Thursday 28 October 2010

Evolution of the Army List

Well I had my first two games at 1,750pts yesterday. It's a bit of a strange points cost for me as my friends and I tend to play 1,500, 2,000 or Apocalypse.

So I wrote a list with models that I have (bar 2) and this is what I used yesterday:

HQ (315)
Rune Priest, Living Lightning, Murderous Hurricane, Saga of the Beast Slayer = 110
Rune Priest, Living Lightning, Storm Caller, Wolf Tail talisman = 105
Rune Priest, Living Lightning, Jaws of the World Wolf= 100
Elites (204)
5 Wolf Scouts, Melta Gun = 85
3 Wolf Guard, 2x Power fist + Combi Melta, 1 x Wulfen = 119
Troops (820)
10 Grey hunters, 2 Plasma Guns, Wulfen, Wolf Standard = 185
10 Grey hunters, 1 Flamer, 1 Plasma Gun, Wulfen, Wolf Standard = 175
10 Grey Hunters, 2 Melta Guns, Wulfen, Wolf Standard, Power Weapon = 195
Rhino = 35
10 Grey Hunters, 2 Melta Guns, Wulfen, Wolf Standard, Power Weapon = 195
Rhino = 35
Fast Attack (230)
Land Speeder Typhoon, Heavy Bolter = 90
Land Speeder, Multi Melta, Heavy Flamer = 70
Land Speeder, Multi Melta, Heavy Flamer = 70
Heavy Support (180)
4 Long Fangs, 3 Missile Launchers = 90
4 Long Fangs, 3 Missile Launchers = 90
1749

In my first game I played my friend Liam's Eldar. He had:

Eldrad and Seer Council in a Wave Serpent with TL Shuirkan Cannons and hull mounted cannon too.
A Farseer with Guide
2 War Walkers with 2 Missile Launchers each.
11 Storm Guardians, 2 Fusion Guns, Warlock with Enhance and a Wave Serpeant as above.
Guardian Defenders, Bright Lance, Warlock with Conceal.
7/8 Striking Scorpions with Exarch with twin chain sabres.
2 Vibro Cannons

Game was Capture and Control (1 objective each) with Spearhead deployment (Table Quaters).

In other words the classic "draw" scenario that plays in to a fast army's hands (ie Eldar)

Liam reserved his whole army so the first 2 turns nothing really happened. His army turned up on turn 3 (nasty). Short of the story was that Liam hasn't played in a while and was in a "6 turn game" mind set so didn't have my objective contested and just wasn't close enough to hold his, so when he rolled for turn the game ended in 5 and he lost.

So a bit of a hollow victory to be honest but if there was to be another turn he would of lost the last of his scoring units more than likely, and I might have his objective while mine is contested (dice permitting).

2nd Game was against my friend Ben's Imperial Guard. I'm a BIG guard player myself so I know his bag of tricks and what's to come. He had:

Primaris Psyker
2 Squads of Veterans with 3 Plasma Guns, Lascannon, in a Chimera with 2 Heavy Bolters
2 Squads of Veterans with 3 Melta Guns, Lascannon
2 Vendettas, with Heavy Bolter Sponsons (Melta Vets ride in these)
2 Leman Russ Demolishers with 3 Heavy Bolters
2 Banewolves

Mission wise we got a good old fashioned slaughter - Pitched Battle, Annihilation.

All my melta guns did jack shit (3 missed, and one rolled snake eyes for penetration). But Living Lightning 3 times over and the Land Speeder Typhoons missiles did a lot of damage. Ben squeezed out a 7-5 win by getting his last 2 KP in the last turn.

So what have I leanred?

Well vs the Eldar, Rune priests are so damm good. I didn't get many powers off due the Runes of Warding, but when I did stuff died. But on the upside 4+ to stop psychic powers reduced Eldrad's effectiveness massively - he only got off 2 out of 8 attempted powers.

Wolf Banners and Mark of the Wulfen ruin most people's days. In a combat vs the Striking Scorpions the banner reduced my casualties by 50% and when the Wulfen rolls a 1 for his number of attacks *bang* re-roll that, oh look its a good roll (4). And vs Toughness 3 my 5 Marines where wounding on a 3+ re-rolling 1's!

