First Impressions - Reivers

It's like this, but with power armor

So, after a work-related break from gaming, I'm back.  Would've had a round tonight, had illness not said otherwise.  That being said, I did get around to testing a small squad of Reivers the other night, and I'm reasonably pleased with them.

So, that being said - Reivers - let's take a look.

The Basics 
Squad Size - Start at 5, go up to 10, and they eat an elite slot.  If you take ten, you can break into two five-man squads during deployment (or via stratagem).

Weapon Option - here's where you pick your role - each guy packs a bolt carbine (Assault 2 bolter, essentially) or a heavy bolt pistol (an AP-1 bolt pistol) and combat knife (good for an extra attack in melee).

Mobility - Now we're getting somewhere.  You've got two options to pick from - grav chutes or grapnel launchers.  If you take grav chutes, you can start in reserves and drop further than 9" away from the enemy.  If you take grapnel launchers, you get two perks - first, you stop caring about vertical movement and second, you get to walk onto the enemy's backfield.

Assaulty perks - You've got a couple perks when it comes to assault - you have shock grenades, which disable overwatch and screw up enemy melee, and you also have the 'terror troop' special rule which forces a -1Ld penalty on anyone within 3" of reivers.  So, y'know, being in melee with these guys is apparently scary.

Battlefield Role - Disruption
Reivers are designed to drop in and sow chaos - they aren't super-mobile with just a 6" walk, but you should be taking grapnel launchers or grav chutes so that you can get the drop on the other guy.  From there, you leverage volume of attacks (either via bolt carbines or assault) and try to deal with either numbers of melee troopers or with shooty troops.

Shooty - you take bolt carbines.  You drop in via grav chutes and dump bolter-fire onto soft targets from an annoying angle.

Stabby - you take heavy bolt pistols and combat blades.  Pick grav chutes or grapnel launchers, and find the enemy's non-melee troops.  Engage in butchery. PROFIT!

Comparison of Roles - shooty is guaranteed to get at least one good round of shooting in, and can easily grab good ground via grav chute.  Stabby needs a good assault roll to start producing on turn one (you've got about a 28% chance of making a 9-inch charge) but can crank out a higher volume of attacks once you do get there.

NOTE - Black Templar chapter tactics with a re-roll to the charge give you about a 50/50 shot to make that charge, though.

Compared To Other Troops
Frankly, I don't see a point in trying to transport or walk Reivers - best bet is to leverage their deployment shenanigans.  So, let's compare them to other troops that specialize in wonky deployment and screwing with the enemy's plans -

1) Assault Marines
You can drop in via jump pack assault, or can footslog it.  Assault marines specialize in volume of attacks, though you gotta be close.

PROS
-cheaper per model
-more mobile per model (with jump pack)
-can take specialist melee kit (namely a fist or eviscerator on sarge)
-can take special weapons (flamers, or plasma pistols)

CONS
-fewer attacks per model
-less durable (one wound per model vs. two)
-must get into melee to do damage

Both units specialize in volume of attacks - assault marines (and stabby reivers) need to get in close, and the carbine rievers do it from range.  Rievers are more durable and more killy per model, but also more expensive.  The big perk assault marines have is specialist kit - flamers or a higher-strength melee weapon.

2) Drop Pod marines
I'm listing this because of the option to take grav chutes and bolt carbines - which means you set up where you want and dump bullets into people.

PROS
-more options (heavy/special/combi for tac marines, special issue bolters/combis for sternguard)
-drop pod can take up space (a la objectives, deny deployment)
-ability to bring more than just boltguns

CONS
-significantly more costly - a drop pod pretty much costs as much as a minimal reiver squad
-you have to keep more units in 'reserves' - drop pod + squad versus a squad of rievers
-Rievers don't have to get within 12" to unload two bolt shots
-rievers are more durable per model
-rievers are more able to defend themselves in melee (admittedly sternguard have 2 swings per guy)

Honestly, drop pods are kinda 'meh' in 8th at this point - I lean towards Reivers here.

3) Scouts
I'm throwing out scouts here because they can fill similar roles.  Specifically, I'm talking about bolter scouts or pistol/CCW scouts.  Sniper scouts are entirely different.

PROS
-fill up troops slots (for things like a Battalion force org)
-deploy normally, but outside of the DZ - so you can screen off deep-strikers
-can bring a heavy weapon
-can bring a specialist melee weapon on sarge
-cheaper

CONS
-less durable (single wound, 4+ save)
-deploy on table - so the other guy DOES know where they are
-less damage output (less attacks per model)

Really, the big thing scouts get over Reivers is that they're troops (if you're looking to fill out a battalion force org) and that you can use scouts to screw over someone else's choices that drop from reserves.

