There are times when a full frontal assault is not the best option. In this section we
will look at the Warhammer 40k sneaky tactics. Sneaky tactics include Infiltration, Deep Strike, Reserves,
and Outflanking.Why Be Sneaky?
There are several reasons that you want to be sneaky, but the all revolve around the desire to carry out a task without being killed!
Examples of tasks you may want to perform are; getting close combat troops in to assault, getting demolition teams in to position, capturing an objective or strategic location, and getting out of trouble.
Reserves Tactics
The Reserves rule is a Mission Special Rule (page 94 of the Rulebook). Because it is a mission rule you may be able to use if in some missions and not others. It is best to check the rules of that mission.
The Reserves rule allows you to bring units on the table after start of the game. At first this may look like a disadvantage, and in some missions that is how it is used, forcing a bulk of your army to come in on reserves means that they are not there, shooting, assaulting from the start.
Outflanking Tactics
Outflanking is the second sneaky mission rule. This rule allows units to come on the table from the sides.
Outflanking units come on as Reserves, and so they have to make the Reserves roll to come on the table. This means that they will not come on at the start of the game, and may not turn up for a few turns. This may leave you out numbered at the beginning of the game.
Outflanking units come in from the sides and they have to roll for which side they come in on. There is a 2 in 3 chance that they will come in on the side that you want then to, and a 1 in 3 chance that they will come in on the other side. This is a high enough probability for you to need to think about contingency plans if the roll goes against you.
Units that outflank can assault on the same turn they turn up. This means that regular troops can assault anything with in 12" of the table edges, and fleet of foot squads can assault from 13" to 18" in from the table, depending on the 'run' roll. If you pick targets up to 15" in then you are likely to get there. Flanking units that come in transport, or on bikes, will be able to strike deeper. Do your best to pick a route that does not go over difficult terrain.
Most games are played on a 6x4 foot tables. This may mean that flanking troops could have further to travel to reach their targets than the rest of the army. On 4x4 tables flanking troops have a major advantage. Bear this in mind when you are planning your army.
Infiltration Tactics
Infiltration Tactics are one of the universal special rules. This means that you get this special rule all the time and is not mission specific.
Deep Strike Tactics
Deep Striking allows you to appear anywhere. The downside is that they turn up randomly. First they can not turn up in round one. This gives your opponent time to be ready for your deep striking troops. Secondly you have to roll to see if they turn up. This means that your forces could be turning up in small number each turn, allowing your opponent to kill them off before the next wave turns up. And third, when your troops do turn up they can scatter off course, or even have a mishap!
If you do Deep Strike you will arrive in a clump, with all the bases of the arriving models touching. This will be a very tempting target for blast marker weapons. As you do not get a chance to disperse in the movement phase, it is highly recommended that you use the shooting phase to run. This will give you a chance to spread out so that blast marker weapons only hit a few of your models on arrival and not the whole squad.
Quad guns are popular if you know that you are facing opponents that will deep strike on to the table. If you are facing an opponent with quad guns, you may want to target and destroy them before your forces arrive.
Scouts Tactics
Scouts get a special turn at the start of the game. This can be used to grab a strategic point (building or high ground. You can not use this rule to get in to assault in this special turn, and it will be rare that you get in to combat on the first turn as the games are designed to keep the to sides too far apart at the start.
To get some extra speed if your scouts have a transport option, then you can use it to hurl your troops forward!
Scouts also have the Outflanking special rule. I have covered this above.