Salamanders Pride of the Legion 2500pts

[steve!]

Wanted to do a fun, fluffy and fairly elite list that would be fairly flexible and capable of taking on any sort of list. Any comments or opinions would be great, I'm aware some of my choices may not be entirely competitive but I'm more interested in having a fun and decent force. I'm aware I don't have the typical Firedrake Death Star and I don't really want one.

 

++ The Age of Darkness (Legiones Astartes: Age of Darkness Army List) [2500pts] ++

 

+ HQ +

 

Deligatus [110pts]:

Artificer Armour, Dragonscale Storm Shield, Master Crafted Thunder Hammer, Bolt Pistol.

 

+ ELITES +

 

Contemptor-Mortis Dreadnought [155pts]:

Multi-Melta x 2

 

Legion Rapier Weapons Battery [165pts]:

Laser Destroyer Array x 3

 

Legion Rapier Weapons Battery [165pts]:

Graviton Cannon x 3

 

+ TROOPS +

 

Legion Veteran Tactical Squad [248pts]:

Sergeant W/ Thunder Hammer, Combi-Flamer, Artificer Armour

7x Veteran Tactical Marines

Veteran Tactical Marine W/ Heavy Flamer

-Rhino Armoured Carrier W/ Pintle-Mounted Heavy Flamer

 

Legion Veteran Tactical Squad [275pts]:

Sergeant W/ Thunder Hammer, Combi-Flamer, Artificer Armour

7x Veteran Tactical Marines

2x Veteran Tactical Marine W/ Heavy Flamer

-Rhino Armoured Carrier W/ Pintle-Mounted Heavy Flamer

 

Legion Veteran Tactical Squad [275pts]:

Sergeant W/ Thunder Hammer, Combi-Flamer, Artificer Armour

7x Veteran Tactical Marines

2x Veteran Tactical Marine W/ Heavy Flamer

-Rhino Armoured Carrier W/ Pintle-Mounted Heavy Flamer

 

+ HEAVY SUPPORT +

 

Legion Sicaran Battle Tank [205]:

Accelerator Autocannon, Lascannon Sponsons

 

Leviathan Siege Dreadnought [310pts]:

Cyclonic Melta Lance, Leviathan Siege Claw, Heavy Flamer, Heavy Flamer, Armoured Ceramite

 

Pyroclast Squad [530pts]:

9x Pyroclasts

Pyroclast Warden

-Land Raider Phobos

Armoured Ceramite, Heavy Flamer

 

Total: 2498pts

[Caillum]

Looks pretty balanced actually. You don't have a dedicated combat unit, but the Vets can do alright in assault.

 

Some advice for you to ponder on:

- avoid taking heavy flamers on Vehicles. The movement rules mean they'll rarely get to actually fire them. Rhinos work nicely with multi-meltas, as they become a truly viable threat. And dozer blades are the best 5 points you'll ever spend on a Vehicle. I'll go through the Land Raider last.

- "Pride of the Legion" is good, and you've written a legal list for it (many don't), but "Chosen Duty" is better as it has a potential VP gain and less VP loss. Check it out. Only issue is that you can't take a Lord of War (but you don't have one anyway).

- Thunder hammers look cool, but unless you play Mechanicum a lot they are very expensive.

- are you taking "Marksmen" on the Vets? It works nicely with flamers, as you want lots of chances at a 6 to Wound. Strangely, you get more AP2 Wounds out of normal flamers than heavy flamers, and they fire at the same time as combi-flamers, so consider that change. Saves you points too.

- Contemptor-Mortis with multi-meltas is cheap and effective in a "Covenant of Fire" list, but otherwise I would always uprgrade to Kheres or lascannons.

- Sicaran, Leviathan and Rapiers look good.

 

Finally, the Pyroclasts & Land Raider. They are not a combat unit, so putting them in a Proteus instead is an easy way to save points. The Proteus is a pretty nice firebase, as it can have 3 TL lascannons & a multi-melta. I would put the Delegatus in here instead of the Vets, consider dropping the numbers to 7, and take an Explorator Augury Web. This can give your Outflanking Vets reliable Reserves rolls, Scout the short-ranged Pyros forward, and then sit in range of everything with its 4 anti-Tank weapons. :)

 

Here's an example of those changes:

HQ

Delegatus: Rite of War (Chosen Duty); artificer armour; thunder hammer (master-crafted); Dragonscale storm shield 110

 

TROOPS

10 Veteran Space Marines: Veteran Sergeant (artificer armour; combi-flamer; power fist); Marksmen; 9 Veteran Space Marines; legion vexilla; 2 × flamer 225

• Rhino: dozer blade; pintle-mounted multi-melta 55

10 Veteran Space Marines: Veteran Sergeant (artificer armour; combi-flamer; power fist); Marksmen; 9 Veteran Space Marines; legion vexilla; 2 × flamer 225

• Rhino: dozer blade; pintle-mounted multi-melta 55

10 Veteran Space Marines: Veteran Sergeant (artificer armour; combi-flamer; power fist); Marksmen; 9 Veteran Space Marines; legion vexilla; 2 × flamer 225

• Rhino: dozer blade; pintle-mounted multi-melta 55

 

ELITES

3 Rapier Carriers: 3 × laser destroyer array 165

3 Rapier Carriers: 3 × laser destroyer array 165

Contemptor Mortis Dreadnought: 2 Kheres pattern assault cannons 180

 

HEAVY SUPPORT

Sicaran Battle Tank: dozer blade; 2 sponson-mounted lascannon 210

Leviathan Pattern Siege Dreadnought Talon

• Leviathan Pattern Siege Dreadnought: cyclonic melta lance; armoured ceramite 310

7 Pyroclasts: Pyroclast Warden (power axe); 6 Pyroclasts 220

• Land Raider Proteus: hull-mounted twin-linked lascannon; dozer blade; armoured ceramite; pintle-mounted multi-melta; explorator augury web 300

 

2,500 points

[K3nn3rs]

I like the look of the list and I'd echo Caillum's points.

