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How to play Obliterators?

I'd like to hear some input from CSM players who field them as to how they've best worked out for them. This is my current idea of the unit:

In the CSM heavy support section, you have many options when it comes to firepower. A Vindicator if you want to project a big, but short-ranged zone of denial, a Forgefiend if you want to stay back and pepper enemy armor with relative survivability over the course of a game, a Las Pred if you want to have slightly more firepower but less survivability, Lascannon Havocs if you want to have even more firepower and practically become a glass cannon since your survivability decreases dramatically, or Obliterators who have only a fraction of the firepower compared to any of these, but are tough as nails (MoN is mandatory) and most importantly, can Deep Strike.

Also another advantage they have is that you can field them in low point games as suicidal units of 1 and just drop them next to a tank - a single obliterator with MoN costs only about half a much as a SM Multi-Melta Dread in a drop pod and achieves the same effect - drop next to a tank and blow it up. Turn 2 onwards instead of guaranteed turn 1, yes, but for so much cheaper.

Drop them next to tanks, blow them up, then use their other weapons to target other types of enemis like PCs for MEQ/TEQ in the open, AC or LC for MCs, etc.

I've always run them as solo deep strikers with mark of nurgle.

Works pretty well.

interceptor stuff and bladestorm take away from thier effectiveness a lot.

I've always loved the verisiltiy of OBLITERATORS. You pay a premium but being able fire against a large variety of targets, anything in the game, is completely worth I it. What's the cheapest/best way to get max Oblits taken as allies? thanks

I play against them a lot. They're one of CSM's more effective and annoying units.

Generally speaking, use MoN and deep strike them next to what you want to kill. Deep strike into ruins if the enemy has a lot of AP2 or S10. Cycle weapons as needed (and be aware that you have two different melta options, as well as access to heavy flamers for killing infantry). They're also quite strong in melee, so don't be afraid of getting them into close combat.

I run them as my death Star unit.

3 x oblits with mark of tzeentch.

1 sorc with mot, spell familiar, 3+ invuln, scrolls ofmagnus, ml3 murdersword, and forceaxe in terminator amour.

Then another ml3 terminator sorc with force Axe.

Ahriman sometimes also.

My goal is to get endurance, life leech, and invisibility.


Can speak from experience, this unit is nearly unstoppable once the powers are flowing.

The mega sorc on his own has been able to wipe half my friends eldar army in the second half of the game when it appeared I was about to be tabled.

Another thing I like to have is my 10 man tzeentch terminators with fearless banners and combo meltas behind them as a rear guard and secondary deathstar if the oblits take too much damage.

Cheers

In my experience with Oblits: Always MoN, deepstriking is usually preferable as it lets you choose the ideal target, and if it's not an obviously bad idea, charge whatever you can reach.

Oblits are very useful in two roles IMO.
1) Distraction units. This is the 1 Oblit MoN units. They accomplish a few HP here and there but their biggest accomplishment tends to be to force opponent's to deal with them and score distant objectives for me. The ability of the oblits to choose their weapon is fantastic for this as if I DS near a vehicle and scatter close I can TL meltagun it but if I scatter away I can MM or assault cannon. Alternatively if I get a maelstorm objective I need the oblit to reach I can DS him on top of it and shoot the lascannon or plasma cannon so the oblit still contributes.
2) Bodyguard to a DSing sorcerer. The last memory sorcerer from black legion can make a very nasty combination with a unit of MoN oblits. Interestingly this combination became vastly better now that serpent spam is nerfed and CWE will want to take more jetbike and aspect warrior units. This unit also combos extremely well with Renegades and Heretics armies.

 Konrax wrote:
I run them as my death Star unit.

3 x oblits with mark of tzeentch.

1 sorc with mot, spell familiar, 3+ invuln, scrolls ofmagnus, ml3 murdersword, and forceaxe in terminator amour.

Then another ml3 terminator sorc with force Axe.

Ahriman sometimes also.

My goal is to get endurance, life leech, and invisibility.


Can speak from experience, this unit is nearly unstoppable once the powers are flowing.

