# Devastators: ideal squad



## Hereticus (Apr 15, 2008)

*Devastators squads: how do you make yours?*
(non-infiltrating vs unknown opponent)

*Weapons configurations?*
MLx4? LCx2, HBx2? PC, MM, LC, ML?
*Unit size?*
Minimum cost or meat shields for the heavy weapons?
*Upgrade sergeant?*
Is a power fist veteran sergeant mandatory?


Clearly factors such as army size and the composition of the rest of your list will affect this decision but in general how do you make your Dev squads?

Dave


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

It really depends on what your goal is and what the rest of your army looks like.

Eight men is the ideal size, other than that, ti all depends.

Missile Launchers are preferred because they're relatively cheap, but pack a versatile punch if you want long range and anti-armor.

If you;re more interested in anti-=troop, then four heavy bolters is dirty cheap and su[er effective.

Lascannons are too expensive, multi-meltas too impractical, plascannons just not worth it.


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## Insanity101 (Jan 13, 2008)

But I still like to take 4 plas cannons for shits and giggles.:biggrin:


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

not worth the price or the overheat danger...not in 4th edition at least. It's almost impossible to get multiple hits wiht a small blast anymore, if your enemy spaces his men out properly


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## Insanity101 (Jan 13, 2008)

That's why I don't play competitivly (sp):biggrin:


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## salamander 117 (May 3, 2008)

personaly i go for 2ML and 2LC so ive got as much range posible :biggrin:


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## Red Orc (Jun 14, 2007)

No special deployment tricks and not knowing who you're up against, has to be 4xML. Then you can attack hordes, vehicles, termies, monstrous creatures, whatever.

They're better at taking out troops than Multi-Meltas, they're better at taking out tanks than Heavy Bolters. 

"Missile Launchers: They Don't Suck at Anything". What more do you need to know?


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## salamander 117 (May 3, 2008)

you've got a point about the ML but its hard to kill high armor tanks with it cos you need a six so 1 LC would be usefull


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## Trigger (Mar 12, 2008)

With a lascannon you still need a 5! They just dont pack enough punch to justify the points. 4x Missile launchers for me please.


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## Katie Drake (Nov 28, 2007)

I'm slowly becoming more and more a fan of the 4 heavy bolter configuration, even in all-comers lists. They're just so cheap and can still deal with most target types.


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## Someguy (Nov 19, 2007)

Heavy bolter devastator squads are good.

I don't think I would take any other load out. I like my AT to be mobile and spread between different units.

In general I think it makes sense to go for AT spread and AP in units. Units have multiple wounds but vehicles don't. One hit on a vehicle may kill it and 4 may not. If you put your 4 AT guns all in seperate units then you can stop firing after you get what you want, and target other things with remaining shots. It's normally worth it to fire 4 heavy bolters at an infantry unit.

I think that in 5th we will see some heavy bolter devastator squads. Mostly we will see tactical squads and AT provided by cheaper units like razorbacks, land speeders and attack bikes. Quite a lot of combinations will be valid, but people will want to take a minimum number of non-scoring units, and devastators will be one of those.


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## darkreever (Apr 3, 2008)

*Weapons configurations?*
Depending on the size of my squad generally has some sort of say on the weapons. When I go with my smaller squads I use all heavy bolters to make use of their higher fire rate. Larger squads I tend to use two missile launchers and two plasma cannons. (Plasma's a bit dangerous, but its still pretty fun to use from time to time.)*

Unit size?*
I like to go with an old rule of thumb taught to me, that being the two for one rule. Two marines for every one upgraded unit/heavy weapon. (This obviously does not apply for five man squads who cannot go any lower.)

Generally though, I like going with either six or ten strong depending on the chapter I play.
*
Upgrade sergeant?*
Personally, I don't upgrade my sergeant for devs until after I have four heavy weapons; and going with my two for one rule of thumb that means I need to be fielding a full squad. Upgrade wise, only ever one large upgrade or two smaller ones (for example an auspex and purity seals or a power weapon.) Never put something like a powerfist on him, since thats geared more for a squad that is going to charge where a power weapon can aid a squad that might be charged or wants to shoot instead of assault.


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## hearthlord (Nov 16, 2007)

I agree with Katie Drake. Four HBs is cost effective and I have found that puting LCs in tac squad is cheaper.


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## Damned Fist (Nov 2, 2007)

I avoid the heavy bolters as a Imperial Fist player. It's a waste of their tank hunter skills so I leave the HB's with my troops. 4 missile launchers work well because they are strength 9 vs armour, but I still like to keep a lascannon or two to deal with high armour targets.


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## Hereticus (Apr 15, 2008)

4xHB is a bit stuck vs Meq or high AV though. Would always have at least one ML/MM in there to keep the squad versatile but maybe that's just me.

*What about squad size?* 8 has been suggested as the magic number but are those three extra marines worth it? For those points would a Rhino or Landspeeder be a better investment?

Dave


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## Brother Enok (Apr 17, 2008)

4 HB work quite well against MEQ and heavy infantry armies. You force enough saves and you're going to start cutting them down.


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## Red Orc (Jun 14, 2007)

Really difficult to take out a Landraider with 4 HBs though.


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## Brother Enok (Apr 17, 2008)

I play Salamanders. I have Melta tech for that =D


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## Red Orc (Jun 14, 2007)

Oooh, double melta-gun...

