[HH1.0] Imperial Fists Tactics

[Lord Blackwood]

My thoughts on the IF and how versatile or whatever can be summed up by the 1d4chan summary of the Legion.

" The Imperial Fists are here to demonstrate how "to be vanilla" can potentially mean "to be the best". Even Dorn writes this in stone by being armed with Bolter and Chainsword and being one of the strongest Primarchs for his points. Rightfully considered one of the top-tier Legion armies, they are comfortable at both long and short ranges. At their most basic, they have improved firepower when using bolt weaponry and their characters are almost assured some success when in challenges. On top of that, they have the undisputed BEST vanilla Terminators in the whole Heresy. While only a few legions get their Terminators to Deep Strike OR have Storm Shields, the Fists can do both at the same time and grab Assault cannons on top of that.

They also have some very powerful special characters and units and they have access to some of the best Legion-only wargear available, not to mention being one of the few legions with Eternal Warriors. Coupled with their access to shield formations, Stubborn in cover and relying on an Infantry-heavy army, they represent well their fluff as masters of defensive sieges.

If you want to play as "standard" space marines while being able to adapt to more complex scenarios like siege missions and Zones Mortalis, this is the army for you."

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

I have found they excel in melee which is my favorite phase. I'm new to the legion ~ always wanted to play them and the Leviathan came along at the right time for me.

[Charlo]

I am very keen on the Fists. The rules are just plain incredible and versatile and a lot of style overall.

 

Plus Siggy, Dorn and Polux are all Top Bro-Tier.

[Lachdannan]

See, its talk like this that makes it hard for me to commit to another legion.

[Charlo]

I committed to the Deathguard by buying minis :P though I'm turning them into an Army of Dark Compliance instead as that is more what I'd like out of them, plus if you are going to be a traitor may as well go full traitor!

 

If the BA don't pan out the fists are contenders for my loyalist legion though :P

[MakoBoy88]

As someone who is thinking of putting Fists down I actually have to their their genericability is what causes me to get bored.

 

Polux consistently entertains me, and Sigismund serves me well but he is fairly boring without an army themed around him.

 

Breachers I have decided are boring, they just die too easy even with T5. And not being able to Deepstrike is very limiting.

 

I am planning on putting Polux into a Hammerfall list and playing that soon.

 

But over all, I find their lack of specificity annoying

[Slips]

Seeing as I've yet to acquire a Leviathan (being on a student budget does that to you), this is what I'm bringing to my 3k Game Tomorrow vs the Same Mechanicum/Solar Aux/Word Bearer Player as the last few games I posted about.

 

This is what I'm bringing:

 

+++ IF 3k Ehhh (3000pts) +++

 

++ Legiones Astartes: Crusade Army List (Age of Darkness) (3000pts) ++

 

+ HQ (230pts) +

 

Sigismund (230pts)

 

+ Troops (1240pts) +

 

Templar Brethren (595pts) [Nuncio-vox, 9x Templar Brethren]

··Chapter Champion [solarite Power Gauntlet]

··Land Raider Phobos [Armoured Ceramite, Dozer Blade]

 

Templar Brethren (645pts) [9x Combat Shield, Nuncio-vox, 9x Templar Brethren]

··Chapter Champion [Combat Shield, Solarite Power Gauntlet]

··Land Raider Phobos [Armoured Ceramite, Dozer Blade]

 

+ Elites (1530pts) +

 

Contemptor-Cortus Class Dreadnought Talon (340pts)

··Cortus Dreadnought [Chainfist with inbuilt twin-linked Bolter, Graviton Gun, Kheres Pattern Assault Cannon]

··Cortus Dreadnought [Plasma Blaster, Plasma Cannon]

 

Legion Terminator Squad (570pts) [Chainfist, Legion Spartan Assault Tank, 4x Legion Terminators, Power Fist, Tartaros Terminator Armour with Combi-bolter and Power Weapon, 4x Vigil Pattern Storm Shield]

··Legion Terminator Sergeant [Thunderhammer, Vigil Pattern Storm Shield]

 

Legion Veteran Tactical Squad (310pts) [2x Heavy Bolter and Suspensor Web, Legion Rhino Armoured Carrier, 9x Legion Veteran Space Marines, Legion Vexilla, Sniper]

··Legion Veteran Sergeant [Artificer Armour, Power Fist]

 

Legion Veteran Tactical Squad (310pts) [2x Heavy Bolter and Suspensor Web, Legion Rhino Armoured Carrier, 9x Legion Veteran Space Marines, Legion Vexilla, Sniper]

··Legion Veteran Sergeant [Artificer Armour, Power Fist]

 

+ Legion +

 

Legion Astartes [Loyalist, VII: Imperial Fists]

 

I'm SUPER Tempted to Bring Dorn but I want to bring Sigismund more. Apart from 8 Twin-Linked Lascannon Shots and my Dreads, there isn't much anti-armor in the list but, hey, I'll deal with it.

