Like all of us, I have been trowing hordes of minions to the Kill-Team only to see them slaughtered like if they were farm animals.

The most cruel tactics I have used to surprise my players have been "Oh, there was a Genestealer behind the door" or "Oh, they have just picked up 3 autocannons that they were hiding under that bed" and things like that. I would like to use real tactics with my minions, not just tricks.

I saw that someone posted the Canadian army tactics (thanks to you, someone-whose-name-I-can't-remember) and I used it: to bombard them with mortars as the minions advanced, firstly, minor minions, and then, well armed minions. They simply ignored the mortars and the two Assault Marines did the work.

So, any tactical suggestions for making minions respectable and worthy of response fire?

Thanks

P.D: I expect that I have expressed myself well. Let's only say that mi English is not perfect

Use more mortars

Assuming the minions have the resources, they might use tanks or APCs to close the distance. Air support, too.

If it's something like 'Nids, just make there be MORE minions, so that some will survive to close range even if the PCs are mowing them down at top speed.

Perhaps all your combat scenes need is more terrain. Ruined buildings, clumps of vegetation, you know, all the things the tabletop game uses to limit line of sight between long range units.

CruelGM said:

Better mortars- it needs to be able to scare and do damage to the DW Marines or they'll totally ignore them. If that fails, No-1 posted tank stats on another thread :-D

Also if you're assault marine heavy, start attaching a handful of elites to the hordes they're trying to engage. Give them something that can compete with them in hand to hand. Give the hordes the AMs are assaulting weapons that can hurt them (no primitive weapons please)- the lack of ability for the marines to dodge or parry the hand to hand attacks is a liability, exploit it.

As Steve-O says, use terrain, use the environment to your advantage. Set up strong points of heavy weapon teams- put them behind a rockcrete shield and that non-called-shotable heavy bolter will have a hard time chewing through all the armor. Give them air support. Entrench them in buildngs, set up booby traps. Get behind their lines, so when the assault marines charge ahead the back line is vulnerable to a flank attack.