Gotta love "Cleanse and Purify"!


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## Firewolf (Jan 22, 2007)

>> I always take 2x heavy bolters, missile launcher and las cannon. Bit of a mash up, but I like it. Units of 5 only for me though. Was thinking of using a 5 man melta gun and plasma gun mix, perhaps in a rhino.


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## Captain Roy (Feb 6, 2008)

When I planning on building my devastator squads in the future.
I will not mix any heavy weapons in the squads. I'm planning
to have four missile launchers for my first squad and four
lascannons for my second squad. When I use a devastator
squad in my army. I field a 10 men squad on my space
marine army.


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## Archangel (Dec 30, 2007)

I like 2LC and 2HB, but I play DA and can Combat Squad my Devs.


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## Caledor (Jan 15, 2008)

With me, I always include at least one missile launcher surrounded by whatever else I feel like adding to the squad. That way, I can still specialise the unit but it can still deal with MC's, tanks, or minor hordes. That said, I do have a soft spot for a 4x plasma cannon squad. Sure I run the risk of loosing a few guys but its worth it if my opponent dosen't spread out or thinks his guys can take the hit.

Numberwise, it depends on the points but I am starting to use larger squads for survivability.

Sergeants? Always upgrade to a veteran for the teleport homer. Nothing says leave my dev's alone like a terminator assault.


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## Lord Reevan (May 1, 2008)

I'm constantly changing mine. My actual dev. Squad consists of HB, LC, ML and plasma cannon, basically good against every type but I have 5 tac. squads all with heavy weapons so I can have two of any heavy weapon in the squad plus a multimelta if I wanted. Although I prefer putting that in a transport and bringing it up close.


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## dakari-mane (Mar 9, 2007)

My devvy squads have:
8 Man w/4 Heavy Bolter,
8 Man w/4 Missile Launcher, 
8 Man w/4 Missile Launcher, 
8 Man w/3 Las-cannon, 
8 Man w/4 Plasma-cannon, 
The top three are the most used & cheapest, the las-cannons are a nice shock to put on table sometimes & the Plasma-cannons rarely get used though I can see that changing with the intruduction of the new daemon codex (nothing says :fuck: daemon like 4 plasma cannons & a Inquisitor with 2 mystics :biggrin


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## godofwar (Mar 23, 2008)

I find 4 HB works, as for Land Raiders well i find a well placed melta bomb does the trick


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## Lord Reevan (May 1, 2008)

The thing with meltabombs is that they take 6s to hit if it moved 6 inches... And with experience I have had 17 models with grenades hitting a tank and not one 6 was rolled...


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## Son of mortarion (Apr 24, 2008)

Hereticus said:


> *Devastators squads: how do you make yours?*
> (non-infiltrating vs unknown opponent)
> 
> *Weapons configurations?*
> ...


I use five man squads for loyalist marines, equipped with four missile launchers and one with a bolter.

If you are using a chapter that has the combat squads rule, and have extra points, upgrade the sergeant, and split him off with four other marines to make an "extra" tactical squad.


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## Lord Reevan (May 1, 2008)

You can only have 4 heavy weapons in a squad though...yours has 5 in it


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## godofwar (Mar 23, 2008)

Lord Reevan said:


> The thing with meltabombs is that they take 6s to hit if it moved 6 inches... And with experience I have had 17 models with grenades hitting a tank and not one 6 was rolled...


I've haven't had that problem, but I can see your point, if the dice rolls ain't with you your stuffed. But then if you slaughter all the troops the Land Raider is next to useless....


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## Lord Reevan (May 1, 2008)

Not really. Two twin linked lascannons, twinlinked heavy bolter, option for storm bolter and hk. plus the overall durability of it, armour 14 all round, extra armour and machine spirit means it won't go down easily and its a good scoring unit....


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## darkreever (Apr 3, 2008)

Lord Reevan said:


> The thing with meltabombs is that they take 6s to hit if it moved 6 inches...


A non skimmer vehicle has to move over 6" for you to be hitting on 6's. 6" and less means your hitting on 4's as long as it moved; or at least thats what my rulebook has written down on page 71. (So while your 17 models with grenades might not have rolled a single 6 to hit, they must have rolled at least one 4 or 5.)


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## Lord Reevan (May 1, 2008)

Oh yeah they did but it had moved over 6". the turn afterward i got him though so it wasn't too bad.... All his weapons failed to even hit so it evened out...:biggrin:


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## godofwar (Mar 23, 2008)

Lord Reevan said:


> Not really. Two twin linked lascannons, twinlinked heavy bolter, option for storm bolter and hk. plus the overall durability of it, armour 14 all round, extra armour and machine spirit means it won't go down easily and its a good scoring unit....


It wont be a scoring unit in the 5th edition?


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## general (Feb 1, 2008)

I'd go with missile launcher. You can use Krak for vehicles, or models with high tougness and a good save. Or use Frag. This uses the blast marker, and so can be handy against infantry.
Peronally, I wouldn't use HB, as I like the flexibility of ML.
You need at least 2 'normal' marines, as losing one heavy wepon can be expensive in this type of squad.


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## Lord Reevan (May 1, 2008)

Why wouldn't it be a scoring unit? Remember 5th. ed. isn't here yet so thats irrelevant right now...


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