What to do with recon marines.

[BassWave]

I love the idea of recon marines with carapace armor, but I don't know where to use them most effectively. I'm thinking either use them as snipers for harassment, or infiltrate them in a position where they can assault at the right moment.

 

Anybody with any experience with recon marines have any tips?

[Jolemai]

As an aside, would their usage be very much different from 40k Scouts?

[Slips]

Well, with IF Legion Astartes rules, any boltgun or boltgun component firing units get +1 to BS, which I think is better in most situations than rerolling 1's to hit. Especially with units that already start with BS 5, which brings it up to 6, then add in a Master of Signal for BS 7 (if its possible) and just wreck face with bolters. Use them as an Alpha Strike unit and just evaporate squads. 

 

In this instance, Recon Marines + MoS are essentially super Scouts.

[BassWave]

That's great for imperial fists, but I'd like a more general discussion.

[Slips]

Yeah I know, just putting options out there. I think it stands to reason that, in the most general sense, you'd use them just like 40k scouts since thats more or less what they're equipped for, they just have a better stat line. 

 

Other than the above IF tactic of using them as uber alpha strikers, they're just better scouts.

[Dono1979]

Keep in mind that unless you drop the carapace armour off them, they are basically a Tact squad stat wise, but with better equipment. I have had opponents treat them like Scouts and assault them and bounce quite soundly. They perform the roles of 40K scouts but are significantly more robust and accurate. Even throwing Sniper Rifles on a good chunk (if not all) of them, they can still hold their own in a fight and even be used offensively in a pinch, with Melta Bombs they become even more valuable for that role.

 

Be careful however that you dont pour too many points into them, they can really become an expensive unit VERY quickly. I really enjoy fielding them, they are close to my favourite unit along with the Breachers, but then my focus on gameplay is often on the looks and fluff side of things rather than their points effectiveness.

[depthcharge12]

I think with sniper rifles and on a forward objective they would do just fine.

 

 

Don't forget their shroud bombs rule. They count as defensive grenades and force the enemy unit to make a leadership check to even be able to assault

[Ishagu]

I keep 10 of them as a backfield holding unit and partner them with a Master of Signal. Most turns they'll be firing at bs5, hitting 8/9 times and this way they can act as decent interceptors for deepstriking units.

 

They aren't cheap at the price of a landraider when 10 are fully kitted with Snipers, but when they are hitting on a 2+ they can quickly cause some damage.

[Noserenda]

The sniper rifles are grossly overcosted :/ Im a massive fan of Astartes Shotguns though :D

My Iron Warriors field a squad of 5 to have an outflanking vox and some backfield melta bomb fun :) Great for mopping up damaged support units too!

[Ishagu]

Yeah, the Sniper Rifles are indeed super expensive :-(

 

The shotguns don't do anything for me, however.

[Reyner]

I was looking at getting a squad with shotguns for my IW - gotta love shotguns :P against marines they aren't any worse than bolters and you can assault with them (unless you use the IW Rite of War).

[Sons of Ananta]

I was considering this question recently, and for lower points games I can see several uses for a 5 man squad.

 

Outflank with acute senses is a very high chance to get them into a useful position - with the scarcity of scoring units this could be handy.

 

In this case perhaps melta bombs would be handy, or a combi/power weapon on the Sergeant if you have the points?

[Terminus]

I would wait a month to see if recon squads are made to be worth taking in the new book. The fact that their one niche as a small unit with meltabombs may well be obliterated once GW's FAQ goes official, so they need something else. Here's hoping FW adds pinning back to sniper rifles or something.

[Sons of Ananta]

The other reason I'm considering them is, of course, the HH6 Shadow Wars campaign system and the Vanguard missions that precede the main missions.   One squad of up to 200 points of infantry to play the Vanguard mission, and survivors can roll into the main game at no cost.  This gives your recon squad potential to be a more or less free outflanking, acute sensing, scoring unit.

Ok, it's a niche, but it's certainly piqued my interest.  Along with the Victory is Vengeance campaign where all those special rules can come in very handy indeed.

[defl0]

I wrote my take on then a little while back.

 

They have melta bombs and infiltrate. The only other nice perk is the nuncio vox option if you are running deepstrikers. I don't think you need to think to much deeper than that unless you are using the trial 40k faqs.

 

http://www.petehappens.com/2015/04/raven-guard-30k-legio-reconnaissance.html?m=1

[Brother Aiwass]

I was thinking about using them as skirmishers (shotguns & MB), but need the community advice. Would be better 2x5 man sqd. or 1x10 man sqd? Also, recon armour is worth it?

[Charlo]

They are just very expensive in terms of upgrades.

 

Hopefully they'll get Camo Cloaks included and snipers a cheaper option in the new book.

[Sons of Ananta]

camo is 2 ppm in 40k, rifles are 1 ppm.  hadnt even considered that!

[Terminus]

I will never understand why they took pinning away from sniper rifles. Rending sure, but pinning makes all the sense. In a 30k setting it would actually be effective enough to be worth 5 per rifle.

[TRIBUN]

I would like to take 2*5 in recon armour and chamelion.

 

One sniper squad and one meltabomb squad.

 

Useful, opinions?

[Withershadow]

Pretend they are Seekers.

[GraemePaul]

They are useful for a Blood Angels day of Revalation army. I take 2 units of 5 with an artificer Sgt and a Nucio Vox. They help ensure my assault marines end up where I want them

[SW1]

Hmmm ... Are these going to be useful for SW's? I'm still trying to get my head around 30k units and what's what.

 

I've ended up with 10 Kromlech shotguns I'd originally planned on using for DW duty but that's gone down the toilet thanks to the nerfing FAQ DW got. So I'm now thinking Recon Marines for my SW legion force.

[Excessus]

I did 5 with boltguns and plan to use them as a forward mobile nuncio-vox for barrage and DS. 

[Unknown Legionnaire]

I'm using 3 units of them in my LRC lists, 2 small units for sniper duties and 1 bigger unit (9-10 depending if I attach a character) with just Pistol / CCW.