2k Sons of Horus

[Ion]

Now, this is an older list I had drawn up a while back, so I have no idea whether its even slightly feasible anymore but it serves as a good base to get myself oriented in the right direction now. 

 

All help would be greatly appreciated, and as of this point the only things that are a definite stays are the Cataphractii and the Cata Praetor since I already own them and wish to use them (I don't have the Spartan as of yet)

 

HQ

Praetor - Cataphractii Armour, Digital Lasers, Paragon Blade - 170pts

 

Elites

Terminator Squad (10) - Cataphractii Armour, 2x Combi-plasma, Power Fist, Plasma Blaster, Reaper Autocannon - 374pts

-- Spartan Assault Tank - Armoured Ceramite, Flare Shield - 340pts

 

Contemptor Mortis - Two Twin Linked Lascannons - 185pts

 

Legion Apothecary - Augury Scanner - 50pts

 

Troops

Assault Squad (20) - Sgt w/ Lightning Claws, 4x Power Weapon - 460pts

 

Tactical Squad (15) - Sgt w/ Artificer Armour & P/Fist, Vexilla - 235pts

 

Heavy Support

Heavy Support Squad (5) - Volkite Culverin - 185pts

 

 

It all looks rather sparse when put out like that, and I'm not sure how it would meet the meta and I'd like a decent list in the unlikely event I manage to get a game with it.

[Hesh Kadesh]

It honestly depends what you want from it.

 

The Praetor is ace. Despite few upgrade sparklies, he's still sending 6 WS6 S5 AP2 I5 attacks downrange on the charge. Sadly you can't take a Power Fist or other Cheap Specialist Weapon as a Second Melee Weapon, but if you go for the Reaving, you get 7 attacks when combined chargeing. Book IV if you want to kit out a bit more, brings you Cataphractii Primus giving you EW if you need. Assuming of course that you get the rest of the Cataphractii weapons and upgrade options, because FW suck at writing rules.

 

Terminators plus Spartan. I've tried Deathstars like this. And I'm not a fan, personally. In a list whose main weakness is point taxes, and where mobility wins, I'd personally find that 2 units of 5 do better.

 

I think you're mixing weapons a little too much in the Terms. The reaper while good on paper, is up against the Plasma on a unit which is likely to be jumping out of a Transport. Sure it doesn't have the range, but you shouldn't really need it when popping in and out.

 

Now, the Spartan. Kitted out it is massively expensive and doubly so with 900pts of your army wrapped up in running forwards and grabbing hold of 2-3 units in CC and beating them.

 

4 TL Lascannons is an okay damage output, but it is unlikelt

[Ion]

I remember that walking Cataphractii was a bad idea, hence the Spartan. I could probably just use the reaper as a 'counts as' plasma blaster but I only had one blaster in the cataphractii weapon set so I couldn't model two of them. 

 

I mean, if I dropped the spartan that's a lot more points that could go elsewhere, but then I'd be dealing with footslogging cataphractii

[Hesh Kadesh]

sorry i'll finish off the rest of the reply later, I managed to press post too early, but work is just a bit hextic atm. Sorry!

[PastelAvenger]

I would however throw a couple of chainfists into the squad though as well as a couple more powerfists so they have a bit more punch (pun intended) in assault.

 

Assault Squads are hideously expensive and I think at this level a 20man one is overkill, I would also look at investing in AA for your Sargeants and Apothecary and equip the Sargeants with powerfists, this way you're able to threaten everything on the board. I like to have my Apotehcaries full of addons and even pay the points for a power sword now and then.

[Ion]

What would you recommend for the assault squad then? I'd like the faster speed and assaulty goodness, but I don't want to run the Reaving and putting mal in there messed everything up too much so there's not a way to use Reavers as a troops option without seriously reworking the whole list.

[PastelAvenger]

I would just drop them to 15 for the time being to be honest and give the Sergeant AA and a Power Fist.

[Ion]

I would appreciate any more advice about this, including the direction I should take to move it up to a 3000pts list in the future.

[sedobren]

I strongly suggest to use reavers instead of an assault squad: the have 2 base attacks, they outflank, have precision shots/strikes and they can take as many power weapons/fists as you can afford (not just for the sergeat) while still being cheaper than a full assault squad: as an example 15 reavers with 4 power weapons, 2 powerfists and jump packs are 410 points and while they have 5 less models the actually deploy more attacks (and some could say that they are more manageable on the battlefield).

