Apoc Hunt for Corbulo

[Corbulo]

Hey guys,

 

For 2014 I've been playing Tyranids in what I called (Year of the nids). I wanted to get some units painted up and a change from playing my BA. Last year my buddies and I played an apoc game which consisted of each player bringing a 2000 pt. force and another 1000 pt. force. The two forces were placed on separate tables and in my 1K force I had Corbulo. He was smashed by mega-armoured nobs and the Ork players were braging about it a long time. So during the Christmas break we played another apoc game to kick off 2014 with a bang and called it "The Hunt for Corbulo". My buddy did up a scenario and some fluff for the mission. Have a look here: http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/301265-mega-pics-hunt-for-corbulo-ultra-ba-dawolves-vs-orks/ It was my first game with the new codex and I just thought that I would share my initial thoughts of it here.

 

Each player was to bring 2,500 points. There were 3 imperial players and two Ork players. One of the Ork players has like 12,000 points of Orks so he also filled in as Ork player #3. The imps were represented by a primary Ultra force who allied with Dark Angels, a Space Wolf force allied with 3 Knights and my force of all BA. First off the Angels Fury Spearhead Force is gold! If you can fit it in your list (probably around the 1,850 - 2K region) it is darn good. The Orks had first turn and I rolled for it on the second turn (you can use it 1st turn but I wanted the Orks to get closer to me 1st to guarantee the surprise). I brought down 5 Hammer & Shield termies with a Capt. and 8 DC with Astorath. The DC hit a 10 man squad of Ork bikes and the Termies hit two Waggons. I was hoping for a Stompa but there wasn't one close enough. Both squads did some major damage. I had both Mephiston and a Lv2 Libby. Giving the librarian the Gallian's staff wasn't a huge factor in the game but I think it is worth taking. I gave Meph the Sanguinary powers and the libby Biomancy. On turn 3 the libby assaulted out of one of the stormravens and I casted warp speed. He periled and I rolled a 6. He passed his Ld test and I was calling him mini-mephiston for the turn. :) Mephiston got Fear of the Darkness as one of his powers and it is still good. I used it to make 6 deff chopptas run away and they didn't rally until two turns later. I couldn't use Corbulo because of the mission but I had a priest attached to one of the tactical squads. I only remembered on turn 3 that I gave him The Crown Angelic and I gotta tell you this thing is golden! Orks hitting on 5 really really hurts them. Army wide Furious Charge is very nice, I do miss Assault Squads as troops though. What do you guys think of the new dex? Over all I do like it.

 

Corb

 

[Cronhour]

Played a maestrom last night which I lost because of terrible cards/missions despite almost tableing my opponent in 5 turns. Loved the new dex and coebs was in it.

5 pods, 1 9 man tac with corbs and a heavy flamer, 1 5 man assault double melta double infernus, 1 5 man assault double melta with a single infernus dropped on turn 1

 

Turn 2 saw the next two pods which held a 9 man assault squad with double flamer and priest with valors edge and a grav pistol. Starting on the table I had 3x 10 man dc units with 2 pf, 1 psword and packs jumping up the field, 10 sniper scouts and missile devs (granting the fifth empty pod.

 

The list was supposed to have combi meltas instead of infernus and only 5,scouts allowing an aegis with quad gun for AA duty and the scouts and devs to hide behind.

I went first and he castled up he was leaving a dread off the board to protect it from melta pods and his super unit in a pod(chapter master and captain and honour guard all in cost about 700 points.) I dropped in front of his middle formation with 2 melta pods and corbs tactical pod, popping one rhino of a command squad and shaking one rhino of tac marines I then managed to flame the un transported tacs between the rhinos and the command squad whittleing them down while the dc sweeped the flanks and due to terran sparcity the combat squadded scouts and devs were ineffective. The real turning point was turn 2, he counter assaulted or shot my podded forces but corbs Ws and int bubble works a treat even the 5man melta squads survived being able to whittle th counter assaulting marine units down. The real turner was getting a little lucky with rolls on the one dc unit charging his star that came down in the pod. 295 points of dc whittled down his over 700 point unit thanks to making him roll a lot of dice on his chapter master tank and failing los and 2up armour rolls. In the end his captain survived bit it was a good trade off for a single dc unit.

In the end though it finished 6-8 to him we had the desending mission objectives maelstrom and I had kill a flyer or mc cast a psychic power, have my warlord die in assault,and another I couldn't score turn come turn 3and couldn't discard them fast enough to be able to get one I could.actually score, if I'd brought my aegis I could of killed his storm talon for the objective and better placex my devs probably tabling him but by the end he had a talon a pod and 4 marines left to my 40 or so. My list isn't perfect but I think corbs can be golden in the right list, especially against marines. And having 40 or 50 fnp marines on the table is frustrating for an opponent. His list was far from optimal, neither was mine but I think we can make some really fun, strong and unique lists.

[Corbulo]

Against other marines Corbulo is golden. Giving him and his squad a +1 initiative is huge. That with furious charge, it's like 3rd edition all over again! The +1 WS is also a very nice touch, now if only his FNP was a 4+ . Tacticals are good, but not the best, I find it is best to put a priest or a librarian with them. Anything to give the squad a boost. There are a lot of BA characters which do this. A regular priest with a Crown is great, I play against a lot of different opponents in my gaming group and a -2 to Ld fear test is great. I've also thought about using Captain Karlean with Corbulo. A 5+ to seize the initiative (and using Corbulo, a re-roll) is nice and he gives his unit counter attack which is a nice bonus. I've made a 1850 list for tomorrow which includes 3 pods and no vehicles (besides the pods) and it also has Corb and Mephiston. I'm really looking forward to playing it. I also have some scouts in it so if Corbulo lives past turn two then I hope to link him up with them and make them WS4 (which is very nice vs Orks).