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So Dakkadakka, what does an aggressive gunline entail? I want to make a pure Militarum Tempestus army, and I have heard that they can make good aggressive gunline troops (besides, you know, the suicide plasma squad tactics). I think I understand how regular gunline work. I was thinking deepstriking two ten-man scions squads, with the four special weapons being hot-shot volley guns, and having a Command Rod-wielding Tempestor Prime to follow them, maybe a second Tempestor Prime equipped the same. Order Take Aim! and FRFSRF. The main Tempestor Prime will probably be the Warlord and the second will have Laurels of Command or the Auto Reliquary of Tiberius. This is what I am thinking. Maybe have a Taurox Prime with Gatling gun and hot-shot volley guns accompany them as well. Even if I am wrong, this will be a hecking bit of Dakka. Any IG or MT players out there that can give me advice?

It's an incoherent concept, like asking for a square circle. An aggressive army wants to move in to kill stuff up close and bring the fight to the enemy. A gunline army wants to line up as far back as possible and roll dice without any meaningful movement (since you're already as far away as possible), wearing down the enemy as they are forced to cross the table at you. You can't do both simultaneously.

Militarum Tempestus aren't an "aggressive gunline", they're an aggressive element useful disruptively in support of a gunline. Build your gunline like normal then drop MT units on targets of opportunity to force your opponent to react to things sitting in his face and delay his getting across the table to beat up said gunline.

 Peregrine wrote:
It's an incoherent concept, like asking for a square circle. An aggressive army wants to move in to kill stuff up close and bring the fight to the enemy. A gunline army wants to line up as far back as possible and roll dice without any meaningful movement (since you're already as far away as possible), wearing down the enemy as they are forced to cross the table at you. You can't do both simultaneously.

So do you think I could take the force I listed above and make a regular gunline? Is this more Dakka-centered force a viable gunline? I could set them up mid-range with small units dropping in as a layer of protection or something. Then if then the enemy got close, I would just retreat, then order Get Back In the Fight or something.

You need to do a 'hammer-and-anvil' style list. A core 'anvil', with units that can start the game in the field and can take a beating, and a 'hammer' deep striking part, with the aggressive behavior you want to do.

It's the way I played Tau in 6th and 7th ed

 Vector Strike wrote:
You need to do a 'hammer-and-anvil' style list. A core 'anvil', with units that can start the game in the field and can take a beating, and a 'hammer' deep striking part, with the aggressive behavior you want to do.

It's the way I played Tau in 6th and 7th ed

Yes, I could see using a unit or two of Bullgryns with slab shields and an astropath to cast Psychic Barrier. That is pretty tanky.

 Apple Peel wrote:

 Vector Strike wrote:
You need to do a 'hammer-and-anvil' style list. A core 'anvil', with units that can start the game in the field and can take a beating, and a 'hammer' deep striking part, with the aggressive behavior you want to do.

It's the way I played Tau in 6th and 7th ed

Yes, I could see using a unit or two of Bullgryns with slab shields and an astropath to cast Psychic Barrier. That is pretty tanky.

tankiness is usually overrated this edition.