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HI, since the new codex is out and scorpions are my favourite i was wondering if it is possible to make a death star out of them.
For example 10, with claw, karandras, and farseer for +1 to save, or any other buff. IT would be good for upfront assault on turn 2.
If anyone has any ideas to help me on this any advice would be great.

Well just saying, Farseers dont get the "+1/-1 to Armor Saves" power, thats Wraithseers and Guardians. Otherwise it would make a good unit but hardly a Deathstar.

Slayer222 wrote:
HI, since the new codex is out and scorpions are my favourite i was wondering if it is possible to make a death star out of them.
For example 10, with claw, karandras, and farseer for +1 to save, or any other buff. IT would be good for upfront assault on turn 2.
If anyone has any ideas to help me on this any advice would be great.

I don't think a Farseer is going to really help with the unit for a couple reasons.

1. The Farseer can't reliably get a power that will specifically help the squad (other than perhaps Prescience)
2. Farseers cannot infiltrate along with the Scorpions

Other than that... well, I love the Scorpions now, Karandras or otherwise. I'm not sure I'd call them a Death Star (they're not expensive enough to qualify as such in my opinion) but they're definitely a VERY solid melee unit that has a great chance of actually reaching close combat fairly intact.

Karandras and a full unit of Striking Scorpions is going to do a lot of damage, but a unit like that is going to cost you upwards of 400 points. Not only that but they'll actually die to massed fire even easier than the same number of Space Marines. In short, you will annihilate the first thing you charge, and then get shot to all heck. Par for the course for deathstars really.

The big problem here is a complete lack of meaningful AP on their attacks. Against horde armies, or normal units with normal armour (like a tactical squad) they'll do fine. They'll really struggle with 2+ save units and dedicated assault units like Death Company or Berzerkers.

Karandaras and the Exarch will both be rocking I6/I7 power fists. That's enough in and of itself to wreck a lot of MEQ/TEQ.

My first 40k army was Eldar, since then I have sold my eldar army (because they were almost all pewter, and I knew a new codex was coming someday, and I wanted all the new shiny stuff (like wraithknight )) Anyways, back on subject, I play dark eldar and am all about the assault, and about getting into assault as shot up as little as possible. I love striking scorpions (and think an initiative hitting ap2 fist is the best thing that happened to that unit), but how do you as effectively as possible get them into close combat? Do you use a transport and have them sit out for a turn to get shot at or assualted, and have them attack at best turn 3, or do you infiltrate them and run into a similar problem (getting shot up, or assaulted), or do you run them up the field all sneaky like, or use them as a counter attack/objective defender?

Your thoughts would be great, I think the infiltrate way is the best, but I would cry on the inside to have my 200 to 220 point squad get turned into ribbons before they at least metted out similar in turn.

I'm thinking of infiltrating them and letting them lie low for a bit and when the guard is down sending them in after all the artillary fire. I use eldrad usually to re-organize my army to better do this kind of plan, make them scared and have too many target priorities.

Yeah to keep them alive would really require having enough other stuff for them to look at the scorpions and decide they are the least of their problems right then. I think 3 wraithknights would do a good job on taking priority off your scorpion squad.

I'm hoping to get first turn, with eldrad repositioning my guys and blasting a good chunck off the table, this would cause him to be in a stressed mode to what he should shoot at, i will hopefully have the scorpions in thick bush, or behind/inside abuilding that dissallows line of sight, with my paint scheme they tend to blend in and if i place them in the midle of the set up, usually by the end of my first turn my opponent has already forgot about them and can't see them easily, (out of sight, out of mind) it's a fun trick when an ork player forgot about my scorpions, and left his lootas all allown to die by their hand, then have threats from too sides. That's why painting can make a real difference, and can even catch people by surprise.

lol painting for advantage

Think of it like this. You build your list around the SS (which are more anti horde stats wise) and then you add fire power. In other words things that can take out the enemies weapons and make the enemy choose between being assaulted or getting blown to bits.

So should i put reapers, and Prisms for support?

Man you guys must be playing on tables with triple terrain. There is NO WAY you should be able to set up within 18" of me and be out of sight. Flamers couldn't care less about the cover, either, and plasma and flamers are the new black these days.

If your opponent forgets aout a striking scorpion squad 18" away from him, then you are definitely playing in a more - umm - relaxed environment than I am!

I've had great success hiding lone survivors of squads in ruins/buildings and with copious distractions of beverage nature the opponent forgets them, and me as well usually.

For cover we like to have lots of terrain, 30-50% terrain, and super large 8x6 tables. We once made a construction imperial site athat was 2 feet tall with all the terrain and took up 79-84% of the table on the ground level, not including all the crossing beams in the sky. But my friends play ork and tyranids so didn't mind the table set up. So large tables and lost of terrain to make the board look good, if their is no terrain i find the board looks like crap.

What about 10 scorps + exarch/claw w/ eldrad in a wave serpent? You are pretty reliably going to get fortune or doom with him. Pretty mean in combat with most stuff. Not utilizing infiltrate, but I don't see that as being necessary.

screw scorps. Karranderas and 20 guardians with a warlock and 2 s cannons is better. Hit them guide from afar. Now they are re roll to hit and re roll to wound. Plus they can reach to full effect turn one. 6+d6(reroll) 12" gun.

Also, small note monster hunter makes the catapults nasty against monsterous creatures every turn.

1. The transport means i will be getting shot for a turn in the open after signalling to my opponent to come and shoot me. The guardians is a good idea but i am going more for a cc, and since power claws got a boost i thought it might be a good idea since i like scorpion/forest themed armies.

Flat out skimmer + holofields is gonna get you the same cover saves as infiltrated scorpions in all likelihood. If you don't get 1st turn, hide it behind something. I'm not discounting the psychological impact though of racing something up the board...that can draw more fire than an infiltrated unit, but it gives you the option of farseer support.

Radeus wrote:
Flat out skimmer + holofields is gonna get you the same cover saves as infiltrated scorpions in all likelihood. If you don't get 1st turn, hide it behind something. I'm not discounting the psychological impact though of racing something up the board...that can draw more fire than an infiltrated unit, but it gives you the option of farseer support.

The option also exists of infiltrating the Scorpions and putting the Farseer on a Jetbike. They won't have Fortune on the first turn (if you roll it), but given the 48" move of a Jetbike, he'll have no problem being close enough to cast it on them the following turn.

Jetseer support is a good option for sure, less points if you don't want to take the serpent (which is so good now imo). Can't take Eldrad, so 1/2 chance of fortune instead of 2/3, but in a unit of bikes + lock w/ conceal is dirty (assuming lock doesn't get perils!).

Problem with most any deathstar is the return fire. True deathstar examples are:

1) Paladins; 2W 2+armor... yea screw you!
2) BeastPack; 15 or 20 Khymerae + Baron and some other guys; so many 4+inv.

Anyway, the problem for Scorpions is they can't take either Warlocks for the Protect (if you roll hot, or Shrouded primaris) and, if you take a Farseer for the 4+inv Divination power, they can't infiltrate.

Without a reliable way to get an inv save, they'll mulch what they hit ...and then get shot to crap. Damn shame that.

if i go first i won't be able to assualt with them but maybe the farseer on jetbike could reach them and cast on himself, they would be more survivable for latter, if i have 2 scorpions of 10, then maybe 1 might survive after the fact to have farseer support. but i do see alot of the problems.