So, having an individual army list. Doesn't sound hard does it? Build it yourself, have your own strategies and it is different to everyone elses. For me, it's a nightmare! I take forever to choose a single choice that I am happy with, also with the 'Slay the Warlord' secondary, I am always scared of my lord getting his face punched in, as I am not very good at keeping HQ's around for a long time. I bought the CSM Codex as soon as it came out, and I only just have built my army, with all the individual bits I want. So, lets take a look!
First of all, it is a competitive tournament list, one that I can dive into a hard game with, take losses and still win. I wanted to include some Forge World to give some variation and nasty nasty fire power to the list. For a long time I was stuck looking at the Chaos Decimator, basically a larger Daemon version of the Dread Brute and actually worth something, unfortunately they are very expensive for what I wanted it to do, far too expensive in my regards so they were a no.
Luckily, just as I was going to give up on a Forge World center piece for my army, I had a quick look at new releases, and saw a cool looking flyer called a Fire Raptor Gunship. Upon looking at this very pretty model, and it's PDF sheet I was hooked! starting out at 200 points (for the chaos version with no machine spirit) it seemed a brilliant bargain. Armed with a Twinlinked 7 shot S6 AP3 Vengeance Bolter, and 4 helstrike missiles made this bird able to kill a monstrous creature a turn, even a Blood Thirster or Great Unclean One. Along side these great weapons it has two independent firing quad heavy bolters 6 S5 AP4 twinlinked. Not Bad. Although they can be upgraded to quad cannons 4 S7 AP 4 twinlinked, higher strength for two less shots for 10 points seems a good choice to me, I can easily add to the amount of power I can paste into a MC, and make sure it dies. Their main quality is the 'Independent Fire' rule, which allows them to fire upon separate targets to each other and the main weaponry. This allows me to shoot 3 different targets with one unit, every shot (bar the missiles) being twin linked, and if every gun is firing at ground units I can strife for a +1 BS making me hit on 2's! What does this mean? well being able to target 3 different targets in the air and on the ground makes it very durable for what targets it can select, and support other sections of my army at any angle. Killing MEQ's with two weapons, able to take out multiple aircraft and MCs/ Flying MC's it is a brilliant counter to current meta.
Along side this brilliant amount of firepower this thing is tough, being AV12 on all facings, it doesn't offer a weak spot for any cheeky shots that would glance a standard flyer and it holds 4 Hull Points, the same as a Land Raider. So will not be glanced to death any time soon. To top off the resilience, it comes as standard with Extra Armour. Ok this isn't the most brilliant piece of equipment, but if my gunship is Stunned, I can still bolt out of the way and turn in my next turn whilst firing snap shots. Good enough. Two toughness choices I could have gone for are Daemonic Possession, and Ceremite armour. Ok, Daemonic Possession -1 to my BS, damaging my firing capacity for +20 points? as Golum says 'You ruins it!' As for Ceremite Armour, taking off the extra D6 for melta weaponry going for me is brilliant, but as I am a flyer, there are only a few melta weapons on other flyers or that have the skyfire ability, so I will not come up against it much. Also +20 points? computer says no.
It's a Heavy Support so!
Heavy Support
Fire Raptor Gunship - Quad Cannons - 210
Now, a burden to go with this brilliance, I must take a WarpSmith as a HQ choice to field this beast. Ok, this actually turns out as a good thing. a Utility HQ that doesn't want to be in the way of anything, hurt my enemies cover and fix my poorly tanks. With his 2+ and a melta, flamer and power axe, he can look after himself.
So...
HQ
WarpSmith - Warlord - 110
Now, a quick bit for my troops. Wanting to go as cheap as possible, I went for 2 units of 5 Marines, no upgrades. Why? because I don't like cultists, and deck chair units with a 3+ save can sit around a bit and not all die too quickly.
So
Troops
5 Chaos Marines - 75
5 Chaos Marines - 75
Next I worked upon my army style. Flyers. Yes, that is my play. If you have not noticed yet it is a big spoiler for you. In this next section I am going to go for my signature twin heldrakes. Every list I write, they are the Fast Attack all the time, every time. They are my bread and butter with their S6 AP3 torrent flamers and nasty vector strikes. I am also well practiced with these bad boys and bring most they can do to the table.
