# Space Marie Scout Tactica



## Rogue Pilot (Dec 20, 2009)

Hi all, at my local gaming club everyone insists that scouts are absolutely useless, so I'm writing this article to show why I think they are so and maintain my belief that scouts are a very good troops choice.

1st Point

Most people I have met refuse to use scouts due to their slightly lower WS and BS in comparison to Tatical Marines and poorer armour save, but if scouts are used properly they shouldn't be in close combat, and their BS is still the same as IG, Orks and Eldar Troops just to name a few. Whilst their armour save is poorer than Power Armoured SM they can feild an incredible Cover Save if combined with Bolster Defenses and Camo Cloaks which confer the stealth rule. Even with out Bolster Defenses a ruin can confer a 3+ Cover Save and a fortification 2+

2nd Point

People also refuse to use Scout Squads due to the lack of heavy weaponry present. Whilst scouts don't have access to MM Plasma Cannons and their Assault Equivlents, they do have access to Hellfire Shells which can drop carnifexs and also prove effective againts MEQ. Also the Sniper Rifle is a incredibly deadly weapon in it's own right.

I have to go now but I will continue this at the next possible time, feel free to comment about what I have said so far though


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## Rogue Pilot (Dec 20, 2009)

Continued

People also claim that the Sniper Rifles are a useless weapon, but it's is actually good weapon. Scouts armed with sniper rifles can be a incredibly useful tool if they are correctly placed and Split into combat squads. The reson for this is pinning combined with rending can effectively stop most squads in their tracks. For Example a ork boy has a armour save of 6+ meaning that Sniper Rifles ignore their armour save, meaning that any wound scored is going to kill a boy. But with the squad split into combat squads even if you score only 1 wound per squad each squad is going to force a pinning test. And if you have mutiple CS firing odds are you are going to manage to pin the squad. In addition rending allows scouts to pin any squad of MEQ. This allows you to take a squad out of the equasion for a turn. So if a squad is advancing on a objective, you can stop them by pinning. The Infiltrate ability allows you to deploy scouts where they are most going to hurt.

Continued

Also Infiltrate allows you to drop the Scouts and take a objective First turn, forcing your opponent to divert fire power at a team that should have a reasonable cover save.


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## Culler (Dec 27, 2007)

Chance of a Ld 10 unit failing a pinning test: 8%
Chance of a Ld 9 unit failing a pinning test: 17%
Chance of a Ld 8 unit failing a pinning test: 28%
Chance of an Ork mob numbering 11 or more models failing a pinning test: 0%

Pinning just isn't reliable, especially with all the fearless units running around. It's nice to have but not something you want to rely on. Here's some further number crunching:

Chance of a single scout-fired sniper rifle getting a rending wound: 8.3%

Scouts can have really great cover saves though and provide decent cover fire while holding an objective. The way I see most scouts fielded however is with assault equipment in land speeder storms, which works well as a unit for taking out vulnerable targets like lootas.

Just my thoughts.


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## Master Gladious (Oct 26, 2009)

Culler said:


> Scouts can have really great cover saves though and provide decent cover fire while holding an objective. The way I see most scouts fielded however is with assault equipment in land speeder storms, which works well as a unit for taking out vulnerable targets like lootas.


An excellent example :good: 

I do like having Sniper Rifles but they just don't compare to the 4th Ed Sniper Rifles, but they can be good in there own way.

I would take Bolter's and Cloaks with a HB, it's just a great way to hold objectives and with the Bolter's you can get better then a 4+ to wound and can rapid fire if it gets hectic.


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## Rogue Pilot (Dec 20, 2009)

My dice seem to be lucky then lol


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## ModoX (Oct 20, 2008)

I'm currently running a ten man Scout squad, standard with one Heavy Bolter (if I have the points spare). You're then talking 140 (or 150) points which isn't too bad as a surprise unit to outflank at the most annoying time and place for your opponent, assuming your dice rolls go well enough. In an objective mission they can be a great asset turning up to try to clear and hold an objective. Of course it's easy enough to minimize their usefulness by simply not putting any objectives or vulnerable units near the edges, but if your opponent does this they've already compromised their game for the sake of a small chunk of your army.

Admittedly, when I build lists intended to be ultra competitive scouts usually aren't in there, but they are certainly not to be dismissed as a weak option.


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## Rogue Pilot (Dec 20, 2009)

Hey Guys, just so you know, I won't be posting anything on the assault weapons as it is covered in the other Taticta and my views are the same.


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## pathwinder14 (Dec 27, 2006)

I prefer a 5 man Scout squad with 4 sniper rifles, heavy bolter, and Telion. They are great at pinning things like Eldar Bikes, Dire Avengers, Deff Koptas, IG, etc. The Heavy bolter can ruin any light vehicle, especially if you use Telion's BS 5. However these guys really shine against Carnifes and Wraithlords. For 150 points you cannot go wrong with one unit.


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## rat of vengence (Feb 14, 2010)

I think a squad of scouts in a LSS with a heavy flamer is about the most underrated unit in the codex. Look at it this way;
Outflanking scoring unit
Heavy flamer knows nothing of BS3 
CC scouts can follow up a toasting quite nicely.

I have used this unit to take out heavy support, then reload the scouts and scoot off to repeat the process. That unit of 10-15 orks left babysitting the home objective become a great target for this combo. In a tournament I recently placed second, and I would give the LSS my MVP award. It didn't kill the most things, but being able to outflank AFTER the enemy has committed his attack run is brilliant. Use it to take an objective, hit heavy support or add fire to that unit that just HAS to die.

I have fun with it too 

RoV


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## Epatus (May 17, 2009)

rat of vengence said:


> I think a squad of scouts in a LSS with a heavy flamer is about the most underrated unit in the codex. Look at it this way;
> Outflanking scoring unit
> Heavy flamer knows nothing of BS3
> CC scouts can follow up a toasting quite nicely.
> ...


I think you have missed a trick buddy, you can use it for first turn assault with it's scout move. Load it with a power fist and you have a unit that can tank out vehicles and support units on the first turn.


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## rat of vengence (Feb 14, 2010)

That is a good point, but I have so far found turning up later in the game when most units are committed better than a first turn suicide run. You are also risking the initiative being seized which would leave the LSS rather high and dry.

That said, the first turn assault can be good in the right circumstances. 

RoV


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## cranvill (Jul 20, 2008)

scouts have allways dune me proud iv not tryed them with a Landspeeder storm yet though but its defanetley one to try.

they have allways dune nicely for me holding objectives or makeing it harder for other units to advance on the objective while my harder units advance to contact.


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## Imperium's finest (Jan 5, 2010)

I infiltrate them somewhere where they cant be ignored by the enemy so he sends large portion to take them out and then LSS storm deepstrikes near them and takes them out of harms way and leaves enemy stranded and it sounds stupid but they do fall for it.


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