Solar Auxilia Tactica

[Hesh Kadesh]

A local player around us has reconfigured his 40K guard army to SA recently. 

 

Auxilia

Lord Marshal, Metaphysic Reader 125pts

Tank Commander, Scout, Move Through Cover 55pts

Tank Commander, Tank Hunters 55pts

 

Auxilia Rapier Battery, 3 Graviton Cannons = 225pts

Auxilia Rapier Battery, 3 Graviton Cannons = 225pts

Auxilia Rapier Battery, 3 Quad Mortars = 195pts

Auxilia Rapier Battery, 3 Quad Mortars = 195pts

 

Infantry Tercio = 445pts

- Lasrifle Section, Blast Chargers

- Lasrifle Section, Blast Chargers

- Lasrifle Section, Blast Chargers

- Aegis Defence Line, Comms Relay

Infantry Tercio = 300pts

- Lasrifle Section, Blast Chargers

- Lasrifle Section, Blast Chargers

- Aegis Defence Line

Infantry Tercio = 350pts

- Veletaris Storm Section, Meltabombs

- Veletaris Storm Section

- Veletaris Storm Section

 

Leman Russ Assault Squadron = 585pts

- Incinerator, Lascannon

- Incinerator, Lascannon

- Incinerator, Lascannon

Malcador Infernus, Chemical Ammunition = 290pts

Malcador Infernus, Chemical Ammunition = 290pts

 

D-99 Valkyrie Airborne Assault Carrier (Lord of War Sub-Orbital Strike Wing, Using Imperial units from other Forge World Books in Horus Heresy Games) = 405pts

- Valkyrie, 2x Multiple Rocket Pods

- Valkyrie, 2x Multiple Rocket Pods

- Valkyrie, 2x Multiple Rocket Pods

 

Allied SoH (1260)

Maloghurst = 140

Legion Command Squad = 100

 

Reavers, 5 Chain Axes, 3 Power Swords, 1 Power Fists, Meltagun = 255pts

Dreadclaw = 100pts

Reavers, 5 Chain Axes, 2 Power Swords, 1 Power Fists, Meltagun = 245pts

Dreadclaw = 100pts

 

Dreadclaw = 100pts

 

Deredeo, Autocannons, Aiolos = 220pts

 

Now, this is his 5000pts list, and if I'm honest, basically the entirety of his Astra Militarum army using the 40K rules. But it has pretty much everything you could ever dream of. The D-99 Valkyrie brings 2 Deep Striking Valkyries on to the battlefield first turn, loaded with Veletaris who proceed to choom something while the MRP's and Multilas cut something up. The other Valk can Outflank (thanks to Scout). The Leman Russ squadron brings 15 BS5 TL S7 Tank Hunting Shots and 3 BS5 Lascannons through Scout and Move Through Cover.

 

He has 8 Sections of Defence Wall, including one with a reroll. Thanks to the rubber banding effect of the Fearless Aura's (we allow Master of the Legion to work for non Warlord Characters to get a bodyguard) means that his 100 Guardsmen are Fearless with a 4+/4+ Cover/2+ GtG, while 30 Choomers and 20 Reavers rip around ganking units opened up by the Deredeo, Scouting Tank Hunting LR.

 

One important thing as well is that not only can the get away with multiple cheap Malcador Infernus, but they can take a Knight without the need for allies (although he "loses" the ability to take a rank (which tbf, if being used as allies is no biggy as most people take the cheapest ones possible I've found).

[1ncarnadine]

So I'm thinking of adding a Solar Aux allied detachment to my Death Guard, primarily so I can get a Malcador Infernus with chem munitions (bwahahahah). The troops will be a Storm Section in a Demolisher Dracosan, but then there's the issue of the HQ. I notice that the Tank Commander can actually be the compulsory HQ for secondary detachments, just not primaries, so I'll probably run that. Now the real question is, what to run him in? And what special rule to choose?

 

It looks like the tank he chooses doesn't count as part of his HQ choice ("must be attached to [a tank] which is also present in the army"). If so and I take the Infernus that would rule out the Malcador & the Assault Squadron Russes so he would basically have to be in one of the Strike Squadron Russes right? So maybe a Tank Hunting, Outflanking, BS4 Vanquisher?

 

That or maybe a regular Russ with PE(Infantry) and both a hull & pintle heavy flamer for more infantry roasting and a mild overwatch. Any other decent combos I'm overlooking?

[Caillum]

Yep, Vanquisher with Tank Hunters is a pretty safe option. :)

 

If going for Battle Tank with Preferred Enemy, I wouldn't take heavy flamers as they won't be able to shoot (battle cannon is Ordnance and makes everything else Snap Fire).

