Mechanics of the Bahzhakhain: Locking and the Lock & Hammer

-Locking In Depth, and the Lock & Hammer Technique-

It has been requested that I go more in detail into the locking utility, and all that it encompasses. Well, I find myself with a couple of hours to slack off with so here we go. We will start with a basic description of what locking is and what it is for, and then when are the most favourable times and places for locking, specific locking units, and more advanced techniques that are based on locking. At this point, after discovering locking, I seldom build a list without at least one locking element because of how vastly it contributes to maintaining initiative, lowering the opponents mobility and ability to react, and opening windows of opportunity for attacking targets via CC and shooting. Many of us have used this technique before, whether we knew it or not, but I believe it so elementary to the efficient play of the Eldar army (not by necessity, but by supplement and compliment) that it's correct use, and more advanced tactics based off of it will be immensely useful to any Eldar army.

Definition:
Locking is the act of locking an enemy unit in close combat and holding him there so that he will not be able to shoot at you, assault you, take objectives, or partake in other initiating actions that you do not wish to commence. Others have asked if pinning weapons work for this, and in a way it does, if you merely wish to stop the unit in place temporarily, but this is hard to attain; requiring a large number of pinning weapons to consistently and dependably stop a unit in it's tracks, and once CC is initiated, the unit is no longer pinned. Some ranged armies, such as Alaitoc, may be based on this to delay the enemy in order to get more rounds of shooting at them, but from this point on I will only consider locking the action of holding an enemy squad in place by engaging it in CC, whether you intend to assault it or just stop it from shooting/moving.

One may want or need a certain enemy unit unable to shoot, move to an objective, contribute in other CC combats, or use a power that is denied by being locked in combat. This is where we will use a 'passive' locking unit. Passive units are used when you will lock a unit to stop the above actions, with no particular intention of attacking or reinforcing it later on while it is still locking the enemy. Sometimes I will do this with a three-man harassment jetbike squad against an imperial HQ squad, because of the importance of getting that unit down. Most of the time, however, I am using 'active' locking units. These are units that will bog down 1-3 enemy squads, with the intention of holding them there during or until another CC unit can lend support, such as holding flank A until CC forces can clear flank B and come in for support, or for when a hit & run unit is working in concert with the locking unit. These options I will detail later on, it is just important for now to understand the basic function of the locking unit.

Quote

The Biel-Tan army is a force of few, but elite warriors. It is easy for our attacks to be bogged down unless we strike first and maintain the initiative. Against Imperial Guard armies our CC units can quickly become bogged down as we find our Striking Scorpions are being counter-assaulted by 6 squads at once, or that after the first round our Howling Banshees are being whittled down bit by bit because they assaulted two Space Marine Tactical Squads at once and are not strong enough to achieve a definitive victory. This is where the locking section comes in. It helps maintain the initiative by being the metaphorical bully that holds your arms behind your back while the child of Khaine punches you in the stomach.

Now to be a bit more straight-forward (how unEldar-like of me). I first started using locking units when my main gaming partner, an Imperial Guard commander, started redeploying his army away from whichever flank I charged into. This would leave me to easily crush the flank I initially engaged but would force me to either re-embark or footslog all the way across the long table edge to his next formation. After this I started assaulting directly into the middle of his formation, or spread out a bit, but with this I didn't maintain local superiority and each of my squads would get counter assaulted by one or two more squads. I usually won but it wasn't very clean, to be sure. So as a remedy I took two jetbike squads and sent one into each of his flanks to assault one or more units. This made it so he could not re-deploy to the flanks and I had enough squads 'locked down' with my jetbikes that my core CC units were not being overwhelmed.

This seemed like a very solid and useful tactic, but the small jetbike squads I was using just wasn't enough, especially if I ran up against Space Marines or something more individually powerful. While Space Marines are far more expensive than guardsmen, therefore meaning fewer units my locking units had to hold back, there is still more power available in the kill zone to hit back at me. So with this I started working on developing more effective locking units and combos.

