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Good day dakkers I have been thinking about running Harker as he seams like a good way to get some disruption into a guard list. Have any of you had success with him? Just on the face of it he looks like a good way to get the relic as well as getting some melta/plasma into good position. How have you backed him up (or not) with scouting storm troopers?

I tried it once. It was just a hell of a points investment that my opponent decided would be silly to ignore and tore it up. Quite disappointing really.
In my opinion if you want to out-flank, Al'rahem is the best option as at least you can come in numbers and in metal boxes.

He is *great* for snatching the relic, as well as being a general nuisance. I started running a plasma vet-squad with Harker and Forward sentries in my SoB list and have not looked back.

I tend to either infiltrate immediately next to a threat I want to rapid-fire first turn, or behind my Aegis line for a 2+ objective camper which has no problems being shooty.

I'll admit, the squad does get slightly expensive, but when you are used to paying 190+ points for a 10 girl squad anyway, Harker's vets are no problem.

I've been wanting to try this out (as allies for ork), but with the 3 plasma, Haker and FS, you're looking at somewhere around 200 points, which is a lot for a squishy troop choice.

There are ways to deal with the high points cost:
-Making sure to leave him in cover, either a ruin or a defense line for 2+ cover saves.
-Add in a heavy weapon squad.
-Deploy an objective somewhere you're going to infiltrate them.

Leaving them running about with a relic will have them be destroyed. They are easily more of an objective sitter. No one is going to shoot at them except with barrage - which will really destroy them.


I haven't used them yet, but I think it's a good idea.

I've started to really like Harker recently.

When next I run him, I'm probably going to try a setup of Harker, Camo Cloaks, 3x flamers, and a lascannon.

Defensively speaking, this unit is a beast. Sitting in a ruins, you get a 2+ cover save without going to ground. Might as well be a unit of terminators. So if you can't shoot them, well, how about assaulting them? Say hello to three overwatching flamers and an overwatching heavy bolter, amongst other stuff. Even if you do make it in, the squad is in cover has defensive grenades.

Really, the only way you're going to displace this squad is with something that ignores cover saves, but you have the entire rest of your army to handle those threats.

Meanwhile, outside of this defensive role he has a few tricks up his sleeve. You already noticed the relic grab, but infiltration can do some other annoying things at times. Plus you can always outflank and use those flamers to clear a poorly-defended objective in your opponent's deployment zone. Once they take it, they can then turn over into that defensive beast while attacking side and rear armor of things with a BS4 lascannon.

It's expensive, but you can do some pretty interesting things with this kind of a unit.

Interesting approach Ailaros. You're looking at a lot of points for one BS4 lascannon (although if you shoot at light armour, you can add the heavy bolter). I'd call this a great outflanker rather than an objective sitter (but really depends on the mission set up).




Something I just thought of ... if you're looking at an army with a lot of barrage weapons, you can deploy them in area terrain and still get your 3+ cover saves.

I really want to like Harker, I just can't seem to get him to work. Maybe if I had more distractions up with him since on turn 2 him and his squad just gets assaulted. There's the added problem of a 1/3 chance of coming in on the table edge you didn't want.

NamelessBard wrote:You're looking at a lot of points for one BS4 lascannon

...

I think you missed the entire point of my post.

 Ailaros wrote:

NamelessBard wrote:You're looking at a lot of points for one BS4 lascannon

...

I think you missed the entire point of my post.

No, I just wonder if the 100ish extra points for defense are really worth it.

I go big and run a harkerstar.

3 plasma guns, Harker, and forward sentries. I'm hesitant to ad a heavy weapon, as the squad has to move through cover often to pressure the opponent or fall back and stay out of assault range, plus, the darn thing is already crazy expensive.

The real value of the unit is the wonderful 2+ save in ruins. When I need an objective held in the midflield the harkerstar is my go-to choice. It's nice to have at least one infantry unit which has some durability against shooting attacks. So far, Harker and his squad has always lasted to hold an objective in the endgame. I try to think of it this way: I could spend a sure 300+ points to unlock a squad of conscripts with SITNW to hold an objective in my deployment and gain some expendable PIS as a bonus, or I could take Harker, park him in some cover, and have, effectively, a ten-man squad with 2+ saves against mostly everything shooty.

Although, I've started playing with a lot of tanks recently, so if I am playing an assaulty army, they are usually concerned with punching my tanks rather than a small veteran squad, not to mention all the stormtroopers I drop in the backfeild, and marbo.

Well firstly, it's only an extra 85 points. So, for the price of two vet squads, you could get one vet squad that is...

- Three times more survivable against shooting attacks. If that's not enough just in itself, I'd also add that it gives away fewer KP and is less likely to drop first blood.

- Can deploy outside of your deployment zone.

- Can outflank onto enemy objectives.

- Is shockingly assault proof.

- Comes with an extra relentless heavy bolter on a FNP model.

These things are easily worth the price of a second squad. Plus, it's not like you can't still take other veterans if one of them is a harker squad.

I love Harrker's squad. I run mine differently than most of the posters so far.
I do:

Veterans
Harker
Autocannon
Plasmagun
Sniper x 2

I usually deploy them so they can deploy away from my denied flank in most missions and have a different direction of semi threating fire. I like it, usually works out okay.