How do you deal with "-1 to hit at 12" or more"?

Title says it all really.

In my most recent battle I faced an Ad-Mech list using the Stygies Forgeworld rules, which give (like Alpha Legion, Raven Guard and Alaitoc Craftworld) -1 to hit their units when attacking from further than 12" away. This made the traditional tactic of "keep the transports safely 18 away and spray blasters/splinter cannons" significantly worse, and particularly hurt the ravagers that tried to take down their tanks. Ad Mech have very strong close-in firepower, so I was afraid of getting in their face and just having all the boats rapid-fire-plasma'd out from under me.

Any advice for dealing with this doctrine?

Don't close in. -1 to hit sucks, but it's not that bas for a 3+ BS army.

Definitly not worth exposing yourself to rapidfire plasma.

Deepstriking is always the best way to handle that doctrine. Mandrakes are great for that, even more so if you have some luck on their charge roll. Deepstriking a ravager via stratagems can be an interesting choice, if you pick out a lone target.

Focus fire on the important targets more-so than normal.

Mppqlmd wrote:

Deepstriking is always the best way to handle that doctrine. Mandrakes are great for that, even more so if you have some luck on their charge roll. Deepstriking a ravager via stratagems can be an interesting choice, if you pick out a lone target.

Unfortunately, Ad-Mech (and Space Marines, and Eldar) have a stratagem that lets them immediately shoot at a unit that Deep Strikes within 12" of them, with a -1 to hit. And our Webway stratagem only works on Infantry, Bikers and Beasts. Because we can't have nice things.

I tried to focus fire, but a 25% reduction in Ravager effectiveness is alot. And once they taken a couple of hits they lose another 25% on top. I basically found that as soon as I got behind in the damage race I stayed behind, and there was no catching up.

Question: How is your terrain? You need LoS terrain in 8th.

Bombers help a lot. IDK I dont have a problem with those armies, but i do have 4-6 Ravagers, 2 Bombers, 3 Trueborns with lances in Raiders and fill the rest up with Beasts.

Honestly i have more problems with Daemons and Orks.

It depends a bit on the defensive profile of whatever you're dealing with.

If it's infantry, then our melee options are available (and incubi are often an excellent choice). Melee is definitely within 12", after all. Failing that, deepstriking can put you within range, as mentioned previously.

If it's tanks, then I'll admit your options are more limited. 8th edition neutered our grotesques and pain engines, so that's no longer a practical option. It's really discouraging for me to say this, but if you're willing to include allies, there's a perfect solution in the form of the Hemlock Wraithfighter. Its S12 attacks hit automatically and it gets a free smite action (also auto-hit). If you include it in an air wing detachment, you can even claim an additional -1 to hit from the Alaitoc craftworld (because what's good for the goose is good for the gander).

Failing that, add more line of sight terrain and compensate with better target prioritization.

Quote :

Unfortunately, Ad-Mech (and Space Marines, and Eldar) have a stratagem that lets them immediately shoot at a unit that Deep Strikes within 12" of them, with a -1 to hit.

For AM its only works on infantry. So drop near that dunecrawler without fear. Kataphrons and robots have bad base BS, only 4+.

The Eldar one is really nasty. You don't need to land close to the unit that wants to shoot you. Basically if you are visible to a unit within 6" of a Farseer they can Stratagem you off the board. So if you imagine a big group of Dark Reapers with good view of the battlefield, then most locations for deep strike can be compromised by that Stratagem.

Focus fire with the dark lances, and close combat (which is way more good than a lot of DE players belive)