Well there you have it: Another set of hopes and dreams for abusive armies crushed and smothered in the wake of a new FAQ. I think that while the Coteaz henchmen spam was a great army archetype, it was definitely not what the designers intended it to be. It's still a nice army with some cheap, scoring utility units, and it's easily one of the more versatile lists available through this codex.
Anyhow, I have done several revisions of the army since the FAQ was released and it's finally come down to this list:
Grey Knights Army List - 2000 Points
Inquisitor Coteaz - 100
Librarian - 245
Master-crafted Force Halberd, Digital Weapons, Mastery Level 3, Might of Titan, Quicksilver, Sanctuary, The Shrouding, The Summoning, Warp Rift
Inquisitorial Henchmen #1 - 230
Jokaero x5, Chimera
Inquisitorial Henchmen #2 - 230
Jokaero x5, Chimera
Inquisitorial Henchmen #3 - 230
Jokaero x5, Chimera
Inquisitorial Hechmen #4 - 72
Warrior Acolyte x3, Meltagun x2, Rhino
Inquisitorial Hechmen #5 - 72
Warrior Acolyte x3, Meltagun x2, Rhino
Grey Knight Terminators - 495
2x GKT w/Psycannon & Halberd
2x GKT w/Storm Bolter & Daemonhammer
1x GKT Justicar w/Storm Bolter & Halberd
1x GKT w/Storm Bolter & Brotherhood Banner
4x GKT w/Storm Bolter & Halberd
Purifier Squad - 186
3x Halberd, 2x Psycannon, Rhino
Dreadnought - 140
2x Twin-Linked Autocannon, Psybolt Ammo, Warp Stabilization Field
The major changes to this list are the smaller-sized Purifier squad, another Jokaero unit, and of course the 'Psyfleman Dread.' I think this list has a ton of potential because it's got 1) lots of long-range, high strength firepower, 2) mech-power, 3) anti-horde (Jokaero & Purifiers), 4) six scoring units, 5) good, solid close combat capability, and 6) safety at long range (Shrouding + Reinforced Aegis).
The giant unit of GK Terminators can also give the army a 7th scoring unit by breaking into combat squads if absolutely necessary, but its main function is to create a wall of close-combat heft that can't easily be breached - 3+ cover save, 2+ armor, Psychic Hood, Stubborn, Initiative 6 instant death-causing weapons, and the ability to possibly deny a charge with Sanctuary. It can toss out a lot of dakka at 24", but its main long-range fire is from the 15 Jokaero weapons, 16 Psycannon shots, 4 Psy-Autocannon shots, 9 Multi-laser shots and 9 Heavy Bolter shots. That's not too shabby when it comes to wrecking vehicles (around four Rhinos per turn, barring cover saves, or 2 on average with them).
I figure that if the majority of all missions are objective-based, then the army with the most board control with lots of small units is going to end up on top. However, if kill points are the game, Coteaz is going to allow you to cut down on your opponent's chance to take the initiative away...which is especially handy when there are so many Dark Eldar armies out there at the moment utilizing Vect.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Bad Mechanic! (part 1)
Warhammer 40,000 5th Edition has been around for just about three years now, and the more I play the more I notice that there are certain mechanics in the system that are poorly implemented, poorly designed or both. To the credit of Games Workshop there are some situations where these mechanics are hold-overs from old editions while in others they are victims of an older codex in a new edition.
So what makes a bad mechanic? 40K relies heavily on its story and modeling aspects for player enjoyment so the primary mark of a bad mechanic in its system is when the desirable outcome of a situation goes against what feels might be the right militarily sound and intuition-rooted decision to make.
Stubborn. This universal special rule (USR for short) works poorly in so many situations for so many armies that I usually dismiss it. In 5th Edition, most of the time that your units are on the losing end of a close combat, it's because an opponent's specialized close combat unit has charged your unit that isn't good in that theater of combat. While the intuitive notion of 'hold at all costs!' comes to mind, the most desirable tactical outcome here is that your weaker unit will fall back away from the combat or be wiped out by it. This leaves the opponent's unit hanging in the wind, waiting for your guns to weaken and possibly destroy it. It's simply counter-intuitive that you would desire the destruction of one of your units.
The first time Stubborn showed up in 5th Edition was in Codex: Space Marines. Both Lysander and Kantor make their armies stubborn. In an army like Space Marines the majority of your units consist of ten or fewer models. Additionally, the natural tendencies of players building these armies will maximize their units so that their are either good in close combat or good at ranged combat. In some cases they are mediocre at both, but only out of necessity (Tactical and Scout squads). An unit that's good at close combat but is also Stubborn has little use for its USR. This means that you've paid too many points for that unit because it's not able to maximize its potential the same way it might if you had paid the points for another USR. For instance, an Assault squad in a Lysander-based SM force isn't as good as an Assault squad in a Shrike-based force. Since this maxim would apply to just about any unit that you might include in a Lysander-based force, you have to conclude that Stubborn is actually a drawback because it doesn't do anything for you unless you're on the losing end of a close combat. Any good 40K general will eventually realize that they shouldn't plan their tactics based on a strategy that relies on being on the losing side. In other words, you don't want to plan on losing a close combat just to use your Stubborn ability to stay in that losing combat. Ok, so there are a couple situations where it MIGHT be beneficial to hold your unit in a losing combat, but those situations are so few and far between (not to mention that they lead to unpredictable outcomes) that they simply aren't worth planning around.
Stubborn is utilized correctly in Codex: Imperial Guard. It's possibly to take large units of infantry (40+) that can be highly effective in close combat, even though they are highly likely to lose every round. They can win combat eventually, but they are going to do it through a gradual and grinding process of attrition. Then there are the highly specialized Penal Legion squads; these are cheap, disposable units that will stall the advance of an enemy that rates as mediocre in close combat. Finally, the ability of certain characters to provide Stubborn to units they don't have to join is invaluable since there is no chance of that baby being thrown away with the bathwater (you don't lose the sacrificial speed bump AND its supporting character in one fell swoop).
It seems that it may not be the actual Stubborn mechanic that is problematic, but merely its codex-level implementation. So if we could go in and surgically modify existing codices, what might be a few examples of a better place for the rule? Part of the answer lies in what I feel are the flaws of the Fearless mechanic.
See my next post about Fearless.
So what makes a bad mechanic? 40K relies heavily on its story and modeling aspects for player enjoyment so the primary mark of a bad mechanic in its system is when the desirable outcome of a situation goes against what feels might be the right militarily sound and intuition-rooted decision to make.
Stubborn. This universal special rule (USR for short) works poorly in so many situations for so many armies that I usually dismiss it. In 5th Edition, most of the time that your units are on the losing end of a close combat, it's because an opponent's specialized close combat unit has charged your unit that isn't good in that theater of combat. While the intuitive notion of 'hold at all costs!' comes to mind, the most desirable tactical outcome here is that your weaker unit will fall back away from the combat or be wiped out by it. This leaves the opponent's unit hanging in the wind, waiting for your guns to weaken and possibly destroy it. It's simply counter-intuitive that you would desire the destruction of one of your units.
The first time Stubborn showed up in 5th Edition was in Codex: Space Marines. Both Lysander and Kantor make their armies stubborn. In an army like Space Marines the majority of your units consist of ten or fewer models. Additionally, the natural tendencies of players building these armies will maximize their units so that their are either good in close combat or good at ranged combat. In some cases they are mediocre at both, but only out of necessity (Tactical and Scout squads). An unit that's good at close combat but is also Stubborn has little use for its USR. This means that you've paid too many points for that unit because it's not able to maximize its potential the same way it might if you had paid the points for another USR. For instance, an Assault squad in a Lysander-based SM force isn't as good as an Assault squad in a Shrike-based force. Since this maxim would apply to just about any unit that you might include in a Lysander-based force, you have to conclude that Stubborn is actually a drawback because it doesn't do anything for you unless you're on the losing end of a close combat. Any good 40K general will eventually realize that they shouldn't plan their tactics based on a strategy that relies on being on the losing side. In other words, you don't want to plan on losing a close combat just to use your Stubborn ability to stay in that losing combat. Ok, so there are a couple situations where it MIGHT be beneficial to hold your unit in a losing combat, but those situations are so few and far between (not to mention that they lead to unpredictable outcomes) that they simply aren't worth planning around.
Stubborn is utilized correctly in Codex: Imperial Guard. It's possibly to take large units of infantry (40+) that can be highly effective in close combat, even though they are highly likely to lose every round. They can win combat eventually, but they are going to do it through a gradual and grinding process of attrition. Then there are the highly specialized Penal Legion squads; these are cheap, disposable units that will stall the advance of an enemy that rates as mediocre in close combat. Finally, the ability of certain characters to provide Stubborn to units they don't have to join is invaluable since there is no chance of that baby being thrown away with the bathwater (you don't lose the sacrificial speed bump AND its supporting character in one fell swoop).
It seems that it may not be the actual Stubborn mechanic that is problematic, but merely its codex-level implementation. So if we could go in and surgically modify existing codices, what might be a few examples of a better place for the rule? Part of the answer lies in what I feel are the flaws of the Fearless mechanic.
See my next post about Fearless.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Hey I Know That Dude!
Grey Knights are the new pink. They are the new Space Marines. They have the focus and power level of a specialized army, and the lack of diversity that I've been hoping new Space Marine armies will lean towards!
I've had the army for years (since Codex: Daemonhunters was released) and until now it's been completely disappointing. I refused to use their mini henchmen units to supplement my Imperial Guard army. I refused to use their codex to build a stand-alone army list. I don't like paying 275+ points for a Land Raider and putting all my eggs in one basket. I didn't like relying on dreadnoughts for my heavy support. I just hated using every ounce of that army... okay, so I didn't mind paying 275 points for a Grand Master and having him ride around in an empty Chimera...
With the new Codex: Grey Knights I see nothing but possibilities for fresh, new army lists and ways to potentially abuse the book's balance inequities. Heck, I didn't even have to look over the codex very thoroughly to find some shining, evil gems.
I've come up with the following 2000 point list, and while it slightly resembles a few other lists floating around out there, I think it has a lot of merit.
Inquisitor Coteaz
Librarian (mastery level 3, master-crafted nemesis force halberd, digital weapons, might of titan, quicksilver, the shrouding, vortex of doom, warp rift)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #1 (5x jokaero, chimera)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #2 (5x jokaero, chimera)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #3 (5x jokaero, chimera)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #4 (3x warrior acolyte, 2x meltagun, rhino)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #5 (3x warrior acolyte, 2x meltagun, rhino)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #6 (3x warrior acolyte, 2x meltagun, rhino)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #7 (3x warrior acolyte, 2x meltagun, rhino)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #8 (3x warrior acolyte, 2x flamer, rhino)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #9 (9x death cult assassin, rhino)
Dreadnought (2x twin-linked autocannon, psybolt ammunition)
Techmarine (rad grenades, pychotroke grenades, meltabombs)
Purifiers (5x purifiers, 2x psycannon, rhino)
Of course the legality of the list depends on an upcoming GW FAQ which will most likely determine that the number of Inquisitorial Henchmen units Coteaz allows is limited to the number of troop slots on the force org chart. But for the time being, I think it's completely legitimate! Realistically speaking I will probably convert the excess henchmen units into another unit of Purifiers.
The army basically functions in the same fashion as an IG force: sit there and blast things from a distance, then blast things from close up, then roll over everything with a massive number of flame templates. Finally, if there's anything the firepower can't handle, then certainly the Librarian, Assassins, Techmarine and Purifiers will mop up what's left. The defensive aspect of the list is a simple combination of vehicles providing cover to other vehicles, The Shrouding providing +1 to their cover saves, and the Dreadnought warding off psychic attacks in combination with the Librarian's psychic hood. If Daemons are in play, then Coteaz can sit with the purifiers in the open in order to use "I've Been Expecting You."
I've had the army for years (since Codex: Daemonhunters was released) and until now it's been completely disappointing. I refused to use their mini henchmen units to supplement my Imperial Guard army. I refused to use their codex to build a stand-alone army list. I don't like paying 275+ points for a Land Raider and putting all my eggs in one basket. I didn't like relying on dreadnoughts for my heavy support. I just hated using every ounce of that army... okay, so I didn't mind paying 275 points for a Grand Master and having him ride around in an empty Chimera...
With the new Codex: Grey Knights I see nothing but possibilities for fresh, new army lists and ways to potentially abuse the book's balance inequities. Heck, I didn't even have to look over the codex very thoroughly to find some shining, evil gems.
I've come up with the following 2000 point list, and while it slightly resembles a few other lists floating around out there, I think it has a lot of merit.
Inquisitor Coteaz
Librarian (mastery level 3, master-crafted nemesis force halberd, digital weapons, might of titan, quicksilver, the shrouding, vortex of doom, warp rift)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #1 (5x jokaero, chimera)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #2 (5x jokaero, chimera)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #3 (5x jokaero, chimera)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #4 (3x warrior acolyte, 2x meltagun, rhino)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #5 (3x warrior acolyte, 2x meltagun, rhino)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #6 (3x warrior acolyte, 2x meltagun, rhino)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #7 (3x warrior acolyte, 2x meltagun, rhino)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #8 (3x warrior acolyte, 2x flamer, rhino)
Inquisitorial Henchmen #9 (9x death cult assassin, rhino)
Dreadnought (2x twin-linked autocannon, psybolt ammunition)
Techmarine (rad grenades, pychotroke grenades, meltabombs)
Purifiers (5x purifiers, 2x psycannon, rhino)
Of course the legality of the list depends on an upcoming GW FAQ which will most likely determine that the number of Inquisitorial Henchmen units Coteaz allows is limited to the number of troop slots on the force org chart. But for the time being, I think it's completely legitimate! Realistically speaking I will probably convert the excess henchmen units into another unit of Purifiers.
