40K PSA from your Friendly Neighborhood Power Gamer!

So you want some 40K dirty tricks and sneaky combos? Let’s get ready to ruuuuuuuuumble!

Alrighty, it’s time to fighty!

I am running out of funny opening lines, and I’m tired so that was the best I could do, this week.

Reecius here from Frontline Gaming to issue a P.S.A. about some funky rules, sneaky moves, and killer combos to be aware of coming into Adepticon and WargamesCon, NOVA, Feast of Blades, Comikaze, Dule Con, etc. There’s no fun in winning by springing a “Gotcha!” rules combo on someone who was totally ignorant of it. It takes the meaning our of victory and usually leaves me feeling flat, personally. That is why I always ask my opponents if they have any questions about any units, Wargear or rules in my list. I always show them my list before a game, but not everyone does. It’s about winning WHILE being a good sportsman, not just winning. Take that ultra beat stick list sure, but be sure to tell your opponent what it all does so he or she can make smart decisions and play against you, not your sneaky tricks.

Second, this is in no way, at all, meant to be a comprehensive list. The amount of combos in this game is staggering, it would be impossible to list them all. This is a conversation starter so please share the combos and tricks you’ve seen in the comment section to help all of us become better players. Some of these may seem obvious, but I can’t tell you how frequently I’ve seen people lose a game due to ignorance of the rules.

Third, rules issues can cause endless whining, crying, name calling, etc. I am not even going to get into it, if you question any of these ideas, look them up yourself, talk to your event TO to see what to expect, consult your play group, etc. and make a ruling on it if you don’t like it.

Here are some you should know about. Note, all the images are from our paint studio, check us out for your next commission, we have great quality at affordable rates!

• Dark Angels. These guys have some nasty combos to be aware of. Besides the obvious of the Bikers bringing in the Termies without scatter and potentially all on the same turn (I see people caught off guard by this frequently), they also have Rad Charges that can lower your toughness and subsequently your ID threshold. The biggie is Azrael being able to grant his 4++ to any unit he joins (which extends to allies, too). Also be aware of the wargear tricks such as the 4++ Land Raider formation due to the Power Field Generator, etc. And, Hit and Run. The bikers have it, and it is an easy one to forget when you think you’ve got someone pinned down in combat. The Bolter Banner works on Bikes, but not Termies, so take that thing out with precision fire or barrage sniping ASAP.

• IG. IG are perpetually popular since they went from a total dud army in 4th to great one in 5th. As such a lot of people have the models. 6th made them even better, and they have loads of Barrage weapons, which are spectacularly good in 6th and oddly, make the best sniper weapons. Combo that with allies that provide Divination and these weapons become even deadlier. The Colossus in particular is crazy as it ignores cover at str6 ap3 which is brutal for MEQs. Also, with an Aegis, Lord Commissar and CCS, they can hide behind covert, go to ground when you shoot at them, and then get back in the fight at LD10 and shoot you, giving them a 2+ when they want with little downside. Their Blob Squads are also a hotbed of combos with Azrael of the Dark Angels able to give them (or any unit he joins, makes Ogryn pretty sweet, too!) a 4++ and leadership bonuses. Divination makes their weapons crazy good (Plasma!), etc. They also fight well in combat with all those Power Axes. Be wary of assaulting. 

• Space Marines. The old girl’s still got some tricks up her sleeve! Space Marines psychic powers are still game winning, Null Zone and Gate Particularly, which can teleport a unit in on a teleport homer with no scatter. Pedro makes Sternguard scoring too, which includes allied Sternguard who also have 2+ poison rounds which is the answer to a lot of the big nasty Iron Arm’d MCs we see these days. Scouts with Shrike can still charge bottom of turn 1, which is always fun! 

• Daemons. The new kid on the block is packed full of things that make you go: WTF? Fiends charging you or the Slaneesh power Acquiescence drop your Initiative by 5, which can take you below 1. With a 0 level characteristic, it means you don’t even attack back. This only counts if you get charged and only for that assault phase but it is DEADLY as the debuff benefits other Daemon units as well. They can alter their wargear per game as they need to, which is incredibly useful. Taking an Exalted Gift means you can go for some great buffs, or opt for the Portal Glyph which can generate a new scoring unit every turn. It is a pretty incredible option to have. Many Tzeentch weapons that don’t kill you give a +1FnP bonus that stacks. Units that scout (read: Flesh Hounds and any Khorne unit Karanak attaches to like Blood Crushers, Heralds of Khorne on Crushers, etc.) and subsequently scout forward, can subsequently charge you in the bottom of the first turn. Karanak also has a really effective 12″ psyker defense (Perils on any doubles). That is BRUTAL. Be prepared for this or suffer the consequences. Tzeentch units reroll 1’s on saves. Plop a unit of Horrors in area terrain or behind an Aegis on an objective, go to ground if shot and become almost impervious to shooting that doesn’t ignore cover. Skull Cannons shoot you, and any unit subsequently assaulting gets grenades. 

• Orks. Slow and Purposeful allows a unit to move ans shoot, even with heavy weapons. So, a Mega Armor Warboss with a unit of 15 Lootas is mobile and he can tank wounds. 

• Tyranids. Nids have a lot of little tricks up their sleeves. Telekine Dome bounces shots back at you, something I use all the time with my Gargoyles as the unit is so big and fast it can really make this rule brutal. Swarmy will walk through damn near anything in the game, particularly if he has Iron Arm. Preferred enemy bubbles from Tyrants makes everyone better, including Biovores (something a lot of folks miss). Tervigons and Gants can fill big sections of the table, denying Flyers a place to land which can destroy them. You only get a cover save from Hive Guard if you are in or touching cover! People always forget that one. Genesteelers can lower your leadership, opening you up to devastating hits from the Doom and Psychic Shriek.

• Tau. Tau are all about combos. We’re still learning, but look to Commanders with Drone Controllers making them just amazing. He can use an Onager Gauntlet (1, strength 10, ap 1 HtH attack) issue a challenge, punch you, then use Hit and Run to bail out of combat. Marker Lights buff your BS for Overwatch and Snap Firing at flyers. Broadsides with High Yield Missile Pods can put out enough firepower to wipe out a unit a turn. Ethereals are worth double Kill Points. Skyray’s can shoot a Flyer with normal BS Marker Lights to allow another ground unit to fire at it at BS 3, then other Marker Lights can be used to fire its Seeker Missiles. Farsight doesn’t scatter, Shadowsun grants Stealth and Shrouded. A Riptide with Ion Accelerator and Interceptor is a nasty surprise for Deep Striking termies (or anything, really).

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• Space Wolves. Space Wolves are still great. Grey Hunters popping a Wolf Banner with a termie (or any 2+ save model) gets rerolls on him to tank wounds. Jaws auto-kills Artillery (or any attack with an initiative test). Logan in a Drop Pod with Long Fangs let’s them shoot the turn they come in at normal BS. Thunder Wolves are even faster than they were, ignoring terrain now. Runic Staves are money, and Njall with his working on a 3+, and his storm powers is still a beast.

• Eldar. Eldar have tricks galore. Runes of Warding is still a bear, and Fuegan or a Fire Dragon Exarch on a Quad Gun is murder (Tank Hunters, BS5+, Ignores Cover). Fuegan is actually just murdr in general, and punches like a Monstrous Creature in HtH. Harlequins are insane with Fortune (Stealth and Shrouding), grant hit and run and are pretty much murder in a clown suit, and so hard to kill. Combo this with a Character(s) with a 2+ save of some sort and laugh as wounds bounce off. DE characters can join an Eldar unit and benefit from Eldar powers. 

• Blood Angels. Meph with Biomancy is just brutal, Iron Arm particularly makes him a monster. He still has fleet, too, so he is a speedy little bastard. Death Company with Bolters can move, double tap, and assault…well. 

• Grey Knights. Grey Knights still bring the heat. Purgation squads can hop into a Bastion with a Tecmarine (or any character) and grant them their Astral Aim and profit. Death Cult Assasins can take a power axe, maul or sword in any combination they choose, which makes them even nastier for their stupid low cost. Mordrak doesn’t scatter. Why more folks don’t use him, I don’t know, but he applies a lot of pressure. I’ve seen this combo’s with Belial to great effect. 

• Sisters. Sisters are legit. Celestine with Seraphim is game winning. Don’t kill Celestine, just tie her up in combat! She gets back up on the last turn and it can take away First Blood, Warlord, and contest an objective, all in one fell swoop. I know, from experience! 

• Dark Eldar. Dark Eldar are the ultimate spoiler army. They are the bane of so many builds. Vect seizing on a 4+, granting Preferred Enemy, kicking serious ass, its brutal. The Baron can join Beast Packs (or any unit) to grant Stealth and a +1 to go first. Fearless now confers to the unit if even one model has it, so Beast Packs become much deadlier.

• Chaos. They’re super popular right now. Heldrakes have a 360 degree fire arc, vector strike, can hover, and pretty much win games by themselves. Zombie units still have a champ and as such can take or make challenges. Outflanking Havocs or Chosen with 4-5 special weapons is nasty, be wary of that (due to Warlord Traits). 

• Necrons. Deathmarks with a Cryptek(s) with Veil or in a Night Scythe and Abyssal staff is murder. They will wipe out a unit, no problem. A Destroyer Lord with Mind Shackle Scarabs and Wraiths is one of the nastiest assault units in the game. Spyders spitting out Scarabs is still fantastic, and with the changes to fearless, they are much more reliable. Just watch out for stupid Heldrakes! 

Well, there you have it. A quick smattering of the combos, rules, units, etc. that you need to be aware of along with some cool pics of our studio art!

List out some more killer combos and such in the comments section to help everyone get up to speed. 

Author: Reece Robbins

Reece Robbins, is one of the most respected names in tabletop gaming. He founded Frontline Gaming and the largest Warhammer 40K tournament in the world, the Las Vegas Open. Reece has been playing competitively and covering Warhammer since the 1980s. He has won major events including Adepticon.