Striking Scorpions vs Mandrakes

Basically as the title suggests.

Striking Scorpions are just 9 pts a model now after CA2019 and are able to deep strike in 9" away from enemy units just like Mandrakes. Yes, their damage output is less than Mandrakes, but they are just so much more survivable.

If you deploy them in some kind of cover and take the Stalker Exarch power, you have a unit with -1 to hit and functionally a 2+ armor save. Give the Exarch a Scorpion's Claw and they're not terrible in close combat either.

I think the largest barrier to bringing them instead of Mandrakes would be the additional tax of a Crafftworld Detachment, but I think a Vanguard of Banshees (prevent overwatch) and Scorpions may be a viable. With the Children of Khaine and Savage Blades custom Craftworld attributes they may even be strong against Marines?

I feel like 9 pts for a Scorpion makes very little sense when Mandrakes are at 15. Is +1S +1A -1AP and a shooting attack really worth 6 more points when the unit can literally die to a stiff breeze?

Don’t underestimate Mandrakes’ shooting, which is really good, particularly dangerous against characters with invuls and decent enough to strip few last wounds from a vehicle. I personally play them embarked though, this gives them some protection and make sure they can make it into close combat.

If you're considering a vanguard detachment, I would look at Ynnari. Not always the right choice, but for melee oriented elite squads, it would be better than any of the craftworld attributes.

Yvraine has good psychic defense and can cast Unbind Souls on units to give scorpions and banshees re-roll wound.

Gherma wrote:

Don’t underestimate Mandrakes’ shooting, which is really good, particularly dangerous against characters with invuls and decent enough to strip few last wounds from a vehicle. I personally play them embarked though, this gives them some protection and make sure they can make it into close combat.

I have never really thought to embark them at all, it seems somewhat strange to have a unit with an built in -1 to hit and the ability to deepstrike in a transport, especially a DE eldar transport which isn't very survivable.

Do you run them at full strength? For 230 points you could also get a a full unit of Striking Scorpions for combat, and 10 Rangers for the character sniping. My issue is just that you seem to being paying a premium for a unit that is designed to do everything decently well, which is all well and good, but on a platform that's pretty frail.

ShamPow1999 wrote:

I have never really thought to embark them at all, it seems somewhat strange to have a unit with an built in -1 to hit and the ability to deepstrike in a transport, especially a DE eldar transport which isn't very survivable.

Do you run them at full strength? For 230 points you could also get a a full unit of Striking Scorpions for combat, and 10 Rangers for the character sniping. My issue is just that you seem to being paying a premium for a unit that is designed to do everything decently well, which is all well and good, but on a platform that's pretty frail.

To me the concern is that their -1 to hit is quite meaningless against rerollable bolter shooting or guard FRFSRF, to they can end up dying miserably if they deepstrike and fail the charge.

I generally run 5 in Venom or 7 in Raider, starting on the board or deepstriking, depending on the game. If you deepstrike them at the right time, they are also arguably better than rangers at character sniping, as they have a good ROF and can reliably ignore invuls via mortal wounds.

Also, I find Venoms and Raiders quite sturdy for their price, especially as I play Artists of Flesh, which makes Raiders and Ravagers almost tougher than Wave Serpents.

Possibly this is my way and not "the way", but I always recommend to other Drukhari players to try embarked mandrakes, as they are really really good, and often overlooked. Also their -1 works also in CC, so it is not wasted as they will disembark and charge.