Sep tourney.... Fun list it is! Batreps up

[Shaezus]

Love that list. Haven't played maelstrom yet myself, do you find dread-mania works well for those scenarios?

 

With an army of pain in pods, I know what you mean about having to force yourself to play slow. I preferred to use the DC dreads for this, let the fraggies cause mayhem on turn 1.

[knife&fork]

Love that list. Haven't played maelstrom yet myself, do you find dread-mania works well for those scenarios?

 

With an army of pain in pods, I know what you mean about having to force yourself to play slow. I preferred to use the DC dreads for this, let the fraggies cause mayhem on turn 1.

 

It works about as well as any type of drop list I suppose. You have excellent initial mobility and lots of vehicles that can block and score. Not so good range and poor mobility after the drop. Very few infantry models makes you invulnerable to a lot of shooting/attacks but vulnerable to others. It's a lot more difficult to oneshot an infantry unit.

In general I think it's easier to control a few special weapons (meltas, where are they and how do I deal with them?) rather than having almost everything in the opponents list as a potential threat.

 

Yeah the DC dreads would almost never be part of the first wave. Even so I it's easy to forget that they are there for punching things. Melta, heavy flamer and grapple should only be considered for really good targets of opportunity when they drop.

Better to hold them back an extra turn than trade the entire dread for a few infantry models or a hullpoint on a vehicle because you got greedy trying to use the guns on it.

[knife&fork]

I've thought about some changes to the list, in part because I suspect I'll have problem with flyers and partly to cut down on my painting log :D

Also I want my blender dreads to actually blend gosh darn it!

So what I had in mind was to cut one heavy support dread (the one currently using MM and hf) to make room for a storm raven instead. Compromising the theme , I know But at least it's still 7 dreads, a land raider and a SR.

To do that I also have to move the fist from a DC marine to the reclusiarch (not a big deal) and change the TLLC arms to TLACs.

Worth it?

[Remtek]

Done 4 games in 7th trying both blender and blood fist dread a Raven, has been worth it everytime. I feel like the bloodfist dread is more versatile, the 6 str10 ap2 attacks are so good vs riptides broadsides or all the multiple wound t5 unit's. Quite devestating vs thunderwolves, obliterators, broadsides, paladins etc. all insta killed. Vs many blob's you'l get a decent chanse to sweep as well. 

 

Not 100% on the rules, but i think if you do get shot down its a str 10 ap2 hit to a random facing (badly worded in rulebook) The str 4 explode hit is rear, but dosnt mention facing on the str 10 hit. Tournaments are FAQ'ing with roll a d3 to decide facing. 

[knife&fork]

Yeah, the raven is the best way to reach combat for sure. 

I'll be keeping both pods for the DC dreads anyway, so deployment is flexible and I still get 3 pods on the first turn. 

 

No las-cannons will make the alpha strike a bit weaker but I think the raven will make up for it in later turns. With null deploy it's pretty much the same anyway and I can't get the lascannons back without going down to 4 pods or neutering the DC. 

 

 

Have to check the wording on flying transports. Wasn't aware that part had changed. 

[Jolemai]

I think it's worth it, yes.

[BassMattJaxx]

Love the idea of Dreadmania! Seems to be working for you!

In regards to the Stormraven carrying a Dread:

If the raven crashes/explodes while flying you take a strength 10 hit on the read armour (no ap value)

If the raven crashes/explodes while hovering you take a strength 4 hit on the read armour (no ap value)

I had this come up yesterday during my tournament, and it's mentioned in the BA FAQ.

Hope that helps!

[Jønke]

Love the dreadmania theme!

 

Have you considered trying to put in a libby dread? Shame we cant take them as hq's!

[knife&fork]

Love the dreadmania theme!

Have you considered trying to put in a libby dread? Shame we cant take them as hq's!

I'd consider the lib dread in a list with mepiston or allies for warp charge, but I don't think he's quite worth it otherwise. He'll chew through monstrous creatures like nothing with that S7 AP2 force weapon at initiative, but how often do you face enough MCs to justify his cost?

Hm..... anyway

Had a game vs nids today with the list above. 7 dreads, 1 raven. Forgot phone so no pics :(

It was a funny monster mash list that I actually out numbered both in terms of models and units! How often does that happen against 'nids?

Something like this:

Flyrant with TL devourers

Old one eye

2*3 carnifex broods

tyrant guard with haywire weapons

tyrannofex

+ some warriors and zoantropes for synapse

I won the game on turn 6 with 15-5 in VPs but it was no joke! If it had ended on turn 5 I would have lost....

I managed to snag some objectives and finish off many units on the last turn because he made a gamble and overextended.

Obviously not a 'good' list but quite unusual. The 'living battering ram' rule was absolute murder on the dreads and pods. One of the carnifex broods killed two pods and one furioso in a single multi assault, with just the HoW hits!

He also had some serious luck with his flyrant. In one shooting phase I blasted him with all 4 bloodstrike missiles and a TL multimelta at full BS as well as 8 TL assault cannon and 8 TL autocannon snapshots. End result? 1 unsaved wound That together with an assault phase where he saved 15/17 wounds with a carnifex brood made the game very exciting until the final turn.

