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The scout special rule, the ability to redeploy your units between 6" and 12". Is this USR really worth it? From someone who plays assault based armies and assault based lists I have found this rule to be lousy for my side, and awesome when my opponents use it.

Because if I scout, then I cant charge that turn. But it will make it much easier for my opponent to charge me. And if my enemy scouts, then I am almost guaranteed to get a charge against them. Well this all supposing we scout straight forward. Infiltrate I understand though. come in on an objective. maybe even be behind line of sight or something like that. But even then, I cant charge.

So my question is. How many of you actually use scouting to your advantage and does it actually make a difference? Who benefits from scouting?

All the time. I use scout or infiltrate to get as many units closed with the opponents force as possible. Outflank as an option coming from it is also very nice to have. I personally find scout as one of the best USRs avaliable to me as a player who likes to close. I have often used a proxied Issodon to infiltrate (not scout I know, but same basic principle) 3 units forward - best WL trait around. Huron also features in my CSMs or Cypher and friends.

When the Baal predator lost scout it went from being a decent tank to a complete piece of junk.
Raven Guard losing scout is huge. Being able to move every rhino and razorback 12" forward was a biggie in putting on the pressure.
Try an inquisitor with liber heresius in a LR with a nasty assault unit. It's a common but nice trick to pull.

You don't have to move forward. Any sort of redeployment is potentially helpful.

Keep in mind that you don't need to use a Scout move to move forward. I frequently use Scout Moves to get better into cover or redeploy laterally after my opponent is already deployed. You could also use it to just back off and put yourself out of enemy range if you know you're not going to get the first turn.

There are many examples of why scout is awesome. Even if you dont want to close in early, if you deploy first, and your opponent deploys his models to suit, you can move everything around to mess with his plans.

As a ravenwing player scout is priceless to me. I recently played against a list with three heldrakes. I scouted, then turbo boosted, and my entire force was in his deployment zone behind most of his army. When his turkeys did make it on (fear squadron comes on turn 1) he couldn't hit me with his baleflamers because i was lined up on his board edge and he had to fly over and face the other way.

It's also helpful in maelstrom missions that have objective markers in the middle of the table. Pre game you can hold objectives outside of your deployment zone

Scout is one of my favorite USRs. Tetras going foward or outflanking to deploy Crisis exactly where I want without scatter are a godsend.

Also keep in mind it's not a move. You can use it to redeploy on the other side of impassable terrain and whatnot.

Bike armies really benefit from scouting. They can get so close that their multi-meltas are within 12" or their plasmatalons are in double tap range to shoot on the top of turn 1. Scouting Sternguard in a rhino I'll put a hurt on something in the shooting phase.

Most anything that wants to get close to shoot to full affect will benefit from scout.

 jokerkd wrote:
There are many examples of why scout is awesome. Even if you dont want to close in early, if you deploy first, and your opponent deploys his models to suit, you can move everything around to mess with his plans.

As a ravenwing player scout is priceless to me. I recently played against a list with three heldrakes. I scouted, then turbo boosted, and my entire force was in his deployment zone behind most of his army. When his turkeys did make it on (fear squadron comes on turn 1) he couldn't hit me with his baleflamers because i was lined up on his board edge and he had to fly over and face the other way.

It's also helpful in maelstrom missions that have objective markers in the middle of the table. Pre game you can hold objectives outside of your deployment zone

Brilliant tactic versus the Heldrakes !!!

If you have teleport homer/beacon it can also help in your deepstrikers in turn (1) and 2.

Dust wrote:Keep in mind that you don't need to use a Scout move to move forward.

Okapi wrote:You don't have to move forward. Any sort of redeployment is potentially helpful.

this.

also notice the rule says redeploy within 12" of where they were. that's not the same as each model moving 12". therefore, conga line your scouting unit, look at your opponent's deployment, then move the entire unit 12" from one end of the line.

axisofentropy wrote:

Dust wrote:Keep in mind that you don't need to use a Scout move to move forward.

