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What would be better 2 squads of 5 scarabs or a triarch stalker? I have just enough points to take one or the other and I just can't decide, I am leaning to the stalker because it packs a decent anti-troop and anti vehicle punch and takes a decent hit to bring down.

Do you already have scarabs? If nay, take them. They eat tanks for breakfast and make decent tarpits. If you do have the scarabs already in, get the stalker if you're using a shooty list.

I have both and the scarabs have a tendecy to get mauled by a squad of khorne berserkers who were hiding in the land raider they were after. I am running a fairly shooty heavy list, plus I kind of want to find a place for the stalker to fit into the list.

Stalkers work best in twos.

If you have none, go for Scarabs. They will chow down on tanks better than the Stalker.

Yea stalkers really need a list built around them, they work much better in twos as one will just get shot too quickly. Its weird, two will last a long time one will get killed really quickly.

The only reason to take stalkers in twos, as with any unit, is for redundancy in case one gets killed.

They actually have less reason to be taken in twos than many other units though because you cannot make effective use of 2 target relays. This is because you need to be twinlinking multiple units to make effective use of the relay not just one.

2 Predators are twice as good as 1 Predator, 2 Stalkers are not twice as good as 1 Stalker.

Moosatronic Warrior wrote:The only reason to take stalkers in twos, as with any unit, is for redundancy in case one gets killed.

They actually have less reason to be taken in twos than many other units though because you cannot make effective use of 2 target relays. This is because you need to be twinlinking multiple units to make effective use of the relay not just one.

2 Predators are twice as good as 1 Predator, 2 Stalkers are not twice as good as 1 Stalker.

You can absolutely make effective use of two relays, particularly with anti armor as you have a fair chance of destroying or supressing that target with the next unit you shoot at it with. I will agree that you don't get quite as much punch out of doubling up on them as you do with a pair of predators, but if you are spending 150 points just to twin-link shots against one unit a turn, you are probably doing it wrong (in other words stalkers can be used for more than just the target relay).

If you already have one Stalker and are looking to add another, then go for that. If not, then Scarabs every time, they're awesome.

It doesn't matter if the CC unit that bails out of the Land Raider kills them, you've spent 150 points killing a 250 point tank and tying up a CC unit so it can't kill the rest of your army. Plus most opponents, once they hear about scarabs, spend an inordinate amount of time trying to silence them. That's fire not coming the way of the rest of your army (and a 3+ cover save is sick).

If you're running a shooty list, the Stalker can be a nice force multiplier. If you take the TL Heavy Gaus Cannon, you're less likely to lose the Stalker due to 36 inch range. That's how I plan to run mine when I get it. Costs an extra 15 points and you lose the heat ray, but it's a lot cheaper then taking an extra stalker that has to get dangerously close.

Maelstrom808 wrote:

Moosatronic Warrior wrote:The only reason to take stalkers in twos, as with any unit, is for redundancy in case one gets killed.

They actually have less reason to be taken in twos than many other units though because you cannot make effective use of 2 target relays. This is because you need to be twinlinking multiple units to make effective use of the relay not just one.

2 Predators are twice as good as 1 Predator, 2 Stalkers are not twice as good as 1 Stalker.

You can absolutely make effective use of two relays, particularly with anti armor as you have a fair chance of destroying or supressing that target with the next unit you shoot at it with. I will agree that you don't get quite as much punch out of doubling up on them as you do with a pair of predators, but if you are spending 150 points just to twin-link shots against one unit a turn, you are probably doing it wrong (in other words stalkers can be used for more than just the target relay).

Im not saying dont take 2 as they are still useful just for their weaponry alone but I maintain that you cannot make effective of 2 relays. Im not saying that you wont use the twin link ability of both in any given turn but that you wont ever use 2 to full potential at the same time. The relay only comes into its own when most of your army is focus firing on the same unit. It just seems odd that so many people say you must take 2 like they were fire prisms or something.

depends on the rest of the list honestly...

When I use Stalkers, I tend to run two, one for mid-range anti infantry duty (Heat Ray, supported by tesla Immortals and Destroyers) and one long range anti tank duty (Heavy Gauss, supported by Heavy Destroyers and Lance-teks). It's worked out pretty well.

Otherwise, yeah, a unit or two of 7-10 Scarab bases consistently does wonderful things for me. Well worth making room for, if you're not going shooty.