What was the most broken unit of all-time?

[YorkNecromancer]

I hear a lot of the youngsters today, all of them too young to remember the glory days of !st edition. The days when Grey Knight Terminators each had a bolt pistol with four shells that you had to keep track of. The days when Imperial Robots needed played designed flowcharts to operate. The days when a vehicle's point cost was based on mathematical equations intended to create balance, but which inevitably designed overcosted, underpowered dreck.

Then came 2nd edition, and with it, madness.

You see, I hear about how the Helturkey is the most brokenest thing evar, but you young people? You know nothing of broken. You haven't seen broken.

Back in 2nd ed, I saw an Imperial Assassin chew through a Space Marine army (not squad, army) in a single assault phase and table the Marine player, all without taking a wound. (The Assassin could run 24" (6" move, doubled to 12" by Combat Drugs, doubled to 24" by Charge. Oh, and no FAQS, because the internets? Not invented yet.), had 8 attacks which wounded on 2+ (Because the Assassin's Strength doubled to 8. Yes, he could melee a tank WITH HIS BARE HANDS) and ignored armour (Combat Drugs again), once it had won an assault, it could then move 6" (doubled up from the normal 3"), and if it was within base contact of an enemy, it could initiate a new assault. It could do this indefinitely. Oh, and it always began as a single model in a unit, so that Missile Launcher guy? Yeah, he was an Assassin all along.)

It would be months before the Dark Millenium expansion finally dealt with this insanity.

So that's my most broken thing evar. What's yours?

N.B.: This isn't a 'Bash stuff' thread. This is a 'Do you remember this madness? Broken, but makes for a good story' nostalgia thread. So try to avoid stuff from 6th edition if you can. It'll just bring out the anger, and that's no fun for anyone.

[mathhammer]

virus bomb - one bomb an entire army.
barbed strangler - shoot the gaunt in the back watch it spread and eat an army.

[euansmith]

I think that you have gone full broken with the 2dn Ed Assassin; the only unit more broken than a 2nd Ed Assassin is a 2nd Ed Assassin a disgruntled opponent has taken liquid nitrogen and a sledge hammer to.

[Dread Corsair]

I can't remember if this is truth or a myth but back in 2nd edition wasn't there a mission type called assassination where you had to eliminate the enemy HQ to win but you could just take a Callidus assassin that would turn out to be your enemies HQ and you auto-win?

[Denzark]

The Virus Bomb +1

[Chaoschrist]

That assassin sounds utterly broken. But then again, I take it the rules of 2nd ed were part of this kind of "abuse" as well.

I remember pulling of similar shenanigans in 4th where one could consolidate into combat. Consolidating into combat with a daemon weapon was slightly messed up considering the insane amount of attacks.

So perhaps, it's interesting to see what units were broken by themselves, and which ones were just outright crazy because core rules supported this. I mean, 5th ed. paladins and Ork Nobs were frowned upon due to wound allocation. In 6th they're still good, but not as crazy as 5th.

Also; am I missing something out. Virus bomb? What was/is that?

[madlants]

I learned this a while ago, and it was before my time, but couldn't an Imperial Army list from the old RT or 2nd ed take one shot vortex grenade launchers on every trooper? That would wipe the opposing army as soon as the guardsmen got in range to shoot? Can anyone who's familiar RT or 2nd ed confirm this? I want to say it's from the Rogue Trader era. I'm pretty sure it's from when the IG was still called the Imperial Army.

[Maelstorm]

Anything with a re-rollable 2++ save....

[Bored Lyron]

I have fond memories from 2nd edition, after the Dark Millennium expansion, when my marine librarian on a bike managed to get powers to raise his toughness up to 10 and to shoot a vortex that basically destroyed everything that it touched. On the first turn I drove him straight down the middle of the board, vortexed my opponents ork walkers and warboss, charged a unit, destroyed her last power claw in close combat and had my opponent resign as she had no models left that could have in any way harmed the librarian.

Other "fun" memories are the before mentioned virus bombardments/grenades and the ability to give vortex grenades to marine scout sergeants. For some reason 2nd edition always seemed much more broken to me than Rogue Trader, but that might be just because I played more 2nd ed. (And don't get me wrong, RT could be broken as hell as well.)

Anything with a re-rollable 2+ save....

Heh, if you think re-rollable 2+ is bad, you probably haven't played 2nd edition. Let me tell you, re-rollable 3+ on 2d6 is even worse...

[knas ser]

Well you haven't really left us anywhere to go by starting with that Assassin. But I recall being able to give Haywire and Vortex grenades to my Harlequins back in 1st edition. The kicker? You could buy Telekinesis for the High Avatar (a Harlequin leader) and use it to mentally float the vortex grenade around a corner whilst you were out of sight, to destroy whatever you wanted.

Wow. 1st edition psyker rules were something else.