1500 Death Guard Tournament list

[Grazzlebaz]

Hey this is my first time posting so take it easy on me. With Christmas rolling around I'm looking to start building my Death Guard legion for a tournament in April and I would like some second opinions. For the most part it seems pretty solid (solutions for anti-tank and mass infantry) but any criticism is helpful .

-Legion Praetor

Cataphractii

Paragon Blade

Digital Lasers

Master crafted PB

Rad grenades

Rites of war (The Reaping)

-Legion centurion

Master of the signal

-Apothecary detachment

2 Apothecaries with augury scanner each

-Deathshroud Termy squad

9 Terminators

Meltabombs

-Legion Tactical Squad

5 additional marines

Sgt with artificer armor, melta bombs, power weapon, and combi-melta

-Legion Tactical Squad

5 additional marines

Sgt with artificer armor, melta bombs, power weapon, and combi-melta

-Storm eagle assault gunship

Twin-linked Multi-melta

Extra amour

List comes out to exactly 1500, the basic plan is the apothecaries go in the tac squads to boost survivability, they hunker down and hold objectives with the master of the signal booting their shooting. Praetor and deathshroud go in storm eagle and assault anything nasty, and taking objectives in enemy deployment. I chose the rite of war The Reaping mostly for the rad grenades on the Praetor cause who doesn't love wounding marines on 2's. Once again first time posting so go easy on me.

[firewind]

This list looks pretty solid!  The only thing that worries me is that you are a bit light on ranged anti tank weapons.  If you cut the Deathshroud down to 5 guys you could fit in a heavy support squad with missile launchers or autocannons, and these guys would be scoring with your rite of war.  I would think that 5 Deathshroud and a Praetor should still be enough to do some major damage on the enemy's side of the table, but I'm sure you'll figure out how many you need with playtesting.

 

Also, you should know that the Master of the Signal's signum also counts as an augury scanner so you probably only need one of your apothecaries to have one.

[Moonstalker]

Welcome to the forums!

 

I agree with Firewind, you're going to want some reliable methods of opening up transports so that you've got some juicy, exposed targets when your Deathshrouds come in.  I've recently become a fan of having a heavy weapon squad for a Master of Signal to hang out in.  That can also provide for an unpleasant surprise for your opponents if the game comes up night fighting, as you can start laying into them on turn 1 via the cognis signum's night vision.

 

I've also always thought that the Storm Eagle would be better with lascannons instead of the Tempest Rockets.  The Tempest Rockets are just really underwhelming, even if the Lascannons are expensive.  Affording them would cost you an entire Deathshroud, but I think it's something that is worth thinking about.

 

ETA: One more thing, if it is likely that you will run into other 30k lists at this tournament you are going to want some ranged anti-tank that isn't melta in case you have to deal with something that's rocking Armoured Ceramite.

[thor1234]

hey there, I'll add my 2P to this too...

 

I agree that the Terminators will do fine at 5 stromg + Praetor, would suffice, definatley more so if arriving via the Storm Eagle, and the points saved should go towards some more fire power.... maybe a smallo heavy weapon squad with lascannons? or perhaps a couple o rapier lasers?? backed up by the MoS they'd be BS5 most of the time, and he can remain stationary to use his Bombardment.......

[Grazzlebaz]

Thank  you for you input everyone! So good news, the tourney finally released the rules and as it turns out I need a 1850 point list (the previous year was 1500, which is what I planned for) so using the advice you guys gave me I've made the following changes...

 

Deathshroud unit has 2 less members and this gives me room for.....

 

one devastator unit of lascannons

 

one more devastator unit with autocannons

 

swapped out the tempest rockets of the storm eagle for two twin linked lascannons

 

Meltabomb on the Praetor

 

The total comes out to exactly 1850 and now has some reliable ranged anti-armor (for both transports and heavy tanks)

[thor1234]

go Get Em!!!

post some reporrts if you get a chance.....

[Moonstalker]

Sorry I didn't comment much earlier, I was a bit busy.  I've got a bit more time now to go a little more in depth.