The army basically functions in the same fashion as an IG force: sit there and blast things from a distance, then blast things from close up, then roll over everything with a massive number of flame templates. Finally, if there's anything the firepower can't handle, then certainly the Librarian, Assassins, Techmarine and Purifiers will mop up what's left. The defensive aspect of the list is a simple combination of vehicles providing cover to other vehicles, The Shrouding providing +1 to their cover saves, and the Dreadnought warding off psychic attacks in combination with the Librarian's psychic hood. If Daemons are in play, then Coteaz can sit with the purifiers in the open in order to use "I've Been Expecting You."
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Eldar: Bringing Back Porch Mon-Keigh
Over the past two and a half years that 40k 5th edition has been out, several armies have taken a massive dip in popularity. Perhaps it's not so much a dip in their popularity, but instead their inability to keep up with the massive amount of 'codex creep' we've seen amongst newer books; some books have even become completely deficient because of 5th edition rules changes (e.g. Necrons).
Next to the Tau, Necrons and Witchhunters, the Eldar are one of those armies that can't seem to compete. Stand them up next to their Dark Eldar counterparts and you can see the massive deficit in effectiveness vs. point cost. For example, a unit of Guardian Defenders costs 80 points for 10 models and pays 30 points for a Bright Lance. Compare this to the Kabalite Warriors of the Dark Eldar - 115 points for 10 models with higher BS/WS/I as well as more versatile weaponry with a longer range, plus the ability to take a 'special' weapon.
Ok, so... some players might say that basic troops aren't the benchmark by which to measure an army. What about dedicated transports? For the Eldar to transport their units they pay a minimum of 100 points. Imperial Guard have Chimeras with slightly worse armor but the same (if not better) firepower, but for almost half the price.
About the only things that the Eldar have that can compare to high-powered units in other books are their Fire Prisms and Rangers. I would also venture to say that some of their Aspect Warriors units are almost worth their points cost, but the prospect of paying 15+ points per model with T3 and a 4+ save is daunting when you consider that the only way they're going to survive enemy fire is if they pay that extra 100 points for a Wave Serpent.
Finally, while many Eldar units might seem brutally efficient when it comes to offense, they can only achieve maximum effectiveness when they work in combination with other units. If one fragile unit must rely on another fragile unit in order to hit its peak power level, their collective reliability is sub-par.
All this being said, I think that if a savvy Eldar player takes a highly efficient army, it's possible for them to come close to being competitive.
Here's an attempt at utilizing them:
Farseer - 168
Singing Spear, Runes of Warding, Runes of Witnessing, Spirit Stones, Doom, Guide, Mind War
Howling Banshees #1 (10) - 282
Exarch with Mirrorswords, Wave Serpent with Shuriken Cannons
Howling Banshees #2 (10) - 282
Exarch with Mirrorswords, Wave Serpent with Shuriken Cannons
Guardian Defender Squad #1 (10) - 110
Bright Lance
Guardian Defender Squad #2 (10) - 110
Bright Lance
Guardian Defender Squad #3 (10) - 110
Bright Lance
Guardian Defender Squad #4 (10) - 110
Bright Lance
Pathfinders #1 (10) - 240
Pathfinders #2 (10) - 240
Fire Prism #1 - 115
Fire Prism #2 - 115
Fire Prism #3 - 115
For being a deficient codex, there's a lot of potential here for long-range anti-armor. Against an average MEQ force four Bright Lances and three Prism Cannons can smash up a couple transports each turn. Once the transports are dead the massed sniper fire of the Pathfinders and the low AP of the Prism Cannon templates can shred any troops (or hordes of troops). The Howling Banshees are just there for clean up duty (or for counter-charging depending on the opponent).
Where does the army fail? It falls way, way short when fighting off an army with 10+ vehicles backed up by a lot of Heavy Flamers (e.g. Imperial Guard). Against other top tier forces it usually can't compete with their speed.
Next to the Tau, Necrons and Witchhunters, the Eldar are one of those armies that can't seem to compete. Stand them up next to their Dark Eldar counterparts and you can see the massive deficit in effectiveness vs. point cost. For example, a unit of Guardian Defenders costs 80 points for 10 models and pays 30 points for a Bright Lance. Compare this to the Kabalite Warriors of the Dark Eldar - 115 points for 10 models with higher BS/WS/I as well as more versatile weaponry with a longer range, plus the ability to take a 'special' weapon.
Ok, so... some players might say that basic troops aren't the benchmark by which to measure an army. What about dedicated transports? For the Eldar to transport their units they pay a minimum of 100 points. Imperial Guard have Chimeras with slightly worse armor but the same (if not better) firepower, but for almost half the price.
About the only things that the Eldar have that can compare to high-powered units in other books are their Fire Prisms and Rangers. I would also venture to say that some of their Aspect Warriors units are almost worth their points cost, but the prospect of paying 15+ points per model with T3 and a 4+ save is daunting when you consider that the only way they're going to survive enemy fire is if they pay that extra 100 points for a Wave Serpent.
Finally, while many Eldar units might seem brutally efficient when it comes to offense, they can only achieve maximum effectiveness when they work in combination with other units. If one fragile unit must rely on another fragile unit in order to hit its peak power level, their collective reliability is sub-par.
All this being said, I think that if a savvy Eldar player takes a highly efficient army, it's possible for them to come close to being competitive.
Here's an attempt at utilizing them:
Farseer - 168
Singing Spear, Runes of Warding, Runes of Witnessing, Spirit Stones, Doom, Guide, Mind War
Howling Banshees #1 (10) - 282
Exarch with Mirrorswords, Wave Serpent with Shuriken Cannons
Howling Banshees #2 (10) - 282
Exarch with Mirrorswords, Wave Serpent with Shuriken Cannons
Guardian Defender Squad #1 (10) - 110
Bright Lance
Guardian Defender Squad #2 (10) - 110
Bright Lance
Guardian Defender Squad #3 (10) - 110
Bright Lance
Guardian Defender Squad #4 (10) - 110
Bright Lance
Pathfinders #1 (10) - 240
Pathfinders #2 (10) - 240
Fire Prism #1 - 115
Fire Prism #2 - 115
Fire Prism #3 - 115
For being a deficient codex, there's a lot of potential here for long-range anti-armor. Against an average MEQ force four Bright Lances and three Prism Cannons can smash up a couple transports each turn. Once the transports are dead the massed sniper fire of the Pathfinders and the low AP of the Prism Cannon templates can shred any troops (or hordes of troops). The Howling Banshees are just there for clean up duty (or for counter-charging depending on the opponent).
Where does the army fail? It falls way, way short when fighting off an army with 10+ vehicles backed up by a lot of Heavy Flamers (e.g. Imperial Guard). Against other top tier forces it usually can't compete with their speed.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Rise of the Dark Eldar
It seems that after the massive glut of Space Marine variant codex releases in the past two years, GW has not only decided to release a xenos codex, but a codex that hasn't seen a revision since 1997. That's right - thirteen years is by far the longest that we've had to wait for the revision of an old faction. And I don't care what you may have heard about it; it's a ridiculously good army.
When I first heard about the new Dark Eldar I wondered if it would be drastically different from their older iteration. Let me clarify. When looking over old Dark Eldar army lists there were four questions that came to mind: How many dark lances are there? Is there an Incubi retinue? Which Raiders are carrying the Wych squads? And finally, which Wyches have which combat drugs?
The older book had very little in the way of effective units, and those were so effective that they completely eclipsed all others (the 'others' were simply far too underpowered for their points cost). Its wargear selection was infuriating, for once again, the only selections were either over- or under-powered. Nothing seemed balanced or generally effective. They were a do or die force that often died in the hands of an average player.
The new codex offers a massive variety of options, a vast majority of which are effective in their own way. It might have been an overly bland book had the new Power From Pain rules not existed. It could have faltered if poisoned weapons weren't a staple for many of the book's units. I probably wouldn't have bought the codex if its independent characters could have purchased Jetbikes or Skyboards... But thanks to good development, foresight, planning, and a willingness to segregate and pare down the army's capabilities, the Dark Eldar are far, far better and more balanced than they could have been. I love this codex. It doesn't go the distance that Codex: Imperial Guard went with its ridiculous level of firepower. It doesn't lend itself to outlandishly buffed up units like Codex: Space Wolves. It doesn't have the ability to do EVERYTHING, which is the sign of both good design and good development. It has two horrible, glaring flaws (at least to me). One is the disappointing inclusion of Power From Pain on Beastmasters. This is the one instance where I have to say "Just throw out your consistency and write the rules as you want them to be played." The second is the frightening effectiveness of the Ravager that nearly invalidates the inclusion of any other heavy support selection.
When I began building this army I immediately wanted to set to work maximizing the potential combination of dark lance spam and amazing close combat capability. Beastmasters, Incubi, Wyches and Kabalite Warriors (not to mention the all-powerful Ravager). The force organization slot I utilized least was, surprisingly, HQ.
After a few heavy modifications of the list (and the removal of the Beastmasters), I was fairly confident that I'd found my stride and was ready to start bashing heads together.
HQ
Archon - 185
ghostplate armor, soul trap, clone field, combat drugs, phantasm grenade launcher, blast pistol, huskblade
Haemonculus - 70
crucible of malediction
Elite
Hekatrix Bloodbrides (10) - 275
syren, blast pistol, agoniser, phantasm grenade launcher, 3x hydra gauntlets, raider
Incubi (10) - 280
raider
Troops
Kabalite Warriors (10) - 130
dark lance, blaster
Kabalite Warriors (10) - 130
dark lance, blaster
Kabalite Warriors (10) - 130
dark lance, blaster
Kabalite Warriors (10) - 200
dark lance, blaster, raider, shock prow, torment grenade launcher
Wyches (15) - 255
hekatrix, blast pistol, agoniser, 3x shardnet & impaler, haywire grenades
Heavy Support
Ravager - 115
night shields
Ravager - 115
night shields
Ravager - 115
night shields
This particular configuration was difficult to settle on, but in the end the sixteen dark lances, four blasters, three blast pistols, a slew of poisoned weapons and the potential to kill just about anything in the game in hand-to-hand combat (including a C'tan, TH&SS Terminators, etc.) won me over. The only other modification to this list I have made was swapping out the Bloodbrides for a unit of Beastmasters (5 masters, 20 kymerae and 1 clawed fiend). After doing some points juggling with vehicle upgrades that I don't like taking, it's a good possibility.
When I first heard about the new Dark Eldar I wondered if it would be drastically different from their older iteration. Let me clarify. When looking over old Dark Eldar army lists there were four questions that came to mind: How many dark lances are there? Is there an Incubi retinue? Which Raiders are carrying the Wych squads? And finally, which Wyches have which combat drugs?
The older book had very little in the way of effective units, and those were so effective that they completely eclipsed all others (the 'others' were simply far too underpowered for their points cost). Its wargear selection was infuriating, for once again, the only selections were either over- or under-powered. Nothing seemed balanced or generally effective. They were a do or die force that often died in the hands of an average player.
The new codex offers a massive variety of options, a vast majority of which are effective in their own way. It might have been an overly bland book had the new Power From Pain rules not existed. It could have faltered if poisoned weapons weren't a staple for many of the book's units. I probably wouldn't have bought the codex if its independent characters could have purchased Jetbikes or Skyboards... But thanks to good development, foresight, planning, and a willingness to segregate and pare down the army's capabilities, the Dark Eldar are far, far better and more balanced than they could have been. I love this codex. It doesn't go the distance that Codex: Imperial Guard went with its ridiculous level of firepower. It doesn't lend itself to outlandishly buffed up units like Codex: Space Wolves. It doesn't have the ability to do EVERYTHING, which is the sign of both good design and good development. It has two horrible, glaring flaws (at least to me). One is the disappointing inclusion of Power From Pain on Beastmasters. This is the one instance where I have to say "Just throw out your consistency and write the rules as you want them to be played." The second is the frightening effectiveness of the Ravager that nearly invalidates the inclusion of any other heavy support selection.
When I began building this army I immediately wanted to set to work maximizing the potential combination of dark lance spam and amazing close combat capability. Beastmasters, Incubi, Wyches and Kabalite Warriors (not to mention the all-powerful Ravager). The force organization slot I utilized least was, surprisingly, HQ.
After a few heavy modifications of the list (and the removal of the Beastmasters), I was fairly confident that I'd found my stride and was ready to start bashing heads together.
