Friday, April 1, 2011

April 2011 Army List Challenge: The Weak Fight Back

The April 2011 Army List Challenge is about making the most of something that is potentially weak. 

For this challenge, you need to select (and justify) what you think is the weakest unit in your chosen codex and build a themed 1500 points army around that particular unit.  Your selected unit must be the primary feature or theme of the army list, though.

So if you're a chaos player like myself, could you come up with an army that is centred around (e.g.) units of Chaos Spawn or Possessed (both of which are regarded as sub-par choices in the aging chaos codex)?  As an example: perhaps Fabius Bile has "enhanced" multiple squads of possessed marines?

Rules
(1) Design a 1500 points army list from any codex to take on this challenge.
(2) Post your army lists as a comment to this posting and suggest why you've chosen the particular unit you have to build around (i.e. why they're weak!) and why the army list still works and is themed.
(3) Entries close at 01:00 GMT on March 14th.
(4) On that same day, I'll open a poll for Warpstone Flux readers to judge which army list they consider to be the "most effective army list that also best articulates the theme" (whatever readers interpret that to mean) out of all entrants.
(5) The winner will be tallied and announced on March 21st (and entered in to the hall of fame!).
(6) One entry per person please.

Remember that there are no prizes for these contests, beyond kudos, honour and entry in to the hall of fame.

Good Luck!

4 comments:

jabberjabber said...

Email in from David:

1500pts Eldar Wind Rider Host (Sort of)

Autarch – Laser lance, jetbike, mandiblasters and fusion gun – 140

Autarch – Laser lance, jetbike, mandiblasters and fusion gun – 140

6 Jetbikes – 2 x shuriken cannon, Warlock – singing spear, embolden – 205

6 Jetbikes – 2 x shuriken cannon, Warlock – singing spear, embolden - 205

6 Jetbikes – 2 x shuriken cannon, Warlock – singing spear, embolden - 205

Shining Spears x 5 – Exarch, Star Lance, Withdraw, Skilled Rider - 237

Shining Spears x 5 – Exarch, Star Lance, Withdraw – 227

2 x Vyper Jetbike – Scatter Laser, Shuriken Cannon – 140

Total – 1499 points

The basic plan for this list would normally be to reserve everything, using the Autarch’s Master Strategist rule to manipulate when my units come on, most likely turbo boosting for the save when the units arrive on the board. The Vypers and Jetbike squadrons will stay at a distance to hunt down transports and try to get flank shots on heavier vehicles while the shining spears hug cover as much as possible while they close with the enemy. The Autarch’s will be used for assaulting enemies in cover, possibly both of them at the same target if it is a tough enemy (as they have plasma grenades while the shining spears do not) while the spears units will go for enemies out of cover (preferably those that have just been dumped out of their transport). The Autarchs and Shining Spear Exarchs will also use their strength 8 ranged weaponry (star lances, fusion guns) to crack open vehicles at short range before using their jetbike move to get out of assault range but only if the strength 6 weaponry fails to do the job.

The Jetbike squadrons will also be used for last minute turbo boost objective grabbing (the other troops will be used to contest if necessary).

I think would class as a ‘weak’ list as the shining spears do not have assault grenades, or the weight of attacks necessary to compete with a lot of close combat units nowadays (plus they are expensive and fragile), hence the inclusion of the Autarchs to improve combat ability and manipulate the arrival of reserves.

If I was to try and make this list more competitive, I would probably take it from the dark eldar codex instead (LOL!)

Seriously, I would take a Farseer (with Doom and Fortune) instead of one Autarch and probably only take one squad of shining spears to try and get more jetbikes or Vypers in there.

TheGraveMind said...

The Sarge is Acting Strangely.....Again

Parasite of Mortrex 160
Venomthropes x2 220
Venomthropes x2 220
Ripper Swarm brood x9, Adrenal glands and Toxin sacs 182
Ripper Swarm brood x9, Adrenal glands and Toxin sacs 182
Ripper Swarm brood x9, Adrenal glands and Toxin sacs 182
Ripper Swarm brood x9, Adrenal glands and Toxin sacs 182
Ripper Swarm brood x9, Adrenal glands and Toxin sacs 182
Sky-slasher swarm brood x7 105
Sky-slasher swarm brood x7 105

Rippers are the smallest Tyranid organisms that have models. Any unit that is 12" away from synapse and fails their Ld test (LD of 5) takes that many wounds as they start eating themselves (no saves allowed). They are T3 W3 swarms. Anything S6+ will instant kill them, and any blast causes 2 wounds. So any Blast that is S6+ will be removing 2 models for each wound it causes.

To make this list even possible to play with out having my units eat themselves to death by turn 2 I added in the Parasite, which extends the "rippers don't eat themselves" range to 24", which still isn't that good as I'll be clumping my rippers together.

I added a few Venomthropes so I could at least try and make a few cover saves as I died in droves as I came at the enemy. Rippers have become so bad, not even casual lists consider taking them. The models are more likely to be used as flock on other tyranid bases than as the actual models themselves.

suneokun said...

But I am mightily invulunerable ...

Ahriman - 250pts
6 Possessed led by a Champion with Icon of Chaos - 197pts
19 Thousand Sons led by a Sorceror with Gift of Change - 527pts
19 Thousand Sons led by a Sorceror with Gift of Change - 527pts

TOTAL 1500pts

Wow, that's a lot of Egyptian Cyberman ain't it. That 5+ invulnerable is gonna be really useful. Combined with Ahriman, he's well hard! 250pts for a 3+ T4 no eternal warrior model ... what could go wrong?

I hope they don't bring a Vindicare Assassin, or three. Or even use long range AP3 weaponry - bastards. Or mortars... or hide behind cover.

That 1D6 slow and purposeful move might be tricky after he's headshot my Sorcerors ... hmmm?

BoxerSaint said...

The Chenkovian Conscription
---------------------------

CCS w/Straken, Regimental Standard, 3xMeltaguns, Chimera -245

Lord Commissar - 70

2xPriests w/Eviscerators - 120

PCS w/Chenkov, Chimera, 4xFlamers - 155

2xInfantry Squads w/Lascannons -140

50xConscripts w/Send in the Next Wave -275

PCS w/3xFlamers, Chimera - 100

2xInfantry Squads w/Autocannons - 120

50xConscripts w/Send in the Next Wave -275

-1500 pts
-----------------------------------------

100 Conscripts, sprinting across the field, with Straken and a Lord Commissar following them. Furious charge if they get the charge, with rerolls from the Priests. If they take a charge, they have counter attack from Straken, using the Lord Commissar's leadership.

Then we have a have a few heavy weapons in the background. It won't kill much, but it should be hard to get rid of.

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