-From The Mechanics of the Bahzhakhain

Composition:
A locking unit role is to hold an enemy in place, not to destroy it (though this is usually a plus...usually). By this definition of role it is going to need some attribute that allows it to withstand the return attacks of the enemy for as many rounds as you need the enemy unit locked. This can be done through resiliency (T4/5 sv3+ found on jetbikes and Wraithguard), numerical superiority (a large/full squad of storm guardians), and/or skill andspecial abilities (high WS, or defensive abilities such as invulnerable saves, or the defend/shimmershield offered by Dire Avengers). Sometimes you just need to hold an enemy unit in place for a single turn, or for an extended period of time. Sometimes this may mean you need to hold powerful and fearsome opponents such as a squad of Terminators or Genestealers, or maybe even a monstrous creature such as a Hive Tyrant or greater daemon. Sometimes you may only be trying to lock down imperial guardsmen, but you may be trying to hold down 3 squads of them. All of these points, among others, are the things you must consider when designing and dedicating a unit to use as a locking unit.

I often have 2-3 locking units in my army, with each being primarily dedicated against a different kind of target. One of them will take on power weapon wielders/MC's, and another will take on the massed attacks we will see from multiply assaulting or going after CC intensive opponents, and I may field a third which may not be a dedicated locking unit as such, but a squad that will work to hold something small, or for a short amount of time, in a pinch.

So with the above considerations in mind we can start building a locking squad.

Dire Avengers:
One of my favorites is the Dire Avengers, because of their aspect warrior stat-line, modest armour, and defensive capabilities. It is hard to implement this unit effectively unless you are a mobile/mechanized force because they are best used in a waveserpent to pinpoint exactly where they need to be. Other opponents tend to be wiley and can escape. With defend you can sink them into numerous opponents, such as multiply charging 2-3 GEQ (guardsmen equivalent) squads, or a squad with a high number of attacks, such as the above mentioned khorne berserkers. The power-weapon and Shimmershield give the squad a bit more punch, especially against marines, as when you are looking at 4+ rounds of combat those 2+ attacks each round build up. While as stated above taking down the enemy is not our primary concern, but weakening them a bit is helpful as when your core CC squads come in as support, they may be a few members weaker than they were at the start of the battle, so every bit helps. The shimmershield itself is what makes this one of our best units against MC's and squads with a lot of power weapons. If you are using the squad as a dedicated locking squad, I prefer taking both defend and the shimmershield (if I am expecting MC's or power weapon squads that is, I don't often take it against IG). The Dire Avengers are good against anything you want to lock (massed troops, MC's, power weapons) as long as you upgrade them with this in mind. Also I suggest, as every body is important, always take full squads when able.

Example Composition:
~322-Dire Avengers (10) Exarch-Powerweapon & Shimmershield-Defend
Waveserpent-TL Scatter lasers-Shuriken Cannon-VE-SS

Guardian Jetbikes:
The next big locking squad is one that is a bit more friendly to most armies outside of mechanized. This is the use of guardian jetbikes for locking. With their mobility, and resilience (T4 sv3+) they do well against non-MC's and squads with few or no power weapons. One always has to keep in mind how many bikes you have and what you are going to assault/how long you need it locked. I often have 3-6 man harassment squads which, because of their mobility, can assist an existing locking squad, or grab something as threats and the need to lock them show up during the battle. Because they are jetbikes they are very mobile, but do not require such an opening 'one time cost' of a Waveserpent like the Dire Avengers do (I don't suggest a falcon for this locking unit because of the size requirement for efficiency), that makes it hard to put into smaller lists, and non-mechanized lists, which may depend on the use of a locking unit. Also, by not being transport based, while still maintaining mobility, they can move and assault into the enemy with more speed than they are likely to be capable of and you won't have to wait a round to disembark them. On top of this they can jump over the front line and go for some of the most threatening foes, such as HQ/heavy support squads that are usually smaller. Space Marines and Imperial Guard armies often have these elements that offer a lot of fire or supporting utility powers (vox-caster, boosted leadership, psychic powers, etc) that do not often require a large locking unit.