HQ
Archon - 185
ghostplate armor, soul trap, clone field, combat drugs, phantasm grenade launcher, blast pistol, huskblade
Haemonculus - 70
crucible of malediction
Elite
Hekatrix Bloodbrides (10) - 275
syren, blast pistol, agoniser, phantasm grenade launcher, 3x hydra gauntlets, raider
Incubi (10) - 280
raider
Troops
Kabalite Warriors (10) - 130
dark lance, blaster
Kabalite Warriors (10) - 130
dark lance, blaster
Kabalite Warriors (10) - 130
dark lance, blaster
Kabalite Warriors (10) - 200
dark lance, blaster, raider, shock prow, torment grenade launcher
Wyches (15) - 255
hekatrix, blast pistol, agoniser, 3x shardnet & impaler, haywire grenades
Heavy Support
Ravager - 115
night shields
Ravager - 115
night shields
Ravager - 115
night shields
This particular configuration was difficult to settle on, but in the end the sixteen dark lances, four blasters, three blast pistols, a slew of poisoned weapons and the potential to kill just about anything in the game in hand-to-hand combat (including a C'tan, TH&SS Terminators, etc.) won me over. The only other modification to this list I have made was swapping out the Bloodbrides for a unit of Beastmasters (5 masters, 20 kymerae and 1 clawed fiend). After doing some points juggling with vehicle upgrades that I don't like taking, it's a good possibility.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Pre-Heresy List #4: Thousand Sons
This army was a real challenge to work on, as themed lists go, and I took a long, long time to decide how I wanted it to turn out. I'm not 100% sure that I'm finished with it yet, but I can't be far off.
Creating the parameters for the list was key.
1) It had to look better on the table than my previous themed lists. My other three pre-heresy lists are neat, but they really lack any kind of visual pizazz; it's mainly because they are functionally 'mech' lists and all their foot troops are mounted in transports. This is great for in-game effectiveness, but visually you're not getting that 'pop' that the 1Ksons have the potential for.
2) It had to function in a similar fashion to how the army worked in the novel A Thousand Sons (for obvious reasons). This is by far the most difficult parameter to follow because I had to search through all the SM and CSM variations to find the right fit.
3) It had to be at least marginally effective on the table. It doesn't need to be a killer army, but it needs to be able to hold its own.
4) It had to function differently than my other armies. A lot of pre-heresy forces seemed to be similar in the background story. The 30K Space Marine Legions were massive force 100,000 strong, led by gods, carried by fleets of thousands of ships. You lose a lot of character when dealing with numbers of such a grand scale. I couldn't just use some tactical and devastator squads - I had to make a whole new type of force.
Ironically, I chose Codex: Space Wolves to help me represent my Thousand Sons. This codex showed the greatest potential for several reasons: A) it allowed me to use four psyker characters, B) it allowed me to represent the robot constructs in both a mechanical and thematic way, C) it wasn't a Codex: Space Marines list, and D) it allowed me to represent psykers not only with HQ character models, but also with models that wield plasma weaponry. I would simply use outstretched arms and green stuff to represent 'psychic blasts.'
Here's the list I chose to use, and which I will augment with bits selections from both Chapterhouse and MaxMini:
Rune Priest #1 - living lightning & murderous hurricane
Rune Priest #2 - jaws of the world wolf & murderous hurricane
Rune Priest #3 - jaws of the world wolf & living lightning
Rune Priest #4 - jaws of the world wolf & storm caller
Skyclaw Assault Pack (10) - powerfist
Longfang Pack (6) - missile launcher x5
Wolf Guard Pack (10) -
- power armor w/plasma pistol & power weapon (x4)
- power armor w/jump pack, plasma pistol & power weapon (x1)
- terminator armor w/combi-plasma & wolf claw (x2)
- terminator armor w/cyclone missile launcher, combi-plasma & wolf claw (x2)
- terminator armor w/combi-plasma & powerfist (x1)
Grey Hunter Pack #1 (10) - plasma gun x2, plasma pistol
Grey Hunter Pack #2 (10) - plasma gun x2, plasma pistol
Grey Hunter Pack #3 (8) - meltagun, plasma pistol, power weapon, mark of the wulfen, rhino
Grey Hunter Pack #4 (8) - meltagun, plasma pistol, power weapon, mark of the wulfen, rhino
It's a relatively small force of 68 models and it's mainly a bunch of foot troopers. I originally thought that I would mount the entire force in Drop Pods, but that idea seemed anathema to the way the army fought in the novel. It is still an option, as is the exclusion of the Terminators to make way for additional Grey Hunter units and regular Wolf Guard. I originally had a more varied weapon selection for the Long Fangs, but I decided to make a sacrifice here in the name of effectiveness. There still may be some changes to make in whether or not I actually use the Skyclaws. Their BS/WS are different than the regular foot troopers, which kind of goes against the way the 1Ksons Astartes run their legion.
Creating the parameters for the list was key.
1) It had to look better on the table than my previous themed lists. My other three pre-heresy lists are neat, but they really lack any kind of visual pizazz; it's mainly because they are functionally 'mech' lists and all their foot troops are mounted in transports. This is great for in-game effectiveness, but visually you're not getting that 'pop' that the 1Ksons have the potential for.
2) It had to function in a similar fashion to how the army worked in the novel A Thousand Sons (for obvious reasons). This is by far the most difficult parameter to follow because I had to search through all the SM and CSM variations to find the right fit.
3) It had to be at least marginally effective on the table. It doesn't need to be a killer army, but it needs to be able to hold its own.
4) It had to function differently than my other armies. A lot of pre-heresy forces seemed to be similar in the background story. The 30K Space Marine Legions were massive force 100,000 strong, led by gods, carried by fleets of thousands of ships. You lose a lot of character when dealing with numbers of such a grand scale. I couldn't just use some tactical and devastator squads - I had to make a whole new type of force.
Ironically, I chose Codex: Space Wolves to help me represent my Thousand Sons. This codex showed the greatest potential for several reasons: A) it allowed me to use four psyker characters, B) it allowed me to represent the robot constructs in both a mechanical and thematic way, C) it wasn't a Codex: Space Marines list, and D) it allowed me to represent psykers not only with HQ character models, but also with models that wield plasma weaponry. I would simply use outstretched arms and green stuff to represent 'psychic blasts.'
Here's the list I chose to use, and which I will augment with bits selections from both Chapterhouse and MaxMini:
Rune Priest #1 - living lightning & murderous hurricane
Rune Priest #2 - jaws of the world wolf & murderous hurricane
Rune Priest #3 - jaws of the world wolf & living lightning
Rune Priest #4 - jaws of the world wolf & storm caller
Skyclaw Assault Pack (10) - powerfist
Longfang Pack (6) - missile launcher x5
Wolf Guard Pack (10) -
- power armor w/plasma pistol & power weapon (x4)
- power armor w/jump pack, plasma pistol & power weapon (x1)
- terminator armor w/combi-plasma & wolf claw (x2)
- terminator armor w/cyclone missile launcher, combi-plasma & wolf claw (x2)
- terminator armor w/combi-plasma & powerfist (x1)
Grey Hunter Pack #1 (10) - plasma gun x2, plasma pistol
Grey Hunter Pack #2 (10) - plasma gun x2, plasma pistol
Grey Hunter Pack #3 (8) - meltagun, plasma pistol, power weapon, mark of the wulfen, rhino
Grey Hunter Pack #4 (8) - meltagun, plasma pistol, power weapon, mark of the wulfen, rhino
It's a relatively small force of 68 models and it's mainly a bunch of foot troopers. I originally thought that I would mount the entire force in Drop Pods, but that idea seemed anathema to the way the army fought in the novel. It is still an option, as is the exclusion of the Terminators to make way for additional Grey Hunter units and regular Wolf Guard. I originally had a more varied weapon selection for the Long Fangs, but I decided to make a sacrifice here in the name of effectiveness. There still may be some changes to make in whether or not I actually use the Skyclaws. Their BS/WS are different than the regular foot troopers, which kind of goes against the way the 1Ksons Astartes run their legion.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Utilizing Kor'sarro
Kor'sarro Khan is, by far, the weakest special character in Codex: Space Marines. Vulkan gives direct offensive benefits to all your thunderhammers, melta- weapons and flamers. Lysander is an offensive monster that buffs your army's ability to hold its ground (which can be a drawback if you're not careful). Calgar is the slayer of all things large and small, while providing the benefits normally only gained by an inquisitor lord to your squads. Even Tigurius helps out with eclectic armies that need to make coordinated strikes (not to mention that he can pull some amazing stuff out of his bag of psychic tricks). Shrike turns your marines into a speedy assault force.
...but what does Kor'sarro Khan do? He gets some special equipment and rules for himself, all he does is allow your more mobile units to outflank. So let's analyze this in its entirety.
1) He and his squad have furious charge. This is great for Khan joining a unit of assault terminators if he's on foot, or perhaps a bike-mounted command squad with power weapons. It's also nice for any other characters that want to join up with that unit like a chaplain or librarian. Take the chaplain for maximum carnage, or take the librarian for precision strikes. Nothing says 'kill' like an I5 epistolary with S7.
2) He and his squad have hit-and-run. While the effectiveness of the bonuses conferred by this ability are debatable, there are ways to turn up the dial on its power level. The main reason to use hit-and-run is to either a) escape from an undesirable combat or b) make a mildly effective charge to block your unit from being shot during your opponent's next shooting phase. So if you're using high-cost, large, resilient units that aren't very effective in close combat but are decent at dishing out the firepower, then go for it. Use the largest unit of bikes possible, led by a power weapon-wielding veteran sergeant and the Khan... or else a large unit of foot-slogging shooty terminators.
3) Moondrakken is just a bike. The only reason to use it is if you want to use the Khan to lead up a fast-moving unit that's not vehicle mounted (assault squad, bikes). If you feel the need for the Khan to leave his unit and attack a vehicle on his own or assault a small vulnerable artillery team, then he may want to leave his unit, running during the shooting phase and then charging. This just seems like a helpful option that will never see substantial use because of the subsequent vulnerable situation in which you leave the Khan after he does his damage.
4) Moonfang is a nice gem that makes the Khan just a little more tempting. While the ability to cause instant death is nice, there are tons of characters (as well as the entire Daemon army) that are immune to it. Considering that the Khan only has five attacks on the turn he charges and causes instant death only on a to-wound roll of six, it would seem beneficial to attach a chaplain to help raise the possibility that he'll hit that one six.
5) Anyone who's played an objective-based game against an army with a hefty amount of scoring units (or just a high quantity of units in general) knows that it's an uphill battle. Using bikes as scoring troop units gives you the versatility of having fast-moving anti-everything units turbo-boosting their way towards controlling or contesting objectives in the late game. It becomes much easier to manage your units' movements when you have a large web of redundancy in your usually non-scoring units to back up your objective-capturing plans.
6) Outflanking has always been and will always be a mixed bag; honestly it's just an empty bag if you ask me. Against a good player with a versatile force and the ability to mass firepower it's just a bad bet because you're dialing down your army's efficiency to take a chance at increasing that efficiency at some later point in the game. What this does is make your opponent's decision making easier. He has fewer targets and more flexibility in his target selection process. But I digress. If you're going to use the Khan's abilities, then it's best to keep this one as an option against an opponent who has decided to use similar options. Try keeping one unit in reserve; this is preferably a bike squad that can minimize the impact of having it show up on the wrong side of the table by turbo-boosting. It's probably a good idea to use this unit in an army where the Khan is on a bike and riding with a biker command squad; the remainder of your force should be fast-moving as well so that you can put pressure on one half of your opponent's force right out of the gate. This way, when your reserve bikers show up, they can either a) press the existing advantage you have in sub-dividing your opponent's army, or b) have a unit in their backfield that's there to finish what the rest of your army started (or tie things up until your main force can bridge the gap).
...but what does Kor'sarro Khan do? He gets some special equipment and rules for himself, all he does is allow your more mobile units to outflank. So let's analyze this in its entirety.
1) He and his squad have furious charge. This is great for Khan joining a unit of assault terminators if he's on foot, or perhaps a bike-mounted command squad with power weapons. It's also nice for any other characters that want to join up with that unit like a chaplain or librarian. Take the chaplain for maximum carnage, or take the librarian for precision strikes. Nothing says 'kill' like an I5 epistolary with S7.
2) He and his squad have hit-and-run. While the effectiveness of the bonuses conferred by this ability are debatable, there are ways to turn up the dial on its power level. The main reason to use hit-and-run is to either a) escape from an undesirable combat or b) make a mildly effective charge to block your unit from being shot during your opponent's next shooting phase. So if you're using high-cost, large, resilient units that aren't very effective in close combat but are decent at dishing out the firepower, then go for it. Use the largest unit of bikes possible, led by a power weapon-wielding veteran sergeant and the Khan... or else a large unit of foot-slogging shooty terminators.
3) Moondrakken is just a bike. The only reason to use it is if you want to use the Khan to lead up a fast-moving unit that's not vehicle mounted (assault squad, bikes). If you feel the need for the Khan to leave his unit and attack a vehicle on his own or assault a small vulnerable artillery team, then he may want to leave his unit, running during the shooting phase and then charging. This just seems like a helpful option that will never see substantial use because of the subsequent vulnerable situation in which you leave the Khan after he does his damage.
4) Moonfang is a nice gem that makes the Khan just a little more tempting. While the ability to cause instant death is nice, there are tons of characters (as well as the entire Daemon army) that are immune to it. Considering that the Khan only has five attacks on the turn he charges and causes instant death only on a to-wound roll of six, it would seem beneficial to attach a chaplain to help raise the possibility that he'll hit that one six.
5) Anyone who's played an objective-based game against an army with a hefty amount of scoring units (or just a high quantity of units in general) knows that it's an uphill battle. Using bikes as scoring troop units gives you the versatility of having fast-moving anti-everything units turbo-boosting their way towards controlling or contesting objectives in the late game. It becomes much easier to manage your units' movements when you have a large web of redundancy in your usually non-scoring units to back up your objective-capturing plans.
