Well love it or hate it, Escalation is here and we’re left picking up the pieces.
It seems to be that most players are afraid of playing with these new rules because they “have nothing to kill the big stuff”.
But fear not players of the regular 40k, I shall offer advice on how to bring down the big ones and win games of 40k Escalation!
Hey you never know, it may not be as hard as you thought in the first place!
10. If It Bleeds… Determine what you have in your army that can even hurt a titan or gargantuan creature, and in what quantity you can field those units. Of course in games of Escalation fielding them in the most points effective configuration is recommended.
9. I Wanna Go Fast! Now you need a delivery system for the units you came up with above to get into grips / range of said super heavies. That maybe via teleport attack, deep strike (or the even more daring a skies of blood bailout), or just hoofing it across the board.
8. Nothing to See Here- Determine your plan of attack for your “Titan Killers”. Will you leave them in reserve so they are not taken out first turn, or should you start on the board to get into range faster? Will you be shooting the enemy or engaging them in assault to deliver the coupe de grace?
7. Bring a Friend- Nothing helps kill titans than well, more stuff to kill titans. Be sure to bring a few units capable of killing a titan, but also being flexible enough to perform other roles on the battlefield as well. A bunch of melta guns will be very ineffective against a remaining Imperial Guard army full of 5+ saves.
6. Up In The Sky- Not all threats will be as obvious at first. Some Gargantuan Creatures can fly now so you’ll need lots of random shots to try to get them to come crashing down so you can unleash hell on them. Don’t forget about the rest of your enemy’s units as well…
5. They Set a Trap for us, Didn’t They? Some big units’ only purpose IS to die, and by dying I mean taking most of your army with them. Try to include picket or bubble wrap units in any army is going up against anything that’s main purpose is to explode in close proximity to your lines.
Hint: looks for Chaos units that have the “Doomsday Reactor” special rule.
4. Synergy- Sure everyone talks about this when making lists, but don’t forget this basic tenet of Escalation: when facing Super Heavies you get to roll on a special Warlord Traits table that depending on your roll, may help your HQ beef up your Titan Killers.
3. Seize the Day- Don’t forget that along with the special Warlord Trait table for HQ’s, when facing an opponent with a super heavy you get +1 to your seize roll.
2. Superior Tech- Use the new Void Shield fortifications from Stronghold assault to protect your titan killers a little bit longer, or use subterfuge and combine attacks from these units and deep striking ones to form a Hammer and Anvil attack!
1. Nothing Exceeds Like.. The more mobile and higher rate of high strength fire an army has, the better it will do against super heavies. But remember something in your army will die, so try to make sure it’s not the good stuff.
Don’t put all your eggs into one super heavy killing basket. Take models to engage but not necessarily threaten the big guys, and units to finish them off as well.
Oh and remember to pack some scoring units too.
Well hopefully that helps take the mystique out of facing these super heavy units some. With some practice (and luck) you can hone your army into a super heavy killing machine.
Oh and checkout my review of the new Imperial Armor 2 Warmachines of the Adeptus Astartes below for more super heavy tech! -MBG
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
