Allies and 30K

[Beerhammer]

Good morning, 

 

I was thinking of adding a detachment of EC with my IHs, bringing in some CC troops and jet bikes to cover the areas in my army that I think the IHs can't fill. 

 

So my question is: Are allies worth taking in a 30K army or is the troop tax to much for what allies can bring?  

 

Thank you,

BEERHAMMER OUT!!

[Hesh Kadesh]

Depends what you want from them. Usually, it's a means of getting access to unique units. Currently, it's not clear (as in, the rule directly opposes what it intends within one sentence to the next) as to whether it works on Allied Detachments. I believe they do.

 

Iron Hands and Emperor's Children don't expressly go well together.

 

The Emperor's Children have two major benefits; +1 Initiative in a challenge allows them to outspeed all others, while Crusader makes your Sweeping Advances absolutely lethal.

 

Iron Hands... lose their strongest benefit in CC, they have no really powerful assault unit that a Legion equivalent doesn't do better, and putting an Emperor's Children character in a unit of Iron Hands means that they risk not being able to Sweeping Advance.

 

Going in return; Iron Hands strengths apply only to their models, but conversely, because of the unit joining mechanisms, and the wording of Stand and Fight, your Iron Hands character will actually risk your Sweeping Assault going poorly. Of course, putting him in a Terminator unit will not be a problem, but then, about the only benefit he really brings to said unit is his ability to take a Cyber Familiar for a potential 2+/3++. If running Iron Hands as allies, about the only real worthwhile non Master of the Legion (which as above, is RAW screwy and self contradictory) is the Cataphractii Primus Medicae who would be kind of tough to snipe out (Requires S9 to bypass his FNP 5+ and Instagib, his Sweeping Advance and Run move isn't an issue as he's bringing Slow and Purposeful to the unit, and he can bring a 2+/3++ to the unit). On top of that HH4; Conquest brings the option for the Grav Gauntlet Relic (an AP3 Flamer Template which causes around 3 Haywire hits on vehicles/buildings (ignore the rubbish about Haywire not normally affecting buildings, because Haywire can affect buildings RAW anyway) or force 3 Strength tests on models under the template or take a wound, and then makes the terrain difficult and dangerous.

 

I'm not sold on the Graviton Gauntlet for that purpose. As an assaulting unit, it makes you either risk Difficult/Dangerous terrain, and the strengths of IH characters comes down being tanky; which means usually 2+/4++ Cataphractii; which prevents the Grav Gauntlet from being fired. Dichotomy. Just a good job that IH are so strong, because their allying ability is terrible (and it's not something I think is intentional, as the metagame/internal mechanics are too complex for FW to understand).

 

In regards to Emperor's Children units bringing in;

 

CC Troops; Eidolon, Palatine Blades, Anvillus Drop Pod. If you run Master of the Legion to take Rites of War, Orbital Strike gets you a much cheap drop pod. You can then take something like a Breacher Squad with a Drop Pod and a couple of meltaguns due to the resurgence of melta in 30k can add to the lists mobility, as well as another Scoring unit. The problem is... That combination comes to about 700pts though.

 

In regards to Jetbikes.

 

Look at your Iron Hands. 

 

Look at your fast attack slots.

 

See if you have any left over.

 

If you do. Take jetbikes. They're T6 2+ Save Jinkers for 150pts. Unless giving them meltabombs, don't upgrade them, unless taking multiple, in which case, put a multimelta in each squad. It might not be expressly fluffy for Iron Hands; but at the same time; for effectiveness, there's nothing like it. Emperor's Children Jetbikes don't really add anything, and they already have Deep Strike, which is only really an issue if you've put them near something with an augury scanner (although that can be a bonus, if you want to trick your opponent into shooting these with their Interceptor weapons which prevents them shooting next turn). Emperor's Children Jetbikes cannot run, while they're unlikely to win any assaults unless you really kit them out (and even then, the only kitting available is a Jetbike IC and a Sergeant with some form of special CC weapon), which means that it's not really as though EC legion rules benefit them.

 

If going for fluff;

 

There's not much you can really do wrong with Legion allies. Remember that certain Rites of War; Pride of the Legion, Head of the Gorgon and Maru Skara most notably prevent allies.

[Beerhammer]

Wow, thank you for a very in depth answer.

[Slips]

Just so you know (and Hesh too) a Primus Medicae, Master of Signal and Librariansre support officers and therefore cannot be compulsory HQ choices as of the FAQ.

 

So in your IH PM example youd also have to take another HQ option to make it legal at which point its not worth it / cannot be done.

 

As for Jetbike gear, its entirely personal preference. Yes the multimelta is good if your not up against a wall of Armored Ceramite AV13+ tanks since youll (for the most part) be doubling out FnP and still have AP1, however, it is rather short ranged. I personally prefer the culverin for more shots (heavy 4) and almost double the range with deflagrate giving the potential for double wounds.