Tuesday, September 1, 2009

September Army List Challenge: Space Hulk

Well, it has been far too long since I've had a challenge on Warpstone Flux, so I've got a new one for you today!

You'll notice that I haven't mentioned Space Hulk in a very long time, but with all the new buzz about it, I got thinking about some old scenarios and re-read the old rule books (Yes - I've got the old edition of the game, as can be seen here). Whilst I'm yet to give in and purchase the re-vamped version of the game, I wanted to issue a Space Hulk related challenge. So, here it is.

Overview of the Challenge.
Space Hulk Eridanus IV has suddenly materialized on the radar screen in Segmentum Pacificus after almost 600 years of going missing - last seen heading away from the doomed (genestealer cult infested) colony on Raxus-5. You have strong reason to believe that genestealers lurk on board the Hulk. They might have hybrids with them (think: imperial guard with sharper fingernails) and your psykers suggest that there's a malevolent and very old Patriarch (think: broodlord psyker) alongside them. Your mission is to launch a swift strike on the Space Hulk to recover the flight recorder and determine what is on board.

Rules.
(1) Design a 1000 points (standard mission) strike-force army from any codex to take on a numerically larger, combined force of broodlord plus genestealer (tyranid codex) contingent that can also weather small arms fire from any additional hybrids (codex: imperial guard).
(2) The action takes place on board a space hulk. There's just about room for terminators to get down the eerie corridors (in single file). Dreadnoughts simply won't fit and rhino sized tanks are well over-sized!
(3) Think about your arms: you're going to need a balance of ranged weapons and close combat items to help you out in the confined fighting space on board the Space Hulk.
(4) Post your army lists as a comment to this posting and suggest why they're well suited to the mission.
(5) On Sep 14th 2009, I'll start a voting poll that will be open for 1 week to vote for what Warpstone Flux readers consider to be the "most effective army list that also best articulates the theme" (whatever readers interpret that to mean) out of all entrants.
(6) Winner will be tallied and announced on September 21st.

Extra kudos will go to unusual entries that don't use armies that are notorious for
Space Hulk boarding actions (e.g. Imperial Terminators; Death Wing and the like).

Remember, the real aim of these challenges is to help others design effective army lists that are both themed and effective. The theme here is Space Hulk. There are no prizes beyond honour and kudos!

16 comments:

Anthony Yeates said...

Can I ignore the Tau's required XV8 Commander? Being twice the size of a termie I don't think he'd fit in a Hulk.

Unknown said...

Sentinels wont fit, will they?

erfunk said...

And I presume jump infantry are out as well?

Unknown said...

OK so here is what I came up with.. IG list that will flame those nasty Xenos from the metal corridors of the Space Hulk, I hope

Basically I took a lot of flamers and grenade launchers, filling narrow corridors with flames is always good and the grenade launchers can blast the genestealers with blasts and nastier critters with krak grenades, while standing behind the others who are carrying flamers, the Veterans can take quite a lot of fire and and will return with a punishing rate of fire thanks to the shotguns, the primaris psyker is there for thematic reasons and his psychic power, which can fry whole squads. the Ogryns are, well a meatshield really, but those ripperguns are nice as well. the platoons are for body count and fluff reasons (hey no guard without footsloggers right?) so here is the list:

HQ
Company Command Squad, Vox-Caster, Heavy Flamer, Grenade Launcher,
Carapace Armour, 100

Primaris Psyker, 70

Elites
Le Soldat Marbo 65
Ogryns (5), 210

Troops
Platoon Command Squad, Grenade Launcher (2), Vox-Caster, 45
Infantry Squad, Vox-Caster, Flamer, 60
Infantry Squad, Vox-Caster, Flamer, 60
Infantry Squad, Grenade Launcher,55
Special Weapon Squad, Flamer, Grenade Launcher (2), 60

Veteran Squad, Heavy Flamer, Grenade Launcher (2), Vox-Caster,
Shotguns (7), Carapace Armour, 135

Veteran Squad, Heavy Flamer, Flamer, Grenade Launcher (2), Vox-Caster
Shotguns (7), Carapace Armour, 140

Total pts: 1000

jabberjabber said...

@ Anthony -- yes ignore the XV8s! Double the size of a terminator just won't fit :)

@ Folkert -- Sentinals are a bit big as well! I like you list -- it looks very competitive!!

