Raptors Tactics Series - Initiate!

Raptors and Why they are a List-Junkies's Dream:

                                   An elite group of Raptors escort an Ordo Xenos Inquistor
                                                 through the Tyranid Hive of Eldritch V

If you play Warhammer, you're likely doing it for the full experience. The modeling, the list building, the tactics, and if you're like us, the story. Personally I spend most of my non-play time on lists and tactics which we know can be expansive given 40k's heinously diverse rules system. However, like many list junkies, I often don't have the funds or modeling time to field every crazy list idea I have, and so I generally choose my armies based on how many options (list wise and on the table) they have within a finite set of models.

It's for this reason that I've started up a REASONABLY sized detachment of Raptors Space Marines. These guys are featured in some of Imperial Armour Badaab books and have their own set of chapter tactics from forgeworld which you can check out here. The rest of this post will be dedicated to talking about what gives these fellows such diverse options on the table, and will also provide some general tips for utilizing that flexibility. In the immortal words of MXC "Let's get it on!"

Part I -- Raptors Chapter Tactics:

Raptors borrow part of the SM Raven Guard Chapter tactics as in everything that is not heavy/bulky has scout. Meta wise, this has most often been employed in Rhino rush strategies where you fling tons of bolters and power armored bodies at objectives. What many players neglect is the fact that having the scout USR also allows a model to Outflank. Outflanking is usually my option of choice since it allows you to react to your opponents 1st round of movement and also because it can helps guarantee that your units get where they need to go, the far corner of the your enemies deployment zone for instance...

Also borrowing from the Raven Guard, models with chapter tactics have Stealth on the first turn. This is a nice little bonus that may never significantly affect your games, but does make units that are likely to take 1st turn fire, such as infiltrators, a bit more durable.

The unique aspect of the Raptor's chapter tactics is Legendary Marksmen, which allows bolters, bolt-pistols, and combi-weapons to be fired as Heavy 1 Rending bolter shots. This rule is fantastic against MCs where only 6's will net you wounds anyway, low armored vehicles that can be glanced/penned by bolter shots, and also serves a function against TEQ with low or nonexistent invulnerable saves.

It's not always clear when or when not to use this rule since you must trade off your unit's ability to move or use rapid fire, but Legendary Marksmen shines when you can keep units in cover and at range > 12''. It thus pays as a general principle to spread your units out to maximize their relative distance from advancing enemy units.

There also a few neat interactions that Legendary Marksmen has with specific units. Sternguard can use their special ammunition alongside this rule (source: Forgeworld email correspondence), and relentless units like jetpack infantry can use their rending bolters on the move!

Part II -- Lias Fucking Issodon:

                          My Lias Conversion Charging Into Some Broodlords Beneath Eldritch V
                                      (A fluffy, but not ideal, way to utilize his prowess...)

If you read other 40k sites like FLG (I suggest you check out their article about Lias here if you haven't already)... you've probably seen this guy's name before and that's because he is one of the best support HQ available for an SM army.  You can find his rule set from FW at this location, but as usual with FW rules, it can be hard to track down all the updates and rules clarifications you need to actually use him. For your convenience, I've listed all the necessary rules here with indicated sources where relevant.

Default Warlord Trait: Master of Ambush 

This changed in the latest FW character update and is surely the best thing that could have happened. Master of Ambush allows Lias to give 3 non-vehicle units infiltrate at the start of the game. Since you don't need to decide which units will be infiltrating until the start of your deployment, this rule gives you tons of options for counter-play on the fly. Most people talk about this rule in terms of death-star creation, but I've never had fun playing death-stars and huge invincible units are a definite fluff-killer for a chapter that is intended to be based around movement and stealth tactics.  Instead I like to utilize my infiltrators with a Swiss-Army knife approach where I have several specialized units to give infiltration priority to based on what my opponent fields. There are many possible ways to apply this principle, but here are a few suggestions for starters:

• Sternguard are a great choice for their ability to deal with non-AV targets of all sizes. Sometimes you'll want to place them very close to enemies lines to take out a key unit early, but in situations where there's no such immediate pressure it cant pay to put them 30-36'' back where they can use their Kraken Rounds for a 1st turn volley of 30'' S4 AP5 Rending shots. Having a squad of scouts to support these guys is ideal since you'll want to protect the significant points investment that comes with the Sternguard.

• Assault Marines which can't gain outflank via their chapter tactics since they are bulky, but can get it from here, are also a great choice. Assault Marines aren't a fantastic assault unit, but they are really great at picking on things that are weaker than them. This make rules like Outflank or Infiltrate incredibly valuable since they allow you to easily place the unit in range of your ideal charge target. Since they are usually a modest investment, they can even serve as a distracting or stalling unit, say to hold your opponents death-star up for a turn or to generally halt their advance up the field. Don't forget that their bolt-pistols get rending for free!

