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I've been pondering this little tactic for a while now, haven't been able to test it out, so I'd like some Dakka feedback on its viability. Now keep in mind this is not for cutthroat competitive play.

30 Conscripts
1 Ministorum Priest
1 Primaris Psyker or Inquisitor
Knight Commander Pask in Punisher
Leman Russ Executioner
Both with Camo Netting, Dozer Blades. Maybe a Multi-melta thrown in.
Enginseer with 5 servitors.

The gist is, wrap the front and possibly the sides of Pask's squadron with the conscripts, giving his unit a 4+ cover save (5+ save for shooting through a unit, +1 for netting). The psyker casting prescience on Pasks squadron for extra accuracy. And the Enginseer I'm not so sure about, but if I have the points for him he can be useful tinkering away at the back. Priest to stop them from running away, but with an Inquisitor conferring Stubborn I'm not sure which to go with.

I am aware of the weaknesses. Blasts coming from behind the conscripts will mean a 6+ save, and this team will be moving rather slowly and with somewhat poor range. As well as all the Ignores Cover available.

The point of it is to ensure Pask can see most of the game. With a cover save, look out sir (vehicle units still get them) and an Enginseer will add up to something pretty survivable (Pask. Everyone else is expendable). The amount of damage Pask can put out it is pretty heavy, especially against vehicles. Average of 19 shots will hit with prescience buffing, then because he can re-roll armour, you're averaging 5 rending shots, at least. He'll struggle against av14, but who doesn't , and it isn't outside the realm of possibility for him to glance av14 to death.

Thoughts? Concerns? Comments? Ideas?

Unfortunately vehicles do not get a Look Out, Sir roll (pg 347 BRB digital version). "When a wound is allocated to one of your non-vehicle characters..."

Aside from that, I've tried the bubble wrap, but used regular guardsmen. It works fairly well for shooting. I've found it really shines in protecting Pask from charges.

20-30 Conscripts + 1 Ministorum Priest
Pask Punisher w/ LC and MM + 1-2 Leman Russ Executioner or punishers

Is actually a pretty standard setup for an IG army.

The pask punisher and unit was even featured in this article;
http://www.torrentoffire.com/5576/pask-bringing-the-punishment

I guess it was popular at the ETC in 2014.

Either way it is an extremely high damage unit and with some decent bubble wrap it will usually survive most of the game. I would probably avoid the Enginseer unless you have another russ squad as sometimes you will get pasks' order off and won't need his ability. The camo is useful if you find your meta has that much ranged anti tank but IME the pask punisher unit goes down to melee or absolutely overwhelming firepower most of the time and a +1 to cover won't help. Another alternative is to field a infantry platoon blobb with Loth (SM-Red Scorps) for invisibility/shrouding or Azzy (DA) for 4++ on the bubble wrap unit. I would not depend on the conscripts lasting long enough to give cover. It is much more likely that they will either block a single melee army charge or block DSing melta turn 1-2 and then get mulched. If you are lucky you might have a few models left turn 3 to follow the pask punisher and claim an objective.

Another alternative to help buff the punisher unit is a PFG libby or tech marine from the DA army. Also remember that if you take Loth or a similar libby their shrouded will buff the pask unit as well as the infantry and their invisibility is super useful when you are sitting across from a 9 vanquisher gun line or double D weapon warhound titan.

On the strategy side when your opponent lacks long range anti tank capable of chewing through 3HP of AV14 in a single turn it is sometimes better to lead with the pask unit so that turn 1 you can claim the cover save from the russ' and then run up turn 2 and protect the russ unit from DSing melta. Some armies this may be important against are; Tau (double fusion crisis suits), SM (when they hold their sternguard for turn 2), nids (run forward to block the melee). Alternatively you can just put a single row forward for the cover save thus saving some of the unit for later.

Thanks for the comments guys, I got everything I wanted from them.

I know the conscripts won't last, but every little bit helps, and they are there simply for a bit of cover insurance for a turn or 2. I want to use the army around Pask, so there would be at least a mounted Vet squad running alongside, or a 30 man combined squad.

The Enginseer is for healing, PotMS I'm not that concerned with, all of the weapons are Heavy. I play SW primarily so an Iron Priest would probably be better, and he's only a few points more.

Interesting about Loth, and the others (Azzy etc), but I'll stay away from those shenanigans unless I'm playing tournament.

I know it will get focussed to death if the opponent realises the amount of damage he can put out, but I want something reliably heavy hitting instead of the attritional fire power of the rest of AM. And I've honestly never seen DS'ing fusion suits or spammed vanquishers so I guess I'm lucky.

Thanks again.

The good thing aboot the bodyguard tank is if pask has lost a hp or two just drive his mate up in between the offending AT weapon and heal him with the tech priest (tp).
If your taking one tp you might as well take two in the one unit for 2hp restored a turn.
And the potms isn't bad when paired up with an executioner. Pask targets one unit, and fire the sponsons and hull weapon at one unit. And potms the turret plasma cannon at something else!

You can't take conscripts without a platoon.

Useless Sidekick wrote:
The good thing aboot the bodyguard tank is if pask has lost a hp or two just drive his mate up in between the offending AT weapon and heal him with the tech priest (tp).
If your taking one tp you might as well take two in the one unit for 2hp restored a turn.
And the potms isn't bad when paired up with an executioner. Pask targets one unit, and fire the sponsons and hull weapon at one unit. And potms the turret plasma cannon at something else!

Yeah. but you lose the ability to split fire with the rest of the squadron because orders must happen at the beginning of the shooting phase and trigger immediate firing (i.e. before the TP can give him PotMS). On the other hand, it's a decent fallback for when you fail the Ld check for the order.

Remember though when trying to glance AV 14 (since you mentioned it). Tankhunter lets you reroll penetration results, not the +D3 meaning if you get a 6 followed by a 1 on the D3, you have to reroll the 6 (and only get to add D3 if you get another 6 result on the reroll).

If you want to beef up your conscripts bubble wrap a bit you can take guardsmen with melta-bombs and power axes on the sergeants instead. It's quite a bit more expensive but it gives you good melee ability (especially with the priests zealot ability). Add in an inquisitor with rad grenades and you will be punching out entire squads of hammernators.

wtnind wrote:
Remember though when trying to glance AV 14 (since you mentioned it). Tankhunter lets you reroll penetration results, not the +D3 meaning if you get a 6 followed by a 1 on the D3, you have to reroll the 6 (and only get to add D3 if you get another 6 result on the reroll).

If you want to beef up your conscripts bubble wrap a bit you can take guardsmen with melta-bombs and power axes on the sergeants instead. It's quite a bit more expensive but it gives you good melee ability (especially with the priests zealot ability). Add in an inquisitor with rad grenades and you will be punching out entire squads of hammernators.

Tank hunter re-rolls the Armor penetration roll, not the result on the Penetration table (it's a bit confusing how you wrote it, you may have meant the same). I'm not sure if the additional D3 of Rending is re-rolled or not. The wording of Rending suggests it's not a penetration roll, so likely not.