Pre-heresy Thousand Sons

[Marshal Wilhelm]

I am thinking of running a pre-heresy Thousand Sons army.

 

According to their I.A. article, the Thousand Sons preferred to fight at long range, utilising their battle brethren to lay down withering hails of gun fire whilst their librarian-sorcerers mis-directed and scattered the enemy via use of their psychic powers. Their modus operandi was one of feint, misdirection and subversion.

 

Fluff wise that means 0-1 FAST ATTACK and 1+ Librarians.

 

Do you think Marines can play in a Tau like manner and still be effective/competitive? Or it just won't work?

[kaiserstole20]

I am thinking of running a pre-heresy Thousand Sons army.

 

According to their I.A. article, the Thousand Sons preferred to fight at long range, utilising their battle brethren to lay down withering hails of gun fire whilst their librarian-sorcerers mis-directed and scattered the enemy via use of their psychic powers. Their modus operandi was one of feint, misdirection and subversion.

 

Fluff wise that means 0-1 FAST ATTACK and 1+ Librarians.

 

Do you think Marines can play in a Tau like manner and still be effective/competitive? Or it just won't work?

 

I think you can do it. It sounds like a lot of fun actually. I think I may try it.

 

I'd probably take 2x librarians:

 

An Epistolary with Terminator Armor, Storm Shield, GoI and Vortex of Doom. I'd pair this librarian with a combi-melta sternguard unit for tank poppin'.

A regular librarian with a plasma pistol, GoI, and ______ power. I'd pair this librarian with a combi-plasma sternguard unit for heavy infantry poppin'.

 

I would take HB attack bikes or anti-infantry landspeeders to deal with regular infantry. Lots of potential for feint and misdirection. Another fast attack option is Scout Bikes - that could be a lot of fun, especially with a locator beacon for those librarians.

 

For troops, the ubiquitous tactical marines mounted in rhinos.

 

For heavy, I'm not sure. Not a whole lot sounds like long-range, mobility, and mis-direction except for Land Raider Phobos. Maybe whirlwinds.

[thade]

I'd use the Space Wolf codex, a massive amount of renaming and Counts As, and 2-4 Rune Priests called "Librarians" with all of the powers renamed and fluff-descriptions of the effects rewritten (with the effects in game terms remaining exactly the same).

 

For instance, the SW power which allows you to summon weather to make things hard on your opponent could just as easily be a purely psychic-distortive effect, which seems very 1k Sons to me.

 

I'd get a box of Chaos SM and file/trim off the spikes for pre-Heresy looking army. =) And I might score some khopeshes/scimitars from a Tomb Kings skele box set for their offhand weapons. I'd *definitely* pick up a box or two of Thousand Sons for those epic-looking head dresses.

[DarkGuard]

I'd use the Space Wolf codex, a massive amount of renaming and Counts As, and 2-4 Rune Priests called "Librarians" with all of the powers renamed and fluff-descriptions of the effects rewritten (with the effects in game terms remaining exactly the same).

 

Thousand Sons Marines using a Space Wolf Codex, that sounds interesting. I wonder what the Space Wolf players have to say about this idea... <_<

 

The idea sound good, pre-heresy Traitor Legions tend to be coolest IMO (Luna Wolves). I think you're correct in restricting Fast Attack choices, but don't go overboard with that. At least one Libby per army is a must, and consider taking Tigurius as Ahriman or someone. But don't shy away from Captains, they were still around. I wouldn't take Chaplains though, as I can see them having a problem with illegal psychers. It seems to be that most pre-heresy legions but a lot of emphasis on ground troops, so lots of Tactical Marines (and Devastator Marines) would be good, but still take tanks. Restrict your Terminator armour because it was only just being made and distributed, and likewise restrict new Land Raider varients, Razorbacks and Pred Annihilators.

 

IIRC the Tempus Fugitives have done a Great Crusade campaign already, and released a pack with supplementary rules for each Legion to use alongside the Codex. Consider trying to find one of them for inspiration for your army.

 

Best of luck with this project.

[thade]

Thousand Sons Marines using a Space Wolf Codex, that sounds interesting. I wonder what the Space Wolf players have to say about this idea... -_-

 

As a (new) Space Wolf player, I support the idea. More use of the codex = more bought codicies = more people understand it = more potential for FAQ support from GW. Moreover, in a similar thread in the SW forum (one addressing the use of the Wolf codex for a retooled Deathwing) the same argument was put forward (not by me) with a more or less thumbs up response.

