A Change in the Weather

So, last time we talked (or so) I discussed moving away from a Draigowing/Paladin heavy army.

I've since been trying out pretty much a list every week or so trying to find one that I liked and that worked as well as I wanted. 

The problem, you see, is that I really like Paladins, and so I've been pretty determined to keep them in the army. While it may not be the best decision I've made in terms of points efficiency and so on but I really like Paladins and so for the time being, they're in. :)

So, working off the basis of a 5-man Paladin squad it was time to come up with something to go along with them.

Considering the severe lack of long-range firepower is pretty much the entire GK 'dex, I decided to go ahead and add a couple of "psyflemen" dreads. Yeah, I know, they're the darlings of the Internet right now and having played a few games with them, I can understand why. No, they are auto-game-winners or anything but they definitely do fill a role that really nothing else in a "pure" GK list can do, and shoot across the board reliably.

I like units that are useful in all phases of the game -- this is why I like Paladins so much, they're good in every phase of the game. I tried a few games with GKSS but they were fairly useless in CC -- 1 attack pretty much gimps them to the point where you really don't want to get in melee with them, and that's a shame.

So...Purifiers.

Crowe Purifiers.

You have no idea how badly I don't really want to run them, but point-for-point, there's really no substitute for Purifiers, and being able to take them as troops? Yes, please.

Except...well, I can't quite seem to get the hang of using Crowe. Some of my fellow Austinites love him and use him to great effect but I just can't seem to find anything to do with his odd-duck ass. More often than not I was struggling to come up with a use for him, so...well, I'm thinking he's not going to work for me.

So...I tried to cheat the system.

I created an abomination of a list with 2 Grand Masters and minimal 5-man strike squads, Paladins and 3 units of Purifiers...planning on using the Grand Strategy x2 to get scoring Purifiers without paying the "Crowe tax".

In the end, though, after much discussion, I settled on something a bit more reasonable: 2xPurifiers with Rhinos and Psybolt, 2xGKSS, Paladins, 2xPsyfleman and one Grand Master. I figure I can still use Grand Strategy to make Purifiers (or Paladins, or a Dread) scoring if the game type calls for it, otherwise it's probably time to make some scouting Paladins and/or Purifiers...man I love Grand Strategy -- the counter-attack "power up" rocks as well (mmm, Paladins with counter-attack).


The main strength of this list, though, is in the number of boots on the ground, and then number of storm bolters (32) and psycannons (14) it can bring to bear each turn. That's...a whole lot of shooting -- and it works. Well.

I'm concerned about the lack of a Librarian, though, even though I really haven't missed him the last few games I've played without him.

After a few games with the list (and if I make any tweaks) I'll post the list (though it is very simple, really) and let you know how it works out -- hopefully, somewhat near now I want it to. :)

How about you guys? Ever had a unit that you liked so much you just couldn't drop it from a list, even if "conventional wisdom" said it wasn't the "best"? Ever had to tear down an army and start over? How did it work out?

Draigowing - Now with Extra Support!

So I've been thinking about Draigowing with Paladins. Yes, Paladins cost a LOT, but I think they're worth it. The biggest issue with them is they need long-range support, and something to pop tanks from a distance (so they can get at the chewy stuff in the transports, mainly).

Granted, in the modern Grey Knights codex that means "Psyflemen" dreads. I just happened to get lucky and score a ForgeWorld dread body from a friend the other night, and I ordered the auto-cannon arms Sunday. Of course, if I make this list permanent, I'm going to be ordering another dread and auto-cannon arms, but that's OK. I figure if this list works out I can get more resin-y goodness to make the appropriate dread model (I could even use a -- gasp! -- standard dread model instead of a ForgeWorld one and just order the right arms). The really good news about this list is the only other model I need to purchase is (another) Librarian in Terminator armor (as I can't seem to find my metal one). I've got one of the new FineCast ones pre-ordered at the FLGS so we'll see how that works out. I have realistic hopes that it'll at least look good, I don't know how I feel about the whole FineCast thing yet, but I figure I need the model anyway, might as well give it a shot. Right? Right.

