Whats the best way to take out a Stormlord

[DarthOvious]

I've been playing apocalypse. One of the players down at the store runs a 2000 pts list with a Sotrmlord with heavy weapon teams inside it shooting 18 Lascannon shots, not to mention the Lacannons on the tank itself and the mega bolter. We play doubles so we get a partner, although today was a triples game, however we didn't get past turn two really cause there was just too many things to do a turn.

 

I have both teamed up with this player and also played against him, but I was wondering what a good way to take the Stormlord out would be. I was thinking some Sternguard with two meltas and combi-meltas in a drop pod could be a good idea and also Dante with some Honour Guard with Meltas since they won't scatter. In saying that I managed to get a unit of Terminators with Thunderhammers and Stormshields into base for a turn, but I only got one structure point. I was pretty much shot up the following turn.

 

I don't have a Supper-Heavy myself and unfortunately they are a bit pricey for me at the moment. I still have some other Blood Angels stuff to get first.

[lordvogalus]

Run a ten-man VV squad with all meltabombs, combat squad and drop half on each side, giving you very good odds of getting some into assault range. Super heavies are rather slow moving, so your odds of hitting are good, and with 5-10 str8 2d6 penatration hits, that tank will not last very long. You will lose the Vets, but they will probably take out more than double their points.

[Leonaides]

Sternguard in droppod with meltas, someone with vortex grenade etc...

[dswanick]

Hammer Blow, Vortex Grenade!, Indiscriminate Bombardment, Orbital Bombardment, field a swarm of Necron Scarabs - take your pick.

[Jønke]

A quick reatch over the table and slap your opponent for using sutch units in sutch a small game.

[SevenExxes]

Dante with Sanguinary Guard all using infernus pistols. Deepstrike within 3 inches and plug it with 6 melta shots all with 2d6 pens. That has to do something.

[DarthOvious]

Thanks for the reply guys.

 

What I forgot to mention is that we get bonuses for every game we play. Currently I have four re-rolls I can use in every game. So here is my plan for future.

 

1) Turn 1 - Drop some Sternguard with two meltaguns and 8 combi-meltas in a drop pod. Use one of my re-rolls if I scatter to a useless location.

 

2) Turn 2 onwards - Deep strike Dante and with Sanguinary Guard or Honour Guard with meltas if the thing is still alive.

 

3) Turn 2 onwards - Ten Vanguard Vets, combat squaded into two. Hopefully by this point the tank will be gone and I can assault any guardsmen still alive. Equip some Thunder Hammers just in case.

 

Oh yeah, I also forgot to say he has a GK Libby in it taking up the last space casting Null Zone so enemy Invulnerable saves need to be re-rolled.

 

I think that may do it. The Sternguard will be 300 pts. Sanguinary Guard will be 250 pts at least, Honour Guard will be 155 pts at least. Dante is 225 pts and the Vanguard Vets will be 375 pts at least with two Thunderhammers.

 

All in all that is about 1150 pts. A lot of points I know, but most of his points is wrapped up in this one thing and if the sternguard do their job first time around which will be quite favourable, then Dante and his unit can be used else where while the Vanguard Vets deconstruct some surviving Guardsmen into blood and bones.

[DarthOvious]

Run a ten-man VV squad with all meltabombs, combat squad and drop half on each side, giving you very good odds of getting some into assault range. Super heavies are rather slow moving, so your odds of hitting are good, and with 5-10 str8 2d6 penatration hits, that tank will not last very long. You will lose the Vets, but they will probably take out more than double their points.

 

Meltabombs does sound good. He doesn't move it since he usually uses his mega bolter twice a turn but he keeps his back armour to the table edge.

 

Oh damn, I just remembered vehicles who have their back armour on the table edge for the first turn get a 4+ cover save. :)

[Sanct]

Oh yeah, I also forgot to say he has a GK Libby in it taking up the last space casting Null Zone so enemy Invulnerable saves need to be re-rolled.

 

GK libbie with null zone? Not an option.

 

VVets with mb look good since they'll be auto hitting cause he's stationary.

