but find they are only useful if you have creed or straken as your company commander. I personally prefer straken because he adds counter attack and his furious charge dosn't make them fearless which general ends up making you take more casualties and is unnecessary when you already have a commisar in the blob. Plus my blob squads get assaulted more than they get the chance to assault so counter attack is well worth it.

I use 3 squads each with a power weapon on the sgt and commisar, then after I have fully kitted my army I go back and add special weapons if I have extra points, generally grenade launchers or flamers.

I think the way to use the priest w/ evis is at the back of the blob vs. infantry, for the rerolls, and at the front vs. vehicles where they can't be picked out by the vehicle they are ripping into. Makes the blob better vs. vehics and inf. I guess that leaves walkers as a real weak spot for them...

right. The priest exists for the rerolls, not for the standing at the front of the blob and getting picked out in close combat. That and peeling off and killing vehicles (or giving rerolls to meltabombs). Something which just 10 more guys doesn't give.

Straken is nice, but he can only be at one place at one time (and is also really expensive, so not much points saving), and stubborn is WAY better than fearless.

Has anyone written a (good) Blob Squad tactica? It's far too complicated and subtle a subject to discuss quickly/simply on a thread.

I don't know if a tactica is really required. I mean, for objective blobs, the tactica would read "sit on an objective and stay there". For a power blob it would be "move towards what you want to kill/the enemy objective as fast as you can and then assault it. Split priest off to handle vehicles as necessary".

I mean, they're pretty straightforward, and with 22 stubborn wounds, rather forgiving, by guard standards.

And the gunline Blob tactica would read: For Anti infantry Blobs, Do not Move, in shooting phase, issue fire on my target to Blob. Rinse, repeat. For Anti-tank Blobs, do not Move, in shooting phase, issue Bring it Down to Blob. Rinse, repeat.

For something straightforward, I certainly see them poorly equipped and run quite often. But hey, whatever, I'm not writing it.

Ivan wrote:For something straightforward, I certainly see them poorly equipped and run quite often. But hey, whatever, I'm not writing it.

Well, you're making the critical error of assuming that most people have common sense

I've used the blob, and i have found that they make a huge impact if they are part of Alrahem's outflanking platoon. In this role, the stubborn the commissar confers, plus the power weapons, get to be used more often. I use just 2 squads, but 3 will also do fine. I like using GL, and even for the outflanking blob I equip autocannons, since there are times you will need the range, and AC's are cheap enough. Alrahem's command squad has meltaguns for the heavy work, and is mounted in a chimera. I also support the blob plus the PCS with a demo charge and flamer equipped SWS.

I have used the 3 man blob with a commissar as part of the baseline, but they have never been truly tested (ie heavily assaulted), as the enemy so far was not able to truly threaten them...

Well if you intend to keep the priest in say the second row this might work, as you could keep him away from infantry you assault and still be in range to bring him to the front if you assault a vehicle. If you put him in the back he may be hard pressed to get to the front to assault the vehicle as blobs can take up a very large amount of space.

Also, if you get assaulted or stay in a combat more than 1 round you might as well kiss the priest goodbye.

When a unit is reacting to being assaulted, or making a pile-in move, independent characters that have joined the unit must move before other friendly models in order to get into base contact with an enemy if at all possible (otherwise they will not be able to fight). Using their own men as a screen in order to avoid the fight is a cowardly act, one that these great heroes would never consider!

Yeah, it takes some futzing to get used to how to move them, granted. Anyone who played with a powerfist SO in 4th ed will already have these skills.

So far, in the 4 games I've played with power blobs, I've lost 4 priests: one to a darklance (he was split off to take down a vehicle, which he did successfully), one from going toe-to-tow with a dreadnought for several close combat phases (rosarius + other dude in the squad with a meltabomb FTW), one when his entire squad was wiped, and the other was being shot by a commissar.

Played properly, you can actually do a pretty good job of ensuring that your priests don't get unduly picked out of combat. It just takes a little getting used to.

Shot by commissar. Haha, that sucks. I guess i shouldn't let my bias for how I think they would work out get in the way of potential. Do you feel they generally are worth the 60pts they cost with an eviscerater? Especially compared to a another 10 men with a power weapon SGT for the same price?

Well, you're making valid points. I'm just saying that those problems can be overcome with practice.

K-Hop wrote:Shot by commissar. Haha, that sucks.

Yeah, it was the VERY FIRST TIME I ever used a commissar, and what does he do? Get trigger happy and gun down the clergy...

K-Hop wrote: Do you feel they generally are worth the 60pts they cost with an eviscerater? Especially compared to a another 10 men with a power weapon SGT for the same price?

Personally, I wouldn't take a priest without an eviscerator. 45 points is neat for giving those other 12 power weapon attacks a reroll, but for just so few more points you can make him death incarnate against vehicles.

As for the priest v. another squad with a power weapon. 12 rerollable power weapon hits puts down 9 power weapon hits. 16 regular power weapon attacks puts down 8 hits.

Now yes, you do get more durability with the extra dudes, but you do more damage with the power weapons(especially when you're dealing with something with a much higher WS than you where rerolls are much more helpful), and they do more damage with the regular dudes (furthermore, it can be challenging to get all 30 models engaged in a single close combat), and they do MUCH more damage to vehicles (especially if you get rerolling meltabombs in).

I mean, it is sort of six of one, half dozen of the other. The reason I choose more damage is because the commissar gives stubborn, which already increases the durability of the squad by a lot. Given the choice of adding on even more durability or the ability to do more damage, especially to new target types, I choose the latter.

I've used 30 man blobs with power weapons and commissar a few times, and I've never needed more bodies. I've never dropped points on a priest, but I admit I've been tempted to.

One question, how did your priest get axed by the Commissar? The priest is Ld 7, so you have to go through the sergeants first.

My opponent had killed the squad down to just the priest and the commissar.

I roll for morale, and roll an 11.

The commissar turns around and guns down the priest.

I re-roll for morale, and roll a 12.

The commissar runs away anyway...

And yeah, I can't imagine needing more than 30 dudes in a blob, but, to be honest, I haven't yet had anything within the realms of normality take down even just 20 guys (I had two squads of jump pack flesh tearers with sanguiniary priests take down a 20-man squad in a single go, but how often does that happen?). As such, if 20 works just fine (so far), then I don't see much purpose in boosting that to 30.

Not to side-track too much, but an IG Priest riding with 10 Grey Knights in a Vendetta, assaulting on turn 1 after the scout move, letting the GKs reroll misses...

Fun times, albeit hardly a competitive army build.

In blobs... experimented with it a few times. Not too hard to keep them from getting squished in melee. But I always found myself wishing I'd brought more firepower for that 45 points instead.

I agree that firepower can be brought for those points. There are times, however when one can not use firepower, for which close combat units are a good thing.

The thing is that, as you say, they're good for keeping scoring units from being squished in melee. The priest is a nice spicey add-on not only because of its own choppiness, but because it's one of the few units in this game that actually properly synergizes - it adds to the power of other units. As such, we're not talking about 60 points for just three eviscerator attacks, we're talking about 60 points for 3 eviscerator attacks, 6 power weapon attacks, and 10 normal dudes worth of attacks, thanks to the reroll.

Obviously not so useful if the whole point is to make a sticky objective grabber, but it can put out some reasonable damage in its own right.

My only regret is that they don't work with ogryn

Yeah, it infuriates me that the one Guard melee unit that might actually be worth attaching them to... can't use them. And for no obvious reason, it's not like they'd suddenly make Ogryn competitive. I guess they figure Ogryn are cheap enough that they should be lead by the oh-so-points-efficient Yarrick.