Are Blasters worth it?

I run a 600 point troop section, 5 units of 5 warriors in venom with double splintercannon with a blaster inside, my question is, are they worth it? should I use the points on something else?

I know you're probably saying, "well that depends on your list."

Typically I run 5 venoms, 3 ravagers with triple DL's each, I've started to put a blaster on my archon but I still am really debating if they're worth it in general.

Cheers,

sKP.

Blasters are effective, they are just pretty short range. Personally, I usually would run trueborn with 2 Dark Lances, and 3 Blasters, most people would prefer pure Blasters, but either way, the strength and ap is great, for the point cost I'd say yes it is worth it. I also run my Ravagers with all Dark Lances, so I guess it really does depend on what your up against, but still, they are a great weapon to use.

I personally think Blasters are great. The points can add up, but they can really come in handy, especially considering the crew can shoot at a different target than the venom. I typically run 3-5 Venoms with the same Warrior load out that you described.

I've always had the mentality of "more dark light of any kind is better" regardless of most situations, though. The utility alone is worth it, imo.

Blasters are overcosted garbage. Unfortunately, we're not Eldar or Marines, so we don't have anything better.

For what it's worth, blasters are the only upgrade I ever my warrior squads. Take that however you want.

In any case, I can't remember the last time the crew of one of my venoms did anything worthwhile - let alone to a vehicle. Hence, the number of troops in my lists has been steadily declining since our new book came out. At first I was maxing out my troop slots (6 troops). Then I had 2 CADs with minimum troops (down to 4). Now I just use 2, and get more venoms via Lhamaeans, Medusae and/or an Archon. It frees up quite a few points to spend on other, less horrible units.

I've yet to regret my decision. And, whilst I've still lost, I've never once thought to myself "Oh, if only I had an extra 2 warrior squads with a single blaster each, all my problems would be solved!"

Super generic response, but I believe it's true and that it boils down to play style, meta. I've won many games just because I've had fearless, obj secured units at the end of the match. I do realize that a lot of people don't care about obj secured much, but it matters in my games and the one tourney I attend each year.

I like having the option to pop a Terminator, Tau Suite, Occasional Vehicle (doesn't happen often, but when it does!).

Just my two cents.

I wouldn't take them in 10 dudes gun boat squads but in 5 dudes Venom squads.

I honestly don't know if they're worth it, they barely do anything apart from sit in terrain or on objectives once the Venom get's popped, most of my tank popping is my Ravagers (no duh!) so my seriously consideration is to drop all the points, you're looking at 75pts and putting that onto something else that may help? question is then.. what?

I've tried taking them in 5 man squads as a lot recommend, however most of the time I find more useful places to spend those 15/30 points. I prefer having a unit with pure splinter weapons and having another (trueborn) with blasters. I never seem to have much luck with single shot weapons, and I hate not having something reliable. I also prefer Disintegrator-Ravagers to Lance-Ravagers for just that reason.

Edit: For 73 points you get a min-sized Reaver squad with a blaster and CC. Good for scoring, good for hitting weak backfield units in assault, good for throwing a single blaster shot in a pinch (although yeah, like I said, single shots... are kinda meh in my opinion)

CptMetal wrote:

I wouldn't take them in 10 dudes gun boat squads but in 5 dudes Venom squads.

^Basically this.
For 5 guys in a venom, a blaster should be worth it to make sure they have some teeth against AV. "wasting" 4 splinter rifle shots shooting at a tank will hardly make anyone think twice, but wasting 9 (or 18) twin linked ones is probably not the best idea. Besides you have darklight on the raider for AV. And if you are running venom spam you probably need all the darklight you can scrape together?

There are times that I'll run five man units in a Raider (with lance) and a Blaster. I'll only do that if I'm mixing it up a bit, and take a quantity of anti-infantry from other sources. I tend to go with the Venoms, though.

BlackCadian wrote:

Edit: For 73 points you get a min-sized Reaver squad with a blaster and CC. Good for scoring, good for hitting weak backfield units in assault, good for throwing a single blaster shot in a pinch (although yeah, like I said, single shots... are kinda meh in my opinion)

I use Reavers with Heat Lances, but yeah I much prefer them.

One thing I find useful is that if they don't destroy a vehicle, they can charge it with Caltrops and try again (unless it's a Land Raider or something). Or, if they do destroy it, they can retreat 2d6".

Or charge the luckless inhabitants.

Sounds like I get lucky with my trueborn... When I play them I can reliable hurt land raiders, and pop rhinos. Once blew up a knight with just one deep striking venom-trueborn squad (undeniably great rolls on my part).

I feel like they synergize well with gunboat lists (which is almost exclusively how I play my armies). blasters on armour, splinter on stuff that comes out, yada yada...

Jimsolo wrote:

Or charge the luckless inhabitants.

Charge my Reavers into something that can actually fight back - are you mad?!

It's not to say that I haven't had my lucky situations with Blasters and most likely continue to use them, I genuinely play versus mech armys so being even 18" away is risky, I'm truely stumped in what I can do in exchange.

Cheers,
sKP

I think your troops are fine as is, skp.

If you keep your venoms at range, the blaster is not worth it. If you are moving them up, keep the blaster around. Seeing as you run 5 warrior venoms, you could probably drop 2 blasters and relegate those two venoms to backfield objectives.

I think the more Darklight you have the better, I have recently been using Blaster warriors for the past two games of my 6 week tournament, I normally would use Venoms purely for dropping off my Incubi and Archon squads. But using them recently with 5 warriors a single blaster in each was great. I even gave my Archon a Blaster, all took a Venom, and it was pretty effective, my dice rolls with poison is usually complete garbage, but the Blasters normally will kill. If you are in range as long as you land the hit, generally you have to be very unlucky to not kill. I feel like if your opponent is wise to your list or, at least as a bit of a nice eye for things, you could land a pretty good mind game, if someone see's powerful weaponry like that spread out amongst your units, it can cause a panic of what their biggest priority target is, although I too use Ravagers primarily for killing big things, the simple fact that you have a moderately cheap very reliable weapon for any situation, its worth it, I hardly get too many poison kills, the blasters always at least pick one guy off every shot.