Librarium Online Forums banner

Viable scout force?

1K views 23 replies 10 participants last post by  theironlegion 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello, I am new to this site, but not new to space marines. I'd have to say what drew me to space marines was the scouts, but I feel like they're unused. What I'd like to know is if this army list would work, and if scouts have lost their use completely.

This list will start at 500 points. What I'm trying to do is utilize each squad in their own specific roles and generalize my army without losing too much power, although I will probably lose all of my power. I am using the version of the rulebook available before the recently released version.

HQ

Reclusiarch
-bike
-melta bombs
-bionics
-bolt pistol
Points: 126

TROOPS

Scout squad
-10 members
-bolters or shotguns (don't know the pros and cons of each)
-frag grenades
Points: 139

Scout squad
-9 members
-bolters or shotguns (don't know the pros and cons of each)
-frag grenades
Points: 126

FAST ATTACK

Scout bike squadron
-3 members
-krak grenades
-meltabombs
-terminator honours (for sergeant)
-power weapon (for sergeant)
Points: 109

TOTAL POINTS

500


The goal of this force is to use the infiltrate rule to distract the enemy as the bike squadron and Chaplian take out any enemy tanks or simply attack the enemy. The whole concept is fast and furious; the troops and the HQ move in fast. As the army grows I would add sniper squads, more Scout bikes, and terminator/scout squad (w/ bolt pistol and CCW) combos. (The terminator/scout combos are to get into close combat as fast as possible with the scouts, and then use a teleport homer to pile in my terminators)

Thank you for your time, and please remember, I play for fun, and for me this would be a very fun force.
 
See less See more
#4 ·
I saw pictures of the contents of the Apocaluptic expansion in several rumors... but why not? I think yes, but without having read it! :act-up:
 
#5 · (Edited)
hey there and welcome to librarium online! hope you'll enjoy the site.

let's see if we can help you with this, scouts are always cool and its fun to see someone try an army based on them, kudos.

here goes
ferrus_manus said:
Reclusiarch
-bike
-melta bombs
-bionics
-bolt pistol
Points: 126
nothing to say here, solid HQ, like the bionics.
ferrus_manus said:
Scout squad
-10 members
-bolters or shotguns (don't know the pros and cons of each)
-frag grenades
Points: 139

Scout squad
-9 members
-bolters or shotguns (don't know the pros and cons of each)
-frag grenades
Points: 126
holy bolter all the way. i was once thinking about mixing bp/ccw scouts with shotgun ones but the shotgun simply lacks power. and when comparing to the bolter, the bolter has so much more range so i wouldnt even consider it, go with bolter. also, you dont need the frag grenades since youre giving the scouts bolters. add a 10th man to the second squad and consider a HB or two if you have the points
ferrus_manus said:
Scout bike squadron
-3 members
-krak grenades
-meltabombs
-terminator honours (for sergeant)
-power weapon (for sergeant)
Points: 109
apart from this it seems like youve got your plan laid out, good luck :)
 
#6 ·
Blessed be the throne Ferrus has return to us! :pray: No just kidding welcome to the forum.

I have not played alot but i am a bit of an analyzer :waiting: take forever to do something cause I think about the choices all day. I would not take to many scouts because of 4+ save any unit with a heavy bolter would need a three to hit and a three to wound and pop there goes your scout.

I am however only a space marine in one of your second foundings and I would gladly send a force of scouts if you demand it of me my a primarch!
 
#8 · (Edited)
crap, i wrote comments about the scout biker squad aswell but was cutting and pasting alot :/

anyhow, what i was going to say about the scout biker squad is simply that at this point level i would rather not upgrade the sergeant and instead add another biker aswell as remove either the krak grenades or the melta ones since you really dont need both.

sorry 'bout that ;)
 
#17 ·
In the Blood Angels' Codex, they already are. The new Edition and the new Space Marines Codex seem to pick up many ideas already implemented in the 2007 Blood Angels' Codex, so this may be a good read for you (it can be downloaded for free from games Workshop). However, like with every rumor, your mileage may vary.
 