 

A Praetor in Terminator Armor may not take meltabombs.  You either choose from the "Options (Terminator Only)" list or the normal "Options" list.

 

Your Storm Eagle full of guys is pretty cool, but I think it suffers heavily from a "too many eggs, too few baskets" problem.  You're literally playing the game with something like 700 points in one transport and the guys it is carrying.  If your opponent has some method of reducing your reserve rolls and keeping that from coming in - or you just suffer from bad luck - you're fighting 1850 vs 1150.  It's not going to be pretty.

 

So, to start with, cheaper Praetor.  Drop the Master Crafting.  Maybe drop the Digital Lasers.  You already have a crazy amount of close combat killy power in that squad of Grave Wardens.  You're not going to be able to make your Praetor strong enough to be able to handle the 40k close combat killer ICs.  Lack of eternal warrior or a 3+ invul means he's got a 50/50 shot of dying to any single power fist attack that wounds him.  Keep him cheap.

 

Second is reduce the number of Grave Wardens.  Again, you don't want to end up in a situation where most of your army isn't even on the table and you're fighting a 2v1 battle.  5 total isn't much more expensive than a normal terminator squad, and their power scythes, melta bombs, and 2 wounds will make them a real problem for anyone you're facing.

 

Rapier Laser Destroyers instead of Heavy Support Troops with Lascannons.  Yes, the Heavy Support guys are scoring with your RoW, they have 1 foot of additional range, they have 2 more shots.  The Laser Destroyers have twin link, ordnance, and Ap1, and they count as Tough 7 for to-wound purposes while the gun is still alive.  They will last longer, they'll still rip holes in anything within range, and they're 70 points cheaper.

 

You're pretty light on anti-air.  Especially the kind of anti-air that could possibly prevent a heldrake from roasting your foot slogging squads before your Storm Eagle can shoot it out of the sky.  Take a Contemptor-Mortis to make sure you've got interceptor shots.  TLAC, Kheres, or TLLC is up to you.  The Kheres is the most dangerous, but half the range.

 

Your tactical squad sergeants are -expensive-.  35 points worth of wargear on a single wound toughness 4 model.  I think artificer armor and a power fist/bolter is sufficient.  You keep some anti-MC hitting power, you keep your ability to Fury of the Legion with everyone, you've got plenty of anti-tank with the plethora of krak grenades (and powerfist hits) you'll get.  The big drawback is you can't deal with a land raider in melee very well (no meltabombs) and you don't have your one-shot pop of a meltagun... which is kind of more of a Hail Mary than actually reliable.  You're also dealing with big blobs of marines that don't have ATSKNF.  Legion Vexillas are your friend, you don't want to break and run off the board, or even just breaking and falling back off an objective in the last turn of the game.

 

Following this advice, you end up with around 300 points left to spend.  I would consider a fortification.  Aegis Defense Line or a Skyshield Landing Pad for your Rapiers/Heavy Weapons to hang out on and have saves.  I don't have the new fortifications supplement, but I believe that it would actually allow you to start your Storm Eagle on a Skyshield Landing Pad, so you don't have to bring it in via reserves.  The ADL would also give you the opportunity to take a quad gun or Icarus lascannon for a little more anti-air, and it could be fired by your Master of Signal (or someone else in the heavy support squad).  With these remaining points, you could pick up some more grave wardens if you really wanted, or more tactical marines, or some more firepower (more heavy support guys gets you more scoring and more shooting, likewise support weapon squads).  Two naked Predators costs less than your Autocannon squad and brings nearly the same amount of firepower and a couple of AV13 vehicles for your opponent to worry about.  If you're not overly attached to the Storm Eagle, you could consider dropping it, taking a pimped-out Spartan instead, and then filling your grave warden squad back up.

 

You could get a little pie plate happy and bring one or two Medusas, and maybe squeeze in some nuncio-voxii on your tactical sergeants.  Vindicators instead could be useful - either for pie plates or more laser destroyers.  Whirlwind Scorpius is pretty cheap, offers some good anti-marine barrage fire, and could also benefit from nuncio-voxii.  The Sicaran is a little fragile, not much tougher than a Predator, but the accelerator autocannon is absolutely vicious.   Really, the options for filling out those last 300-ish points are nearly unlimited.