 

Since you're going apoc have you considered DC Dreads in Lucius assault pods? 2 x S8 followed by 5 autohitting S10 @205pts a piece

(EDIT: pods in imperial armour: apoc 2nd edition)

EDIT2: since it's apoc take siege dreads with MM and 2 HK's. Same Delicious Cost. 3 x S8 shots with 3 auto hitting S10 +2d6 vs AV12 that cause a single S5 AP4 hit on all models inside if u pen. Burn the guardsmen out.

[DarthOvious]

Oh yeah, I also forgot to say he has a GK Libby in it taking up the last space casting Null Zone so enemy Invulnerable saves need to be re-rolled.

 

GK libbie with null zone? Not an option.

 

VVets with mb look good since they'll be auto hitting cause he's stationary.

 

Since you're going apoc have you considered DC Dreads in Lucius assault pods? 2 x S8 followed by 5 autohitting S10 @205pts a piece

 

These are the ones you can assault from aren't they? I don't have a lucius assault pod, I could use a normal one as a counts as. Where do I find the rules for this, is it in apocalypse or apocalypse reload?

 

It might not be a GK Libby, I just assumed it was, it was must be from another codex then.

[Black_Sky]

Preemptive Strike: After deployment, but before first turn begins. Quickly pick up his tank and throw it out the window.

 

Other option is running Flank Attack close combat specialists. Placing his tank at the table edge and not moving makes for plenty of cc autohitting goodness. Also, if he moves he shouldn't be able to fire the lascannons inside. Unless I've forgotten about some apoc only rule.

 

Ancients assault formation from forgeworlds line of books requires a techpriest and some dreads, for which you will receive a cheap flank attack stratagem.

[Xenith]

I've been playing apocalypse. One of the players down at the store runs a 2000 pts list with a Sotrmlord with heavy weapon teams inside it shooting 18 Lascannon

Oh yeah, I also forgot to say he has a GK Libby in it taking up the last space casting Null Zone so enemy Invulnerable saves need to be re-rolled.

 

So he is mixing codexes, mix them also, take some swooping hawks with haywire grenades.

 

I think the trick is to get into B2B with the tank. The size of the thing should mean that anyone firing from the firepoints cannot actually see guys touching the tank.

 

Anyway, isnt apoc supposed to be 3000pts or more, as the combos are too cheesy at low levels?

 

EDIT:

 

Take Anrykar in a command barge. Take over that tank, use your rerolls to make sure it hits.

[Brother Xeones]

Other option is running Flank Attack close combat specialists. Placing his tank at the table edge and not moving makes for plenty of cc autohitting goodness. Also, if he moves he shouldn't be able to fire the lascannons inside. Unless I've forgotten about some apoc only rule.

 

That was my thought too. One option that nobody considers much: wait for it...

 

Tactical Terminators with chainfists! Get them into BtB asap, and watch the fun. If that player does have a tendency to hang back within 12" of the table edge, you could use Flank March and bring in the squad right behind the Stormlord. These guys will outshine the assault terminators by a mile when it comes to damage output against vehicles. Add a Sanguinary Priest if you want to, but it's not really necessary. Use a stock 5-man squad to keep it cheap. The Stormlord needs to be stationary for its cargo to fire, so you'll be auto hitting with 15 S8 2d6 hits (giving you approx. 12.5 penetrating hits). That's gonna leave a mark...

 

Follow up with some good anti-infantry fire to take care of any of those heavy weapons teams that may survive any ensuing explosions.

[Rybnick]

Unfortunately I have no Swarmlord experience with my BA (or Apocalypse experience come to think of it), but I do have an small tangent story to tell. Just last week with my Ork army I killed the Swarmlord in just 1 round of shooting from a single loota squad! I scored 7 hits and seven wounds, and he failed 6 armor saves! Best 105 points I ever spent on a unit ever, plus the look on my buddy's face was beyond priceless.

