For 32 points, an allied (Daemon Hunters) Ordo Malleus Inquisitor and 2 Mystics is a no-brainer for most competitive Imperial Guard armies. This seemingly insignificant throw-away unit can make a properly outfitted army virtually unassailable via deep striking units. Because my Salamanders army is entirely reliant on the deep strike rules, figuring out how to overcome Mystics has become a chief concern, and Imperial Guard are hard enough to beat as it is.

The Inquisitor + Mystics combo is indeed powerful, but, like any strategy, it has weaknesses that can be exploited by a savvy opponent. As always, the first step to beating this tactic is to understand the rules that come into play.

Expect the Inquisition: Know the Mystic Rules

A single Mystic allows the inquisitorial unit to fire upon any unit which deep strikes within 4D6″ after it lands but before it takes any actions. Pretty pointless unless you take Warrior henchmen with special weapons.

The real nastiness is when you take 2 Mystics. Taking two allows any unit within 12″ of the unit containing the Mystics to fire on a unit deep striking within 4D6″ (of the Mystics’ unit). Keep them within a foot of a Leman Russ Executioner and anything landing near your army is deader than dead. It’s especially deadly because the shots are fired before you can use the Run rule to spread out.

Making things worse is the fact that you can embark the Mystics in a transport, which means that the 4D6″ is now measured from the hull of the vehicle, thereby increasing its range. (Using a Valkyrie for this is pointless because the height of the model subtracts several inches from the range, which is, on average, only 14″.)

How to Beat it

Having 5 plasma cannons thrown at your deep striking units before they can do anything can really ruin your day, but there are always ways to counter the counter.

Firstly, in order to maximize coverage by a unit of Mystics it is crucial to castle your army intelligently. 4D6″ will yield an average 14″ radius of coverage. A circle 28″ in diameter can seem like a lot, but the space is filled very quickly by a mechanized Imperial Guard force, and a buffer must be kept to prevent precision deep striking just outside the area of effect, but still within melta range.

Smart opponents will keep important, vulnerable targets (namely Heavy Support) and objectives well within the predicted Mystic range, however most 40k players aren’t that savvy. Identifying errors in deep strike defense is crucial for any army that makes use of the rule, particularly when Mystics are involved. Look for targets of opportunity on the fringes of the 14″ zone and drop near them, but on the side opposite the Mystics.

Do not make the mistake of getting baited into attacking unsupported units on the flanks unless you’re willing to sacrifice one unit for the other. IG players can stand to lose some cheap infantry sitting in a Chimera if it means his opponent will drop 220 points worth of Space Marines far from the real action, thus taking them completely out of the game.

It is also important to note that any unit shooting using the Mystics’ rule must obey the normal restrictions on shooting, namely range and line of sight. The unit that fires cannot pivot or move in any way, so they need to be able to see their target. Use terrain and even other enemy units to your advantage! Deep strike aggressively and position your units so that intervening models block line of sight. With so many vehicles on the board it will be difficult to deny you cover saves, if shots can even be taken against your unit at all.

Remember that the sponsons on a Leman Russ only have a 90 degree arc of fire. If the unit you want to hit with your deep strikers is covered by a Russ then try landing to the side or behind, which will deny at least one of the sponsons from shooting at you. The turret, unfortunately, has 360 LoS, so use intervening models and terrain.

If using Drop Pods, consult the Daemon Hunter codex FAQ. This document states that either the pod or the unit disembarking can be targeted, but not both. This means that you should always combat squad the disembarking unit. This yields 3 targets from which the IG player must pick to shoot at. Be sure to deploy your men the full 2″ from the pod otherwise you risk a smart player targeting the Drop Pod, but positioning the templates so they catch both the vehicle and your infantry.

Finally, it’s important to remember that 4D6″ is random. Deep strike intelligently and in cover. Expect to be shot at. When your opponent gets a crappy roll you’ll be pleasantly surprised. When he doesn’t, you’ll at least mitigate your losses, and hopefully still have enough left alive to be effective.