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.

Iv been building my list for my 1500 point army, http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/568070.page#6339047, after I posted my initial list I took in the information and began looking around the net for more. From what Iv seen so far, Blobs of 20 marines seems to be a lot of peoples choice over squads of 10 with Rhinos. Though I'll mostly be playing with some friends for fun, Id like to have a decent army I can learn with and maybe play against others without getting stomped completely

I like the Idea of 20 close combat marines, they're all marines so you're gonna have a rough times picking them all off before they reach their target. Though Iv yet to play some games, I find myself drawn to more smaller squads with increased mobility imo. Any feed back would be great, trying to save myself some time and money before I buy the majority of my list.

ive tried both from a Chaos, and Ork perspective. Still trying to figure out the best way to use rhinos (and trukks), but I rather have them than not, since walking is very dangerous. Big blobs are fun for the first turn, but they are slow and finding cover makes them slower. By turn 3 you're still rolling difficult terrain tests, and then to turn 4. Certain armies units can do the blob right, but not Space Marines. Unfortunately Chaos is very limited on any maneuverability to begin with besides Rhinos and LR, and a Blob kinda has to decide to just stay there. Standing around is exactly what every other armies shooting wants you to do.

Maybe the best bet is to try a mix of the two. a few rhinos, a few big squads of marines (like havocs?), and of course CULTISTS, who love to blob it up.

And this thread has me thinking about the nice 16 CSM models sitting in a drawer that I always think about putting back in the list...

I use blobs of 20 marines who advance into the opponent behind screens of 35 cultists. Generally the whole mass just inexorably plods towards the enemy, soaking up fire on the way. IoV becomes pretty useful as the cost remains the same regardless of squad size. Also, 10x CSM with a Rhino are far more likely to give up first blood than 20x blobbed fearless marines by themselves

I use Rhinos to pretty good effect when fielding Huron Blackheart with his infiltrating. Its not ironclad, as its d3 units, when the few times I've been lucky enough to infiltrate them all, getting first turn rapid fire worked out pretty well. The other option is running massed armor. Someone looking at a few landraiders/predators/defilers will likely dedicate the vast majority of their anti tank at taking one of those out, rather than 10 space marines in a cardboard box rolling down field. I've also heard the used as a bit of a taxi for Plague marines to get to the mid field.

As far as blobs are concerned I'd recommend using a Chaos Lord, Fabius Bile, or even a Dark Apostle for their buffs and fearless rather than IoV. These sources of fearless are mobile and can duck out of shots if need be, and the Dark apostle can multiple squads with his ability. It also opens the option for IoS which is pretty good if you ask me.

General Duf wrote:
I've also heard the used as a bit of a taxi for Plague marines to get to the mid field.

I've tried this once, but as I had no actual rhinos, I was proxying my Vindi, so I only had the one.
It works absurdly well when going down a flank full of infantry, but anything remotely AT capable is going to take first blood.

If you want to take blob CSM, look into taking Be'lakor (350 pts), as he knows all the telepathy powers, and thus can make them invisible for a turn.
Funsies also happen when Be'lakor makes your opponent's best shooty unit fire at one of his own units

As a guard player, I fear walking blobs much less than quick transport based squads. I dont think I would have a hard time dealing with 20 CSM on foot with my basilisks, but if you could get in my face quick enough, you'd cause me problems.

that's my two cents as an opponent.

Footsloggers have become much worse in 6 edition. I'm telling you as an ork player who spent half da 5 edition greentiding.

Here are the main problems with footslogas:
-very slow moving - 6' in the open or less in dt + d6 for running and forgeiting shooting - it usually takes 2-3 turns of just running and doing nothing to get into threat range and you won't be doing charges until late game - or won't do at all. U'll never catch all that bikers and serpents in mellee.
-vulnerable to templates - you got to spread u'r guyz if you want them to see another round which slows them down even more and reduces effective threat range
-possibility to be slowed down to the point of not moving at all. That happens when you have a large enough squad for an enemy to shoot at with lotsa stuff. You remove closest models and the squad is thrown backwards. If u've spread u'r guyz to protect from blasts - they're gona be considerably thrown back. I've had some issues with 30-boyz squads where they ran 7 inches forward and then got thrown 9 inches backward cause there was not enough space to make fewer but wider rows of boyz.
-vulnerability of specialists and sergeants - barrage and precision shots will take them out first as a rule

What benefits you get from blob:
-more models means more wounds thus in situations when an enemy has dedicated at u'r squad is a bit more durable since they won't take n*s4 autohits from explosion and there are simply more of them
-u can bauble wrap some key elements and protect them from melta-drop or protect something from outflanking though i'd use cultists for that

Thus i can tell you that offensive blobs are not really viable compared to mechanized transports.
But if u're still in for footslogas you can try to do this: try to get them to the mid field close to the point preferably in some 4+ ruin and they'll do the job. Special weapons are still needed - use smart placing to avoid them being taken out. Like if you take a plazmagun and enemy has barrage - get some models a bit closer to each other and a specialist 2' away and with as few models around him as possible while not being in first ranks. That will force your opponent to choose if he wants to try to snipe out a specialist or kill more regular marines.
Marines are different from orkses there: firstly, orkse's trukks are too fragile and 35 pts are equivalent of 6 boyz. Besides, if a trukk explodes (and it's 10-10-10 opentopped with huge chances to explode even if it's just wrecked) even with str 3 form a special rule it kills too many 6+ armorsaved boyz. In your case a rhino costs like 2 marines and gives them much needed speed! It's also a great moving terrain which will draw some anti-tank fire at it.
Generally i'd go for rhinos over 2 more marines.