The mega sorc on his own has been able to wipe half my friends eldar army in the second half of the game when it appeared I was about to be tabled.

Another thing I like to have is my 10 man tzeentch terminators with fearless banners and combo meltas behind them as a rear guard and secondary deathstar if the oblits take too much damage.

Cheers

I have been fiending to run two squads like that in a list for months. Just need to buy some obliterators. I was originally thinking about giving the sorc's bikes for extra toughness and end game mobility/support for khorne dogs. What else do you run in your list?

Proposed list:
1)Ahriman(Can you imagine doombolt hit 3x on multiple vehicles), 3 Oblits, Term Ml3 Sorc/with balestar(divinination)

2)Term Sorc(Sanctic for gate of infinity, and Daemonology for Summoning), 3 Oblits

2-3 HelDrakes
3 squads of Cultists

1 Giant Khorne Dog squad for assault threats and more pressure

4x lascannon havocs
4x autocannon havocs

That's my core list. Probably not too many points left.

organicpesticide wrote:

 Konrax wrote:
I run them as my death Star unit.

3 x oblits with mark of tzeentch.

1 sorc with mot, spell familiar, 3+ invuln, scrolls ofmagnus, ml3 murdersword, and forceaxe in terminator amour.

Then another ml3 terminator sorc with force Axe.

Ahriman sometimes also.

My goal is to get endurance, life leech, and invisibility.


Can speak from experience, this unit is nearly unstoppable once the powers are flowing.

The mega sorc on his own has been able to wipe half my friends eldar army in the second half of the game when it appeared I was about to be tabled.

Another thing I like to have is my 10 man tzeentch terminators with fearless banners and combo meltas behind them as a rear guard and secondary deathstar if the oblits take too much damage.

Cheers

I have been fiending to run two squads like that in a list for months. Just need to buy some obliterators. I was originally thinking about giving the sorc's bikes for extra toughness and end game mobility/support for khorne dogs. What else do you run in your list?

Proposed list:
1)Ahriman(Can you imagine doombolt hit 3x on multiple vehicles), 3 Oblits, Term Ml3 Sorc/with balestar(divinination)

2)Term Sorc(Sanctic for gate of infinity, and Daemonology for Summoning), 3 Oblits

2-3 HelDrakes
3 squads of Cultists

1 Giant Khorne Dog squad for assault threats and more pressure

4x lascannon havocs
4x autocannon havocs

That's my core list. Probably not too many points left.

The scrolls of magnus are great, if I get iron arm there is 0 chance of taking damage and you get a free power every turn.

In all honesty with endurance alone this unit is very strong and versatile. If I get invisibility it is near invincible.

Other stuff I like to run is a land raider to hide in for turn 1 and extra las canons and mobility.

Lots of cultists, fodder is best. Sometimes I take vanilla marines 5-10 with plasma and a havoc launcher rhino with soul blaze which is also fantastic for various reasons.

Defiler and Vindicator also on occasion.

Las preds x 2 as well.

Oh and lastly is the hellbrute and 2x cultist formation where the cultists act as invuln saves for the helbrute. I use a lascannon on the brute and will typically take 2 of this formation.

I've experimented with the 3x deep striking helbrute formation as well just for fun.

As for flyers I typically don't run them because I don't like using them, they don't typically bother me much because of the volume of firepower I run.

I only play fun games with friends while we drink scotch so we tend to mix it up a lot.

There is about a dozen of us that all play regularly so I get to experiment with a large variety of builds and teams.

Edit: forgot to mention I typically try to get a 6 on personally traits to get it will not die on my main sorc with the murder sword.

@Konrax:

What do you typically target with your Murdersword? Isn't your oblitstar mostly a shooting unit

I typically target what I believe is the most dangerous melee unit who can actually make it to me in close combat.

Wolf lords on thunderwolves, avatars, chaos lords, warbosses and necron lord classed units.

It works as a great psychological weapon as well since people will usually avoid getting too close with those units and thus allow me to turn them into slag at a range.

