Christmas surprise

Hello fellow comorrites.
I've just gifted myself with the necessary to build up 1 small squad of grots and a dark artisan.
I usually go for the truekin dark eldar (or, aka '99 dark eldar: MSU with a lot of splinter "power").
Now, the first of the year house tournament is rapidly approaching, and, knowing that i want to use my new toys to spice up my game and give a very bad surprise to my opponent. They are well used to my common list.
However, i dont want to misunderstand the weak and strong point of grots. While i've proxed dark artisan few times and i know how to work with him, i have no clue how to use grots.
What are their best use?

Took in mind that i usually face necrons, tau, grey knight and most infamous cheesy list eldar.

Grots are super tough unless there is poison or D around. Last game mine got 115 lasgun shots and not even one died:D Their flesh gauntlets are great at killing MC. With Tau just throw them in a rider/wwp at the most nasty things and profit. With crons just watch out for big units of stalkers whom may win combat. Grey Knights are very dangerous because force weapons and heavy armor.
For the units babysitter I prefer Succubus with glaive for some AP2 attacks.
I ran my in 2 units in Riders from the Coven formation and throw them in the opponent's face turn 1.

They are great against almost everything.

Things they should be cautious of: Stomp attacks and Walkers in general. With a Scissorhand or two buried in the squad the latter is handleable, and the former can be navigated, but both are a threat.

Things they should avoid: anything with Instant Death.

Other than that, they can smash through virtually anything. The only time I ever had a Grot squad get wiped was at the hands of an Ork Bikerboss with the axe of Instagib.

Against Eldar you need the archangel bomb. Put in the Armour of Misery and you're good.
Works against Tau too and perhaps against Necrons.

And for grotesques: I love them. Don't portal them, just hide them during deployment and throw them into the enemy's face turn one. If nothing else they are a great distraction but I prefer to take the coven formation.

I am missing something... In which way i clan get them both simply deploy them and come in colse quartier in turn one ? Se deploy ad brb, so 24 inches away!

Get them a Raider as dedicated transport, (optional: give it Aether Sails for more distance) go second and Flat Out turn one. You should then be in range to charge on turn two, but if not, you can move the Raider up to 6", then disembark the Grots up to 6" and you're practically guaranteed to be in range.

I love my grotesquerie turboing foward in boats but i think the "throw them into the enemies face turn 1" statement is misleading.

The sheer weight of high strength fire that top-tier armies can put out now days WILL waste grots before they get into CC if you get caught in the open. Knights and GMCs that are seen in ever increasing numbers can catch them and splat them easily too.

I have to use mine very carfully, avoiding things that can ID them and always using cover and LOSB terrain. This means my grots have to hit a flank not the center of the table.

Sometimes turboing turn 1 is not the best idea either. It may be more advantageous to let the enemy move up and reveil his plans before you choose where to turbo.

Just my experience.

I have to disagree partially at least. Get them into your enemy's face as fast as possible. Of course you should avoid instant kill things but other then that: who cares? They are resilient enough and if they go down, they still protect the rest of your army.

Obviously mileages will vary. I rarely find them facing anything that can ID them, though.

CptMetal wrote:

Of course you should avoid instant kill things but other then that: who cares? They are resilient enough and if they go down, they still protect the rest of your army.

Yeah not against some of the lists i've seen lately.

In this age of codex creep on roids, uber powered formations, deathstars, str D, super heavies and GMCs alot of armies can waste a unit or 2 of grots (with shooting or CC) and still rip up the rest of your army.

I dont mean to sound down on the big guys, i'm not, i love using them! I'm just saying they are not a point and click unit. You have to use them carefully.