@ Erfunk -- For jump infantry, I guess it depends on the size of the jump pack / equipment. If it is huge wings that need to unfurl, then probably not. If its something more compact like a space marine jump pack, that seems in reasonable proportion (i.e. not bigger than the height / width of a terminator), so why not!

Unknown said...

Thank you good sir, Filling an 1000 pts IG list with only infantry is pretty hard :P and I hope my list is not only competitive but thematic aswell :)

btw I love every challenge you've posted so far, keep em up! :D

Tigerstyle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

@ Chris: sorry dude but that list isn't legal, and you have to abide to the standard FOC. and you've got 7 troops so you might want to revision that.

Tigerstyle said...

@folkert: Thanks for picking that up, I hadn't spotted that. Now revised with one less troop choice:

Inquisitor Lord Praetus was old, even for an Inquisitor. For almost 300 years he had served the Holy Ordos, purging the heretic, the unsanctioned psyker and the mutant. Though he was now frail in body, his powerful mind was as sharp as ever. Twice in his long service, he had believed the arch-heretic Warch Tressen was dead. Twice he had been wrong.

On discovering Tressen still lived, Praetus' extensive network of agents swung into action and tracked him the hiveworld of Karvin IV. Tressen had fled Inquisitor Praetus' purge of the lower levels of Primaris hive, and Praetus had tracked and pursued him ruthlessly. Tressen escaped capture for two years, but in the last few days Praetus has received
intelligence to indicate Tressen had boarded a space hulk which had recently drifted into the sub-sector. Tressen wants something aboard that hulk, and whatever it is Praetus will stop him from getting it. Unfortunately, the hulk is not as lifeless as it seems....

Inquisitor Lord Ishmael Praetus, Divine Pronouncement, psychic hood
3 Warriors with flamers [140]

8 Inquisitorial Storm Troopers, including a Veteran with combi-flamer, 2 flamers [110]
8 Inquisitorial Storm Troopers, including a Veteran with combi-flamer, 2 flamers [110]
8 Inquisitorial Storm Troopers, including a Veteran with combi-flamer, 2 flamers [110]
7 Inquisitorial Storm Troopers, including a Veteran with combi-flamer, 2 flamers [100]
7 Inquisitorial Storm Troopers, including a Veteran with combi-flamer, 2 flamers [100]
7 Inquisitorial Storm Troopers, including a Veteran with combi-flamer, 2 flamers [100]


5 Retributors with 4 heavy bolters [115]
5 Retributors with 4 heavy bolters [115]

Total: 1000 points


As you can see my list uses Codex:Witch Hunters, and the theme is fairly obvious: flamers.
Reading some of the stuff in the new White Dwarf about Space Hulk it looks like the heavy flamer is a pretty devastating weapon as you would expect in the tight confines of a Space Hulk, so I've gone all out with them. I'd have liked Dominion squads as they can pack 4 in a 5 woman squad, but a vehicle is compulsory with them. As it stands the list has 15 flamers and 6 combi-flamers. The Retributors with heavy bolters are there to hold strong points and cover advances. I took Divine Pronouncment on the Inquisitor as it would be useful for breaking lower Ld Brood Brothers, and his psychic hood has a good chance of nullifying any enemy psychic powers.

Unknown said...

@ Chris, OK I'm not trying to be a jerk here :P cause I really like the list especially the fluff part you wrote, neat stuff. But don't you think you might have gone a lil' overboard with all those flamers? I mean the corridors will be small so you wont be able to employ al those flamers to full effect (hence why I took grenade launchers as well)

please see this as constructive criticism:P thanks

Tigerstyle said...

@folkert: What can I say, I like flamers :D
I figured that if the corridors were wide enough for a terminator to fit down, I could get two guys standing side by side with flamers down them.

jabberjabber said...

Hi Chris & Folkert ... I'm almost tempted to enter my own competition with a bunch of flamer wielding chaos chosen marines... :)

Tigerstyle said...

@jabberjabber
CSMs with flamers... now I'm going to draw up a fun list :)

Sasha Klebnikov said...

My list is based on the Eisenhorn trilogy, with several strike teams moving to take out important targets, often in relation with each other!

