Devastators in 8th Ed - Loadout options

[captain_shrike]

Hi all

 

Returning to the hobby to find a new edition - just wanted some thoughts on DEVASTATORS.

 

(A quick note before I continue - I don't play anymore, haven't for years, but I like what I build to be viable on the tabletop)

 

I'm planning on building two small squads. One will have 4 missile launchers and sarge with a bolter (might give him a storm bolter and bolt pistol?)

 

In the absence of much strong anti tank weaponry planned into my 'to build' list, for the second I'm thinking about a 6 man squad with 4 multi-meltas, the sarge maybe with a combi-melta, with a Lascannon razorback. Do you think that is viable? Would it work on the tabletop? How about swapping two multi-meltas for grav cannons?

 

I was originally planning the second squad to have heavy bolters, but like I said, there is an absence of much anti tank in the rest of the army. Heavy Bolters will then be used in Tactical Squads.

 

Cheers in advance.

[BluejayJunior]

Instead of multi-meltas, I think Lascannons would be a better choice. They have increased range, so the devastators can just sit in your backfield and take out enemy vehicles. The downside of multi-meltas is their shorter range. Even using a Razorback to get them closer, it will have -1 to hit when it moves and shoots its heavy weapons. And your multi-meltas will have -1 to hit the turn they disembark. And they just don't have quite the threat range as lascannons. 

I think melta weaponry is better for tactical squads, as they will be on the front lines. Longer range weapons are better for Devastators, so they can sit in the backfield and not have to move and shoot. 

That's not to say your strategy isn't viable. I think it would work fine, even if it's not the absolute best tactic. It really depends on how competitive you're playing. For friendly games, multi-meltas in a razorback could be pretty fun. 

[Cruor Vault]

I run a pair of Devastator squads in my Space Marine army consisting of 5 guys with a bare bones sergeant (sometimes I give him a Storm Bolter if I have a few spare points), 2 Lascannons, 2 Missile Launchers and an Armorium Cherub.  The latest FaQ makes Armorium Cherubs and the Flakk missile Stratagem an amazing combination!  2D3 mortal wounds from a single model for 1CP!  The Missile Launchers are also awesome because of their versatility.

 

I like to run two identical squads to keep target priority down on both.  With the Lascannons and Missiles split between the two units, neither is a more tempting target than the other.  You also aren't forced to commit all of one type of your heavy weaponry at a single time.  If you get lucky and trash something with only 2 Lascannons, you can spread the other two to a new target.

[BlackTriton]

Whiles you can split fire, you have to declare how you split them before any dices are rolled.

So a lucky 6 with the first las canon does not allow the others to switch to a different target.

 

I equip mine with plasma canon (for Dark angels reason) or with a mix of las canon and heavy bolter, using the same cherub trick with the HB stratagem.

[Cruor Vault]

Whiles you can split fire, you have to declare how you split them before any dices are rolled.

So a lucky 6 with the first las canon does not allow the others to switch to a different target.

 

I equip mine with plasma canon (for Dark angels reason) or with a mix of las canon and heavy bolter, using the same cherub trick with the HB stratagem.

Which is EXACTLY why I said it was a good idea to split them between squads.

[BlackTriton]

Did I miss read your post?

"If you get lucky and trash something with only 2 Lascannons, you can spread the other two to a new target."

I read it as if the 2 las-canon work out, your free to shoot something else.

 

Arguably, if you consider yourself "lucky" that your las-canon killed the thing, you probably should not have split fired, but thats beside the point of the post.

[Cruor Vault]

Did I miss read your post?

"If you get lucky and trash something with only 2 Lascannons, you can spread the other two to a new target."

I read it as if the 2 las-canon work out, your free to shoot something else.

 

Arguably, if you consider yourself "lucky" that your las-canon killed the thing, you probably should not have split fired, but thats beside the point of the post.

 

Unless victory is dependent on you killing a specific target that turn, it's almost always better to split your fire against equally valuable targets when you have multiple units of Devastators.

 

If you have 4 Lascannons in a single unit, you have to commit all of them when the unit declares it's targets.  But if you space them out between two units with a couple of other weapons you get the option to react to variations in your luck.

 

Ordinarily a single Lascannon is only good for ~1.5 damage against something like a Predator.  So 2 of them isn't likely to cause more than 3 damage.  However, because of the HUGE variance possible in Lascannon damage output, it's within the realm of possibility that those 2 Lascannons could kill the Predator (roughly 2% of the time).  Slightly more likely is that the Lascannons do waay above average and deal 8+ damage (~3.5% of the time).

 

That may not sound like much, but if you're firing 2 Lascannons from each squad for 3 turns, you've got 6 chances for one of these things to happen.  10 chances if you can keep all 4 Lascannons alive for a full 5 turns.  15 chances if you bring 3 Devastator squads.

 

Any one of these spikes in damage can be totally game changing if you're able to capitalize on it.

 

This is why I was advocating for at least 2 units of identically equipped Devastators.

[Paradigm]

He is saying he takes lascannons split between two squads. So one unit fires, and he can see what happens with those first two lascannon shots before he declares the second unit's targets.

I misread it the same way at first: as two sets in the same squad. Just decades of unmixed squads tweaking the comprehension a bit I think.

[templargdt]

I like 3 Lascannons and Heavy Bolter in a ten man squad for ablative wounds.  

[Cruor Vault]

He is saying he takes lascannons split between two squads. So one unit fires, and he can see what happens with those first two lascannon shots before he declares the second unit's targets.

 

I misread it the same way at first: as two sets in the same squad. Just decades of unmixed squads tweaking the comprehension a bit I think.

Exactly, adjusting to the ability to split fire in 8th took a LOT of games for it to become second nature for me.  It radically changed how I looked at unit/army composition.

[Paradigm]

It certainly represents the iconic adaptability of marines far better than earlier editions. I've not used devs or havocs with heavy weapons in this edition, but I came here for ideas for my new army and certainly wasn't disappointed. 

I'm going to mix up my squads from now on. I hadn't even considered how it was significantly more beneficial to do so in 8th. I've even been using split fire a lot, but not building with the idea in mind.

[Claws and Effect]

He is saying he takes lascannons split between two squads. So one unit fires, and he can see what happens with those first two lascannon shots before he declares the second unit's targets.

 

I misread it the same way at first: as two sets in the same squad. Just decades of unmixed squads tweaking the comprehension a bit I think.

That's.......actually a really good idea.

 

Filing it away in my sieve of a memory.