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I like lists that take full advantage of the scout and infiltrate USR's. I have the feeling that (at least locally) I'll be seeing a near constant run of double Inq's with three servo skulls.

Six skulls allows a player to easily cover the full width of a 6' deployment zone close enough to deny any scout moves, while still allowing them to deny two decent infiltrate hides with the remainder.

I know there is still outflanking, other than that, I'm not seeing anything that can be done about it other than to avoid the issue entirely and move away from the USR's entirely with my unit choices.

Drop Pods aren't affected, which is fine, just another nail in my RG Chapter Traits coffin. Doesn't do much for my WS's and Huron CSM's either.

Other than avoiding builds that rely on the USR, am I missing some way to counter the skulls?

"I like using grav weapons, but my opponent brought daemons."

Sorry, but there's really not anything you can do about this. If you go first, you can still use your scout and infiltrate moves to respond to your opponent's deployment, but otherwise you're not going to get much out of this.

Servo skulls exist to reduce the impact of scout and infiltrate deployment strategies. That's what they do. They don't completely mitigate your ability to use the USRs, but they are going to protect key units. That's just how they work.

When people discuss grav guns, I recommend bringing a diverse set of special weapons in your army. I think the same argument holds here. Have you considered other deployment strategies? I hear drop pods are popular, and Space Marine assault squads get them very cheaply.

Yup, no way around it. To make it worse, your opponent really doesn't even need more than 3. I use them with my GK now, and I can typically very effectively bottle your scouts in your deployment zone with just 3, and keep infiltrators out of useful places. Servos are just super effective and cheap as all get out.

That was my thought. Question then becomes, does one Inq/Psyker with 3 skulls become an auto-take since they don't come with a troop tax or take up your Allied slot?

Depends. Inquisitors are harder to fit into armies than they look at first glance. Remember:

(1) They're only battle brothers for Imperial armies.
(2) They can't embark into allied transports.
(3) They have no upgrade options to enhance their mobility.

So you need an army that contains an Imperial infantry unit that doesn't intend to use a transport. Without a unit like this, they won't have a squad to reallocate wounds to. If they're already taking Coteaz, now they need two such units. And if they intend to make the second inquisitor a psyker as well, they now need at least 2 units deserving of divination support.

Corollax wrote:
When people discuss grav guns, I recommend bringing a diverse set of special weapons in your army. I think the same argument holds here. Have you considered other deployment strategies? I hear drop pods are popular, and Space Marine assault squads get them very cheaply.

I own 13 drop pods, and yes love putting five strong ASM squads with two flamers in pods. I've just been attempting to make more use of my Raven Guard chapter traits with squads in rhino's and Shrike infiltrating some VV's. Pretty sure I'm just going to find some Chapter Traits that actually have some synergies with drop pods. And begin including Inq's in my armies that don't get the chance to deploy all in pods.

Corollax wrote:
Depends. Inquisitors are harder to fit into armies than they look at first glance. Remember:

(1) They're only battle brothers for Imperial armies.
(2) They can't embark into allied transports.
(3) They have no upgrade options to enhance their mobility.

So you need an army that contains an Imperial infantry unit that doesn't intend to use a transport. Without a unit like this, they won't have a squad to reallocate wounds to. If they're already taking Coteaz, now they need two such units. And if they intend to make the second inquisitor a psyker as well, they now need at least 2 units deserving of divination support.

Div may not always be necessary I guess, depending on your specific army. But even if you can't get battle brothers with them, and you don't want to add henchmen squads. Who wouldn't benefit from a 34 point inquisitor brought along just to put three servo-skulls on the table? Perhaps my local meta skews my impression, but a lot of my local players make use of the scout/infiltrate USR's.

That sounds like a really cool meta. Tons of movement shenanigans. I'm envious.

But yeah, I can see where Codex: Inquisition would be upsetting, given such an environment.

Corollax wrote:Depends. Inquisitors are harder to fit into armies than they look at first glance. Remember:

(1) They're only battle brothers for Imperial armies.
(2) They can't embark into allied transports.
(3) They have no upgrade options to enhance their mobility.

So you need an army that contains an Imperial infantry unit that doesn't intend to use a transport. Without a unit like this, they won't have a squad to reallocate wounds to. If they're already taking Coteaz, now they need two such units. And if they intend to make the second inquisitor a psyker as well, they now need at least 2 units deserving of divination support.

While it is important to note that they can't embark into allied transports, they can bring squads of henchmen with their own dedicated transports. It is a bit more of an investment and does make fitting them into mech lists not as simple, but there are some benefits there as well.

Admittedly true. If you're intending to field your henchmen in an assault based role, a xenos inquisitor can be a good way to assist them. I certainly wouldn't make such an inquisitor my warlord, however.

As a BA player I thought I should try some of the SM chapters (Raven Guard and White Scars). I see both of them being negatively affected by this. It does not matter that Inq are only Allies of Convenience with Eldar, as they now get cheap infiltrate/scout protection.

I still have some eldar left, maybe I should buy 2 more serpents and 1 WK and go with them instead.

Yeah I'm really not happy about the new inq codex. Previouslyu deployment disruption was a strength of the GK codex. Now half the armies in the game will have it without using up any force organisation slots. I think the whole idea of Inquistors not taking up any ally slots leads to some fairly overpowered builds. On top of that I'm astonded they left servo skulls at 3 points each when they're clearly worth so much more (I would still take 3 at 15 points each).

Some things just don't match price to power.
Look at warrior acolyte armor/shield options for example-they just don't worth that many points.
To make things worse, the crusader costs less then half of a similarly equipped acolyte-in the very same squad!