[1ncarnadine]

Yep, Vanquisher with Tank Hunters is a pretty safe option.

 

If going for Battle Tank with Preferred Enemy, I wouldn't take heavy flamers as they won't be able to shoot (battle cannon is Ordnance and makes everything else Snap Fire).

 

Crap, nice catch. It's easy to forget about that. Maybe just a hull multi-laser then since it's free.

[helterskelter]

I've taken a tank commander too to ally with my night Lords, popped him in an incinerator. Also strongly considering making a squadron of them as in coherency they get +1 bs when shooting at the same target I think so you have a bs 5 leman russ plus one or 2 more bs 4 ones. Then whichever special rule you choose to take can make that a particularly fun unit

[God-Potato of Mankind]

Llemans are one of the most exciting parts of an already exciting list imo.

 

Sponsons be damned, tank commanders and the special rules of the Strike and Assault squadrons are deliciously different. I run 2 Vanqs each with their own commander for dedicated AV, with outlfank and tank hunter. A duo or trio of incinerators would be an expensive but greatly entertaining choice. 5BS w/2x BS4 volkite demi-culverin PLUS a hull weapon and pintlemount.

 

As an incredibly sexy incentive, the SA 'pattern' or environment sealing is identical to the Krieg stuff, so you can snaffle very authentic looking Llemans for your SA army. One of the many things I like about SA is their similarity to Guard, but I'll be damned if I'm going to place an identi-kit genero-Guard army on the table with all the store kiddies. My armies will draw wondrous gasps at how obviously financiallly reckless I am from my audience!

Edited January 11, 2016 by The God-Potato of Mankind

[Aeternus]

Hey all. Recently due to a mix of my hatred for the malcador infernus and love for the models, been thinking of getting a small solar auxilia force to ally with my NL. Wanted to ask you, where would be the place to start? A long ranged las packed force, or a closer veletaris type thing?

Also what would complement a typical NL terror list best (pods, volkites, etc.)

[God-Potato of Mankind]

I'd tailor them to plug the gaps in your Legion forces. 

 

If you're heavy on close assault with pods and volkites, maybe some long range AV? Vanquishers? Infernus is a beastly choice too. 

[helterskelter]

Hey all. Recently due to a mix of my hatred for the malcador infernus and love for the models, been thinking of getting a small solar auxilia force to ally with my NL. Wanted to ask you, where would be the place to start? A long ranged las packed force, or a closer veletaris type thing?

Also what would complement a typical NL terror list best (pods, volkites, etc.)

You're like a brother from another mother! I've gone full choom, storm section, and tank commandered incinerator (with views to expand)

[Flint13]

Hey all. Recently due to a mix of my hatred for the malcador infernus and love for the models, been thinking of getting a small solar auxilia force to ally with my NL. Wanted to ask you, where would be the place to start? A long ranged las packed force, or a closer veletaris type thing?

Also what would complement a typical NL terror list best (pods, volkites, etc.)

 

The scary anti-infantry effectiveness of a Terror Assault is well known, so typically you'll be looking for anti-armor, which the Solar Aux can do spectacularly.

 

One of the big things that would assist in suggestions would be the approximate number of points you're looking to spend on your allies detachment. We can suggest things all day, but its going to be a bit superfluous to suggest stuff that's puts you way over point budget. 

[Aeternus]

Approximate number of points would probably be in the 1000-2000 point range. preferably below 1500 to keep costs low...(I laugh at the very idea)

 

The only thing I don't like, looking through the list, is (and I know the response from hs I'll get for this) the leman Incinerator. The gun just doesn't quite hit hard enough, despite how amazingly cool it is. My NL force has hella loads of anti-infantry, and a bit of stuff to deal with medium armour, but not much.

Edited January 12, 2016 by Aeternas

[Flint13]

One of the best things I've found so far for ranged anti-armor is a pair or three of vanquishers with a Tank Ace in the unit. They've been an awesome experience and a worthwhile investment every time I've used them. 

 

The tank ace can give the unit Tank Hunters as well as taking care of your compulsory HQ. A vanquisher cannon with tank hunter will penetrate whatever you hit, flare shield or no.  It really gives Astartes players a hard time when you're drilling rounds through the front end of their death-taxi Spartan or super heavy vehicle every turn from across the board. The hull lascannons are just a bonus, but also do plenty of work considering neither is an ordinance weapon.  

Edited January 12, 2016 by Flint13

[helterskelter]

There's the option of vanquisher, exterminator, annihilator, that come in the fast section for SA. These get outflank from the get go and add a tank commander with tank hunter and you can go after the squishy bits.