So these are the basic characteristics of Guardian Jetbikes as a locking unit, but we have the ability to add a warlock, or another character to alter them considerably. A warlock can make the squad much more versatile by taking Destructor, and a singing spear, so that the squad may be capable of anti-personnel and anti-armour without necessarily dedicating itself to CC. Taking Embolden or Enhance can be a considerable boon to the unit when it's in a locking role, helping them stick in by decreasing successful attacks against them, or not running when they do take hits. The warlock, however, is rather expensive and probably more so to just use him to assist in locking. If I was to take a locking squad, however, with a warlock I would probably choose either Destructor or Embolden, depending on what I was intending to do with them.

Taking an Autarch was one unit I added for quite some time (until I started running spears too, as a lock & hammer unit that could take as much punch as I could provide), which definitely helps the jetbikes stick in there with his added combat prowess, and resilience, but in the end I think he is best used elsewhere and puts him in a precarious position where he is much more liable to run and become useless to you than should you add him to another squad that wasn't made to just take wounds.

One last note, which isn't really for locking, but for the unit itself is the capability and position this unit is in to take on tanks. If you take on an Autarch you definitely have some anti-armour power, but even without you will often be in the position (especially when used in mechanized armies where you will be fighting mostly in your opponents DZ and he will hopefully be locked down in CC for the most part) to get side/back shots on enemy vehicles. With the massed str4/6 shots from jetbike squads they host a legitimate capability for taking down medium/light vehicles or heavy ones from behind, especially the less heavily armoured, but highly threatening indirect fire vehicles.

Sample Configuration:
152-Guardian Jetbikes (6) 2x Shuriken Cannon
or
182/187Guardian Jetbikes (6) Warlock-Embolden/Enhance

Wraithguard:
I don't tend to take these (especially as I don't own 5), but they are definitely a legitimate locking unit, and can easily be made sickeningly resilient with fortune. These guys are very expensive, and not mobile without a waveserpent, so thusly a solid locking squad is going to be 300-400pt's, so typically I would hope to do more than just lock with this squad, but if you have a seriously disgusting enemy you need to hold down, well here's one option.

Sample Configuration:
368-Wraithguard (5)-Warlock-Spiritseer-Enhance
Waveserpent-TL Scatter lasers-Shuriken Cannon-VE-SS

Seers:
This is another one of my favorites, especially as they can be dropped from a Falcon, and pack a punch themselves. As with the Wraithguard, I won't say much on these guys, but fortune is a necessity for them as a locking squad, so you get a high weapon skill, and a 4++ invulnerable save. Adding enhance and embolden makes this squad a very solid squad, even at only 6 members. It is expensive, as with the Wraithguard, but you do not need a Waveserpent, even if you do still need a Falcon it is more useful than a serpent as a scoring unit with more firepower. And with their Witchblades/Singing Spears and Destructor you have the capacity to take down any tank and masses of infantry in addition to what they are capable of in combat.

Sample Configuration:
210-Farseer-Fortune
Warlock-Enhance
Warlock-Embolden
Warlock-Destructor
Warlock
Warlock
+Falcon

(Storm) Guardians:
This unit is very often less used in mechanized lists on account of them being best used with at least 15 members as their resiliency base is their numerical superiority, but as I wish to look at locking overall I will mention it as well, but do note here, if I do not remember to add it to the start, I am catering more to the Mechanized host as this article will be included in my Mechanics of the Bahzhakhain article set. This unit is significantly less mobile as those detailed above as they cannot fit in a transport, but with fleet of foot they are still faster than most enemy units will be. I use this most in a footslogging CC based army, and in counter-assault armies, where the enemy will come to me or I will get to him eventually, and by their numbers they will bog down the opponent and overwhelm or stalemate the combat. Flamers help quite a bit here to weaken several enemy squads at once before assaulting them (but do be careful not to deny yourself an assault by the enemy loosing their morale check or wiping too many), but I do see a warlock as essential. As in other positions he is expensive, but with the lesser weapon skill and weaker save, you will be taking more casualties than the other locking squads will, and you have to walk to your enemy if he doesn't approach you. For a footslogging squad that must approach their opponent conceal may be a good idea, but ideally I like enhance/embolden to assist their ability to stick in place against a large number of opponents.

