# Way of the Armoured Fist



## kelvingreen (May 15, 2007)

(obscure 80's computer gaming reference there for anyone old and geeky enough :wink: )

How do you equip and/or use your IG armoured fist squads? What are they good at, and what are they not so good at?


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## cccp (Dec 15, 2006)

http://heresy-online.net/viewtopic.php?t=1671

heres a basic tacitca i wrote up about armoured fists. use it with a grain of salt though as im not a brilliant player.


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## ThunderBolt (May 30, 2007)

armoured fist squads are shite. theyre no better than normal guardsmen, plus you cant relly have a heavy weapon with them. go with more guardsmen.


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## kelvingreen (May 15, 2007)

Well, the reason I ask is because I have a Genestealer Cult with two units of Guardsmen (the maximum I can have) and one Chimera. At the moment, I'm just using the Chimera as a cheap tank, but I'm wondering if there's a better use for it, perhaps in combination with the Guardsmen.

I'll take a look at your tactica cccp, thanks.


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## Cadian81st (Dec 24, 2006)

ThunderBolt said:


> armoured fist squads are shite. theyre no better than normal guardsmen, plus you cant relly have a heavy weapon with them. go with more guardsmen.


Actually, you can fit three heavy weapons in a normal armored fist squad: the turret weapon on the chimera (usually a multi-laser), the hull mounted weapon on the chimera (either a heavy bolter or a heavy flamer) and the heavy weapon team itself. Plus the six mounted lasguns on the chimera, plus the fact that it can move and shoot it's heavy weapons. You get three squads worth of heavy weapons for a little more than the cost of two squads. So, in the right situation, armored fists can be a godsend.


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

Plus they're an excellent line-filler. Say a genestealer pack rips your gunline apart, and then gets torn to pices by gunfire. Send over the fists to fill the gap and have the Chimera support them.

-Dirge


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## Hespithe (Dec 26, 2006)

While I do field Armoured Fists on occasion, I find that I like to use the Chimera and the Squad seperately. I generally use the Fist Squad as a 'typical' Infantry Squad, deploying them off on their own to divert enemy resources and/or take objectives. The Chimera includes a Heavy Flamer and is tasked with really pissing off the enemy. It usually dies during the first half of the game, but not before getting in the way of enemy assault lanes and laying down some supporting fire for deepstriking Storm Troopers and other advance elements like my Sentinels. Generally, IG do best when the enemy can't get to their lines. The Chimera/AF excels at helping this little tidbit become a reality.

Lately I've been issuing the Chimeras in my army to my 2 Infantry Platoon Command Squads. This leaves the former AF Squad to become another Infantry Squad, thus gaining the leadership bonus of a Junior Officer for 'free', as well as bulking up my firebase. The Chimeras still go hunting for trouble same as always. It's actually very rare that my Russes get destroyed in my games, mostly due to the habit of my Chimeras and Sentinels getting in the way of enemy lines of sight to high priority targets. I've only been forced to defend myself in mêlée combat once in the last 5 or 6 games as well, and for the same reason. 

When faced with the amount of firepower that an IG list can dish out, it really is difficult for an opposing 'balanced' list to come out on top. Especially so when you egg them on about letting such a little thing as a 'transport' ruin their battle plans.


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

While I don;t play IG, I would use armored fist squads just for the sake of having chimeras around. Gotta be one of the very best dedicated ground-transports in the game.

Sure, you shouldn't put a heavy weapon in your AF squad if you intend to mount them up, nothing is stopping you form deploying the squad with their lascannon team in a nice cozy firing position while their chimera rolls around and chews up squads with its heavy bolters and/or multilas.

If you are going to mount them up, just give the guys a plasma gun and rely on short-range rapid-fire tactics. Wheel up, disembark and unload into their faces with lasguns, plasguns and the tank's guns.

Or stay mounted and use the fire ports.


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

One word. Meltaguns.

Sneaking up on Land Raiders in much easier if you can move 12".

-Dirge


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

Dirge Eterna said:


> One word. Meltaguns.
> 
> Sneaking up on Land Raiders in much easier if you can move 12".
> 
> -Dirge


This is true, though in this case the firepower of your transport is somewhat wasted. Better off drop-packing some stormies or infiltrating some hardened vets in that case.

The best use, IMO for armored fist would be as a mobile rapid-fire gunline


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

Well, if one Land Raider is on one side of a 6' table, and there's another on the other side....

But yeah, I agree. Sorry. Not too good with the whole infantry thing. Squishy Guardsmen get turned to Jell-O under my Armored Company.

-Dirge


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

That's why you buy two teams of vets or stormies ;-)


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## Asmodai (Dec 30, 2006)

I'm generally more interested in the Chimera than the squad.

With a Multi-Laser, Heavy Bolter and Heavy Stubber, the Chimera puts out an impressive amount of firepower. It's ideal against Guardians, Guardsmen, Gaunts, Orks, and many other similar units.

It's one more armoured target in my force. With 2 Russes, a Demolisher and a pair of Hellhounds in my force, I'm perfectly content if my opponent choses to divert anti-tank firepower to deal with them. If they don't, then I've got a good bit of firepower for a reasonable price.

The Armoured Fist squad is also useful from a force organization role. It prevents you from needing a second infantry platoon. This frees up points to spend on tanks, Fire Support squads and Anti-Tank squads. In general if you take this route you'll hit harder but be a little less durable. It's a fair trade off. As a side benefit, there's less Guardsmen to paint so you can field your force a little quicker.


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## QuietEarth (Aug 18, 2007)

Asmodai is spot on. I field an Armoured Fist Squad but I just use it as a standard Infantry Squad. I also take a Chimera for one of my Command Squads. If my opponents don't care I use either the Twin Linked Heavy Bolter or the Autocannon turret upgrade on my Chimeras. I generally don't upgrade with with a Heavy Stubber just because I think 12pts is prett steep for a s4 ap6 Hvy 3 gun.

Anyways, they're great anti-infantry tanks and are geat distractions.


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

Is the multilas that much better than the heavy bolter? I know it;s S6, but I;ve found the AP4 of the heavy bolter to be very useful, especially compared to the neigh-useless AP6 of the multilas


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## QuietEarth (Aug 18, 2007)

Given the oppurtunity I replace the Multilaser with the Heavy Bolter. If I can use Imperial Armour rules I use the Twin Linked Heavy Bolters or Autocannons. The Multilaser can be used in a pinch to take out transports.


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## Dartanyun (Nov 14, 2007)

If you're hitting marines that str 6 is useful, especially since the ap 4 is wasted.


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