Nothing beats setting up a good old fashioned ambush point and blasting your opponent on the tabletop- so let’s take a look today at the setup on the gaming table. Keep in mind this is just a starting point, and geared towards those of you new to the game…
First place to start of all places is the point level of the game- 1500 points or less is the optimal level for setting up an ambush on the table. Higher point games just throw down to much stuff, and at 2K+ the sea of models makes anything other than just lining up and gunning it possible.
The first ambush is a forced ambush- something your opponent has to walk into at some point. An example of this is putting an objective out in the open knowing that later in the game your opponent will go for it, and when they do, you wipe out that unit.
Let’s work on a basic setup with the forced ambush…
You put that objective outside of area terrain and out in the open- no cover saves to go around. You then park something like a vindicator 20” or so inches away and then, when your opponent goes for the objective, you smash him with the template out in the open.
Simple right? I don’t intend to point out the obvious, but we are building up to something here, so stick with me.
In out example, of course your opponent is going to see the obvious, so you look to harden your vindicator- get it in cover, maybe use a tech marine to fortify the ruins for a 3+ cover save, maybe add the Chronus dude, etc.
Ambushes that the opponent can “see”, only work when you force them to wade into the trap.
The next step is to set an obvious trap to bait out other units- any unit really, that you can gobble up and destroy for free.
Back to our vindicator example…
Objective out in the open, fortified vindicator, and nothing else directly in support. Your opponent sees this, and knows it is a direct trap firing on the objective, but they figure if they can take out the vindicator, then the objective is free for the taking.
Somewhere else on the table is another unit of yours with mobility and range just waiting. Waiting for your opponent to move out with something to take out the vindicator, and when they do, this mobile unit (usually a land speeder if you are playing Space Marines) then moves out and strikes- in this case the vindicator is bait.
This is an indirect ambush- something your opponent doesn’t see coming, and is what we want to work our way up to setting on the table.
So how can we do this?
Most player only see the table in clusters, usually a bubble around their units, figuring out what they can do and how they can react. As you move units closer to your opponent’s, they tend to focus on that unit since it is close- the longer the range, often the less focus.
From the Space Marine perspective, this is why devastators are so good and have a place in 1500 point less games where their firepower can really make a difference. Long range devs- missiles and las cannons can literally travel the length of the table to take out your opponent. In the right circumstances this could be deadly.
Put the devs in a good location depending on terrain, somewhere where they have multiple fire lanes, and send out your bait unit- a tactical squad or scout squad and see what comes into view for you to fire on.
Ready for another layer?
Mobility.
Of course there is a chance your opponent will see those devs up on the hill and try their best to avoid their lane of fire, or fire back on them with their own heavy support.
So what if you had something with mobility and long range fire?
Many players stop their tactical analysis in the shooting phase. As they move, they look at what will be shooting at them from what is currently on the table, often overlooking the fact that models can often move and shoot.
Hide a land speeder behind some terrain, with a good lane of fire, and often out of sight out of mind, send up the bait unit, and if taken, move out with the land speeder and open up. Eldar players- a fire prism can work in a similar role.
The other issue with setting up an ambush is opportunity.
You set the trap, and then wait for your opponent to walk into it- sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. If your entire army is in ambush mode, then you aren’t moving out to accomplish the mission objective. Switching back and forth with a unit from ambush duty to mission objectives also isn’t efficient since their role are divided with what could present itself.
What I like to do, and recommend at 1500 point games is to assign one unit to ambush duty and one to bait duty. Usually a land speeder or dev unit, and a tactical or scout unit. Their job in the game is to just go fishing and see what they can catch- dedicated over 5-7 turns they will get something, and when the trap is sprung, the rest of the army can push forward with the gained momentum.
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