Thursday, November 10, 2011

The infantry blob


 It occurred to me that i where using the infantry squads as less effective heavy weapon teams(one heavy weapon only in each squad). That meant that I had a heavy weapon team that you couldn’t kill of fast like normal weapon teams, but I was wasting the last 8 guardsmen most of the game since I had to keep them static to use the HWT. 


 I then later combined two infantry squads to a blob with 2 heavy weapon teams in one squad. Only one “bring it down” order where needed now, but now I was wasting 16 guardsmen! So why not remove the HWTs and get full usage out of the blob?

Why use a mobile blob?
- Provides a role for your platoon’s infantry squads while at the same time strengthens it.
- Makes full use of lasguns.
- Provides a tough stabile tar pit if you add a commissar, which can claim objectives.
- Makes a tar pit out of the unit that can actually fight back effectively if you equip your sergeants and commissar with power weapons.
- If you add Straken to the mix and keep his command squad nearby, the blob gets even stronger with counter attack, furious charge and gives you the option of doing “First rank fire, second rank fire” first without losing the extra attack if your target is still alive and charges the blob.


What to watch out for
- Flamers! You will always want to keep your blog in cover since the blob only have flak armor(5+ save).
However as we all know flamers eat both 5+ saves and cover saves..
- Units with a lot of attacks that strike before or at the same time as your blob. Example would be ork boys on the charge, dark eldar wyches etc. You get the point.
- Big blast weapons or small blast barrage. Make sure to spread your blog out with 2 inces in-between each mode.


Best wishes Ras

4 comments:

  1. Good overview, Ras. I use an outflanking 20 man blob, via Al'rahem. Sometimes I give them meltaguns to threaten vehicles, but if you keep your Platoon Command Squad nearby for orders, nothing short of vehicles wants to face down 18 lasguns with 'First Rank, Second Rank'.

    I've enjoyed watching your army and tactics progress. Keep it up.

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  2. Wow thats a very nice trick to do Boxer! Outflanking blob! AUCH! Shame i dont play Talarn ^^

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  3. Everything's attacking your blog! I think you meant Blob... no worries. Mobile Blobs can be very useful. I've seen them put to good use by combining a Commissar, some power weapons and a Priest. S3 power weapons are meh, S4 power weapons are nice.

    Blobs are all about position and threat range. The static blob has the advantage of terrifying MSU (Multiple Small Unit) armies, but GK Paladin spam eat them up (as I discovered)... I used combined squads as blockers and bring it down holders. Against vehicles, nothing offers full game fire like 30 guardsmen with 3 lascannons and BID orders... They'll either attract a lot of fire (that they can weather) or none at all.

    I don't worry too much about 'wasting' 16 men, their job is to catch bullets and keep the team rolling AND to offer threat to any fast MSU/vehicle that wants some pain.

    Mobile blobs are nice ... but are really only an occassional surprise unit - which I'd trust to Penal Legion more (like you can trust them ever!)

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  4. @Sune Nice to hear for you again mate! Yeah the blog thing was a spelling mistake i notice after i posted it. I currently roll 2 powerweapons+commisar in my blob and its been doing great most games. Games where i stupidly got charged by wrong unit or failed to keep them in cover is another matter..

    I did think about the priest but thing is i rarely will be charging so the + to hit from the priest is wasted. Also hes a endependant character so easy to snipe out and loose does 45 points easy. What i do however is use them as aa anvil and Strakens squad as the hammer. Been working great last 5 games but ofcause i am in no way saying that it works against everything. They ar quite fragile against the wrong units.

    That being said as boxer said. 20 men with lasguns raidfiring with frfsrf and then when charged have counter charge is quite scary. My blob produces 12 powerweapon attacks which added to a stuborn 21 wound unit where does 12 attacks comes from 3 models you cant target out with regulair means, means that this unit might eat you up unless you produces enough attacks of your own. That being said Straken is the man that finishes the fight for these guys most of the time.

    However you right about positioning and threat range is something that you have to keep and eye on always or they will end up dead faster than scout sentinels! This is not a killy unit but in most cases a strong trustworthy claiming unit if played correctly.

    As always Sune your insights are highly appreciated!

    Ras

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