I put the claw dread in the raven and played the fist dread carefully, these were the star players of this match as they helped killing off the numerous MCs.

[Remtek]

I guess this is one of the few BA lists that won't get a price drop when the new codex hit's.

[knife&fork]

Part of the reason I'm using it is because I expect pretty much all the units except reclusiarch and heavy support dreads to be nerfed and/or increase in cost. :D

[Remtek]

Which units? Dosnt seem likely Furioso will change, drop pods, land raiders. DC Dread might get changed (prolly loose obsec and troop), but i doubt as a nerf. Murderface is 135, but gets alot more stuff for the points.. heavy support dreads will prolly remain unchanged yeah.

 

Edit:

Oh you mean you wont be able to take 8-9 dreads when the new codex hits? :)

[sockwithaticket]

We're probably looking at the frag cannon being battered with the nerfbat and a revision of blood talon mechanics, too.

K&F, I love that your Ancients are on the warpath and wrecking face.

[Remtek]

I have my doubts they will nerf the frag cannon much and any change to blood talons is most likely a buff. Curious how DC dreads are gonna fit into FoC. Something similar to the SW Lone Wolf would be cool. Dosnt take up FoC slots and can never score(and keep the 1 per 5DC rule) or something like that. Space wolves got the 4++ shield on front armor facing for a dread, dont remember which and murder claws > blood talons. I wouldt be too worried. 

[knife&fork]

Yup, I suspect fragcannon will become 1 shot or get some other kind of nerf. Land raiders will lose deep strike and DC will probably be reduced to a single attack. Maybe remove the double re-rolls as well. 

 

DC talon dreads will most likely not get any extra attacks, or at least not an infinite number of extra attacks. At that point the claws will be vastly inferor to the fists, even if they gain AP2. Murderfang only outperforms the different DC dreads in some specific match ups. He doesn't chew through 3+ models as well as the talon dread and he doesn't deal with tougher things or vehicles as well as the fist dread.

I like having the option to deal more effectively with certain units thanks to specialization. 

 

I'm not too worried about the number of dreads, but obsec and not having to run unbound is a definitive plus. 

[Remtek]

Furioso with talons is about the same as Murderfang vs 3+(i think Murderfang has 8 attacks on avg. when assaulting, not sure on this but 6 attacks + rampage?), DC dread is killing roughly 2 more when charging (6-7 on the charge?), .It's a struggle to play melee dread's though without a Raven, will be interesting to see how SW do with Murderfang in pod. To bad the SW flyer didnt get a grapple.

 

Well 8 str 7 ap2 (just going off memory, might be wrong) attacks will destroy most veichles hitting rear, and any 2+ model, but in a full on dread list i can see the merits of specialization

 

Looks like a really fun list. I dont have the energy to paint more drop pods now, those doors being all identical are just too demoralizing.

 

The nerf predictions are so grim.. :) If they reduce DC to 1A i'm assuming a fairly big price drop. Looking forward to some rumor's! Looks like we have to wait a little longer.

[knife&fork]

 

Well 8 str 7 ap2 (just going off memory, might be wrong) attacks will destroy most veichles hitting rear, and any 2+ model, but in a full on dread list i can see the merits of specialization

 

Looks like a really fun list. I dont have the energy to paint more drop pods now, those doors being all identical are just too demoralizing.

 

 

Yeah, vs everything with a 3+ save up to and including T5 like bikes muderfang will average 6 wounds.

Talon DC will average 8 with a slightly larger spread but the ability to kill off entire squads. Give him rerolls to hit and he'll average something silly like 20 wounds with a good chance to reach 30-40. An entire guard blob in a single assault phase. 

 

Unless it's a vehicle squadron murderfang will never get rampage against a vehicle so he's down to performing like a blender dread with a single reroll to hit and AP2. Not awful VS rear AV 10 but not with a huge margin of error either. I've had blender dreads bounce off AV like that or leave em with a single hullpoint plenty of times.

Fists on the other hand have the same amount of attacks but will autopen AV10 which is a huge boost. When you hit AV greater than 10, like most walkers or things like pods, that S7 really becomes a liability.

 

Yeah it's how almost every piece except the bottom and turbine comes in duplicates of 5 that gets to ya. I batch made 5 of mine in one sitting which allowed me to just turn off the brain and get em done even though there now was 25 of everything. 

[knife&fork]

Had another two games with the list, just some minor tweaks on wargear on the DC and DC dreads. 

 

Nidzilla again and some of the new space wolves, including both flyer variants, TWC and some terminators. 

I wiped both of them on turn 5.

 

Fairly confident in the list and how to play it, but I know I have some poor matchups. :)

[knife&fork]

'Cron game today!

 

http://i.imgur.com/AOcJrsM.jpg

 

Necrons are a tricky with their Gauss weaponry. Normally I can more or less ignore all basic weapons in a list, not so with Necrons.  Overall it was a very mixed list, not competitive Tesla destructor spam. That's one list I'm pretty much toast if I face with this setup.   