Fast Attack
Heldrake - Baleflame - 170
Heldrake - Baleflame - 170
For the last choice of my primary attachment I decided upon a single unit of Lascannon armed Havocs. Being my favorite Heavy Weapons in the game, 4 of them is a small treat. Giving me my first unit that can crack AV13 walls and Land raiders, I am beginning to tick a lot of my boxes.
Ok, now I have finished with my primary attachment, with 3 flyers already rolling out, and not many troops or numbers to bring to bear on my enemies, I decided that a good way to go, would be to a blob guard!
For my HQ choice, I decided to take a Lord Commissar. As he will be leading a LD8 guard blob, which will run off every day, all day. so a LD10 stubborn would defiantly keep them in check. Also with his 'shoot you in the head for being rubbish and running away like a girl' rule, he's going to die before he runs. Good.
HQ
Commissar Lord - 70
For my troops it is a clear running stream. Blob time! A big platoon which gives me multiple scoring units for objectives, lots and lots of bodies, and bulk out my low strength shooting. So pew pew!
Platoon - 30
10 Infantry - Missile - 65
10 Infantry - Missile - 65
10 Infantry - Missile - 65
I took missiles in them because I wanted lascannons, but I was a few points over the 1850 target. So i traded in for Missiles as I can still harm tanks at long range (in need be) but it is also more high toughness ignoring shooting, and it gives me some punch with the pew!
Next I wanted some specialty with my guard allies, with some Plasma weapons to boot and being a better BS Veterans make a good second choice. The reason I chose this unit is because having some guys who can give a good unload of firepower upon an enemy and being a personal favorite, I can give a nice bit of concentrated pew! Giving them a Chimera also extends there maneuverability, to score late game if need be, also for protection. But the Chimera can also act as a suicide eliminator unit in a night fight game. done!
Veterans - 3 Plasma Guns, Chimera - 170
Next, brings another flyer! Muhahhaha! and what better to add more Lascannons to the mix? Vendetta much! being AV12 like all his friendly fliers, he fits in perfectly! Carrying his 3 Twin Linked lascannons, he becomes a brilliant tank cracker and MC remover. He also has transport capacity, so if I want. the Vets can borrow it and jump out turn 4 or 5 extremely close to enemy objectives and blow the enemy off it. Good, very fast! very maneuverable!
Vendetta - 130
Coming up the rear is a 'standard' in the Imperial Guard heavy support section, THE MANTICORE! So many S10 shots! so much pain! and I don't even have to see what I'm shooting! yes! barrage is a must in most armies now for easy first bloods, or to quickly take out something important. Or just 'I don't like the way that unit is looking at me' tactical shooting. You know what I am talking about!
I also decided to give this glass cannon a cammo cloak to give +1 to his cover save, as he is already going to be hiding like a baby, so why not do it as +1?
Manticore - Cammo cloak - 190
Finally, to plug the hole of filth poring out of this evil flier fortress is a Bastion, equiped with Comms.
I did this for two reasons. First for my Manticore to hide behind, making it invisible to most of enemy shooting useless. Secondly the comms are defiantly needed to bring on the pretty little birds on turn two to bring the pain! placing the havocs on it with the 3++ cover, I have a baby fire base.
Bastion - Comms - 95
So this is the list in it's epicness
HQ
Warpsmith - Warlord - 110
Troops
5 Chaos Marines - 75
5 Chaos Marines - 75
Fast Attack
Heldrake - Bale Flamer - 170
Heldrake - Bale Flamer - 170
Heavy Support
Fire Raptor Gunship - Quad Cannon - 210
5 Chaos Havocs - 4 Lascannons - 155
Allies
HQ
Commissar Lord - 70
Troops
5 Platoon - 30
10 Infantry - Missile - 65
10 Infantry - Missile - 65
10 Infantry - Missile - 65
10 Veterans - 3 Plasma Guns, Chimera - 170
Fast Attack
Vendetta - 130
Heavy Support
Manticore - Cammo Cloak - 190
Fortification
Bastion - Comms - 95
Total: 1850
To The AIR!
No comments:
Post a Comment