It works well but the cost of this unit is typically 50% or more of my entire army.

Edit: I also forgot to mention that occasionally this unit will implode drastically. I enjoy those moments as you really never know what to expect from this unit. Sometimes the power combinations are incredible by the end of the game... Sometimes though you need to know when you have enough power, as I have been scolded by the dark gods a few times for my power greed.

Yea definitely a heavy points investment. Have you played around with Ahrimans infiltrate warlord trait or gate of infinity?

Also have you ever thought about Allying with Daemons for the Grimoire to make the Obliterators have a 2+ invul save.

I stay away from demonic powers since this unit has a high tendancy of perils since it will cast many powers every turn.

Ahrimans warlord trait only will work if you get a 3 and if I do use him I typically take him as a 3rd sorc, mainly to get 3 rolls on telepathy to get invisibility.

Sometimes I get levitation from the magnus scrolls which can be entertaining but the range of the oblits typically means they are killing something every turn regardless.

I have used the raider before as a mid game surprise assault, people typically don't expect that from a ranged unit.

My latest strategy is to purchase an ADL and give the Oblits good first turn LOS. I break the ADL up into sections, and put single Oblits on each end cap so they can move around it, not over it and advance the line, using two CADS to take 6 lone oblits, all on the field turn one.

Is the primary reason for taking MoN to avoid insta-kill deaths? I'm planning on putting MoTZ on my newly built squad, because I kinda like the 4++ a bit more.

Thoughts?

 Kajaki War Pig wrote:
Is the primary reason for taking MoN to avoid insta-kill deaths? I'm planning on putting MoTZ on my newly built squad, because I kinda like the 4++ a bit more.

Thoughts?

It's the most all-round useful of the 4 available marks. MoS is useless beyond fluff purposes; MoK is only good if you want to situationally buff the powerfist damage of the oblits in the first round of cc. Which means MoT and MoN remain.

MoN is cheaper than MoT, protects from ID from S8 and S9 weapons (which are more common than S10) and also from small arms fire. All MoT does is protect you better against demolisher cannons, plasma fire and a couple other exotics .

Melta, Pulse Lasers, Krak Missiles, Dark Lances, Blasters, Battle Cannons, Lascannons, these are all things that will wipe out your Obliterators. Most of them ignore Armor. So, you have the choice here. Do you want to hinge a 78pt model on a 50/50 chance or do you want to take two 33% chances to survive it since you didn't get insta-gibbed.

 SharkoutofWata wrote:
Melta, Pulse Lasers, Krak Missiles, Dark Lances, Blasters, Battle Cannons, Lascannons, these are all things that will wipe out your Obliterators. Most of them ignore Armor. So, you have the choice here. Do you want to hinge a 78pt model on a 50/50 chance or do you want to take two 33% chances to survive it since you didn't get insta-gibbed.

I hadn't thought about it that way, thanks for that.

So slightly off topic question, do you guys model the marks onto your models or not? I could kinda justify Tzeentch in my Night Lords Fluff, but Nurgle would be a purely competitive thing, and I don't especially want to alter the asthetics of them.

Yeah thats the thing about Chaos Marks...everybody loves Khorne, lookswise. Which is also why he is the suckiest mark gameplaywise.

Opposite for Nurgle - few people like to turn their minis into bloated pus-ridden greenstuff dripping things. As a counter balance it is the best mark.

Well, I'm taking a trio of newly converted ones to a tournament in Pasadena this weekend, I'll let you know how implementing some of these tactics goes! Haha

 Konrax wrote:
I run them as my death Star unit.

3 x oblits with mark of tzeentch.

1 sorc with mot, spell familiar, 3+ invuln, scrolls ofmagnus, ml3 murdersword, and forceaxe in terminator amour.

Then another ml3 terminator sorc with force Axe.

Ahriman sometimes also.

My goal is to get endurance, life leech, and invisibility.


Can speak from experience, this unit is nearly unstoppable once the powers are flowing.

The mega sorc on his own has been able to wipe half my friends eldar army in the second half of the game when it appeared I was about to be tabled.

