Sm 1850

[Camael]

So I just got into the hobby and its looking like the first tournament I am going to be ready for is an 1850 in February 2013 (I'm a poor student and cannot afford to spend tons of money at once). So the list I have come up with is:
HQ
Chaplain w/terminator armor

TROOPS
4 Tactical Squads w/ missile launchers, flamers, meltabombs, and a rhino/drop pod
2 Scout Squads (5 men) w/ missile launchers, meltabombs and 4 combat blade/bolt pistol

ELITES
Assault terminators w/ 3 hammers and 2 lcs

FAST ATTACK
3 Attack Bike Squads (2 Bikes) w/ Multi melta

Heavy Support
2 Predators w/ auto cannons and hb sponsons

Total : 1790

The general idea is to deploy just the scouts at the start and use them to harass transports early on, bring everything else in on reserve and rain terminators and drop pods to take objectives/put out fires. Does this seem like a solid list/plan? What should I do with the other 60 points?

[Wolfshade]

A nice number of scoring units, that's what I like to see :)
For the remaining 60pts have you considered either another attack bike (though they tend to give up kill points readily) or a landspeeder with typhoon missile launcher, though that is 70pts iirc, so you might need to drop the melta bombs off the scouts for that.
I imagine the Chaplain is going with the Termies to give some nice re-rolls in combat which is always a great combo, but have you considered taking a librarian instead? You do lose the chaplains neato ailities, including the great synergy with lc termies, but would gain a bit of psychic defense/offense. Though obvious it all depends on the local meta game :confused:

[Saint_Anger]

Assumming there are 3 drop-pod tactical squad, you might consider put 2 teleport homer with your sergeants for the drop pod assault to provide the safety arrival of your Chaplain & Terminators via deep strike. You may also need to put 3 combi-meltas to each of your sergeant in 3 drop-pod tactitcal squad to destroy some vehicles when arrive. That is exactly for your 60 pts left.

[Camael]

Assumming there are 3 drop-pod tactical squad, you might consider put 2 teleport homer with your sergeants for the drop pod assault to provide the safety arrival of your Chaplain & Terminators via deep strike. You may also need to put 3 combi-meltas to each of your sergeant in 3 drop-pod tactitcal squad to destroy some vehicles when arrive. That is exactly for your 60 pts left.

Why are you assuming 3 drop pods? my thought was to maybe have them all mounted in drop pods, using scouts as my only initial deployment. I do like the combi melta and teleport homer idea though. Thanks for that :)

[Sure]

Drop pods are often taken in odd numbers so that you have more dudes on the table sooner (though that's not always the good thing).
Also...not so certain about mixing the Terminator Squad. The Thunder Hammer Storm Shield Terminator is a real power unit for the Space Marine Codex. It costs a little less than a Blood Angel and a lot less than a Wolf Guard with the same gear. They can really take any hit and take out any unit in the game.
Also, Lightning Claws on Space Marine Terminators are a problem because you'll often have to assault into cover...your dudes will often be going at the same time as the thunder hammers! The only way around that is a Land Raider variant, but that doesn't seem to gel with the rest of your list. Blood Angels can justify it b/c they're likely to be furiously charging and not feeling pain.

[Camael]

Drop pods are often taken in odd numbers so that you have more dudes on the table sooner (though that's not always the good thing).
Also...not so certain about mixing the Terminator Squad. The Thunder Hammer Storm Shield Terminator is a real power unit for the Space Marine Codex. It costs a little less than a Blood Angel and a lot less than a Wolf Guard with the same gear. They can really take any hit and take out any unit in the game.
Also, Lightning Claws on Space Marine Terminators are a problem because you'll often have to assault into cover...your dudes will often be going at the same time as the thunder hammers! The only way around that is a Land Raider variant, but that doesn't seem to gel with the rest of your list. Blood Angels can justify it b/c they're likely to be furiously charging and not feeling pain.

The point about the termies is a really useful one, I hadn't considered that. Would you recommend just rhinoing the tac squads in then or sticking with the pods? maybe just one pod with a locator beacon on the first turn and using it to bring in the others?

[Saint_Anger]

The point about the termies is a really useful one, I hadn't considered that. Would you recommend just rhinoing the tac squads in then or sticking with the pods? maybe just one pod with a locator beacon on the first turn and using it to bring in the others?