Anyway, this list:

HQ: Lord Kaldor Draigo (1#, 275 pts)

Troops: Paladin Squad (5#, 340 pts)
1 Paladin Nemesis Force Sword; Psycannon
1 Paladin Nemesis Force Halberd; Psycannon
1 Paladin Nemesis Daemonhammer; Storm Bolter
1 Paladin Brotherhood Banner; Storm Bolter
1 Paladin Nemesis Force Halberd; Storm Bolter

HQ: Librarian (1#, 180 pts)
Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter
Hammerhand; Might of Titan; Quicksilver; Sanctuary; The Shrouding; The Summoning; Warp Rift

Elite: Techmarine (1#, 133 pts)
Blind Grenades; Rad Grenades; Storm Bolter; Nemesis Warding Stave; Servo Harness

Troops: Paladin Squad (10#, 655 pts)
2 Paladin Nemesis Force Sword; Psycannon
2 Paladin Nemesis Force Halberd; Psycannon
2 Paladin Nemesis Daemonhammer; Storm Bolter
1 Paladin Nemesis Brotherhood Banner; Storm Bolter
1 Paladin Nemesis Force Sword; Storm Bolter
2 Paladin Nemesis Force Halberd; Storm Bolter

Elite: Vindicare Assassin (1#, 145 pts)

Heavy Support: Psyfleman Dread (1#, 135 pts)

Heavy Support: Psyfleman Dread (1#, 135 pts)

...total of 1998 points. Yay.

Here's the plan:

Techmarine will bolster terrain, and the Vindicare will hide out there, with Stealth that'll give him a tasty 2+ cover save. I can live with that. The dreads will hang out near him. I have the big 10-dude Pallie squad as it's the only way I could give all my Pallies a BB, if I *need* to I can combat-squad them and have the Techmarine hop in with them, letting his Rad Grenade dispenser hopefully make up for the lack of +1 attacks they won't be getting from the BB (at least a little bit). Either way it gives me options and that's a good thing. I can DS Draigo and his squad (or another unit of Pallies, taking advantage of Draigo's Psychic Communion) if I really need to get across the board without hoofing it. Lastly -- and I'm pretty sure this'll work, but I don't have my codex here with me at work -- I can use The Summoning to yank the Vindicare out of harm's way should something assaulty get too close.

What do you guys think?

Paladins: Totally Worth It

Actually, to get an idea of how I say it, you have to imagine me with a big ol' grin giving two thumbs up and saying, "Paladins: Totally worth it."

(BTW: This pic is of my WIP Draigo-led unit of Paladins in my "Draigo's All-Stars" list that I used in this past weekend's team tournament.)

So, I played my Draigo's All-Stars list over the weekend in a tournament, partnered with CrazyRedPraetorian's IG. I have learned a few things about Paladins, and I thought I'd share:

The volume of fire a squad of 7 with 2 psycannons puts out is amazing for such a (relatively) small unit. 8 psycannon shots a turn makes things die.

Librarian + Paladins with Brotherhood Banner = Hammerhand + Might of Titan + Quicksilver = everything you charge in CC dies like a squealing pig before it gets to swing back. Well, almost everything. That's why you have a Paladin with a Daemonhammer for mop-up.

The Apothecary upgrade isn't really worth it. As I'm sure has been discussed, what kills Paladins dead isn't small arms fire, it's anti-tank weapons that you don't get FnP rolls on anyway. The few times I had a Paladin actually die it was to either AT weapons or a DH. The few times I got to make a FnP roll, it usually didn't help (I made exactly 1 out of 5). Yes, that was bad luck on my part, but the fact remains that FnP only has a 50% chance of working in the first place, and you don't get to use it that often with Paladins. Therefore those 75 points are more than likely better spent elsewhere (on more Paladins, I think).

Did I mention that anti-tank weapons make Paladins cry? They do.

Wound Allocation Shenanigans (WAS) with Paladins make them very, very hard to kill.