6) Outflanking has always been and will always be a mixed bag; honestly it's just an empty bag if you ask me. Against a good player with a versatile force and the ability to mass firepower it's just a bad bet because you're dialing down your army's efficiency to take a chance at increasing that efficiency at some later point in the game. What this does is make your opponent's decision making easier. He has fewer targets and more flexibility in his target selection process. But I digress. If you're going to use the Khan's abilities, then it's best to keep this one as an option against an opponent who has decided to use similar options. Try keeping one unit in reserve; this is preferably a bike squad that can minimize the impact of having it show up on the wrong side of the table by turbo-boosting. It's probably a good idea to use this unit in an army where the Khan is on a bike and riding with a biker command squad; the remainder of your force should be fast-moving as well so that you can put pressure on one half of your opponent's force right out of the gate. This way, when your reserve bikers show up, they can either a) press the existing advantage you have in sub-dividing your opponent's army, or b) have a unit in their backfield that's there to finish what the rest of your army started (or tie things up until your main force can bridge the gap).
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Salamanders
After seeing the prevalence of armored units in 5th I wanted to have an army that counteracted its strengths. I wanted Vulkan to walk his armored column up to the enemy army and vaporize it in one coordinated strike. I wasn't sure at first whether or not to use massed troop units, massed elite/fast/heavy weapons, or a mix. I settled on a mix because it's not the type of Vulkan-based force you see very often. They're mostly Terminator-based forces with a Landraider; they're mundane and boring!
Salamanders - 2000 Points
Vulkan He'stan - 190
Sternguard Veterans (9) - 295
2x Flamer, Powerfist, Rhino
Tactical Squad #1 (10) - 220
Flamer, Multi-melta, Power Weapon, Rhino
Tactical Squad #2 (10) - 220
Flamer, Multi-melta, Power Weapon, Rhino
Tactical Squad #3 (10) - 235
Meltagun, Multi-melta, Powerfist, Rhino
Assault Squad (10) - 240
2x Flamer, Thunderhammer, Rhino
Attack Bike Squad #1 (3) - 150
3x Multi-melta
Attack Bike Squad #2 (3) - 150
3x Multi-melta
Thunderfire Cannon #1 - 100
Thunderfire Cannon #2 - 100
Thunderfire Cannon #3 - 100
It would seem that the force focuses a bit much on anti-troop, considering the massed artillery and flame weapons, but 9x Multi-melta (6 of which can move and fire) seem pretty destructive. The trick is to make sure you can crack an enemy tank during the shooting phase, and follow that up by charging the unit that disembarks.
There's also a ton of resilience within this force, as well as a touch of "help me, help you, no way." This means that my Techmarines give me extra cover saves against heavy fire (even for my vehicles), but any benefit you might gain from using my own terrain rules is pretty much negated by my anti-troop weaponry (Flamers, Thunderfire Cannons and Sternguard ammo).
Salamanders - 2000 Points
Vulkan He'stan - 190
Sternguard Veterans (9) - 295
2x Flamer, Powerfist, Rhino
Tactical Squad #1 (10) - 220
Flamer, Multi-melta, Power Weapon, Rhino
Tactical Squad #2 (10) - 220
Flamer, Multi-melta, Power Weapon, Rhino
Tactical Squad #3 (10) - 235
Meltagun, Multi-melta, Powerfist, Rhino
Assault Squad (10) - 240
2x Flamer, Thunderhammer, Rhino
Attack Bike Squad #1 (3) - 150
3x Multi-melta
Attack Bike Squad #2 (3) - 150
3x Multi-melta
Thunderfire Cannon #1 - 100
Thunderfire Cannon #2 - 100
Thunderfire Cannon #3 - 100
It would seem that the force focuses a bit much on anti-troop, considering the massed artillery and flame weapons, but 9x Multi-melta (6 of which can move and fire) seem pretty destructive. The trick is to make sure you can crack an enemy tank during the shooting phase, and follow that up by charging the unit that disembarks.
There's also a ton of resilience within this force, as well as a touch of "help me, help you, no way." This means that my Techmarines give me extra cover saves against heavy fire (even for my vehicles), but any benefit you might gain from using my own terrain rules is pretty much negated by my anti-troop weaponry (Flamers, Thunderfire Cannons and Sternguard ammo).
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Imperial Fists
I've really wanted to work with the 'Fists for a while now. Lysander is one dangerous guy, and I love the idea of shoving him right in my opponent's face and forcing the issue from turn 1 onwards.
Imperial Fists - 2000 Points
Captain Darnath Lysander - 200
Space Marine Librarian - 125
Terminator Armor, Smite, Gate of Infinity
Terminator Squad (10) - 460
2x Cyclone Missile Launcher
Sternguard Veteran Squad (10) - 310
Powerfist, Drop Pod
Tactical Squad #1 (10) - 235
Flamer, Lascannon, Meltabombs, Teleport Homer, Rhino
Tactical Squad #2 (10) - 235
Flamer, Lascannon, Meltabombs, Teleport Homer, Rhino
Tactical Squad #3 (10) - 260
Meltagun, Multi-melta, Powerfist, Combi-melta, Teleport Homer, Rhino
Devastator Squad (5) - 175
2x Plasma Cannon, Rhino
The plan is to mount Lysander in the Drop Pod with the Sternguard, dropping them into an advanced position on turn 1. Follow this up with the army-wide advance of a massive Librarian-led, teleporting Terminator squad that spits out dakka, as well as some Rhino-mounted Tactical squads. There's a lot of mobility here, and the army's close-combat capability is nothing to sneeze at.
We'll see how it does when faced with what might be a mirror match next week!
Imperial Fists - 2000 Points
Captain Darnath Lysander - 200
Space Marine Librarian - 125
Terminator Armor, Smite, Gate of Infinity
Terminator Squad (10) - 460
2x Cyclone Missile Launcher
Sternguard Veteran Squad (10) - 310
Powerfist, Drop Pod
Tactical Squad #1 (10) - 235
Flamer, Lascannon, Meltabombs, Teleport Homer, Rhino
Tactical Squad #2 (10) - 235
Flamer, Lascannon, Meltabombs, Teleport Homer, Rhino
Tactical Squad #3 (10) - 260
Meltagun, Multi-melta, Powerfist, Combi-melta, Teleport Homer, Rhino
Devastator Squad (5) - 175
2x Plasma Cannon, Rhino
The plan is to mount Lysander in the Drop Pod with the Sternguard, dropping them into an advanced position on turn 1. Follow this up with the army-wide advance of a massive Librarian-led, teleporting Terminator squad that spits out dakka, as well as some Rhino-mounted Tactical squads. There's a lot of mobility here, and the army's close-combat capability is nothing to sneeze at.
We'll see how it does when faced with what might be a mirror match next week!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
13th Company (or Pre-Heresy Wolves)
This was a fun army to put together because it allowed me to use a lot of my older, plastic CSM models. I had lots of CSMs configured with bolters or bolters & close combat weapons from my older, defunct CSM armies, and they basically turned into Grey Hunters; the CSMs with bolt pistols & close combat weapons turned into Blood Claws. It just seemed like a great fit for the older, CSM-themed Space Wolves from Codex: Eye of Terror.
I had some older Wulfen models that I was able to include in my Grey Hunter and Wolf Scout units so I included as many MotW upgrades as possible. The character models consist of a converted Wulfen as my Battle Leader, Njal as my Rune Priest, and a converted, scratch-built plastic Wolf Priest with lots of talismans. To make the list somewhat competitive I had to mount as many units as possible in Rhinos, each led by Wolf Guard and/or an HQ model.
13th Company - 2000 Points
Wolf Guard Battle Leader - 100
Mark of the Wulfen, Meltabombs, Mark of the Hunter
Rune Priest - 110
Jaws of the World Wolf, Murderous Hurricane, Saga of the Beastslayer
Wolf Priest - 135
Saga of the Warrior Born
Wolf Guard Pack (5) - 200
3x Wolf Guard w/Powerfist & Combi-melta
1x Wolf Guard w/Powerfist & Bolt Pistol
1x Wolf Guard w/Mark of the Wulfen
Wolf Scouts Pack (10) - 205
2x Power Weapon, Meltagun, Mark of the Wulfen
Blood Claw Pack (8) - 180
Powerfist, Rhino
Grey Hunter Pack #1 (8) - 200
Power Weapon, Mark of the Wulfen, Wolf Standard, Meltagun, Rhino
Grey Hunter Pack #2 (9) - 215
Power Weapon, Mark of the Wulfen, Wolf Standard, Meltagun, Rhino
Grey Hunter Pack #3 (9) - 215
Power Weapon, Mark of the Wulfen, Wolf Standard, Meltagun, Rhino
Grey Hunter Pack #4 (10) - 220
Power Weapon, Mark of the Wulfen, 2x Meltagun, Rhino
Grey Hunter Pack #5 (10) - 220
Power Weapon, Mark of the Wulfen, 2x Meltagun, Rhino
After I began building this force I saw a few postings on Bell of Lost Souls. Goatboy had used DoC Bloodcrushers for his Thunderwolf Cavalry unit, and I thought this was a perfect unit to incorporate into the 13th Company force I had begun building. I decided to use a unit of them, as well as a Wolf Lord to accompany them. I also wanted to take things one step further and incorporate a unit of Fenrisian Wolves to provide mobile cover saves for them. For these I used the newest versions of the DoC Fleshhounds.
Wolf Lord - 270
Thunderwolf Mount, Saga of the Warrior Born, Powerfist, Storm Shield, Wolf Tooth Necklace, Runic Armor, Wolf Tail Talisman
Thunderwolf Cavalry (5) - 275
Powerfist
Fenrisian Wolves (10) - 88
Cyberwolf
Incorporating these three units involves a bit of points juggling (wargear, a model here and there).
I had some older Wulfen models that I was able to include in my Grey Hunter and Wolf Scout units so I included as many MotW upgrades as possible. The character models consist of a converted Wulfen as my Battle Leader, Njal as my Rune Priest, and a converted, scratch-built plastic Wolf Priest with lots of talismans. To make the list somewhat competitive I had to mount as many units as possible in Rhinos, each led by Wolf Guard and/or an HQ model.
13th Company - 2000 Points
Wolf Guard Battle Leader - 100
Mark of the Wulfen, Meltabombs, Mark of the Hunter
Rune Priest - 110
Jaws of the World Wolf, Murderous Hurricane, Saga of the Beastslayer
Wolf Priest - 135
Saga of the Warrior Born
Wolf Guard Pack (5) - 200
3x Wolf Guard w/Powerfist & Combi-melta
1x Wolf Guard w/Powerfist & Bolt Pistol
1x Wolf Guard w/Mark of the Wulfen
Wolf Scouts Pack (10) - 205
2x Power Weapon, Meltagun, Mark of the Wulfen
Blood Claw Pack (8) - 180
Powerfist, Rhino
Grey Hunter Pack #1 (8) - 200
Power Weapon, Mark of the Wulfen, Wolf Standard, Meltagun, Rhino
Grey Hunter Pack #2 (9) - 215
Power Weapon, Mark of the Wulfen, Wolf Standard, Meltagun, Rhino
Grey Hunter Pack #3 (9) - 215
Power Weapon, Mark of the Wulfen, Wolf Standard, Meltagun, Rhino
Grey Hunter Pack #4 (10) - 220
Power Weapon, Mark of the Wulfen, 2x Meltagun, Rhino
Grey Hunter Pack #5 (10) - 220
Power Weapon, Mark of the Wulfen, 2x Meltagun, Rhino
After I began building this force I saw a few postings on Bell of Lost Souls. Goatboy had used DoC Bloodcrushers for his Thunderwolf Cavalry unit, and I thought this was a perfect unit to incorporate into the 13th Company force I had begun building. I decided to use a unit of them, as well as a Wolf Lord to accompany them. I also wanted to take things one step further and incorporate a unit of Fenrisian Wolves to provide mobile cover saves for them. For these I used the newest versions of the DoC Fleshhounds.
Wolf Lord - 270
Thunderwolf Mount, Saga of the Warrior Born, Powerfist, Storm Shield, Wolf Tooth Necklace, Runic Armor, Wolf Tail Talisman
Thunderwolf Cavalry (5) - 275
Powerfist
Fenrisian Wolves (10) - 88
Cyberwolf
Incorporating these three units involves a bit of points juggling (wargear, a model here and there).
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
New League, New Lists
After moving cross country last winter I was forced to find some new stomping grounds; it wasn't difficult. This fall kicks off a new 40K league at my FLGS. Battle Missions are being used for the league, and it's always interesting to see what kind of wackiness will ensue when you play a game out of that book.
I've chosen to play with my standby, Codex: Space Marines, and see how well I can do with my rather mundane, yet themed army lists. They're not 'Ard Boyz quality, but anything with Rhinos and Meltaguns seems to do the trick these days.
List #1
Pre-Heresy World Eaters - 1998 Points
Chapter Master - 200
Relic Blade, Storm Shield, Meltabombs, Digital Weapons, Artificer Armor
Chaplain - 115
Meltabombs, Digital Weapons
Venerable Dreadnought - 180
Multi-melta, Extra Armor
Terminator Assault Squad (5) - 200
4x Lightning Claws, 1x Thunderhammer
Tactical Squad #1 (10) - 220
Lascannon, Meltagun, Rhino
Tactical Squad #2 (10) - 220
Lascannon, Meltagun, Rhino
Assault Squad #1 (9) - 197
Powerfist, Rhino
Assault Squad #2 (9) - 197
Powerfist, Rhino
Assault Squad #3 (8) - 179
2x Lightning Claws, Rhino
Devastator Squad (10) - 290
4x Multi-melta, Powerfist, Rhino
This World Eaters list just runs heavy on the assault element, but it really doesn't push the issue. I just wanted something to look cool when I threw a bunch of Berserker bits on regular assault marines, backing them up with tactical squad beakies that have studded pads. They look cool, but they're not going to win anything competetive.
