IG/Vendetta/Valkyrie

[Forteller]

Lo guys,

Read the IG codex the other day after a player fielded them in my last tourney and i ve been wondering, IG right, ignore the Russes,the Basilisks the 50 or so conscripts,hell ignore everything, Deploy 3 squads of 2 Vendettas which each have three twin linked lass cannons,assorted sponsors and transport capacity,then drop the vets/command squads from in there via immediate deep strike, Or simply rush in,take +4 cover due to flat out speed,next turn deploy infantry from within and fire lets see,18 twin linked lass cannons and assorted heavy bolters and firepower from 50ish veterans, i know i am not the first person to think of this, and i know for some reason its a bad idea i just cant put my head around it.

Please post feedback and i appreciate your effort...

[The AKH]

Veteran Air Cav (preferably with lots of Melta) is a perfectly viable tactic. Essentially, it's mech with wings.

The real kicker is that the Valks/Dettas can Scout/Outflank too. Running them 24" on from a short edge and them blowing things up can be brutal.

[Shadoq]

Problems I see with it:

-You're in squadrons. Damage results are distributed and immobilized=wrecked. Very bad.

-Your max AV is 12 and on the rear 10. With the proliferation of melta and power fists and considering the size of the model it can be a bad day very, very quickly.

[Nabterayl]

Depending on how the units in question are equipped that can certainly be a viable list. It sounds like you're just looking for some of the structural weaknesses in a list like that, though, so here's a few I can think of:

1. Vendettas in squadrons are easier to kill than single vehicles, thanks to the squadron damage rules.
2. Because Vendettas operate in squadrons, they have to move in squadrons. A list that has six Vendettas in two squadrons has only two maneuver units. Even a list that has six Vendettas in three squadrons has only three maneuver units.
3. Vendettas are slow once they start to shoot. They can only move 6" and fire all three weapons. If they move faster than that, they can still fire one, but that's a very expensive twin-linked lascannon.
4. Because of their relatively slow combat speed, a Vendetta's surprise deployment options are actually fairly limited. It can move 24" when it deploys (and probably should), but after that, it's either 6" and good firepower or 12" and bad firepower. Stay away from the 30" danger zone and they're just big AV12 skimmers with no hope of getting a cover save.

[Forteller]

But do ya play them in a mixed army or ya build an army around the fact that they deploy vets,shoot at the dangerous targets,and try to cover the disadvantages of that tactic?

[Nabterayl]

Either approach works, in my opinion.

[Forteller]

I guess 3 Basilisks,4 Vendettas and 40 Veterans could be some sort of a working solution,i ll put everything in the front,and if you ignore one of the two threats the other will getcha......

[Nabterayl]

Presenting multiple threats is always a good thing. The key to a good "feint" in my opinion is not to have any. That is, each separate threat the enemy identifies must be a genuine threat. Otherwise you're counting on your opponent not to see that your feint will actually cause little damage even if left alone. If you have multiple independent real threats, though, each of which in its own way is difficult to counter without committing serious resources, even a smart opponent can be forced into ignoring a unit that will cause him serious harm.

[Forteller]

Again if considering that the above strategem is correct,do you hold the valkyries/vendettas in reserve and have nothing but 3 basilisks/manticores in the field and wait for deep strike gods to approve or simply have the vendettas at the edge of the table/move flat out get a 4 cover save,and next turn unleash the fury of heavens?

[Nabterayl]

Depends on what I might be facing once my enemy deploys (of course if he's already deployed, that's much easier to predict!). If I start on the board, am I likely to lose a skimmer or two to long-range enemy fire or drop pods? Because if so, I'm definitely starting off the board. Basilisks might be able to hide behind terrain, but Valkyries can't hide behind much of anything.