Mixing in a few NFSs with NFHs lets you spread those CC power weapon wounds around with a 16.67% better chance of making your invulnerable save. Since you have to do it that way for WAS anyway, make the most of it.

I'm still undecided on the Brotherhood Banner. Yes, it does give all your Paladins an extra attack, but it does remove an NFx from the squad. I can't decide if it's worth it, or not. I'm going to have to play some more games with it and see. The BB's other ability -- auto-passing the NFx activation -- would have been perfect had I not already used Hammerhand that round of CC. That's my fault, and not some flaw in the BB, so I'll need to be more judicious in my use of Hammerhand in those times when it would be more useful to have force weapons insta-gank multi-wound models (I'm looking at you, Ork Nob units). Sure, S6 > S5, but not having to deal with someone else's WAS with multi-wound models would be >S6 since you can't get S8 without a DH. Did I mention you really need a DH? Yes, you do. Don't leave the battle-barge without at least one.

The only unit that gave my Paladins issues was...another unit of Paladins, all set up for WAS and including a Warding Stave. Sometimes that 2++ really helps ("Just die, damn you, just die!").

Paladins can and will fail leadership tests when your dice have decided they're done for the day and want to go home.

"Deep striking is for suckers," that's my motto. But if you really need to do it with Paladins, well, they're pretty good at surviving the hailstorm of incoming fire they're going to get. Regardless, I got lucky on both my reserve rolls and DS rolls (hit once, scattered 3 the other). I still think DS is too iffy, though, especially when your Psychic Communion generator (Draigo) is Deep Striking, too. IMHO too many things can go wrong and therefore, I stand by my motto, even though sometimes you just gotta be a sucker. "No balls, no babies," as CRP would say.

Don't roll ones. Just don't. Your Paladins don't like ones. However, the first one isn't usually a big deal. Unless, of course, you're making a save against a krak missile hit. It goes without saying that rolling a second one on the same Paladin is absolutely verboten.

Njal Stormcaller makes your Paladins sad. When you see him across the table, know in your silver-armored heart that He. Must. Die. (And the sooner, the better.)

Paladins assaulting Njal Stormcaller and his boys makes Njal cry hot wolfy tears. Psyk-out grenades are fun when you're the one using them.

Other units of Paladins will make you sad, especially when they get the charge on you. Psyk-out grenades are no fun when used against you.

If you're going to use Grand Strategy to give Paladins an extra ability, counter-charge is good -- especially if you have a BB. Getting 4 attacks when charged (and more than likely going first) helps quite a bit. It will also make your opponent think twice about charging in -- which hopefully results in another round of tasty, tasty shooting from your Paladins before you charge in and wreck shop. I'll have to experiment with the "gains Scouts" ability and see how that works out, but it's not like you're going to get close enough to get into CC on round one anyway...

Frag grenades on terminators, such a pleasant surprise (well, for you, anyway...). "Don't hide from Paladins in difficult terrain, you'll just die covered in debris."

Lastly, expect to see things like this a lot when you play GK (and Paladins as troops in particular):


...in short: Paladins: Always outnumbered, never outgunned.


Oh, how'd we do in the tournament? Made it to Table 2, and lost by 2 KP to a GK/SW team, which cost us placing. Remember what I said about another unit of Paladins? A-yep, that's what did it to me (well, I didn't lose the unit, but they lost CC due to number of wounds caused vs. taken, and then failed the morale check with effin' boxcars...). A dreadnaught drop-podding into our IG-filled backfield didn't help. Every game was fun, though -- we definitely had a good time.

Draigo's All-Stars

I'm putting together a list for a 1500 points (each) team tournament next weekend, and I came up with this. I don't know if I'll run it, but damn, it seems like a fun little exercise nevertheless...

Lord Kaldor Draigo	275	275
Librarian	150	175
Quicksilver
Might of Titan
Sanctuary
The Shrouding
The Summoning
Paladins x7	385	525
Apothecary
Psycannon x2
Brotherhood Banner DH, halberds x4, NFS on Apothecary
Paladins x7	385	525
Apothecary
Psycannon x2
Brotherhood Banner

DH, halberds x4, NFS
on Apothecary
Total Cost: 1500 points on the nose.

