Brief overview of Elysian Drop-Troops?

[Y'he Sha'is]

I've been toying with the idea of starting a new army. I'm down to orcs and IG. And in IG I'm drawn to Dropping troops, specifically the Harkoni Warhawk division. However, I just heard about these guys called the Elysian Drop Troops (spelling is wrong, probably).

Can anyone give me a brief overview of the Elysian Drop Troops I have heard so much about? I don't want to shell out 100 bucks for a book (which one are they in, anyway?) just to find out I really don't like them.

Please don't give rules (against forum rules), but any fluff/gameplay/tactics you know of could be of use to try to give me the feel of the army. And if you have another suggestiong as to a dropping-type army, let me know.

Thanks in advance for you help.

[Cheredanine]

Sure mate,
ok 1. Eysians drop troops are not codex standard, they are similar but full rules are in Imperial armour 3, special detatchments are covered in IA4, IA1 is also usefull but not truely necessary

Models are Exclusively forgeworld, they can be used with codex IG to make a drop troop or any other army, but there are gaps in the model range (eg there are not las cannon or auto cannon models, drop sentinels are unique.

Basically, for using as elysians, then it follows codes IG, but no heavy weapons in squads, most squads can take demo charges, everyone has drop troop and Iron discipline, some gucci bits of warger (undeslung krack grenade launchers for vet sgts) some gucci stuff like drop sentinels with multi meltas, everyone can take valkyries as transports which is a damn silly thing to do, Vulture gun ships for heavy support, no heavy support platoons, as to how it plays, it doesnt deploy anything at the start, (well you can but why would you?) then everything deep strikes, and drops demos charges and melta weaponry all over the shop, then you hang in for dear life, if you cant deep strike it is very difficult,

Below is a a tactica I wrote, it really applies to codex IG drop troops rather than elysians, cos demo charges make a world of difference, if you trulety want to play drop troops, play elysians, you can find piccis of some of mine in the gallery under my log on


A Doctrine too far - Imperial Guard Drop Troop Tactica

I have been tempted to write this for a while as I find myself saying the same thing over again on the IG forum, this is basically a guide to the uses of the drop troop doctrine available from codex IG. I am going to try and bite my tongue and not mention my Elysians (damn did it already) or general forgeworld goodness that fits so well with the doctrine (Vuture gunships)

So mostly we have all seen “A bridge too far� or “Black hawk down� right? All excited? Want to field an army which deep strikes onto the battlefield and through heroic courage and skill at arms manages to save they day? The look no further (this could put you off the idea for life)

Classically paratroops are used as part of a combined arms operation, taking objectives ahead of an advancing body of troops. This really doesn’t equate to the skirmish scale of 40K but it can be used in the game. Add to this that fact that IG generally stands and shoots relying on putting down a hail of fire for as many turns as possible as the opponent treks towards them, however the drop troop doctrine when applied to a unit means the unit gets fewer turns shooting having missed at least the first one and starts closer to the enemy. Disaster? Not entirely, deep striking isn’t on of those “All or nothing� doctrines, you can give it to selected units, which brings us, rather laboriously, to the first area:

Partly drop troop Armies

This is the most common usage of the drop troop doctrine, the main body of the army is played as standard IG army but selected units are given the deep strike ability in order to “reach out and touch someone�

Objective taking
In theory odd squads can be deep struck onto objectives, a cunning plan, probably best reserved for storm troopers, but don’t expect them to hold onto it if your opponent makes any serious attempt to take it, even a squad of stormies cant cope that well in close combat, rather, if you have units arriving very late, drop them onto objectives that are well clear of your opponent, but this is more or less a target of opportunity rather than a planned tactic.

Suicide squads
By far the most common use of drop troop doctrine is the creation of a suicide squad that lands next to an opponent unit and destroys it, subsequently they tend to get wiped out but some units are very effective at this. The two riders on this are that firstly you can not guarantee the squad wont deviate/scatter, often this makes them completely ineffective so don’t rely on them as an absolute, secondly the nature of deep strike means you wont be using these squads in turn 1 so don’t depend on them to take out armour or fast elites that will do their damage early on. Classics include:

Special weapons squads with flamers and/or demo charges – these can devastate full squads of the biggest, hardest units in your opponents’ army, and rather pleasingly the demo charge reinforces the suicide nature of the squad by deviating back on to its own unit half the time

Special weapons squads with meltaguns and/or demo charges – again can devastate MEQs but clearly can take out tanks very effectively

Veteran squads (small in numbers) with 3 flamers or 3 meltas – can do the same as above

Arguably platoon HQs tooled with flamers or meltas can do this too but this is rather a waste of the points spent on an officer

Sentinels – the most common option being the heavy flamer which can kill troops effectively, but equally all other options can get access to the rear armour of vehicles

But I see myself as Gene Hackman in a beret with a dodgy Polish accent
Ok so if you genuinely want to play a drop troop army and drop everything onto the table, then.. your forces are going to arrive piecemeal and off target, you can not out fight your opponent and you have hampered your shooting, all you have is guts and the bare faced refusal to look facts in the face! Me, I am in! This isn’t an army for the inexperienced or faint hearted; it needs to be played cunningly and innovatively. You need to hit hard and then hold on for dear life

Classically my drop troops, when the Elysian rules are banned, takes the iron discipline doctrine. All squads have voxs and the Command HQ has a master vox. All squads take vet sgts. The HQs provide fire support from as many special weapons as I can get into them, but I do tend to include a medic, roughly the army can be broken down into 3 areas: 2 assault elements and odds and sods. The 2 assault elements are essentially the infantry platoons and their command squads. Each infantry squad has a special weapon and a missile launcher (the only viable heavy weapon mini for the Elysians). In addition to this are the odds and sods, these include special weapons squads (flamers and meltas with demo charge), the HQ command squad, with loads of special weaponry, a sentinel with an Autocannon and improved comms, 2 sentinels with las cannons and HK missiles, veterans and storm troopers.

