Blasterborn transport

I've just started using Blasterborn again, for probably the first time in 7th. I'm using 3 units of 5 men, with 4 blasters in each. I can't decide whether the Nightshield upgrade of the Raider is worth dumping the Venom's firepower for. Just wondering how you guys use them?

With regard to the WWP, I'd probably only do that if I was already set on attaching an Archon to the squad, and then never with more than 1 unit.

Venom vs. Raider is tricky. For me, it would probably depend on what else is in my list and what transports I have available. e.g. I only own 3 Raiders, and melee units take priority in them. Although, even then, I almost never use Night Shields.

Or, if my list is light on poison weapons, I'd probably take them in venoms for the extra firepower.

Also, it might depend on whether you're planning to keep them in their transport for the whole game, or disembark them. I used to use my venom-blasterborn with the expectation of disembarking them early on (for the extra range) and with the assumption that they'd likely die as a result.

Can I ask what's drawn you back to blasterborn?

Probably Venom.

I put them in a raider with dl and an archon with wwp. It gives me the model capacity to carry the archon, 6 dark light weapons, and 1 extra hull point. I have done Venoms too and it's a good tactic. It's really a win win, just player preference

My experience tells me that the short range of the blaster is begging for a deepstrike. Whether or not that includes a webway portal or not is up to you, but those guys are too valuable to be shot up in the first turn whilst finding it hard to get in range of the meaty stuff.

That said I am a big fan of using them from reserves; they can really help to turn a game around, and I'm not just talking about tank-hunting. On turn four you can not only shoot the blasters but also bring 15 st4 melee attacks, 20 if you wait until turn six. At that point their armour and FnP makes them quite resilient as well, and they are fearless on turn five.

Summary: deepstrike, shoot stuff for one or two turns, then tie something up in combat if necessary. In terms of transport I bring a raider so I can use the WPP, but that is only because I have bad experiences with mishaps. If you can do without the WWP, the Venom ought to be more cost effective, even though you forgo some extra resiliency. Like Shredder said earlier, it really depends on your list.

e: forgot to mention your archon can take a blaster as well, which bring the lance weaponry up to 7 if you bring a raider, at the cost of roughly two Ravagers.

chickendinner wrote:

e: forgot to mention your archon can take a blaster as well, which bring the lance weaponry up to 7 if you bring a raider, at the cost of roughly two Ravagers.

7? Don't you mean 6?

4 on the Blasterborn, 1 on the Archon and 1 on the Raider.

Or have I missed one?

I usually go in the aforementioned way. Blasterboat from hell with 4 blaster on the blasterborn unit and an archon on a raider. I've found that this will improve their survability and i often equip the raider with the electronic-nippodenso-hi-fi-ram-shocker.

If I were to run blasterborn it would be this:

5 trueborn- 4 blasters, dracon- hwg, raider- dl, ns.

The raider offers the best durability point for point, the cheapest lance and focuses the unit on task. 3++ jink is incredibly good putting a night shielded raider nearly double what a venom can sustain from non ignores cover. Meanwhile whatever transport they take is going to be sustaining fire so the transports gun is largely irrelevant beyond the initial DS. To me a raider would be the only way.

The return to Blasterborn from my faithful Haywire is due to my local group suddenly tailoring lists. All comer lists appear to have evaporated. Therefore, vs Marines, Blasterborn are better than Haywire imo. I've been using them in Raiders with NS and just rolling them forward. There are too many for people to kill in 1 turn and by turn 2, they are in range. No deep striking needed for me.

Brom wrote:

If I were to run blasterborn it would be this:

5 trueborn- 4 blasters, dracon- hwg, raider- dl, ns.

The raider offers the best durability point for point, the cheapest lance and focuses the unit on task. 3++ jink is incredibly good putting a night shielded raider nearly double what a venom can sustain from non ignores cover. Meanwhile whatever transport they take is going to be sustaining fire so the transports gun is largely irrelevant beyond the initial DS. To me a raider would be the only way.

Isn't 15 points for an 8" Haywire grenade a bit over priced ??

I think so.

I run blasterborn with either 3 blasters and 2 splinter cannons in a venom with dual splinter cannons, or 4 blasters and 2 splinter cannons, 3 more trueborn, and an Archon with a blaster in a raider with splinter racks and either sails or nightshields depending on map layout.