List #2
Pre-Heresy Death Guard - 1850 Points
Chapter Master - 175
Powerfist, Combi-plasma, Artificer Armor
Terminator Squad (5) - 210
3x Powerfist, 1x Chainfist, 1x Power Weapon, 4x Storm Bolter, 1x Heavy Flamer
Sternguard Veterans (9) - 285
Powerfist, Rhino
Tactical Squad #1 (10) - 240
Powerfist, Plasma Gun, Missile Launcher, Rhino
Tactical Squad #2 (10) - 200
Plasma Pistol, Meltabombs, Flamer, Lascannon
Tactical Squad #3 (10) - 220
Combi-melta, Meltagun, Missile Launcher, Rhino
Predator Destructor #1 - 85
Autocannon, 2x Heavy Bolter
Predator Destructor #2 - 85
Autocannon, 2x Heavy Bolter
Predator Destructor #3 - 85
Autocannon, 2x Heavy Bolter
Land Raider (Terminator Squad Dedicated Transport) - 265
Extra Armor
This was my first pre-heresy list and it shows. It's all from 2005 when 4th Edition was just getting going and C:SM had access to units with the True Grit rule. I stuck mainly to Heresy-only weapons and a really simple 'heavy' theme. I just wish that I'd had access to all the cool pre-heresy bits back then; the army would look much, much better.
List #3
Pre-Heresy Emperor's Children - 2500 Points
Chapter Master - 195
Thunderhammer, Storm Shield, Artificer Armor, Digital Weapons
Captain - 165
Relic Blade, Combi-melta, Artificer Armor, Digital Weapons
Command Squad (5) - 225
2x Meltagun, Powerfist, Company Champion, Company Standard, Rhino
Sternguard Veterans (10) - 310
Powerfist, Rhino
Terminator Squad (5) - 230
Cyclone Missile Launcher
Venerable Dreadnought - 210
Twin-linked Lascannon, Extra Armor
Tactical Squad #1 (10) - 220
Power Weapon, Flamer, Missile Launcher, Rhino
Tactical Squad #2 (10) - 220
Power Weapon, Flamer, Missile Launcher, Rhino
Tactical Squad #3 (10) - 245
Powerfist, Combi-melta, Meltagun, Missile Launcher, Rhino
Assault Squad (10) - 245
2x Lightning Claws, Meltabombs, 2x Flamer
Land Speeder - 60
Multi-melta
Devastator Squad (5) - 175
2x Plasma Cannon, Rhino
This list is semi-competitive, but only when it's heavily stripped down. I drop it to 2000 points by removing one of the characters, the assault squad, and toying around with some wargear. It performs surprisingly well for being a borderline 'elite' force... but then again, it is mechanized after all! The last time I played it was in a 2000 point event this past spring, going undefeated against other SM and CSM armies. This is another bits-intensive force that took a lot of money to put together. I actually spent some time on these terminators, as well as the Dreadnought and Speeder (they're all heavily converted).
I've chosen to play with my standby, Codex: Space Marines, and see how well I can do with my rather mundane, yet themed army lists. They're not 'Ard Boyz quality, but anything with Rhinos and Meltaguns seems to do the trick these days.
List #1
Pre-Heresy World Eaters - 1998 Points
Chapter Master - 200
Relic Blade, Storm Shield, Meltabombs, Digital Weapons, Artificer Armor
Chaplain - 115
Meltabombs, Digital Weapons
Venerable Dreadnought - 180
Multi-melta, Extra Armor
Terminator Assault Squad (5) - 200
4x Lightning Claws, 1x Thunderhammer
Tactical Squad #1 (10) - 220
Lascannon, Meltagun, Rhino
Tactical Squad #2 (10) - 220
Lascannon, Meltagun, Rhino
Assault Squad #1 (9) - 197
Powerfist, Rhino
Assault Squad #2 (9) - 197
Powerfist, Rhino
Assault Squad #3 (8) - 179
2x Lightning Claws, Rhino
Devastator Squad (10) - 290
4x Multi-melta, Powerfist, Rhino
This World Eaters list just runs heavy on the assault element, but it really doesn't push the issue. I just wanted something to look cool when I threw a bunch of Berserker bits on regular assault marines, backing them up with tactical squad beakies that have studded pads. They look cool, but they're not going to win anything competetive.
List #2
Pre-Heresy Death Guard - 1850 Points
Chapter Master - 175
Powerfist, Combi-plasma, Artificer Armor
Terminator Squad (5) - 210
3x Powerfist, 1x Chainfist, 1x Power Weapon, 4x Storm Bolter, 1x Heavy Flamer
Sternguard Veterans (9) - 285
Powerfist, Rhino
Tactical Squad #1 (10) - 240
Powerfist, Plasma Gun, Missile Launcher, Rhino
Tactical Squad #2 (10) - 200
Plasma Pistol, Meltabombs, Flamer, Lascannon
Tactical Squad #3 (10) - 220
Combi-melta, Meltagun, Missile Launcher, Rhino
Predator Destructor #1 - 85
Autocannon, 2x Heavy Bolter
Predator Destructor #2 - 85
Autocannon, 2x Heavy Bolter
Predator Destructor #3 - 85
Autocannon, 2x Heavy Bolter
Land Raider (Terminator Squad Dedicated Transport) - 265
Extra Armor
This was my first pre-heresy list and it shows. It's all from 2005 when 4th Edition was just getting going and C:SM had access to units with the True Grit rule. I stuck mainly to Heresy-only weapons and a really simple 'heavy' theme. I just wish that I'd had access to all the cool pre-heresy bits back then; the army would look much, much better.
List #3
Pre-Heresy Emperor's Children - 2500 Points
Chapter Master - 195
Thunderhammer, Storm Shield, Artificer Armor, Digital Weapons
Captain - 165
Relic Blade, Combi-melta, Artificer Armor, Digital Weapons
Command Squad (5) - 225
2x Meltagun, Powerfist, Company Champion, Company Standard, Rhino
Sternguard Veterans (10) - 310
Powerfist, Rhino
Terminator Squad (5) - 230
Cyclone Missile Launcher
Venerable Dreadnought - 210
Twin-linked Lascannon, Extra Armor
Tactical Squad #1 (10) - 220
Power Weapon, Flamer, Missile Launcher, Rhino
Tactical Squad #2 (10) - 220
Power Weapon, Flamer, Missile Launcher, Rhino
Tactical Squad #3 (10) - 245
Powerfist, Combi-melta, Meltagun, Missile Launcher, Rhino
Assault Squad (10) - 245
2x Lightning Claws, Meltabombs, 2x Flamer
Land Speeder - 60
Multi-melta
Devastator Squad (5) - 175
2x Plasma Cannon, Rhino
This list is semi-competitive, but only when it's heavily stripped down. I drop it to 2000 points by removing one of the characters, the assault squad, and toying around with some wargear. It performs surprisingly well for being a borderline 'elite' force... but then again, it is mechanized after all! The last time I played it was in a 2000 point event this past spring, going undefeated against other SM and CSM armies. This is another bits-intensive force that took a lot of money to put together. I actually spent some time on these terminators, as well as the Dreadnought and Speeder (they're all heavily converted).
Back in the Swing
Well, so much for writing a Warhammer 40,000 novel by the end of summer! It's still in the planning stages and I haven't yet given up hope. School has yet again swallowed all of my time.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Arrogance of Youth VS Wisdom and Patience of the Aged
It has begun. I've finally laid down a plot outline for a Warhammer 40,000 novel. I fully intend to pull a 'Sandy Mitchell' if I receive a publishing offer. Space Marines are GW's bread and butter, and so the novel shall be about... Space Marines! I've taken an old chapter idea and really fleshed it out. It's great to be able to take a shabby old chapter and polish it into something special and intricate. It's great to reveal the underbelly of a chapter's inner workings.
Death is the gateway to life. The king is dead... long live the king.
My goal is to finish before the end of Summer.
Death is the gateway to life. The king is dead... long live the king.
My goal is to finish before the end of Summer.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Backwards Engineering
I used to work for a major game company several years ago. For all practical purposes the company has since folded. There's a vast conglomeration of reasons for why this happened, but the reason I mentioned my experience with this company is because of its marketing.
...or lack thereof. In 2005 there was a decision made to re-make an old game. The decision was made in great haste, over the course of a single weekend, and with thunderous applause. Many people working at the company loved this old game, and heavily supported its re-release. The decision was made to go ahead with its design, development and subsequent release.
Do Eskimos make a living selling ice to each other? Probably not... but maybe once upon a time there was an Eskimo who did, and chances are that he's no longer in business. My point is that when you decide to sell a product (and I'm no expert here by any means, so correct me if I'm wrong), you should probably do some demographics research to determine if anyone will show interest in buying it. No matter how much some folks just looooved the Studabaker, no one is going to re-release it to the general public because it's just not a profitable venture.
You get a general idea of what kind of product or service you're going to sell/provide, figure out if anyone wants it, create a version of it that will appeal to those people, and THEN you mass-produce it. I'm fairly sure that this is just rudimentary... but I'm getting to my point.
Do you see a parallel here? I see it every time I walk into my FLGS. There is some guy going "OMFG look at that awesome model, I will destroy everyone with it!" This guy goes home with his new models, builds them, paints them, puts them in his newest army configuration, and promptly gets utterly destroyed by a rather mundane, yet tried and true force. He begins the whole process with an impulsive decision, expecting his excitement and positive energy to pay him amazing in-game dividends. He is ultimately disappointed when his army is crushed, and he cries to his friends like a little bitch about how his new models "should have kicked SOOO much ass, and probably will next time!" This kind of rationalization is what sets a mediocre player apart from a good player.
So is it a bad thing to take cool models in a tabletop hobby-based miniatures game? Of course it isn't because creativity is at the core of Warhammer 40,000. What you want to do when you walk into your FLGS and exclaim "OMFG I will pown noobz!" when you see a new awesome model is to figure out a way to either 1) integrate the new model/unit into your existing army so that it doesn't detract from its current effectiveness level, or 2) take army construction to the next level by focusing your force on the new unit.
For example, I really love the new Sanguinary Guard. The models are awesome, and the price point is great - buy one unit in one box for around $35 and that is IT! Of course they are a kick-ass unit, but they have their drawbacks. If you're going to use them correctly, you must minimize their drawbacks and maximize your ability to utilize their strengths...
How does a jump pack equipped unit that is only five models in size survive as it's crossing the table to assault the enemy? Keep them in reserve, behind cover, keep LOS blocked, Feel No Pain, or put them inside a Stormraven Gunship. Can they get by on just their 2+ armor save? Did Terminators get by on just a 2+ save when 3rd Edition was released? NO. The safest thing to do is to either put them in reserve, in a Stormraven, or jump them up behind a fast-moving vehicle or two. This tells you that you need to be playing a semi-mechanized force.
You can see where this is going. Plan your army around a strategy, and pick your units based on how well they execute tactics that allow you to implement that strategy. Don't just say "OMFG these guys are awesome!" and expect to win.
...or lack thereof. In 2005 there was a decision made to re-make an old game. The decision was made in great haste, over the course of a single weekend, and with thunderous applause. Many people working at the company loved this old game, and heavily supported its re-release. The decision was made to go ahead with its design, development and subsequent release.
Do Eskimos make a living selling ice to each other? Probably not... but maybe once upon a time there was an Eskimo who did, and chances are that he's no longer in business. My point is that when you decide to sell a product (and I'm no expert here by any means, so correct me if I'm wrong), you should probably do some demographics research to determine if anyone will show interest in buying it. No matter how much some folks just looooved the Studabaker, no one is going to re-release it to the general public because it's just not a profitable venture.
You get a general idea of what kind of product or service you're going to sell/provide, figure out if anyone wants it, create a version of it that will appeal to those people, and THEN you mass-produce it. I'm fairly sure that this is just rudimentary... but I'm getting to my point.
Do you see a parallel here? I see it every time I walk into my FLGS. There is some guy going "OMFG look at that awesome model, I will destroy everyone with it!" This guy goes home with his new models, builds them, paints them, puts them in his newest army configuration, and promptly gets utterly destroyed by a rather mundane, yet tried and true force. He begins the whole process with an impulsive decision, expecting his excitement and positive energy to pay him amazing in-game dividends. He is ultimately disappointed when his army is crushed, and he cries to his friends like a little bitch about how his new models "should have kicked SOOO much ass, and probably will next time!" This kind of rationalization is what sets a mediocre player apart from a good player.
So is it a bad thing to take cool models in a tabletop hobby-based miniatures game? Of course it isn't because creativity is at the core of Warhammer 40,000. What you want to do when you walk into your FLGS and exclaim "OMFG I will pown noobz!" when you see a new awesome model is to figure out a way to either 1) integrate the new model/unit into your existing army so that it doesn't detract from its current effectiveness level, or 2) take army construction to the next level by focusing your force on the new unit.
