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Offline Wyddr

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Thinking about Ratlings...
« on: March 16, 2016, 11:04:13 AM »
Yes, yes--completely worthless in offense, I know.

Still, I have been thinking about using Ratlings. Not for the guns--honestly I don't know that I'd bother ever shooting them--but for getting Linebreaker.

Just take a tiny squad (no more than 3-5) and outflank them. Have them come in in some obscure corner of the enemy DZ (hopefully in some cover) and then leave them there. That's it. Don't bother with LOS, don't bother shooting anything, do literally nothing but have them go to ground and sit there.

For the cost of less than a Rhino, you can probably score yourself 1 VP more than half the time (since who is going to bother wasting bullets and time and movement on killing Ratlings?) or create little diversion in the enemy backfield.

What do we think? Practical idea or not?

Offline Calamity

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Re: Thinking about Ratlings...
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2016, 11:29:26 AM »
Yes!  It's a great idea!  It suits their fluff to an extent, and it is very practical too.  If only they could take camo gear...

I think I'll try this out in my future lists, if I can figure out a way to get models with suitable hazardous environment gear.

Offline Wyddr

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Re: Thinking about Ratlings...
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2016, 12:21:00 PM »
They essentially have camo gear for free, though!

Offline Calamity

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Re: Thinking about Ratlings...
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2016, 12:26:54 PM »
I know, and that's great for this tactic.  I was just thinking though that if they could take camo gear then they could perform this tactic to their best abilities.

Anyway, if I was doing this I wouldn't shoot with them either.  It would only remind your opponent that they're there.  Safety in ignorance.

Offline Spectral Arbor

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Re: Thinking about Ratlings...
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2016, 01:35:17 PM »
It's not like we're doing anything else with the Elite slot. :)

I've done somewhat similar things with a pair of DS'ing 5-Man Scions... with a pair of Plasmas each. I literally drop them somewhere they're unlikely to be targeted, and use the Plasma for support fire, ideally sniping the rear armour of something or just plinking away at an MC.

Like you said, if you aren't a serious damage threat and you aren't sitting on an objective, who's going to send a 200 point unit after a 50 point unit in the middle of not-scoring-an-objective-ville. I didn't like the idea of a complete non-threat unit, but that's just me. You're absolutely right in taking 3x3 Ratling squads. Hell, spread them around on objectives you probably wouldn't make it to, and force your opponent to deal with them. :) If you take one and hide it in his DZ [can be hard to do, if your opponent spreads out] you're spending 30 points for a victory point, which is a fantastic trade.

Offline Wyddr

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Re: Thinking about Ratlings...
« Reply #5 on: March 16, 2016, 03:02:50 PM »
I'd really only ever take one unit--the more you invest, the less useful this tactic becomes. Also, if they don't come in turn 2 (ideal), by then the number of units sitting around in the enemy DZ will be reduced and the bad guys will have bigger things to worry about.

Offline Spectral Arbor

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Re: Thinking about Ratlings...
« Reply #6 on: March 16, 2016, 10:39:04 PM »
I dunno. One unit can hide out of LOS pretty easily, but it can also be dealt with pretty easily late game, where 2 or 3 mini-units require a greater dedication to deal with.

I found that with 2, one would survive, if I was careful. A single squad got killed, no matter what. Just my experience, though.

 


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