[Brother Xeones]

Unfortunately I have no Swarmlord experience with my BA (or Apocalypse experience come to think of it), but I do have an small tangent story to tell. Just last week with my Ork army I killed the Swarmlord in just 1 round of shooting from a single loota squad! I scored 7 hits and seven wounds, and he failed 6 armor saves! Best 105 points I ever spent on a unit ever, plus the look on my buddy's face was beyond priceless.

 

Uh... Stormlord --not Swarmlord. Those two little letters after the "S" make all the difference. B)

 

Even so, your anecdote is impressive. :P

[Sokhar]

Unfortunately I have no Swarmlord experience with my BA (or Apocalypse experience come to think of it), but I do have an small tangent story to tell. Just last week with my Ork army I killed the Swarmlord in just 1 round of shooting from a single loota squad! I scored 7 hits and seven wounds, and he failed 6 armor saves! Best 105 points I ever spent on a unit ever, plus the look on my buddy's face was beyond priceless.

 

Are you normally in the habit of of replying to threads without reading either the original post or any of the replies? Because every post in the thread made it pretty clear that the thread creator is referring to the Stormlord super-heavy tank, not the Tyranid Swarmlord. Cool story bro, and epic reading fail.

[DarthOvious]

Unfortunately I have no Swarmlord experience with my BA (or Apocalypse experience come to think of it), but I do have an small tangent story to tell. Just last week with my Ork army I killed the Swarmlord in just 1 round of shooting from a single loota squad! I scored 7 hits and seven wounds, and he failed 6 armor saves! Best 105 points I ever spent on a unit ever, plus the look on my buddy's face was beyond priceless.

 

I wish it was a swarmlord, instead of a stormlord super heavy tank. :P

[Rybnick]

Are you normally in the habit of of replying to threads without reading either the original post or any of the replies? Because every post in the thread made it pretty clear that the thread creator is referring to the Stormlord super-heavy tank, not the Tyranid Swarmlord. Cool story bro, and epic reading fail.

Normally no, but I made an exception yesterday. I guess this will teach me to not post after working a double.

[DarthOvious]

Are you normally in the habit of of replying to threads without reading either the original post or any of the replies? Because every post in the thread made it pretty clear that the thread creator is referring to the Stormlord super-heavy tank, not the Tyranid Swarmlord. Cool story bro, and epic reading fail.

Normally no, but I made an exception yesterday. I guess this will teach me to not post after working a double.

 

Its cool, we all make mistakes. Mine was deciding to play apocalypse at the GW store. -_-

 

Nah, I'm just kidding. Its good fun. I have a plan, but its bordering on insanity.

 

I appreciate all the suggestions so far. There has been some real good input and I do like some of the suggestions better than the one I'm taking but unfortunately I can't take the others, not yet anyway.

 

1) Tactical Termies with chainfists and March Flank - This suggestion is brilliant, the kind of thing I needed, but unfortunately I can only take a strategic asset if my list is fully painted, which it isn't just yet. I do have a lot of stuff painted but I've bought some new stuff recently that I need to paint and I'm not painting again until the new paints get released. However this is certainly one for future and I will keep it in mind and I will buy some Tactical Termies and put chainfists on them.

 

2) Lucius Pattern Assault Pods - Loved this idea, but I'll need to wait in order to buy the drop pods for the Dreadnoughts and also get the rulebook for it also. The drop pods from forge world seemed quite expensive as well. I only have one normal drop pod as well.

 

3) The Dante formation that gives him, his honour guard and several sanguniary guard Tactical precision and heroic intervention. This sounds like the kind of list I would to run. Especially since in our rules all reserves come onto the board in first turn. Pretty much first turn combat for everything under this list. I can always arm them with infernus pistols to get those shots off.

 

 

The startegy I'm going to have a go with first is a 10 man unit of Sternguard all armed with combi-meltas in my one drop pod. Dante with an honour guard with four meltas and a ten man unit of Vanguard with melta bombs. When reserves come in I will go for the Vanguard on the table first. I will probably combat squad them as well to both sides of the stormlord, this is to reduce any chance of scattering into any other units, especially my OWN units. I will then place Dante and his squad since they don't scatter at all. The drop pod to be placed last hopefully with the other units making sure that the drop pod stops before them instead of scattering and into a good position. Remember I said that ALL RESERVES come on in the first turn according to the rules, so I don't need to roll for reserves here.

