1st Company club - including Calgar Wings

[Captain Idaho]

Yeah I love Combi plasma. It's solid. Bit risky overcharging on a character even with the rerolls. We all know the odds yet it happens every game that I reroll a 1 and get a 1.

[Freman Bloodglaive]

Haven't had that happen yet, but I'm sure it will eventually.

[Captain Idaho]

Oh my Emperor. I lost so many models EVERY GAME from over charge. Literally every game. A couple Sergeants a game.

[Freman Bloodglaive]

Played The Relic against Space Wolves.

 

He had (from memory)

Thunderwolf Lord

Wolf Lord with jump pack

Arjac

Rune Priest with jump pack

 

5 Grey Hunters

5 Grey Hunters

5 Grey Hunters

5 Wulfen

5 Wulfen

5 Wolf Guard Terminators

5 Wolf Guard Terminators

1 Cyber Wolf

3 Thunderwolves

3 Thunderwolves

 

Flying Space Wolf thing, forget the name.

 

He won. Cataphractii and Assault Terminators are tough, but taking multiple squads of Thunderwolves and Wulfen to the face is a bit beyond their capability. It did take a couple of rounds for them to be ground down though. Calgar went down last, thinking about it he could have won the combat against the Thunderwolf Lord if I'd remembered to use a CP to re-roll one of his damage dice. He did five damage and needed to do six. Re-rolling one D3 might have given me that extra point of damage.

 

Thinking about it, I'd have been better to drop my Terminators on top of the relic and just keep moving them away as quickly as possible. The Rune Priest singlehandedly, with a combination of smite and jaws of the world wolf, took four wounds off my Captain and killed about ten terminators. I was very happy to see my Venerable Dreadnoughts lascannon him to death.

 

I'm toying with the idea of a Supreme Command detachment filled with Librarians to fight psyker with psyker.

[Captain Idaho]

Psychic abuse can be countered by a Culexus Assassin. Plonk him as close to Smite users as possible and watch the tears fall...

[Freman Bloodglaive]

384 points for three librarians with jump packs and force swords. Unfortunately they don't get 2+/5++ runic armour like Rune Priests do.

[Freman Bloodglaive]

 

The Three Amigos.

 

Built out of a bunch of bits in my bits box. Thinking about it, if I'd had some Black Templar tabards they'd have looked a bit better. Though it doesn't show there're Grey Knight psychic hood backs on the torsos. Still, they look the part.

[GreyCrow]

I actually would like to see how such lists work !

 

Gut feeling is that the best way to make it 'efficient' on the tabletop is to saturate in bodies rather than toys, have a strong vanilla sternguard with 2 heavy weapons presence as 'troops' rather than Terminators and just put pressure on the infantry.

 

Multi wounds models are very senstitive to multi damage weapons and make the opponents investment in heavy guns more points efficient, so spamming one wound models is totally worth it!

 

To tell you a fun story, I tried fielding a 'stormwing' list at 1000 points with a tactical squad and hero in the stormraven. Enemy autocannons just made short work of it, so the same can happen with Terminators as core.

[Freman Bloodglaive]

I found a Black Templars tabard so I made a Librarian with jump pack, axe, and combi-plasma. It's all good fun.

[Stickeh]

I don’t know how many of you have stuck with the 1st Company theme, but I’m rather enjoying it. I’ve played a fair few games now, primarily against my mates death guard and wanted to share some insights:

 

1) Take anti tank wherever you can

My first list had a plethora of assault cannons, however against most tanks (T7) you’re no better off than a heavy bolter. I’ve swapped my Ven Dreads out for contemptors with kheres assault cannons, cyclones on my tactical termies and a Land Raider instead of a Crusader

 

2) Wisdom of the ancients is a great stratagem

Rerolling 1’s with 6” of a Dreadnought is very useful, and for only 1CP (possibly 0) is a steal. A combat oriented Dreadnought can give valuable rerolls in the absence of a captain, and a hellfire ven Dread can make a solid gunline anchor.

 

3) don’t rely on tactical terminators in close combat

Hitting on 4’s with only 2 attacks on each termies doesn’t equal many wounds getting through. 8 attacks means on average only 4 will hit, of which 2-3 wound. High balling that at 3 wounds against a 5+ invun means a maximum of 6 wounds dealt, even if you roll high on the damage. Without some kind of rerolls regular terminators don’t cut it up close.

 

I’ve also found terminator librarians to be vastly overcosted, but without them deny the witch is in short supply. I want a few more games before I’ll commit to an opinion on librarians in these kinds of list.

 

Overall I’ve found the self imposed restrictions of a 1st Company army very refreshing, but I suspect that I’ll swap to using Deathwing rules when the Dark Angels codex releases for their extra toys.

[Freman Bloodglaive]

As noted earlier, First Company is a bit broader than Terminators, Dreadnoughts, and Land Raiders, in a Codex Marine army. First Company also includes Vanguard and Sternguard, and arguably Command Squads and Command Squads on bikes.

 

While I prefer bikes, terminators, and dreadnoughts, to any other models in the Space Marine range, I'm happy to field characters with jump packs or bikes, Vanguard and/or Sternguard and/or Command Squads in a First Company army.

[Captain Idaho]

On that note we can also use Librarians in power armour supporting power armoured 1st Company. Makes sense.

