Hello fellow chaos dwarfs. I�m going to my first game this weekend and it will be small one (only 650p) so I thought to use the death rocket instead of using my eartshacker. But when I read many armylist it seems not many use the death rocket. Instead many use the hobgoblin bolt thrower or simple the earthshacker. Why is that? It seems to me that the death rocket is fine and its cheaper then a earthshacker. Am I wrong? And how is the best way to use it? I�m btw going to meet a 650p empire army.
I take one in 1500pts just because I like my conversion. After it got less kills than my Bolt Throwers, I wondered why on earth I bother. It’s good in bigger games when you’re more likely to hit something.
Ok, I understand your point. Will perhaps try to change into a earthshacker instead as that could be a b etter point. even if its a low point game I like to have some artillery.
The DR has some good points. It is more reliable than the normal stone thrower and there is always a good chance that it will hit something if there is enough enemy. It isn’t particularly effective at lower points, especially below 1000pts, just because there isn’t much to hit. At higher points values the Special choices are often squeezed for choice and the DR isn’t as useful as some of the other choices. Overall it isn’t too bad if a little overpriced. If you think think you can suck up the extra 10-15pts that it is over in points then take it.
If you like the model you have then use it, liking your army is much more important than the effectiveness.
I actually love the model and think its very cool with a misslelauncher in Fantasy. So I will take it. Also ig gives me a change to practice my guessing of ranges.
I in fact love the death rocket. The fluff behind it is cool, its easily converted from the BfSP cannon (thanks xander) and its not half bad for taking out most units. The problem is with guessing. I’ve found a almost foolproof tactic for getting on target, but it is a little underhanded. Of course on can never take scatter into effect. but… If you set up the DR exactly on the edge of your forward deployment, you known that any other enemy unit close to the edge is 24" away in a standard game! simply adjust this number as they move, or as they get farther away. As long as the dice are nice to you, you should be alright!
I in fact love the death rocket. The fluff behind it is cool, its easily converted from the BfSP cannon (thanks xander) and its not half bad for taking out most units. The problem is with guessing. I've found a almost foolproof tactic for getting on target, but it is a little underhanded. Of course on can never take scatter into effect. but.... If you set up the DR exactly on the edge of your forward deployment, you known that any other enemy unit close to the edge is 24" away in a standard game! simply adjust this number as they move, or as they get farther away. As long as the dice are nice to you, you should be alright!
The Slaver
Thats pretty much how i do it. If you have any idea of Pythagoras it makes it easier to guess almost spot on. Instead of trying to guess the diagonal just guess the vertical and horizontal and then work out the hypotenuse. Using a calculator is cheating, but with practice it can be done.
example, if a unit is 4" in front, and 3" across, by doing the sum A squared + B squared = C Squared, what you get is (4x4) + (3x3), which is 16 + 9 which equals 25. The square root of 25 is 5, so the diagonal distance is 5".
Of course your going to be using bigger numbers, and without a calculator you cant work it out exactly, but its a good way at aiming for those far away diagonal targets.
I used it this weekend ina small game and the funwas that it was good but in another diffrent way. It was actually so that the death rocket itself only took out around 4 models of empire halbardiers but the two crewmen beat a greatsword unit with attachement to it by themself and they run down the attachement and got the greatsword unit to get routed(of course the greatsword unit had before lost several models to another unit but still, tthey where 4 strong against two of the dwarfs!). It was fun.
But as you all pointed out it seems expensive but I love the model and after this heroic feat I must have them in myarmy, at leasts for character.
I like the death rocket myself, although I struggle to justify them in terms of special choices in smaller games. I used to take two stone throwers in my dwarf army and I’m planning to do the same with my chaos dwarfs (one earthshaker and one death rocket) In 2,000pts this leaves enough for 4 bolt throwers, an orc infantry block (big’uns or blorks) and possibly some bull centaurs. As far as I’m concerned this is a far better option than two earthshakers (as you can have the BCs) or more bolt throwers (overkill) or indeed two orc blocks (just take CD warriors). For this reason they make it into my army
I am a fan of the Death Rocket. At the very least it is a speedbump to my Earthshaker, giving me another round with it. I would probably never take more than 1, even in higher point games, but I have no guilt taking it. It is also something that makes people nervous, so they will charge that which gives you time to position yourself and prepare for what’s to come.
In short, It’s more of a Diversion tactic with a chance for carnage. Stone throwers rock against horde armies. Static armies take a beating from Death Rockets as well (Dwarves in particular).
My first game using it, I landed a shot onto the Skaven command group and made it flee, clearing half the board for my armies to mop up the rest. I made over 500 points flee in turn 1… you can’t complain about that.
You can’t just judge a unit by what it can kill, you have to see what else it could do for you. After all, if we went by kills only, would any of us take hobgoblin slaves? Probably not. But they are a great unit in what they can make your enemy do.
I love me some Death Rocket! It works wonders against my Bretonnian opponent! I wouldn’t take more than one, just as Lepreh, but for some reason I’ve fallen under its charm.
I’d definitely recommend it against heavily armored peoples like Bretonnians, even in smaller point games. I played a 1300 today with my buddy, and even though I lost to a massacre, the VPs that I did get were from blasting his Knights from across the table with a giant rocket over the course of several turns.
I love the unpredictability of the DR ,although its expensive it is a distraction from the EA in the gunline ,also it can shoot at enemies close by so the scouts/miners/beastherds/flyers that suddenly appear��can be shot at (just be careful of placement in relation to your troops)
Its so fluffy you could cuddle it:)
I only take DR in 2000+ as then there are enough enemies to hit randomly
The Death Rocket is cool, but overshadowed by Bolters, Blorcs and Big 'Uns. Hell, even Sneaky Gits were better until 7th edition came into the picture.
Still, at high point games, its a good choice for backing up your gun line. I’m more a CC heavy infantry guy, but artillery has its uses.
Im going to bring 2 for the first time pretty soon. I like them better than BT just because I know that there wont be many big guys ill be facing and, land a DR in the middle of a unit, theres gonna be a lot a dead guys!
I love the fluff and the model for the DR, but in over 10 years of using them, I’ve come to refer to them as “free VPs for my opponent” as mine have a distressing tendency to blow up by turn 2 or 3.
Still my best WFB memory is about a DR that ricocheted 5 times (5th ed rules) and landed on it’s own launcher. My opponent and I laughed for about 5 minutes.