Tight game until turn 4 when things started go my way, that's when the deathcompany hit his lines. :D DC dreads killed 3 units and DC + Reclusiarch killed 6!

Land raider unperformed spectacularly by scattering right in the middle of two objectives and immobilizing itself the turn after.  

Rifleman dreads did a good job taking down wraiths, gunning down warriors and forcing saves on his lords. Rifle dreads aren't that good at taking out AV anymore, but shooting mid T units with good invuls or cover is a great role for them.

Wiped him in turn 7.

 

 

This was the last practice game before the tourney, I've settled on the list below;

 

 

Reclusiarch, bolt pistol & crozius 

 

3 * Frag cannon dread with melta and grapple. Pod with locator beacon and deathwind launchers

 

10 death company. 3 with bolters, 1 bolter + pf, 1 axe + bp, 5 bp + cs.

dedicated LR redeemer

 

DC dreadnought with talons, melta and flamer. Pod with storm bolter.

DC dreadnought with fists, melta, storm bolter and grapple. Pod with storm bolter.

 

2 * Dreadnought with double TL autocannons

 

Storm Raven gunship, TL MM, TL AC

[knife&fork]

There's still 1 day left for changes....

 

What do you guys think of the following:

 

I drop one deathwind launcher from the alpha pods. Chances are there's times I'll never get to use it, or a risky drop (terrain test) where I stand a chance of losing the pods weapon anyways. Considering that the pods will be identical except for this I don't think I'm sacrificing flexibility. 

 

Those 20 pts could do some of the following:

Replace the DC dreads SB with HF.

Upgrade the DC axe to a second fist.

Magna grapple on all dreads plus melta bomb for the reclusiarch. 

[Shaezus]

You know what your meta is so I suppose you've good reason for those deathwinds, they are expensive but two of them gives you a nice boost vs hordes. I would go for the extra PF on death coy and HF - personally a TH and meltabombs on reclusiarch would make those points count in two rounds cc Vs MCs. Think that would balance things out more than a fifth magna.

[knife&fork]

I hope to break any MC on the charge ;) 8 PF attacks is already quite a lot and I have concussive from the chaplain. 

 

Think I'll go with that second PF. It's the easiest one to model as well, just need a single arm swap on a bolter marine.

 

Now for the last 10 pts... either a heavy flamer (but so far I haven't really missed them) or I buy a pintle MM for the redeemer (which I have missed on occasion). That would also make the raider WYSIWYG, always a plus on a tourney.

 

Feels a bit odd to pour even more pts into the DC and LR, but I guess it's warranted? It's not like you get any useful units or upgrades elsewhere for just 20 pts.

[Jolemai]

So... how'd it go?

[knife&fork]

So... how'd it go?

Terrible! :p

ok, batrep and evaluation time!

Game one

When I saw the draw for my first game I was happy, Daemons! Generally a great match for me since I can force a ton of saves, mostly immune to effects or powers causing wounds and their troops are weak and can't handle AV13 well.

Arrive at the designated table to find a mono Nurgle list staring at me .

For those unaware of why that's bad news it's because everything in it have the 'touch of rust' special rule. Auto glance on a 6, similar to necron gauss.

So I'm facing 3*20 plague bearers, 2 great unclean ones, 2 soul grinders and a flying daemon prince. Rough! (actually it might have been 4 PB units, uncertain)

Luckily for me this mission uses 5 evenly spaced objective and mid game as well as end game scoring. If I can keep him occupied I should be able to win on objectives quite easily.

http://i.imgur.com/Fmf3EdS.jpg?1

He castles and I drop all three frag dreads trying to divide him and bring down the numbers on those PB units. Normally you would try to finish off a unit completely, but I felt it was more important to reduce the number of attacks to a point where he'll have a hard time getting glances on my dreads.

This plan pays off as he kills off all the furioso and pods, but it takes him half the game to do so while I inflict many casualties.

Unfortuntely the game dragged on (first time daemon player and all that) and we only played 4 full turns before time ran out. At that point he was still sightly ahead in VPs but almost nothing is left on the table. If we had finished the game I would most likely have wiped him.

Oh well, those things happen. Score is rounded down to the 20-0 system the tourney uses for a 10-10 tie.

[knife&fork]

Game two

Next opponent is draigo wing type list with GKTs, two LRs, a storm raven and 2 nemesis dreadknights. I've faced (and tabled) lists like this before and I know it comes down to taking out the NDKs asap.

Mission was some kind of kill point affair, don't remember exactly.

http://i.imgur.com/cF5g9n9.jpg?1

Let's just say that the dice din't agree with me in this one.

Not only did the NDKs absorb an insane amount of shooting without dying, my opponent also didn't fail a single psychic power the entire game!

Meaning that the NDKs usually had an improved invul + double 'hammer hand' up constantly on all units. So S9-10 on every model....

I gave up on turn 4 or 5 with only a single rifleman dread remaining and no chance of scoring even a single point. 0-20 loss.