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As the title says Are IG snipers worth it?

I'm only asking this because I plan on bringing either a vet squad with 3x snipers, autocannon or lascannon, vox, grenadiers or forward sentries. coming to either 130-140 points.
Or a SWS with 3x snipers which is 50 points.
I don't have ratlings as I'm buying praetorian guardsmen.

I just want to know is it worth taking either squad or is there a better option.(by better I mean able to cause more wounds).

Sir Bushwookie

No no no no no. I urge you to reconsider everything there; the SWS with snipers is fine. It's a cheap unit that can sit back and longball MC's. But Veterans should be fine without a vox; should be mobile and thus not using a Heavy weapon, and should make full use of being able to pick up 3 meltaguns or 3 plasmaguns. Very few units in the game can do that. Grenadiers and forward sentries aren't worth the points; they improve your survivability an incredibly scant amount. I'd steer clear and use those points for upgrades: we're IG, we take casualties.

The idea of the up-armoured, expensive, elite Guardsmen doesn't work with vets. They are a firepower platform; not much else.

If you want carapace-armoured badasses with BS4 and special weapons, look into storm troopers. They got much better in 6th edition.

Thanks.
The vets were for long range precision fire with which I would hopefully wound enemy characters. I have 2 other vet squads both with melta and plasmas as well.
Along with 5 stormtroopers with 2 plasma guns anyway.
If I could I would post my list but it happens to be on a boat in the Atlantic.
Once again thanks I haven't played since 5th so I'm still changing things.

Sir Bushwookie

I wanted to do exactly the same thing... Some cool snipers to take shots at characters or special weapons

I haven't tried it yet, but my plan is to go with eldar allies and pathfinders. They look awesome as snipers, ap1 on a 5 or 6 to hit as well (iirc). Plus they have +2 stealth (again iirc).

Take a farseer as hq and you can guide them, doom the target. Or even fortune them if you want to make them pretty resilient on an objective.

Plus they look cool so good as a new painting project (main reason I like the allies rule!)

Ratlings are the most cost effective sniper in the army (possibly the game). On guardsmen, they are either BS3, or a point sink.

Vets with snipers, autocannon, and forward sentries sitting on an objective is a fun idea, but not worth all the points.

I agree with Jerjare. It seems to me that if you want snipers, Ratlings really do give you your best "bang for your buck". They are actually cheaper than veteran snipers but still have BS4, everyone in their squad has sniper rifles so you don't need to pay for useless lasguns.

Plan B would be the SWS with sniper rifles. But consider that such a squad costs 50 points for 3 BS 3 sniper rifles, or you could have 5 BS 4 sniper rifles with a 5-man Ratling squad for the same price. Plus on top of that the Ratlings can infiltrate for a more advantageous position to fire from.

Eldar Pathfinders is an interesting idea, but SO expensive.

Also keep in mind you can run Praetorian snipers as ratlings.

 pie zuri wrote:
Also keep in mind you can run Praetorian snipers as ratlings.

Not sure that would comply with WYSIWYG. Ratlings are not normal humans and have different stats accordingly. You'd have to do something with them to differentiate them.

I second Pie Zuri. Thats what I do as I hate the look and fluff of Ratlings. If you're really iching to use vets as a sniper team maybe look up Harker.

Anyway as other people here said snipers can be really.......hit or miss. : D


Edit: to try and get rid of the laughing ork head while keeping the colon, D

The problem with ratlings is that they're LD 6. All it takes is a couple of wounds and they're running. Another thing is they can't capture objectives since they're elites, and that leads me to their largest flaw in my book, they compete with stormtroopers and marbo, our two best elite choices.

If I wanted snipers, I'd probably take a PCS and put 4 snipers in it. 50pts, scores, can give orders, better LD, and isn't really using up a critical slot. Plus, if all you want is precise shot, it doesn't matter what BS the unit is, since you always need a 6 to pull it off.

But I've never cared much for snipers, I usually prefer to just shoot MC's with all my autocannons and my exterminator. If I need a specific model to die, he just eats more fire this turn to ensure he's either dying or running. AKA take my advice with a grain of salt.

