Spacecurves’ Tactics Class : Flame Deflection
3 Minute Read
Mar 1 2011
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Hello everyone, and welcome to another Spacecurves’ Tactics Class. As always, it is my goal to teach you practical tactics you can apply in your next Warhammer 40k game. Today’s tactic involves using friendly models to control the placement of templates.
Many units, (especially imperial units) can be armed with a mix of direct fire and template weapons. The typical approach is to have a unit specialize with only template or direct fire weapons so that you aren’t paying points for wasted shots during the game. In general, this is a good idea. However, there are ways to still get the full potential from units armed with both template and mixed weapons. One of the most common examples of such a unit is a Space Marine Land Speeder armed with a Multi-Melta and Heavy Flamer. Picture 1 below shows the set up for this scenario.
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| Picture 1: Two targets, one shooter |
I have a land speeder armed with a Multi-Melta and Heavy Flamer that has moved six inches to attack some Dark Eldar units. Let us assume that in the context of the scenario and overall game, the highest priority target is the raider. I will have my land speeder fire at the raider and most likely destroy it with the Multi-Melta. When I do so, I can also fire my flamer, but I will be obligated to cover as much of the vehicle as possible with the template.
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| Picture 2: Normally, my Land Speeder must cover the vehicle with the flamer template. |
Destroying the vehicle is great, but wouldn’t it be great to also burninate the enemy troops standing nearby? How can I make this happen?
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| Picture 3: Enter the trusty Tactical Squad. |
If for example I have one of my trusty Tactical Squads nearby, and I move it partially in front of the Land Speeder as shown in Picture 3, then I can have my cake and eat it too. Now when I fire the Land Speeder, I can’t place the template over my friendly models. This means I am *forced* to fire to the right, barely clip the vehicle, AND fry the troops standing next to it.
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| Picture 4: Two birds with one stone. |
This allows me to likely destroy both the Raider and the Warriors with just my Land Speeder.
This tactic can be applied anytime you are firing with a unit possessing direct fire and template weapons. It can work with infantry too, suppose you want to soften up a unit before charging it, and would love to also cook an adjacent enemy unit. If you position the models within the squad correctly, you can force your flamers to only hit 1 or two of the unit you plan to charge, while mostly hitting the nearby enemy unit. Skillful use of your own unit positioning allows you to often destroy more than one enemy unit with each of yours. This is one of the reasons I love armies with lots of template weapons. Both my Salamander and Dark Eldar armies have LOTS of them.
Homework Question 1 : What other units besides a Space Marine Land Speeder can perform this tactic?
Homework Question 2: Besides destroying multiple targets with one shot, what are some other uses for “flame deflection”?
Class Dismissed! Please post your answers to the homework questions in the comments below. If you have comments or questions, feel free to contact me at [email protected]
-Spacecurves
Author: Guest Columnist
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