Heck, I don't play Ravenguard or any army that relies on infiltrating/scouting, and I don't like the Inquisition book either. One of my two armies is GK, so half of the things that made my codex "special", were just given out to literally EVERY imperial army. May as well rename my army Codex: Expensive Marines.

Whining done. There.

 Homeskillet wrote:
Heck, I don't play Ravenguard or any army that relies on infiltrating/scouting, and I don't like the Inquisition book either. One of my two armies is GK, so half of the things that made my codex "special", were just given out to literally EVERY imperial army. May as well rename my army Codex: Expensive Marines.

Whining done. There.

Well until 5th inquisitors were available to all imperial armies so really they had more right to complain until now then you do. Heck GK used to be only terminators and were imperial agents that every (imperial) army could use until 3rd. The whole GK codex come to think of it was simply a compilation of imperial agents put into one book and hamfisted into an army.

 Red Corsair wrote:

 Homeskillet wrote:
Heck, I don't play Ravenguard or any army that relies on infiltrating/scouting, and I don't like the Inquisition book either. One of my two armies is GK, so half of the things that made my codex "special", were just given out to literally EVERY imperial army. May as well rename my army Codex: Expensive Marines.

Whining done. There.

Well until 5th inquisitors were available to all imperial armies so really they had more right to complain until now then you do. Heck GK used to be only terminators and were imperial agents that every (imperial) army could use until 3rd. The whole GK codex come to think of it was simply a compilation of imperial agents put into one book and hamfisted into an army.

Ah yes...Inquisitors toting a psycannon and 2 mystics to make plasmacutioners tell everyone goodnight.

I kind of said this in the other thread but who cares about protecting the Inquisitor or making use of him? For 34 points to get all that tactical benefit, I'll cheerfully shoot him myself.

 Red Corsair wrote:

 Homeskillet wrote:
Heck, I don't play Ravenguard or any army that relies on infiltrating/scouting, and I don't like the Inquisition book either. One of my two armies is GK, so half of the things that made my codex "special", were just given out to literally EVERY imperial army. May as well rename my army Codex: Expensive Marines.

Whining done. There.

Well until 5th inquisitors were available to all imperial armies so really they had more right to complain until now then you do. Heck GK used to be only terminators and were imperial agents that every (imperial) army could use until 3rd. The whole GK codex come to think of it was simply a compilation of imperial agents put into one book and hamfisted into an army.

Burn!

Get more Mindstrike missiles and make your opponent pay for taking so many a inquisitors.

Army-wide scout is pretty bs so no sympathy from me, even though Tau/Eldar being able to take the skulls is even worse.

If they are castling, you can still Infiltrate behind the skull line, it just won't be very ideal. If they are spread over the table, you just forced him to spread out, which can be a good thing.

 Tyberos the Red Wake wrote:
Army-wide scout is pretty bs so no sympathy from me, even though Tau/Eldar being able to take the skulls is even worse..

Well, my Raven Guard being an army that was always portrayed as scout recon elements directing drop pods and assault marines to the target. I'd agree, though perhaps for different reasons.

 Tyberos the Red Wake wrote:
If they are castling, you can still Infiltrate behind the skull line, it just won't be very ideal. If they are spread over the table, you just forced him to spread out, which can be a good thing.

68 points get them two Inquisitors and six servo-skulls. They can blanket your deployment zone removing any scout movement, and still have 2-3 skulls to remove any cover based infiltration. Doesn't take much to cover any remaining area within their deployment zone to leave you nothing or just one spot right inside their intended killzone. They can cover a very large part of the table long before they put any models on the table.

 Tyberos the Red Wake wrote:
Army-wide scout is pretty bs so no sympathy from me, even though Tau/Eldar being able to take the skulls is even worse.

If they are castling, you can still Infiltrate behind the skull line, it just won't be very ideal. If they are spread over the table, you just forced him to spread out, which can be a good thing.

Yes, you can still infiltrate to some extent, but you can't infiltrate within 12" of one meaning three skulls can pretty much deny you all the best places to infiltrate and they'll probably still have a good chance of interfering with your scout move even if placed to focus on denying infiltration.

I've not even seen the book yet and already I get a grim feeling about this.

Well, if they are stopping your turn 1 bonuses you get for RG, mainly the redeployment, then try and switch up your tsctics.

I play RG as well. And leven since fifth my sm army has not been too powerful but it has always had deployment options. This fact has made them competitve enough to dictate how I want the battle to unfold.

The Scout and Infiltrate USR let you outflank. That makes it tough but it will deny the opponent the chance to truly benefit from the skulls.

It looks like the sit in one spot and just roll dice for *fun* players, get yet another rule going their way. They really weren't liking opponents having the ability to be in their faces early on. Apart from pods they can breath a huge sigh of relief as they now have their 24" field of death back again, and there is nothing their opponent can do about it without reserving half their army for outflanking, hus giving the skilled dice roller chance to take apart one part of the army at a time.
7th edition advert... "New, improved and speedier 40k - with no movement phase. Dont like the hassle of moving models? Great- the rules are set up just for you! Now you can leave your models in one spot and roll dice to your hearts content! Out now."

Yeah, feth the skulls. 34 points is nothing for the effect it has on armies that like to infiltrate and scout.

Infiltrate was one of the most tactical elements of the game IMO, and it's been nerfed into oblivion by somethat that literally adds nothing of value to the game.

Might as well give out a 34 point "you are now invincible to melee" upgrade while they're at it, or "for 34 points, nothing can move more than 6 inches per turn". All sorts of bs they can add in if they put their minds to it.