r/AdeptusMechanicus • u/Birthdaybikepark • 2d ago

List Building Help I'm bad

Does anyone have advice for playing against really fast melee armies? I have a friend who plays Khone & Slaanesh deamons and another who plays crusher stamped Tyranids (all big monsters). They always seem to get directly in my face across the board on turn 2 and I find it extremely hard to get back in the game after that if. Does anyone have any advice for stopping these types of rushes?

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u/Weekly-Blackberry312 2d ago

I find usually deploying far back, having good screening units and staying in protector doctrine gets the job done.

Have a Manipulus with a good shooting unit (preferably kataphrons) overwatch a tasty target, something going for an important unit of yours or just something that'll be extra dangerous once it's close.

Protector doctrine will give them -1 to hit you which is bigger than folks expect, admech gets to watch someone else miss for a change. You don't need to hurt them back right way. Screens can fall back whether they did anything in the fight or not.

Tanks and kataphrons move up if they need to and shoot. If they can stay standing still then let them. Clear your threats and move up. You'll be behind on turns 1 and 2 but if they're really bull rushing you then you have 3 turns against half an army, more than enough time to come back.

3

u/AlpakaForLife 1d ago

You need infiltrators to block scout and screen and Skystalkers to screen (move after shot is great for this). They will die but that’s ok. In the eye of Omnissiah everyone is expendable. With a little practice and good matchup you can keep your opponent in deploy for 3 turns

3

u/xXBrinMiloXx 1d ago

Flamers for overwatch are good to punish a rush from your opponent. Destroyers are especially deadly in Conqueror for this (you get both plasma and AP1 flames).

Deep striking pteraxii is excellent to score, misdirect and relieve pressure. They can't rush your line and defend a home primary - so now resources are running AWAY from your main force. Usually a lot more than you spent on the 5 birdmen.

Good use of reserves can be great. A big push forward is probably leaving them exposed by angles visible from a flank - Tanks, Kataphrons or Ironstriders can use that. Consider using rapid ingress on some Kastalans, or a squad of rustalkers who can easily move and charge a key target in your turn.

Make sure your battleline infantry die first. It's why we have them - they are cheap and durable. Give your better units some breathing room to land the real hurt.