Best use for deathwing in multi wing 1000 points?

[Ravenwing Jack]

Hi guys. I'm in a tournament at my local GW, and I've got a game tomorrow, I had one today as well, and I'm looking for constructive criticism on my army.

I'm fairly new back to the hobby, I played a little bit as a kid but until september hadn't played or painted in over a decade. Now I've got at least 3000 points all told I think once everythings built.

Anyway, today I played against chaos, I lost, but having not won a game yet in the 5 or 6 I've played I'm used to that, and this is the best I've done so far.

My oppenent ran

predator w/AC and LC sponsons

Typhus as warlord I think?

2 squads of 5 plauge marines

a helldrake

1 squad of 5 raptors

Maulerfiend

I ran

Lvl2 Lib w/ Force Sword and BPistol 100

Tactical squad Prepirus 3x Boter sgt w/ Bolter 1x ML W/Flakk 95

tactical squad Antional 3x bolter sgt w/bolt pistol and CSword 1x ML WFlakk 95

tactical squad Rapheal 3x bolter sgt w/bolt pistol and Csword 1x ML W/Flakk 95

Predator LC LC Sponsons 140

Ravenwing Black Knights x3 126

Ravenwing Attack Squad Jackeal

Sgt Jackeal w/ Csword 181

2x Rwing Bikers w/Meltas

3x Rwing Bikers

Devestator Squad Lions Fury 168

Sgt Benniel w/ Bolter

2x Bolters

2x LC

2xPC

the game was The Relic

My plan was to use the divination primus on the devs steal the objective with one bike squad and kill tanks/ high priority targets with the other. use the pred against his mauelrfiend/pred and keep the tacs spread out and in cover to use as anti air.

When I put it like that it seems I did pretty well, and just need to polish up my strategy a bit.

Anyway heres the basics of how it went:

Pros

I killed the helldrake!!! (2 wounds from ML's the last FROM A BOLTER!)

I killed the maulerfiend with a krak misssile

I had the objective for a turn

Divination primus worked really well with the devs.

I killed the raptors

I killed half a squad of plauge marines

I KILLED THE HELLDRAKE WITH A BOLTER SHOT TO THE REAR ARMOUR!!!

Cons

I Lost my Lib on the 3rd turn due to carelessness (didnt merge him with the dev squad and left him in LOS of the predator)

The bikes were all dead by turn 2

Black Knights only killed 2 Raptors

Tankhunters didn't kill a tank

tankhunters died early

Warlord, Fast Attack died too soon

By the last 2 turns I had no chance of winning left, only had my 3 spread out tacs and one of them had lost 2 men..

the helldrake took out the devs, which I had expected to happen (they were in cover and out of range/LOS of almost everything else) but because I'd already lost all the bikes and the lib at this point, that nuked most of my strategy.

My main fault was I wasted my bikes, using the tankunters to attack plauge marines instead of keeping them back till the maulerfiend was in range. also I should have had the attack bike and land speeder built.

I should have let him take the objective, then killed whatever had it and took it, or had more black knights so they'd survive longer.

Tomorrow I'm playing Blood Angels, 1000 points.

to chose from, I've got

Librarian Turmiel (DV)

Another Librarian

Company Master Balthasaar (DV)

Interegator Chaplin in Power Armour

2 ful PA Command Squads (2 Banner, 2 Apoth, 1 Champion, 5 vetrans w/ bolters)

3 Tactical Squads (with 2 of each spec wepon, a PC and 2 HBs, 2 sgts with bolters, 1 sgt W/ BP/CS, 2 sgt with PP/CS)

1 rhino

2 razorbacks/rhinos

Dev Squad Lions Fury (4xPC)

Dev Squad Hawk Eye (4xLC)

1 predator w/ LC and LC sponsons

5 Termanators (2x SB/PF 1 PS/SB 1x CF/SB 1x AC/PF (DV)

5 unbuilt deathwing terminators/ knights

Rwing Attack Squad Arion (6 bikes 2PG 1x Land Speeder Typhoon w/HB)

Rwing Attack Squad Jackeal (NEW SGT UNBUILT UNSURE WHICH WEPON (6 bikes 2Melta 1 ATK Bike W/MM 1 LS W/2MM)

Black Knights x6

Nephelim

So, what changes should I make to todays list for tomorrow, how should I build the new terminators, and what wepon should I give my Rwing SGT for the Tankhunters squad? Power axe? Power fist? Combi Melta? or just a CS?

Sorry if this is a bit long and not written properly, it's late and I'm still building the attack bike and land speeder

And yes, the tankhunters squad sgt is "tabletop me", I played space marine on the ps3 online and was in the ravenwing, thats what got me back into the hobby.

The reason I'm building a "Me" sgt and played one today, is I built a combat squad leader version first to lead the other half of squad Arion,and practice building and painting bikers.