 

Hoefully the Sternguard and Dantes unit will blow it away, leaving the guradsmen to be assaulted by the Vanguard and then good night vienna. If the Stormlord is still up, which is depressingly a very real possibility since he gets an 4+ invulnerable save for the first turn only for being in contact with the table edge, then the Vanguard will use their meltabombs as well.

 

Another thing I was thinking of was putting a Libby with a jump pack in Dantes unit and that way I could use shield to get a cover save next turn. Not to mention his space marine librarian can't use his Null Zone against it since its a cover save and not an invulnerable save, not to mention the psychic hood on my libby could be used to prevent him using it in the first place. His second power could be Sanguine sword and in turn two, providing he is still alive he can open that thing up like a tin of beans.

 

I know its a lot of points to sink on that one unit, but he has a lot of points in it. The Stormlord itself is 600 pts as he upgrades it for the extra Lascannons, the guard inside are 360 pts and also the Libraian with Null Zone must be about 100 pts as well. I'll be expecting him to also teleport his Dreadknight back as well if it survives the first turn.

[Leksington]

3) The Dante formation that gives him, his honour guard and several sanguniary guard Tactical precision and heroic intervention. This sounds like the kind of list I would to run. Especially since in our rules all reserves come onto the board in first turn. Pretty much first turn combat for everything under this list. I can always arm them with infernus pistols to get those shots off.

Like with Heroic Intervention, you don't get to shoot on the turn you land. -_-

[DarthOvious]

3) The Dante formation that gives him, his honour guard and several sanguniary guard Tactical precision and heroic intervention. This sounds like the kind of list I would to run. Especially since in our rules all reserves come onto the board in first turn. Pretty much first turn combat for everything under this list. I can always arm them with infernus pistols to get those shots off.

Like with Heroic Intervention, you don't get to shoot on the turn you land. :(

 

Ah I see, I would need to powerfist it then. Lol. With a Priest the st9 wouldn't be so bad. I would be striking at back armour in close combat anyway, so it would be 12 instead of 13, thus I would need 4's to Penetrate.

 

However, having full squads of Sanguinary guard striking last in combat is not a good idea for the rest of everything else. :lol: At least I would still get an armour save against the Vulcan Mega Bolter though. Lacannons would still blow me away.

[Chapter Master Ignis Domus]

Well, if you like TH/SS Termies, or termies in general, you could run that Lysander Datasheet that gives you a free Vortex Grenade. Drop it near the tank, hope it doesn't go near you, and say bye to the tank. You should be able to do enough structure points to kill it, and if you don't, it's big enough that the vortex will probably scatter back onto it.

[DarthOvious]

Well, if you like TH/SS Termies, or termies in general, you could run that Lysander Datasheet that gives you a free Vortex Grenade. Drop it near the tank, hope it doesn't go near you, and say bye to the tank. You should be able to do enough structure points to kill it, and if you don't, it's big enough that the vortex will probably scatter back onto it.

 

I did consider the Vortex Grenade as well. The problem is getting close enough to use it. I would need the March Flank Asset to do it. I suppose I better get my amry painted up then. I wish these new paints would hurry up. :lol:

 

You see I'm coming back to the hobby now. I've been away from it for a bit. Getting married and having a kid will do that. My wife and son are now back in her own country, we're not separated or anything, its just that she has to work over there and I can't go over there because they have no work in my field. Yes, it sucks, I know. So to keep me occupied and get me out socilaising again instead of crying in a corner somewhere due to self pity, I've started to make an effort to get involved. Of course it means buying some of the new stuff that I don't have and obviously I have to buy a bit at a time and build up. I had only bought the Sanguinary Guard when they were released back in April 2010, but now I'm trying to collect some of the other stuff and thus it needs painted.

