I suck at List Building. Could I get some help please?

[Gratan]

So, I suck at list building... IT is probably the one big stumbling block I have with any game that has this feature (Deck Building, List Building, Character Building). I could really use the help in making a few playable lists at 1750/1850/2000.

 

These are the models I own:

 

DV Lord

Sorcerer (new Finecast one)

DV Helbrute

Heldrake (Baleflamer)

Forgefiend (weapons are magnetized)

 

DV Chosen Champ

Champ with Axe/Combi-Melta

DV Chosen w/Axe x3

DV Chosen w/Lightning Claws x3

DV Chosen w/PF x2

 

CSM Squad

- Champ w/PF

- Plasmagun x2

- Bolter w/CCW

 

CSM Squad

- Champ w/PF

- Meltagun x2

- Bolter w/CCW

 

DV CCW Cultists x10 (Flamer)

DV CCW Cultists x10 (Flamer)

DV CCW Cultists x10 (Flamer)

DV Autogun Cultists x20 (Hvy Stubber x2)

 

Raptors

-Champ PP/PS

- PP x2

- BP/CCW x2

 

The problem is, I am pretty much limited to what I own. I cannot buy any more models at this time, though I have a friend who could pay me back in GW product, so I could technically add $100 USD to the army.

 

I'm not very competitive, but I would like to make it a fun list. Any help would be really appreciated.

 

 

 

[Teetengee]

I would suggest perhaps some more anti heavy armr, and perhaps a quad gun for dealing withsome flyers (f that friend is willing to pay back in the gw product). Heldrakes are good, cultists are good, you could easily scratch build spawn if you wanted some. I will have to wait and see how te new space marines play to really offer good list builds.

Main points: I worry about too little antivehicle, in particular anti air. Otherwise just throw together some cultists and dinobots with the sorcerer and/or lord and you could do fine.

[Zhukov]

Gratan, on 10 Sept 2013 - 04:22, said:

So, I suck at list building... IT is probably the one big stumbling block I have with any game that has this feature (Deck Building, List Building, Character Building). I could really use the help in making a few playable lists at 1750/1850/2000.

 

Gratan, on 10 Sept 2013 - 04:22, said:

 

I'm not very competitive, but I would like to make it a fun list. Any help would be really appreciated.

Well this is a problem. It's hard to help somebody making a fun list, because fun is incredibly subjective. I'll focus on the helping with making a playable list I guess.

 

I think the best I can do is giving you an easy to follow check-list/guide/skeleton:

 

 

1. Take 2 troops which should hold 'your objectives'. I suggest 10 man cultist squads for this, they stay in reserve at the start of the game. Just squads without any upgrades works just fine, but giving them lasguns, a heavy stubber or even a flamer isn't gamebreakingly bad.

 

2. Take 3 or 4 troops which try to take 'enemy objectives'. These generally have to be pretty tough as they move across the board and thus they are open to all sorts of pain. 10 man CSM squads are okay for this, or 30 man cultist squads led by Chaos Lord or 30 man Zombie Cultist squads or 5-7 man Plague Marine squads. Rhinos are optional. A mix is fine as well.

 

3. Take 1 or 2 Heldrakes, they help killing opposing troops and thus help you win the game.

 

4. Take at least 2 fire support units. Generally I'd advice a mix of Havocs with Autocannons and Oblits. I see you don't have much money to spend, but do have a Forgefiend, well use the Forgefiend. Forgefiend substitutes the role of the Havocs. You need fire support to take out transport and to take out squishy targets which have a lot of killing potential. Fire support in the end either kills their troops (and so help to win) or prevent the oppenent from killing yours (and thus help to win).

 

5. Depending on which HQ you use, some sort of Fast escort/bodyguard unit is an okay investment. Normally I'd advice a Bike unit, but as you have Raptors already, these will do. A unit like this (HQ + Bodyguard) often act as a distraction, drawing fire away from other crucial elements in your army. Don't go overboard on points for them for this reason, just Killy enough so that your oppenent can't ignore them.

