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Yaho,

After promising myself i'd do it for at least 3 years; i've sprung for port-a-bastion #2. This now provides me with enough high LOS blocks to render 3 manticores and the mighty MoO/Sgt Harker untouchable in a corner. I'm ever so close to Porta-a-Bastion 3 and have an entire artillery park behind a wall of t9.

Since introducing it into my 2k army i'm 2 for 2 against plasma primaris and derp strike DA. However it's obvious I either need a bit more flexibility; possibly in the form of discount scout sentinels for DS blocking or some more punch in/behind.

So Dakka; what is your experience with serious fortifications in 8th, and how do you get the most out of them?

I've run a couple of games with a bastion full of dark reapers. The extra survivability is great tho comes with the cost of not being able to target them with psychic powers. Plus the line of sight blocking is super handy.
I need to test it out a bit more as it makes an expensive unit a heap more expensive, but with good positioning they can be super annoying.

Now that units inside cannot shoot a forts weapons and the weapons have to fire at bs5+, you're seeing less and less forts used, especially with the price hike. That's because very few units in the game can directly take full advantage of a fort as very few units (aside from those like the aforementioned DRs) can take full heavy weapons. Yeah, they may add incredible durability to a Guard HWS or some Devestators for example, but at that price you may as well just take more HWS's or Devs. Before, at least extra models could make use of the forts guns.
Now if they took away the absurd 1 unit only rule, that would be a different matter. Suddenly 3 HWS's in a Bastion doesnt sound anywhere near as bad.
The only real advantage of them is as you mentioned, if you are running artillery and want LoS blocking terrain on demand.
Side note - bunkers always had the widest firing ports rule wise, now they have the smallest... what's that about?

I think I'd go with bunkers with 5 dark reapers in each. I see people talking about putting reapers in wave serpents and that seems like an obviously worse idea.

You can't cast guide on them but you can put misfortune on the unit they are shooting at, so it's not all bad.

Mandragola wrote:
I think I'd go with bunkers with 5 dark reapers in each. I see people talking about putting reapers in wave serpents and that seems like an obviously worse idea.

You can't cast guide on them but you can put misfortune on the unit they are shooting at, so it's not all bad.

The point of a wave serpent is to have 1 drop and 1st turn protection, you can have 2 units of 5 and 1-2 HQ's. As Ynnari you can have 2x5 Reaper units with Yvraine all as 1 drop instead of 3 drops.

Since WS are one of the best transports in game, its not likely to die turn 1 making them impossible to kill right away.

Edit: Also the WS can move and shoot, charge, and just generally do more than a Bunker ever will.

 Amishprn86 wrote:

Mandragola wrote:
I think I'd go with bunkers with 5 dark reapers in each. I see people talking about putting reapers in wave serpents and that seems like an obviously worse idea.

You can't cast guide on them but you can put misfortune on the unit they are shooting at, so it's not all bad.

The point of a wave serpent is to have 1 drop and 1st turn protection, you can have 2 units of 5 and 1-2 HQ's. As Ynnari you can have 2x5 Reaper units with Yvraine all as 1 drop instead of 3 drops.

Since WS are one of the best transports in game, its not likely to die turn 1 making them impossible to kill right away.

Edit: Also the WS can move and shoot, charge, and just generally do more than a Bunker ever will.

Ok, fair point on putting two units in the WS. I guess you could even put 5 reapers and 5 fire dragons in one, then have the reapers get out while the fire dragons drive off.

The bunker instead provides protection for as long as it lives, so it's just a very different deal all round.

Characters can get into the bunker too, so that's not really an issue either way.

Mandragola wrote:

 Amishprn86 wrote:

Mandragola wrote:
I think I'd go with bunkers with 5 dark reapers in each. I see people talking about putting reapers in wave serpents and that seems like an obviously worse idea.

You can't cast guide on them but you can put misfortune on the unit they are shooting at, so it's not all bad.

The point of a wave serpent is to have 1 drop and 1st turn protection, you can have 2 units of 5 and 1-2 HQ's. As Ynnari you can have 2x5 Reaper units with Yvraine all as 1 drop instead of 3 drops.

Since WS are one of the best transports in game, its not likely to die turn 1 making them impossible to kill right away.

Edit: Also the WS can move and shoot, charge, and just generally do more than a Bunker ever will.

Ok, fair point on putting two units in the WS. I guess you could even put 5 reapers and 5 fire dragons in one, then have the reapers get out while the fire dragons drive off.

The bunker instead provides protection for as long as it lives, so it's just a very different deal all round.

Characters can get into the bunker too, so that's not really an issue either way.

All those buildings can have characters, i was just saying 1 drop vs 3 when talking about characters.

The advantage of dark reapers in wave serpent as opposed to a fortification is you get the first turn protection and then can guide and word of the Phoenix them so they fire twice in first turn. Hopefully you disembark into cover and another unit embarks on the wave serpent so it's not wasted, but even then not many opponents will let them shoot again next turn.
With the fortification you give up the brutal first turn of shooting for more survivability. 20 t9 wounds isn't necessarily easy to crack. And if they are shooting the bastions it's shots not going into the other tank options causing mischief.
The one unit rule definitely does limit the fortifications effectiveness making it a real Niche unit to even be useful.

I've had success with a bastion stuffed with grav destroyers in my Ad Mech. It helps offset the squishiness.

It is freaking expensive in points though.

FOR is way overcosted now. Aegis lines are ok, haven't tried the others out in 8th yet.

Tried out the Aquila. Decent firebase, as long as no-one is spamming mortal wounds (frickin electropriests...)

the guns aren't worth it though. They never hit much, and are pretty much gak for what they are supposed to be firing.