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It seems to be the best defense against the Shunt-Punch (tm) trick with either Interceptors or Dread Knights would be a "circle the wagons" approach. Assuming you're mechanized, lining your transports up at the edge of your deployment zone, then deploying behind them. They can't get closer than 12" to the line of vehicles, and if you deploy more than 6" back from the leading edge of the vehicle's hull, you'll be guaranteed out of assault range. Sure, they'll charge your yet-unmoved vehicles and wreck n number of them where n is equal to the number of dread knights they have, but there's only so much you can do.

Now of course the problem against interceptors is that now you're out of your transports and they can shoot you. I think dealing with BOTH interceptors and dread knights would be a rare occurrance, honestly (and not all 6 would get scout, hopefully).

Let's talk other tactics. First of all, would circling the wagons in such a way work? What if you're not mechanized? Is the general idea always to sacrifice a few units to the GK gods?

What's happened in your games so far, both against and as GK players using the Shunt Punch?

Counters include but are not limited to.

#1 Take the first turn. If you go first there is no turn 1 alpha strike shunt punch.

#2 Put everything in reserve.

#3 Sacrifice a cheap infiltrating unit (Like scouts) to extend the 12" no scout move bubble, and to act as bait for the DK that is about to charge them on turn 1. This counter can be countered by servo skulls

#4 Make your own scout move first. This counter can be countered by servo skulls

#5 If you're also playing a GK army deploy servo skulls.

#6 Bubble wrap vehicles with cannon fodder. That works well if IG has an infantry platoon, or orks have a good # of boys.

#7 Encourage the shunt punch, and set a trap. Deploy vehicles as bait, and have the appropriate counter ready. Examples being Feed the DK a chimera, and have an embarked quad plasma CCS squad within 24" of where the dread will be ready to jump out of their transport, issue the bring it down order to themselves, and light it up with 8 plasma shots.

There's a six page thread (and growing) in YMDC about whether you can scout shunt or not...since scouting gives you permission to make a normal move, not any move - whereas shunting explicitly rules itself out of the normal move category with the "Instead of Moving" part - not to mention all references to movement and anything that could be described as "normal movement" in the movement section not including shunting, teleportation, or on-table deep-striking during scouting.

If its for a tournament, ask the TO how they are going to rule on it. I haven't asked anyone yet.

In terms of you allowing it...see schadenfreude's post.

schadenfreude wrote:Counters include but are not limited to.

#1 Take the first turn. If you go first there is no turn 1 alpha strike shunt punch.

#2 Put everything in reserve.

#3 Sacrifice a cheap infiltrating unit (Like scouts) to extend the 12" no scout move bubble, and to act as bait for the DK that is about to charge them on turn 1. This counter can be countered by servo skulls

#4 Make your own scout move first. This counter can be countered by servo skulls

#5 If you're also playing a GK army deploy servo skulls.

#6 Bubble wrap vehicles with cannon fodder. That works well if IG has an infantry platoon, or orks have a good # of boys.

#7 Encourage the shunt punch, and set a trap. Deploy vehicles as bait, and have the appropriate counter ready. Examples being Feed the DK a chimera, and have an embarked quad plasma CCS squad within 24" of where the dread will be ready to jump out of their transport, issue the bring it down order to themselves, and light it up with 8 plasma shots.

or seize the initiative!


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Dashofpepper wrote:There's a six page thread (and growing) in YMDC about whether you can scout shunt or not...since scouting gives you permission to make a normal move, not any move - whereas shunting explicitly rules itself out of the normal move category with the "Instead of Moving" part - not to mention all references to movement and anything that could be described as "normal movement" in the movement section not including shunting, teleportation, or on-table deep-striking during scouting.

yeah I dont think they can do it either, but Im a nice guy and would let someone go along with it. Its not that devastating on a whole. YMDC is gonna be alive for a while until the FAQ comes out.

Dashofpepper wrote:There's a six page thread (and growing) in YMDC about whether you can scout shunt or not...since scouting gives you permission to make a normal move, not any move - whereas shunting explicitly rules itself out of the normal move category with the "Instead of Moving" part - not to mention all references to movement and anything that could be described as "normal movement" in the movement section not including shunting, teleportation, or on-table deep-striking during scouting.

If its for a tournament, ask the TO how they are going to rule on it. I haven't asked anyone yet.

In terms of you allowing it...see schadenfreude's post.

Any random TO on any random day is might rule that shunt is not a valid scout move. My cynical view is you may as well flip a coin or roll off on dice rather than go to the TO because your odds of winning just about any FAQ debate are about 50/50 regardless if you're right or wrong.

If the TO rules against shunt punch it might still work without shunt because they are jump infantry with a scout move. Shunting units already have a 12" move, and they can't make a scout move within 12" of an enemy unit. With a 12" scout move, 12" regular move, and 6" charge range anything deployed within 30" of a shunting unit can be charged on turn 1 via scout move without having to expend the unit's shunt. Because nothing can cause a scouting unit to close within 12" of the enemy, and armies typically deploy 24" away from each other 12" is about as far as a unit can advance anyways making a shunt scout move a waste of a shunt. Shunt as a scout move is just not that useful in pitched battle or dawn of war, the only deployment where I can really see it's usefulness is spearhead.

Yeah... In my limited playtesting I have not really had to use my shunt move. Normal 12" movement is often plenty if you just want to hit something on T1. Where the shunt becomes interesting during scout moves is when you shunt away from a flank to set up (or counter) a refused flank.

Seems like the shunt punch strategy to me is a good way to totally waste your shunt. As above posters have said, you can already get to 12" of the opponent with your normal move

As to the TO question, that is why I feel that spamming the YMDC with opinions is fairly pointless :p Unless *you're* the TO or can influence said TO then it really doesnt matter

The best defense is a screening unit and counter-attack/shoot them afterwards.

Bubble wrap then countercharge with dedicated assault units?