I'm 99.9% sure that you need full 10 man units of vets to get 2 heavy / Special weapons in a squad.

 

You and get round this by taking combi flamers

[Warsmith Manat-Yi]

I like the look of the list and I'd echo Caillum's points.

I'm 99.9% sure that you need full 10 man units of vets to get 2 heavy / Special weapons in a squad.

 

You and get round this by taking combi flamers

 

I believe you miscounted. All three are ten-man teams. I love vets so I love this list. I have a friend trying to get into salamanders and is working on a similar build.

[K3nn3rs]

HA- seen!

 

Misread the breakdown of the squad.

[Spiritual Liege]

But if all are 10 man squads, who is the Delegatus hanging with?

[Caillum]

First Vet Squad has nine men and 1 special weapon.

[steve!]

Looks pretty balanced actually. You don't have a dedicated combat unit, but the Vets can do alright in assault.

Some advice for you to ponder on:

- avoid taking heavy flamers on Vehicles. The movement rules mean they'll rarely get to actually fire them. Rhinos work nicely with multi-meltas, as they become a truly viable threat. And dozer blades are the best 5 points you'll ever spend on a Vehicle. I'll go through the Land Raider last.

- "Pride of the Legion" is good, and you've written a legal list for it (many don't), but "Chosen Duty" is better as it has a potential VP gain and less VP loss. Check it out. Only issue is that you can't take a Lord of War (but you don't have one anyway).

- Thunder hammers look cool, but unless you play Mechanicum a lot they are very expensive.

- are you taking "Marksmen" on the Vets? It works nicely with flamers, as you want lots of chances at a 6 to Wound. Strangely, you get more AP2 Wounds out of normal flamers than heavy flamers, and they fire at the same time as combi-flamers, so consider that change. Saves you points too.

- Contemptor-Mortis with multi-meltas is cheap and effective in a "Covenant of Fire" list, but otherwise I would always uprgrade to Kheres or lascannons.

- Sicaran, Leviathan and Rapiers look good.

Finally, the Pyroclasts & Land Raider. They are not a combat unit, so putting them in a Proteus instead is an easy way to save points. The Proteus is a pretty nice firebase, as it can have 3 TL lascannons & a multi-melta. I would put the Delegatus in here instead of the Vets, consider dropping the numbers to 7, and take an Explorator Augury Web. This can give your Outflanking Vets reliable Reserves rolls, Scout the short-ranged Pyros forward, and then sit in range of everything with its 4 anti-Tank weapons. :)

Here's an example of those changes:

HQDelegatus: Rite of War (Chosen Duty); artificer armour; thunder hammer (master-crafted); Dragonscale storm shield 110

TROOPS10 Veteran Space Marines: Veteran Sergeant (artificer armour; combi-flamer; power fist); Marksmen; 9 Veteran Space Marines; legion vexilla; 2 × flamer 225

• Rhino: dozer blade; pintle-mounted multi-melta 5510 Veteran Space Marines: Veteran Sergeant (artificer armour; combi-flamer; power fist); Marksmen; 9 Veteran Space Marines; legion vexilla; 2 × flamer 225

• Rhino: dozer blade; pintle-mounted multi-melta 5510 Veteran Space Marines: Veteran Sergeant (artificer armour; combi-flamer; power fist); Marksmen; 9 Veteran Space Marines; legion vexilla; 2 × flamer 225

• Rhino: dozer blade; pintle-mounted multi-melta 55

ELITES3 Rapier Carriers: 3 × laser destroyer array 1653 Rapier Carriers: 3 × laser destroyer array 165Contemptor Mortis Dreadnought: 2 Kheres pattern assault cannons 180

HEAVY SUPPORTSicaran Battle Tank: dozer blade; 2 sponson-mounted lascannon 210Leviathan Pattern Siege Dreadnought Talon

• Leviathan Pattern Siege Dreadnought: cyclonic melta lance; armoured ceramite 3107 Pyroclasts: Pyroclast Warden (power axe); 6 Pyroclasts 220

• Land Raider Proteus: hull-mounted twin-linked lascannon; dozer blade; armoured ceramite; pintle-mounted multi-melta; explorator augury web 3002,500 points

Thanks for the detailed input Callum, it's appreciated.

 

-I had originally considered Multi Meltas for the Rhinos however I tend to always match the squad inside to their transport, I also figured I had plenty other anti tank weapons elsewhere. The dozer blades however are a good call, they will be added!

-Thanks for alerting me to Chosen Duty, I had forgotten all about it, it does work a little better than potl in my case.

-Thunder hammers do look cool and fluffy which is pretty much the only reason I'm taking them over powerfists, rule of cool wins in this case!

-I am indeed taking Marksman on the vets, I forgot to include it. Can you explain how Flamers would give more ap2 wounds than a heavy flamer? They both fire using the same template but against your average marine a heavy flamer would wound on a 2 rather than the 3 of a heavy flamer so essentially they should get the same amount of ap2 shots but the heavy Flamers would gain more wounds in total? Feel free to correct me if I'm missing something here?

-I was torn on this myself, I just went for the cheaper option, why would Kheres or Lascannons be so much better?

-In truth the main reason for the Phobos was that it's less than half the price of a Proteus and can double in a 40k Salamander army quite nicely, however the inclusion of the Explorator Augury Web does sound very tempting.

Edited July 24, 2017 by steve!

[Spiritual Liege]

First Vet Squad has nine men and 1 special weapon.

Oh, so it does.