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Hi guys,

In 40k, do you ever take "chaff" units designed especially to get in the way, distract, or generally annoy the opponent around their deployment zone?

If so, what kind of thing do you use them for?

How many points would you say is the maximum you'd spent on these units?

 Dreadlegions wrote:
Hi guys,

In 40k, do you ever take "chaff" units designed especially to get in the way, distract, or generally annoy the opponent around their deployment zone?

If so, what kind of thing do you use them for?

How many points would you say is the maximum you'd spent on these units?

Yes. Any unit from Codex: Orks.

With my drop pod marines I like drop podding in 5 assault marines with two flamers for 95 Points including pod. Two units of those as filler is great, as they are cheap enough to waste but pack enough punch vs infantry that they can't be ignored without taking their toll.

I've been using three squads of Dire Avengers for this, mainly as many of the local players play DE, and I would rather they waste a turn shooting at something they believe will severely hurt them, rather than the squads that are actually hurting them. As an example in a game on Sunday, my opponent spent three or so turns firing plasma missiles at one squad of Dire Avengers, slowly whittling them down, while I spent my missiles destroying his Wave Serpents and Vypers.

Deep striking Mutilators :-)

Grots and Boyz, probably Boyz more then the Grots since the PKs are buried in the Boyz.

Bare unit of commandos gone to ground on a objective in cover. SO much shooting will be put at them.

10 mutants for R&H. Excellent speed bumbs/cover givers.

Assault marines at around 100 points.

Drop dreads sometimes, but they are a little more expensive. Cause more havoc though...

I'm planning on taking a small Daemonkin CAD of min sized Cultists alongside my Blood Host my to run at the enemy and start the blood flowing

Drop pods with ironclads

Much distraction, such armor, WOW!

I find them very useful for droping down, torching troops off things then squatting on there chard remains holding there objective.

just make sure not to expose your backside

I wanna give the missile launcher off the drop pod a shot with the change to deepstrike speed but not sure if its worth it.

I was looking into taking the AD little walker units as throw aways. Especially since with a lot of the armies out there it is not worth using an entire units fire power on them. In most tournaments I see first blood is kinda meh/mitigated.

With their range I can have them eat overwatch(looking at you D-scythes) and with the nerf to serpent shields I can actually see them surviving. They are also great at taking objectives as well.

I have a few "chaff" units like this.

Melee Scouts in a Landspeeder. 100 points base. Can DS, Infiltrate, and Scout. Has opened topped meaning Assault after DE. Cerberus Launcher can really mess with low init units and can be a pain for low toughness infantry. I love mine, even if it gets shot down and the Scouts die in their first melee. They are probably the best chaff unit in the book.

Another one I use is my 5 ASMs. For 95 points they can at least win the right combat and are a little harder than the Scouts. IH CT gives me more durability but I find I never use the packs for a charge. I mainly take them to add mobility and back up my better units. Its fun to try and use them with the Scouts for a surprisingly decent charge.

I also like the Landspeeder Typhoon. For 75 points this is the perfect platform for the TML. Moving 6" and firing at full efficiency (correct me if I'm wrong) is so sweet. The 18" move alone is enough. Especially with Jink and Maelstrom missions, you could even do without the TML and take them for objective sniping. Perhaps a tie for best chaff?

Lol. Depends on how you look at it I guess. I'm just gonna say Landspeeders are the best chaff unit for SM, whether they are full of guns or scouts!

I like to play an old tactic and use a screen of skirmishers to block my enemy and harass them, while I arrange my main battle host behind the screening force. Then I either wade in with power weapons or stand and pray with loads of dice. Naturally this never works and my chaff ends up more like snack.

I have different armies:

DE: Wyches, although I hardly use them. Mandrakes make a good nuisance unit.

Tyranids: Haha Gaunts a plenty.

Orks: Everything dies so eh.

Mantis Warriors: Probably Land Speeders. Melee Scouts are very good with Mantis tactics.

I've noticed Space Marine Scouts, with cloaks, gone to ground sitting on an objective can absorb a lot of fire.

Anything with infiltrate+Stealth/Shroud (I love Snikrot and Kommandos for this) as well as super el cheapo stuff like 30pt grot squads. I beat an Eldar list with a WK in it a little while ago primarily due to ten man grot squads.

warbuggies.... always warbuggies!

it's over here, now it's over there..... LOL



Actually even Imperial knights... throw it into CC then allow it to explode................ BAM!!! You dead bro...

Conscript blob with a priest is a wonderful distraction/tarpit/throwaway unit

As any good general knows all units are distraction/throwaway units!

But OT, I think 5 flayed ones meet the concept quite well. They are deadly enough not to ignore but are a waste to kill in such a small unit and can absorb a surprising amount of firepower in the decurion.

Fearless Grots around a Stompa have won me many games. Absorbs shots, charges, and Overwatch if and when I want to assault. Holds objectives well.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also single Deffkopta units are very distracting/annoying.

Cortez plus a hundred 3 man henchman squads?

Nurglings! Infiltrate onto an objective and lob defensive grenades at anything that gets close!

Definitely. Flesh Hounds are a nasty 40 Wound T4 unit with S5 on the charge. For 320 points, it's pretty mean and draws a lot of fire.

Dark Eldar players with holes in their roster sometimes include single-model Beast Packs. A single beast is a cheap way to force one or more enemy units to waste time gunning it down before it gets to their lines.

Squadron of Warbuggies/Wartrakks with Rokkits. Around 100 points for 4 vehicles with Rokkit launchers outflanking you and just rolling around in your deployment zone screwing with you and any gun line is well worth it... and sadistically fun.

I love a drop pod dreadnought. especially the Ironclad with 2x heavy flamers.

i also use a command squad with 4 meltaguns in a drop pod. Coming in at 175 points is a little more than those assault squads with flamers, but, it is almost guaranteed to wreck most vehicles. So it's purpose is not so much to be a distraction as it is to kill something. And then die an honorable death knowing they served their purpose.

 Icculus wrote:
I love a drop pod dreadnought. especially the Ironclad with 2x heavy flamers.

i also use a command squad with 4 meltaguns in a drop pod. Coming in at 175 points is a little more than those assault squads with flamers, but, it is almost guaranteed to wreck most vehicles. So it's purpose is not so much to be a distraction as it is to kill something. And then die an honorable death knowing they served their purpose.

Yep. Drop Pod Dreads are amazing for forcing something like PathFinders off an objective. I just wish they didn't die to a stiff breeze or at least had a 5+ Invulnerable.

Having 4 8-man units of Khornate Cultists... Awesome.

10 plaguebearers has always done well by me. Lots of times I bring 2 units of 10, and just plop them down wherever I want. Now there are hounds, drones, screamers, soul grinders and PBs all up in your grill, ready to charge you.

Termagants/Hormagaunts from an endless swarm formation or gargoyles from a skyblight swarm.

Kill as many as you want, they'll be back.