Good call on the PCS. Same price as a SWS, and has one more sniper rifle. Hadn't thought of that.

Personally, I don't mind the look for fluff of the Ratlings. And Ld6 doesn't matter too much since at T2 they usually all die before having to take a leadership test. But I have found them useful on the rare occasions I've brought them.

 NWansbutter wrote:

 pie zuri wrote:
Also keep in mind you can run Praetorian snipers as ratlings.

Not sure that would comply with WYSIWYG. Ratlings are not normal humans and have different stats accordingly. You'd have to do something with them to differentiate them.

I guess it depends who you play with or what the tournament rules are but "counts as" and WYSIWYG are fine as far as i'm aware. If you have a group of Guard with Snipers then fielding them under the Ratlings profile is fine as long as your opponent is aware of what they are.

Persoanlly, when i first read 6th Edition Sniper Rifle Rules i got all excited to run my Guard with Sniper Rifles, Sniper Rifles everywhere but after a couple of games i realised 3/4 to hit and 4 to wound, or a 6 to make any real use of that wound, was pretty weak. Ratlings are the best way to go but even so i'd put the points most anywhere else.

Peace Out!
Jonny!

 RubberJonny wrote:

 NWansbutter wrote:

 pie zuri wrote:
Also keep in mind you can run Praetorian snipers as ratlings.

Not sure that would comply with WYSIWYG. Ratlings are not normal humans and have different stats accordingly. You'd have to do something with them to differentiate them.

I guess it depends who you play with or what the tournament rules are but "counts as" and WYSIWYG are fine as far as i'm aware. If you have a group of Guard with Snipers then fielding them under the Ratlings profile is fine as long as your opponent is aware of what they are.

Persoanlly, when i first read 6th Edition Sniper Rifle Rules i got all excited to run my Guard with Sniper Rifles, Sniper Rifles everywhere but after a couple of games i realised 3/4 to hit and 4 to wound, or a 6 to make any real use of that wound, was pretty weak. Ratlings are the best way to go but even so i'd put the points most anywhere else.

Peace Out!
Jonny!

WYSIWYG refers to armaments.
You can't easily represent different stats by modeling; that's just silly. That's like "Oh! Those can't be Veterans, how do I tell they have a higher BS?! You have to run them as a platoon."

Anyone who tells you they can't represent ratlings is wrong. Give them all sniper rifles, camo cloaks, and viola. Ratlings.

Agreed.

Sniper rifles, like grenade launchers and flamers are situational, cheap, low-damage upgrades. Generally you want to avoid taking them unless you just have some points to blow and some slots to fill, rather than making a unit around them.

For example, in a few recent 1850 point lists of mine, I've had 10 extra points that I've put into a pair of snipers for my CCS. They occasionally kill a few things, and give the squad something to do while it waits to get into close combat.

But unless you've got good, specific plans, or really don't have the points to take better weapons, I'd just pass on them most of the time.

... unless you know for sure your meta is "hidden" upgrade heavy.

BS doesn't matter. You are only looking for precisions shots.
PCS with snipers in a chimera, is nice a change and can be useful, whilst importantly they haven't always a role beyond sitting still and giving orders.

Ratlings are squishy. +1 cover, still makes them easy targets. Ld6 means they will run away.

MFletch wrote:
BS doesn't matter. You are only looking for precisions shots.
PCS with snipers in a chimera, is nice a change and can be useful, whilst importantly they haven't always a role beyond sitting still and giving orders.

Ratlings are squishy. +1 cover, still makes them easy targets. Ld6 means they will run away.

Even non-precision shots wound on a 4 and rend on a 6. If you hit a termie squad, BS matters.

Actually, BS always matters. A non-allocated hit is better than a miss. Always. 100% of the time.

BS4>BS3

BS isn't so important, but of course it matters
Snipers are not really going to do much against termies anyway.
They are not going to do much against any squad, you'll find, mostly talking about using sniper scouts but the point remains.
However, neutering a unit by taking out the meltagun et al. is worth it however rare it may be.
That is why 6s are so much more important than an extra hit.