# Hellstorm rocket batteries



## clever handle (Dec 14, 2009)

So last night I played a 2500pt game with my VC against an empire list & got destroyed. Now admitedly I went into the game feeling pretty cocky - I've faced empire before and always done quite well, I've faced gunlines before & laughed as they struggled to whittle me down, but I've never seen a hellstorm fielded...

Between two rocket batteries and a war priest stealing my invocation i was pretty much done turn two. First barrage completely wiped out a squad of 20 skeletons leaving only the vampire inside, and nearly destroyed a second unit (two perfect guesses that hit dead on...) Then buddy's warpriest managed to suck Invocation out of both vampires (turns one & two) leaving me unable to replenish ranks...

Is there any particular stragety folks use to combat these devastating warmachines? Normally I'd counter by creating a screen of zombies to protect my important parts before I'm able to send a varghulf in to wreck the crews but like I said the opening shots of the game were devastating...

at S5/6 (not sure....) I can see these absolutely wrecking almost every force out there! since even WoC are getting munched on 3's (or 2's)


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## neilbatte (Jan 2, 2008)

To be honest 9 times out of ten you can totally ignore them as they are so random as to be totally worthless.
Apart from your opponents luck I don't think there's any real reason to change tactics next game they probably won't do a thing so will be a few hundred points of waste and a couple of rare slots also wasted.
As to the invocation being stolen I assume he used aldreds casket or whatever its called which is a bound item so can be dispelled i think others will correct me if i'm wrong.


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## clever handle (Dec 14, 2009)

Really? With a decent guess of range they have a 1/3 chance to hit dead on target!

And yes, that's the item - but my opponent told me that I couldn't stop it (of course, he's been known to not be 100% on his rules before...)


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## neilbatte (Jan 2, 2008)

I'd say 1 in six chance of a hit on the scatter dice the same as getting a misfire, I've only ever seen them do damage against hordes which to be honest is a target rich environment.


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## Tim/Steve (Jan 25, 2009)

Hellstorm have to guess range, add an artillery dice worth of inches (misfire causes a misfire roll) and then they scatter an artillery dice worth (misfire means no shot but no misfire roll).
This means that a 'perfect' guess is going to have 2-10" added to it and then has a 2/3 chance of scattering another 2-10" in a random direction.... with a 31% chance of roling a misfire on either dice resulting in no damage to you from the shot anyway. Its the most innaccurate war machine in the game but a long way.




neilbatte said:


> I'd say 1 in six chance of a hit on the scatter dice the same as getting a misfire, I've only ever seen them do damage against hordes which to be honest is a target rich environment.


There are 2 hits on a scatter dice, not just one. Ive seen someone use a rocket battery to destroy a whole unit of black guard (I think the phrase "Mwhahhahhaaar" very apt) but that just about it... only seen one once.


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## clever handle (Dec 14, 2009)

well, the individual in question was simply ignoring the missfires on the 2nd roll and informed me they didn't matter... I've really got to start reading other army books...


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## HighHubris (Mar 16, 2009)

clever handle said:


> well, the individual in question was simply ignoring the missfires on the 2nd roll and informed me they didn't matter... I've really got to start reading other army books...


i do believe you just found the real reason ya lost that game. Don't mean any offense, but spending the $25US or whatever every 4-6 months on whatever codex comes out so that you can read it, and learn it for when you play against it, isn't that hard a thing to do, when you decide that's what you should do.

i'm not saying go out and buy the old armybooks, but at least keep up to date with the army revamps.

or at least check the opponent's armybook if something sounds squirrely


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## Tim/Steve (Jan 25, 2009)

clever handle said:


> well, the individual in question was simply ignoring the missfires on the 2nd roll and informed me they didn't matter... I've really got to start reading other army books...


Sorry I had it a little wrong (not too surprising for a unit thats not for my army and which I have never played against...): results of a misfire on the scatter artillery dice are just rerolled, so your opponent was pretty much right. But that still leaves it as the most innaccurate weapon in the game- Im thinking a ogre scraplauncher is barely worth it and that fires the same template as the hellstorm but without the additional artillery dice to my guess range (S3 killing blow, move & shoot on a really nice chariot is pretty nice... but not if you never hit anything).


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## MaidenManiac (Oct 2, 2008)

HighHubris said:


> or at least check the opponent's armybook if something sounds squirrely


This is something that so many players really should learn. EVERYTHING that sounds goofy should always be checked. Many a player reads what they want to read out of a context, so missunderstandings are frequent. Always take that extra time to check for a fair game.
_And never ever rely on armybuilder or similar shit for rules_, read the Armybook/Codex:rtfm:


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## clever handle (Dec 14, 2009)

Well, I'm a trusting individual & frankly would rather get tabled & have a good time doing it than argue mid-game. So I generally will let the shit happen (unless it's OBVIOUSLY wrong...) & check up afterwards...

I was just a bit shocked considering how much fuss there was over the new skaven cannon but it's only S2 or 3 & once per game... the hellfire makes it look like a nerf gun...


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## Tim/Steve (Jan 25, 2009)

If I dont know the rules for an army and something is surprisingly good then I normally ask to read the relevant rule... its not that I dont trust the other person, just mebbe how they read the rules. Normally they are correct but it does mean that I dont wander away after the game feeling cheated.


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## neilbatte (Jan 2, 2008)

Are there new misfire dice out then, the ones that I have are old but they have 1 hit and 5 arrows (could make the difference to me using a mortar and would definately add some accuracy to my earthshakers) 
I normally use cannons or helblasters as with the dice I have scatter artillery is too random.


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## Tim/Steve (Jan 25, 2009)

artillery has 1 misfire, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10
scatter has 2 hits and 4 arrows... the hits are on opposite sides.


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## neilbatte (Jan 2, 2008)

looks like I need some new artillery dice then and maybe I'll finally have a reason to paint the masses of until now far too random artillery.


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## MaidenManiac (Oct 2, 2008)

neilbatte said:


> Are there new misfire dice out then, the ones that I have are old but they have 1 hit and 5 arrows (could make the difference to me using a mortar and would definately add some accuracy to my earthshakers)
> I normally use cannons or helblasters as with the dice I have scatter artillery is too random.


Those must be ancient man. Ofc you wont use those kinds of guns with that die, get a new one and appologize to the opponent before the first game with the new dice, and shoot like mad


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