[Fallen]

hi all - ive recently bought a couple of boxes of SM scouts (1 sniper rifles & 1 normal scouts)

and ive been wondering "whats the best way to use scouts?"

so if any1 can please tell the pros & cons of each scout option (snipers, boltguns, shotguns, or CCW/bolt pistols) it would be really nice.

 

[Snowy]

I find sniper scouts with a Missile Launcher (or Heavy Bolter, whichever you prefer.) and Camo Cloaks is a great Objective holding unit, and at only 100 points, you get more points to spend of Raiders and Termies, they can also take on MC, but I wouldn't rely on them for anti-MC duty, there are better units to do that job (Hammernators.)

 

[Katie Drake]

I actually like Scouts as a sort of "Tactical Squad Lite". Bolters are I think the best load-out for them. A heavy bolter compliments them pretty well and makes the squad quite good at shredding light and medium infantry for their cost. I don't think sniper rifles are worth it in most situations. I've tried them a bunch of times and always end up pissed off and disappointed and using them more aggressively with close combat gear just seems them dead fast. Thus, trust in the holy bolter.

 

[Kirby]

I find sniper scouts with a Missile Launcher (or Heavy Bolter, whichever you prefer.) and Camo Cloaks is a great Objective holding unit, and at only 100 points, you get more points to spend of Raiders and Termies, they can also take on MC, but I wouldn't rely on them for anti-MC duty, there are better units to do that job (Hammernators.)

Snowy is pretty much spot on here. A cheap filler or place for MotF to camp out on an objective but don't really offer much in terms of firepower so don't expect them to do much damage.

 

[Fallen]

thanks all, so basically its use them with snipers or bolters - & avoid shotguns & CCWs at all cost

 

[Sethis]

Nope, not necessarily.

I use 3 types of Scout:

CCW Scouts, in squads of 10 or 5, with a Powerfist Sergeant. A really cheap and easy way to get a powerfist exactly where you want it to go, and 12 other S4 attacks don't hurt either. Can swing an already close combat, or tie up a unit many times more effective (and expensive). With a choice of Outflank or infiltrate, they can also pull off some nasty work on tanks. Don't forget about the Storm transport option either - armed with a Multi Melta, you can really bring the pain to a badly positioned tank, even if they take out the Speeder, they have to devote even more firepower to bringing down the Powerfist as well. The extra -2 to a break test is nice, but a little hard to use properly.

Bolter Scouts, and I don't bother with a Heavy bolter because they can then move and rapid fire without losing any potential. Again with the Powerfist so they can damage anything they're likely to fight. The killing potential can be low or high depending on how good you are at rolling 4+ to hit, but frequently do a good job of softening up an enemy unit before charging, or finishing off a depleted one.

Sniper Scouts. Generally speaking, it's always worth taking a Missile Launcher, Cloaks and Telion if you can afford him. Camp an objective and hit whatever you think they can kill, ranging from MCs to tanks (with the BS6 Krak Missile) to infantry that are vulnerable to pinning. Also hysterically funny for sniping that Nob in the 30 Strong boyz unit with the Power Klaw - but the problem is that his Boltgun is still only AP5 so without a lot of luck, you're going to struggle to do multiple wounds.

 

[Chumbalaya]

Snipers or ccw for me.

Snipers and cloaks make for a cheap objective holder with some ranged threat against infantry and MCs.

BP/CCW makes for a decent assault unit, especially if you have Shrike and want more infiltrating support.

Bolters are meh, just like they are on Tacticals. Except Tacticals can get flamers and meltas too, ergo they are better in this role.

Shotties are cool, like extra attacks before combat.

 

[Siphon]

I'll speak up for the shotguns scouts here too. I've had pretty nice results from a 5 man squad, serg with melta bombs. I usually infiltrate them somewhere safe and either sneak up on a unit holding an objective, provide assist shooting and charge to an assault squad, or assault a tank. They are such a low priority target I've had them live in almost every game I've used them in and they often take out at least their points value if not managing to contest (and once steal) an objective.

Edit: I just relaized this layout is similar to boltgun scouts mentioned by katie. The only diff is this unit can assist shoot and assault whereas the bolters have better AP and can shoot at longer range. Both would work.

 

[Kaizer]

At the moment Im running sniper scouts with a missile launcher. And my experince is either that they do nothing or they own stuff.

They are ment to be placed on an objective and the cover save keeping them alive until the game ends. And yes, in some games they do nothing. But other games they destroy stuff. In the last week they taken 3 wounds of a carni and killed a vindicator, both on the first turn.

Another way I thought of running them is 5 guys with shotguns and a meltabomb sitting in a landspeeder storm. If you got the first turn, you make your scout move, then the normal move disembark, and then they assault a tank that haven't moved with the meltabomb I think about running the storm with a multi-melta just to hope to destroy a second tank.

Hope you can use the ideas.

 

[jaws900]

in my opion there are a total of 3 ways to use them.

1 - Snipers
Oftne used to hold objectives or in a Gun line army. They want to take down the tough enemys like Wraithguard or mosnters. Basicly anyhtign with an upped Toughness as you wound them all the same. Also termiotrs are fiar game as a 1/6 chance of him having to use his 5++ save is a good better. Tho best used in squads of 5 to aviod to many bullets gettign shot at them and if you want to add in a heavy wepaon ALWAYS take the heavy bolter as that takes down infantry better than the missile and has acess to Hellfire shells and so cna take on mosnters too.

2 - Outflanking
Often the riskyest one but agianst Infantry Guard and tau it can be deadly. You would outfist them with eaither Shotguns or Combat blades and get close quickly and charge into combat(remeber you can charge into comat when outflanking). Giving the sergeant a Power sword is also a good idea. Becuase of there nature heavy wepaons are a bit of a waste but can be considered. This is the ONLY time you might consider a missile launcher for them.

3 - Speeder
Load 5 of them into a Land Speeder Storm and get nice and close. thanks to a scout move and being open topped they can assult on turn 1 most of the time. You normaly wan tlots of attacks so Combat blades are a good idea but shotguns can work too. a Power sword is a must and the Combi- weapons are worth a consider too. Try to giv ehte Storm a HF as this elimates there poor BS.

Thats about it. Just NEVER take Boltguns. they arn't worth it. Id rather have assult 2 weapons with -AP than a Rapid fire weapon on a Poor BS modal just for the 5AP that isn't that useful agianst most enemys.