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Of Valkyries and Vendettas
To kick things off, you can apply whatever title you like to this post. “Tactica” might work, but in many respects “Rant” would be more appropriate. I was prompted by various online sources and local gamers who all seem to have completed missed several facets of both vehicles that have become common sights on the table. For those of you wondering what my credentials are for such a post, I currently run a Vendetta heavy IG list and did a good bit of playtesting with both Vehicles. The end result can be found here: http://www.librarium-online.com/for...s/184340-blackhawk-down-ig-2k-tournament.html
Lets do this in the form of FAQs:
What should I equip a Valkyrie with?
Rocket Pods. The hull Lascannon is a waste, your primary goal with this vehicle is making infantry take saves and the Las shot will just get tossed on the least Pertinent model possible if it even hits. The Heavy Bolters are a debatable weapon. For me, the rocket pods are the weapons you want to bring to bear and if your getting close enough to use them you generally want to be moving over 6” as often as possible. Conversely though, they cost almost nothing and keep you from having to get too close to threaten the enemy. In the end I think the negligible point investment really says you can’t go wrong either way. If you even think of Hellstrikes you clearly haven’t even read this units entry in the codex.
What should I equip a Vendetta with?
There’s only one option (if you thought Hellfury missiles just hit yourself once for me) for this unit. For me this option is almost a litmus test for determining if someone has properly read the Vendetta entry. If you read it correctly you’ll realize that this vehicle will always, where possible, be moving 6” or less. With that in mind, the heavy bolters are 6 extra shots for next to no points for doing something you would be doing anyways. It almost free bullets. Many out there in internetland and your FLGS will give you the classic “it shoots at tanks” line. While true, Vendettas usually have to transition to shooting infantry around turn 3-4 (unless you’re just really sucking at destroying enemy armor). Also you have cute armies like Tyranids where heavy bolters can hurt anything in the list. If the option cost more points I would be all for never using it, but it’s one of the single most efficient ways to get extra bullets in the entire codex.
Which one is better?
Initially my army featured Valkyries. I saw unique situations where the Valkyrie would excel and wanted to employ it. Ultimately I turned to Vendettas all around. The Vendetta can engage a lot of targets the Valkyrie can’t, but the Valkyrie can’t engage anything that a Vendetta can’t. The Vendetta can both pop a transport and mow down the models inside at greater range. It’s almost like GW’s cruel Joke that the Vehicles are nearly identical point-wise, use the same model, yet one is just clearly better. The Vendetta didn’t just steal the Valkyrie’s thunder, it mugged it in a dark alley for its thunder and stole its wallet in the process.
With all of this in mind, the assumption of the rest of this rant is that you’re using Vendettas with heavy bolters.
Should I outflank or deepstrike Vendettas?
It’s hard to keep the laughter at bay long enough to give a serious response to this question. I’m positive there are those out there that have dodgy plan involving a random IG unit using one of the two special deployment rules in a Vendetta. I’ll stop you now. Nothing you can possibly do with that infantry unit can even come close to equaling the firepower you’ve lost in the most crucial turns of the game. That’s a lot of early game transport-popping goodness that you’re missing just to try some hit or miss attack with an infantry unit that will likely die in the process. If you want to outflank some infantry put them in a chimera and take Creed. If you want to suicide melta something use a 5x man Stormtrooper unit. Don’t waste this amazing vehicle on a dodgy tactic.
What is an Alpha Strike?
*sigh*, it’s truly distressing this epic tactic is not as feared as it should be. Any force containing Vendettas should have at least 1-2 vet squads with demolitions just to threat this tactic if you get first turn (and only if you get first turn). By the Numbers:
1. Scout the vendettas with vets 12.1” away from enemy vehicles
2. In your first turn deploy the units, move and multi-charge with meltabombs on the vehicles that haven’t moved yet
If used properly this tactic, for all practical purposes can end the game on the top of 1. Your opponents can adjust to this tactic by placing squads out around their vehicles. What a strange coincidence, you were trying to destroy those squads anyways and now he’s placing them in a great position for you hit them with everything. It’s a win-win situation as you don’t have to commit to the alpha strike until after you’ve seen where he’s deploying, so you get the nice creamy infantry center either way and only have a 1in 6 chance of failure (seizing the initiative).
How many should I use?
Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Minimum of 2, 3 is best. Face facts. Other things in your army can cover the areas the rest of your fast attack slots excel at. Nothing, however even approaches the efficiency of a Vendetta. All-Vendetta lists tend to be more first turn dependent than mech IG and require some more finesse, so in general I wouldn’t advise that approach, but an IG army without any Vendettas is missing easily one of the best vehicles in the game. It has respectable armor, is a Fast Skimmer, comes with 5 weapons (REF: Heavy Bolters), Transports infantry, can execute an Alpha Strike and has free Extra Armor. It’s like GW is trying to give you a hint without printing in big bold letters “You want to buy this $60 kit”
To kick things off, you can apply whatever title you like to this post. “Tactica” might work, but in many respects “Rant” would be more appropriate. I was prompted by various online sources and local gamers who all seem to have completed missed several facets of both vehicles that have become common sights on the table. For those of you wondering what my credentials are for such a post, I currently run a Vendetta heavy IG list and did a good bit of playtesting with both Vehicles. The end result can be found here: http://www.librarium-online.com/for...s/184340-blackhawk-down-ig-2k-tournament.html
Lets do this in the form of FAQs:
What should I equip a Valkyrie with?
