Ratlings any one?

[Pabst]

Best snipers in the game (11pts a model w/go to ground aint bad ) or useless space hobits?

[DeAd_cOmMaNdO]

theyre pretty giid (certainly better than sniper specialist squads) though id say eldar pathfinders are as good if not better, mainly because theyre better at killing,

ratlings are cheaper mind you

but theure also abhumans (ive seen more humans represnting ratlings than real ratling models) so i think maybe its time to just get rid of ratlings and change their fluff as far as the codex is concerned to humans

[experiment 626]

i used to use ratlings as an annoyance unit, but i found that during tournament play mostly, they were always starting in reserves as they were an elite unit... (and i couldn't land a mission with 'infiltrate' if my life depended on it!)
while the "go to ground" rule does help them with cover saves, i find the T2 is a *huge* weakness! most times i find i'm rolling so many cover saves that it doesn't matter - i always fail just enough to lose the unit.
i also HATE! the models ugliest things ever... i converted up a couple plastic guardsmen to mix in with some metal snipers like the mad larkin model!

now though, i've gone back to the special weapon squad snipers. a few ablative wounds, the ability to benifit from doctrines and a better toughness is much more desirable!
besides, i only include them to make my opponent think twice about where he/she will deploy that big death gribbly even in games were those 3 snipers haven't even hit a damn thing! (yes that's right, tripple 1's two turns in a row and then they died...) the fact that my opponent decided to deploy their big nasty somewhere else just to avoid being in the sniper's LOS was more than worth it

cheers!

[Pabst]

I've fooled around with them a little, mostly to keep people as far from my lines as I can. But I've had mixed results. Sometimes they get assulted by like raptors in the first turn or they've done fun stuff like take down 3 Necron Destroyers which failed there saves and 2 failed come back rolls But as of late they've stayed in the box. Oh yeah another plus is that the models are cheap. You get 5 per blister woot!

[DeAd_cOmMaNdO]

5 per blister? thats a lot, even for then little things

[experiment 626]

Originally Posted by DeAd_cOmMaNdO

5 per blister? thats a lot, even for then little things

they make it worth your while seeing as models are so horribly ugly that it defies all sanity!

honestly, you'd of thunk gw could have done something more for them when they redid the codex a few years ago...

cheers!

[Killermoose]

I wish Wraithgaurd were like that. If you want to get 10 you need to fork out £80!!

[DeAd_cOmMaNdO]

Originally Posted by experiment 626

they make it worth your while seeing as models are so horribly ugly that it defies all sanity!

honestly, you'd of thunk gw could have done something more for them when they redid the codex a few years ago...

again, the only modles they redone were cadians - sicne cadians dont have ratlings or rough riders gw didnt redo those models. i think its more a matter of redoing models people want redone, or that people will buy. how many people will buy ratlings,even if theyere decent models? not many i reckon'

[experiment 626]

Originally Posted by DeAd_cOmMaNdO

again, the only modles they redone were cadians - sicne cadians dont have ratlings or rough riders gw didnt redo those models. i think its more a matter of redoing models people want redone, or that people will buy. how many people will buy ratlings,even if theyere decent models? not many i reckon'

well, the problem is it's also very simple to convert guard snipers - just file down the gun muzzle and extend the barrel with some plastic rod/extra bit of spear shaft for the flash suppressor!
you can even add on a bolter mag in place of the las pack if you want a solid projectile rifle

for the sniper scope - i use a combination of the smurf sniper scope bit and add-on part of the mortar sight...

simple, quick and looks really cool!

mind you, i do really like both the cadian and vrostroyan sniper models... i use the standing cadian in my unit along with the mad larkin model and two other converted snipers. (i used to use just 4 ratlings! likely the other reason they never lasted as they were a small unit... oops!!!)

cheers!