Basic plan?

1. Use Draigo to give counter-charge to (hopefully) both pally units
   
2. Libby with one pally squad, Draigo with the other
3. Keep units close so they can both suck up that Shrouding magic
4. Pick things I want to die
5. Move towards those things, and shoot shoot shoot on the way
6. Assault those things and watch them die quick painful deaths

My teammate is going to run either IG or Wolves, either of which can pick up the slack caused by the holes that this list has (and yes, it has many).

What do you guys think?

Either the Best, or the Worst...

All right, OK, I know! It's been like a hundred years since I posted anything. I've been busy, guys, very busy, and a lot of that busy has actually been gaming-related (though there's definitely been some work and personal life stuff in the mix as well).

What have I been up to? Well let's see...the biggest Time Consumer has been the Star Phantoms army (whoever guessed them as my "secret project" when I posted the "Palette Portrait", you WIN!...the non-existent prize!). I'm very pleased with how far along I've managed to get with it, despite some false starts and a couple of "new painting method" mishaps that resulted in an entire tac squad going into the Simple Green for stripping (yes, it was THAT bad!). I'll toss some WIP pics up later, as well as the list (which may or may not be seeing daylight at BoLSCON this weekend) for your amusement. I tried a very, very different approach to list building for the Phantoms -- basically the "anti-version" of my current Ultras list...nary a single Land Raider in sight! But they're meant to play in a dramatically different way than my Ultras, too, so hopefully it won't suck. :)

Speaking of BoLS, another thing that's been keeping me on my toes is I've been a moderator on Bell of Lost Soul's new Lounge. So if you've been over there say "hi" (yep, I'm CrusherJoe there as I am here) and if you haven't been over to check it out...SHAME ON YOU! Get off your butt and go check it out -- now! :) And speaking of BoLSCON, are any of you planning on going? I can personally vouch that it is going to be a righteous, rocking con -- there's more prize support than you can carry off in two wheelbarrow trips and the sceanrios, terrain, the whole thing is going to be fantastic. Let me know if you're going so we can meet! I'll be there all weekend long (I won't be staying the night, as I literally live only 3 miles north on I-35 from the Doubletree Hotel) but I'll be there pretty much from open to close. I'd like to get some games in with you guys if anyone's going to be down! Or if not, then we can grab some beers and see some what I'm certain is going to be some very kickass gaming going on. :)

Let's see, what else? Oh, I started BattleFleet Gothic (two fleets finally taken out of their shipping containers and touch up work has begun (4 of the Chaos cruisers spent some time in Simple Green "wetdock") and I've got a starter list ready for my Chaos and Imperial Navy fleets. And if that weren't enough, I've also compiled an Epic Space Marine army, which has grown into a very playable army in a very short period of time (Go go gadget Ebay auction winning tools. There are a few local Epic players and I'm looking forward to throwing down with them very, very soon (as in, after BoLSCON).

So now, we're pretty much caught up with what I've been up to.

However, that's not really what I wanted to post about.

No, you see, I was up late (again), working (yes, *sigh* again!) and thinking a little bit about 40K army lists, maybe even doing a little blog-reading and Lounge modding between tasks...and suddenly, it hit me...Either the Best -- or the Worst -- Army List of All Time:

Converted Sisters of Battle on Space Marine bikes.

We'll call them "The Emperor's Cycle Sluts from Hell" until I can think of a more appropriate act of punnery to make the concept and the name complete (and NOW you know why I chose that leading picture, hmm? Yes, that's the actual "Cycle Sluts from Hell" band. Cute, huh?) :)

Anyway, yeah, these are the things that rattle around in my head late at night.

What's the craziest army list/concept you've ever come up with? And for bonus points: Did you actually build your crazy list and play it? (And know that if you -did-, you've gained a new level in Geekery, please update your stats and choose one more Advantage of 15 points or less!)

