Scourges: How do I use them effectively?

So last night I played Necrons at 1750 points, I won because he quit 5th turn, it was the relic and I had the relic in my possession, I would have gotten linebreaker if the game ended that turn, and I had first blood, the Necron player had no points, so decided he couldn't win and quit because I had all of his squads but one (who was in the battlements of a Imperial Bastion) tied up in close combat. I took 2x 5 scourges with 2 haywire blasters a piece, but they did absolutely nothing. They didn't even kill more than maybe 4 models. I was wondering what I'm doing wrong, I get them just in range, and shoot as much as possible, kill a model or two, but then they just get shot to pieces next turn regardless of their 4+ save.

I'll admit I consider Scourges to be a suboptimal unit overall.

If they have haywire blasters why are they not shooting at vehicles though? The point of the haywire loadout is to let them help cut apart vehicles. A 4+ save is nothing, and they're still just 5 T3 models, so, yeah, they'll die quick if shot up, the point is to wreck a vehicle with them and then they'll have served a viable part of your strategy.

If you're running them ti kill infantry I would suggest running something else. Most of the other FA slots are better infantry killers and will be cheaper to boot.

If they have splinter cannons, they is no better AI unit. I take them against orks all the time and they make him hat life, 21 shots from 5 models is pretty good. I was using them to shoot at his Imperial Bastion. Should I just Deep Strike them near an enemy vehicle and hope they blow it up. Basically should I just use them as a suicide squad?

There are better AI units than Scourges.

They are a suicide unit - so, yes, if you wish to field them I would field them with that in mind. Their weakness is that they tend to be an expensive suicide unit. But, yes, if you field them and have in mind that they are suicide then you will be playing them appropriately. I don't actually see a drastic need to DS with them though, as they are deucedly fast just moving up the board, and with haywire blasters I think they are actually better able to threaten the board without DSing.

An Imperial Bastion is better dealt with via lances - haywire blasters are better on stuff that can be glanced to death - specifically vehicles.

I've personally fielded 5 Scourges with 2 heat lances doing suicide deep strikes to get in range of melta-range of that pesky IG tank, Land Raider or other vehicles that are considered a threat on a longer distance than my Ravagers 36" threat range.

Last friday however I fielded them with 2 haywire blasters, keeping them in reserve to jump out from a Webway portal instead. At the time they came out however it didn't matter much as most vehicles were already dead besides a Land Speeder Dark Shroud thingy majingy with it's lame 2+ cover save, so no dice there.

When it comes to the Scourges, it's more of a "this unit looks so bad ass I just have to field it" rather than it being all that great. There are other options that are much better at what they do besides the suicide deep striking.

// My 2 cents

I use my Scourges with 2 Splinter cannons and they pay for themselves every game. Usually taking out a couple of squads before they get caught up in CC. I've been playing DE for a long time so I've heard all the arguements against Scourges, and while I can see where they are coming from, I just really enjoy fielding them. Helions too even though they kind of fall into the same catigory.

In 5th I had 2x 5 scourges with 2 heatlances/unit. They did okay'ish as suicide deep strikers or area denial coming out of a wwp.

In 6th I switched to haywire blasters and they do a much better job destroying vehicles than heatlances did in 5th. When the enemy carpark has been dismantled the unit has a total of 11 AI shots (if full strength of course).

I see Scourges as a very maneuver AI unit. Move 12" Shoot 18" 30" threat range.
10 scourges (all with shardcarbines 220 points) looks realy point effective on paper.

However AI can be found else where in the codex.
I think reaver´s can do everying the scourges does. And be more effective at the job.
But I´m fairly new to DE.
But I would realy like to find room for them in my list, they look realy nice.

My problem with scourges is that reavers do everything they do better, for the same price.

The only thing scourges can bring that reavers can't is deep-striking AT and haywire blasters. So if you aren't using either of those features you are probably better off using reavers. Sadly.