<![CDATA[Latest posts for the thread "Skaven weapon teams in the current metagame"]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/93.page JForum - http://www.jforum.net Skaven weapon teams in the current metagame
Early in 7th edition, my super-reliable Skaven weapon teams suddenly became a liability. I was running into Wood Elves every other game and even the Empire and Dwarf armies I was seeing were shooting my weapons teams out before I could get them into position to do any damage. I went from using them always (overpowered as the ratling guns were in 6th), to using them as flank-guarders, to hiding them in behind units and waiting for opportunities at the end of games to pop them out.

Times change and suddenly the top two armies seem to be Vampire Counts and Demons. Neither has good shooting power and both have units that seem susceptible to magic-powered gatling guns. Is there a consensus on the usefulness of Skaven weapon teams, (Ratling guns in particular)?

]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/385671.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/385671.page GMT Skaven weapon teams in the current metagame
I usually ran the following

almost naked warlord
two engineers

2 blocks of clanrats
2 blocks of slaves

night runners
gutter runners
tunnelling team
rat ogres
jezzails

WLC

Rat ogres suck the bone. That is without a doubt. I bought a unit of plague monks to replace them. They've met with a little success in the few games I've played since returning.

I look at my original list and I think I relied a lot on those ratling guns. So, do I stick with them and chew up demons and skeletons, or do I need to replace them with something that isn't an arrow-magnet?]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/386456.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/386456.page GMT Re:Skaven weapon teams in the current metagame
My experiance with Plague monks is they work great if you get a unit to shield them. Plague censor bearers are good for this as are some night runners. I like skirmishers for this roll as they can get out of the way easily enough and they are usualy cheap enough that they can spread out a bit past the sides of the unit to provide extra cover from angles. In a pinch you can use a unit of slaves to guard them but they definantly need some form of ratty shield. Also, I nogiced you don't have any globadiers. Those guys are great and may be a decnet alternative to your ratling guns if you decide to go that way. If I remember correctly thier attacks are also magic.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/388471.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/388471.page GMT Skaven weapon teams in the current metagame http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/388482.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/388482.page GMT Skaven weapon teams in the current metagame
That rule is now gone, and so weapons teams are fair game. I suspect that when they redo the Skaven book, if they keep weapons teams they'll get a special rule to protect them.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/388506.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/388506.page GMT Re:Skaven weapon teams in the current metagame 40K again.

I would hope they get a rule to protect them otherwise I can see where the problem come in. Of course you could still just leave them between the slaves and the clanrats, get the slaves in combat and shoot into it. Another thing that I'm not sure if it would work or not as it's been a year or so since I last looked at my skaven codex. Do the weapon teams count as IC or as a team? If they count as IC is there anything saying they can't join a unit? If not you could stick the gun in the front rank of it's parent unit. This will make your clanrats less mobile but protect the guns a bit. Like I said I can't remember if there is anything that forbids this or not. The other thing which I think is WAY closer to the dark side of the rules if it's possible at all. Can you join the gun to a unit of night runners?

Just some crazy thoughts from a caffene deprived individual.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/389029.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/389029.page GMT Skaven weapon teams in the current metagame
Just stick them behind your units, and use Night and Gutter Runners to screen them or engage the enemy shooty stuff in what ought to be a one sided fight. Then pop them out.

No need to protect them if you just use a little tactical acumen.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/389055.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/389055.page GMT Skaven weapon teams in the current metagame IC's for targetting purposes, they aren't characters and therefore can't join units.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/389101.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/389101.page GMT Re:Skaven weapon teams in the current metagame
In that case all you can do is screen them and hope you can kill more of their units in combat than you do yours. ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/389111.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/389111.page GMT Skaven weapon teams in the current metagame
Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:Why should they be protected? Do Skaven not have enough exemptions from normal rules?

Just stick them behind your units, and use Night and Gutter Runners to screen them or engage the enemy shooty stuff in what ought to be a one sided fight. Then pop them out.

No need to protect them if you just use a little tactical acumen.


I'm not saying that they should or shouldn't be protected. I'm just saying that when 7th edition came out my weapons teams either a) turned into pincushions as soon as they were in range or b) spent the whole game hiding behind units, getting only one good turn of shooting per game, which would make it hard to get their points back. In early 7th, Wood Elves were everywhere, so that didn't help matters.

So, now, things have changed in the metagame and tournaments seem to be featuring a lot of Vampires and Demons - two armies who won't shoot my weapon teams out. Is it time to take the weapon teams back out?

edit: added missing word]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/389492.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/389492.page GMT Skaven weapon teams in the current metagame
Matt Varnish wrote:Hey Crippler.. hows Moncton? This is O-Club


Holy FNO-CLUB! As if I wouldn't recognize Matt Varnish.
Moncton is alright man. Things are busy. Married with a kid now. So that means I've got a sweet basement game room and no time to play in it.
hehheh
How are things? PM me and tell me whats up!

]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/389495.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/389495.page GMT Skaven weapon teams in the current metagame VC and had no trouble against the rattling guns. The big mistake I saw with what my opponent did was focus those on my Skeletons. Granted he was doing anywhere from 12-25 wounds form all of the shooting I was raising equal to more than he was killing. I would focus on the big guys or more expensive units with them. ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/390227.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/390227.page GMT Re:Skaven weapon teams in the current metagame VC general can raise every turn just with my shooting and magic, then I'll take that draw every time. It means I'm not getting run over in the magic phase, which is where VC are at their most dangerous. Raise away and I'll simply throw all my defences into stopping the movement spells.

The other problem with hiding them behind a unit is that that there are lots of flanking forces which will be able to hit their parent unit without ever having to facea shot from the guns due to their limited range. Do they work against scouts behind your lines? Absolutely. As long as those scouts don't come equipped with missile weapons.

So, I could drop the two ratling guns and get a big unit of jezzails. Does that make more sense? ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/391336.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/391336.page GMT Skaven weapon teams in the current metagame http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/400433.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/400433.page GMT Skaven weapon teams in the current metagame BS. If you're playing against good opponents those ratling guns simply won't last. Each one costs 60 points and dies the moment it shows it's face. There are simply too many ways to kill it, especially since it no longer gets the -1 to hit bonus for being a skirmisher. When you consider how much damage they can do and the ease with which they can be killed, there's no reason for the enemy general to not put a unit of of ranged weapon troops on a hill and shoot over my intervening troops to kill them. ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/595819.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/218701/595819.page GMT