The 500 Point Army List Challenge!

[MaltonNecromancer]

All I seem to hear about is 2000 point battles, and while those are all well and good, I have a new tactical challenge.

Hoo boy, is it a challenge.

So, our club has just had a very successful tournament using 500 point battles over a lunch hour, and I'm planning next year's. Yes, I know the game is not designed for games of 500 points, so please don't raise that - if you're posting here, you have accepted that all you have is 500 points, and you're okay with that. No, this isn't Kill Team; it's standard 40K, just on a tiny scale- if you're posting here, you have accepted that you have to have squads that hold coherency and must seize Objectives, and you're okay with that too.

The challenge here is to take the limitations, and try to invent something that can actually win a game.

Yes, it's unbalanced, hard, and near impossible.This is deliberate.

Mytherers and whiners need not apply.

The 500 Point Army List Challenge Itself

The 500 Point Army List Challenge is simple: if you had to design an army of no more than 500 points (even one point over is not allowed, though under is just fine), following the standard FOC chart (i.e.: you must begin with 1 HQ and 2 Troops), what would you field?

Oh, and there are these unbreakable rules:

1.) The army must use at least one "iconic" to that army (i.e.: if BA, you must have Sanguinary Guard or Death Company; if IG, you must have at least one Chimera or Leman Russ, etc...)

2.) The army must include at least one unit with visual "Wow!" factor (i.e.: Carnifex, Dreadknight, Space Marine Captain in war bling, etc...)

The army must also be reasonably playable (i.e.: designed to actually win a game, insofar as it can given the above rules ), so once you've done the list, you must then explain how it wins; what tactics should the general playing it use?

So, given those very specific rules, what would you bring?

[JxKxR]

Would a commander in a battle suit count as the Iconic and Wow factor requirements?

[Bean]

For Chaos:
155: Daemon Prince, Warp Time, Wings
100: 6x Chaos Space Marines, Melta
35: Rhino
100: 6x Chaos Space Marines, Melta
35: Rhino
75: Obliterator

It's pretty simple. Daemon Prince flies across the table and beats someone's face in--not much at 500 points is a serious threat to the Prince in combat, and that's not a whole lot of shooting to drop him in time.

Chaos Marines in Rhinos follow him up, charging, melta-ing, or heading for objectives as appropriate.

Obliterator shoots stuff (usually stars on the board and puts that lascannon to use early).

Obviously, it's not a stellar list (it's only 500 points) but I think it'll be competitive with other lists of that size. It's an appropriately scaled down version of a pretty standard CSM list, and it still has all of the good parts (just in smaller doses).

[Lemt]

Oh, I got one.

Necron Lord and 2x10 Warriors.

There you go. Give the Lord some bling with the extra points. If you don't like that list, change the equipment on the Lord around and imagine it's a brand new list. That's all you can do.
Or if you don't want to screw Necrons over, break the FoC a bit. 1 HQ and 1 Troops, instead of 2 Troops.

[The Dave]

Oh, I got one.

Necron Lord and 2x10 Warriors.

...Or if you don't want to screw Necrons over, break the FoC a bit. 1 HQ and 1 Troops, instead of 2 Troops.

This. +1. Like.

The whole "But that's why it's called a challenge" bit is just a slap in the face. Normal Force Org in 500 points doesn't work. Try rules similar to Combat Patrol. Adepticon seems to have it ironed out.

[thecactusman17]

You know what? Screw Necrons. Necrons have everything they could possible need in that list--mid-range firepower capable of dealing with any enemy unit, including tanks and vehicles of all varieties. It won't be "good" but it will accurately reflect Necrons in every important way. I'm sorry you feel the rules hose Necrons, but giving Necrons an edge is a slippery slope. Next, maybe you demand point changes to the Dark Angels? Insist that Witch Hunters get all their gear upgraded to match the new Grey Knights codex?

Necrons will have a new book soon enough that will almost certainly address all these issues. Just be patient.

[The Dave]

You know what? Screw Necrons. Necrons have everything they could possible need in that list--mid-range firepower capable of dealing with any enemy unit, including tanks and vehicles of all varieties. It won't be "good" but it will accurately reflect Necrons in every important way. I'm sorry you feel the rules hose Necrons, but giving Necrons an edge is a slippery slope. Next, maybe you demand point changes to the Dark Angels? Insist that Witch Hunters get all their gear upgraded to match the new Grey Knights codex?

Necrons will have a new book soon enough that will almost certainly address all these issues. Just be patient.

Troll. -1. Dislike.

[TheRise]

Necrons... they are good. You can't get small point armies... same as Grey Knights.

And you will get a new Codex. But the new is good as it is.

But i still want them to get a points decrease. So i can fit soem more into my army! And get rid of We'll Be Back, put in Feel No pain and Fearless instead, or something like "They Shall Know No Fear2 instead of Fearless.

[thecactusman17]

Troll. -1. Dislike.

Just because you disagree does not make me a troll. Necrons have problems. Those problems aren't going to go away unless you desperately shift the rules back into their favor. Necrons ALSO have a well-rounded troop unit that can deal with any threat on the board, if they get enough shots at it. They will even survive more retaliation than just about any other army in the game due to WBB. Are they amazing at everything? No, and they still wouldn't be even if you gave them upgrades.

Accept that this one army is going to have a difficult time. Just do it. It's going to make the rest of your wait for a new codex so much easier. Necrons deserve a new codex, desperately need one. But when the goal is so clearly laid out, there is no point in arguing against a force that is 100% in compliance with all the major rules and expectations.

Here is a great, functional necrons list:

Lord with Res Orb

10 Warriors

10 Warriors

Put them in cover and open up. Which when you get down to it is exatly what you would do with anything else.

But on the chance you want something more interesting:

Lord with Destroyer body and Warscythe

10 Warriors
10 Warriors

Now you just run the T6 destroyer lord out and go to town on a few hapless mortals. And shoot the crap out of everything else.

[Divergent Reality]

Necron Lord and 2x10 Warriors.

That was my exact thought for my tin heads. A Lord with resorb and 20 Warriors. The Warriors are iconic enough, they are all over the cover of the Codex. You can also look back to their 'glory days' in 4th edition and the hate they stirres up when across the table from someone.