For example, I really love the new Sanguinary Guard. The models are awesome, and the price point is great - buy one unit in one box for around $35 and that is IT! Of course they are a kick-ass unit, but they have their drawbacks. If you're going to use them correctly, you must minimize their drawbacks and maximize your ability to utilize their strengths...
How does a jump pack equipped unit that is only five models in size survive as it's crossing the table to assault the enemy? Keep them in reserve, behind cover, keep LOS blocked, Feel No Pain, or put them inside a Stormraven Gunship. Can they get by on just their 2+ armor save? Did Terminators get by on just a 2+ save when 3rd Edition was released? NO. The safest thing to do is to either put them in reserve, in a Stormraven, or jump them up behind a fast-moving vehicle or two. This tells you that you need to be playing a semi-mechanized force.
You can see where this is going. Plan your army around a strategy, and pick your units based on how well they execute tactics that allow you to implement that strategy. Don't just say "OMFG these guys are awesome!" and expect to win.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
'Ard Boyz... finally
Yesterday was the third year for the annual GW 'Ard Boyz event. Until now I'd been unable to attend because I've always worked weekends... but being unemployed (for the moment) has its perks. The Inquisitive (of Rio Rancho, NM) held the event.
I'd been poring over old army lists and possible army configurations for about three weeks in an attempt to gain some unforseen edge. When going to a gaming competition, it's always good to bring something that no one expects - the secret 'tech' as SWCCG players used to say. Put someone on unsure footing, and nine times out of ten they will slip and fall. This is especially true for new army playstyles and strategies when it comes to Warhammer 40,000.
In my opinion there are two lists in 40K that can take all comers: Imperial Guard and Orks. 5th Edition 40K attempted to make the actual position of models on the game table much more important, and to ensure that this level of importance wasn't undercut by their subsequent elimination (through ranged attacks), the 4+ cover save was implemented. 4+ cover saves so drastically detract from ranged combat effectiveness that it's almost not worth paying the points to include long-range heavy firepower in your army (unless they have the 'ignore cover' rule). But I digress. My point is that Orks can field more than double the number of bodies that other armies can, and IG can pump out more than double the amount of firepower. These two armies over-compensate for the current climate of 4+ cover saves, so they are naturally the best choices for taking to the 'Ard Boyz events.
I own neither of these armies. I hate Orks. I hate their concept. I hate the way they play. Their models are fantastic, and somehow I am always lured into thinking that if I buy some small, elite force of them I can have a good time looking at some great models while they get shot off the table. I sold my IG army last year because I feel like they are a horrible, HORRIBLE developmental blunder on GW's part. No player should be able to field that many heavy weapons with that much ablative armor (and backed up by BS4 troops). I should NEVER be able to win games as easily as I did with my IG when their newest codex first released. Was it entertaining for me? Maybe for a game or two... but after that they just seemed like the equivalent of WHFB's Daemons of Chaos. Now that the Manticore is being released (no longer being limited to 'rich boyz tournaments), people will begin to see just how much of an uphill battle it is to play against that army. Anyways, I want to emphasize that to win in the 'Ard Boyz, you must be able to compete against both IG and Orks.
Since the Blood Angels have been released I feel like they are rather well suited to dealing with both IG and Orks, given the right army configuration. Lots of Rhinos, Baals, Vindicators and classic Predators (not to mention Immolators...I mean Razorbacks). They have the speed to run right up to the IG, press the smoke button, and then whip up a massive turn two barrage of charges and tank shocks/ramming attacks. Lots of Feel No Pain gives them survivability in close combat against Orks, and their vehicles protect them against massed Shoota fire. I figured that they are, at the very least, competitive.
...until the 'Ard Boyz scenarios were released. Scenarios one and two are pretty standard. Objectives. Victory Points. No big deal. Scenario three is ridiculously slanted against mechanized armies (and especially so against mechanized Space Marines and their AV11 Rhinos and Razorbacks, their open-topped and immobile Drop Pods, etc.). IG have always been somewhat deficient in kill point missions because they have to take large numbers of units...but scenario three puts them at a huge disadvantage. If they lose a single Chimera or Russ they have to kill three foot-slogging units to compensate. It's possible for mech IG to overcome that deficit, but unless their opponent is running a few mech units, it's probably not going to happen.
So if taking a mech SM army was too risky and taking IG or Orks wasn't possible, I had to figure out something else. I needed something with enough long-range firepower to kill tanks, enough anti-troop capability to hold off a horde, and enough mobility to control/contest objectives...and all without using more than one or two units that could move 12" or more.
A) black templars - 2500
1) emperor's champion - abhor the witch
2) reclusiarch w/bp+crozius
-terminator command squad (x4) w/2x assault cannon & tank hunters
3) reclusiarch w/bp+crozius
-terminator command squad (x4) w/2x assault cannon & tank hunters
4) sword brethren terminators (x5) w/2x assault cannon & tank hunters
5) sword brethren terminators (x5) w/2x assault cannon & tank hunters
6) sword brethren terminators (x5) w/2x assault cannon & tank hunters
7) crusader squad (x5) w/bp&ccw w/1x lascannon
8) crusader squad (x5) w/bp&ccw w/1x lascannon
9) crusader squad (x5) w/bp&ccw w/1x lascannon
10) crusader squad (x5) w/bp&ccw w/1x lascannon
11) crusader squad (x5) w/bp&ccw w/1x lascannon
12) crusader squad (x5) w/bp&ccw w/1x lascannon
13) predator annihilator w/twin-linked lascannon & 2x lascannon sponsons
14) predator annihilator w/twin-linked lascannon & 2x lascannon sponsons
15) predator annihilator w/twin-linked lascannon & 2x lascannon sponsons
This army has a ton of anti-troop capability, as well as a ton of anti-tank. Forty tank-hunting, rending shots a turn will get rid of a couple Rhinos, and the fifteen Lascannons are enough to pound any monstrous creatures and/or AV14 tanks into the dust. It doesn't necessarily solve the problem of a horde occupying objectives, and it also doesn't completely eliminate units with Feel No Pain. The Predators are somewhat risky to field, but I feel like they would be deployed far enough away from anything that could give them a serious scare (with the exception of Wolf Scouts, Snikrot, or other such outflanking nonsense. Most outflanking stuff moves 12" or more anyways, so as long as I destroyed whatever the outflanker was, I would make up the 3 point deficit easily. There's also a bit of a problem with mobility here. The Terminators are the most mobile units because they're moving and shooting...but they have relatively no resilience (2+/5+ isn't exactly the Hoover Dam in 40K terms). The Crusader squads would have to hoof it around the table in the late game to hold objectives in scenario one. And finally there is that huge drawback that the Templars have - if you cause even one casualty in their units, they must move towards you (most of the time), and can no longer charge with this move. Now, given that this is a consolidation move, the jury is out on whether they must move the full distance rolled or not, but I'm not willing to take that chance.
B) Tyranids.
1) hive tyrant w/lash whip&bonesword, old adversary, stranglethorn cannon, paroxysm, leech essence, armored shell
2) hive tyrant w/lash whip&bonesword, old adversary, stranglethorn cannon, paroxysm, leech essence, armored shell
3) zoanthrope (x3)
4) zoanthrope (x3)
5) venomthrope (x1)
6) tervigon w/catalyst, adrenal glands, toxin sacs, cluster spines
7) termagants (x25)
8) hormagaunts (x15) w/adrenal glands & toxin sacs
9) hormagaunts (x15) w/adrenal glands & toxin sacs
10) hormagaunts (x15) w/adrenal glands & toxin sacs
11) tyranid warriors (x9) w/scything talons, devourers, toxin sacs, 1 w/barbed strangler
12) gargoyles (x30) w/adrenal glands & toxin sacs
13) trygon prime
With cover being so important in 5th Edition, I figured that an army that overwhelms the table with models would be a great choice (just like Orks). Unlike Orks, however, this army has units that are amazing in close combat against EVERYTHING. When putting together this army, for this specific event, I made a list of pros: 1) T6 monstrous creatures are hard to kill, especially with 4 or more wounds, and even more so if they have cover saves, 2) a horde army with lethal, yet semi-disposable units (and the ability to make MORE disposable units) will control the flow of combat, and control my opponent's ability to move around the table, 3) mobility is not really an issue when you have 4 units with the Fleet rule. Any of them can move just as far as a unit of Assault Marines over the course of a turn (especially with the 3d6 & pick the highest for running). 4) Old Adversary ability is amazing. It's even better than being subject to the Black Templar vow that gives Preferred Enemy. Combine this with Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs and you are practically unbeatable in close combat.
There were a couple other ideas floating around in my head about what to play, but none ever really solidified in an actual list aside from a couple things I just didn't have the models to play. One was another Tyranid list involving 3 Trygons, 2 flying Hive Tyrants, and 60+ Gargoyles. One was a Ravenwing army meant to blitz gunlines. The last was a crazy mess that I won't talk about.
I ended up playing the Tyranid list because it seemed to have very few drawbacks. Scenario 1 was played against a Chaos Marine army:
1 khorne lord w/daemon weapon, icon
2 khorne berserker squads (x10) w/power weapon champion, icon
1 noise marine squad (x10) w/power weapon champion, doom siren, all sonic blasters, icon
1 plague marine squad (x10) w/power weapon champion, 2x plasma gun, icon
1 thousand sons squad (x10) w/icon, bolt of change
4 summoned lesser daemons (x10)
1 obliterator squad (x2)
1 obliterator squad (x1)
1 vindicator w/havoc launcher, daemonic possession
This list had me worried because summoned daemons showing up late game can really crush a gaunt squad or tie up a monstrous creature. I couldn't afford to lose a lot of my troops, even though I ran six units of them, and could make at least one more unit of termagants. I definitely ran the risk of losing an objective-based game against this list. Fortunately, three of his daemon units showed up on turn two and I was able to eliminate all of them that turn in addition to both squads of Berserkers and the Chaos Lord. By the bottom of turn four he had one Obliterator and a Plague Marine champion left. Massacre, 2100+ points, 23 battle points.
Scenario 2 was against a Flesh Tearers army (BA) for straight up victory points. His list was ENTIRELY composed of jump pack marines, so I had to be really careful to lure him in and wipe him out in one turn, otherwise I would be stuck fighting against 50 Marines with Feel No Pain.
Dante
Librarian, jump pack, blood lance, 5+ cover power
Honor Guard (x5) jump packs, 4x storm shield, 2x powerfist, 2x meltagun
Sanguinary Guard (x5) 2x infernus pistol, 1x powerfist
Sanguinary Guard (x5) 2x infernus pistol, 1x powerfist
Sanguinary Priest (x2) jump packs
Assault Squad (x10) jump packs, 2x meltagun, powerfist
Assault Squad (x10) jump packs, 2x meltagun, powerfist
Assault Squad (x10) jump packs, 2x meltagun, powerfist
Death Company (x10) jump packs, lemartes, thunderhammer, 2x power weapon, 6x bolter
I filled my entire deployment zone with models (since we were starting in opposite table quarters) because I didn't want any of the BA jump packers to Deep Strike in behind me and shoot my monstrous creatures up with all their meltaguns and pistols. I got the first turn, killed Assault Marines with a Stranglethorn Cannon shot, and that was it. His turn brought the Death Company within turn two charge range of my front line of Termagants, and the rest of his army jumped forward, cautious of getting to within charge range. My turn two I got really lucky and was able to break one of his Assault Squads, which promptly ran off the table. I mean...if you make an LD9 unit make enough morale/pin checks, they're going to eventually fail :)
His turn saw the Death Company run head-long into my Termagants, slaughtering them to a man and leaving them wide open for shooting and charging the next turn. The rest of his forces had moved up to within about 14" of my front line, which was just close enough for me to break out an smash them.
My turn three saw one Hormagaunt squad charge into his Assault Squad on my left flank, two Hive Tyrants, the Tervigon and another Hormagaunt squad charge the Death Company (which I whittled down to 8 after some shooting), my Trygon Prime charge into a squad of Sanguine Guard, and finally... Hormagaunt squad #3 and my Gargoyles charge into his Honor Guard on the right flank.
Now until this point, his Librarian had been canceling about 2/3 of my psychic powers... but LO AND BEHOLD I was able to use Paroxysm on the Death Company before charging them! The first combat to resolve was against the Death Company...which I wiped out to a man. The Assault Squad on the left was completely wiped out as well, followed by the Sanguinary Guard taking four casualties from the Trygon. Finally, the Honor Guard were butchered on the right by the Hormagaunts and Gargoyles.
After this turn, his only remaining forces charged what they could, knowing full well that if they didn't, they were sure to receive a charge the following turn. Dante took three wounds. The Librarian died. The Assault Squad they had joined were annihilated by the Hive Tyrant and Hormagaunts they charged into. The last Sanguinary Guard unit charged the remaining Hormagaunts on my right, smashing them, but taking 2 casualties in the process. The single Sanguinary Guard fighting my Trygon was easily cut up. At this point, my opponent conceded, knowing full well that his remaining six models would be annihilated on my following turn. I got the bonus points too. VP = 2500, Battle Points = 24, Massacre.
Scenario three I was put up against Chaos once again, only this time the list was a bit more finely tuned.