• Centurions almost scream to be infiltrated since there aren't many other great options for getting these around. I don't use these myself, but their potential is obvious. If you put them with Lias Issodon he'll also provide them with Shrouding to make up for their lack of an invulnerable save, though note that as of the most recent FAQ both the HQ and their joined unit must have the infiltrate USR if they are to come in together (this goes for any possible squad HQ infiltration pairings).

• Tactical Marines are bread & butter in many a marine list, but are significantly improved when they can be deployed anywhere. Since the dawn of massed S6-S7 shooting, AP3 is much rarer than it used to be and some lists will just have trouble chewing through lots of MEQ bodies. Infiltrating them alleviates the need for a transport and also allows them to utilize heavy weapons at least somewhat effectively. I generally prefer outflanking my marines so I can pinpoint deliver special weapons such as melta and plasma guns, but it's always good to have squads around to fill the infiltration role as well.

Infiltrate, Isolate, Destroy:

This ability signifies Lias's in-fluff ability to completely outplay your opponent. The exact text reads:

"After any Scout redeployments have been made, but before the game begins, the chosen unit suffers D6+3 wounds with no AP value if a squad or Monstrous Creature, distributed as shooting hits (assume the attack has originated from the closest unit in Issodon’s force). If the target is a vehicle, it suffers D3 rolls on the Haywire table instead"  

Wow. Lias exchanges his ability as a Chapter Master to call in Orbital Bombardment for this, but boy is it worth it. Unlike an OB, you don't need to sacrifice a round of movement and, while it many only do middling damage, it's guaranteed to hit and takes place BEFORE the first game turn. This is perfect for softening up that one target you really don't want to deal with and can even fish out pre-game first bloods if roll decently against a squishy target like a DE Venom.

Cunning Strategist: 

So Lias also provides free re-rolls for your reserves whether or not they are successful, and also reduces your opponent's reserve rolls by 1. This killer combination lends itself strongly to reserve based strategies, and even excels against them. 

For me, the biggest problem with reserve based strategies is that with a few poor rolls you can find yourself out-manned and out-gunned for the first turns of the game.  The re-rolls from Cunning Strategist allow give you a 89% chance for each of your reserves to come in, so you're unlikely to have many things stranded in reserved for long, and you can expect your Turn 2 presence to be strong. It can also be used to re-roll successful reserves that you actually want delayed. Inhibiting your opponent's reserves is icing on the cake as it increases the likelihood that your opponent finds themselves with less presence on the table while your's is just arriving

A word of caution is warranted here when using flyers. Since early aerial combat is often decided by who shoots first, your opponent may be happy to have his flyers delayed while yours enter the field to be shot at on the next turn. Having units with interceptor (such as the amazing Contemptor-Mortis Dread) can alleviate this problem, but the best option is usually to play conservatively with your flyers until your opponent puts there's on the board. Turns 2 and 3 are when it's most important for your air units to take out key targets like backfield objective-holders or transports so if you can negate the counter-attack, coming in earlier is really in your favor!

Super-Bolter: Malice

Lias's Bolter is 30'' Salvo 2/4 and can utilize Sternguard ammunition. Also confirmed by correspondence with FW via email, it seems Lias was intended to be able to ignore the Heavy 1 restriction of Legendary Marksmen, enabling him to put out 4 shots of rending sternguard ammunition if he doesn't move. It may be hard to convince your playgroup that this is actually the case, but if so I'd encourage you to email FW and get confirmation yourself. The 4 shots are far from game-breaking, but do make Lias feel like he does a bit more on the board. Authors note, 2+ poisoned rending bolters make Tyranid players shed ichor tears.

What Lias Can't Do:

For his measly cost of 175 points, I'm inclined to say "nothing significant", but it is true that he isn't the greatest on his own in combat. Although he does have a 2+ from artificer armor, he lacks any sort of invulnerable save which seems to have been replaced with the Shrouded USR for EXTREME FLUFF. Shrouded is actually preferable since it can be transferred to other units, but it won't help him in a challenge where he risks ID from MCs and various other types of dismemberment from anyone with AP2. Furthermore, Lias only has several attacks with a power sword to offer in a melee so there's really no good reason to waste this guy in combat. On the bright side, if he sits in the backfield and doesn't do anything all game, his points were probably still worth it. You take him for the special rules more than anything, and their effect is mostly tied to your other units so think tactically!

And that concludes it for my first Raptors tactica! Next time round I'll discuss how I've grown my small, yet effective, force incrementally and (more importantly) how I did it on the cheap!

Cheers,

- TPM