Inquisitor Lord, Force Weapon, Scourging (because the idea of lightening in a hulk is awesome!)=105
3 Close Combat Warriors, Familiar=81

3 Deamonhosts=255

Everesor Assassin=95

3 Deathcult Assassins=120


5 Storm Troopers, 2 Flamers, Veteren, Power Weapon, Bolt Pistol, Melta Bomb=91

5 Storm Troopers, 2 Flamers, Veteren, Power Weapon, Bolt Pistol, Melta Bomb=91

5 Storm Troopers, 2 Flamers, Veteren, Power Weapon, Bolt Pistol, Melta Bomb=91

5 Storm Troopers, 2 Melta Guns=70
=999


The idea is that the Inquisitor, and three storm trooper squads advance in one direction, with the heavy ST squad providing support, and cutting through walls with their melta. The Deamonhosts materialize where-ever, basically providing a distraction, while the extremely compact force works its way forward. The Everesor would seek out the head of the clan (broodlord, but should I take a Culuxes instead?) and the deathcult provide support.

This list would be demolished on a normal battle, but in the confines of a hulk, where shooting is minimal, it would be devestating!

Raptor1313 said...

There is always the chance that a call about a fanged, multi-limbed, nightmarish horror will be confused for a call about Daemons. This is the story all about how an Ordo Malleus strike force got called in to take out...a bunch of genestealers. Sure, it's not daemons, but there might still be some proscribed artefact onboard the hulk, yes? Or, perhaps that's exactly why the OM got called in the first place.

Inquisitor Lord (45)
-Psychic Hood (20)
-Psycannon (30)
-3x Heavy Bolter Servitors (75)
170

Eversor Assassin
95

5 Imperial Stormtroopers w/ 2 flamers
60

Grey Knight Squad
-Justicar w/ Meltabombs
-6 Knights
-2 Incinerators
225

Grey Knight Squad
-Justicar w/ Meltabombs
-6 Knights
-2 Incinerators
225

Grey Knight Squad
-Justicar w/ Meltabombs
-6 Knights
-2 Incinerators
225

Total: 1000

What's the strategy? The Inquisitor and his Storm Trooper buddies basically serve as the mobile 'home base.' They find a place, secure it, and it's your fall-back point. While moving, the Inquisitor and the storm troopers can still lay down some fire, though the heavy bolters take time to actually deploy. (gotta brace, all that jazz).

The Grey Knights are your hunter teams. Each Justicar carries their own meltabomb supply, so there's plenty of demolitions love to go around. The knights also carry plenty of fire; and in close combat they're WS5, I4, S6 guys, which surely counts for something. They carry storm bolters for anti-troop work at range, in a pinch.

The Eversor is the guided missile/backup punch; once a high-priority target (IE: Patriarch) is located, the Eversor goes that-a-way. And, even if it dies? It explodes. One more chance to get that target.

Once the hulk is (reasonably) clear, the Inquisitor can then look for that proscribed artefect/daemon/macguffin that may or may not actually be there.

Capitano said...

what is with all the IG list here...haha

Well then here is my 1k list of DOOOM...haha I am kidding...but this list works pretty well on the field...just take out that 3 man terminator squad and throw in some rhinos and icons...haha

HQ:
Chaos Lord w/Terminator Armour, Combi-flamer - 125

Elites:
3 Man Terminator Squad w/Terminator Champion, 2 Combi-Flamers, Heavy Flamer - 115
5 Man Terminator Squad w/Terminator Champion, 4 Combi-Flamers, Heavy Flamer - 185

Troops:
10 Man Chaos Squad w/Aspiring Champion, 2 Flamers, Power Weapon - 190
10 Man Chaos Squad w/Aspiring Champion, 2 Flamers, Power Weapon - 190
10 Man Chaos Squad w/Aspiring Champion, 2 Flamers, Power Weapon - 190

This list here is similar to what I use on the field but I use meltas instead of so many flamers...in the field I would use a 2:1 ratio for melta:flamers...but in the confinds on a ship I will just stick with the flamers...as there will not be any armour to deal with that soe power weapons cannot deal with and that is 12 power weapons right there 9 combi-flamers and 6 regular flamers on top of 24 bolters to fire into the hordes with the other 9 combi-flamers which are bolters as well...that and the flamers have a bolt pistol side arm if it gets that close as a last ditch effort to help out the firing range or if flamers become ineffective...

In the confinds of a ship I would max out the wounds you would have to take in a heart beat to make sure more of my men surivived...

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Facebook

Sequestered Industries