Your model has to be removed from the table

Recently I was playing against Chaos Space Marines.  Guy had these Obliterators at the edge of the table.  Deployment was Hammer and Anvil.  I've seen him use these before.  Last time was during a 3k battle some months ago.  They were on the second floor of a building.  Didn't move all game and shot occasionally.  One of the points I gave him was to have his Obliterators at the 24" deployment line.  "Yes they will take shots, they maybe removed but what are they doing at the end of the table?"  I asked.

These are my Golden Boys.  They are always in my army lists.  Asdrubael Vect.  Olonora my Eldar Farseer.  Orikan the Diviner.  Would put my Master of the Forge up but haven't used my Noir Engels enough to justify it.  Same goes for Crowe, haven't used him at all.  Will probably end up changing my Grey Knight list the more I play them.

We all have Golden Boys in our armies.  Golden Boy is your go to or favourite model.  The model you must have in every list.  The model you expect the most from.  The model that sometimes shines other times does not.  Or too cool not leave out of the army list.

This leads me to the point of this post.  While I was talking with Shawn after the Harlistar/Invisi-council vs Chaos Space Marines battle I mentioned how some players are afraid of losing certain models on the battle field.  Which makes no sense to me.  If you have a favourite model and don't want to risk them being removed or killed than don't put them on the board.  Every model put on the table has the potential of being removed.

It is about this time during the conversation Shawn mentioned what I was saying makes sense.  As he said, some people will move a model out of the way allowing the opponent models to assault troops because they don't want to lose their special model.  Which I agree.  Now I agree that you can't just throw squad after squad after squad into a mess and expect a solid result without some sort of plan.  You need to weigh the terms of engagement.  Certainly don't assault an Elite squad with half strength Troop squad.  This goes to something I've been working on personally, also something many of you have heard.  'If all you have is a hammer.  Every problem looks like a nail.' 

After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box. - Italian Proverb

You have your special model.  The model that will win the game for you.  Is your heavy hitter.  If you don't risk using it you can't reap the rewards.  You need to use the model you're afraid of losing to enjoy the fruits of your labour.  As I told Shawn after last game "The time between you putting the model on the table and taking it off is just noise.  You cannot become attached the model.  If you do you aren't using it effectively.  We put models on the table to remove them."

Discretion is the better part of valour.  Making sure you're using the right tool for the job.  This doesn't mean using your favourite model against something it shouldn't fight.  It means not being afraid to use the model to do what is was designed for.

Example from Eldar vs Chaos Space Marine game: Obliterators are tough monstrosities that are hard to kill.  In Hammer and Anvil use Lascannon range to hit other table edge and Melta to hit middle field.  Since it was Big Guns Never Tire.  Sit them on the objective that is in the deployment zone and shoot away soaking up fire left and right.


slainte mhath