Liquifiers and Shock Prows

Overwatch has made large groups of Orks, Guardsmen, Tyranids, even Tau to a certain degree, quite deadly to charge for tarpit actions. I'm feeling the need to make more out of my shooting phases, and not just the long ranged pick-off-a-couple-models-here-and-there shooting that we do well with splinter cannons and rifles. I feel the need to annihilate a large squad quickly once they get up close, so that I can afford to ignore them whilst I focus on other threats in the opening turns (or focus on whittling down additional blob squads).

You could, of course, try to lock them in combat first with a hardy unit or try to kite and peck away the whole game. But the problem with the former is that DE hardy units are either expensive, slow, or both, and the problem with the latter is that blob armies take up a lot of board space, so there can often be no where safe to kite away to considering you're not killing lots of models quickly.

This, of course, leads me to the liquifier. Against these units, it's just an expensive flamer, but the versatility to take it against MEQ and TEQ (maybe, if I needed to) seems worth the few extra points. But I need to maximize their effectiveness, or else I will just take out a few models and then be feeding units to overwhelming enemy numbers. This is where I see the shock prow becoming useful.

With a proper tank shock, I can clump models up to effectively double the effectiveness of each liquifier. A 120 point squad of Wracks in a Raider can easily cut a mob of Ork Boyz down by 10, or Guardsmen/Tyranid critters down by 12, in a single volley. And it can also kill quite a few MEQs (avg 4-5) if needed.

Now the Raider is quite fragile, as we all know. It relies heavily on cover saves, so throwing it straight at the enemy seems counter-intuitive at the outset. That is, until I realized how the following factors end up coming together:

1. Only one model may strike one attack at a tank shocking Raider.
   
2. I can position my tank shock to avoid the meltagun, plasma rifle, and power fist models.
   
3. Another Wrack squad can liquify to clean up the mess, since it's a fairly cheap unit.
   
4. A single glancing hit can no longer stop or destroy the Raider (except if I've already lost 2 hull points on it).
   
5. It still gets 5+ cover to shooting.
   
6. It can overwatch with liquifiers if any stragglers pass their morale check and want to try and charge a Raider (maybe go with disintegrators on them for this reason, and for added infantry killiness).

The first 3 factors are nothing new, but the next three plus overwatch's effect on the metagame really pushes at least a couple of these units into my army for now.

Quote :

With a proper tank shock, I can clump models up to effectively double the effectiveness of each liquifier

That was effective in 5th, now not, as tank shocks now have far smaller range. Drastically smaller.

If you are not using Enhances Aethersails your tank shock distance is 12, and it will be really rare siuation when your raider will start its turn 12 away from enemy and be alive to move.

I have used similiar tactics in 5th, just not with Liqufiers, but necrotixin missiles that cant hurt tank shocking raider.

Well, it's not like I was going to try moving flat out. Liquifiers can only shoot from the vehicle if it moves 6" anyway, or they can get out and move another 6" first. We haven't really seen a difference in that regard, aside from the loss of 2" disembark range.

But I do take your meaning. Shock prows did lose some range for later in the game when you're trying to push units off objective markers. That's good to keep in mind.

Edit: Also, nice idea with the necrotoxin missiles

You can't disembark/embark on the turn you tank shock. Also as template weapons cannot be snapfired you can only use your liquifier if you only tankshock 6".

Okay. At least I was right about the 6"

The no disembark rule is a bit funky, but it leaves one decent option.

Get transported on turn 1. Jump out on turn 2 (6" in the Raider and 6" disembark). Use the Raider as cover and to block assaulters. Turn 3 tank shock upto 12" with the Raider and the Wracks should be close enough to liquify and charge. The tank shock can even be used to force the target a few inches closer if need.

I don't think staying in the Raider is a viable strategy as it once was. We'd have to move it right up near the enemy to be in range with the 6" tank shock, and that would just end with a destroyed Raider and assaulted Wracks.