 

Counts As makes this game really worth playing, as it allows you to do a lot more with customization than would otherwise be possible.

[silversmith82]

Quite ironic that a pre-heresy Thousand Sons army would wind up using SW rules. I like it though. Personally I'd think Blood Ravens should use the SW codex as well from what little I've seen of it.

[DarkGuard]

Thousand Sons Marines using a Space Wolf Codex, that sounds interesting. I wonder what the Space Wolf players have to say about this idea... B)

 

As a (new) Space Wolf player, I support the idea. More use of the codex = more bought codicies = more people understand it = more potential for FAQ support from GW. Moreover, in a similar thread in the SW forum (one addressing the use of the Wolf codex for a retooled Deathwing) the same argument was put forward (not by me) with a more or less thumbs up response.

 

Counts As makes this game really worth playing, as it allows you to do a lot more with customization than would otherwise be possible.

 

You have good points there, and if the Space Wolves forum don't mind... To be honest if Marshal_Wilhelm wanted to use the SW Codex for the army nobody could stop. I don't object to the idea, and as you said counts as is brilliant, a player at my LGS plays an Adeptus Mechanicus army with using Scouts from the SM Codex. I'm just not going to be the one telling Logan Grimnar this...

[Grey Mage]

I am thinking of running a pre-heresy Thousand Sons army.

 

According to their I.A. article, the Thousand Sons preferred to fight at long range, utilising their battle brethren to lay down withering hails of gun fire whilst their librarian-sorcerers mis-directed and scattered the enemy via use of their psychic powers. Their modus operandi was one of feint, misdirection and subversion.

 

Fluff wise that means 0-1 FAST ATTACK and 1+ Librarians.

 

Do you think Marines can play in a Tau like manner and still be effective/competitive? Or it just won't work?

I disagree with the FA restriction- landspeeders were rare, but there was something similar called "Chariots" that many legions used... and they would be perfect for feint and misdirection.

 

That being said- Tigurious should be considered for the Commander on a regular basis in my opinion. Numerous Tactical Squads supported by Devastators, and a unit of TDA or two. Rhinos optional.

[FabulousRex]

I figure HQs are really the defining feature you could shoot for here with the current loyalist SM codex. The Legions would have operated in a vastly different function (save perhaps UM), which is IMO accurately represented by the Chaos and SW codexes. However, I really like counts-as as a general rule of thumb. Here's my suggestions:

 

Varro Tigerious- He's the best Pysyker in the C:SM, and he provides a quite interesting ability: rerolling reserves. This might be one of the most representitive abilities for the TS in the current codex. Make use of units that can benefit from it, and you can be incredibly reactive and able to deal with changing battlefield situations. Prolly best to load him into a Drop Pod with some Elites choice like Sternguard or Terms, but be careful not to expose him too much, he'll soon be a Warptime Daemon Prince, and he needs to survive until then! :)

 

Cato Sicarius- 2 quite fluffy and useful abilities here, providing Ld10 to your whole force could easily be seen as prescient, and giving a squad Infiltrate/Scouts adds a nice edge to your force in deployment options. Deployment options are one of the key abilities, IMO, that the TS would have used pre-Heresy to give themselves an edge over their foes.

 

Other than that, remember the technological differences mentioned above, and you should have an easy time fielding pre-Heresy Thousand Sons. BTW, I find using the SW codex to be both a 'fad thing' and at the same time quite ironically appropriate...

[ProteanSun]

As much as people will be annoyed/upset, I originally tossed around the idea of using the Eldar book as the basis for a 1k sons army.

 

2 Farseers on Jetbikes (modeled to be PA sorcerers floating above on jetbike stands)

 

2 squads of Dire Avengers (think legion guardsmen)

 

2 10 man squads of Wraithguard w/ Warlock (Conceal) (attach above Farseers to each group)

 

2 Wraithlords (Dreadnoughts)

 

It was just an idea I had when I was thinking of doing 1k sons, I really like the idea of S5 T6 Marines, makes them seem more EPIC.

 

Honestly another idea I tossed around is Grey knights, using a Grand Master, who is a psyker, 2 units of storm troopers, 3 units of Grey Knight Terminators (one being a retinue for the GM and "counts as" marines) and 2 Dreadnoughts for Anti-tank. I was using a "True scale" marine tutorial (using Terminators to make super beefy marines).

 

The shrouding rule kind of keeps with the 1k sons misdirection idea.

 

Just a few thoughts as I had originally thought of doing PH 1k sons myself. :pinch: