mattthemuppet wrote:
I'd still very strongly reconsider the Striking Scorpions in the aspect warhost - you only get their extra attacks in CC and given that the rest is super FF orientated, you'll either risk losing those CC attacks if you firefight (which is generally the most powerful assault mode, especially if you're clipping a formation) or risk your FF units being drawn into close combat by an enemy counter charge. You also lose out on the killer "wave serpents up front as a RA hit shield nasty Eldar firefight" tactic, where you can absorb return FF hits on your wave serpents (as they will always FF, even if based) rather than your softer infantry. Think about either adding more Fire Dragons, Dire Avengers or even Dark Reapers (to make the formation more useful after the assault).
Arise dead thread!
I've ressurrected this because I disagree quite strongly here on striking scorpions. Striking scorpions in an aspect fm like this one are actually quite awesome. While it is true you miss out on some firepower on engagements where you can't hit CC, the negatives are vastly outweighed by the positives.
Having some CC is very useful and can help to greatly reduce the amount of return fire the fm receives. E.g. If you're assaulting a shooty unit, for e.g. A Leman Russ tank company (Or any other FF fm) , if you can get into CC with each scorpion, basing 2 tanks each, instead of facing 10 x 4+ FF attacks, you're only facing 6 x 4+ FF attacks and 4 x 6+ CC attacks.
In addition your first 2 saves go onto 4+ armour scorions with the next 4 going to Wave serpents, before the fragile uber firefighters get touched. So the first 6 hits go onto good armour, rather than the first 4, as happens taking DAs or Reapers over Scorpions. Not having units die outweighs the extra attacks granted IMO. So in the example above you have less attacks hitting your aspects and better armour saves. (On average 3.67 hits - all of which go on 4+ or better armour. Using DA/DR you receive 5 hits, 4 of which go onto WSs, and 1 onto 5+ aspect armour).
Even when I don't get into CC with the scorpions I'd still much rather be taking saves on the scorpions first, then the wave serpents. Even though their armour is slightly worse I'd much rather lose a couple of scorpion bases than wave serpents. Losing a scorpion is meh, losing a wave serpent forces the whole formation to a crawl and ensures that I can't make the most of my withdrawl move or be a serious threat in future turns.
So, if you've followed that somewhat rambling reasoning the point I'm trying to make is that scorpions add better armour and damage reduction to the fm as well as a lessened chance of the fm losing it's mobility, therefore making it useful for later engagements at the cost of a couple of FF attacks.
My Scorpion/DA/FD/Wave serpent fm has only ever lost 1 engagement in the entire time I've been playing epic. Used right, it is the very definition of the swordwind and should not be dismissed easily.