 

PLASMA CONTEMPTOR WILL REDEEM HIMSELF DAMN IT! >:-O

 

I'll most likely split the Templars in to 5/5 with shields instead of 0/10.
 

It still has 5 Scoring units between troop templar and implacable advance. So thats nice.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Slipstreams

[Lord Blackwood]

Your spending a lot on Templar Brethren  arent you?  couldnt you save some points by going pride and working in some offensive armor? 

[Slips]

With what Tanks? I'm a Dreadhead not a Treadhead . The only Rhino Chassis that I tolerate owning (and actually own) is the Rhino since its a Transport. Otherwise, if it's not a Sicaran, Av14 or a Super-Heavy I see no appeal in it, I'd rather take a Dreadnought or Infantry for the same job.

 

Only other Tanks I could sub in would be the Achilles and Sicaran and I just don't feel like fielding them this time.

 

+++

 

So, yeah, no dice. As nice as (Las)Vindicators, WW Scorpii, Predators, Medusas, etc. are, the only one(s) I can actually see myself using and buying are the Medusas because of their S10 Ap2 Barrage Large Blast.

 

Thats why I like having you guys around , you give me a different perspective since y'all actively use them because I never will.

 

I'm all about Land Raiders, Dreadnoughts, Super-Heavies, Flyers and Pods in terms of AV. Anything else, unless it's Rhinos, I won't ever buy for any of my armies.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Slipstreams

[Lord Blackwood]

what about yer mortar batteries ?  

[Slips]

Eh. I could but I'm down for Artillery either. I'd have to shift a bunch of stuff for a Siege Breaker and Phosphex+Shatter Rapiers.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Slipstreams

[Lord Blackwood]

alright then , if you win this game , I build another 10 Templar Brethren 

[Lachdannan]

I do like my tanks. Very nice list. Are your phobos LR's stock ones or the FW ones? Just curious.

 

Figure Sigismund is with the terminators in the Spartan? Looks like a very smashy list. Lots of twin-linked lascannons are not bad anti armour.

 

I'll echo Bladewolf, you net a win, I'll buy another unit of 10 and make them up. No pressure.

[MakoBoy88]

I'm about to use the fists in a conquest campaign. Making my own Praetor and some Phalanx Warders as my regiment of renown.

[Charlo]

Paragon Blade and Solarite Gauntlet or bust!

[Slips]

Paragon Blade and Solarite Gauntlet or bust!

Solarite Gauntlets arent Specialist Weapons, no point if you wanted +1A.

 

And yes, my Land Raiders Phobos are the GW plastic ones.

[Charlo]

 

Paragon Blade and Solarite Gauntlet or bust!

Solarite Gauntlets arent Specialist Weapons, no point if you wanted +1A.

 

And yes, my Land Raiders Phobos are the GW plastic ones.

 

 

Yeah but you wouldn't get it with the inevitable storm shield anyway right?

[MakoBoy88]

Can Power Armour guys have a SS?

[Soldier of Dorn]

Can Power Armour guys have a SS?

 

No, sadly. One of the great tragedies of the Heresy.

[Lord Blackwood]

Templar Brethren with Stormshields would be the most glorious thing ever 

[MakoBoy88]

I meant just like a Praetor but yeah Templars might be worth it then!

 

Just figuring out how to equi my Praetor.

[Slips]

So, boys, save your money because I got to play against one of my lists perfect counters: Legio Cybernetica with allied Seneschal Atrapos and Knight Errant.

 

Deployment was Dawn of War and mission was AoD #5

 

The big things that made me lose 4-0:

 

The first grav shot from the Contemptor vs the Atrapos rolled a 1. Was too far to charge. Luckily, the Atrapos failed his next turn.

 

Both Dreads, buffed to I5, Charged him and dis 6 Hullpoints in damage. If only he didnt have 7 hullpoints.

 

Both Dreads then die to S:D but none of them were 6s. I rolled for :cusss and giggles to see I would have survived with a Contemptor Primes In combat Invuln....and would have. Welp. Thems the breaks.

 

The Atrapos, just before getting charged, had shot his singularity at the Spartan, failing to do any damage again but rolled a 6 for Vortex. Which is a Destroyer Weapon. Exploded the Spartan. :| (this is all on T2)

 

On T3, he charges the Termies and kills 1 with S:D melee and does nothing with Stomps. Blows up because I still had a Chain Fist, Power Fist and Thunderhammer but kills the Pfist in the explosion.

 

Errant, despite armored ceramite, immobilizes the phobos of the non-shield templars T1. Cool. Takes him 4 turns to kill the occupants and Land Raider though.