Subtle Differences

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?

Divine Secrets of the Space Marine Brotherhood?

If there's one thing I believe space marine armies need, it's force multipliers. The two assault cannons you could (previously) take in a 5-man terminator squad was a perfect example of a force multiplier -- having those two assault cannons greatly expanded the damage that unit could do per turn. Now that we've all had a chance to get a look at the new marine codex (and hopefully digest at least some of it), what combinations of units/abilities create meta-units whose total is greater than the sum of its individual parts?

Here in Austin, there are a few favorites that seem to be rising to the top:

1. Captain Lysander joining a full squad of Sternguard: with his "Bolter Drill" special rule, those Sternguard will be pumping out the Hellfire rounds with re-rolls to hit and re-rolls to wound. Plus, re-rolls to hit means you'll never overheat when firing the Vengeance rounds. Nasty!
2. Join an epistolary librarian with the Gate of Infinity power (probably coupled with The Avenger) with a full squad of Sternguard. Add in either several drop podding units or scout biker units with locator beacons and it's bounce-tastic, no-scatter, deep-strike-to-where-you-really-wanna-be fun. Every time your movement phase comes up, if your Sternguard aren't where you need them to be (for example, if you need to avoid an oncoming charge or put yourself in rapid fire range), have the librarian cast Gate of Infinity and bounce out. Also, if your Sternguard/librarian get stuck in an assault you really don't want to be in (which is all of them, because every round they're assaulting is a round they're not shooting), Gate of Infinity out to safety (and by "safety," I mean "rapid fire range to the unit you were in assault with"). You don't have to have a few locator beacons around to use this combo, but I think it's very highly recommended to avoid that whole deep strike scatter issue, which can really ruin your whole day (or at least your battle plan). Also, if you're like me, you want to do everything you can to remove the potential impact random chance can have on your army/units. I originally thought this power was used during the librarian's shooting phase, but an anonymous commenter (who may go by the name "lord-o-doom") pointed out that GoI is cast during the movement phase. So while it may be a little less useful than I originally thought, this combo is still my current favorite.
3. Drop-podding a pair of tooled-up dreadnoughts (either ironclad or venerable) into your opponent's backfield and then opening up with heavy flamers and/or multimeltas/assault cannons/twin-linked auto-cannons. To follow that, charge on in for some DCCW/Seismic Hammer close combat lovin'. Support these dreads with a full squad of Sternguard (probably with a librarian rockin' Gate of Infinity) and maybe a full tac squad (or two) and you're in business. Just make sure you have enough drop-podding units to get all the units you REALLY want in the backfield on the first turn (which probably means you're going to need at least 5 units with pods). Don't forget locator beacons on the pods!
4. I created a 2000 point list with Pedro Cantor and 90 other marines (3 full Sternguard squads and 6 full tac squads). That makes a total of 91 power-armored marines on the table, and with Pedro...90 of them are scoring. Granted, they're all footsloggin', but I think it would be pretty impressive (and not to mention, hard to kill).
5. Honor Guard. Yes, they're ridiculously expensive. But let's think about it: for 385 points, you get 10 Sv2+ marines with power weapons, including the company champion and company banner. That will yield 51 S4 power weapon attacks on the charge (4 from the champ, 27 from the others, 10 from the company banner and 10 for the charge bonus) and 41 S4 power weapon attacks during a regular round of assault. If the S4 doesn't float your boat, you can give 'em all (or just a few) relic blades for some S6 power weapon goodness (at the cost of one attack for each model that has one). Giving the entire squad relic blades costs 150 points...and for the same price you can give the whole squad auxiliary grenade launchers for some added shooting power if you like. Granted, you have to take a chapter master to get them, so choosing one with some heavy CC power is probably a given (or not, they can run around by themselves). At first I didn't think these guys were worth it, but the more I look at what they're capable of, I think they're at least worth testing out...

What do you think of these combos? What interesting little gems of space marine goodness have you found lurking in the new codex? Share with the group and discuss!

