So while I've been building The Army of The Crowing, I've also been playing around with a new Ultramarines list.
After a lot of thinking about it (and fiddling around in Army Builder) I came up with the following list:
HQ: Captain Cato Sicarius
Elite: Terminator Assault Squad
4 Assault Terminators, 1 Sergeant, all with TH & SS
Heavy Support: Land Raider
Elite: Terminator Assault Squad
7 Assault Terminators, 1 Sergeant, all with TH & SS
Transport: Land Raider Crusader with Multi-Melta
Troops: Tactical Squad
9 Tactical Squad with Meltagun & Multi-Melta; 1 Sergeant with BP & Chainsword
Troops: Tactical Squad
9 Tactical Squad with Meltagun & Multi-Melta; 1 Sergeant with BP & Chainsword
Transport: Razorback with TLHB
Elite: Sternguard Veteran Squad
4 Sternguard Veterans, 1 Sergeant
Transport: Rhino with EA
Heavy Support: Predator Destructor
Heavy Support: Thunderfire Cannon with Techmarine Gunner
Total Roster Cost: 2000
Not too bad I don't think, granted I've shoved as many TH/SS assault terminators into Land Raiders as I can, tossed in Sicarius, and filled in the rest. The results from some limited playtesting resulted in a little list tweaking and I set out to get in another game to see how it went.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to complete the second game as we'd left our Transylvanian Hound (named Ringo...just leave me alone about the name, ok? He came with it and we didn't think it was right to change it) at home with an upset digestive tract so time was very limited. I will say that the few turns I managed to get in, the list was performing quite well indeed...TH/SS assault terminators are amazing if you haven't figured that out!
While I was at the FLGS gettin' my game on, though, I ran into Goatboy (whom you may be familiar with from his articles on BoLS). I handed him my list and said, "Fix it!" You have to understand, Goatboy has a gift for building good lists...it's what he does. If he gives you advice on putting together a good list, you really should listen to what he has to say. So we chatted about this and that for a bit and he made a couple of suggestions.
The result of that discussion is this list:
HQ: Captain Darnath Lysander
Elite: Terminator Squad
4 Terminators with 1 Cyclone Missile Launcher, 1 Sergeant
Transport: Land Raider with EA
Elite: Terminator Assault Squad
7 Assault Terminators & 1 Sergeant, all with TH/SS
Transport: Land Raider Crusader with MM & EA
Troops: Tactical Squad
9 Tactical Marines with Meltagun and Las Cannon, 1 Sergeant with BP & CS
Troops: Tactical Squad
9 Tactical Marines with Meltagun and Multi-Melta, 1 Sergeant with BP & PF
Transport: Razorback with TLHB & EA
Heavy Support: Predator Destructor (AC/HBx2)
Heavy Support: Predator Destructor (AC/HBx2)
Heavy Support: Thunderfire Cannon with Techmarine Gunner
Total Roster Cost: 2000
Basically what it comes down to is focus. My first list was pretty good with the LR/LRC packed with assault termies, but after that, I lost focus (for example, tossing in the Sternguard simply because I want to use them, not because they served a real purpose in my list). So out go Sicarius, the Sternguard and one unit of assault termies to make room for the "shooty" termies and Lysander because they make a good combo with Lysander's Bolter Drill special rule. I added a Cyclone Missile Launcher for a little extra punch while keeping the storm bolter (because Bolter Drill doesn't work with assault cannons). I was also able to add another Predator Destructor (which are an absolute bargain and deliver one of, if not the, best fire volume/points cost ratios in C:SM).
So now the list is shooty as all hell and keeps a big squad of Thunder Hammer swingin' maniacs to deal with anything really big and nasty (or slaughter their way through lesser targets if nothing else is available). I was thinking this list was pretty good, but I was thinking it lacked a good squad eraser.
(BTW, in Joe's 40K Dictionary, a Squad Eraser is defined as a weapon/unit/ability that simply makes enemy models disappear, usually and preferrably in large numbers.)
Now you can argue the merits and risks involved with fielding a Vindicator. Yes, it has a huge neon sign that flashes "SHOOT ME!!!!" on it...but you'll have to admit, in C:SM there really is no better squad eraser. Goatboy and I had discussed including a Vindi in my list last night, and his advice was, "They're really only good if you take two."
With that in mind, I present the third and final list for the day:
HQ: Captain Darnath Lysander
Elite: Terminator Squad
4 Terminators with 1 Cyclone Missile Launcher, 1 Sergeant
Transport: Land Raider
Elite: Terminator Assault Squad
7 Assault Terminators & 1 Sergeant, all with TH/SS
Transport: Land Raider Crusader with MM
Troops: Tactical Squad
9 Tactical Marine with Meltagun and Las Cannon, 1 Sergeant with BP & CS
Troops: Tactical Squad
9 Tactical Marines with Meltagun and Multi-Melta, 1 Sergeant with BP & CS
Transport: Razorback with TLHB & EA
Heavy Support: Predator Destructor (AC/HBx2)
Heavy Support: Vindicator with Siege Shield
Heavy Support: Vindicator with Siege Shield
Total Roster Cost: 2000
Now we have a list that your opponent will look over when you're deploying and wonder how he's going to deal with all the dangerous, deadly and immediate threats to his army...and have to react accordingly. Oh, sure, chances are very good that at least one or both of those Vindis will be gone by the end of turn 2, but that's OK, because they should have managed to drop 1 or 2 turns of some S10 AP1 pie plate lovin' down, and/or managed to attract enough fire that my LR and LRC have been relatively unmolested...and have survived to deliver their precious, deadly cargoes...
Of the three, the 2xVindi one is my favorite. I'm picking up Lysander from my FLGS this afternoon and then I'll need to pick up that pair of Vindis and I'll have all the models I need to make this list a reality.
Hopefully it'll perform as well on the tabletop as it does in my head. :)
So...what do you think? What do you think about when you're building a list, especially a more "competitive" one for tournament play? Do you have model/units that you love, but simply can't find a place for them in your battle plan? When you do...do you keep them anyway, or do you give 'em the flush and stay focused?