 

At this point, I will mention, do not fill yourselves with Hubris like I did and deign that 25 points per squad for melta bombs was too much and "I have a Sol Glove in a worst case scenario". Yup. He stomped the Sol Glove out.

 

A single templar held him up for another turn.

 

Templar w/ Shields got blinded by photon thrusters -_-" but still mananged to deal 5 wounds to 3 Thallax. Following turn sees 3 more Thallax, Castellax and Arch Magos Dominis join in. Only won out after 3 turns due to Stubborn becuase I was otherwise winning each combat until the last one. With 7 Templar (3 died to shooting) I dealt a Total of 10-12 wounds to Thallax and 2 on the Magos despite his 3++ thanks to the Challenging Sol Glove. Only took 6 in return (2 templar survived at the end of T4 due to the champ having 2 wounds). WS5 helped a LOT.

 

I decided to be ballsy and try a re-rollable 11" charge to get sigismund into that combat but didnt. Got charged by Castellax and over 2 turns, only took 2 wounds but dealt 3ish back. Sub par rolling on my end. But WS7 vs WS3 was hilarious. Too bad he coulnt challenge nuke them. If only the surviving Chainfist Termy didnt die to Darkfire Lances.

 

Vets killed 1 Castellax with only their Heavy Bolters Shooting out of the Rhinos over 2 Turns. Pretty meh but the rhinos were great in that it took 4 turns of shooting before they bith died.

 

During this time, the Vortex scattered around scaring us :cussless but only killing his Triaros and 1 Myrmidon Secutor after it has scattered ~20" from its point of origin in a zigzag.

 

Sniper Vets had a Chance to tie the game by killing the Arch Magos Dominus who had Regen'd a wound thanks to IWND. He survived with 1.

 

His list was:

 

Arch Magos Dominus w/ Abeyant, Machinator, Photon Gauntlet, Power Axe.

2x2 Castellax w/ Darkfire Lances

4x3 Thallax with Photon Thruster and Tank Hunters.

1x4 Secutors w/ 4 Grav and 4 Plasma in Triaros.

1x3 Destructors with Conversion Beamer, Volkite and Rad. Conversion beamer did nothing, everything else was outnof range.

Knight Atrapos

Knight Errant(?) the one with Melta.

 

I can say that, if Sigismund alone would have killed the Arch Magos in a Challenge, that would have given me a potential 5VP Swing: 1 for STWL, 1 for WL Trait and D3 for Legio Cybernetica Shenanigans.

 

In this case, I do wish I brought my Lance-Immune Achilles with Multi Meltas. Would have helped tremendously against his Knights as well as giving the finger to all his lance weapons.

 

Moral of the Story? Dont leave home without Meltabombs, always move 12" T1 with a Spartan and bring at least 2 Graviton Guns because rolling that 1 basically screwed Sigismund since the knight didnt die to the Contemptors.

 

Still, if this was pretty much anything but Mechanicum with 2 Knights? Very different game.

 

Also now gives me a reason to go ":cuss it" and get a Leviathan ASAP.

 

Edit: I will probably also exclusively use Dorn in some capacity against him from now on. Especially if he bring mechanicum. Instant Death, yo.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Slipstreams

[Lachdannan]

Got to say, this does mirror a similar experience to me. Except I was against a lot of Knights. Will never leave home again without all the melta bombs, so important.

[Slips]

For Cheap Knight Removal, Cortus' with Chainfists can do a decent job since you can boost them to I5 to potentially kill the knight before it swings. S6 Base, however, means that its hammer of wrath cannot hurt the Knight. While its minor, it might result in the loss of 1 extra Hull Point.

 

GIVE THEM 2 GRAVITON GUNS FOR GOODNESS SAKE. IF I HAD HAD A 2nd (on plasmatemptor, for example) I WOULD HAVE WON THAT COMBAT WITH THE ATRAPOS BEFORE HE GOT TO SWING. Or, risk it and give them Rage.

 

Also, WS4 vs WS5 is a minor on paper but pretty big difference on the Table Top. If you have the points, take a Contemptor Prime. The Knight would have been hitting my dreads on a 4 instead of 3 otherwise and, due to his rolls, would have negated 3 of the 4 hits he got.

 

Its also what Kept the Templars in the game for so long since they were only being hit on 4s but hitting on 3s (the Magos was WS4?). They literally took no damage on at least 2 rounds.

[Flint13]

 

 

Its also what Kept the Templars in the game for so long since they were only being hit on 4s but hitting on 3s (the Magos was WS4?). They literally took no damage on at least 2 rounds.

 

Yeah, Magos aren't actually super fighty, just super tanky. 

 

The Archmagos Reductor is actually the only one to get WS and S5 with the Archmagos upgrade.