Company Champion

I decided to set aside my terminator librarian for a bit and as a little "pick me up" I thought I'd work on my company champion. I was able to fit him in by dropping terminator honors from my chaplain and the chainfist from my terminator squad. I figure my termies shouldn't ever be close enough to a tank to assault it (I've only used it once in any game I've played with my termies).

That means I'm losing one attack from the chaplain, but gaining 2 with the champ (3 on the charge) and the icing on the Twinkie is they're power weapon attacks, too.

I'll test him out tomorrow night and see if he makes any real difference. My main reason for taking him is he seems fluff-tastic and I can't say I've seen one on the battlefield before...which may mean he's not worth it, points-wise, but that's OK.

There's nothing wrong with a little experimentation, right?

New List, Designed with 5E in Mind

So I've come up with a new list, designed to make the transition to 5E.

HQ: Master, Librarian & 7 Man Command Squad (9#, 403 Pts):

• Master with Frag Grenades; Bolt Pistol (x1); Power Weapon (x1); Iron Halo Terminator Honors
• Epistolary with Bolt Pistol (x1); Force Weapon; Fury of the Ancients; Psychic Hood; Storm of the Emperor's Wrath; Psychic Hood
• 6 Command Squad with Bolt Pistol & CCW (x6)
• Sergeant with Frag Grenades; Plasma Pistol (x1); Power Fist (x1); Terminator Honors
  

Heavy Support: Land Raider Crusader (1#, 265 Pts):

• Land Raider Crusader - Multi-Melta; Twin Linked Assault Cannon; Hurricane Bolters (x2); Extra Armor; Power of the Machine Spirit

Troops: 5 Man LC Tac Squad (5#, 90 Pts):

• 4 Tactical Squad with Bolter (x3); Lascannon (x1)
• Sergeant with Bolter
  

Troops: 5 Man LC Tac Squad (5#, 90 Pts):

• 4 Tactical Squad with Bolter (x3); Lascannon (x1)
• Sergeant with Bolter
  

Troops: 10 Man Melta Tac Squad (11#, 213 Pts):

• 9 Tactical Squad with Bolter (x8); Meltagun (x1)
• Sergeant with Bolt Pistol & CCW
• Rhino - Storm Bolter; Smoke Launchers

HQ: Jump Chaplain Reclusiarch (1#, 126 Pts):

• Reclusiarch with Melta Bombs; Bolt Pistol (x1); Crozius Arcanum; Rosarius; Jump Pack; Terminator Honors

Fast Attack: Assault Squad (10#, 275 Pts):

• 9 Assault Squad with Jump Packs; Frag Grenades; Bolt Pistol (x7); Close Combat Weapon (x9); Plasma Pistol (x2)
• Sergeant with Jump Packs; Melta Bombs; Frag Grenades (squad); Plasma Pistol (x1); Power Fist (x1); Terminator Honors

Elite: 5 Man 2AC Terminator Squad (5#, 245 Pts):

• 4 Terminator Squad with Power Fist (x3); Storm Bolter (x2); Chain Fist (x1); Assault Cannon (x2)
• Sergeant with Power Weapon (x1); Storm Bolter

Heavy Support: 6 Man 4 ML Devastator Squad (6#, 170 Pts):

• 5 Devastator Squad with Bolter (x1); Missile Launcher (x4)
• Sergeant with Bolter

Heavy Support: 6 Man 2 HB Devastator Squad (6#, 120 Pts):

• 5 Devastator Squad with Bolter (x3); Heavy Bolter (x2)
• 1 Sergeant with Bolter

Total Roster Cost: 1997

I've reduced the static elements (the heavy weapons teams and dev squads) down to a minimal size since their job will be to hang back, sit still and shoot. The master, libby and command squad will take point in the LRC, followed by the rhino and melta squad, followed by the termies. This should provide enough mobile firepower to play seek & destroy with. The assault squad and chappy will stay back with the dev squads and heavy weapon teams to provide counter-charge and/or take on objective-takers from the other side.