 

6. Points left? These should go to allies or more fire support in general.

[Dragonlover]

I ended up at my current list by chucking stuff onto the table and seeing what worked. I played a whole bunch of 1500 point games first to get the core of the list sorted, then started playing bigger games and embellishing on that core. The key thing for me was talking to my opponents after the games to see what they thought of how I played, what they'd have done differently and so on. Another thing that helped is my opponents don't tend to mind if I proxy, I've got an undercoated squad with no weapons that's seen play as a whole bunch of stuff over the years, just to see if it works.

 

Just try stuff out, and be prepared to take a few total pastings. Eventually you'll find what works for you, and every game will teach you something, even if that something is 'well balls, that plan doesn't work at all... that said, *blah* seemed to be effective'.

 

Dragonlover

[the jeske]

1xDV lchosen with power fist doing counts as huron

1xasp champion with combi melta and power ax as  a nurgle lord

6xcsm with 2 plasma doing counts as 7 plague marines

6xcsm with 2 melta doing counts as 7 plague marines

6xcsm naked counts as 7 plague marines

each o the counts as plague marine units has a DV chosen with power ax as an asp champion

 

1x25 cultists with 2 flamers [of the melee type]

1x10 cultists with auto guns

 

1xhelldrake

 

 

 

the problem with chaos and your collection is , that you don't realy have multiple type of units that could carry your list and a very small support section [only3 units] out which 2 units are bad[raptors and fiend].

[Xenith]

The real secret to list building is looking at the models you own, then at their cost in the codex, then writing that number down on a piece of paper, adding the cost of any upgrades you want for the unit to the total.

 

Repeat this until you get to a set point value, usually 1000, 1500 or 2000pts.

 

You'll end up with a list full of units you like, and that you will have fun using on the table.

[Tenebris]

Well this is how I approach list building with my CSM:

 

1. HQ and Bodyguard escort. This is tops for it defines your army list. A box of terminators works perfectly well since I rarely field more than a Lord in Terminator armor and 4 Terminators as his bodyguard. They have the numbers to kill something and the staying power needed for two turns of fighting. The priority here is what do you want to achieve with your HQ. If I am not going after a specific army build or a Marked army this squads works as a Burning Brand delivery system. In this section I advocate a Sorcerer. Indeed even a bare Mastery Level 1 Sorcerer can be nasty as a firepower boost with his Shriek spell from the Telepathy section. There is no need for upgrades, just have him trot along with a CSM squad on foot. 

 

In your case I would either buy a squad of terminators and used it as I suggest above or make a sort of Jet Pack lord to go with the Raptors as a quick response squad. Load him with the Burning Brand, Sigil and a Lightning Claw.

 

2. Troops. The pain of the CSM. I usually field a combination of regular CSM on foot and some Cultists in support. The Cultists are in reserve and cap the objectives in my half of the board while the CSM do the assaulting part on the enemy objectives. Plasma Guns for the CSM and no upgrades for the Cultists. They are mere bodies to sit on an objective.

 

In your case for every CSM squad in your army take a squad of Cultists and put them in reserve to cap the objectives in the last turns.

 

3. Helldrake...check. Ok, you are set for a CSM 6th edition army. I usually have a squad of four Bikers to either accompany my Sorcerer or a Lord of some kind but knowing your love for the DV aesthetics I would suggest you to buy a second Helldrake and reap the many benefits that come from that.

 

4. Obliterators....oh wait...Obliterators and some sort of other ranged support unit. I usually field a Forge Fiend as a cheap AA unit and a buff for my shooting phase but I also advocate pairs of Maulerfiends. To skip to the aesthetics of your army (reading your picture blog) you can always consider a neutral vehicle like a Predator or a Land Raider.

 

 

 

In the end I think we as CSM need multiple units that can do the same job for no unit is good at it. That is why I never rely exclusively on my CSM as troops. Still of all the army build suggestions posted here I think you should follow Jeske. Plague Marines are easy to learn, forgiving to new players and a very effective troop option. Get your hands on a Terminator and make him count as Typhus and you can use your cultist horde as a zombie horde, which is very effective.

 

All in all I would add a box of Terminators and a box of Obliterators and you are set for some serious army lists.