[Solrac]

Hey Mate, Welcome!

Pretty good result against Chaos even though it was a loss. Just remember that if you have your Libby in your Dev Squad the Libby confers Preferred Enemy: Chaos Space Marines Faction to it meaning you can re-roll 1's with hitting and wounding.

That being said the Relic is always a tricky mission to play as you pretty much have to rush to the middle to get it and start moving it.

Looking at your list I wouldn't have put your 3 Flakk missile Launchers in separate squads as you are essentially wasting 3 Squads of shooting at the one target. I know a Bolter got the final kill on the Helldrake but that was pretty lucky

In your shoes I would have run a full size Dev squad with for Missile Launchers all with Flakk if I knew I was facing a flier, and put the Libby with them. I would have given my Libby a Powerfield Generator instead of Mastery Level 2 giving at least all the missile Launchers a 4+ Invulnerable save as it would be the number 1 target for the Helldrake and a 4+ save is better than none. I would have deployed the Predator nearby (within 12") to give it Prescience instead as the Dev squad would be re-rolling 1s to hit with Preferred Enemy from the Libby. First turn these 2 guys can concentrate on killing the Predator and the Maulerfiend.

I would have put the Tac Sqauds in Rhinos so that the Tac Squads and all the bikes could rush to the Relic that way your units are supporting each other and once the Tac squads disembark you can use the Rhinos to block line of sight or block enemies from getting too close. I would have also made sure the Relic was picked up by a Tac squad keeping the Bikes mobile.

Looking at his list he had very little mobility. Vehicles can't pick up the Relic so the Maulerfiend would most likely just been used to support the Raptors as they go and try and get the Relic first. 5 Raptors are also pretty squishy so if you neutralised them and the Maulerfiend there would be nothing he could really do to stop you taking the Relic back to your table edge and holding out till the end of the game.

Now this always looks good on paper and obviously dice games can always go either way but if you have a solid tactic, great deployment and make sure you play to the objectives you can get some victories under your belt.

Have you any idea what the Blood Angels player is bringing or what mission you'll be playing? Your list is actually very versatile and would just make the following adjustments:

Libby 95

PFG

(6) Tactical Squad 134

Plasma Gun

Rhino

(6) Tactical Squad 134

Plasma Gun

Rhino

(5) Black Knights 210

Land Speeder Typhoon 75

(8) Devastator Squad 212

4x Missile Launchers w/ Flakk

Predator 145

TL Lascannon

Lascannon Sponsons

With this list I assumed the BA player would have at least a Stormraven, a couple of Melta squads in Pods and a unit of Death Company with jump packs (they are all the Rage now). A Dante themed list is also possible but at only 1000pts hes not gonna be left with a lot of units if he takes him.

If he does have any meltas in pods then he'll want to kill you Predator or Speeder first up. In this case keep the Speeder in reserve and either keep the Predator in reserve also or deploy him within 3" of your Libby to give it a 4+ Invulnerable save and try and hide it's rear armour. If both the Predator and Speeder are in reserve make sure you split your Rhinos.

Most importantly play to the objective. You've got a good mix of units to stay mobile and you are also packing some good fire power. Hope all this helps, good luck!

[Ravenwing Jack]

Brillaint, thanks mate. I did think about putting the ML's in the same squad as each other, but decided to spread them out in order to make it difficult for him to target my anti air. it worked in that way, but 2 of the squads were so far back they were useless for anything except anti air and the other one lost 2 men and had to run into the building where the devs were.

I think you're right about using Pguns and rhinos, I just need to take out any aircraft he has on the first or second turn. (why is the nephelim so useless?) No idea what kind of force he's bringing except it's blood angels, but I know my oppeonent from yesterday is playing him, so hopefully they'll be playing first and I can get a look at what I'm facing

What wepon would you give a tank hunting ravenwing sgt? I'm stuck between powerfist, poweraxe, or combi melta? don't know if I'll run that squad in this game (likely run black knights instead) but I want to hav them finished lol.

[Chaplain Lucifer]

Tank hunting RW sgt would take a combi melta, also meltabombs if you have points to spare. But going CC with tanks is last resort because you can be shot after you finish them, so it's better to shoot them so you can jink and/or take cover.

[Ravenwing Jack]

Thanks Chaplain, was thinking to give him a combi melta and melta bombs, seems like everything else is overpriced for whats basicly a last resort..... Tempted to just give him a chain sword cos I've only got enough bits for one Combi wepon and I wanted to build a few sgts with combi plasmas, although I guess I could just get a box of sterngaurd vets.....