Assault Elements:
Identify 1 target per platoon (in my case 2 targets), ideally these are objectives guarded by strong squads. Deep strike platoons around the target, usually the whole platoon around a single objective, and rapid fire into the defenders, what is left will generally charge you, charge it right back, with as much as possible, the only proviso on this is if other units are in the area, you may need to dose these up with fire. Gradually get your units into firing positions on the objective.

Odds and Sods
These have a number of roles, firstly they can reinforce the assault elements, if you feel the entire platoon can not handle the current defenders then support them with an odds and sods unit.
Secondly these units can take out enemy squads threatening your assault units, particularly good for this are the special weapons squads with demo charges, although rolling the scatter dice twice makes you very prone to missing.
Several of these units can be used to take out enemy tanks and fire support, deep striking deep into the enemies deployment zone and chewing up his rear, this can be a suicide mission, but if so will distract your opponent from taking on your assault elements and recapturing the objectives.
These are to all intents and purposes, a tactical reserve to squander or hoard at your peril, generally if they have killed more points than they cost, then they have done their job.

Usually by turn 5 the majority of your army has arrived, most of the odds and sods have been killed or are routing off the board and what is left of your assault elements are hiding in cover around objectives and trying to tough it out. Arnhem all over again, unfortunately 30 Corps is not ever going to arrive, but hey, you have the advantage of the game ending around turn so you just need to tough it out until then

Cityfight
Drop troop armies are a mixed blessing in a cityfight, but can be extremely effective, their lack of vehicles, high numbers, mobile fire power all contributes to make them pretty effective, but don’t deep strike them if at all possible, watching as you entire platoon disappears thanks to the scatter dice gods is not a pleasant feeling.

Most importantly – have fun, enjoy the flamboyance and daring of the army, revel in the fact that your drop knocked your opponents plans into a cocked hat and by the time he had recovered, the game was over. Personally I always enjoy sitting through the deployment phase with my arms crossed looking smug and watching my opponent get anxious on turn 2 when I pick up the dice for the reserve rolls

[Y'he Sha'is]

Wow, that is so much more info than I expected... Thanks so much. Using your advice, I put together a for review, if you have a second to check it out.

Rep to you, for sure.

[nickle bottom]

Wow that was a really good tactica for deepstriking guard. I play witch Hunters but damn that post makes me want to run out and buy an IG deepstrike army. Hey if I induct a bunch of IG can they take doctrines?

[WraithGuardian]

Good luck if you are starting Elysians, they are awesome yet VERY VERY VERY expensive. Hope you have the money to buy all those valkeries and vultures off of forgeworld or in a smarter way Ebay, if you get lucky to win the auction for one of those babies.

[RJCRaven]

Originally Posted by nickle bottom

Wow that was a really good tactica for deepstriking guard. I play witch Hunters but damn that post makes me want to run out and buy an IG deepstrike army. Hey if I induct a bunch of IG can they take doctrines?

Nope, afaid you can't. Inducted IG can't use doctrines, but an IG army with WH elements can have doctrines.

Ever wonder what would happen if you attach a Commissar to an Inquisitor retinue? We all know what happens if the Inquisitor gets a Perils of the Warp, eh?

[Y'he Sha'is]

I think the cost has driven me away from Elysians... I'm putting together a list for Karakoni Warhawks for a bit of variance (see IG lists for more info).

Thanks so much for all of your help.

[WraithGuardian]

Dont give up, even though it might be costly to colect an elysian army, but there is always other armies similar to them. You could start a drop troop force, which is very similar to elysians. Or you could start an airborne grenadier regiment or things of that sort with your own doctrines to suit your strategy. Elysians are good but they arent the end of the world, there are many ways to get around their price.

[Anticitizen]

Waht did you mean by odds and sods?

[Cheredanine]

Originally Posted by Anticitizen

Waht did you mean by odds and sods?

The tactica applies to standard codex IG with deep strike more than Elysian really.

In terms of a deep strike army, the main assault comes from your platoons, these arrive en mass and really are the opnly things large enough to hold groud. Odds and sods are everything else, specifically:

Command HQ,
Special weapons squads
Heavy weapons squads/platoons (if you must)
sentinals (personnaly I like using for anti tank so las cannon and HKs, although catchan pattern is attractive, I worry that the scatter dice will elave them out of range)
storm troopers
Veterans
Vultures
Aircraft (marauders, lightenings, thunderbolts)
even tarantulas

most other stuff just doesnt work in an entirely drop troop army

I would say again though:
Valkyries - these are fluffy as hell and a down right liability, if you want a fluffy army and you got the pennies, then take them, if you want to win, dont