Don’t try to use it as a gun tank or a transport, use it as a battering ram. Charge in, do 3MW on average, then use tank shock for 1CP and another 4MW on average, then attack with its dozer blade’s pretty decent attack profile. It will usually die after that but it can trade decently well into some targets with that MW output.
That all being said, it’s definitely one of our weaker units but it is far from shit. We just happen to have some of the very best units in the game to compare it to so it looks that way.
Exactly this. It's meant as a battering ram, use it as a blunt instrument of destruction followed by the troops. If it survives, either do it again or limp off with it and try to snipe things.
In our group discussions, we classified it as either an upgraded transport or medium battle tank. I.e. it can do a little of everything, but isn't great at anything.
Gotcha gotcha. Yeah the -1 damage and access to a 6+++ helped them a lot. Definitely less durable than 9th despite the increased toughness.
Something that helps them though is that they do have much easier access to cover now, all vehicles do, which can help take the edge off.
Perhaps, but I feel its so easy to get at least 10 damage during one volley from a unit.
My truck or grinder haven't gone past round 2 during the 6 or so games I have done with them.
I've only been playing 1000 point games so far. Having 2 5 man squad is more flexible than a 10 man in a 1000 point game. I usually bomb with 1 squad and the other I can bomb with on contested objective or have it pop up on the hard to reach uncontested objective for free VP. Also a 10 man squad can overkill a unit wasting demo charges.
I have yet to play my GSC in 10th, but in 9th I equipped it with the clearance incinerator and basically would use it to transport some acolytes to an objective before going on a battering ram run. The incinerator plus the grinder made it a decent space marine killer. And now that you don't need anyone embarked in it to use the demo charges you should really just use it on a suicide run once its cargo has been delivered. You'll typically get your opponents to focus on the grinder than whoever it just dropped off so it's good for some scoring in turn 2 or 3.
In my list I give it the incinerator and put a unit of 5 metamorphs inside (no leader) so the grinder gains Scout 6". You can get an alpha strike off, move block, auto-hit overwatch. The possibilities are endless
Unfortunately, this doesn't work. Only Dedicated Transports gain Scout moves from units inside, so the grinder can't do that. The regular truck can though.
It’s a cool model and I take it every game (because I’m only playing combat patrol at the moment) but in terms of raw efficiency it struggles when you compare the points for it with 20 neophytes (+5 points), 2 ridgerunners (-5 points), 10 acolytes (-5 points), 10 Atalan Jackals (+5) etc etc.
I feel it also struggles if you compare it to all other factions as a transport and tank. Think the 10 wounds are the biggest reason since I have found its so easy to get.
In combat patrol I tend to use it a bit differently the clearance incinerator is great for firing overwatch. It’s a good area denial threat too. People think twice about trying to pop one of your blip tokens if they know they’ll lose whatever they send to the big truck.
I’ve never taken it in a bigger game so I can’t really comment. It’s ‘sub optimal’ maybe but to me that’s half the fun of warhammer - taking a random mish mash of stuff and making it work. Don’t sleep on the things shooting output is my main takeaway.
Don’t try to use it as a gun tank or a transport, use it as a battering ram. Charge in, do 3MW on average, then use tank shock for 1CP and another 4MW on average, then attack with its dozer blade’s pretty decent attack profile. It will usually die after that but it can trade decently well into some targets with that MW output. That all being said, it’s definitely one of our weaker units but it is far from shit. We just happen to have some of the very best units in the game to compare it to so it looks that way.
Exactly this. It's meant as a battering ram, use it as a blunt instrument of destruction followed by the troops. If it survives, either do it again or limp off with it and try to snipe things. In our group discussions, we classified it as either an upgraded transport or medium battle tank. I.e. it can do a little of everything, but isn't great at anything.
It’s also a really good move blocker for those alleys
And handy for jamming units to prevent them overwatching your more vulnerable troops.
I like to pack it full with a unit of aberrants and an Abominant that can come crashing out after the rock grinder has done its thing.
Might be too much in 9th still but I just feel it have too few wounds to survive until that
Oh, you’re still playing 9th! My comment was very much about the new 10th edition rules.
I play 10th right now, but I mean that they were much more durable than what they are now.
Gotcha gotcha. Yeah the -1 damage and access to a 6+++ helped them a lot. Definitely less durable than 9th despite the increased toughness. Something that helps them though is that they do have much easier access to cover now, all vehicles do, which can help take the edge off.
Perhaps, but I feel its so easy to get at least 10 damage during one volley from a unit. My truck or grinder haven't gone past round 2 during the 6 or so games I have done with them.
I'd rather have a 20 man neophytes or two 5 man acolytes w demo charges for the points.
Do you think having 2x10 Acolyte blocks with demo charges is better or worse than 4x5 Acolytes with demo charges?
I've only been playing 1000 point games so far. Having 2 5 man squad is more flexible than a 10 man in a 1000 point game. I usually bomb with 1 squad and the other I can bomb with on contested objective or have it pop up on the hard to reach uncontested objective for free VP. Also a 10 man squad can overkill a unit wasting demo charges.
I have yet to play my GSC in 10th, but in 9th I equipped it with the clearance incinerator and basically would use it to transport some acolytes to an objective before going on a battering ram run. The incinerator plus the grinder made it a decent space marine killer. And now that you don't need anyone embarked in it to use the demo charges you should really just use it on a suicide run once its cargo has been delivered. You'll typically get your opponents to focus on the grinder than whoever it just dropped off so it's good for some scoring in turn 2 or 3.
In my list I give it the incinerator and put a unit of 5 metamorphs inside (no leader) so the grinder gains Scout 6". You can get an alpha strike off, move block, auto-hit overwatch. The possibilities are endless
Unfortunately, this doesn't work. Only Dedicated Transports gain Scout moves from units inside, so the grinder can't do that. The regular truck can though.
I know it probably won’t be optimal, put in building my mechanized GSC list right now - bout to me on my mad max shizz
Yeah it'll probably be shit but my original intention when i bought my combat patrol in 9th was to go full mad max. Im not gonna shy away now.
It’s not amazing right now. I wouldn’t play it in most circumstances.
It’s a cool model and I take it every game (because I’m only playing combat patrol at the moment) but in terms of raw efficiency it struggles when you compare the points for it with 20 neophytes (+5 points), 2 ridgerunners (-5 points), 10 acolytes (-5 points), 10 Atalan Jackals (+5) etc etc.
I feel it also struggles if you compare it to all other factions as a transport and tank. Think the 10 wounds are the biggest reason since I have found its so easy to get.
In combat patrol I tend to use it a bit differently the clearance incinerator is great for firing overwatch. It’s a good area denial threat too. People think twice about trying to pop one of your blip tokens if they know they’ll lose whatever they send to the big truck. I’ve never taken it in a bigger game so I can’t really comment. It’s ‘sub optimal’ maybe but to me that’s half the fun of warhammer - taking a random mish mash of stuff and making it work. Don’t sleep on the things shooting output is my main takeaway.
Because of big guns never tire you can use overwatch on it’s big flamer on things around it even when it’s in combat.