 

A Land Raider supported by several Dreadnoughts is actually fairly good at evening up the odds somewhat for 1st Company. Plenty of saturation, anti tank firepower and crucially some movement for the likes of Cataphractii who are agonisingly slow and reliant on teleport with rather short ranged and anti infantry weapons.

[Stickeh]

I’ve got no issue throwing in a bit of power armour, my most recent list iteration includes 2 x 5 man sternguard squads in asscan razorbacks for some additional objective grabbers. I used to run 2 lascannons in these squads but I’m having more success running them with just boltguns and using the masterful marksmanship stratagem occasionally.

 

Are any of you having much luck with librarians? I’ve really struggled to get use out of them

[Frater Cornelius]

I’ve got no issue throwing in a bit of power armour, my most recent list iteration includes 2 x 5 man sternguard squads in asscan razorbacks for some additional objective grabbers. I used to run 2 lascannons in these squads but I’m having more success running them with just boltguns and using the masterful marksmanship stratagem occasionally.

 

Are any of you having much luck with librarians? I’ve really struggled to get use out of them

 

While not directly 1st Co related, I am rating Librarians more and more. I love those guys. Two dudes smite, one does Psychic Scourge and the other casts a support spell. It is really awesome. When applied to 1st Co, nothing is more disheartening than seeing your TDA die to a lucky Smite. Psychic Fortress is very solid. Veil of Time increases your odds to charge after deep striking. Might of Heroes gives Calgar, a Dread or a Raider solid staying power. I love my Libbies and I wouldn't want to go out without one.

[Marcus Arias]

How many people will be making their own Land Raiders when Chapter Approved is released?

 

I am thinking of 3 Twin Lascannons - simple but very effective!

[robofish7591]

If you are going to just add lascannons, why not just take the terminus ultra?  If three twin lascannons are good, then adding two more lascannons can't hurt either!

[Freman Bloodglaive]

And GW are re-releasing the Terminus Ultra upgrade sprues. Yay.

 

I keep wanting to make some twin lightning claw Cataphractii, but they're just so inferior to combi-bolter and power fist. Since we're still paying 22 points for chainfists, despite Chaos getting them for 14, there's still no reason to model them with chainfists either. If I could take them with combi-plasmas and thunder hammers I would, but only my Captains can do that.

[Stickeh]

Ive massively gone off of lightning claws now, vastly preferring to take TH+SS indomitus terminators. The issue with them is delivery method, and we have the following options:

 

1) Deep strike

Gets you 9” away from your target, but 9 is a big ask on 2D6. Without deep striking a lot of other units alongside it’s also likely they get swamped, and this is easily countered by bubble wraps

 

2) Land Raider variant

Very durable and packing quite a lot of firepower, but at a very high points cost. A unit of TH+SS termies in a Crusader is well over 500 points. I really find it difficult to justify dropping 1/4 of my army on this.

 

3) Storm raven

Very high movement and good durability, at significantly cheaper than any Land Raider variant and arguably better armed. Gets jobbed really hard by anything with rerolls though, and very alpha-strikey. As a bonus can also drop an ironclad alongside to thin out hordes.

 

All of this is just from my anecdotal experience, but I feel the storm raven offers the best balance of cost, maneuverability and firepower.

[Freman Bloodglaive]

With the drop in costs I can fit another twin autocannon Venerable Dread into my 3000 point list.

 

It won't make much difference, but it's still nice.

[Freman Bloodglaive]

Is this enough plasma?

++ Spearhead Detachment +1CP (Imperium - Space Marines) [50 PL, 955pts] ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

**Chapter Selection**: Ultramarines

Gametype: Matched

+ Heavy Support +

Hellblaster Squad: Plasma incinerator

Hellblaster Squad: Plasma incinerator

Hellblaster Squad: Plasma incinerator

+ Fast Attack +

Inceptor Squad: 2x Inceptor, Inceptor Sergeant, Plasma Exterminator

Inceptor Squad: 2x Inceptor, Inceptor Sergeant, Plasma Exterminator

+ HQ +

Primaris Captain w/Power Fist: Plasma pistol, Power fist, The Santic Halo

++ Total: [50 PL, 955pts] ++

Created with BattleScribe

[Freman Bloodglaive]

I'm going to convert some Dark Imperium Inceptors with plasma pistols from my bits box.

[Captain Idaho]

Um, that's about as 1st Company as a Reserve Company. Wrong thread?

[Freman Bloodglaive]

You're right. I'll find a Primaris thread.

[Stickeh]

Anyone looked at using the death wing rules to more accurately represent a 1st company army? I feel that the grim resolve trait far more accurately represents the 'die to a man' mentality embodied by post-tyrannic wars 1st company, and has a few extra toys to use. I'm planning to give it a try, and want to use Belial to represent Agemman.

[Captain Idaho]

I actually thought I'd revisit this thread since Chapter Approved has boosted the prospects for an all 1st Company force. Points drops have boosted Vanguard, Company Veterans and Terminators quite substantially.

 

In addition, theme friendly vehicles have experienced a leg up. Dreadnoughts have gone done, including Contemptors and Venerable Dreads, as well as their weapons costs. Land Raiders have gone down and a Crusader is perhaps the best value of them all.

 

How do people feel about the 1st Company right now?