Okapi wrote:You don't have to move forward. Any sort of redeployment is potentially helpful.

this.

also notice the rule says redeploy within 12" of where they were. that's not the same as each model moving 12". therefore, conga line your scouting unit, look at your opponent's deployment, then move the entire unit 12" from one end of the line.

I never knew this. I thought it was each model. It's the way I've always played it and seen it played. But each unit may be redeployed by 6/12", not each model... That changes everything. That is WAY more than a 6" move if you redeploy a blob!

Scout is one of the best USR rules out there. It is best when combined with infiltrate.

This is why i love LSS. Theres nothing this thing can't hit and no mid field objective you can't get to with it. Plus it's cheaper than dirt.

axisofentropy wrote:

Dust wrote:Keep in mind that you don't need to use a Scout move to move forward.

Okapi wrote:You don't have to move forward. Any sort of redeployment is potentially helpful.

this.

also notice the rule says redeploy within 12" of where they were. that's not the same as each model moving 12". therefore, conga line your scouting unit, look at your opponent's deployment, then move the entire unit 12" from one end of the line.

Might want to take this to YMDC but I don't think that's right. If any model in a unit is more than 12" away from where the unit started then your unit has not redeployed within 12".

The Orks have a formation of 5 battle wagons with scout. It can be brutal. Potentially 100 boyz ready to charge out of the battle wagons on turn 2! You might get 1 or 2 of the wagons, but the others will make it. They could do it turn 1 most of the time, but the formation has a rule not allowing assault on turn 1.

Zimko wrote:

axisofentropy wrote:

Dust wrote:Keep in mind that you don't need to use a Scout move to move forward.

Okapi wrote:You don't have to move forward. Any sort of redeployment is potentially helpful.

this.

also notice the rule says redeploy within 12" of where they were. that's not the same as each model moving 12". therefore, conga line your scouting unit, look at your opponent's deployment, then move the entire unit 12" from one end of the line.

Might want to take this to YMDC but I don't think that's right. If any model in a unit is more than 12" away from where the unit started then your unit has not redeployed within 12".

We're saying the same thing. Each model redeploys within 12" of any other model's previous position.

That is indeed an interesting interpretation. of the rule. Spread the unit out on a line and then either scout redeploy to the right, moving all models within 12" of where the model on the furthesr right was. or move them all 12" to the left of where the model on the left wast.

With 10 models spread out 2" apart, lets assume each base is 1" wide that's a 28" spread. redeploy 12" to the right and all of a sudden you have the model who started on the left starting the game a full 39" away from where he started.

The Orks have a formation of 5 battle wagons with scout. It can be brutal.

Ouch! wheres that referenced?

 Ratius wrote:

The Orks have a formation of 5 battle wagons with scout. It can be brutal.

Ouch! wheres that referenced?

It's in WAAAGH ghazkul. And I'm very aware of that rule. But I would never want to limit my Battlewagons from allowing a turn 1 charge.

Keep in mind infantry, artillery and walkers only redeploy 6"

 pretre wrote:
Keep in mind infantry, artillery and walkers only redeploy 6"

You are correct, so my example would be 33" instead of 39"
Still. that's a big swing to go from what I imagined only a 6" movement to seeing someone go 33"

Yeh that is a nice note.
As I could deploy my Ork bike-star (as much as orks can star) on one flank in a conga and make it look like I am going for a wall effect - as they will likely assume you are going to use the scout move to move 12" forward, then simply redeploy on the opposite flank

Gona keep that in the trick bank

I'll echo everything above and just add something I haven't seen posted here yet..
Scout is essential even in assault based armies such as the OPs, especially ones that rely on mechanized delivery. Reason is you can deny opposing alpha strikes against your key units by putting a 'cushion' between those units and turn 1 deep striking nonsense. Enough scouting/infiltrating can really pressure large DS forces into poor deployment when they can only retaliate on your expendable units.