Demolitions Veterans

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.

**scommy**

Has anyone used these much?

**CREEEEEEEEED**

No is the universal answer

**koooaei**

If only they had an access to some cheap OT/Assault vehicle, theyd be superheavy killers. Right now, it's a bit too expensive for a risky large blast and a couple of surviving meltabombz. Might still be worth it to field at least one squad this way if you have lots of chimera vets.

**Majsharan**

Its a bad use of points as well as a waste of one of your better squads, if you want demo charges the best way imo is put a SWS with 3 Demo charges in a chimera and pop smoke so you can actually get them to whatever you want to throw 3 demo charges at.

**TheSilo**

Yea, 30 points for melta bombs on a guard squad is too pricey/fragile. Especially when you're chucking the demo charge. I'd probably favor 10 points for krak grenades.

**Majsharan**

TheSilo wrote:
Yea, 30 points for melta bombs on a guard squad is too pricey/fragile. Especially when you're chucking the demo charge. I'd probably favor 10 points for krak grenades.

I am not sure about the AM codex but in the IG codex vetrans come with krak grenades for free.

**TheSilo**

Majsharan wrote:
TheSilo wrote:
Yea, 30 points for melta bombs on a guard squad is too pricey/fragile. Especially when you're chucking the demo charge. I'd probably favor 10 points for krak grenades.

I am not sure about the AM codex but in the IG codex vetrans come with krak grenades for free.

Pretty sure they're 10 in AM. For some reason Guard sargents can take melta bombs for 5 points but veteran sargents can't, which is a huge bummer. Having ten sets of melta bombs is total overkill against vehicles.

**vipoid**

I try it occasionally, but they have yet to do anything.

Honestly, I think 20pts would have been more reasonable.

Melta Bombs aren't especially useful on units that tend to evaporate as soon as they disembark (and can't assault the turn they disembark).

**koooaei**

Does the imperium have any assault/opentopped transports other than a landraider or a stormraven that the guyz can use? Maybe forgeworld or something.

**vipoid**

koooaei wrote:
Does the imperium have any assault/opentopped transports other than a landraider or a stormraven that the guyz can use? Maybe forgeworld or something.

No idea.

I only use stuff from the IG codex.

**Saythings**

vipoid wrote:
koooaei wrote:
Does the imperium have any assault/opentopped transports other than a landraider or a stormraven that the guyz can use? Maybe forgeworld or something.

No idea.

I only use stuff from the IG codex.

And 30+ Warp Spiders! I'm on to you!

**ONI-S3**

If you're open to Forgeworld, the D-99 Elysian list allows veterans with demolitions to deepstrike in (can even get access to homing beacons so they don't scatter). In the new regular Elysian list they've been altered to have the incredibly meh Breaching charge, but D-99 is where it's at. I love deep striking in with what's the unit equivalent of Marbo, the look on the faces of the opponent is something I will relish till the day I die.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
In Elysian lists, you could also take them in a DT Valkyrie, if you want that as an option as well

**Spinner**

Well, I like 'em

You're only paying one point per meltabomb after you've factored in the demolition charge, which is a fantastic deal, and on top of that you've got a short-ranged pie plate that will absolutely ruin something's day and has less of a chance to explode half your squad than it would with the special weapons scrubs. They are vulnerable once they leave their transport, which is why they do well paired with one or both of the other doctrines - a 4+ armor save or +1 to cover and no bonus attacks from charging can help a little. What helps even more is supporting them with other squads - storm troopers dropping down to screen or distract, other people jumping out of Valkyries, or blocking with Chimeras.

They're too expensive to spam, both in troop slots and points, but they make a fantastic surprise lurking among your infantry squads or delivered as the heart of a mechanized rush or air cavalry drop. If they can weather the next turn of fire reasonably intact (and this is the Guard, so reasonably intact can mean 'enough casualties for the survivors to use as sandbags'!), they can threaten enemy armor and monstrous creatures, so long as they aren't too choppy. Give them meltaguns and they do even better.

And they get bonus points for being one of the few legitimate reasons to give your Guardsmen shotguns!

