Tournament Tactics

[Brother Gathurn]

Hello all, what I'm looking for here is some assistance in how to play my list competitively. I'm about to attend a tournament that i shelled out some money for so i'd like to make at least some attempt at being competitive. Heres a link to my list, for those of you who don't want to read, i'll summarize. http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...howtopic=225898

 

Basically i took three tac squads, one with melta, one with plasma, and one with flamer and ml. All are in rhinos with power fists. I then took two predators, one with las all around. And one with heavy bolter sponson. I then have a captain with a relic blade plus a command squad in a razor back.

 

Generally how i play this is with the predators and the plasma squad acting defensibly, with everyone else being used to attack. Obviously this is very situational and i won't waste my guys, particularly predators, defending if they aren't' supporting enough to be worth what I paid for. My predators obviously start with the most dangerous vehicles paying particular attention to vehicles that when destroyed can force powerful assault squads to walk/be eaten up by plasma as i don't have a whole lot to counter them up close.

 

Does anyone have any particular advice about how to better play this? I've been doing pretty well with it despite generally running lists based around a librarian with terminators in a crusader. I still play in a similar style when against guard since the command squad is ore than capable of killing anything they put down in close combat, as logn as they avoid the combined squads of course.

[Ming]

I'll have a go, since nobody else has replied.

 

Overall, a SM list like yours is "great in holding the midfield" or the center of where the objectives are - so when you play a objective based (or table quarter) game, You are best at striking out for the "center" (table center or tightest cluster of objectives) and staying mobile around that center, until turn 5+ where you can camp on the locations that give you the win. The preds stay in the back, offering fire support. The preds can just rotate in place to maximize firepower downrange UNTIL you know the opponent can assault them - then they have to start moving every turn to reduce that threat.

 

In today's meta with other codexi getting FNP or other boosts, a simple captain sounds great, but you really need boosters / force multipliers from your HQ choice. SM Force multipliers come from things like named characters (Kantor of course!), banners, or other things.

 

The bigger tactical issue of "holding the midfield" is that it means you may get assaulted. Your "castle" has to be well constructed and co-supporting. Vehicles have to always move to reduce that threat, so be wary of it. Everyone stays in the metal boxes until you must get out - to either rapid fire or assualt a dismounted opponent. Every vehicle needs a "free flamer" or two...psychologically, put the flamer model on the rhino roof at all times to give the perception of threat to the opponent's chargers. Three flamers in a tight area may cause some opponents to stay away from the castle.

 

Regardless of anything else, the opponent's list and the actual terrain density will be key to your tactics. If the opponent is heavy on long-range AT, and terrain is light (little to block LOS) you may just want to run to the center regardless, because you'd be losing vehicles anyway. Might as well take the pounding while you go for the objectives.

 

After that for you it is target priority.

 

My two cents. Nothing is ever as simple as this.

[Corby]

Lacking long ranged firepower in your list in my opinion. Whats your method of comepensating against parking lot guard and Space wolves with 3 squads of long fangs + Msu Grey hunters?

[Brother Gathurn]

Thanks for the responces here. Got some nice advice on the other thread an already had the ttournament. actually two. I did quite well placing 7 in one out of 50 and 3 in one out of 20. I actually didn't end up having much of a problem with long range firepower. The predators combined with the bikes and tactical squads when they weren't moving (which was usually only the plasma) worked quite will. Thanks for your help though.

[Ming]

Always happy to assist.