Warhammer 40K: Gaunt’s Ghosts Are The Specialist Heroes They Should Be
Games Workshop is showcasing some of the rules from Gaunt’s Ghosts and they are looking like great specialist option for the tabletop.
Not only are the characters from Gaunt’s Ghost leaping off the page and getting some great, new models they are also getting rules (and points) so that you can field them in Open, Narrative, and Matched play games. Today, we’re getting a closer look at their rules on the tabletop and they do not disappoint.
“As expert scouts and light infantrymen, the Tanith First and Only are adept at sneaking behind enemy lines and avoiding detection even on an active battlefield (and they’ve had plenty of chances to prove it). Accordingly, Gaunt’s Ghosts can pop up where your opponent least expects them and meld into the shadows for all but the closest targets.”
To kick things off, Gaunt’s Ghosts have an impressive deployment option – they can go anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 9″ away from enemies and their deployment zone. Forward Scouts? They got that. First Turn Objective Snaggers? Nailed it. Or if you just need a unit in some other pivotal spot deploy them where you need them. “But they will just get shot!” Well…not exactly.
Maybe deploy them more than 18″ away and suddenly they can’t be shot at (until the opponent moves up). And when they are shot at, they are -1 to hit AND have +1 to their save if they are in cover. You did put them in cover, right? Not quite the easy target that a typical guardsmen unit is…
On top of these rules, they are also EACH a character that provides their own benefits to the squad. And GW showed off a bunch of those rules, too.
Gaunt is no slouch in close combat! Sure, he’s not the strongest, but he does pack a punch when he does connect. He’s going to be swinging 3+D3 attacks that each do 2 damage. With a little luck, you’ll be able to take out an enemy character in close combat. But it’s not just close combat support that he provides…
Moving on.
Colonel Colm Corbec packs a punch of his own with his Hot-Shot lascarbine. Furthermore, he also reduces the cost of a Stratagem by 1 CP once per battle round. Handy!
The Major is also here to play. Those Knives are no joke in the squad. Kind of makes me wish those were standard issue. On top of those solid stats (for a guardsmen) he also makes an enemy unit fight last during the fight phase. Could be handy to ensure you get all your attacks in first.
Everyone can appreciate a good sniper. And Hlaine Larkin isn’t just a “good” sniper – he’s the unit’s master sniper! While he’s around, any shooting attacks aren’t going to be bothered by cover. Plus, when he takes aim with this Long-Las, he has the ability to do snag an extra D3 mortal wounds on top of the regular damage.
On the other end of the spectrum is “Try Again” Bragg. He’s not the best shot – but he’s packing the biggest gun. And he’s able to move and fire without penalty. AND if he misses, he gets to shoot again. Now I’m starting to wonder how many attempts does he get to shoot per round.
And last (but certainly not least) is Sergeant Scout Oan Mkoll. His weapon might not be the most impressive but he gives the entire squad a 5+ invulnerable save. That’s nothing to sneeze at!
So there you go. Gaunt’s Ghost are reporting for Pre-Order this weekend from Games Workshop.
Now that’s a squad of specialists!
