Arguably, some of the most effective armies out there right now consist of hordes. Orks and IG are foremost in my mind, and each take a different kind of tactic in order to win against them. Orks have the combination of numbers, toughness, and assault capability, whereas Guard horde players have numbers, shooting capability, and more numbers. Therefore, some minor adjustments to your SM list can specialize to one or the other.
Ork Hordes:
Weaponry with high-strength blast templates are better for orks due to their higher-toughness than most units. Plasma Cannons, Demolisher Cannons, and even the standard Missile Launcher can be of use here. A Whirlwind launcher might be decent if stuck in a back corner, but I wouldn't bet on it surviving long if your enemy has any sort of flanking units like Deffcoptas. Decent strength teardrop templates are also great, but generally you don't want to be that close to them because they will assault the crap out of you. If you do find yourself in that assault range cordon, then be sure to try to get the assault first before they do. This will rob them of the benefits of furious charge, and might save you from some casualties. Against a primarily-horde army, there is one more trick you can try: Heavy Armor. This is the bane of the normal boyz squad, as they can barely scratch its thick hide. Throw in some Dreadnoughts for support, preferrably standard or venerables with missile launchers or plasma cannons, and you have a pretty tough nut to crack. Keep on the lookout for weapons that can crack it, however, such as a Zzzzap guns, shokk guns, killcannons, etc. Nothing ruins your day like watching a LR and its dreadnought companions going up in smoke in a single shooting turn from your enemy. Wave goodbye to over 400 points of your list!
Imperial Guard Hordes:
Luckily, most IG troops are not tough like the ork hordes. Unfortunately, they have a TON of shooting firepower, even if it is those crappy Lasguns. Because they have to shoot, at least that means they are pretty static and cannot move around and run about if they want to bring that shooting power to bear. Your SM have good armor, so taking cover will not protect you unless you are completely out of LOS, so don't bother. Instead, charge in! Blood Angel and Black Templar players can have a field day with it. BA DC squads can shrug off an amazing amount of fire, and their rhinos are especially effective at getting them across the board quickly. Better yet, get a LR! Get your DC into one of those bad boys and assault them right into the front lines! A chappy and his Liturgies of Hate will keep you thumpin' heads left and right. Get those VAS jumping in the fray too, with their multiple attacks! The more contact you can make, the less the IG can shoot. Get some teardrop template weapons in your Tactical squads, so they can fry on the charge. Be wary though, if you fry too many IG before you can initiate assault contact, that leaves you open for a short range barrage of fire from nearby units!
Some tips on things to avoid:
*Heavy bolters are a win/lose. They generally can't hit as many targets in a round of shooting as a regular blast template. On the other hand, they are slightly more powerful than a frag missile blast, so it can be useful in some instances. For the points though, it is usually safer to use the ML since it can fire Kraks too.
*Try to cut down on expensive options. More bodies will help close the gap, and give you more offensive capability in the long run. I generally limit my HQ option to just the Chaplain, and leave my special characters at home. The SCs are usually super-expensive, and they can go down quickly if they get caught by a horde. Use the points to put in another squad of marines, or a vehicle that won't be easily penetrated.
*Be wary of your plasma weapons, for the usual reasons.
*Avoid high-strength, high-cost, single shot weapons such as lascannons. Unless the horde army has vehicles, and you want that unit to be specifically Anti-tank, then leave your Lascannons at home. They don't have the potential for wounding hordes for the cost. This means you are better off leaving you Predator sponsons at home if you don't have the heavy bolters for it.
Can you think of any other effective anti-horde tips?
Note on Orks, BEWARE the ork nobz on bikez with a warboss, he will just shrug off lascannon rounds and anything short of a STR 10 shot, which only comes from the Vindi, if he is within 24 inches your Vindi is in serious trouble.
ReplyDeleteBest way to Deal with them, Plasma cannons and vindi rounds always seem to make short work of my nob squads.