[Grazzlebaz]

First off thanks for all the advice :)

 

Second, sorry I didn't say this right off the bat but this is a 30k list tourney only, and I found out I ALSO need a 1000 point list but I can work on that later. after reading I have decided to make a few changes and this is the list I made with the advice I got from you guys.

 

-Legion Praetor

Cataphractii

Paragon Blade

Digital weapons

Rad grenades

Rite of war: The Reaping

 

-Legion centurion

Master of the signal

 

-Deathshroud terminators

5 terminators

Meltabombs

 

-Apothecary detachment

2 Apothecaries

 

Legion Rapier weapons battery

-3 laser destroyers

 

-Contemptor Mortis Dreadnought

Kheres assault cannons

 

-Legion tactical squad

5 additional marines

Legion Vexilla

Sgt with artificer armour, Power fist/scythe, Meltabombs

 

-legion tactical squad

5 additional marines

Legion Vexilla

Sgt with artificer armour, Power fist/scythe, Meltabombs

 

-Legion heavy support squad

5 Autocannons

 

 

-Storm eagle assault gunship

Extra Armor

Twin-linked Multi-melta

exchanged tempest rockets for 2 twin-linked lascannons

 

List comes to exactly 1850.

 

 

Same basic strategy as before, removed scanners on apothecaries for meltabombs on sergeants, got a heavy support squad to help hold down objective and pop light vehicles/transports. Laser destroyers for heavy vehicles and the contemptor-mortis for anti-air. Vexillas are there to keep the tac squads from running.

 

I really cant decide on Power fist or Scythe for sergeants, fists have ability to insta-pop marines but the scythes can possibly take out more guys....and they look cooler.

 

Storm eagle now has more anti-armor capabilities with the lascannons.

 

Couldn't really find anything I could comfortably part with for an aegis defense line, I could drop the meltabombs on the sergeants and the lascannons on the storm eagle but then I'd loose some anti-tank. 

[thor1234]

looks Solid! should do very well!

[Grazzlebaz]

Ok another slight change to my list.

 

Turns out if a unit contain at least ONE model with the slow and purposeful special rule (catphractii praetor) no one in the squad can overwatch, and a unit with 5 flamer with re-roll wounds...overwatch with that could be painful to anyone who wants a piece. SO here are the following changes..........

 

taking off the digital weapons on the praetor to give him an Iron Halo

 

Giving the Sgt of the autocannon team an augury scanner

 

This way the praetor can still be survivable (less of a melee monster) and the deathshroud can overwatch if it comes to it.

[Moonstalker]

While you would normally be correct, the Betrayal FAQ makes you incorrect.

 

Specifically:

 

 

Page 237 - Cataphractii Pattern Terminator Armour

Add the following line to the last paragraph of the Wargear's description:

 

"Models in a unit joined by a model in Cataphractii Terminator Armour do not have the Slow and Purposeful rule conferred on them, contrary to the usual application of the rule, but must remain in coherency with the joined character while they stay with the unit (which may limit their distance moved overall, consolidation moves, etc.)"

[Sanct]

The praetor might have issues charging through cover since he doesn't have grenades. Worse case he gets challenged by a power fist sarge and pulped at I1.

[coloroutofspace]

Yes, a Grenade Harness for the Praetor is advisable.

Also, why do you need a Scanner on the Sgt, when you have the Master of Signal? Also, and I know it's 15 pts, but giving him a power sword would be a good idea in my opinion - after all, he's got 4 I5 attacks when you need them...

[Grazzlebaz]

 

Thanks for the faq URL, In that case I'll definitely be keeping the list as is for one exception........

 

I'll drop the meltabombs on the sgts for a grenade harness on the praetor. I can give the sgts power fists and they can glance land raiders if need be, not as reliable but still possible to kill one, but this way the praetor can fight at his initiative if they charge into cover.