Sons of Horus 1500, expanding to 2000

[AmCjkh]

Hey everybody, I'm just starting my first 30k army and I wanted to ask for opinions on my current 1500 list and for ideas on how to expand to 2000. I'm running Maloghurst, veterans, and The Long March and my goal is to have multiple relatively small units with overlapping function. I'm expressly trying to avoid deathstars, too much spam, or alpha strike style lists (I might as well play 40k!). I would prefer no more than two of anything.

 

HQ:

Maloghurst: The Long March - 140

 

Elites:

Rapier quad mortar: shatter shells x1 - 70

Rapier quad mortar: shatter shells x1 - 70 (I'm thinking separate units, but worried about giving up kill points)

Contemptor cortus: DCCW, chainfist - 145

 

Troops:

Veterans: marksmen, 10 men, 2 plasma guns, 2 combi-plasma, sergeant with artificer armor and power fist, rhino with multimelta - 285

Veterans: marksmen, 10 men, 2 plasma guns, 2 combi-plasma, sergeant with artificer armor and power fist, rhino with multimelta - 285

Tactical support squad: 9 men, volkite calivers, rhino with multimelta - 255

 

Heavy Support:

Whirlwind scorpius - 115

Vindicator laser destroyer - 130

 

Total: 1495

 

I have three 10-man scoring units and I can split off a fourth with Maloghurst, whose fearless I can also utilize. The vindicator laser destroyer is purely anti-tank, and the quad mortars and scorpius can target either armor or infantry if on foot or if their transports are destroyed. The tactical support squad is primary long range anti-infantry, but with S6 I can target rhinos as well and with relentless in my deployment zone from The Long March they are a bit more mobile. The veterans are primary anti-infantry with enough plasma for a strong first volley but not too much to bloat their cost. All the rhinos have multimeltas just so they are also credible threats and add to the anti-tank. The contemptor cortus I will have to be careful with, as it is my best anti-tank weapon if it can get close but is also cheap enough to be used as a throwaway. I like having 12 total units on the board to help sacrifice, speed bump, and hopefully let me be creative in the movement phase. I might have trouble in blood feud missions though.

 

I have a few ideas for the next 500 points to get to 2000:

1. Graviton guns for the cortus contemptor - 30pts

2. Justaerin: 5 men, 3 fists, 2 chainfists, 5 combi plasma in a dreadclaw - 440

3. Fire raptor: reaper autocannons, hellstrike missiles - 230

4. Javelins: cyclone missiles, multimeltas, hunter killer missiles - 75 x2

5. More contemptors?

6. Another vindicator laser destroyer?

 

I like the idea of picking up another scoring unit, of which I'd consider Justaerin, regular terminators, more veterans, and seeekers. I feel like that the only use that seeker's have that veterans don't is their tempest rounds, but I already have pseudo-static calivers and I'd rather not get another squad of that. I would rather try terminators over more veterans, and their only reliable delivery system seems to be a dreadclaw. The Black Reaving is a steep price just to get deep striking Justaerin. If I am lucky enough to have an exposed target combi-plasmas followed by a charge would be devastating, but also probably overkill. Any squad scary enough to deserve that would probably be in a Spartan or Land Raider anyway, and it won't be easy to crack that by turn 2 when I want to get the charge off. Do you think I need another scoring unit? The other option is basically a lot more guns. Thanks for looking!

[Harrowmaster]

Does the support squad really need the rhino? They need to be static to work and it can't act as a bunker because only 2 can shoot out of it.

 

If you're upping to 2k another scoring unit is a good idea perhaps plasma tactical support with an apothecary

[Varyn]

I'll just offer my feedback based on my experience with my Sons of Horus. I run a similar army, using Maloghurst and The Long March.

 

 

I'd consider getting a pod for the cortus, if you're footslogging it can be a long run before it gets into assault and the enemy has plenty of chances to immobilise/wreck it, the 2 grav guns are definitely a great option.

 

I use a similar justaerin unit in an anvillus pod and it is a very good unit, I'd recommend them.

 

You could also consider a heavy support squad, having relentless in your deployment zone is great, I always take a unit with missile launchers and attach maloghurst to them.

 

I would also consider swapping 1 marksmen unit from plasma to melta for a bit more anti tank, maybe magnetise the guns?

 

I think that another squad is the best option to get up to 2k, then from 2k - 2.5k start adding in a 2nd vindicator, javelins, fire raptor

 

 

Hopefully that helps a bit!

[AmCjkh]

Thank you for the suggestions! Harrowmaster, I'll definitely favor another scoring option. At least in my 40k experience I find rhinos always a good investment if just to protect from alpha strike or block line of sight, and the ability to give them multimeltas is exciting! I'll test them out and consider whether I need it though, I certainly may not deploy the squad in it.

 

Varyn, a pod for the Cortus sounds important and lets it turn into an anti-tank missile of sorts, with grav and a chainfist. Unfortunately I don't like the idea of that and Justaerin in a pod, it forces one to be off the table for a while and delays their assault. I could build my 2k lists two ways, one with the Justaerin and the other with the Cortus in the pod.

