General tactics 2

Tactics and Styles in the Warhammer 40k Game
By Anthony Baron

Tactics and styles in this game are debateable, some people say they do exist, and some say they don’t exist. One fundamental that we all should learn in my opinion is that All war is as the sword and the sword is as all war. Where you have a feint, parry and deflection you have in sword work you have that in the tactic you choose for a force.

We all all have our own versions of tactics and styles, and they generally fit into these catagories:

All out offensive - Designed to wipe the enemy out from the first turn through a combination of firepower(both direct and indirect) and close combat. Space Marine and Chaos Space (and other MEQ’s) lists tend to be in this field. Killing the enemy is the only real goal, terrain can be secured when it can’t be retaken.

Offensive – The army is offensive in nature, a number of mobility assets are able to sieze and hold table quarters, vehicles hunt other vehicles, infantry killers do their work and you goal is terrain and models, not just models.

Static Defensive – Designed for you to stay put and your opponent to be eaten away by massive ammounts of firepower. Almost Imperial Guard only, only Iron Warriors and just maybe, Thousand Sons, can come close to equaling the firepower.

Mobile Defensive – Elder and Tau only, able to have massive mobility while staying in the one place and causing massive headaches for the opponent.

Counter Attack Offensive – Army is in a primarily offensive position(controlling 2 or more quarters at the start of a game), yet the army is of a counter attacking formation, consider two duelists in Akido and you will understand. Can be used by all armies.

Counter Attack Defensive – Initial defensive formation (controlling one quarter instead of two), however with the combination of mobility assets and a large ammount of firepower, both direct and indirect, you are able to launch offensive actions straight from defensive positions and take the fight to the enemy in no time what so ever.

Counter Attack Neutral – Able to become either Counter Attack Offensive, or Counter Defensive and may interchange during a game.

Styles or types of forces, how we build our forces, what we include and how we play em, sometimes we have it right and sometimes we don’t. I feel that they are at least three catagories of styles and I will attempt to explain them below. If you can think of some more place em as comments.

Mechanised – Carrying five or more units with an armour value, and maximising the value of the vehicles and dreadnaughts over the infantry.

Mechanised Infantry- May have a large number of armour units, which are often mainly transports, with some heavy vehicles. Something close to a Combined Arms approach, although not quiet there.

Light Infantry

Infantry of any and all types are used. This type only applies to Infantry of a 4+ save or lower. So your Imperial Guard Infantry lists go in here.

Heavy Infantry

Anything with a 3+ Save or better, Deathwing Ravenwing, codex Space marines or Chaos Space Marines in here, same for the MEQ’s, able to be used in any tactic to a degree of success.

Combined Arms

Where there is no clear primary element. Equal spending on vehicles and infantry, both working together and perhaps the best way to get a Counter Attack Offensive tactic into a force.

While understanding these styles and tactics you have to understand that they work together. A Heavy Infantry force has a style of Combined Arms and a Tactic of Counter Attack Offensive is the mechanised Dark Angels I played for a while. The Ranger list I have in mind would be a Light Infantry Counter Attack Neutral, possibly even Counter Attack Offensive.

The final point I wish to make is if you can understand your force, and the force you face, then victory is almost assured, after all Sun Tzu never had to deal with battles determined by a die roll did he?

Please visit http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/index.php for articles, 40k discussion, chat, blogs and more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_Baron
http://EzineArticles.com/?Tactics-and-Styles-in-the-Warhammer-40k-Game&id=903420