I have a death ray problem ^_^

[Hesh Kadesh]

Approximate number of points would probably be in the 1000-2000 point range. preferably below 1500 to keep costs low...(I laugh at the very idea)

 

The only thing I don't like, looking through the list, is (and I know the response from hs I'll get for this) the leman Incinerator. The gun just doesn't quite hit hard enough, despite how amazingly cool it is. My NL force has hella loads of anti-infantry, and a bit of stuff to deal with medium armour, but not much.

The beauty of S7 Tank Hunting with Twin-linked BS5 is that it hits medium armour quite well. Sure, it's not much more dangerous than a Volkite, but combined with a Lascannon in the hull, and possibly scout (if you run it as a primary detachment, you can take 2x Tank Commanders and double up in the same squadron, letting you take something daft like 6 Medusa statics as well as getting Scout and Move Through Cover tanks).

 

The beauty is that they absolutely shred GEQ's. I've seen a unit kill 28 when it caught a levy militia blob in the open, although they did have Preferred Enemy rather than Tank Hunter in that instance.

[Aeternus]

If I was lacking in my anti medium armour, then I would sure as hell take it. But a mixture of some of that already, and most of my opponents being Marine lists hiding in spartans or pods, it doesn't bring much to the table. I might pick one up for when a mechanicum list arrives though. But overall, it just doesn't help me much at the moment.

[God-Potato of Mankind]

One of the best things I've found so far for ranged anti-armor is a pair or three of vanquishers with a Tank Ace in the unit. They've been an awesome experience and a worthwhile investment every time I've used them. 

 

The tank ace can give the unit Tank Hunters as well as taking care of your compulsory HQ. A vanquisher cannon with tank hunter will penetrate whatever you hit, flare shield or no.  It really gives Astartes players a hard time when you're drilling rounds through the front end of their death-taxi Spartan or super heavy vehicle every turn from across the board. The hull lascannons are just a bonus, but also do plenty of work considering neither is an ordinance weapon.  

 

You mean tank commander? Also does the command bonus get conferred to the *entire* squadron? *slobbers*

[Hesh Kadesh]

Depends on the rule. No, not all models get the rule, but the presence of one model with the rule, in the case of Tank Hunters, Preferred Enemy, Scout, Move Through Cover etc all apply to the unit with only a single model with the rule.

[depthcharge12]

Depends on the rule. No, not all models get the rule, but the presence of one model with the rule, in the case of Tank Hunters, Preferred Enemy, Scout, Move Through Cover etc all apply to the unit with only a single model with the rule.

Hmmm.

 

HMMMMMMM.

 

*pulls up FW SA shopping list*

[God-Potato of Mankind]

So a trio of Vanquishers all get Tank Hunters, but only the one model actually has it? So if the Command Vehicle gets slagged, they lose it??

 

Cos 3x Vanquisher cannons pointing at anything with an AV will be hilarious good fun. Park next to a Cognis-Signum and two are BS5 too.

[Flint13]

^ Exactly.

 

That's why I've been doing it. Two or three vanquishers sitting within 6" of my Tactical Command's Dracosan.

 

Tank Hunter from the Tank Commander confers to the squadron he is a part of. That gives you 3 Vanquisher cannons and 3 hull lascannons with a re-roll on AP and a damn good chance of wrecking whatever they hit. The Vanquisher cannon is badass, it's just shy of being a 72" range meltagun already. It doesn't care about AV14, flare shields, and even has a halfway decent chance to get through that Ordinatus super flare shield.

 

And yes, I'd assume if your Tank Commander vehicle is destroyed then the unit loses the special rule. 

Edited January 13, 2016 by Flint13

[depthcharge12]

What about a tank commander with Tank Hunter on a valdor destroyer? Or is it redundant (I believe it has ordinance)?

[Flint13]

You'd give it BS4, but I'd suggest a different veteran skill since it would indeed be redundant... Scout/Move Thru Cover maybe?

 

*SUDDENLY VALDOR!*

[Hesh Kadesh]

Ordnance is roll twice, choose the highest, while Tank Hunter is Reroll; so theybstack for 4 chances to pen.

[Flint13]

^I stand corrected. 

 

That's pretty awesome.

[depthcharge12]

Ordnance is roll twice, choose the highest, while Tank Hunter is Reroll; so theybstack for 4 chances to pen.

So has anyone thought of bringing one of the Macharius tanks as a LoW? The double vanquisher cannons or Vulcan cannon would be pretty sweet. Plus it brings 11 million auto cannons I think, so it helps to fill that en masse S7 spam that the SA lack against light vehicles.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Flint13
har har keep it classy