Rocket Pods. The hull Lascannon is a waste, your primary goal with this vehicle is making infantry take saves and the Las shot will just get tossed on the least Pertinent model possible if it even hits. The Heavy Bolters are a debatable weapon. For me, the rocket pods are the weapons you want to bring to bear and if your getting close enough to use them you generally want to be moving over 6” as often as possible. Conversely though, they cost almost nothing and keep you from having to get too close to threaten the enemy. In the end I think the negligible point investment really says you can’t go wrong either way. If you even think of Hellstrikes you clearly haven’t even read this units entry in the codex.
What should I equip a Vendetta with?
There’s only one option (if you thought Hellfury missiles just hit yourself once for me) for this unit. For me this option is almost a litmus test for determining if someone has properly read the Vendetta entry. If you read it correctly you’ll realize that this vehicle will always, where possible, be moving 6” or less. With that in mind, the heavy bolters are 6 extra shots for next to no points for doing something you would be doing anyways. It almost free bullets. Many out there in internetland and your FLGS will give you the classic “it shoots at tanks” line. While true, Vendettas usually have to transition to shooting infantry around turn 3-4 (unless you’re just really sucking at destroying enemy armor). Also you have cute armies like Tyranids where heavy bolters can hurt anything in the list. If the option cost more points I would be all for never using it, but it’s one of the single most efficient ways to get extra bullets in the entire codex.
Which one is better?
Initially my army featured Valkyries. I saw unique situations where the Valkyrie would excel and wanted to employ it. Ultimately I turned to Vendettas all around. The Vendetta can engage a lot of targets the Valkyrie can’t, but the Valkyrie can’t engage anything that a Vendetta can’t. The Vendetta can both pop a transport and mow down the models inside at greater range. It’s almost like GW’s cruel Joke that the Vehicles are nearly identical point-wise, use the same model, yet one is just clearly better. The Vendetta didn’t just steal the Valkyrie’s thunder, it mugged it in a dark alley for its thunder and stole its wallet in the process.
With all of this in mind, the assumption of the rest of this rant is that you’re using Vendettas with heavy bolters.
Should I outflank or deepstrike Vendettas?
It’s hard to keep the laughter at bay long enough to give a serious response to this question. I’m positive there are those out there that have dodgy plan involving a random IG unit using one of the two special deployment rules in a Vendetta. I’ll stop you now. Nothing you can possibly do with that infantry unit can even come close to equaling the firepower you’ve lost in the most crucial turns of the game. That’s a lot of early game transport-popping goodness that you’re missing just to try some hit or miss attack with an infantry unit that will likely die in the process. If you want to outflank some infantry put them in a chimera and take Creed. If you want to suicide melta something use a 5x man Stormtrooper unit. Don’t waste this amazing vehicle on a dodgy tactic.
What is an Alpha Strike?
*sigh*, it’s truly distressing this epic tactic is not as feared as it should be. Any force containing Vendettas should have at least 1-2 vet squads with demolitions just to threat this tactic if you get first turn (and only if you get first turn). By the Numbers:
1. Scout the vendettas with vets 12.1” away from enemy vehicles
2. In your first turn deploy the units, move and multi-charge with meltabombs on the vehicles that haven’t moved yet
If used properly this tactic, for all practical purposes can end the game on the top of 1. Your opponents can adjust to this tactic by placing squads out around their vehicles. What a strange coincidence, you were trying to destroy those squads anyways and now he’s placing them in a great position for you hit them with everything. It’s a win-win situation as you don’t have to commit to the alpha strike until after you’ve seen where he’s deploying, so you get the nice creamy infantry center either way and only have a 1in 6 chance of failure (seizing the initiative).
How many should I use?
Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Minimum of 2, 3 is best. Face facts. Other things in your army can cover the areas the rest of your fast attack slots excel at. Nothing, however even approaches the efficiency of a Vendetta. All-Vendetta lists tend to be more first turn dependent than mech IG and require some more finesse, so in general I wouldn’t advise that approach, but an IG army without any Vendettas is missing easily one of the best vehicles in the game. It has respectable armor, is a Fast Skimmer, comes with 5 weapons (REF: Heavy Bolters), Transports infantry, can execute an Alpha Strike and has free Extra Armor. It’s like GW is trying to give you a hint without printing in big bold letters “You want to buy this $60 kit”