Vs the Imperial Guard:
I need to mech up everyone, or they are going to sit still and do nothing and probably die - even if I'm going to camp on a objective all game.
Again Living Lightning kicks ass, but I could do with some Choosers of the Slain to beef up the Rune Priests roll's to hit as I did roll a lot of 2's.
Take a page for the Guard book, send 2 units to do 1 units job. I sent my melta units in piece meal and they paid the price.
If I'm going to take wolf scouts then I should take 2 units (or 3) or none at all. As in both games the unit rolled poorly for their out flank and either died vs the Eldar or did nothing vs the IG. - Again goes back to 2 units doing 1 units job.

So after some note taking and some tinkering around this is the list I want to try next but I lack the extra 2 Rhinos, a melta gun or 2 and 2 missile launchers, and a Land Speeder:

HQ (315)
Rune Priest, Living Lightning, Murderous Hurricane, Chooser of the Slain = 110
Rune Priest, Living Lightning, Storm Caller, Wolf Tail Talisman = 105
Rune Priest, Living Lightning, Jaws of the World Wolf = 100 

Elites (292)
5 Wolf Scouts, Melta Gun =80
5 Wolf Scouts, Melta Gun =80
4 Wolf Guard (2x Power fist, 4 Combi Meltas) = 132

Troops (700)
10 Grey hunters, 2 Melta Guns, Wolf Banner, Mark of the Wulfen = 180
Rhino = 35
10 Grey hunters, 2 Melta Guns, Wolf Banner, Mark of the Wulfen = 180
Rhino = 35
6 Grey Hunters, 1 Melta Gun, Mark of the Wulfen =110
Rhino = 35
5 Grey Hunters, 1 Flamer, Mark of the Wulfen =90
Rhino = 35

Fast Attack (210)
Land Speeder Tornado, Multi Melta, Heavy flamer = 70
Land Speeder Tornado, Multi Melta, Heavy flamer = 70
Land Speeder Tornado, Multi Melta, Heavy flamer = 70

Heavy Support (230)
5 Long Fangs, 4 Missile Launchers = 115
5 Long Fangs, 4 Missile Launchers = 115

1747

I feel its better, I've basically dropped a few men and power weapons for transports, scouts, and wolf guard.

On the painting side of things I've 'dipped' 90% of the models now in the Army painter strong tone varnish and they look pretty nice even in a half arsed state. So I just to renovate 2 Land Speeders, buy a 3rd, 2 Rhinos, and some melta guns and I'm good.

8 comments:

  1. The changed list with more mech is much better looking, why and not put all the squads about the same size? 8/8/8/7.

    As it is you kill 11 marines you half your scoring units

    ReplyDelete
  2. For Grey Hunters you need to have the 10th man for the 2nd Special Weapon (for free :D). So for evening out the squad numbers I lose 2 melta guns. I understand what you're trying to say about evening the numbers out.

    But we both have till March to test this kind of stuff out so we'll see what will happen to this list...

    ReplyDelete
  3. ah yeah ok I can see where you going, most list I see tend to have them abotu 7/8 strong with a melt and combi melta since a lot of the time you only get to shoot once

    ReplyDelete
  4. Well we get our combi meltas from the wolf guard. 2 Going with the scouts for ninja antics and the other 2 as back up in my camper units in case a land raider etc breaks though.

    Most single melta, with a WG combi melta squads are from razorback spam lists, but I've gone for the Living Lightning spam instead of a razorback gun

    ReplyDelete
  5. yeah it's a nasty looking list, you thought about using logan so you can get the living lightning upto str 8?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Logan isn't really that good (outside of Loganwing). Also being in Terminator armour means no trips in a Rhino.

    I'm not pooping on him as I use him for my Ultramarine 1st Company army, so I know what he is capable of.

    ReplyDelete
  7. na in 1750 he is awsome.

    2 rune priests+long fangs with 1 las cannon and 4 missile launchers with tank hunter are on avg rolls pumping out 11 str 9 and a str 10 shot thats very likely 2 dead vehicles a turn

    ReplyDelete
  8. 1 very expensive unit that's all very eggs 1 basket scenario for my liking.

    My best tournament army is IG (before they where cool) and the philosophy of 2 units 1 task sticks with me.

    Like I said got till March to play test.

    ReplyDelete