[4theEmperor!]

Hi, this is my first time on this forum. I have read quite a few posts and I see there is sooo much for me to learn!

I am pretty new and I am running Ultramarines. In the codex it describes Veteran squads that are trained to fight 'Nids. It says they basically have learned even the largest beasts can be brought down with krak grenades and can do so in close combat. The krak grenades normally hit on a 6+ but against a preferred enemy they hit on a 3+. Plus each model only gets one attack like this. I tried to do that in a game yesterday and I was told by my opponent that Preferred Enemy does not work against monstrous creatures. I looked in the book and sure enough, he was right. This seems like a ridiculous waste of my points. I only want to use krak against big guys like the carnifex and the hive tyrants. Against the hordes of gaunts and genestealers when I get toe-to-toe and chop them up, especially since I get at least 2 attacks per model and the sgt gets more.

The main reason I spent points on the Tyranid Veterans was to use the krak grenades on the big dudes and to use the hellfire ammo from my heavy bolters. (That was a bust too, since I kept missing on my hit rolls! LOL! The dice were against me!) When I did attack with 10 models against a carnifex I did not roll any 6's so I got no hits, no wounds against it...

Bottom Line: Is this ruling correct? Are the Tyranid War Veterans a waste of points?

 

[HavenDan]

yes they are a waste of life pretty much, its like codex alienhunters (when it comes out) if u have anti ork rounds, why would i want to verse you. If you have anti tyranid rounds, why i want to verse you. Also, it does seem liek a waste of life when regular guys can get the job done just as easily and u can have way more.

 

[Grey]

Well, on the high side, no one else can even use Krak grenades in HtH combat with models with a Toughness value, so its got a surprise factor. Say you're fighting a Wraithord. Suddenly your line troopers can actually hurt it in HtH. Granted, they'll still probably lose. Hitting on 6s and wounding on 6s kinda sucks. But against something with toughness 6 it might actually be useful, say a DP. He'll chew you up first though. Sigh.

BUT.

Say you're fighting marines in hth though....then you're hiting on 6s, but wounding on 2s with no save. That's pretty damn good for the points, even though its only one attack.

 

[Ostsol]

That's true, but only because Tyranic Veterans can't take pistols and close combat weapons. If they could, then the simple fact of having 2 normal attacks would be better than that one krak grenade attack.

Tyranic Veterans are only good against Tyranids and even then they're best only against a Carnifex. Everything else is either not worth it (Gaunts) or will strike before the Veterans (Genestealers, Warriors, Raveners, Tyrant, Tyrant Guard).

 

[chickenpowder]

No no in fact Veterans are not worth their pts at all.
vs. Gaunts u'll never kill all of them, thus allowing them to tie u up...which is what the Nid player probably wants.
vs. Genestealers those Vets will probably be murdered before they get to strike.
vs. Warriors those Vets are ok and can take them out in CC but still they'd probably all die too.
vs. Fexes they still only hit on a 6 coz the Preferred Enemy rule doesn't work against monstrous creatures.
and the list goes on...