My first try at 30k Iron Warriors - Tell me how

[Pariah Mk.231]

Like many others, the Betrayal at Calth box has got me interested in making a Heresy army, using the 2 boxes I've pre-ordered and a few things I have laying around to get started. I will have, in addition to the new plastic crack on it's way, a predator (already assembled as a destructor varient with the lascannons having been mutilated in other aborted projects), 2 or 3 rhinos and 3 vindicators (that will require a little work to de-Chaos them). Mars pattern vehicles aren't really a concern for the Iron Warriors, so these boxes should work with little needing to be done to them.

 

I was thinking of going with Erasmus Golg (the Praetor doesn't even require conversion work) and a Siegebreaker Consul (Hammer of Olympia RoW requires either that or a Warsmith) for HQ. Golg allows me to use the terminators to fill the extra mandatory Troops slot Iron Warriors need to fill.
For Troops, I'm leaning toward either a pair of 15-man Legion Tacticals or a 20-man tactical and a 10-man with a rhino, as well as a potentially huge terminator unit if I use all 10. A 7-man support squad with plasma/melta in a rhino can provide backup for the rhino tacticals.

Elites would be one or both of the contemptors (depending on if I decide to Chaos one up for 40k). One will be rocking a pair of assault cannons and probably a havoc launcher (that set-up just looks too awesome to not run), while the other will either be the standard multi-melta/fist or converted to have dual fists with melta or plasma (depending on what weapons the support squad makes off with).

 

Heavy will be the rest, a pair of 6-man Iron Havocs to use up the heavy weapons from the box, the predator and a vindicator unit. The Consul will sit with the missile launcher unit to give them the Wrecker rule.

 

That leaves me with 11 marines and the extra Consul to either use here or to mix into my 40k Space Wolves for more variety and less wolfyness. I might even have some bits to make an apothecary around here somewhere, which can sit in the big squad.

 

So the barebones list (before equipping the characters/terminators) would look something like this:

Erasmus Golg - 175

 

Siegebreaker Consul - 95

 

20 Legion Tacticals - 250

 

10 Legion Tacticals w/rhino - 185

 

5 Terminators - 175 

 

7 Legion Support w/plasma (6) & rhino - 255

 

1 Contemptor w/dual Kheres & havoc launcher - 225

 

6 Iron Havocs w/missile launchers - 240

 

6 Iron Havos w/heavy bolters - 210 (these could be a regular Legion Heavy squad to save 65 points but miss out on Deadly Aim)

 

That comes to 1,810 points with plenty left for gear if I go with a 2,000 list. To bump to a 2,000 list I can add:

 

1 Predator w/heavy bolter sponsons - 95

 

1 Vindicator - 120

 

1 Contemptor w/dual fists & meltaguns - 205

 

That ends up at 2,230 with 270 left for gear and additional terminators (335 if the heavy bolter Havocs get downgraded to regular heavy boys). At this points level, the Consul could be swapped for a Warsmith Praetor.

 

Would this be a reasonable base, or would it come up weak at 2-2.5k points?

[1ncarnadine]

Yeah, infantry heavy tends to be a little weak, but the selection you're going to have will make an excellent core of infantry for future list-building.

 

Definitely look into converting one or both of your sets of BaC Cataphractii into Tyrant Siege Terminators by getting some kind of missile launcher from ebay or a bits seller. You won't regret it.

 

Medusae: You're playing IW, you'll need some at some point, and the sooner you admit that to yourself the better. S10 AP2 Barrage pie-plates will solve your enemy infantry woes. And lots of other things tbh.

 

Last point is that it's a shame you'll have so many vindis and preds already. They'll be fine for lower points, but in the future, for higher points games, you can conserve your Heavy Support slots significantly by running Predators with the Magna-Melta cannon. Same 5" blasts as the Vindis, S8 AP1 ignoring MEQ/TEQ saves and (most all) FNP of any kind on enemy infantry formations, and an occasional nasty surprise if someone couldn't afford to take armoured ceramite on their vehicles. 3 for 1 HS slot! Hopefully when they update the LACAL red book they'll put Vindis as 1-3, but for now...

[Pariah Mk.231]

Yeah, I picked up the vindies a few years ago for Apoc (got that 3-in-a-box set), but just the one pred. I'm open to converting it to the magna turret, I was just pointing out that I don't have the lascannons anymore so I can't swap over to them. As for the Medusae, it ends up being over $130AU per tank plus shipping, not quite sure I can justify that with my wallet at the moment. Maybe when I find a better job than my current one.

 

EDIT: Forgot the Siege Tyrants, I'm all for using the 5 spare termies I'll have to make those some of those boys, just need more cyclones.