#15 ·
Alright, now my only concern is if my scouts will lose any power compared to normal SMs. I want to play for fun, but losing is never fun :soldier:. I tried to think of how well I'd do against other forces yesterday, but I don't really have that good of an overview of every army out there. I've played chaos and lost horribly, I've played tyranids multiple times and have always won, never played dark eldar (but I have my own little DE army so I know how they function, scout bikes + meltabombs = raider debris :act-up:), never played chaos daemons, lost to imperial guard, beat most of the fellow SMs I fight, never played eldar, never lost to tau, lsot to witchhunters and never played daemonhunters.

So, my SMs are in for much needed improvement. This is where I'm torn, I hate how SMs are so mainstream, but I love the order they keep. I wanted a nice variant on SMs that would make people wonder, but they also had to be good. That's when I thought of the scout force, because scouts have saved my life more times than I can remember. However, if they can't play as well as I had hoped, then it's off to DE...
 
#16 ·
ok, a couple of things you need to know about:

First off, you're rolling in 4+'s, not 3+'s. Heavy Flamers, Heavy Bolters, Autocannons, any Xenos technology that has AP4 that I dont know about (Suffer not the Alien to Live!) will make your life hell, so you need cover. If you're playing on a flat 4'x4' board with a single tree in the middle, consider leaving this list at home. If there's plenty of cover, then go for it!

Second, your list has no heavy weaponry. You did the smart thing and took meltabombs, which will give you the much needed ability to kill vehicles (like those damned 120-pt leman russes!:dance:) but you don't have anthing like meltaguns, or plasmaguns. So watch out for anything high-T that the enemy brings. In that case, I would suggest that you just run from the high-T creature til youve managed to kill mostly everything else, and then mob it. However, i realize that was a bunch of theoryhammer, so take it with a grain of salt :)
Bolters vs. Shotguns: It would seem that from the way you equiped them and the lack of any H Bolters and snipers you plan for the ENTIRE unit to have bolters or shotguns. The fact is, bolters actually have an AP, which is definitely something in their favor. However, from the way that you have fixed the list I think it would be assumed that you mean them as closecombat scouts, in which case shotguns are the only way to go.

Armies that you would excell /suck at: Well, anything that relies on range you will kil. Very easily. Anything that can do close combat better than a marine (who are metiocre at best) will destroy you. Basically, other Marine lists (both loyalist and traitor lists), nids, etc. will eat your lunch. Things like guard and tau you *should* destroy utterly. They rely on keeping you at a range, and with infiltration/"free move" you should be able to get into their faces by turn2 (latest would be 3).

Overall, the list is very solid, however what you need to know: CC is your friend, due to this shotguns > bolters, and watch out for nids. Now, i do not consider myself an expert on what im about to mention, but just for kicks you might want to try out a librarian w/ fear of the darkness and a bike instead of the chaplain, just to see what ou might be able to do.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Hi welcome to the forum!!!

This scout list looks quite solid however the new space marine dex will defently improve your army. Using the codex at the moment this looks like a solid list and i would only get rid of the frags and add a heavy bolter pluss equip the scouts with bolters. With the new codex there is a sergant which is a scout and even though i am not a scout fan i cant wait to try him out. Also Get shotguns cause they are str 4 in the new codex and to add some more punch give your scout serg's with either a power fist or power weapon.
Using the new codex i would get ready to field an army like this:

Scout commander (no idea about points cost)

10 scouts
Shotgunsx9
serg with term.h and pw and meltabombs.168
Frag grenadesx10

10 scouts
scotgunsx9
seg with term.h and pw and melatbombs.168
frag grenadesx10

5 scouts with missle launcher and rest with sniper rifles(95)

This should add up to around 500 pnts considering the new scout serg will be probably around 70 pnts. Remember this is what i would personly have in the new codex but few rules have leaked out about it so i cant promise any of these new rules are true.:secret: Anyway the main idea with this list is too infiltrate close to the enemy and them assult them with snipers being enoying and meltabombs and missle launcher for tanks
 
#22 ·
I've had an all scout army in the back of my head for years. I think in small points games they are very viable (at least with the current SM codex and 4th edition) but don't hold up at much higher points levels.

Bolters are absolutely the way to go if you're looking to shoot. A squad with 9 bolters and a heavy bolter is going to be a very powerful unit that will dish out quite a bit of firepower.

You might want to make your other squad a close combat squad with a power fist to give your army some punch. They get a ton of attacks on the charge and the fist helps to really drive the point home.

I might leave the bikers at home and add another squad with a missile launcher, but that's just my personal preference.

All in all it looks like a fun list that should do alright.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top