Snipers and HQs

[trantos01]

So something that came up when thinking about the Primaris snipers and the new Ravenguard rules while I was tweaking my CC list. 

I don't often run into large groups of snipers at the Saturday games so I figured I ask: how do you deal with units that can and will blast your HQs off the board if they poke their heads out?

Because the only two options I see are try to blast the snipers before they can do a lot of damage or bring units that can defend characters.  Which sort of mentality tends to work out better?

[Malarks]

Having faced Cory, with his hordes of snipers, a lot - layered saves and high toughness help. All my characters ended up clumped around the Painboy (for the 6+++) and under the protection of the Big Mek's KFF (5++) and then healing any characters whom survive the barrage. Throwing a pile of Boyz at them, to tie them up, or hammering them with Smite had been my best means of dealing with them. Power Armour with cloaks and cover are difficult to shift (if one lacks effective ranged combat options, especially) Oh, and Grot Shields! Those are hella handy for weathering the fire from snipers.

Lacking an effective means of engaging the snipers, I tend to opt for avoiding the damage and focusing on attainable goals (securing objectives, krumpin' Primaris, etc)

[Jack Shrapnel]

if you're facing eliminators there's literally nothing you can do to protect the weaker buff characters (in your case cryptek) as they don't even need line of sight for one of their gun profiles. I haven't figured out a way to protect weaker buff characters (ie: my entire GSC army) from a phobos heavy marine army. (not having the ork options above which are pretty awesome!)

[trantos01]

And unlike Tau drones, my guardian units take a mortal wound for each point of damage dealt to their protectorate (they don't even get a FNP). So at most I can protect against 10 wounds assuming that I don't get the chance to bring back any of the guards.  Other downside is that I'd need to free up 130 points to bring a min sized squad.

So only option seems to be keep characters out of line of sight while rushing the snipers in hopes of killing them before they do too much damage.

[artonas]

I think a good idea to protect yourself against them is to hide. They can still shoot at you but their gun is much weaker and cant do mortal wounds. Until they are mostly gone or engaged in combat keep hidden, if it takes 2 or 3 turns to get rid of them its better to have your characters for a couple turns rather then not having them all game.
Have something fast moving that can engage them, either a flyer to move up and shoot em no matter where they are on the board or if you do have something that doesn't need line of sight like mortars or SMS for tau. I started to bring heldrakes again cause they move quick and can get into combat turn one with them and hopefully kill 2 squads out of the 3. Its not a perfect stradegy as i can easily loose the heldrakes but for necrons you could try some of the flyers. The doom scythes are quick and have d3 deathray shots, so if you can get close to the snipers, they wont be getting their -1 to hit and they wont be getting much armour with a -4. Its not perfect, theres also the FW night shroud with its bombs doing mortal wounds.

Hope this helps

[trantos01]

Unfortunately Necrons don't get consistent indirect fire unless I bring C'Tan and I don't have Doom Scythes. However destroyers are relatively quick and considering that the D.Arks can fly, I can plant them up high allowing for some very high AP/strength/damage shots on anything I need removed.