 

Since you do not play any vehicle, spartan aside, and most of you things are infantry could you consider a drop pod army? It really fit in the soh background (also taking advantage of their special fule for the reserves) and you will be able to deliver the cataphractii where you need them. I am thinking of this: use the orbital assault rite of war, drop the assault squad get the reavers (they can deepstrike being jump units) play 2 10 man tacticals in drop pods for objective sitting (remember in horus heresy you can keep the units in the drop pod as long as you wish) and use the cataphractii with deepstrike (or a dreadclaw if you can find the points) and give a drop pod to the dreadnought. Surely its not a tournamenti list, but i think it will be fun and very realistic to play as a SoH player. Perhaps drop pods are quite cheaper to buy than a sspartan, that is great imho, but it needs more support like in a mechanized list. Also consider buying abaddon at some points, it is a good praetor model and if you play him with the rules, he can make his unit deepstrike without the rite of war.

[PastelAvenger]

I strongly suggest to use reavers instead of an assault squad: the have 2 base attacks, they outflank, have precision shots/strikes and they can take as many power weapons/fists as you can afford (not just for the sergeat) while still being cheaper than a full assault squad: as an example 15 reavers with 4 power weapons, 2 powerfists and jump packs are 410 points and while they have 5 less models the actually deploy more attacks (and some could say that they are more manageable on the battlefield).

But then he is still short on a compulsory troop option, I'm assuming Ion isn't taking The SoH RoW so he can't take Reavers without making some serious modifications to the list.

[sedobren]

Read below!

[PastelAvenger]

Read below!

No wonder I missed it, my fault for skim reading.

 

 

I think 2 x 10 man Tacticals at 2k is a bit weak even if they are in pods. The other amendments you've mentioned do sound pretty good though.

[Ion]

My understanding is that more bodies makes the squad more cost efficient, but in Sedobren's suggestion it'd have to be that many to run orbital assault...

 

It's definitely an option, and dropping the Spartan gives some wiggle room points-wise. It does mean I'd need to rethink the higher point lists to avoid any tanks *ponder*

[Slips]

You could run Angels Wrath and shove everything that doesnt have a Jump Pack or isn't a Jetbike/Skimmer into a Storm Eagle or other transport capable flyer like the Caestus Assault Ram or Kharybdis Assault Claw.

 

Would be hard to finagle so many flyers into a list like this; though you can do 2 Storm Eagles for troops and 3 Fire Raptors in Heavy Support and still have some room for other stuff.

 

Only problem is this will cost mucho $$$$

[sedobren]

Yes 10 man tactical squad are weak, but their task is to sit on objectives and give room to deploy the other drop pods as per drop pod srtike rule. Maybe you could play a tactical support squad with melta and meltabombs or plasma in a drop pod to take care of one vehicle. They will not live long (but consider that as long as they stay in the drop pod the enemy will at least need 2 separate unit to shoote them off the board, unless he intercept you of course).

 

I really like a flying army, again very SoH being quite the reckless assault kind. The only problem is the point-per-buck ratio, that is quite low... If you have some drop pods from some other space marines list the orbital strike one allows you to start play while you sell your kidney to afford some of the flyiers!

 

Also, either if you will be going with flying list or not, consider an avenger squadron as a sub orbital strike wing lord of war choice, it really erase stuff off the board!

[Hesh Kadesh]

I don't think many people would be too upset if you used normal Drop Pods as dreadclaws - you can either hack away a little bit and turn the 'pylons' upside down or just make it clear that some a Dreadclaws.

 

Remember than SoH get access to Anvillus Pods without taking up a Rite of War or Fast Attack choices and with a bonus to reserves without the need for a Master of Signal or afortification, you are golden on that front.

[Ion]

So basically the best options are either a drop oriented list, or if I go with a spartan it needs more mechanized support, which is something I'd need to think about at higher points costs?

[sedobren]

The thing is, a lone spartan is a tasty target for the enemy and you are packing about half of your points in it. it's hard to destroy, but it might get immobilized and a lot of dakka will eventually glance him to death: If you are looking to take out a 300 points transport and let the terminators  out even a suicide squad with some haywire weapons is totally worth it!

 

On the other hand playing more vehicles or huge infantry blobs can deny the enemy the space needed for deep strike attacks, or at least increase his chance to mishap and give a cover save to the vehicle.

 

If you really want a big transport to take your termy guys around you could take a kharybdis pod, that is basically a flying spartan, or a caestus assault ram (but they both shoot less than the spartan), or a storm eagle (best option i guess).

 

about future upgrades, i really like legion predators. I know that is a thing of mine, but 3 predators with lascannons are 345 points,  they have 9 hull points and give you 12 ac and 6 laser shots (and you can even give them armored ceramite or machine spirit to split the fire) or youc could play them with 3 bolters (thus giving you 27 heavy bolter shoots instead of the lasers) to attack infantry or monstrous creatures. The sicaran is often a no brainer  (but the model is really expensive , bucks for point wise) and can work as anti air also. If you are worried about enemy flyers, consider a deredeo Dreadnought (good as anti tank too of course) or some kind of flyer yourself (like the avenger or a primaris lightings or a fire raptor)

[Ion]

I had gotten fond of the idea of going Orbital Assault and drop pod/teleporting stuff in, but until FW tells me whether Mortis Contemptors can take a drop pod at all I'm not sure if I could run that particular list yet.

