Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Lately I’ve been taking a detachment of Ultramarines and have been including a TFC. In most of my games with it I’ve been able to use the Tremor Shells stratagem to slow or neutralize the effectiveness of large units of screens and blobs (think 2++ Bullgryn blobs, termagants, genestealers, conscripts). Even against Eldar I’ve been able to outdistance Dark Reapers with my 60” range to take a few of them out.
Even though unfortunately it won’t make up its points in kills, doesn’t the ability to slow your opponent’s blobs and screens or to stop a unit from reaching an objective late-game bring value to the TFC?

I just want to see if this is a truly competitive choice or if I should keep looking.

its a pretty effective unit that most people forget about. I run one and the Top SM guy in ITC runs one as well. Very good unit.

I like them a lot, i dont really play SM, but if i did i would have 1. I would have 3 if you could have it as 1 unit with 1 Tech marine lol.

I think it's necessary to run 1. Any more than that is bad though.

For the strategum to slows down a key unit it can be, but fly and titanic units get to ignore the movement penalties so it's nice but alpha legion, RG who start at the 9 inch line don't care. Tau most of the things that will move have fly, Aldari have fly, knights are titanic.

It has it's uses, but don't count on it shutting down everything.

I don’t think it’s worth the points TBH.

It is good anyway when you faces hordes. Most hordes units, like blob gants, blob genestealers, blob guards, blob daemonette, blob green and blob silver do not have so you can slow them down with the stratagem pretty effective.

It really depends on the match up you cone up against. 4D3 shots Str5 AP-1 might not be as efficient as things like Aggressors, but they are still good in doing anti horde job. Plus that stratagem, which gives you one nice counter to those supersonic Kraken Genestealers, if you manages to go first.

 Primark G wrote:
I don’t think it’s worth the points TBH.

I find that my BobbyG lists do so much better when i run one of them. It just annoys the opponent. Can slow down some units, holds objectives and the tech marine can hit things. He usually pays for himself but not always. when im up against a horde list hes great.. sometimes he doesnt do much but holds an objective. I wouldnt run more than one.