How to Use Torpedoes

[ElectricPaladin]

As I prepare for my first ever BFG games next week, I have come realize that I don't actually understand the use of torpedoes.

Weapons, I get. They're cheap, and you probably have a ton, so use 'em to drop enemy shields. Lances, I get, too. They ignore armor, do use 'em to deal the killing blow once shields are down. I get the nova cannon, which should be fired early and often.

Fighters and bombers, I basically get. Fighters are defensive - use them if your opponent has his own ordinance. Alternately, launch them alongside bombers, to protect them. Bombers you use when the target is close enough that the bombers can get there without being killed. Assault boats are basically bombers.

But torpedoes... How do you use 'em? Fire early and hope they last long enough to disrupt the enemy formation? Wraith 'till you get close? I don't quite get them.

What's your advice?

[afterimagedan]

I prefer the 'shotgun' method: wait until you can hit them the turn they are fired. Tau function a bit differently. Also, I recommend reading up on the assault boat rules again.

[AndrewChristlieb]

Your playing as IN? They have a few basic uses the most common being launching large groups to force your opponent to move a particular way or to expend their own ordinance to remove yours, or of course the shotgun method. I usually try and go with a mix, moving up slowly firing torps and novas to direct the enemy towards you and then hitting the with a big shotgun right before the lines meet. Cobras are one of my favorite escorts for their cheap toro waves, 90 points can reliably drop a salvo into the rear of an enemy every game using CTNH and their 30cm speed while your gunships are lining up to cross lines.

[ElectricPaladin]

Also, I recommend reading up on the assault boat rules again.

By "basically bombers" I mean "fragile ordnance whose job is to get the enemy without being shot down and deliver damage to enemy ships." I understand that they function differently.

[Talos]

@ElectricPaladin Being more noobish than both previous posters, I can attest to the fact that for my first games (Honestly, probably first 10 or so) I found torpedoes to be really lackluster. Really did not like them, and I played IN same as yourself. Not that much has changed, but I find myself commonly doing this: firing a volley on the way in, which forces the opponent to split, take it like a man, or use defensive ordnance. As you may have noticed, IN do not have quantity or quality when it comes to assault craft. The only thing going for it is synergy, as in lots of torpedoes alongside AC. If you launch torpedoes early, you can force your opponent to use some of his to counter...which can go along way towards not being locked into a defensive posture the whole game.

So basically, I fire once early while going in, then keep 'em loaded to stop opponents from crossing my bow for fear of shotgunning. If such an opportunity arrives, use it. Torpedo escorts are a little different; if it has 1 torpedo, such as a falchion, I tend to use them for a defensive role only, freeing up my other ships a little. In the case of cobras, it is very easy to outflank an enemy; it is probably the easiest torpedo skill to master, and as AndrewChristlieb pointed out, a very effective one.

IMO they were the hardest weapon system to learn how to use correctly.

[Khar]

In my experience, there are essentially two combat uses for torpedoes.

First works best for dedicated torpedo escorts, such as cobra. For them, thanks to their mobility, torpedo is basically one more direct fire weapon. You get your ships into 30cm of your chosen enemy vessel, fire torpedoes, hope for damage. They're greatest against high shield low turret vessels, though there are not many of those to be found. If they have lots of turrets, just fire huge combined salvoes and some are bound to hit.

Second use is easier to achieve,  therefore less mobile vessels, of cruiser size and higher, might use it - it's using torpedo as an area denial weapon. Fire it early on aiming for the enemy in general. He'll either have to soak up some damage or change his chosen course which may counter some plan of his.

There is also a support role. Easiest to achieve with ships firing low amounts of torpedoes. Perfect ship for that - falchion, with its single torped launcher. Use torpedoes to 'shoot down' enemy fighters, for instance to make way for your attack craft or bigger torpedo salvo.

Welp, that about sums it up, as far as my experiences go. Torpedoes won't win you a battle (unless you play Eldar. Than they totally will, those things are crazy.), but are a useful tool that shouldn't be underestimated.

One more advice: If you want to launch them at specific moment, don't count on reloading just before shooting. It tends to fail. Make shure you have them ready when you want them.

[Jimmy Zimms]

The only thing going for it is synergy, as in lots of torpedoes alongside AC.
...
IMO they were the hardest weapon system to learn how to use correctly.

I cannot stress the above points enough. Synergy Synergy Synergy. Remember that turrets can be used against Torps OR AC, not both. Swarming a ship with both at the same time is pretty much guaranteed hits with fair sized volleys.

[horizon]

Exactly, synergy.
Plus the versatility of torpedoes:
Denial
Long range
Shotgun
Full strength on AAF
Etc

I like torpedoes, my Chaos fleet has 7 ships with torpedoes.

[ElectricPaladin]

I played my first game today (sort of... it was me against three of my students - I had an emperor, they each had a slaughter and three idolators), and I think I understand torpedoes now.

My students started by firing a huge wave of torpedoes at me. The torpedoes forced me to alter my course to avoid smashing head on into a wave of ordinance that would have crippled me... leading me into a situation where they were able to out-maneuver me and deliver a series of crippling fly-by attacks. I only won because they turned on each other next (the scenario was that they were chaos pirates trying to claim a valuable treasure on the battleship, and after my ship inevitably bit it, they'd have to duke it out to see who got it - lucky for me, they decided to start that early, and I limped, crippled, off the board).

I also learned in this game that an Emperor's bombers are freaking deadly in close quarters, and that teleport attacks are a great way to almost immediately take out anyone who gets to close and loses their shields, especially an escort, who dies from any critical hit.

Anyway... I think the wave of torpedo escorts is a pretty cool strategy. They're cheap, they have weapons batteries, so they can later on contribute to taking down shields, and the wave of ordinance they can unleash early on renders their relative fragility kind of moot. I may have to invest in some cobras...

[AndrewChristlieb]

Indeed, ive lost count of my Cobras, ok well 30ish... And remember if your sending in a wave of bombers you can safely leave your escorts out of base contact and still score decent hits from their torps (either directly due to the enemy not firing turrets againt them and instead targeting the bombers or indirectly by allowing more bombers through).

I have found teleport attacks to be less than spectacular, likely due to the limited opportunities to use them.

[BaronIveagh]

Teleport and boarding is more a Space Marine thing,so if you're IN you need to use the Armageddon list to really make it work.

[Zhukov]

I thought in FAQ 2010 they offered a saving throw for escorts against teleport attacks to match the new rules on A-boats, no?

-Zhukov

[harec]

Yes, instead of auutomatic destruction is a 4+ roll with is still quite dangeous for them

[ElectricPaladin]

I did not play that correctly. Good thing I posted this topic!

[harec]

No worries,you probbably used the original rules .
If you still don't want to use revised rules you should look for an article called 2010 FAQ