 

I say this because I've recently stripped a Contemptor to use for a Mortis and would rather make use of things I already own rather than have to pay even more to get a functioning army.

 

I've looked at a Maloghurst list with Reavers as my troops choices, but that leaves me in a quandry, because I can't give my Cataphractii a Spartan without dropping something important (praetor, heavy support or Mortis). So the question is, if I were to go such a route would it be better to split the terminators into two 5 man squads and throw them in Anvilus drop pods, or footslog them as a full squad?

 

Assuming I go this route

[ThatOneMarshal]

Let's see I would personally recommend the drop pod. Why? Because you now have two threats for you opponent to deal with and it's usually safer to drop pod than to footlslog. Your using cattapractii which means your not getting to enemy for awhile. A drop pod on the other hand puts you right next to a nice juicy squad. I need to check my book but can't you stay inside the drop pod? Give some of those bad boys combi weapons and they can maybe kill a tank on the first round too. Don't get me wrong a drop pod isn't fool proof, your drop pod, if particularly unlucky will sometimes not come in on time though this is minimized by the soh rules. The other factor is that it puts you close to an enemy squad meaning that the drop pod can be destroyed and the remaining terminators can be gutted by a fury of the legion. And there's the chance your drop pod scatters off course and does nothing, though this is rare. Hope that helps.

[sedobren]

Well a dreadclaw can i guess, but it costs three times a normal drop pod.

[Ion]

I've realised that a drop pod terminator squad couldn't fit a character in it as well, which means I'd have to get another praetor setup...

Here's an alternative list I've thought of without the Mortis Contemptor
 
HQ
Praetor - Cataphractii Armour, Digital Lasers, Paragon Blade, Rite of War: Orbital Assault - 170pts 
 
Elites
Terminator Squad (10) - Cataphractii Armour, 2x Combi-plasma, Power Fist, Plasma Blaster x2 - 374pts
 
Legion Apothecary - Augury Scanner, Artificer Armour - 60pts
 
Troops
Tactical Squad (10) - Vexilla, Sgt w/Artificer Armour & Power Fist - 185pts

-- Anvilus Pattern Dreadclaw Drop Pod - 100pts

 

Tactical Squad (10) - Vexilla, Sgt w/Artificer Armour - 170pts

-- Anvilus Pattern Dreadclaw Drop Pod - 100pts

 

Fast Attack

Reaver Squad (15) - Jump Packs, Power Weapons x4, Power Fist, Chieftan w/ Artificer Armour - 400pts

 

Xiphon Interceptor - Armoured Cockpit, Ground Tracking Auguries - 220pts

Heavy Support
Heavy Support Squad (5) - Volkite Culverin - 185pts

-- Legion Drop Pod - 35pts

[sedobren]

How do you plan to play the dreadclaws with the tacticals? Troops cannot shoot from inside a dreadclaw, they only can with an open Legion drop pod. You could put back into the list one Contemptor embarked on a Dreadclaw if you switch the deadclaws on the tacticals with normal legion drop pods, if you want to play one of course.

 

If you want to get some cheap (point and money wise) anti tank, since this an infantry list, you might consider the legion rapier weapon battery, if i read the rules right, every battery (so up to 3 rapiers) fit inside the same legion drop pod, all for less than the cost of a single contemptor (not counting the dreadclaw). Just by taking normal pods for the tacticals you should have enough points for 2 rapiers and a drop pod for them.

 

Note that apothecaries cannot join terminator squad.

[Ion]

I wasn't aware of that minor inconvenience regarding the dreadclaws, that's unfortunate

 

I had thought to add the apothecary to the heavy support instead, but not so sure anymore.

 

Even by switching to regular pods I can't fit a Contemptor in a pod though without going over 2k

 

Additionally, it seems rapiers all need their own drop pod unless there's a rule I missed.

 

Guess it's back to the drawing board.

[sedobren]

Yeah 1 rapier=1 pod.

I like the backbone of the army, that is terminators with praetor and the two Tactical squad inside the drop pods. I suggest you to play around with the rest, and try on the battlefield different set ups and see how the work out.

 

The Xiphon interceptor, for example, it shoots a lot and works great targeting other flyers but you may find that against enemies with a lot of dakka/aa fire it will not last long. If you are looking for single purpose anti tank units, you might think about Legion tactical support squad over the heavy support squad with either plasma or melta gun and melta bombs: even just five of them behind a vehicle and its gone (and don't forget the threat factor that these guys have!) .