Heretic Naval Raiders Strategy Guide
The Carcass Front box will be hitting stores at the end of this month! One of the Warbands included in the set are the Heretic Naval Raiders; ruthless killers who enforce Hell’s dominion over the seas. But will they become your Fallen arsenal of choice? Here’s a quick look at their strengths and weaknesses, and how to get the best out of the terrors lurking in the abyssal deep…
The Heretic Naval Raiders are the vanguard forces of the Heretic Legions that specialise in shock attacks. Leveraging lightning-fast manoeuvrability and a number of infiltrators, Heretic Naval Raider Warbands excel at battlefield domination, quickly applying close-range pressure from all angles early in the game. The signature weapon of the Heretic Naval Raiders is the Submachine Gun, but their impeccable training and flexibility allows them to enact sublime violence with even with simple axes, clubs, and a plethora of gas grenades. Through these means, the Heretic Naval Raiders can reliably deliver a devastating volume of attacks with an accuracy that makes up for their smaller model count compared to some Warbands.
In exchange for their skilled and well resourced light infantry, the Heretic Naval Raiders have limited access to heavier infantry, and lack a big, powerhouse unit entirely. These lighter troops are more fragile, so it’s best to avoid being hit at all, using your models’ speed to avoid blasts and stay out of unfavourable melee match-ups. When the lines close and a melee breaks out, use the close combat skills of your Elites to hold the line and reposition to keep your opponents on their toes.
Strengths
Unholy Speed: A Heretic Naval Raiders Warband is fast. With every model getting +1 DICE to Dash ACTIONS, Heretic Naval Raiders can have dominance over the battlefield pretty quickly, closing in on objectives and securing advantageous firing positions. When this is considered alongside the Naval Raider’s added emphasis on short-range firepower, the followers of the Tyrant-God can be falling dead before they even draw their swords.
A Hail of Bullets: The Heretic Naval Raiders can freely purchase Submachine Guns – extremely flexible ranged weapons that allow multiple Ranged Attacks against multiple targets with each Shoot ACTION. Alongside the Machine Gun in the hands of an Anointed, No Man’s Land can be an impenetrable storm of tainted ammunition that no enemy can march through.
Elite Training: Heretic Naval Raiders are a ruthless and experienced force of murderers. The Heretic Captain and Anointed Heretic Raiders are equally lethal at range or melee, and Heretic Raiders can be upgraded to Heretic Raider Legionnaires, giving them +1 DICE to either their Ranged or Melee Characteristics. This affords a Heretic Naval Raider Warband a huge amount of flexibility when facing the desperate followers of YHWH.
Weaknesses
Low Model Count: Given the elite and expensive nature of the Heretic Naval Raiders, they can often find themselves outnumbered and out-activated by their opponents. If their enemies can use Line of Sight blocking terrain to their advantage, even the most trained Heretic Raider could end up surrounded and attacked from all angles.
Unprotected: Many Heretic Naval Raiders would rather spend their ducats on firepower than armour. As such, if a resilient enemy survives the withering volleys of Heretic fire enough to get up close, the Naval Raiders may need to consider sacrificing their position in order to retreat.