[r4wr89]

Originally Posted by experiment 626

well, the problem is it's also very simple to convert guard snipers - just file down the gun muzzle and extend the barrel with some plastic rod/extra bit of spear shaft for the flash suppressor!
you can even add on a bolter mag in place of the las pack if you want a solid projectile rifle

for the sniper scope - i use a combination of the smurf sniper scope bit and add-on part of the mortar sight...

simple, quick and looks really cool!

mind you, i do really like both the cadian and vrostroyan sniper models... i use the standing cadian in my unit along with the mad larkin model and two other converted snipers. (i used to use just 4 ratlings! likely the other reason they never lasted as they were a small unit... oops!!!)

cheers!

for converting sniper rifles i do exactly what stitch said...except i file down a lot of the little nubs and things that appear on the lasgun, add a tubey thing to the end, a marine scope and a chaos marine ammo feed...simple stuff, with excellent results.

i also agree with stitch in saying that ratlings are probably one of the dumbest looking/ ugliest GW models. prooobably..lol
-ant

[MSguardsmen]

i like the ones that are in the rule book. i think the correct picture is in the back not sure. it shows the ratlings in safety orange vest and they just look like a bunch of redneck hunters

[Stubber]

Absolutly useless looking things, feet on them the size of a wolfhound.
Powerful though, a squad of them took out a C'tan in two turns...allegedly

[rintinglen]

I have used a full squad of snipers to count as ratlings with pretty good effect, but I have to agree that their toughness or lack there of is very limiting. Still, I managed to put 4 wounds on a carnifex in three turns with them, which allowed my other troops to shoot up his litttle bugs, and then join in the festivities shooting at the lumbering bringer of death. (His own).
I have to aggree though that the ratling models are so ugly they could scare a werewolf. Why they continue in the lists when cool models like the Steel Legion are destined for the dust heap of the "Classic Range" is merely one more indication of GW's dedication to perplexing it's fans.

[lynxrpken]

i'll add that go to ground when being fired at from a lower possition(ie ratlings on a building) saves me more often than not. and that is not the only bonus they have also can opt to pin not take a moral test. it is handy because if you deploy on a building and fall back youll likley die falling off. + against even a cayoss loard or carnifex ratlings auto hit on a two auto wound on a 4 8 ratlings will likly all hit and cause 6 wounds even a 3+ save will likly suffer a casualty or two.


in closing if properly positioned properly deployeed ratling squad should ALWAYS kill dubble there points

[JoeGuardsman]

Man you gotta dump on the old good models huh? Ratlings look good. Old Ogryns look good then they come out with those new models and their tiny arms. I wouldn't wish that on the ratlings.

Ratlings are definitely a min/max unit. I either take 3 as counter infiltrators. 33 points to deny a whole half of the board to a kroot army or old all infiltrating Chaos Marines, etc. Great deal.

In units of 10 you get the cheapest sniper rifles in the game and so can efficiently kill wraithlords, ctan, destroyers, deamon princes, etc.

A good choice but still a seasonal one for me. I use them once every couple of months. There is just too much Fearless out there in todays game.

[kenshin620]

Originally Posted by JoeGuardsman

al.

In units of 10 you get the cheapest sniper rifles in the game and so can efficiently kill wraithlords, ctan, destroyers, deamon princes, etc.

And this happened to you? Man I would love to see someone's expression when their high and mighty daemon prince gets killed by a space hobbit!

[St.Germaine]

I love the old models but they're being saved for my Praetorians (whenever I finally get around to doing them). Hobbits in space just doesn't feel right for my American Civil War themed IG. The ratlings for this army will be regular Cadians with sniper rifles in the green uniforms of Berdan's Sharpshooters.

[munkey joe paints]

You keep the faith brother Germaine!!! You are OK in my book with ratlings and Preatorians!! I have a Preatorian army already and am making a ALL RATLING army! When you get started on those Preatorians and need somethin Give me a PM!!! I have tons of the models!

[St.Germaine]

I appreciate the offer but I've got enough of them squirreled away to take care of my Brit boys.

I'm new to the world of IG so I'm not real sure if there's anything esoteric that can be pulled out the cracks and crevices of the codex to deal with their pathetic leadership. Voxes seem to be excluded but is there any other wargear that can help them out. Can a Commissar join them?

[munkey joe paints]

OK take a HSO and Give a JO a honorifica. now you have 2 HSO in your ranks with the best leadership in the dex...that should help out