**koooaei**

Spinner wrote:
Well, I like 'em

You're only paying one point per meltabomb after you've factored in the demolition charge, which is a fantastic deal, and on top of that you've got a short-ranged pie plate that will absolutely ruin something's day and has less of a chance to explode half your squad than it would with the special weapons scrubs. They are vulnerable once they leave their transport, which is why they do well paired with one or both of the other doctrines - a 4+ armor save or +1 to cover and no bonus attacks from charging can help a little. What helps even more is supporting them with other squads - storm troopers dropping down to screen or distract, other people jumping out of Valkyries, or blocking with Chimeras.

They're too expensive to spam, both in troop slots and points, but they make a fantastic surprise lurking among your infantry squads or delivered as the heart of a mechanized rush or air cavalry drop. If they can weather the next turn of fire reasonably intact (and this is the Guard, so reasonably intact can mean 'enough casualties for the survivors to use as sandbags'!), they can threaten enemy armor and monstrous creatures, so long as they aren't too choppy. Give them meltaguns and they do even better.

And they get bonus points for being one of the few legitimate reasons to give your Guardsmen shotguns!

Sounds fine enough. Especially with shotguns!

I depict them acting like the guy from your avatar...but with shotguns...

**Mallich**

koooaei wrote:
Does the imperium have any assault/opentopped transports other than a landraider or a stormraven that the guyz can use? Maybe forgeworld or something.

The Centaur Carrier is an open-topped transport. However, it can only carry 5 people - you'll have to wait for half the squad to die before you're allowed to mount up.

**scommy**

I was thinking of bringing a few squads in a small allied detachment - specifically to bring down superheavy walkers like knights.

I figure if they can hide behind allied space marines and sneak into assault a squad of melta bombs is gonna do some damage to anything..

**God In Action**

There's the Gorgon. AV14 and 9HP, with a capacity of 50. Importantly, it's open-topped so you can charge out of it.

**Xenomancers**

The demo charge is real nice.

**Deafbeats**

I know this is a real edge case but I played in a tournament against a kid who put demo charges on a Vet Squad, after I blew up his transport, he ran to an objective and I didn't want to move my Wraithknight anywhere near there and he kept the objective all game.

**Portugal Jones**

Why didn't you shoot them off of it?

**Deafbeats**

They were in some line of sight blocking ruins at the corner of the table, so if I moved a Wave Serpent or a Wraithknight around to shoot, if I didn't wipe them i'd be assaulted on his turn. It wasn't an important objective anyways, it was secondary mission, and 1 of 5 objectives for that and I was holding 3/5 of them at the time. I won secondary but I embarrassingly lost Primary and Tertiary...

**aushlo**

I use them occasionally in my Catachan style Penal Legion Guard, which is expressly non-optimized and played for kicks. My group plays dense terrain and they can be pretty solid, the melta bomb and two meltas I tend to play can really wreck a vehicle or MEQ squad. Also, I've had fun with them using the order to Split Fire- like killing a Dreadnaught and engaging/assaulting a second target. Problem is, in the current milieu of tourney play you're not likely to have a lot of good targets- it's all flyers, invis/invuls and jink saves. They can wreck face in casual.

**IsawaBrian**

If you are willing to make use of Battle Brothers, the Stormwing formation is not a bad veteran delivery system. It's two storm talons and a storm raven; the talons make excellent anti-midrange flyers and armour, so you can forgo those sorts of things- I'd suggest double skyhammers. The storm raven itself is a terrifying beast with only up to go in terms of firepower, and it's a twelve slot grav chute assault vehicle. Yes, you've going to run 500 to 600 points doing it, but with hurricane bolter sponsons, say, and its missiles, the raven can make a decent mantvyrmera with a bit of tank killer on the side with assault cannons and Multi-Melta. The downside, of course is that you have to start them in reserve, though an officer of the Fleet can cover that.

Actually, that's probably not a bad idea for an army. The Storm talons all but negate the need for a hydra, quad gun, etc. If get a paskisher group for forward pushes, an infantry platoon for backfield, maybe with an aegis with a comm tower... might not need the CCS with Officer. Get a priest or Primaris, and then Yarrick or a relic'd out Lord Commissar, and attach to your demolitions squad. Kit them out with Flamers/heavy flamer... Lipstick the sergeant a bit to taste. Use them to shove someone off a backfield objective - maybe give them Forward Sentries so they can hold it. Even a surprise would probably go down to having a bunch of meltabombs shoved down its nova hole.