Unit of the Week: Scourges

[Vel'Cona]

Before we move on to the next sub-faction, I figured to take a moment to talk about one of our most improved units in the new codex: Scourges.  Beyond the huge points decrease nearly across the board, Scourges also benefit from some notable shifts to their weapon options.  Let's take a look at them in more detail:

 

+Incredibly fast 14" Move

+Huge variety of weapon options w/ 4 such upgrades available per unit

+Built-in "Deep Strike"

+Mercenary status allows them to work in any Obsession without disrupting bonuses

+Decent 4+ Save (and spiffy 6+ Invulnerable save)

+Reasonably priced

+Power From Pain

 

-Fragile

-Rather pathetic in melee

-Can't benefit from Obsessions of any kind

-Stacking powerful weapons can inflate their cost quickly

 

Scourges seem to be purpose-built as a weapon delivery system, boasting a wide variety of options for torrent of Poisoned shooting (Shardcarbine, Splinter Cannon), deleting hard targets (Dark Lance, Blaster) or even focusing down Vehicles (Haywire Blasters).  It's even possible to mix and match upgrades, though from an aesthetic and practical sense I prefer to run my Scourges with a set of the same weapons (Solarite excluded).  In fact, I find that the biggest issue when considering Scourges is what exact build to use, as nearly any weapon they can take (with the possible exception of the Heat Lance) has a credible reason for existing.

 

So, what are your favourite Scourge builds?  Have you found them to be a critical unit in your strategy, or have they been found wanting in practice?

[WarriorFish]

I was always planning on Haywire as my main weapon, otherwise plenty of shardcarbines. Is that worthwhile in 8th or should I change?

[micahwc]

Shardcarbines are a very viable inexpensive option.

 

Personally, I have one unit of blasters and one unit of dark lances. I bring both since they both have their uses.

[Vel'Cona]

I was always planning on Haywire as my main weapon, otherwise plenty of shardcarbines. Is that worthwhile in 8th or should I change?

 

I like Haywire because it ignores nearly any shenanigans folks can use to protect their Vehicles and is a great way to finish off said targets previously weakened by DL/Blaster fire.  It's troublesome in that certain opponents (Tyranids) won't care much about those guns, but the ones that do will feel their sting acutely.

 

Stock Shardcarbines is actually a surprisingly useful option since it keep the unit cheap and has immense torrent of fire.  Their reach is nice to perform harassment, though you're strictly losing out compared to Splinter Cannons from a pure firepower perspective.  Still, if all you need is more torrent you can't ask for a more flexible option and the Scourges don't need/can't benefit from support so work fine in a vacuum.

[WarriorFish]

That's a good point, since original plans I now have the chance of playing 'nids so perhaps a more versatile weapon is better!

[shaun03]

Shredders, cheap anti-horde and works great against W2 models too, Nids big and small don't like those either. 

 

Blaster and DL and even haywire, have a big shoot me first sign on them, and take what can be cheep point effect unit and make them really expensive. 

 

Shredders, pair with whych assaults are great if your cult player, big hordes or muilt W units get graped with shredder fire than tag-team with Whych, or hellions. Not fun to be on receiving end of that. 

 

When going with shooting focus list, shredders work as starter/finisher flying along side gunboats, they prep fire on the target letting the warriors in the boat finish the job, or let the warriors and boat start and than if need be let the shredders finish them.  Also they serve as screen and bubble wrap for the boats, Overwatch fire with shredders isn't fun. And for the point cost it's not if they do have to eat a charge. Carbine ones work best for this as there bare bones and cheap. Either style can benefit from fire and fade and if the boat falls back just adds extra layer of protection, but eats up CP

 

The carbine is another solid choice, cheap and effect good for spamming MSU approach to pure gun-line, well highly mobile gun-line army is more like it. 

 

I like to keep mine as cheap as possible, because I play Coven list mainly Dark Creed, I like mine to mobile fire base that soften of up units letting the wracks to talo finish them off.

 

For now, until the next update comes putting 3 units in a Tantalus, this where you can go crazy with blaster or even DL. Point heavy yes and than some, going to make you new friends probably not, buying beers after the game for dick move, yup. Using a few Cp to make sure this can be DS right where you need it, and letting every unit spilt fire until you delete something is down right nasty, This is all or nothing move, now with restriction on DS turn 1 alpha trike it got tone down some. 

[Lord Asvaldir]

Yeah FW should really faq the tantalus and make it so scourges can't be transported in them. 

 

Far as scourges go though in general, they are just plain awesome. Currently I own 15 of them and honestly I might need to go up to 20. 12pts/m for a deep striking unit that can take pretty much any of our special/heavy weapons? Such a steal, even with the change to deep strike rules I don't mind having them hang back until turn 2. Only weapon options I don't think I'd use is the heat lance for obvious reasons and the dark lance, since I don't think you need the extra range on such a fast deep striking unit. I also think the splinter cannon is ok, but I'm not sold on it. You could take 10 scourges with base carbines for just 10 more pts than a 5 man unit with 4 splinter cannons, similar firepower but twice the bodies. 

 

My personal favorite so far is probably shredder scourges, they always do quite well. The only real challenge with them is trying to keep them alive. I try and deep strike scourges in cover whenever possible so I can use the strike from the shadows stratagem, getting them up to a +2 save in cover is pretty nice. 

[Vel'Cona]

My personal favorite so far is probably shredder scourges, they always do quite well. The only real challenge with them is trying to keep them alive. I try and deep strike scourges in cover whenever possible so I can use the strike from the shadows stratagem, getting them up to a +2 save in cover is pretty nice. 

 

True enough!  This is something I still get weird about doing due to the old mechanics prior to 8th edition, but it's definitely an extremely viable strategy now.