Another thing I like to have is my 10 man tzeentch terminators with fearless banners and combo meltas behind them as a rear guard and secondary deathstar if the oblits take too much damage.

Cheers

I have faced a very similar unit with 3 oblits and 3(?) sorcerors on bikes. It was a really nasty unit, unkillable. I did however, tie it up with the old bargelord for the entire game :p

I have always found Oblits easy to kill myself, but I tend to drag along lots of Plasma.

Though I just inherited a Chaos Army and have three Oblits so I was thinking.
MoT and as a bodyguard for a MoT Sorcerer in Terminator Armor.
With Sanctuary I can pull off a 3++ Save for them.

 Lord Commissar wrote:

 Konrax wrote:
I run them as my death Star unit.

3 x oblits with mark of tzeentch.

1 sorc with mot, spell familiar, 3+ invuln, scrolls ofmagnus, ml3 murdersword, and forceaxe in terminator amour.

Then another ml3 terminator sorc with force Axe.

Ahriman sometimes also.

My goal is to get endurance, life leech, and invisibility.


Can speak from experience, this unit is nearly unstoppable once the powers are flowing.

The mega sorc on his own has been able to wipe half my friends eldar army in the second half of the game when it appeared I was about to be tabled.

Another thing I like to have is my 10 man tzeentch terminators with fearless banners and combo meltas behind them as a rear guard and secondary deathstar if the oblits take too much damage.

Cheers

I have faced a very similar unit with 3 oblits and 3(?) sorcerors on bikes. It was a really nasty unit, unkillable. I did however, tie it up with the old bargelord for the entire game :p

Murdersword / force weapon to insta kill.

Tbh this unit if built properly and the right powers is very dangerous.

Endurance is better than a 3++ imho

Do you ever find there lack of mobility a flaw? You mentioned using a land raider before, but it has no fire ports. I saw a centstar using the bunker/escape hatch in a video batrep a while back looked pretty cool.

Hilariously, you could ally in Renegades and Heretics and cram a couple oblits into a chimera, which has none of the penalties of carrying bulky models.

Mobility is rarely and issue because of the range of their weapons.

I tend to be shy from melee but not scared to get my hands dirty when needed.

The raider does help especially if things are getting dicy and a regroup is in order.

If you arent deepstriking your oblits you are doing something wrong.

Really not a fan of Obliterators.

A unit of 3 costs more than a unit of Autocannon Havocs plus a 3x Melta Termicide squad.

I'd much rather have 4 Autocannons on T1 plus 3 Meltas that can DS where necessary, than 3 Obliterators on turn 2 (at the earliest).

Its the 4+ invuln, and 4+ feel no pain and eternal warrior coupled with life leech now working for models in the squad that make this unit good.

I don't deep strike because then I miss a power or two from the scrolls of magnus. At most I will start them in a raider to avoid initial first turn fire.

If I can also get invisibility I get an eternal warrior, 2 wound, 2+/4++ that can only be hit on 6's and has a 4+ fnp as well.

If you are deep striking them, a lone nurgle one is ideal. If you want to make a heavy unit that can take on most death stars do what I suggested.

Edit: cheese tier 3 is to bring a demon prince of tzeentch which gives oblits a reroll on 1's.

I don't do this because my friends refuse to play the list.

 Konrax wrote:
Its the 4+ invuln, and 4+ feel no pain and eternal warrior coupled with life leech now working for models in the squad that make this unit good.

I don't deep strike because then I miss a power or two from the scrolls of magnus. At most I will start them in a raider to avoid initial first turn fire.

If I can also get invisibility I get an eternal warrior, 2 wound, 2+/4++ that can only be hit on 6's and has a 4+ fnp as well.

If you are deep striking them, a lone nurgle one is ideal. If you want to make a heavy unit that can take on most death stars do what I suggested.

Edit: cheese tier 3 is to bring a demon prince of tzeentch which gives oblits a reroll on 1's.

I don't do this because my friends refuse to play the list.

I thought MCs couldnt join other units. How does the prince give the reroll ability?