Example Configuration:
202/207-Storm Guardians (20) 2xFlamer-Warlock-Enhance/Embolden

Purpose:
The most important point to make here is when and why we use a locking unit. There are many tactics/ways to use locking units beyond those that I will detail here, but the below are the main reasons I tend to take a locking unit.

Holding:
As illustrated in the quote above, I originally found a need to keep my opponent from redeploying his army or back-pedaling away from my transport thrust. I prefer this being done by units of jetbikes as they are fast enough to keep my opponent from knowing what they will do, and do not have to give up the surprise by waiting to get out of a transport. I initially would 'box in' my opponent by sending a locking unit into each flank so that my opponent would have to walk around the combat, or join it, either keeping my opponent from getting away, and then I would barrel directly into the center of my opponents army with my core units, thusly containing them. Often you may find yourself only needing to hold one flank down, or only stop one or two units from getting away as opposed to actually bottling up the whole opposing army, but the bottling up method is the extreme totalitarian version of 'holding'. This can be illustrated in the picture below in the Local Superiority section.

Local Superiority:
The second, and one of the most important uses for a locking unit is to alter the ratio of local superiority. If you are attacking a flank of elite warriors, even if you are attacking with units such as Harlequins and Howling Banshees certain armies front units that can pack a lot of power into a small area, which is a big part of CC. Your Banshees may be able to definitely smash apart a squad of terminators and then dance a jig on their mangled steaming corpses, but if you are facing one terminator squad, and an assault squad? You may cause a lot of casualties in the first round, but after that you will have lost models as well and wont have your charging bonus anymore, so the combat may stalemate with you loosing a lot of models. If you are facing even more squads at a time than this, will you succeed? Probably not. Let's say you aren't even lucky enough to be facing a single flank, the enemy is remaining united and you have to attack it as a whole, how are you going to take down eight squads at once when you only have three strong CC squads? This is the first place locking squads come in, effectively locking down and negating one or more enemy squads. Lets say you have two locking squads and three core squads. One locking squad assaults a single enemy unit, and the other locking squad is able to hold down two. This changes the ratio of enemy squads to your core-killing squads from 8-3 to 5-3, and if you use your transports to get precise assaults, and get the first attack, you are much more likely to succeed, especially if you factor in supporting fire from ranged elements, and adding other tactics such as the Lock & Hammer that will be discussed later. Below is a picture illustrating this facet of the locking technique. With the expensive nature of a mechanized host, we need efficiency everywhere we can get it, which means every combat should be a crushing victory in our favour, and trying to conserve as much of the force as possible as we will usually not have numerical superiority when it comes to comparing our entire army to that of the opposing commander. For every model we loose, we need to take several lives just to stay on top of things.

(Refer to picture A here)

Another scenario of Local Superiority use is splitting an army apart with locking units and forcing your opponent to be deployed in flanks, as if they were separated from each other with limited capacity to assist each other. Instead of the Holding example where we lock the sides and assault the center, we will lock one flank, and assault the other. This can effectively split off a large part of the opposing army, and force it to do nothing. You may choose to do this to isolate the more threatening parts of an enemy's army that is deployed in a certain area, or merely as a neat and precise way to achieve locking and local superiority with all the locking units working together, and all of the core units working together. This is my preferred method when attacking an opponent who deploys in a split flank, with one half deployed in each corner of his DZ, so as to force you to whether fire when approaching the first, and then again when approaching the second, or splitting your force to try to deal with each at the same time (which is often not a good idea unless you can form balanced battle-groups as described elsewhere in this article).