Notable Chapter Tactics
Ultramarines - More applicable to shooty reivers, since they might want to fall back instead of fight.
White Scars - being able to charge after falling back could help stabby reivers if the enemy threw a screening unit at you, but you could still get into melee with something important.
Imperial Fists - cover-ignoring bolters are fun, period.
Black Templars - Stabby Reivers are totally down for re-rolling charges, ESPECIALLY the 50/50 charge chance.
Raven Guard - shooty reivers love this - get those two shots from 24" away, and make the other guy either get closer or take penalties to hit.
Iron Hands - more wounds per guy mean more chances to take that 6+++ save and laugh.

In Closing
I think the natural partner for Reivers is actually the Terminator Assault Squad.  Why?  Deep-striking assault troopers really, really don't like cheap screening units (cultists, scouts, that kind of thing).  What kills screens? Boltguns.  What do reivers have?  Boltguns.

They also go neatly into a Vanguard Detachment - your assault terminators probably want a chaplain (especially if they have thunder hammers) and then you just need one more elites choice to fill out a small detachment.

And even on their own, it's nice to be able to dump a handful of durable guys on an objective, especially if it's in cover.

2k Batrep - Iron Hands/Admech vs. Chaos

An auspicious start

I got around to testing my Iron Hand/Admech, and my buddy threw down his own beta test of various chaos units.  Believe this was his first outing with Chaos in 8th, and my first real outing with any Admech outside of a 1,000 Battle for Konor.  Armies were -

Iron Hands/Adeptus Mechanicus/Inquisition Army

Admech Spearhead Detachment (Forge World - "take -1 to hit outside of 12")

Tech Priest Dominus - macrostubber, vulkite blaster

Cybernetica Datasmith

2x Kastelan Robots (3x heavy phosphor blasters each)

Onager Duncrawler (neutron laser, 2x heavy stubber)

Onager Duncrawler (neutron laser, 2x heavy stubber)

Inquisitorial Supreme Command Detachment

3x Inquisitors (chainsword, bolt pistol)

Iron Hands Battalion

Captain (Medusan Axe)

Terminator Chaplain

5x Assault Terminators (4x TH/SS, Lightning Claws on sarge)

5x Rievers (assault bolters, grav chutes)

5-man Tactical Squad (combi-plasma, plasma gun)

-Razorback w/ twin assault cannons

5-man Tactical Squad (combi-plasma, plasma gun)

-Razorback w/ twin assault cannons

5-man Tactical Squad (combi-plasma, plasma gun)

-Razorback w/ twin assault cannons

My logic - the Admech detachment is just plain shooty.  The Inquisitors provide psychic support to my tac squads, and the elites and HQs drop in where needed.  I can't really justify taking that much plasma without a captain, and needing 4+ to hit with thunder hammers means I really, really ought to take that Chaplain.  I'm curious about how Rievers will do, and I feel like pairing a shooty deep-striking option with the terminators is the way to go - I've got options, and can strip away a meat shield.

World Eaters Battalion

Demon Prince w/ Wings, 2x Claws

Kharn the Betrayer (real swell guy)

9 World Eaters (fist)

-Rhino

10 Chaos Marines (2x meltagun)

Cultist Squad (CCWs/pistols)

Cultist Squad (autoguns)

5x Chaos Spawn

Defiler (reaper cannon, scourge)

Maulerfiend

3x Obliterators

Lascannon Pred

Heldrake w/ flamer

His logic - test out World Eater options.  Get them on the field, get a feel for them.  That, and he's seen how much fun it is to have Heldrakes rush across the field.

Scenario - Cloak and shadows, with that happy, HAPPY little "take a penalty to shooting outside of 18 inches or so"

First turn goes to chaos.

Deployment

 I set up in the middle - the Admech folks deploy around the Dominus for re-rolls.  Each Razorback gets an Inquisitor (AKA - wannabe smite-bot) while my captain, Rievers, and Terminators wait for a good time to drop in.

Chaos Turn 01

 Chaos forges ahead.  His las-predator fails to do much interesting, and he manages to kill one of the Kastelans.  Oblits drop into cover, open up, and secure the middle objective.

Imperial Turn 01

 Well, that's a LOT of stuff in my field.  I fail to get first blood, but do significant damage to his Heldrake.  One Razorback lost its shooting due to falling back.  I drop my Terminators in his backfield, and drop the Rievers near his other objective.

 My Rievers have words with his cultists.  They prove to be mildly allergic to bolt shells.

