Topic: Questions about Lictors

[29+12]

I've looked around but can't find any discutions on the topic so:

In the Lictor description it says that it comes in a brood of 1-3 but nowhere does it say they can be deployed separately like in the old rules, so am i right in guessing that you have to deploy them together, in unit coherency etc. etc. (please tell me I'm wrong =[)

[Travellar]

yep, pack hunters now.

and you could field 9 of them.

[Raktra (So long, I guess)]

To pre-empt any further questions (not from you specifically), this will also apply to Zoanthropes and Biovores.

[Kimster]

for zoanthropes it's a loss i think was handy for synapse

[Raktra (So long, I guess)]

I think it's a gain. Synapse is easy to acquire in this book, and it means that numerous 'Thropes give away less KPs.

[Travellar]

in all three cases, it raises the ceiling on models above 3.

[Khira'lyth]

Yeah, you can still do independent lictors, it just eats up slots.

I'm okay with it for Zoanthropes/Biovores... but it saddens me that our ultimat independent bugs now have to hold hands with each other.  Though true, it does help with KP's (but those are pretty bunk anyway).

Khira'lyth

[Travellar]

I'm not sure I'm too worried about the Lictors grouping up, there have never been too many units they could take by themselves in the first place.

[Sheepz]

but it saddens me that our ultimat independent bugs now have to hold hands with each other

Well, they don't. You could field them in single units. On a personal note, I think the idea of pack-lictors is cool, and they're hardly holding hands in the way that giant broods do.

[Travellar]

It used to be a running joke with one of my friends, how well his Devastators could handle Lictors in assaults.  Doing the math, it's not hard to see why.  However, where one Lictor is a mild nuiscence, three ar ea death sentance.  If the numbers I just worked up in my head are accurate, the Lictors won't be wiping a five man devastator squad out on the charge, but they will win by enough to leave just one or two guys to carry the fight into the Marine turn. (which they won't live long enough to strike in)

It's clear the Hive mind was paying attention when it's Lictors began to sparrow themselves against battlefield enemies.  A slight adjustment of brain chemistry, and our Lictors get more dangerous.

[y2jfreak]

I too find that Lictors ironically work better in this new book if u take 3 in a brood. as far as killing marines go its just forcing armour saves, if you happen to be lucky with rending, huzzah! I'm not so sure about Death Leaper. Looks nice, pretty nice rules but still with 4 attacks he's going to be no better in assault than a lone Lictor, even with 5+ rending. I think spending more on the 3 lictors is worth it rather than an Elite choice and a model thats worth more than 2 lictors.

[Khira'lyth]

I'll admit, having 2-3 combo that heavy weapons team is definitely more effective... I guess I should view it more as a group of Raptors hunting rather than the generic squad tactics.

I do wonder how they rack up kills points-wise, though... ye olde Lictors had the nice Prefen re-roll, however 15 points cheaper (and still re-rolling 1's, even vs tanks) may be a net gain in that area.

The deployment is better too, I think... granted chances are we'll still want to place in terrain for stealth purposes, but being able to Marbo someone (well, at least popping up like him) is a significant ability, and puts the Lictor *right* where you want him - the number one factor in making him useful.

And I will say about the DL's 5+ rend - mathwise that puts you back on par with the original Rending, which as we're all aware, I'm sure, was scores better than the current (though now reduced in cost, largely) version.

Khira'lyth

[GaleRazorwind]

The main reason I see for taking a Deathleaper is for his special abilities. The -D3 to a character's LD has high potential to disrupt Psykers, especially if they aren't Eldar with Runes of Witnessing, and even more if they are in SitW range. With a lucky roll of 5/6, you have just brought that HQ Psyker down to LD7. Get them in SitW range and they will likely fail most of their psychic tests.

Heck, you could use it on a Company Commander so his LD is no better than the Gaurdsmen he is ordering around.

[Travellar]

I'd say hit the Lord Commisar, since he's the one who shares his leadership.

Space marines are tough, do you hit the Force commander, the Chaplain, or the Librarian?  Either way, it hurts.

[spiderbite]

The deployment is better too, I think... granted chances are we'll still want to place in terrain for stealth purposes, but being able to Marbo someone (well, at least popping up like him) is a significant ability, and puts the Lictor *right* where you want him - the number one factor in making him useful.

Khira'lyth

But didn't the Lictor lose its ability to launch an assault after placement? (that's what a friend told me) How is that better?

[GaleRazorwind]

^Well, it is a mixed bag. We can now put our Lictors wherever we want, and we do have the ranged Flesh Hooks attack, but we can't charge right away. It would be ideal IMO to put him in terrain near the enemy so he gets a 3+ cover save, then charge out at him with move through cover + Fleet.

[29+12]

Dropping 3 behind a AV10 rear armour tank seems like it could be good way to take one out, esp if it's hanging out the back laying down firesupport (why hello there leman russ =]).

[Travellar]

I'm thinking 2-3 of them in a list with multiple deepstrikers, and [/u]NO HIVE COMMANDERS[/u].

They pop in on turn 2 (hopefully), set up in cover near the middle of the enemy force, fire off flesh hooks, and go to ground as soon as they start taking fire. (or maybe allow a couple of counds, just to mislead your opponet into thinking they're making progress.)

Turn three, you've got:
-a couple of grounded Lictors in the midst of your opponets force,
-Perfect deepstriking for roughly half your force still in reserves,
-2+ arrival of those reserves.