[Sanct]

http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_Custom...mmer_Squads.pdf

-they come in by deepstrike and scatter only d6. Any1 can have the vortex grenade

 

or ancients assault march datasheet.

Dreads with flank march

[DarthOvious]

Thanks Guys for all the help.

 

Got an update after a game I played today. Although I didn't face off against the guy who uses a Stormlord with 18 Lascannon shots. I faced off against a side that were short on points because they were a player down to our side and so were therefore given two super heavy tanks by the store to use in the game. The two tanks they were given were funnily enough a Stormlord, but obviously without the 18 Lascannons and a Banehammer Super Heavy. A third player did join them on turn two with 1000 points to make the numbers up more, although I should point out that its supposed to be 2000 pts each.

 

So I will give a recap of the game as it ran as best as I can remember.

 

My Side

 

My Blood Angels of course

Space Wolves

Imperial Fists

 

For my army, I went with:

Two ASM squads with powerfists, a sanguinary priest with them,

Ten sternguard with combi-meltas in a drop pod,

Ten vanguard vets with melta bombs,

Dante with an honour guard with 4 meltaguns and a libby with Shield and sanguine sword

Baal Predator with Flamestorm and heavy bolters

 

The Space Wolves Player had:

Thunderwolf Calvery, Lord with them.

Scouts

Terminators with a troop Caestus assault ram

Devastators

Some others I can't remember now

 

Imperial fists player had:

Captain

Davastators

Dradnought with twin linked Lascannon

Vindicator

Terminators

Land Raider

Predator

Vanguard Vets

Tactical Squads

 

Our opposition were Grey Knights, another blood angels player and the guy who joined them on turn two was a daemons player. Yeah I know, the Grey Knights should be all over that but the store staff get to pick the sides. Lol.

 

The Opposition had

 

Grey Knights:

Draigo

Paladins

Dreadknight

Hammerhead (He plays Tau as well).

I think that was it.

 

Blood Angels:

Storm Raven

Terminators

Astorath

Death Company all with power weapons

Land Raider

Tactical Squads

I think that was it.

 

Daemons (entering turn two):

Lord of change

Horrors of Tzeentch

some other daemon things I don't know the name of but I think they are more Tzeentch things and they had a Changling with them.

 

Also lets not forget they were given the two super heavies above because they were handicapped.

 

 

Well because they were still down a bit at the start of the game we gave them first turn. So from what I can remember this is what happened. Set up first saw most things on the table at the start except for my stuff and the imperial fists vanguard vets.

 

1) Everything of mine was kept in reserve except the two assault squads who started on the table hiding behind a Landraider and the Predator. The rules of our campaign say that all reserves come in first turn. The Daemon player was an exception because he was added to the game later on.

 

2) The Imperial fists player also kept his vanguard in reserve as well.

 

3) Thunderwolves were in cover from a building and his scouts & Devastator squad were on a building for firing positions. The Caestus assault ram was hiding behind this building with Termies in it.

 

4) Imperial fists player had his devs in a bunker firing from.

 

5) Termies and a tactical squad were lined up in front of the the two tanks (Landraider & Predator)

 

6) Dreadnought sitting beside the devs for the imperial fists player

 

 

For our opposition they had

 

1) The banehammer at the back table

 

2) They started with the Stormlord in the middle of the table. I have no idea why.

 

3) Stormraven to their left with a landraider with termies in it.

 

4) Astorath & Death Company around the same place as 3) as well as some tacticals.

 

 

Time for first turn, which was theirs because they were down on points.

 

1) Banehammer tried shooting at the landraider with my assault squads behind them. The Landraider was unhamred but a few of my marines bit the dust.

 

2) The Sormlord fired on some space wolve stuff. The devs and scouts hiding in terrain and killed a few things. It could only fire 15 shots with its mega bolter since it moved.

 

3) The storm raven took one of the dreadnoughts arms off.

 

4) In combat Draigo and his Paladins wiped out the imperial fist termies and the tactical squad beside it.

 

5) Astorath and the death company also got into some imperial fist tacticals and killed them.