(Refer to picture B here)

Timing:
It is immensely important that when you are locking an enemy squad that you know you will be able to get core assault units and other elements of your army to support the locking unit before they finally get overwhelmed and wiped out. This technique was designed for a number of reasons, but the basis is to allow your army to attack the enemy head on, even if you are greatly outnumbered, and at any points level, with only three elites choices. This being said, if your whole army is not in a position to assault the enemy, or the detachment the locking unit is with is not ready to commit, then unless you really need to lock a unit, you should not dedicate the locking unit. This is an important part of your army, once you start using them, and as with anything in your army they are an investment of points. If they are not supported they will be lost for negligible, or at least inadequate, gains. Every time you send in a locking unit consider how long it may be until support can arrive, and if it's really worth disembarking or coming out of cover to act. The active locking unit only works because it is used in concert with other units. By it's very nature it does not exist to act alone, and when sacrificed should be done as a 'controlled burn', with the rest of the army/detachment/unit working with it coming in support before it's too far gone.

Other Techniques:
The above locking mechanisms are just the beginning, and there is much more that can be expanded upon and taken advantage of, especially as one applies this to other styles of army and indeed different races' armies than the Bahzhakhain. Think of how Tyranids use gargoyles to rush ahead and assault the enemy, stopping return fire and holding the enemy in place for the approaching MC's and slower moving units, and deep-striking units. How could your other armies benefit from a locking technique with the specific units and capabilities it contains?

The Lock & Hammer:
This is what I find to be the most important additional technique for the mechanized host of the Bahzhakhain. One of the original aims of the locking technique was to compensate for the structural change to the force organization chart of the Biel-Tan, now only allowing us three elite choices instead of the six we used to have. With the basic locking techniques and units above we were able to adjust the ratio of enemy units to friendly units that we deal with at one time so we aren't so encumbered at higher points level (at 1500-2000+ this can really start to be a problem), but with the Lock & Hammer technique we can use the combination of a locking unit and a hit & run unit as if it was another elites choice core CC unit. The essence of the Lock & Hammer technique is locking 1-3 units in place with a locking unit, and then chain assaulting them with a hit & run capable unit. Because of the added damage from the hit & run unit, the locking unit is able to take on more enemy models/units at a time, further increasing the ratio of friendly to enemy units in the assault phase.

In the picture below we can see the Shinning Spears and Dire Avengers working together to take care of the left flank. The Dire Avengers lock two and a half squads (of GEQ infantry, against MEQ and other opponents you may not want to bite off that much at once) with the Shinning Spears assaulting one squad, or more, at a time and then withdraw at the end of the phase to repeat it during the next turn. After the initial squad(s) that the Hammer unit assaults are wiped out, it precedes to wrap around and engage the remaining. If there are fewer opposing enemies, or if the two units finish their prey fast enough they can move on to support the core units directly. While this is going on (in the picture) the core units are free to attack the rest of the standing army, without the counter-assault that would result in the support of the units on the left flank. As the Harlequins are an excellent hit & run Hammer unit, we can have the banshees assault more than what they may usually try to wipe out in a turn, as the Harlequins will be helping by contributing attacks as well. In the picture the Harlequins are also assaulting a heavy weapon squad and an HQ squad, so may only be able to contribute attacks, but may be able to do enough attacks to those two to effectively break the squads, nullifying any return attacks on the Harlequins or Banshees.

(Refer to picture C here)

One thing to consider when using hit & run is what kind of fire you will receive when you are out of combat, and what kind of return attacks you will face in CC. If the bulk of your opponents' army is locked in CC or destroyed, then it won't be hazardous to back out at the end of a phase when it would transition to your opponents' movement and shooting phase. If you will face a lot of fire from units not yet locked (sometimes I ignore shooting units and tanks on account of my whole army being in CC so are therefore not threatened by ranged fire) it may be in your best interests not to use withdraw until it places you in the open during your own turn. Again, though, if your opponent is weak in CC, such as Imperial Guardsmen, and you are using a powerful CC unit that is not dependent on the charge (such as Harlequins or Warp Spiders instead of Shinning Spears) it may be worth it to stay in combat with the opponent, and avoid enemy fire, so only withdraw when it places you out of combat in your turn.

Let us now turn on to some of the primary Hammer units.