[Ravenwing Jack]

I WON!! First time I've won since I started playing again! OK here's the lists

Blood Angels

Astoraph

(5) Tac squad Bolters

(5) scout squad bolt pistols and CCW

(5) death company marines sgt w/BP/PS 4 w/BP/CC

(5) Sanguinary guard

StormRaven

Predator w/Auto cannon

Dark Angels

Librarian lvl1 w/ PFG

3x 5man tac squads with ML, 2 had sgts w/ CS&BP and were in rhinos, the third sgt had a bolter and they were on top of a building near my right hand table edge

(5) dev squad Lions Eye (2PC 2LC)

(5) Black knights (they did awesomely well)

predator w/ TLLC LCSS

the battle

the board was 48"/48" with ruined imperial city terrain. the game was annihilation

I won the roll off to go first, deployed my lib with the devs in a building near my side of the center, one tactical squad on a lower building to the far right, with the other two in rhinos, one near the front of my deployment zone on the left, the other in the centre, with the predator next to it on the right (between it and the building with the other tac squad on the roof) and the black knights at the very edge of my deployment zone.

the rhino on the left advanced 6" putting it in range of the BA scouts, although they passed their saves. the black knights advanced into cover of the middle tower, waiting for the SG or DC to gt closer. the Lib cast Divination primus on the Devs, who needed it having moved into better positions and were on snap shots. the took 1HP off his predator. nothing else was in range or LOS so it was his turn.

He advanced basically everyone, the DC into cover of a building, the SG into rang of the BK. His pred took out the rearmost BK, and although they felled 2 SG with over-watch as they charged, another 2 died in combat, taking another SG with them, leaving SG and 2BK locked in combat. this went on for 2 turns, then the BK killed the SG.

(thinking back, I scouted my BK before the start of the game, so I could have moved them in range of his scouts and shot them to death on the first turn. I actually cant remember if this was deliberate to draw out his higher value jump pack squads or just a llucky oversight on my part lol. either way, I'm definitely using this as a strategy again. )

I can't remember the exact order of everything, but the main highlights are:

the devs took out the BA pred.

the BK and rhinoless tactical squad between them killed 4 of the DC and wounded astoraph.

Astorpah& 1DC Killed both remaining BK, finished off my pred, (storm raven took 2HP off it turn b4) and killed a 5 man tac squad

The BA scouts died to predator and tactical fire

I blocked his predator in with a rhino and shot it to death with the PC and LC fire

My devs used Div Prime until perils of the warp killed my lib. they took out his predator and tac squad thanks to it, and finished the storm raven without it.

my left hand tac squad only disembarked on turn 4 to finish off the scouts

a ML from the rhinoless tac squad and the middle tac squad damaged the storm raven, before the LC devs finished it on turn 5.

the tac squad that disembarked to kill the scouts was killed by astoraph and the 1 remaining DC on turn 5 in CC

after a lot of saves and failed wounds from bolters, a PC dev scored a direct hit, killing astoraph and the last DC on the final turn.

so, pretty good I think. It's the first time I've won since I started playing again in September (I think it's my 5th or 6th game, not sure) and most if not all of my strategies worked out ok. Also the advice from here R.E rhinos and PFG instead of the extra psyker lvl worked. (I would have used PGs in the tacs as well, but the storm raven was scary. )

Things I'll Keep In Mind For Future Games:

. Spread out anti air so it can't be easily taken out in 1 turn and destroy enemy flyers ASAP

. Stick lib with devs to save on command squad and make full use of prescence.

. Use Black Knights to take out high priority targets/ distract from the devs

. Keep the tacs in rhinos till needed (Read: A soft target presents itself) if possible.

. Use the LC pred to soak up fire from flyers

. Use 2PC and 2LC rather than all of one or the other, keep the devs versatile.

. an extra 60 pts per tac squad for a mobile and fairly resilient anti air unit is worth it if you're not using them for anything else.

ok that's it, my first battle report, the first game I've played where I've been semi confident with the rules, and the first game I've won!

in the tournament I'm playing I've got 1 more 1000 point game to play, then 3 1500 points next month. Help with writing a 1500 point list would be appreciated I'm thinking to add a 5 man deathwing squad in a land raider, and seeing as I have both unbuilt, advice about how to build and paint would also be really useful.

I'm thinking to go with knights, and bling up the land raider for them, but I'm also considering bulking out the DV terms with a couple TH/SS and CML to replace the AC, and maybe the options to give everyone else chainfists if theres points left. Although I also like the idea of a terminator lib and a lib on a bike, with command squads for both, to cast Div Prime wherever needed.

tbh, I've got around 1500 points each of greenwing and ravenwing (closer to 2000 greenwing I think), and my plan since shortly after I started was to have about the same of deathwing. I'm halfway there if I build what I've got, but I can wait to build them till I finish my land speeders and attack bikes. the question is, would Deathwing Knights or different options for my existing DW squad, or a 2nd DW squad, or a DW command squad be more useful?

thanks for reading