 

In my mind I don't favor large veteran squads with meltas because I feel like I'm wasting all the bolters that could be targeting infantry with marksmen, so I tried to pick anti-tank support choices. I could definitely try that though. Do you find the missile launcher heavy support squad to be efficient? It just seems so expensive compared to a mortar, javelin, vindicator, or fire raptor for equivalent anti-tank. Maloghurst is also forced to stay with them for scoring, whereas when he's with a support squad I envision splitting him off in a rhino on the last few turns to cap an objective if the enemy can't easily blow him up by that point.

[Varyn]

I find that maloghurst in a missile launcher squad is pretty effective as long as you can get them in a decent bit of cover, they'll happily take out rhinos and other AV targets without much difficulty. missile launchers are relatively cheap (compared to lascannons) plus if you have enough then you can often take out fliers, without even having flakk.

 

I think that if you were to put the justaerin and the cortus into pods, you would need a 3rd pod to allow you to drop 2 pods in turn 1. I personally run 3, 2 like this and my 3rd is a leviathan. This then gives you some options of what to drop first, depending on what you're facing.

 

I think that melta's/combi melta's in veteran squads work well as you're usually going to be trying to get into rapid fire range, for deathdealer, which means you're melta guns are in range too., Plus the combi melta's can just save their melta shot for an armoured target, so you're only really trading 4 plasma gun shots for 2 melta gun shots, for the most part. I definitely agree that plasma is great, I just think that if I were running 2 squads like that, I'd take 1 of each. Remember that you don't need to declare your veteran tactics until the start of the game, so you could change the melta squad to machine killers if you like.

[Withershadow]

Maloghurst can really go wherever you have a strong shooting unit that you can park on an objective. He scores and makes gen fearless. Mortars are a good place for him for example, because it makes him T7 vs shooting, which is nice.

 

I like the core of the list. My next purchase would be something to cover the sky, so a Fire Raptor or Deredeo. I'd lean towards the latter if you take the lascannons, because it can be around to benefit from the first turn rerolls.

 

I don't like pods for Cortus Contemptors, makes them too expensive. They aren't that slow to engage to be honest. A 7" move + 18" grav guns means you're reaching into your opponent's deployment zone from turn 1. If you don't have a target first turn, you have the option of running for 2"+highest of 3 dice, so it will move for a total of 13-14" pretty reliably.

 

Yes it gives your opponent one turn to shoot it, but it's AV13 with 5+ and move through cover for easy cover access. Much better than coming down in a dread pod and getting shot in AV11 side armor. Sure you could take a dreadclaw for it, but at that point I rather scrounge a few more points and take a second Cortus in the talon and run them side by side. 350 points of you're gonna die.

 

I would disagree with the above and keep the plasma you can fire out of the fire ports. Makes the squad a credible threat even while transported, with 2 plasmaguns and a multimelta at 24".

 

If you want melta, you either take a whole lot of combi-melta machine killer Veterans in a pod, or a Leviathan.

[Varyn]

Cortus contemptors are only AV11 on the sides and get no invulnerable save on their side/rear armour, a single heavy bolter could theoretically wreck it, it's unlikely but still possible. I'm not saying that I'd tell everyone to put one in a pod every time, but it's a reliable way to get it where you want it on turn 1, you can stay in the pod and shoot out (you're safer that way) then charge out on turn 2. It's just my opinion to give AmCjkh some ideas.

 

 

If you want melta, you either take a whole lot of combi-melta machine killer Veterans in a pod, or a Leviathan.

 

The beauty of 30k is that you can run lots of different legions/armies/units in lots of ways and get good results. There isn't "one" way of doing something :)

 

I suggested melta to give a bit more variety and versatility.

[AmCjkh]

Thanks for the ideas Varyn and Withershadow! I like hearing about all of it just to keep my thinking fresh. Thanks for reminding me that I can choose veteran tactics at the start of the game, machine killers plasma might actually be a good idea to put out a lot of S8 to glance things to death. I can see how a cortus in a dreadclaw can let me deliver pinpoint anti-tank but just taking another cortus gives me more threats, if I can be savvy enough in the movement phase to deliver them.

 

The Deredeo gives me an intimidating threat against flyers and heavy armor with its lascannons but the way the rules are designed it's very inconsistent, compared to twin linked, tank hunter, or sunder weapons that have a lot smaller variation in damage dealt compared to potential. Then again I do like having the unit in the board at the start or with drop pod assault turn 1, because reserve rolls even with the Sons of Horus benefit or with enemy reserve manipulation would be devastating if it kept a 200+ point unit off the board. The Fire Raptor seems like it has enough firepower to be worth that risk though. It sounds like it comes down to a stylistic choice between extra firepower or a powerful dedicated assault unit in the Justaerin.

[Varyn]

I agree about the lascannons on the deredeo, I think that other units do S10 better. My personal choice would be the autocannons; twin linked high volume of fire, plus sunder is really consistent at taking out AV targets.

 

I'd just try out a few things and see what you like :) let us know how you get on!