Hellstrom wrote:

Brom wrote:

If I were to run blasterborn it would be this:

5 trueborn- 4 blasters, dracon- hwg, raider- dl, ns.

The raider offers the best durability point for point, the cheapest lance and focuses the unit on task. 3++ jink is incredibly good putting a night shielded raider nearly double what a venom can sustain from non ignores cover. Meanwhile whatever transport they take is going to be sustaining fire so the transports gun is largely irrelevant beyond the initial DS. To me a raider would be the only way.

Isn't 15 points for an 8" Haywire grenade a bit over priced ??

Maybe but the whole unit is overpriced IMO. Adding 15 pts for what is essentially a 5th blaster more often than not worthwhile if your already taking the unit.
Now for what your talking about doing you probably wouldn't include the dracon because its too short ranged so it really only works on DS or in combat.

The Shredder wrote:

7? Don't you mean 6?

Whoops, sry Last game I brought two archons, which is where I pulled out 7.

Brom wrote:

Hellstrom wrote:

Brom wrote:

If I were to run blasterborn it would be this:

5 trueborn- 4 blasters, dracon- hwg, raider- dl, ns.

The raider offers the best durability point for point, the cheapest lance and focuses the unit on task. 3++ jink is incredibly good putting a night shielded raider nearly double what a venom can sustain from non ignores cover. Meanwhile whatever transport they take is going to be sustaining fire so the transports gun is largely irrelevant beyond the initial DS. To me a raider would be the only way.

Isn't 15 points for an 8" Haywire grenade a bit over priced ??

Maybe but the whole unit is overpriced IMO. Adding 15 pts for what is essentially a 5th blaster more often than not worthwhile if your already taking the unit.
Now for what your talking about doing you probably wouldn't include the dracon because its too short ranged so it really only works on DS or in combat.

If you really wanted a 5th blaster with a short range, you could give the Dracon a blast pistol...

True, its just that the hwg is the cheapest 5th blaster coming in at 15 total instead of 25.. iirc.

btw, Hellstrom, any chance you could post your list?

I'm curious to see what else you're running.

Brom wrote:

True, its just that the hwg is the cheapest 5th blaster coming in at 15 total instead of 25.. iirc.

Granted, but the blast pistol is at least the same profile (so, more useful if you're using the unit to hunt TEQ, MEQ, MCs etc.).

Besides, in for a penny, in for a pound, as they say.

You know it took me thirty years of my life to realize that phrase was British in origin? Ever since I was a child I was terribly confused as to why we were switching from currency to weight mid-proverb.

Jimsolo wrote:

You know it took me thirty years of my life to realize that phrase was British in origin?  Ever since I was a child I was terribly confused as to why we were switching from currency to weight mid-proverb.

lol. I never thought about it before, but yeah I can see how that would be confusing if you're not British.

It was 'more haste, less speed' that always confused me. I always thought it was a really bizarre instruction.

That phrase is "make haste not waste" around here.(usa)

Don't get me started on German sayings
I really do like true born in a Raider with shield. But I never buy the Lance for the Raider because I expect it to jink anyway.

And I don't add a Blaster archon because I use him to make a dramatic entry for my former witches now Medusa squad.

I would put them in raider to avoid having to choose between the AT of the blasterborns and the AI of the venom.

Beside, I usually already have plenty of venoms with my troops squads.

Raider, Archon Blaster, dramatic entry squad.

The Shredder wrote:

btw, Hellstrom, any chance you could post your list?

I'm curious to see what else you're running.

Brom wrote:

True, its just that the hwg is the cheapest 5th blaster coming in at 15 total instead of 25.. iirc.

Granted, but the blast pistol is at least the same profile (so, more useful if you're using the unit to hunt TEQ, MEQ, MCs etc.).

Besides, in for a penny, in for a pound, as they say.

http://www.thedarkcity.net/t12893-1500-points-of-anti-marine#145776

Just for you.

I like the Raider with Archon delivery in case there is a knight on the field. They can only declare a shield on one side at the beginning of the turn. Since the raider occupants can fire from any point on the hull if you wwp at an angle you can always shoot at the unprotected side.