40K Editorial – Does MSU Still Work?
Good day, Mercer from Imperius Dominatus, here, taking up your free time and doing an attempt to increase my site traffic. 🙂
I’ve been racking my little brain recently as the horde of the internet is saying MSU (Minimum Small Units) doesn’t work any more. I am not sure if this is true or not. At least for me, things still seem to work the same in the MSU department. Here are the common complaints:
Vehicles Are Weaker
I’ve read that MSU doesn’t work thanks to vehicle changes. I cannot deny that vehicles have changed and have perhaps come easier to destroy. I find my vehicles are glanced to death and it is rare that damage results are rolled for.
In fact, the whole “MSU is no longer functioning” issue is really down to vehicles. From certain points I can understand why people say MSU isn’t as good.
The main one for me is the inability to assault from vehicles, even if the vehicle is wrecked or destroyed. My Blood Angels Razor army has been greatly effected by this. In 5th my dudes could rock up, absorb some punishment and then bail out of their ride and punch face. Now they cannot do that. An assault army with no assault vehicles is dead in 6th ed 40k. My poor Blood Angels 🙁 .
What about Gunlines?
But what about shooting armies in MSU format? Don’t they still work?
I believe they can. I personally haven’t had problems with shooty MSU builds. See, if youre now weaker transporte goes boom, then your occupants can still shoot. If it is wrecked you can still shoot.
People have also mentioned vehicles killing the dudes inside; but the rules for damage for passengers is the same as 5th ed (unless open topped vehicle), so that makes no difference in 6th ed.
Also do not forget the usual benefits such as immunity to small arms fire and greater mobility. Mobility is a big key is 40k as five out of six missions are objective based.
The Missions
Other folk have mentioned kill points and also ease of achieving first blood.
Well, personally kill points do not bother me. It didn’t bother me in 5th when 1/3 of the missions could be kill points and it doesn’t bother me now when 1/6 of the missions can be kill points.
First blood, yeah ok, I’ll bite on this one. It is easier to kill a vehicle with a single shot than it is a infantry unit. But I guess it depends what else you could fire at.
I have heard that MSU only works with skimmer craft. I am not sure why this is. Skimmers are still vehicles and function the same. The only difference is they can scoot over terrain. Only open topped vehicles make a real difference and that’s only for assault armies.
In closing…
Or maybe it is me. Maybe I am behind the times and still got my 5th ed glasses on and not looking at 6th. I can see 6th being more infantry heavy, but I really do hate heavy infantry lists. They are so time consuming to play and if you’re playing against TFG then it becomes even more harder to play. Maybe it’s me, I am pretty laid back and lazy and moving tanks about is so much easier :P.
At the moment I still think MSU can work, at least for shooty armies. MSU for assault armies with no open topped/assault transports is dead i.e Blood Angels Razorback lists. I do think there will be a decline in MSU and more foot lists and even hybrid lists will be appearing, especially with the new CSM codex which has the option for large units.
What’s your thoughts on MSU? Does it still work in 40k or is it dead and buried and you’re glad to see the back of it?
I still think it works, but in the right army. Of course I am heavily biased ;). I do think that MSU will greatly decline in time and the foot and hybrid army will rise.
