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I am trying to build a 1500 point list and squeeze in about 10 terminators. I am going Black Templar and am considering making them all Assault Terminators and deep striking them. Most would have TH/SS and a few would have the lightning claws. I was also planning on taking a chapter master in Terminator armor with them.

Am I doing that backward? Should I be footslogging the Assault Termies and deep striking the regular Termies? The problem I see with deep striking Assault Termies is that when they enter play, they can't do anything. Deep striking the standard termies would at least still get me some shops off, especially if i bring a cannon. They would still be beastly in assault with all those powerfists.I haven't played any matches with my terminators yet and was wondering how they are best used.

Terminators are pretty bad, so I doubt fine tuning them is going to matter much in the scheme of things.

Martel732 wrote:
Terminators are pretty bad, so I doubt fine tuning them is going to matter much in the scheme of things.

They aren't worth their points. That does not make them useless.

You should certainly try to fine-tune them.

I didn't say they were useless. I said there wouldn't be much variation from fine tuning. Both tactical and assault terminators need to get to assault to be truly effective, because the tactical terminators' firepower is awful.

This being said, I have been known to put them in drop lists and then use a locator beacon to beam in the tactical ones with a heavy flamer in the unit. It's..... meh.

Well, are assault termies that much better in cc than tactical that i should forgo shooting all together?

Maybe I will run an HQ in TDA and attach it to the assault squad. that way at least one model can do some shooting in the shooting phase.

Mmmm... I would say you might be on to something there with the mechanics of the situation, for reasons other than the ones stated. Here is how a game goes for me, facing any SM force with terminators:

1) The shooty terminators start off in a Land Raider headed up the board, and my CSMs desperately try to shoot it up.

2) The shooty terminators get out to shoot and assault. My guys get off some overwatch shots and maybe kill one of them.

3) The assault terminators with their TH / SS deep strike in my rear. My CSMs try to move away from them, screwing up things like salvo weapons, lascannons, etc.

4) Now there's a Land Raider on the board with most of it's weapons and hull points, a squad of terminators that takes like 100 shots to kill, and another squad of terminators locked in cc with one of my CSM squads (usually the one I need somewhere else.)

If you were to swap around the terminators, I could actually see that as a benefit to my side. Like, if I knew the TH/SS terminators were in the Land Raider, I could put something there to tie them up for a few rounds while my other units did something else. If you deep struck the shooty terminators, I would have less of a challenge shooting them up than the assault ones because they don't have SS.

But yeah, don't listen to people who say they are overcosted. They work perfectly fine against CSMs, Daemons and most other armies. It's really just against Tau and Eldar where they lose a little luster.

Dude, Martel! I'm starting to get halfway convinced that you have some kind of grudge against Space Marines, so in an effort to reduce their player base, you give out deliberately misleading advice!

Just kidding.

Seriously, though, while tactical terminators aren't very good, Assault Terminators are a damn solid choice. Personally, I don't recommend them on foot OR via Deep Strike, but rather out of a Land Raider. I prefer a 2-1 ration of hammers to claws. They are expensive, but they tend to chew through almost everything you put them up against.

Stick to 5 at 1500. Go 3-5 TH/SS and 0-2 LC.

The only space marines I'd deep strike would be tactical termies with IF trait, gives you a slight buff in shooty power, still not ideal. DW does a much better job with turn 1 DS and TL guns on arrival.

If you're gonna go BT, then assault termies in a LR is a must.

Put them in a Land Raider Crusader and rush it straight at the biggest threat on the battlefield, like everyone else who uses assault terminators.

For Templars - 2x5 Assault terminators w/ TH/SS, in crusaders. Chuck in a Shield Eternal/Termiantor Chapter Master and you've got something fun.

Charge them up the board with another 2 Crusaders with Tactical Marines inside.

Play them the templars way!

The problem is that assault terminators in a LR are a very expensive way to kill a unit that may cost as little as 100 pts. Remember one of the biggest flaws with assault is that your opponent gives you what he wants assaulted.

Martel732 wrote:
The problem is that assault terminators in a LR are a very expensive way to kill a unit that may cost as little as 100 pts. Remember one of the biggest flaws with assault is that your opponent gives you what he wants assaulted.

That's why I was thinking about deepstriking them. My plan was to get a drop pod with a chaplain and a crusader squad down on first turn, then shoot for the accurate deepstrike second turn. I guess the problem is I am still looking at a turn 3 assault, but I am also saving 250 points by not going with a landraider.

Both are imperfect unfortunately. I'm kind of a cheapass, so I always try to use the locator beacon. The problem with 6th is that you could have just deep struck more shooting.