Shinning Spears:
This is my primary hit & run unit for the Lock & Hammer technique. They are not dependent on a transport, are mobile enough to keep up with the Bahzhakhain (unlike the Warp Spiders), and pack the most punch of the available options. They have considerable resilience, being on jetbikes, so any return attacks, unless they are power weapon attacks, are not likely to cause too much harm before the squad withdraws and goes for another attack. They also have an aspect warrior stat line, and the matching exarch equipment and power options. With Skillful Rider they can move into and out of difficult terrain without stressing you out too much, and the Star Lance adds extra punch. This is all on top of the Laser Lance, which, in my opinion rivals, if not surpasses the CC power of the Harlequins Kiss. This is an expensive unit, but if used carefully can be used consistently throughout the game to offer as much power as any of your best core CC units. When just going for a Hammer unit you can take smaller squads of three or four bikes, but I prefer five to ensure they don't get caught in the open and get wiped out when I am depending on it's support for it's corresponding locking unit. When fighting in larger engagements, especially competitive scenarios or tournaments, Orrrr when you just want the most power possible to act like a 4th core unit, I take an added Autarch. As Moc suggests, I keep him out of the squad until they are going to be moving in for the assault to take advantage of withdraw. Also worth mentioning is their capacity to take down vehicles and MC's with their high power lance attacks via shooting or CC.

Sample Configuration:
237-Shinning Spears (5)-Exarch-Withdraw-Skilled Rider-Star Lance
130-Autarch-Jetbike-Mandiblasters-Laser Lance

Harlequins:
The Harlequins are typically used as a core assault units, but because of their limit to a squad of six unless you want to footslog them they tend to be left with two options. One is to take on the smaller, but often more threatening, enemy units such as opposing HQ/heavy support squads. The second option is to either work with a locking unit or another core unit in order to take several units at once or larger squads/MC's. With their high weapon skill and rending weapons they can offer the power of a full size core unit, and have the capacity to go for MC's, vehicles, and heavy infantry alike. With their flip belts and hallucinogen grenades they retain the mobility of the faster Shinning Spears and Warp Spiders. Because of their unique abilities I prefer using Harlequins by themselves, with no added independent characters. I do always take a Shadow Seer to help them survive when they have to be/get caught in the open, and with the fragility of the Harlequins the hallucinogen grenades are an utter necessity. I personally find the other upgrade characters aren't necessary or worth the points, but that's a personal choice.

Sample Configuration:
158-Harlequins (6) 5xHarlequins Kiss-Shadow Seer
+Falcon

Warp Spiders:
This unit isn't very ideal for the Bahzhakhain army because of it's' slow movement speed (comparatively), and has the lowest power of the three. As with the others, they have an aspect warrior stat line, and have an unusually good armour save, as well as a good degree of independent mobility (aka no expensive transport). The power of this squad lies within the exarch equipped with power blades to give some definite quality kill(s). Even with the exarch this squad should probably only be used against either non-MEQ opponents or just keep in mind their limited CC power. You could add an Autarch for more of a punch, but the opportunity cost for him is about five Warp Spiders, and he tends to do a lot better on a jetbike with a Laser Lance. You can take him and he does well, he just doesn't tend to be as economical.

Sample Configuration:
~228-Warp Spiders 8-Exarch-Powerblades-Double Spinners-Withdraw

Reserve Locking and Hammer units:
Sometimes I make a two-point assault on the enemy, where I will move my attacking force up to the middle or so of the board, where I hide behind size three terrain and then make the final push the next turn, so that I may reach further, or have my jetbike elements keep up. Sometimes when I do this I keep a reserve element of a locking or hammer unit as a QRF (Quick Reactionary Force) to react and enforce any combats or flanks that need their assistance. This may just be a three man jetbike harassment team that shoots each turn until I need it to support a locking unit that is having to act on it's own longer than I thought, or it could be to delay an MC or other highly threatening/unexpected squad or occurrence. I could, though, keep a small detachment of a Lock & Hammer team, or just one of the two such as a Waveserpent of DA's, or a Shinning Spear squad, sequestering them away until I find it vital/worth it to dedicate them to the fray. Having powerful Hammer units ready to reinforce, or resilient locking units awaiting the eventuality of stopping an enemy movement/threat can be invaluable.