Friday, April 2, 2010

Army List: 1500pt Poorman's Mech

(Image from librarium-online.com forums)

Ok, so I asked around about my Dante/Sang Guard list on here and forums and I got a resounding "Meh". Apparently the Sang Guard are trash, as they are still just marines. The only aspect of them I don't like is the 5-man limit. People also point out cost or no invul save, but I'm fine with that. I just like to have enough bodies around in the event guys drop, so if it were a 10-man unit, I'd still go with them. I still intend to put them on the board sometime as a lark and find out how fast they die. But, on to more lists as I said I would. This one is a Mech list, which actually is a modified Jump Pack list. Since the transition from JPs to transport is no longer free for normal assault marines, it ended up that I had to remove models and make 9-man units to fit everything in a transport plus the points difference. *Edited RZB weapon and Libbies for more anti-tank*
  • 2x Librarian (Blood Lance and ??)
  • 2x 9-man Assault Squad
    • Power Weapon, 1x Melta-gun
    • Rhino
  • 2x 5-man Assault Squad
    • Razorback with LC/TL-PG
  • 2x Priest
  • 2x 8-man Sternguard Squad
    • Missile Launcher
If you haven't picked up on it, I like mirrored lists. It might be a deep seated OCD thing I don't know about, but there it is. I think it has to do with redundancy, should one unit fail via bad-luck I have a back up. It also means the enemy can't cherry pick the "uber" unit and single out my best guy. He has equal threats on both sides, so regardless of where he attacks I have more of the same. The Libbies are attached to the large squad in a Rhino and a Priest is with the 5-man in the RZB. It was between that or an Honor Guard that comes with the free Priest and were actually very near the same cost. It came down to the fact I now have 4 scoring units in armor instead of 2 scoring units, but really it's a toss up if you compare them on paper. The RZB is to protect the Priest from being singled out, say if he was with the main assault squad. If the RZB is popped, the 5-man squad isn't kitted to fight, but could be a counter-charge/meat shield and the Priest can break off to hide in maybe the newly emptied Rhino of the original squad to keep that bubble up. The Sternguard form a fire-base and mostly lay down 30" range shots to weaken units or target MCs, etc with their more specialized ammo, instead of my squishy troops trying to assault it.

As the title suggests, this is a poor-man's mech. Of course I want better upgrades, especially on those other 5-man units, but it's just impossible to fit it all. GW is forcing me to play 1750 almost so I can round everyone out. For example, taking 10-men squads and the other melta would be great! But that's 56 points I don't have at 1500 and plus my Librarians now are kicked out and have to walk or pay even more for a transport or JP. Every time I remove men from a squad, say like the Sternguard, I get more upgrades, but I'm losing shots that could be vital against a horde. This is a take-on-whatever list, so I'm planning to be rounded, so I don't want to lose anti-horde just to get more anti-MEQ when my troops can handle it. I can't decide on the Libby powers quite yet either. The Shield seems pretty awesome to have a 5+ cover save either on foot or in vehicles and I might take Preferred Enemy as well to ensure we'll win combat. Again, I hope to not be assaulting MCs, but if it happens, I can still use my Instant Death blade if it comes down to it, since stuff like 'nids lost Eternal Warrior on everything for just being in synapse.

Caveats: Again I have no experience with the list and no one else does, so let's not start off with "this list sucks" comments 'til we enter a time when the codex isn't the new hotness anymore. This is built of personal preference, not a jumping board to 'ard boys lists and dreams of tourneys or stomping one enemy type at the local club. I hope to try this out sometime soon. I'll build more lists in the future as well, so this isn't the end all be all for me.

5 comments:

Chumbalaya said...

this list sucks

:P

You are lacking long range firepower big time. I'd drop the Sternies and pick up Rifleman Dreads (dual TLAC), normal Preds, Baal Preds, or Speeders. I'd also pick up PF and infernus pistols on your Sergeants for the added melta loving and help in HtH (against Dreads and big stuff).

TheKing Elessar said...

This list...Oh, Chumby did that one.

Uh...

I recommend your second power be Blood Lance, I think it's awesomesauce.

SynnerG said...

I could use the lance instead to beef up the anti-tank, plus I can switch to the LC/TL-Plasma for a bit of a mixed power, but still in their roll of close support. If I went all out with the TL-LC, it'd be a bullet magnet for sure and would have to stay in the back, but that ruins their purpose. So if I changed to both Libbies using Blood Lance and maybe LC/TL-P would that make it a bit less sucky?

TheKing Elessar said...

I think yes...but sucky isn't how I'd honestly describe it. I think BA Mech is hard, and even harder at 1500. I fancy myself as an accomplished List-Jockey, so I'll give it a go. That said, I HATE 1500, it feels like an artificial cap the recent Codexes have outgrown.

SynnerG said...

Most def it's a hard sell at 1500. Like I said, I had to cut a few things just to fit in the vehicles that people love to say are necessary. Plus like I had noted to get your forces in a Rhino you need to drop a guy which drops a melta, which increases survivability, but decreases AT punch. At a larger number I'd probably add some LC Preds in some configuration and then I wouldn't worry about the loss of a melta as much. I'd just feel a bit clumsy at greater points, since i'm not that good at commanding 1500pt armies as it is and still consider myself a n00b to 40k tactics, with still under 25 games on the table top in my career.

But I did notice a good lack of punch in my original list. Hope the Blood Lances help balance that out. Plus I read on Librarium a good run down of RZB weapons and the only negative to the LC/P was that you couldn't move and fire both, but now we can. :-)

Post a Comment