As a strong advocate of taking destructor when fielding jetbike warlocks I have been reviewing the codex to see if I have missed another angle or tactical edge to exploit with some of the other psychic power options. Try as I may, when mounted on a jetbike, I can’t really see any reason to take anything other then destructor.
Conceal: A 5+ cover save conferred to your warlock and the attached squad they are with. Might be useful for a group of foot based guardians out in the open but with the warlock and guardians on a jetbike you already get a 3+ save and if you turbo boost that jumps to a 3+ invulnerable save. If I have to get caught out in the open either through terrain setup of to claim an objective I always turbo boost so conceal really isn’t of any value. Maybe if I could use it in the assault as protection against an enemy squad all equipped with power weapons it might be good, but the codex states you don’t get the cover save in the assault.
Embolden: Re-rolling leadership tests looks good on the surface, especially with the LD 8 of the jetbike guardians and their 3d6 move back if they fall back. Again, less then great with jetbikes. You can still fail a re-roll and given the point cost of each jetbike you are probably taking the field with smaller sized squads anyway, which means lots of leadership tests if you get shot at. Might hold some value in the assault, since I also advocate using jetbikes to assault (when done properly w/ warlock destructor, and softening your opponent up with sniping and shuriken catapult fire first. ) but then again if you are playing your jetbikes correct tactically you should only be assaulting a unit that you can 100% beat having already weakened it to the point of breaking.
Enhance: +1 I & WS. For someone that advocated assaulting with jetbikes when the time is right you think I would be excited by enhance. +1 I means I would strike first and the +1 WS might make up for only hitting with a S 3 attack- 2 in the charge. I used to roll with enhance but found the +1 bonus really didn’t add any more significant kills and destructor’s kill number had it beat by a long shot.
Conceal: A 5+ cover save conferred to your warlock and the attached squad they are with. Might be useful for a group of foot based guardians out in the open but with the warlock and guardians on a jetbike you already get a 3+ save and if you turbo boost that jumps to a 3+ invulnerable save. If I have to get caught out in the open either through terrain setup of to claim an objective I always turbo boost so conceal really isn’t of any value. Maybe if I could use it in the assault as protection against an enemy squad all equipped with power weapons it might be good, but the codex states you don’t get the cover save in the assault.
Embolden: Re-rolling leadership tests looks good on the surface, especially with the LD 8 of the jetbike guardians and their 3d6 move back if they fall back. Again, less then great with jetbikes. You can still fail a re-roll and given the point cost of each jetbike you are probably taking the field with smaller sized squads anyway, which means lots of leadership tests if you get shot at. Might hold some value in the assault, since I also advocate using jetbikes to assault (when done properly w/ warlock destructor, and softening your opponent up with sniping and shuriken catapult fire first. ) but then again if you are playing your jetbikes correct tactically you should only be assaulting a unit that you can 100% beat having already weakened it to the point of breaking.
Enhance: +1 I & WS. For someone that advocated assaulting with jetbikes when the time is right you think I would be excited by enhance. +1 I means I would strike first and the +1 WS might make up for only hitting with a S 3 attack- 2 in the charge. I used to roll with enhance but found the +1 bonus really didn’t add any more significant kills and destructor’s kill number had it beat by a long shot.
6 comments:
Some comment from a contrary point of view.
I personally never use destructor. I find it makes my unit have to put themselves into hth range to be effective. Instead I rely much heavier on doom and the shuriken catapults/cannons.
Conceal: Not a bad choice for a really large squads of jetbikes. When combined with fortune a unit has a re rollable 5+I save which is a little better than a 4+I save.
If you are running an all jetbike army you simply can't hide all your units, so you need to start fielding large squads which can weather incoming fire. For those of you skeptical of such a tactic, do the math out. A large jetbike squad can literally kill a 10 man doomed space marine squad in one turn of shooting and assault. With Turbo Boost and fortune you should have no issue getting this unit into position.
Embolden: I lose my jetbikes due to failed leadership tests more than any other way. Also, embolden allows you to re roll psychic powers. I often run a farseer on a jetbike with 3 jetbikes and warlock with embolden. It's a poor man's seer council, with a lot more use than running the farseer alone. (Queue singing spears.) A special note is that you should always take this in a flying warlock squad as they will demand fortune out in the open.
Enhance: Absolutely useless unless in a warlock jetbike squad. With warlocks though it's basically a necessity if you take 5 or more. Plus 3 to hit and go first brings this squad into a new realm of existence.
From My understanding, Fred does much of the killing with the vypers and falcons/fire prisms then sends in the jetbikes to clean up crippled squads. Equally good philosophy but very different uses of the same troop choice.
In closing, the warlock power defines how you will use your squad. So ask yourself how you wan tot use them, then equip your warlock.
True, I use my jetbikes to harass with the shuriken cannons and then mop up with close fire/destructor after the vypers and prisms have done their job. Of course this might change with 5th at which point I do plan to switch to almost all jetbikes, of which I can see embolden being the way to go. I won't need that destructor punch with that many more jetbikes. Now if GW gets rid of our jetbike 6" assault move then I am at a loss...
I wouldn't worry. Eldar Jetbikes will keep their 6" move in the assault phase in 5th ed.
But I still see a roll for them even in 5th ed without it. The missions are completely different, and missions are all based on achieving mission objective. It doesn't go to victory points unless there is a draw in mission condition. Plus the only scoring units are troops and they are scoring until they are fully destroyed.
With that in mind resilience, fast moving resilient troops are going to be king. Jetbikes are going to be really good. The only issue will be pushing other troops off an objective.
Troops being scoring until the last wiped out is going to be huge and be a big advantage to swarm armies- so much to kill you won't be able to bring it down to the last.
Yes, but swarm armies tend to be low toughness and armor. Honestly I play i fyou move to more of a heavy jetbike list, with 60 bikes you will statistically kill 55 guants/genestealers or orks in one turn. That goes up to 75 if you doom them.
That's only 1500 points of eldar once you add the s cannons.
Plus eldar have things like dire avengers.
I think we will all need to re think eldar a bit when 5th ed comes out.
I'm thinking about 2 jetbike farseers to spread around the doom/mindwar, lots of jetbikes and two fire prisms for my 1750 list. Given the new template rules a FP might be even better then before even if it is a skimmer.
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