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View Full Version : Stormtroopers: Anybody found a good use for 'em.



Lord Azaghul
11-03-2009, 09:29 AM
So I've got about 20 wonderful stormtroopers models. I love to paint them but I've played a couple of games with them but have found them lacking, in fact I hesitate to even take them out of the box!

Part of the reason I believe is their cost. At 16 points a model, they just don't 'preform'. Espeically with the limited range, and they really arent durible enough to deep strike

My preform I mean kill. They end up causing a very similar amout of wounds as the average 10 man infantry squad, but cost 3x as much. There special rules are decent on paper, but I have yet to see their tactical value.
At 180 points for a ten man squad with 2 special weapons, a tank or a platoon seems like a far better choice.
A 5 man squad with melta/flamer is 100 on the dot. But a vet squad with meltas is the same cost! I'd like to do more with infiltrating and scouting (not outflanking) in the army in general, but is ST can't kill very effectively what can they do well?
Any comments or suggestions.

Wanderingroue
11-03-2009, 09:31 AM
only time ive seen then do ok is 2 x 5 man squads with double melta. Deepstriking and tank popping. But 100 ish points to do so is a little steep.

Majorcrash
11-03-2009, 10:40 AM
I use them to surprise my opponent. I tend to keep them in a transport until needed and then open up at close range. They are surprising good against chaos and marines but of less value against others.

Atrotos
11-03-2009, 11:08 AM
They desperately need an HQ character to make them Troops - then they're high cost would be justified as it would make it hard to spam them. Mr. Cruddance obviously thought we were all going to shove as many STs into our lists as possible due, presumably, to AP3 lasguns. He was wrong.

I would make up said character or ask your opponent if you can field them at a lower cost - both solutions have worked for me but, of course, are limited to friendly games with familiar opponents.

EDIT: Forgot to add that the most useful way to field them is Scouting forward/Outflanking INSIDE their transport. Using them as suicide units is a terrible idea - the Guard has no problems dealing with armor the conventional way.

Aldramelech
11-03-2009, 11:33 AM
I don't own any and have no plans to buy any, there are several reasons for this.

1/ I don't like the models
2/ They cost too much
3/ A Veteran squad can do everything they do and more
4/ I need every big gun I can lay my hands on and I can get more bang for my buck elsewhere

They are completely pointless.

Lord Azaghul
11-03-2009, 11:51 AM
Pretty much all my metal models (about 30+ tallarn, 20+ steel legion, 20 Storm troopers, and 15+ various officers). I bought from a friend for dirt cheap when I was starting the army under the last codex.
So they we're a way so money. I just want to find a use for them: even subing in as carapase vets doesn't seem worth it with so much cover in 5th ed.

I have an idea for an infiltrate/scout themed list, basicly 2 penal squads, 2 squad of sentinels, ratlings and storm troopers. With a mechinized platoon with heavy weapon teams, and a couple of heavies for fire support. The idea is IF I get the first turn, scout and infiltrate up, move the chimeras up at crusing speed, along with the hell hound, have the infiltraters pick surgical targets while the rest of the army advances.

But even ratling seem more lethal and durable then stormtroopers, they wound on a 4+ for crying out loud and have a better save vs shooting!

I'm just hoping someone out there as found a points efficent use for them.

Chumbalaya
11-03-2009, 12:04 PM
Deep Strike w/ meltas or scout/outflank in a Chimera, that's about all you can do with them.

DarkLink
11-03-2009, 12:17 PM
GW likes to occasionally upgrade units with a bunch of AP3, then make them ridiculously expensive. Thousand Sons suffer from exactly this same problem.

Naked Stormtroopers aren't very good, even against Marines. They're just too expensive for that AP 3. The only other real use for them, melta-ing stuff, can be done better with Veterans (Veterans can't deepstrike, but you can just stick them in transports and usually get similar results).

So if you really, really need to deepstrike in and melta something, Stormtroopers can do that. For anything else, though, there is a better unit elsewhere in the codex.

SandWyrm
11-03-2009, 01:26 PM
I've found the 5-man, 2 x melta squads very useful for popping enemy Land Raiders and artillery tanks that hang back from my Chimelta Vets. The re-roll for the deep strike is wonderful for getting them exactly where you want them. In big games (1850+), this works well.

There's not much in the way of other good uses for them through. I know people who swear by the 10-man, no special weapon build as objective contesters for IG gun lines. But I don't run a gun line, so... meh.

Katie Drake
11-03-2009, 01:29 PM
Could always field them as allied Inquisitorial Storm Troopers. :p At least then they're affordable!

Lord Azaghul
11-03-2009, 01:37 PM
Could always field them as allied Inquisitorial Storm Troopers. :p At least then they're affordable!

Thought about - just for the price reasons. But I didn't care for the inquision book.