Kharne the Betrayer
Chaos Lord, mark of nurgle, daemon weapon
Summoned Greater Daemon
Chosen Squad (x8) champion, 2x plasma gun, lascannon
Obliterator Squad (x2)
Obliterator Squad (x2)
Obliterator Squad (x2)
Chaos Marine Squad (x10) chaos glory, 2x meltagun, powerfist, rhino
Chaos Marine Squad (x10) chaos glory, 2x meltagun, powerfist, rhino
Khorne Berserker Squad (x9) power weapon, rhino w/dozer blade
Plague Marine Squad (x9) powerfist, 2x plasmagun, rhino w/dozer blade
Thousand Sons Squad (x10) wind of chaos, rhino
This matchup was a dangerous one for me, but only for one reason - he had 3 units of Obliterators that could easily vape my Tyrants if I am forced to over-extend my lines. My main goal here was to destroy his rhinos. The game got a little dicey in the middle of turn three because he was able to get Kharne and his Berserker squad into a large ongoing combat involving the remains of his Plague Marines fighting my Warriors, Tervigon and one Tyrant. Unfortunately this left his entire center exposed to assault. By the bottom of turn four, he had 2 models left: Nurgle Lord w/2 wounds and Kharne. My kill point total was astronomically high (26) compared to his (2). Massacre, VP = 2150(?), Battle Points = 24
I finished out the event with 71 out of a possible 72 battle points, and around 6950 out of 7500 victory points. Total win. I took a Land Raider Redeemer for my box set, but refused my invite to round two. I'm definitely not up for trying to take a mid-June trip to Colorado when I'm at the complete whim of some terrible mission writers.
I'd been poring over old army lists and possible army configurations for about three weeks in an attempt to gain some unforseen edge. When going to a gaming competition, it's always good to bring something that no one expects - the secret 'tech' as SWCCG players used to say. Put someone on unsure footing, and nine times out of ten they will slip and fall. This is especially true for new army playstyles and strategies when it comes to Warhammer 40,000.
In my opinion there are two lists in 40K that can take all comers: Imperial Guard and Orks. 5th Edition 40K attempted to make the actual position of models on the game table much more important, and to ensure that this level of importance wasn't undercut by their subsequent elimination (through ranged attacks), the 4+ cover save was implemented. 4+ cover saves so drastically detract from ranged combat effectiveness that it's almost not worth paying the points to include long-range heavy firepower in your army (unless they have the 'ignore cover' rule). But I digress. My point is that Orks can field more than double the number of bodies that other armies can, and IG can pump out more than double the amount of firepower. These two armies over-compensate for the current climate of 4+ cover saves, so they are naturally the best choices for taking to the 'Ard Boyz events.
I own neither of these armies. I hate Orks. I hate their concept. I hate the way they play. Their models are fantastic, and somehow I am always lured into thinking that if I buy some small, elite force of them I can have a good time looking at some great models while they get shot off the table. I sold my IG army last year because I feel like they are a horrible, HORRIBLE developmental blunder on GW's part. No player should be able to field that many heavy weapons with that much ablative armor (and backed up by BS4 troops). I should NEVER be able to win games as easily as I did with my IG when their newest codex first released. Was it entertaining for me? Maybe for a game or two... but after that they just seemed like the equivalent of WHFB's Daemons of Chaos. Now that the Manticore is being released (no longer being limited to 'rich boyz tournaments), people will begin to see just how much of an uphill battle it is to play against that army. Anyways, I want to emphasize that to win in the 'Ard Boyz, you must be able to compete against both IG and Orks.
Since the Blood Angels have been released I feel like they are rather well suited to dealing with both IG and Orks, given the right army configuration. Lots of Rhinos, Baals, Vindicators and classic Predators (not to mention Immolators...I mean Razorbacks). They have the speed to run right up to the IG, press the smoke button, and then whip up a massive turn two barrage of charges and tank shocks/ramming attacks. Lots of Feel No Pain gives them survivability in close combat against Orks, and their vehicles protect them against massed Shoota fire. I figured that they are, at the very least, competitive.
...until the 'Ard Boyz scenarios were released. Scenarios one and two are pretty standard. Objectives. Victory Points. No big deal. Scenario three is ridiculously slanted against mechanized armies (and especially so against mechanized Space Marines and their AV11 Rhinos and Razorbacks, their open-topped and immobile Drop Pods, etc.). IG have always been somewhat deficient in kill point missions because they have to take large numbers of units...but scenario three puts them at a huge disadvantage. If they lose a single Chimera or Russ they have to kill three foot-slogging units to compensate. It's possible for mech IG to overcome that deficit, but unless their opponent is running a few mech units, it's probably not going to happen.
So if taking a mech SM army was too risky and taking IG or Orks wasn't possible, I had to figure out something else. I needed something with enough long-range firepower to kill tanks, enough anti-troop capability to hold off a horde, and enough mobility to control/contest objectives...and all without using more than one or two units that could move 12" or more.
A) black templars - 2500
1) emperor's champion - abhor the witch
2) reclusiarch w/bp+crozius
-terminator command squad (x4) w/2x assault cannon & tank hunters
3) reclusiarch w/bp+crozius
-terminator command squad (x4) w/2x assault cannon & tank hunters
4) sword brethren terminators (x5) w/2x assault cannon & tank hunters
5) sword brethren terminators (x5) w/2x assault cannon & tank hunters
6) sword brethren terminators (x5) w/2x assault cannon & tank hunters
7) crusader squad (x5) w/bp&ccw w/1x lascannon
8) crusader squad (x5) w/bp&ccw w/1x lascannon
9) crusader squad (x5) w/bp&ccw w/1x lascannon
10) crusader squad (x5) w/bp&ccw w/1x lascannon
11) crusader squad (x5) w/bp&ccw w/1x lascannon
12) crusader squad (x5) w/bp&ccw w/1x lascannon
13) predator annihilator w/twin-linked lascannon & 2x lascannon sponsons
14) predator annihilator w/twin-linked lascannon & 2x lascannon sponsons
15) predator annihilator w/twin-linked lascannon & 2x lascannon sponsons
This army has a ton of anti-troop capability, as well as a ton of anti-tank. Forty tank-hunting, rending shots a turn will get rid of a couple Rhinos, and the fifteen Lascannons are enough to pound any monstrous creatures and/or AV14 tanks into the dust. It doesn't necessarily solve the problem of a horde occupying objectives, and it also doesn't completely eliminate units with Feel No Pain. The Predators are somewhat risky to field, but I feel like they would be deployed far enough away from anything that could give them a serious scare (with the exception of Wolf Scouts, Snikrot, or other such outflanking nonsense. Most outflanking stuff moves 12" or more anyways, so as long as I destroyed whatever the outflanker was, I would make up the 3 point deficit easily. There's also a bit of a problem with mobility here. The Terminators are the most mobile units because they're moving and shooting...but they have relatively no resilience (2+/5+ isn't exactly the Hoover Dam in 40K terms). The Crusader squads would have to hoof it around the table in the late game to hold objectives in scenario one. And finally there is that huge drawback that the Templars have - if you cause even one casualty in their units, they must move towards you (most of the time), and can no longer charge with this move. Now, given that this is a consolidation move, the jury is out on whether they must move the full distance rolled or not, but I'm not willing to take that chance.
B) Tyranids.
1) hive tyrant w/lash whip&bonesword, old adversary, stranglethorn cannon, paroxysm, leech essence, armored shell
2) hive tyrant w/lash whip&bonesword, old adversary, stranglethorn cannon, paroxysm, leech essence, armored shell
3) zoanthrope (x3)
4) zoanthrope (x3)
5) venomthrope (x1)
6) tervigon w/catalyst, adrenal glands, toxin sacs, cluster spines
7) termagants (x25)
8) hormagaunts (x15) w/adrenal glands & toxin sacs
9) hormagaunts (x15) w/adrenal glands & toxin sacs
10) hormagaunts (x15) w/adrenal glands & toxin sacs
11) tyranid warriors (x9) w/scything talons, devourers, toxin sacs, 1 w/barbed strangler
12) gargoyles (x30) w/adrenal glands & toxin sacs
13) trygon prime
With cover being so important in 5th Edition, I figured that an army that overwhelms the table with models would be a great choice (just like Orks). Unlike Orks, however, this army has units that are amazing in close combat against EVERYTHING. When putting together this army, for this specific event, I made a list of pros: 1) T6 monstrous creatures are hard to kill, especially with 4 or more wounds, and even more so if they have cover saves, 2) a horde army with lethal, yet semi-disposable units (and the ability to make MORE disposable units) will control the flow of combat, and control my opponent's ability to move around the table, 3) mobility is not really an issue when you have 4 units with the Fleet rule. Any of them can move just as far as a unit of Assault Marines over the course of a turn (especially with the 3d6 & pick the highest for running). 4) Old Adversary ability is amazing. It's even better than being subject to the Black Templar vow that gives Preferred Enemy. Combine this with Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs and you are practically unbeatable in close combat.
There were a couple other ideas floating around in my head about what to play, but none ever really solidified in an actual list aside from a couple things I just didn't have the models to play. One was another Tyranid list involving 3 Trygons, 2 flying Hive Tyrants, and 60+ Gargoyles. One was a Ravenwing army meant to blitz gunlines. The last was a crazy mess that I won't talk about.
I ended up playing the Tyranid list because it seemed to have very few drawbacks. Scenario 1 was played against a Chaos Marine army:
1 khorne lord w/daemon weapon, icon
2 khorne berserker squads (x10) w/power weapon champion, icon
1 noise marine squad (x10) w/power weapon champion, doom siren, all sonic blasters, icon
1 plague marine squad (x10) w/power weapon champion, 2x plasma gun, icon
1 thousand sons squad (x10) w/icon, bolt of change
4 summoned lesser daemons (x10)
1 obliterator squad (x2)
1 obliterator squad (x1)
1 vindicator w/havoc launcher, daemonic possession
This list had me worried because summoned daemons showing up late game can really crush a gaunt squad or tie up a monstrous creature. I couldn't afford to lose a lot of my troops, even though I ran six units of them, and could make at least one more unit of termagants. I definitely ran the risk of losing an objective-based game against this list. Fortunately, three of his daemon units showed up on turn two and I was able to eliminate all of them that turn in addition to both squads of Berserkers and the Chaos Lord. By the bottom of turn four he had one Obliterator and a Plague Marine champion left. Massacre, 2100+ points, 23 battle points.
Scenario 2 was against a Flesh Tearers army (BA) for straight up victory points. His list was ENTIRELY composed of jump pack marines, so I had to be really careful to lure him in and wipe him out in one turn, otherwise I would be stuck fighting against 50 Marines with Feel No Pain.
Dante
Librarian, jump pack, blood lance, 5+ cover power
Honor Guard (x5) jump packs, 4x storm shield, 2x powerfist, 2x meltagun
Sanguinary Guard (x5) 2x infernus pistol, 1x powerfist
Sanguinary Guard (x5) 2x infernus pistol, 1x powerfist
Sanguinary Priest (x2) jump packs
Assault Squad (x10) jump packs, 2x meltagun, powerfist
Assault Squad (x10) jump packs, 2x meltagun, powerfist
Assault Squad (x10) jump packs, 2x meltagun, powerfist
Death Company (x10) jump packs, lemartes, thunderhammer, 2x power weapon, 6x bolter
I filled my entire deployment zone with models (since we were starting in opposite table quarters) because I didn't want any of the BA jump packers to Deep Strike in behind me and shoot my monstrous creatures up with all their meltaguns and pistols. I got the first turn, killed Assault Marines with a Stranglethorn Cannon shot, and that was it. His turn brought the Death Company within turn two charge range of my front line of Termagants, and the rest of his army jumped forward, cautious of getting to within charge range. My turn two I got really lucky and was able to break one of his Assault Squads, which promptly ran off the table. I mean...if you make an LD9 unit make enough morale/pin checks, they're going to eventually fail :)
His turn saw the Death Company run head-long into my Termagants, slaughtering them to a man and leaving them wide open for shooting and charging the next turn. The rest of his forces had moved up to within about 14" of my front line, which was just close enough for me to break out an smash them.
My turn three saw one Hormagaunt squad charge into his Assault Squad on my left flank, two Hive Tyrants, the Tervigon and another Hormagaunt squad charge the Death Company (which I whittled down to 8 after some shooting), my Trygon Prime charge into a squad of Sanguine Guard, and finally... Hormagaunt squad #3 and my Gargoyles charge into his Honor Guard on the right flank.
Now until this point, his Librarian had been canceling about 2/3 of my psychic powers... but LO AND BEHOLD I was able to use Paroxysm on the Death Company before charging them! The first combat to resolve was against the Death Company...which I wiped out to a man. The Assault Squad on the left was completely wiped out as well, followed by the Sanguinary Guard taking four casualties from the Trygon. Finally, the Honor Guard were butchered on the right by the Hormagaunts and Gargoyles.
After this turn, his only remaining forces charged what they could, knowing full well that if they didn't, they were sure to receive a charge the following turn. Dante took three wounds. The Librarian died. The Assault Squad they had joined were annihilated by the Hive Tyrant and Hormagaunts they charged into. The last Sanguinary Guard unit charged the remaining Hormagaunts on my right, smashing them, but taking 2 casualties in the process. The single Sanguinary Guard fighting my Trygon was easily cut up. At this point, my opponent conceded, knowing full well that his remaining six models would be annihilated on my following turn. I got the bonus points too. VP = 2500, Battle Points = 24, Massacre.
Scenario three I was put up against Chaos once again, only this time the list was a bit more finely tuned.
