Viable Assassins

Thenick18 · Post by **Thenick18** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 1:57 pm

In an effort to get my favorite model / unit / character back in the game in 8th Ed. I'm trying to find a viable assassin set up. I typically run a COB, so I will have access to 5+ wards, KB, +1 attack. I was thinking Rune of Khaine and Dark Venom. 130pt assassin - fairly cheap, and with COB support can do anything really. The idea being that I will always challenge, and I am trying to ensure that I get the maximum CR from the challenge with the Dark Venom, and also it limits the attacks back. Then whatever the unit does it just bonus CR. I realize the major flaw is the opponent has to accept the challenge. Any thoughts and comments would be appreciated. Are there other set ups that I am overlooking that have more survivability?

Rabidnid · Post by **Rabidnid** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 2:48 pm

I think it is more about where he is rather than trying to challenge. If you place it on a corner then the return attacks will be limited. His WS will mean most people are hitting on 5+ anyway. Give him the cloak and go for single stray characters and flanks. Its the only way to ensure he does not face too many return attacks.

AHW, rending stars and RoK is what I would run.

Sulla · Post by **Sulla** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 11:44 pm

Assassins are viable in 2 roles right now;

1)As force multipliers for shade units, where they are primarily shooters or fight only in single phase combats,

2)As suicide assassins, whose job is to pop out of a unit and assassinate an enemy character before dieing.

It's only as a general combat character that they are unfeasible. The question really comes down to whether you are willing to pay the cost for these roles. Personally, I try to only include characters that I can be reasonably will survive the entire battle, but that's just ego. There's nothing wrong with suicide units if they perform a valid role in your overall strategy. High Elvesd have depopulated entire Eagle eyries around this tactic.

Kaleth stinson · Post by **Kaleth stinson** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 11:52 am

Ahw, Rending Stars, Manbane in unit of shades

or

Ahw, Rune of Khaine and Manbane to protect your lvl4

These are the only builds I have seen done a impact in 8th.

The first is good for shooting at high T stuff. His high BS and 3 shoots that wound on 3+ is nothing to laugh at. Good for taking down support units and hunting monters.

The second one is for when a Super Character or monster chargers your Mage/bsb bunker. I just had an Assassin charge my Hydra and kill it outright with this build, granted I had som bad luck with my regen saves, but he killed it nontheless.

Saintofm · Post by **Saintofm** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 4:40 am

How would Death touch, dark Venom, two hand weapons and dance of doom work?

Post by **Dalamar** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 5:11 am

Replace Dark Venom with Black Lotus and you have your perfect character killer.
5-8 attacks with KB rerolling 1s to wound.

Dark Venom is useless in 8th. So what if you win combat by 5 instead of by 3 if your enemy is stalwart? You're better off killing more men than gaining artificial CR.

Red... · Post by **Red...** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:39 am

The second one is for when a Super Character or monster chargers your Mage/bsb bunker. I just had an Assassin charge my Hydra and kill it outright with this build, granted I had som bad luck with my regen saves, but he killed it nontheless.

This is - sadly - exactly how not to use an assassin. Your opponent got ridiculously lucky. Here is the damage he should have done on average:

- Assassin with ahw has 4 basic attacks
- Add 1-3 extra attacks for rune of khaine, so 6 attacks on average
- Hitting a hydra on 3s = 4 hits
- Re-rolling misses on 3s = 1.333 hits (5.333 hits total)
- S6 versus toughness 5 = wounding on 3s = 3.5 wounds
- Hydra gets no armour save due to the -3 modifier, but does get a 4+ regen save
- 4+ regen versus 3.5 wounds = 1.75 wounds.

The odds of killing a monster such as a hydra is very very very low. Yes, it's feasible, but it would be bad strategy to rely on him to do this as a general game plan.

The character killing build mentioned by Dalamar and Sulla is more viable, but personally I wouldn't rely on it. It's too much of a heads you win, tails you lose kind of gamble.

Putting an assassin with a unit of shades can be a good idea, but the biggest risk you have is that shades are relatively easy to panic: if a unit of 8 shades loses two casualties, then you are testing on leadership 8, and you're probably not within 12" of the BSB - so you could lose not only your remaining shades, but also your assassin!

For me, assassins are at their prime when used as light troop killers. Drop the manbane and take an assassin with ahw and rune of khaine. It comes in at a comparatively cheap points value (just over 120 points) and is awesome for chewing through enemy light troops. Stick him at the front of a big block of warriors - ideally one that is equal or bigger in number of ranks than its opponent - and you can turn a close contest into a rout.

Just my two cents