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Pathfinders as caddies is only NECESSARY when you dont HAVE enough otherwise. That can easily be remedied. Commander + Drones is a very good answer in my opinion.

That the Pathfinders CAN fire a Markerlight is nice. But they are otherwise squishy Fire Warriors with a special weapons option, made less squishy with how you deploy them and also Drones. I wont get into that here, cause thats a well chronicled subject on my blog and here..

The role of Markerlight Caddy is only a necessity when you have made no other provisions. Now i am uncertain, with the high number of Vet squads out there, why you would NOT see the value of having such potent weaponry available to the army. No vet squad for 10 points each ever had as cool a weapon as Pathfinders can have, nor could deploy the way they can. But that's how I see them.

Another point to consider is the value of Sniper Drone Squads as SOME of your caddies. They bring a multiplicity of affordable reasons to take Firesight Marksmen and the addition of a RAPID FIRING 48" Sniper Rifle that the Ethereal can empower further is no small shakes. Obviously in a list like mine where there ARE no Heavy Supports, it was easy to inject a Firesight Marksman trio in there for absolutely great Markerlight support plus the added little oomph from super accurate Sniper Drones. It hurt me not one bit to add a BS 5 Sniper Drone in place of a Firewarrior or two, from an overall output perspective.

So the synergy can be there, though Pathfinders as STAGNANT Markerlight support is okay I guess. It cetainly makes you a bigger target and disallows you from sort of AVOIDING the enemy reprisal though. May or may not matter to you but it seems likely you will lose them much faster than with other Markerlight caddies. MOST of the other places you can put markerlights are much more survivable.

Also consider that the Pathfinders cannot move and fire a heavy weapon. the ability to do that is really a pretty big deal in my experience because the enemy has a range too, and being able to withdraw your firepower from the enemy range is very important. So even Firesight Marksman while cool shouldnt be your only source.

The Commander can be better used elsewhere, IMO. I think adding the special weapons and drones bloats a flimsy squad.

Sniper Drones are good... but Sky Rays and Broadsides are much better, IMO (like I said, Drones are good, but the Sky Ray and Broadsides are extremely powerful).

The HS and Elites slots are too crowded, meaning you will most likely need to take Pathfinders or Drones. The Drones are iffy on their own and quite good with the Commander. I just find the Commander to be a much, much better force multiplier if I place him with Broadsides/Crisis Suits/any troops. I also think the Ethereal is far too good and important to not take one, meaning you'd have one extra slot.

Pathfinders have a place. If you play in tournaments where First Blood isn't an issue for primary, you can easily field MSU Pathfinders with little care for how long they live. They are still the cheapest overall source, though they may not be the most mobile or durable.

On the issue of Skyrays, I like them but as a Markerlight source, pretty spensive after the payload has been released and not as numerous as you'd like. But I'd be the last to say that its a bad way to go. Heck, I have seen a lot of Triple Skyray lists floated, and thats SIX very cool Markerlights on a tough chassis (and TOUGH is a big reason why I like the Drones over Pathfinders) that's not SUPER mobile but still a little bit mobile (Having to snap shot one when you move kinda sucks)

So Skyrays can be legit ways to get the Markerlights in there, but its not ENOUGH of them and accuracy is still not as good meaning you NEED more of them to get the same job done. You find yourself needing more Markerlights than the Skyrays can give ya.

So much of this depends on what ELSE you're taking, as usual. If the armies built on volume of fire over accuracy its quite possible that fewer Markerlights will be needed, but if you're relying on enemies ot be in short range in order to GET that volume, it's going to be a bit tough against long-reaching opponents.

Still, Skyrays are good.

Ok well every game I've played (two to be exact ) I scout my pathfinders and I don't get first turn they are killed ran away or assaulted. Should I not scout them? If I don't then I move them since they have heavy weapons I will be marking on a 6 correct???
I fielded dark strider for the first time last game and him and his squad of finders where wiped out in assault by some storm boys first turn, of course I rolled a 1 for the falling back move when assaulted and I didn't have the points for the anti grav dron so maybe next game he will do better

Put Darkstrider with some outflanking FW. Give that awesome boost to an awesome range, plus then you save on the drone if you want.

Fire warriors can out flank??? I didn't know that or do I have to get lucky and roll on the warlord trait

Darkstrider has Scout, which also confers out flank. You could out flank a full unit of firewarriors with him.

hiveking wrote:
Ok well every game I've played (two to be exact ) I scout my pathfinders and I don't get first turn they are killed ran away or assaulted. Should I not scout them? If I don't then I move them since they have heavy weapons I will be marking on a 6 correct???
I fielded dark strider for the first time last game and him and his squad of finders where wiped out in assault by some storm boys first turn, of course I rolled a 1 for the falling back move when assaulted and I didn't have the points for the anti grav dron so maybe next game he will do better

Wait... Rail Rifles are rapid fire, no longer heavy. Are you not using the Rail Rifles?

No I'm using 8 carbines and two ions....
Glad to know dark strider has that rule I may have to use that!!!!

ooooo, the ions. I might switch that out, personally. A lot more mobile for a unit that is mobile. Ions are cool but properly spreading means 1-2 hits at most without scatter. So It's a better play maybe to go with Rail if youre moving them around. Ion if you're not.

Well my thought was to scout them in the beginning and then leave them. The only reason I would move them is if the failed moral or if I had no line of sight. I like the ion on the foot troops better then on the hammer head.
But I get what your saying even marker lights are heavy so if I moved they would mark on a 6 instead of 4

 Jancoran wrote:
On the issue of Skyrays, I like them but as a Markerlight source, pretty spensive after the payload has been released and not as numerous as you'd like. But I'd be the last to say that its a bad way to go. Heck, I have seen a lot of Triple Skyray lists floated, and thats SIX very cool Markerlights on a tough chassis (and TOUGH is a big reason why I like the Drones over Pathfinders) that's not SUPER mobile but still a little bit mobile (Having to snap shot one when you move kinda sucks)

So Skyrays can be legit ways to get the Markerlights in there, but its not ENOUGH of them and accuracy is still not as good meaning you NEED more of them to get the same job done. You find yourself needing more Markerlights than the Skyrays can give ya.

So much of this depends on what ELSE you're taking, as usual. If the armies built on volume of fire over accuracy its quite possible that fewer Markerlights will be needed, but if you're relying on enemies ot be in short range in order to GET that volume, it's going to be a bit tough against long-reaching opponents.

Still, Skyrays are good.

I agree, Sky Rays are good as first blood generators, aim them at an MCs, medium vehicles, lone characters, easy victory point, then just spend the rest of the game using your markerlights to support and SMS to plink away at things.

hiveking wrote:
Well my thought was to scout them in the beginning and then leave them. The only reason I would move them is if the failed moral or if I had no line of sight. I like the ion on the foot troops better then on the hammer head.
But I get what your saying even marker lights are heavy so if I moved they would mark on a 6 instead of 4

Scout move is actually a redeploy, not a move. But any movement makes the Pathfinders suffer. Which is...why.... I like Drone Swarms a LOT better. T4 vs. t# helps me like them also. 4+ save helps me like them also. And...so on.

But don't forget Firesight Marksman if you need some Markerlight action.