 

Our first turn:

 

1) Because I'm really nasty I deepstriked Dante and the honour guard behind the Stormlord along with 5 vanguard vets that I decided to combat squad in two groups. They were fine and deepstriked into position well.

 

2) The sternguard in the drop pod and the other vanguard vet cambat squad went for the banehammer. I had to use one of my re-rolls to get the vanguard into place though.

 

3) The space wolves in the assault ram moved up, got out and assaulted the Sormlord. The assault ram also shot a melta into it.

 

4) Dante and his squad took a structure point of the Stormlord and also got various other results meaning it couldn't move or shoot. The termies from the space wolves took another structure point. My vanguard vets took the last structure point.

 

For the table I rolled a six. Lol. I also rolled three 6's for the range, which meant that everything within 18" took a strength 9 AP2 hit. Everything was pretty much removed from the centre of the table. From what I remember that meant most of the Grey Knight Paladins, the Death Company, Astorath took a wound, my vanguard vets behind the stormlord, 4 of my 5 vanguard beside the Banehammer. Space wolve scouts and devs took heavy casualties also.

 

Luckily I rolled shield for my honour guard. With my cover save I manged to roll ANOTHER 4 6's, although one guy did die. Totally insane I tell you.

 

5) The sternguard shot their combi-meltas and manged to cause the Banehammer to be shaken. Alas that was all. They were lucky enough to be on the othe side of the Banehammer so they were outside the blast radius from the Stormlord although their drop pod got knicked and lost its storm bolter. Lol.

 

6) Spacewolves player had charged his thundercalvery into Draigo and the remaining paladins. The calvery had stormshields so they were lucky to survive quite well. He managed to kill the other paladins leaving Draigo all by himself. The Dreadknight also bit the bullet but I don't remember exactly what from. Perhaps Devs from the imperial fists, predator and the landraider. I think the termies in the Landraider had some good action as well.

Eventful turn

 

7) Oh yeah, my Ball Pred came on and killed a good five tactical marines with its flamestorm cannon. Heavy bolters did nada.

 

 

So quite eventful first turn there for us.

 

Second turn:

 

1) Well this where the daemons came on the board and things went badly for my honour guard. Some shooting attacks (I think by spells), wiped out all my guard, librarian and Dante off the board. although he did have to shoot it with his lord of change, his daemons with the Changling.

 

2) Hammerhead shot into my Baal and immobilised it.

 

3) Draigo bit the bullet from the calvery in combat

 

4) The blood angels termies took out the imperial fists dev squad.

 

Thats all I can remember.

 

Our second turn:

 

1) My assault marines shot and charged the horrors wiping them out.

 

2) The imperial vanguard vets got into the Banehammer and we managed to take that out with them along with some previous shooting. It caused a small blast resulting in me losing two of my sternguard.

 

3) My sternguard rapid fired into the other daemons with the changling and whittled them down quite a bit. Some space wolf termies took the rest out.

 

4) My other assault marines with the sargent with a powerfist rolled two sixes for armour penetration on the stormraven and took out a weapon and immobilised it.

 

5) Some other Daemons were assaulted and wiped out.

 

 

Because it took such a long time we only managed to get the two turns in. In the end our side manged to get 5 of the table tiles to their one which resulted in a resounding victory for us.

 

I was left with an assault squad with about 9 guys, another assault squad with 5 guys and 8 sternguard vets. I also had my Immobilised Baal left.

 

The space wolves player still had some termies and some thunderwolves. He also had a lone termie from another unit he had. Lol. I think he had a couple of scouts and devs left also.

 

The Imperial fists player had his vanguard vets left, his predator and his landraider.

 

The oppositions blood angels player had an immobilised storm raven, a squad of termies and a landriader with a few tactical marines here and there.

 

The greyknights player was wiped off the board.

 

The Daemons player only had his Lord of change left.

 

 

All in all a fun battle. I just had fun making the Stormlord explode and watching for all the rolls for the blast. It took ages to resolve. Lol

 

Needless to say. Thanks to all the guys here for their suggestions. You helped make this fun game possible with all the carnage that took place.