I think rhinos or drop pods depend on your style and strategy now. Drop Pod can make an elemental surprise attack at a point where you want, while rhino is more flexible to pressure the attack with other units and to claim objectives. Try to focus what is your spearhead unit for attack and build your army around it. For example, my CSM’s spearhead unit is 10-man Chaos Terminator Squad with Tzeentch Icon supported by Defiler, Vindicator, Dreadnought, Thousand Sons. If my opponent focuses firing too much on Terminators they will be doomed by my other fire unit and vice versa.
p.s. I found out that infantry on foot is not that slow to claim objective. Try to place objectives near where you think you can get it.

[Camael]

I think rhinos or drop pods depend on your style and strategy now. Drop Pod can make an elemental surprise attack at a point where you want, while rhino is more flexible to pressure the attack with other units and to claim objectives. Try to focus what is your spearhead unit for attack and build your army around it. For example, my CSM’s spearhead unit is 10-man Chaos Terminator Squad with Tzeentch Icon supported by Defiler, Vindicator, Dreadnought, Thousand Sons. If my opponent focuses firing too much on Terminators they will be doomed by my other fire unit and vice versa.
p.s. I found out that infantry on foot is not that slow to claim objective. Try to place objectives near where you think you can get it.

Ok, so I think that the idea behind this list is to use the tanks and bikes to destroy enemy vehicles and use the terminators to get rid of particularly stubborn enemy vehicles or troops, using the tactical squads and remaining scouts to take any objectives. I think this means that I should go with rhinos but I dunno...

[Camael]

So here is what I have learned from lurking and other posts I have seen around the forums and my own thoughts:
1)The Tactical squads should take razorbacks and meltaguns, combat squad and put the more mobile half in the razor to take objectives/dish pain.
2) The Scouts need to lose their meltabombs and pick up teleport homers and switch the bolt pistol/combat blade combo for sniper rifles.
3) Just go for 5 Hammernators

Thoughts please and thanks?

[Saint_Anger]

So here is what I have learned from lurking and other posts I have seen around the forums and my own thoughts:
1)The Tactical squads should take razorbacks and meltaguns, combat squad and put the more mobile half in the razor to take objectives/dish pain.
Could work too. This sounds like a razorbackspam list for me. If you put twin-linked lascannon, the razorbacks would be more fearful. However, it's kind of boring & popular strategy to me, but competitive:)


2) The Scouts need to lose their meltabombs and pick up teleport homers and switch the bolt pistol/combat blade combo for sniper rifles.
Also equipped with camo cloaks and gone to ground, this scout unit could strongly hold the objective placed in the terrain. Sniper rifle is not that great in my experience. The chance to fail the pinning test is too little.


3) Just go for 5 Hammernators
Get them Land Raider.

[Sure]

So here is what I have learned from lurking and other posts I have seen around the forums and my own thoughts:
1)The Tactical squads should take razorbacks and meltaguns, combat squad and put the more mobile half in the razor to take objectives/dish pain.
2) The Scouts need to lose their meltabombs and pick up teleport homers and switch the bolt pistol/combat blade combo for sniper rifles.
3) Just go for 5 Hammernators

Thoughts please and thanks?

It's better to give them rhinos and the combat squad if you find the game favors it. It's easy to take out 5 space marines in either shooting or assault. Kill points don't favor the practice and while you can take more objectives by using combat squads you're creating very fragile place holders. Other units can get away with small space marine units a la combat squads (because they either have furious charge and feel no pain (BA), are chaos space marines who have yet to be introduced to fear (SW) or are magicians with machine guns and excalibers (GK) AND they don't need to bring a full table for the complementary dessert - I'm looking at you, 5 man BA assault squad with a melta gun. yep, 5 marines will last longer than 5 guardsmen, 5 dire avengers, 5 termagaunts, 5 firewarriors, etc., but not appreciably longer.

[Camael]

Well thanks for all the help! I have re worked it a bit and here's what I've got now:
HQ:
Epistolary w/ termie and ss Gate and Null Zone

Troops:
4 Tac Squads w/ MG ML and Rhino
2 Scout Squads (5 guys) w/ 4 Snipers, ML and CCs

Elites:
Hammernators in LR

Heavy:
2 Dakka Preds

1850 on the nose

[Sure]

On the Librarian: why the Epistolary upgrade with those powers when you run him with hammernators? I don't want to say why to not do it before I hear why you did do it. Fifty points is a lot of little options you could spread out over the list.

[Camael]

The idea was for him to take away invuls for the power weapons to really do there stuff and gate was more to get them out of a sticky situation (or into one), prarticularyly if the lr gets fragged. does that make sense or should I re distribute the 50 somewhere else? Oh, and he needs a decent invul himself

[Camael]

Or maybe Vulkan? Or how about a master of the forge?