[Shas O Dalyth Montau]

I have been looking at starting a guard army (yes another phase) and have been looking at the rough riders coice, I was initially enthralled with the hunting lances (what with the +2 str) but was totally turned off when I read further and found that they can only be used once, and that you can't use them to gain extra attacks, and lastly that they replace the ccw or laspistol, thereby making them almost usless,

henceforth, let debating ensue.

[Wargamer]

They're only good for one charge... but make that charge against Terminators, and you're laughing.

[arguleon-veq]

Rough Riders really aren't worth taking against MEQ's [and most other armies for that matter] without Lances. Unless you are packing double Meltas and Melta Bombs for tank hunting.

Always take the Lances, they are well worth it.

[redbeard]

Hunting lances are well-worth their points, even for just one charge. For roughly 60 points for 6 rough riders, you expect to kill 4 MEQs, which are going to be worth a base 15 points, plus any gear they may have. It's very easy for Riders with Lances to make their points back in just that one charge, and very hard for them to do so in any other way, with the possible exception of tank-hunting melta-equipped riders.

[MalVeauX]

Think of it like this.

You're paying a very small price for something that can kill 4 marines pretty easily, or even a few terminators if you must.

Thinking of it as killing 60 or 120 points of enemy models isn't what you should look at.

Instead, think of how many guardsmen or other models you have that would have died because of those models, but now will not, because you stuck hunting lances in those models' chests.

Well worth it. It's why you take Rough Riders (aside from meltabombs against Land Raiders charging you...).

Cheers!

[Elessar]

id say they're well worth it for the more expensive targets such as marines necrons and the like. if your going to be running down grunts like guardsmen and eldar line-men then my weapon of choice is the shotgun.

[DevilSquid]

Plus they're FAST. They're Cavalry, so they fleet and charge 12". They can reposition to get where you need them to be...

And there's not a lot in the IG army that ignores armor saves...cause if an officer is in CC, you're in trouble already.

D-DS

[AuinMyrrath]

The config I liked on paper but havn't tried yet is a full-sized squad with 7 Lances, 2 Meltaguns, and a Veteran Sergeant with a Power Weapon - those 14 S5, I5 attacks are going to ruin anyones day, and 3(4 charging) Power Weapon attacks give a bit of "umph" in later turns.

[Ge. Stankov]

Meh, my officers get in a Chimera and drive towards the nearest unit

Anyways, as Mal put it superbly, points cost doesn't mean much in the Guard.

Each unit basiccly has a task. Rough Riders are AT assault and anti-armour assault. As a result, one should equip and deploy them to best suit their responibilty.

Just as you wouldn't put an AT-squad with 3 lascannons in the direct path of 40 Genestealers, you wouldn't use ROugh Riders to lay down suppresive fire, or an infantry squad against Grey Knight Termies.

Equip them to combat the right foe, and hunting lances are almost a necessity.

Of course, if youre fighting another Guard army, or lightly armoured Orks, Laspistol and CC and the odd melta would be an excellent path to victory.

Stankov

[Shas O Dalyth Montau]

Originally Posted by Comrade Novae

The config I liked on paper but havn't tried yet is a full-sized squad with 7 Lances, 2 Meltaguns, and a Veteran Sergeant with a Power Weapon - those 14 S5, I5 attacks are going to ruin anyones day, and 3(4 charging) Power Weapon attacks give a bit of "umph" in later turns.

thats what I was sorta going for, I was thinking I would give them melta bombs too, so that they could deal with those pesky tanks that decided to come close.

but just a question, would the RR's still use their lances against a tank in combat, in preferance to melta bombs if it was their first combat of the game?