When the new SM codex drops -- and provided SMs get combat squads -- the melta squad will be rolled into the two LC-equipped tac squads to make a pair of 10-man tac squads (with either PG, MG or flamer as the special weapon) which will then split up into 4 combat squads.

The master and his attached squad haven't been performing for me, and the main reason is while I have them tooled up for CC, they never seem to get there, of if they do, the don't arrive full-strength due to attrition along the way -- or worse, I let them get charged. Giving them the LRC should provide them with a safe ride to charge out of. If I can't make that work, or if it doesn't perform well, I'll be changing that squad up a bit, possibly even dropping the squad altogether and replacing it with a tac or veteran squad. Their future depends heavily on what changes the new SM codex brings. If veterans become worthwhile, the command squad might find new life there.

As always, I'd like to know what you think!

Some Thoughts on the Escalation Campaign

...and by thoughts, I mean a possible army list I've been thinking about using for the Escalation Campaign.

1000 Pts - Ultramarines Roster - Escalation - CrusherJoe

HQ: Master of Sanctity (1#, 136 Pts)
1 Master of Sanctity @ 136 Pts
Bolt Pistol (x1); Crozius Arcanum; Rosarius
1 Jump Pack @ [20] Pts
1 Rosarius @ [0] Pts
1 Terminator Honors @ [15] Pts

Fast Attack: Assault Squad (10#, 276 Pts)
9 Assault Squad @ 276 Pts
Jump Packs; Frag Grenades; Bolt Pistol (x7); Close Combat Weapon (x9); Plasma Pistol (x2)
1 Sergeant @ [68] Pts
Jump Packs; Frag Grenades; Plasma Pistol (x1); Power Fist (x1); Terminator Honors
1 Combat Shield @ [5] Pts

Troops: Tactical Squad (6#, 106 Pts)
5 Tactical Squad @ 106 Pts
Bolter (x3); Flamer (x1); Missile Launcher (x1)
1 Sergeant @ [15] Pts
Bolt Pistol & CCW

Troops: Tactical Squad (6#, 145 Pts)
5 Tactical Squad @ 145 Pts
Bolter (x4); Lascannon (x1)
1 Sergeant @ [55] Pts
Plasma Pistol (x1); Power Fist (x1); Terminator Honors

Heavy Support: Devastator Squad (8#, 220 Pts)
7 Devastator Squad @ 220 Pts
Bolter (x3); Heavy Bolter (x2); Plasma Cannon (x2)
1 Sergeant @ [15] Pts
Bolt Pistol & CCW

Elite: Dreadnought (1#, 115 Pts)
1 Dreadnought @ 115 Pts
Missile Launcher; Assault Cannon

Total Roster Cost: 998

Thoughts?

750 Point Combat Patrol Tournament at Dragon's Lair, 01/05/08

Well, I made it to the tournament...barely! I wound up having to use poster tacky adhesive stuff to attach the jump packs and heads to my assault marines and the weapons to a couple of tactical marines...but I was there and got to play in my first tournament.

Here's the army list I used:

HQ: Captain (1#, 140 Pts)
1 Captain @ 140 Pts
Plasma Pistol (x1); Power Fist (x1)
1 Iron Halo @ [25] Pts
1 Terminator Honors @ [15] Pts

Troops: Tactical Squad (7#, 164 Pts)
5 Tactical Squad @ 164 Pts
Bolter (x3); Flamer (x1); Missile Launcher (x1)
1 Rhino @ [58] Pts
Storm Bolter; Extra Armor; Smoke Launchers
1 Sergeant @ [15] Pts
Bolt Pistol & CCW

Troops: Tactical Squad (7#, 170 Pts)
6 Tactical Squad @ 170 Pts
Bolter (x4); Plasmagun (x1); Lascannon (x1)
1 Sergeant @ [55] Pts
Plasma Pistol (x1); Power Fist (x1); Terminator Honors

Fast Attack: Assault Squad (10#, 276 Pts)
9 Assault Squad @ 276 Pts
Jump Packs; Frag Grenades; Bolt Pistol (x7); Close Combat Weapon (x9); Plasma Pistol (x2)
1 Sergeant @ [68] Pts
Jump Packs; Frag Grenades; Plasma Pistol (x1); Power Fist (x1); Terminator Honors
1 Combat Shield @ [5] Pts

Total Roster Cost: 750

So, how did I do?

