Is footslogging viable?

[Irate Khornate]

Since the announcement that marines of all shapes and allegiances are going to two wounds I have been wondering just how viable would it be to march berserkers up the board when combined with the 6" pregame movement stratagem.

 

I've also been mulling over the idea of giving my champions and two others plasma pistols.

[Relentless]

I'd say it's viable if you utilize terrain and the scout move strat.  It'd be a lot better if berzerkers could advance and charge like they should be able to

[Cheex]

I really want to try running a 20-strong blob with the Apoplectic Frenzy strat, supported by a Dark Apostle chanting the Benediction of Darkness (in my mind, it'd be more like a "Maelstrom of Gore"). Could probably pull it off once before people catch onto it, but it'd be fun.

[Tallarn Commander]

Irate, I cannot comment on the footslogging. But I sometimes give each of my WE Zerker squads three plasma pistols. It's usually a solid choice. Just don't shoot at something you plan on charging.

 

Also, I've magnetized 3 members of each squad so I can easily downgrade them to chainswords.

[Irate Khornate]

I have decided to enter the why not phase of this idea. I now have to hunt for my plasma pistols. I have also found out that the Corpse grinder Cultist arms are slightly too small for conversion purposes. They arent bad and quite top notch in a pinch, but blood warriors arms fit and look so much better.

[Irate Khornate]

So I lived the dream yesterday. My berserkers started on the field, frenzied, and got into close combat with a Tank Commander turn one. They then tied up another tank after my Master of Executions destroyed the Tank Commander.

[Lord_Valorion]

No. Played 100 percent foot slogging vs Guard. Game ended after turn 1 and 85 percent of my army dead.

 

That game almost had me quit the hobby.

[Irate Khornate]

No. Played 100 percent foot slogging vs Guard. Game ended after turn 1 and 85 percent of my army dead.

 

That game almost had me quit the hobby.

Could you give me an idea of what happened? What was brought and how did you loose 85%?

[Xenith]

No. Played 100 percent foot slogging vs Guard. Game ended after turn 1 and 85 percent of my army dead.

 

That game almost had me quit the hobby.

 

Seems like this should not be happening. Did you have sufficient terrain, i.e. on a 6'x4' realm of battle, one tile should totally be filled with LOS blocking terrain before being scattered across the table. 

[Closet Skeleton]

I've never beaten guard with any chaos army, its very easy for them to bring enough firepower and abuse the Relic of Lost Cadia. I've lost 40 black templars a turn against Catachan and would have done even worse against them with chaos due to vengeance for cadia.

 

There's always going to be unfair match ups.

[Khornestar]

Context for that loss to guard via footslogging? What did the armies look like?

 

Not that I’d dispute the outcome, but since we have deployment strat that allows pregame movement and other options, what was tried and how’d that turn play out? I echo the one wondering about terrain, too.

[Irate Khornate]

So I had a lovely repeat, this time however I dropped the power fist for 3 plasma pistols in squads of 10.

 

Not going to lie, lost a bit to firepower over the course of 2 turns even with cover bumping. But they still made their points back when they got in.

 

Had 3 squads of 10 at the beginning, 2 squads made it, one had 4 and the other was 7. They ripped and tore when they crashed in. I'm going to enjoy getting that second wound in the future.

 

So far it seems like the inclusion of more terrain is helping foot slogging just as much as the smaller board size.

[Irate Khornate]

I've traded out my power fist on the champion for 3 plasma pistols in the squad. I don't think the power fist is as worth it's weight in gold anymore due to damage reduction being present. While I have appreciated being able to take 3 shots with overcharged plasma pistols in mid combat.

[Irate Khornate]

So, it's surprising how much has changed in a year's time. At this point I feel like I made the right decision in trading out the power fist for three plasma pistols.

 

Maybe in another years time it'll be different, but then again in another year it might be 10th edition. Only time will tell.

 

It now feels like a waste of points to even think about considering a rhino. You know it's going to get vaporized turn one. Right now my major hope is that Chaos Space Marines get the quarter of the army rule that GSC have for guard.

Edited January 17, 2022 by Irate Khornate