Kharne the Betrayer
Chaos Lord, mark of nurgle, daemon weapon
Summoned Greater Daemon
Chosen Squad (x8) champion, 2x plasma gun, lascannon
Obliterator Squad (x2)
Obliterator Squad (x2)
Obliterator Squad (x2)
Chaos Marine Squad (x10) chaos glory, 2x meltagun, powerfist, rhino
Chaos Marine Squad (x10) chaos glory, 2x meltagun, powerfist, rhino
Khorne Berserker Squad (x9) power weapon, rhino w/dozer blade
Plague Marine Squad (x9) powerfist, 2x plasmagun, rhino w/dozer blade
Thousand Sons Squad (x10) wind of chaos, rhino
This matchup was a dangerous one for me, but only for one reason - he had 3 units of Obliterators that could easily vape my Tyrants if I am forced to over-extend my lines. My main goal here was to destroy his rhinos. The game got a little dicey in the middle of turn three because he was able to get Kharne and his Berserker squad into a large ongoing combat involving the remains of his Plague Marines fighting my Warriors, Tervigon and one Tyrant. Unfortunately this left his entire center exposed to assault. By the bottom of turn four, he had 2 models left: Nurgle Lord w/2 wounds and Kharne. My kill point total was astronomically high (26) compared to his (2). Massacre, VP = 2150(?), Battle Points = 24
I finished out the event with 71 out of a possible 72 battle points, and around 6950 out of 7500 victory points. Total win. I took a Land Raider Redeemer for my box set, but refused my invite to round two. I'm definitely not up for trying to take a mid-June trip to Colorado when I'm at the complete whim of some terrible mission writers.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Desert Nomad, History Buff, Sorcerer Extraordinaire
It seems that I have plenty of time on my hands these days! I now live in the middle of New Mexico, in the desert, and I often find myself doing things like watching all nine seasons of Smallville in a single month. With all that time on my hands, how can I not create some new 40K armies, paint them, blog about them, and watch all five seasons of Supernatural?!
So what have I been into for the past two years? Pre-heresy Space Marines seem to be the most thematically attractive thing I've come across; I made three of them. I began with the Death Guard and World Eaters, subsequently revising both armies for 5th Edition. I moved on to the Emperor's Children last summer, incorporating a few more conversions than the first two armies. Now, finally, I find myself wanting to complete the classic quadruplet of pre-corruption by creating the Thousand Sons.
The question really is: What the hell kind of codex should I use to make them? Until now I've been using the 5th Edition Codex: Space Marines. Do I stick with this or go with Codex: Chaos Space Marines? The SM book allows me to play the 1Ksons as loyalists, using loyalist gear, vehicles, and characters that make them feel like they are still the good guys. However, the CSM book allows me to incorporate lots of sorcerers! I don't much care for the actual 1Ksons troop units because they don't feel like they're pre-heresy; they feel like robots. There's also a lot of inconsistency between the 1Ksons troop units and other CSM units I would like to use (like Raptors and Havocs (meaning that the troops have totally different saves and traits - 4++ and fearless).
I suppose that the theme issue of 'lots of sorcerers with psychic powers' can be addressed by having a SM command squad that all carry power weapons (force weapons) and plasma pistols (short-range blasts of psychic energy emanating from their hands)... not to mention I can use a Librarian with a jump pack to head-up a unit of assault marines. 1Ksons assault marines!? Who would've known?!
So I'm off to juggle the pros and cons of these two prospective 'counts as' lists...
So what have I been into for the past two years? Pre-heresy Space Marines seem to be the most thematically attractive thing I've come across; I made three of them. I began with the Death Guard and World Eaters, subsequently revising both armies for 5th Edition. I moved on to the Emperor's Children last summer, incorporating a few more conversions than the first two armies. Now, finally, I find myself wanting to complete the classic quadruplet of pre-corruption by creating the Thousand Sons.
The question really is: What the hell kind of codex should I use to make them? Until now I've been using the 5th Edition Codex: Space Marines. Do I stick with this or go with Codex: Chaos Space Marines? The SM book allows me to play the 1Ksons as loyalists, using loyalist gear, vehicles, and characters that make them feel like they are still the good guys. However, the CSM book allows me to incorporate lots of sorcerers! I don't much care for the actual 1Ksons troop units because they don't feel like they're pre-heresy; they feel like robots. There's also a lot of inconsistency between the 1Ksons troop units and other CSM units I would like to use (like Raptors and Havocs (meaning that the troops have totally different saves and traits - 4++ and fearless).
I suppose that the theme issue of 'lots of sorcerers with psychic powers' can be addressed by having a SM command squad that all carry power weapons (force weapons) and plasma pistols (short-range blasts of psychic energy emanating from their hands)... not to mention I can use a Librarian with a jump pack to head-up a unit of assault marines. 1Ksons assault marines!? Who would've known?!
So I'm off to juggle the pros and cons of these two prospective 'counts as' lists...
Monday, June 9, 2008
5th Edition
It sees that, once again, Games Workshop has decided to revise the rules for Warhammer 40,000. Don't worry! It's a good thing. There are tons of new twists and turns to playing the game that will maker players sit up and take notice. I'll spare you the details of the actual changes, but if I refer to them later, I'll explain them. The real purpose of all this is to take a look at some popular unit configurations and change them around.
Space Marines
Assault Cannons are still good - they're just not as good as before.
Space Marines
Assault Cannons are still good - they're just not as good as before.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Ogryn Madness
HQ
Command Platoon
Command Squad - 350
heroic senior officer - laspistol, powerfist, meltabombs, carapace armor
4 veteran guardsmen - laspistol, close combat weapon
chimera - heavy bolter, multi-laser, pintle-mounted heavy stubber, smoke launchers
Priest (attached to command squad) - eviscerator
Commissar (attached to command squad) - laspistol, powerfist
ELITE
Ogryn Squad #1 (6) - 260
bone 'ead
chimera - heavy bolter, multi-laser, pintle-mounted heavy stubber, smoke launchers
Ogryn Squad #2 (6) - 260
bone 'ead
chimera - heavy bolter, multi-laser, pintle-mounted heavy stubber, smoke launchers
Ogryn Squad #3 (6) - 260
bone 'ead
chimera - heavy bolter, multi-laser, pintle-mounted heavy stubber, smoke launchers
TROOPS
Grenadiers #1 (5) - 70
2x plasma gun
Grenadiers #1 (5) - 70
2x plasma gun
FAST ATTACK
Hellhound - 115
Sentinel Squadron (3) - 150
3x autocannon
HEAVY SUPPORT
Leman Russ Demolisher #1 - 155
heavy bolter
Leman Russ Demolisher #2 - 155
heavy bolter
Leman Russ Demolisher #3 - 155
heavy bolter
Total - 2000 points
This is more or less a fun list I put together to facilitate using three units of Ogryns. They're decent in close combat, except against powerfist-wielding units. They're great for charging into cover since they come with frag grenades, and they're great for taking on high-toughness models that have weak saves (like daemons!). The rest of the army is just a whole lot of vehicle-based shooting that can smash a hole through a lot of different lists.
Command Platoon
Command Squad - 350
heroic senior officer - laspistol, powerfist, meltabombs, carapace armor
4 veteran guardsmen - laspistol, close combat weapon
chimera - heavy bolter, multi-laser, pintle-mounted heavy stubber, smoke launchers
Priest (attached to command squad) - eviscerator
Commissar (attached to command squad) - laspistol, powerfist
ELITE
Ogryn Squad #1 (6) - 260
bone 'ead
chimera - heavy bolter, multi-laser, pintle-mounted heavy stubber, smoke launchers
Ogryn Squad #2 (6) - 260
bone 'ead
chimera - heavy bolter, multi-laser, pintle-mounted heavy stubber, smoke launchers
Ogryn Squad #3 (6) - 260
bone 'ead
chimera - heavy bolter, multi-laser, pintle-mounted heavy stubber, smoke launchers
TROOPS
Grenadiers #1 (5) - 70
2x plasma gun
Grenadiers #1 (5) - 70
2x plasma gun
FAST ATTACK
Hellhound - 115
Sentinel Squadron (3) - 150
3x autocannon
HEAVY SUPPORT
Leman Russ Demolisher #1 - 155
heavy bolter
Leman Russ Demolisher #2 - 155
heavy bolter
Leman Russ Demolisher #3 - 155
heavy bolter
Total - 2000 points
This is more or less a fun list I put together to facilitate using three units of Ogryns. They're decent in close combat, except against powerfist-wielding units. They're great for charging into cover since they come with frag grenades, and they're great for taking on high-toughness models that have weak saves (like daemons!). The rest of the army is just a whole lot of vehicle-based shooting that can smash a hole through a lot of different lists.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Pre-Heresy World Eaters
Take the Fight to Them
Honor Your Wargear
Eye to Eye
Have Faith in Suspicion
HQ
Master - 145
frag grenades
meltabombs
bolt pistol
power weapon
artificer armor
combat shield
terminator honors
furious charge
Command Squad (6) - 253
furious charge
terminator honors
lightning claws
frag grenades
artificer armor
rhino
smoke launchers
extra armor
dozer blade
searchlight
hunter-killer missile
Master of Sanctity (attached to Command Squad) - 145
frag grenades
meltabombs
bolt pistol
crozius arcanum
artificer armor
rosarius
terminator honors
furious charge
ELITES
Venerable Dreadnought - 150
venerable
extra armor
multi-melta
stormbolter
tank hunter
Terminator Squad (5) - 200
4 lightning claws
1 thunderhammer & stormshield
Devastator Squad (10) - 297
4 multi-meltas
infiltrate
terminator honors
powerfist
teleport homer
auspex
TROOPS
Tactical Squad #1 (10) - 220
meltagun
terminator honors
powerfist
drop pod
Tactical Squad #2 (10) - 220
meltagun
terminator honors
powerfist
drop pod
Tactical Squad #3 (5) - 90
lascannon
Tactical Squad #4 (5) - 90
lascannon
Tactical Squad #5 (5) - 95
plasma cannon
Tactical Squad #6 (5) - 95
plasma cannon
Honor Your Wargear
Eye to Eye
Have Faith in Suspicion
HQ
Master - 145
frag grenades
meltabombs
bolt pistol
power weapon
artificer armor
combat shield
terminator honors
furious charge
Command Squad (6) - 253
furious charge
terminator honors
lightning claws
frag grenades
artificer armor
rhino
smoke launchers
extra armor
dozer blade
searchlight
hunter-killer missile
Master of Sanctity (attached to Command Squad) - 145
frag grenades
meltabombs
bolt pistol
crozius arcanum
artificer armor
rosarius
terminator honors
furious charge
ELITES
Venerable Dreadnought - 150
venerable
extra armor
multi-melta
stormbolter
tank hunter
Terminator Squad (5) - 200
4 lightning claws
1 thunderhammer & stormshield
Devastator Squad (10) - 297
4 multi-meltas
infiltrate
terminator honors
powerfist
teleport homer
auspex
TROOPS
Tactical Squad #1 (10) - 220
meltagun
terminator honors
powerfist
drop pod
Tactical Squad #2 (10) - 220
meltagun
terminator honors
powerfist
drop pod
Tactical Squad #3 (5) - 90
lascannon
Tactical Squad #4 (5) - 90
lascannon
Tactical Squad #5 (5) - 95
plasma cannon
Tactical Squad #6 (5) - 95
plasma cannon
Pre-Heresy Death Guard
Trust Your Battle Brothers
Death Before Dishonor
HQ
Master - 213
master-crafted powerfist
combi-plasma
adamantine mantle
artificer armor
combat shield
terminator honors
true grit & counterattack
Command Squad (9) - 192
true grit & counterattack
terminator honors
powerfist
boltgun
ELITES
Terminator Squad (5) - 215
heavy flamer
chainfist
Venerable Dreadnought - 160
venerable
twin-linked lascannon
storm bolter
extra armor
smoke launchers
tank hunter
TROOPS
Tactical Squad #1 (7) - 141
lascannon
true grit & counterattack
Tactical Squad #2 (10) - 289
flamer
krak grenades
true grit & counterattack
terminator honors
plasma pistol
boltgun
meltabombs
rhino
smoke launchers
Tactical Squad #3 (10) - 273
plasma gun
true grit & counterattack
terminator honors
powerfist
boltgun
rhino
smoke launchers
HEAVY SUPPORT
Land Raider - 259
extra armor
smoke launchers
searchlight
Predator Annihilator - 145
sponson lascannons
Predator Destructor - 110
sponson heavy bolters
Death Before Dishonor
HQ
Master - 213
master-crafted powerfist
combi-plasma
adamantine mantle
artificer armor
combat shield
terminator honors
true grit & counterattack
Command Squad (9) - 192
true grit & counterattack
terminator honors
powerfist
boltgun
ELITES
Terminator Squad (5) - 215
heavy flamer
chainfist
Venerable Dreadnought - 160
venerable
twin-linked lascannon
storm bolter
extra armor
smoke launchers
tank hunter
TROOPS
Tactical Squad #1 (7) - 141
lascannon
true grit & counterattack
Tactical Squad #2 (10) - 289
flamer
krak grenades
true grit & counterattack
terminator honors
plasma pistol
boltgun
meltabombs
rhino
smoke launchers
Tactical Squad #3 (10) - 273
plasma gun
true grit & counterattack
terminator honors
powerfist
boltgun
rhino
smoke launchers
HEAVY SUPPORT
Land Raider - 259
extra armor
smoke launchers
searchlight
Predator Annihilator - 145
sponson lascannons
Predator Destructor - 110
sponson heavy bolters
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