You know what last place is? I was one up from that. :)

...but that's OK, because I went to the tourney fully expecting to get my ass handed to me. I went for the experience, wanting to get some games under my belt. I can definitely say I learned quite a lot.

Here's a brief summary of my games:

Game 1: Ultramarines vs. Dark Angels (played by Kirk)
What I learned here is that a tactical blunder in the first turn can lose the whole game for you. I should have bounced my assault marines over that forest and got into close combat ASAP...but I allowed myself to get distracted by 2 squads in Razorbacks. Those two squads chewed up one of my tac squads in CC and the Razorback's TL HBs chewed up my assault squad. By turn 5, it was all over but the cryin'. Result: Victorious Slaughter to Kirk.

Game 2: Ultramarines vs. Dark Eldar (played by Jeff)
I had met Jeff and his girlfriend previously at BFG, while we were both working on the models that made up the armies we were using. Nifty! Another tactical mistake on my part (chasing after skimmers with the lascannon-packin' tac squad) and a poor unit placement choice in deployment led to the Dark Eldar unloading 30 models on top of my poor commander and attached tac squad. Bleah. In turns 5 and 6 I did manage to bounce over with my assault squad and deliver some righteous CC goodness to one of his squads...but it was too little, too late, as the Dark Eldar tide swept most of my remaining tac squad under. My dice must have seen the way the wind was blowing, because they deserted me around turn 2 and never came back. Result: Crushing Victory to Jeff.

Game 3: Ultramarines vs. Chaos Space Marines (played by Daniel)
Daniel had a mix of Khorne berzerkers, Thousand Sons and Plague Marines and called them "Chaos Undecided". They had most excellent paint jobs and looked great. We were on the "losers table" and we knew it, but had a good, fun game nevertheless. My las squad stayed put this time and plinked at the berzerkers and actually scored some hits...but my dice continued their stone cold behavior and rolled a one every single time to wound. I sent the command squad to my right flank in the Rhino and promptly forgot to pop smoke...and paid for it when the plaguers shattered it with a Vehicle Destroyed glancing hit, which took 3 of my squad with it. My assault squad finally got it together and managed to wipe the Thousand Sons unit in a couple of rounds of CC (taking some casualties)...and then I caught the lucky break I really needed, failing (yes, failing) a Morale check which forced me to fall back 14" -- so I bounced them to the top of the 3-story building that dominated the board. Just in the nick of time, too, because the children of the Khorne would have charged in and ground them into tasty, bite-sized chunks the next turn. At the top of turn 6 I was hoping for a draw, so I left the assault squad alone and pulled the remains of my command squad behind the building and that was that. I was surprised that I actually scored enough points to get a Solid Victory.

I learned a lot about using terrain and cover, CC resolution, and how the game is played overall. I also learned -- painfully, and very much after-the-fact as I read over my army list this evening -- that one should remember they took extra armor on a Rhino, and that one should also use that damed smoke launcher to prevent little things like glancy-hit-death. (Note to self: Remember the details next time, ok? Oh, and just suck less in general.)

The tourney was well run and Kirk did a great job of organizing the games and making everything go smoothly. Everyone I played against was very patient with me and I had a blast playing. I'm really looking forward to playing more and I would definitely play anyone that was there in the future.

Congrats go to Mike (Psyberwolfe) for coming in first. I didn't get to play him, but I'm pretty sure he'll hand me my ass one day. :) Check out his video bloggery shot between rounds for a good overall tourney summary.

Next up is the 1,000 points Escalation League game this coming weekend. Hopefully, I'll have enough stuff ready to be able to participate...if I do, I'll be there.