I'm running double Operatives

[Swift]

I planned prior to the patch to play more GK, so I decided I wanted to formulate a build for them, not for any strategic reasons but because I wanted to go with something more unique. And when the patch launched I found it's actually slightly viable.

The build order:
TI Strike Squad > Node + node/Node + generator > Operatives > Operatives > Aegis > Two generators
T2Purgation > Psycannons/Dreadnought > Various wargear and upgrades
T3You choose, I like Interceptors because I'm trying to avoid meta and such.

This build is not polished and I am relatively new to GK, so it's all WIP

Now we have a little disclaimer out of the way I want to explain what I do. In tier one the Brother Captain needs to fly far out of his nest, claim a contested power node or vp (or just a far point) whilst the rest of the army follows up. For the early engagements it is key to not split anything naturally, or the bleed will set you back. Aggressive Brother Captain play can prevent getting swarmed early on so I found pushing him up was very effective. Then come the Operatives. Great little unit for lying in wait to unleash a hailstorm of a salvo to anything approaching or stunning a setup team. When in pairs they bash generators super fast and have easy access due to speed.

I found my tier one is very effective this way and gives me the upper hand in many instances, and because of this I don't bleed much and Purgation are the obvious choice for long range firepower. My problem is that in tier two it all starts falling apart. A lot of power purchases must be made to keep things survivable so the question of what to get when is prevalent. Dread can be nice but the Operatives are micro intensive already so the Dread can become a bit of a liability.

I'm no strategist and some of what I've talked about is dead obvious to all competent players, but I think it's a fun build and offers for a very frustrating tier one for your opponent. I recommend at least running double Operatives once and bear in mind this is 1v1, I have no idea of the use of Operatives in larger game modes.

Tell me I'm a noob and doing it wrong, I want to make this foolproof.

[KoolKev77]

I found that one operative squad is more than enough. With the fallback option and fast running speed, I could pretty much keep them out of HQ. They're the unit that's on the field the longest. Plus, I can outrun a lot of units and stealth to get away, so I don't even have to hit the retreat button. I can also run up to whirlwinds and manticores while they're not looking and throw a satchel charge. Already blew up a whirlwind and razorback in a single game. One squad is already enough.

Initially, I ran double ist with 2 acolytes for extra damage and heals, but I found that I'm really not very tanky as a whole. Towards t2 and beyond, the double ist kind of becomes obsolete as a fighting force. They're not even good for backcapping because we have the operative now.

Now, I'm trying double ss in t1, then upgrading them both with psycannnons because of the slight dps buff so that they stay relevant to fighting. Plus, double SS makes gk tankier in t1, which due to the lost of purgs and int to later tiers, we lost.

[Cheekie Monkie]

I think double IST is still the go to build in 1v1, since they're so dominant in the early game and you really need the extra bodies on the ground to contest map control. An IST squad (preferably unupgraded) is still the better back capper in later stages of the game, since your ops is better served scouting, obtaining map awareness, supporting your army through the smoke bomb and through sudden ambushes.

That said, I do believe that good ops play is what will separate the truly great GK players from the simply good ones, since maneuvring, positioning and map awareness is key to using them effectively (and are incidentally some of the things which make a good player).

However, on the subject of double ops, rhinos generally scale better into T2, as at least you don't open yourself up to an early vehicle rush (unless you're running a heavy T1 with 2x IST, 1x strikes, 2x ops, 1x rhino, which isn't unfeasible)

[KoolKev77]

How do you do double IST and not get forced off too early? Feel like 2x IST makes gk too squishy. They're a unit that needs a lot of babysitting. And how does that work out in late game?

[Cheekie Monkie]

How do you do double IST and not get forced off too early? Feel like 2x IST makes gk too squishy. They're a unit that needs a lot of babysitting. And how does that work out in late game?

Barring strikes and the BC, GK in general is pretty squishy in T1, so players just need to stop playing them like SM and a bit more like eldar. ISTs now scale decently into the mid/late game due to the cost efficiency of warrior acolyte and the plasma gun (even the nade launcher sets stuff up for a stunbomb), making them effective in supporting your gunline due to their AOE health regen, though I don't think multiple acolytes stack. Keyword here is 'support' as your guys in power armour are in a better position to take the real hits. You can relegate your other IST squad to capping safe points if you're having trouble babysitting them and there's little need to reinforce them if you're only using them for this purpose.

[Adeptus Noobus]

I agree with Cheekie Monkie here. You need the second IST unit to stay on par with map control as Operatives, as powerful as they may be, will not hold you the map. The lack of a Rhino will most definitely encourage your opponent to go for the fast Walker/Vehicle also.

What the double Ops will do for you though, is give you the power to brutally ambush capping units or even flank in from the side, stun the enemy and completely negate any enemy fire for 5 seconds. That is more than enough time for your BC to close the distance and run riot amongst the enemy. Since the Operatives have very powerful burst damage too, they will make it hard for any T1 unit to simply run up to them to engage them in melee. You should also consider them to be your gen bashers as their shotguns do wonderous things to gens.

So if you can play your units like you'd play Eldar, get the gens early, delay your opponents T2, you might pull not fielding a Rhino off.

[Cyris]

I've tried double operatives once, mixed results. T2 is where it falls apart bad, as I just don't have a front line. It's like playing eldar without setup teams X.x I will deff try it more and see what it can do. Double IST seems important with it, BUT that means way too many fragile units in T2. Maybe invest heavily in upgrades on the single IST / BC...

[KoolKev77]

...though I don't think multiple acolytes stack. Keyword here is 'support' as your guys in power armour are in a better position to take the real hits. You can relegate your other IST squad to capping safe points if you're having trouble babysitting them and there's little need to reinforce them if you're only using them for this purpose.

Acolytes DO stack. Tested it, and other people confirmed it. I do like the buff to the nade launchers though, but like Cyris said, it's hard forming a front line without more power armor like ss.