Chaos Turn 2

 His Heldrake moves out to have words with my Rievers, and fails to do much damage between hot dice and the chapter tactic.  His cultists, regular marines, and Khorne Berserkers divert to handle my deep-strikers.  He proceeds to roll a number of '4s' to charge, which is why his Cultists get hammered to death, and his Maulerfiend has a stare-down with a Razorback.  He does kill the Kastelans, giving him First Blood.

Not pictured - Cultists, because they're dead

Charge fails

 The chaos lord watches the Razorback make too many 5+s to die.

Berserkers roll a 4 to charge

 Rievers luck out.

Imperial Turn 02

 The captain drops in to supervise the plasma gunners...because I don't feel like blowing up.  His chargers and Heldrake get it, along with his regular marine squad.

Terminators vs. Chaos Marines

 Turns out that regular Chaos Marines don't do well when Terminators charge them.

Massive sigh of relief

 His chargers get a case of the death, between plasma, bolt guns, assault cannons and some smite lovin'.

I Derp Out

 So, I'm trying to hold 3 objectives.  I get the bright idea to charge his Berserkers (to deny them the charge).  Turns out it doesn't hold them in place, AND he consolidates into range to contest an objective.  Go me.

Chaos Turn 03

 His spawn hit my lines.  Kharn heads off after the Rievers, while his 'zerkers head towards me.  The predator plinks away at razorbacks to degrade their stats, and my Termiantors laugh off his defiler's gunfire.

Lotta Saves

 My Dominus gets charged, manages to live through it, and even kill a Spawn.  The Onager gets savagely beaten, but remains alive.

Imperial Turn 03

 Terminators advance toward his defiler (and the objective in that building).  I finally get around to throwing fire at his Oblits, and kill two.  The Dominus and Onager fall back - after repairs, the Dominus is feeling fine, and the Onager gets patched up a little.  The Spawn get a case of the rapid-fire death.

Captain for the cleanup

Chaos Turn 4

 His Rhino backs off (after sustaining some damage).  Kharn, having finished with that last stubborn Riever, heads towards the terminators.

Defiler vs Terminators - Terminators win

Imperial Turn 04

 I polish off the Rhino, and thin out the Berserkers some.  He's still got a healthy lead on objectives.  I also got around to killing that last stupid Oblit.

Chaos Turn 05

 Kharn mops the floor with assault terminators (...who saw that coming?  I did.)  His Berserkers polish off the tac squad.

 Kharn victorious.

Endgame

At this point, he's down to a handful of models - I table him, after the neutron lasers go hot, and small arms kill the last of the 'zerkers.

End result - a narrow win for the Imperium, due to tabling the enemy.

Closing Thoughts
Admech - I'm keeping that detachment.  I think it's a good balance of volume (Kastelans) and outright destructive power (neutron lasers).  Seriously, neutron lasers are totally awesome.  Canticles of the Omnissiah was a non-issue, mostly because of the invulnerable saves and the fact that everyone was next to "Mr. Re-rolls 1's".

Inquisitors - I feel like smite-bots are better on foot behind meat shields.  I got about two meaningful turns of smiting out of them.  I think Malefic Lords at 30pts a head are really the nasty, nasty spammable ones.  But, hey, Inquisitors do help with morale.  Probably more important in an actual admech army with its absolute crap leadership.

Rievers - I actually like these guys for hitting from an unexpected angle.  Bolt carbines + grav chutes let them hit from an unexpected angle.  They're also pretty durable, when you get down to it - especially if you've got cover.  They won't kill specialist units, but can thin down stuff with volume of fire from a couple feet out.

Assault Terminators - They definitely need a chaplain.  I've opted to go for claws on sarge so they've got a stop-gap vs. hordes.  It also cuts the cost a little, and with sarge you get a good four attacks that hit on 3's and re-roll wounds.

Tac Squads - they're workhorses.  5-man squads aren't super-durable, but plasma + re-rolls is pretty nasty, and a good balance to the assault cannon razorbacks.

Jump Pack Captain - I like the jump pack for the option to drop him wherever I need him.  I was a little light on points in this test, which is why captain had the Medusan Axe instead of a hammer/shield.  In fairness, if you haven't picked up another relic the axe is pretty decent.  Points permitting, cap gets a thunder hammer, a storm shield, and probably gets the shield upgraded to the Shield Eternal.

Chaos Spawn - honestly, they're kinda durable.  I'd forgotten they went up to four wounds and have AP-2 on the melee attacks - it's kinda nasty.  They'll either draw fire, or potentially do some damage when they hit.

Khorne Berserkers - they do one thing really, really well - evaporate things in melee.  ESPECIALLY with the World Eater legion tactics - +1 attack is just kinda painful.