3K Sons of Horus Orbital Assault

[The_Stray_Idea]

Hi all. Just looking for some feed back on what will be my traitor project for 30K. I have had a bit of a soft spot for the lunar wolves/sons of Horus for some time and given how much I have been enjoying the loyalists I have been building I figure it’s time to embrace some darker powers.

 

The list is as follows.

 

HQ

 

Preator with the relic terminator armour paragon blade and boarding shield if that can be done.

 

5 justarian multi melta and a mix of chain fists and lightning claws.

 

10 vets with sniper 2 missle launchers vox and vex and a power weapon Sargent melta bombs all around in a pod.

 

2 10 man tac squads Vox and Vexillia power sword melta Sargent and extra ccw in pods

 

1 20 man tac squad with extra ccw and Vex Sargent as above.

 

2 javalins with melta and Lascannons.

Storm Eagle with melta Lascannons and extra armour

 

15 reavers with packs hand flamer 3 flamers a melta bomb and I’m arguing with bolters for the turn they deep strike to help them start churning out extra attacks on the following combat.

 

1 death storm pod with frag and pod assault

 

1 levy siege dread twin Volk grav cannon siege arm ceremite and Phosphex in a pod as well.

 

There are some points kicking around and I’m sure this still needs some work. I have not ordered anything as of yet so any recommendations on changes won’t make the bank cry too much. Well until someone recommends a thunder hawk or larger I guess.

 

Many thanks in advance to any and all who can offer some input.

[Kizzdougs]

Just a couple of quick notes:

 

Praetors in Terminator armour can't take boarding shields.

 

Most people don't use the relics for regular games.

 

Maybe the points spent on the 20 man tactical squad would be better spent on some more veterans? If you replace the 20 man squad with some veterans and give this new vet unit a drop pod, you could also get rid of the Storm Eagle (you won't need it as a transport for the Tactical Marines) and the Death Storm pod. That would free up some points to be spent elsewhere.

 

Also, deep striking Justaerin are going to be very vulnerable and if you're Praetor is accompanying them they'll be an even bigger target priority.

 

Apart form that it looks pretty good :tu:

[The_Stray_Idea]

Awesome thank you for some of that clarification. I will look into a few other options with regards to the massive amounts of points that frees up.

[Kizzdougs]

No worries bro! 

 

Do you have any of the models yet or are there any models that you really want to have in your army?

[The_Stray_Idea]

I’m yet to purchase anything of substance as of yet. I have some GW kits for Heresy era armour but no construction has started until I have it worked out. So feel free recommending anything you feel will help the list.

[Kizzdougs]

I’m yet to purchase anything of substance as of yet. I have some GW kits for Heresy era armour but no construction has started until I have it worked out. So feel free recommending anything you feel will help the list.

Alright, I'll have a go at writing a list that remains pretty similar to yours. 

 

Do you have a preference for or against special characters/the Primarch?

[The_Stray_Idea]

I have no preference against characters. Horus is on my to paint list any way but I haven’t been too lucky with finding a way to use him that doesn’t scream Death Star.

[Kizzdougs]

I have no preference against characters. Horus is on my to paint list any way but I haven’t been too lucky with finding a way to use him that doesn’t scream Death Star.

Yeah, most Primarchs are best when they have a bodyguard (deathstar). I'll see if I can write a list or two :)

[Kizzdougs]

The SoH have some great special characters. One of the best things about Horus and Maloghurst is that they make Legion Veterans Troops. So you essential get the 'Pride of the Legion' Rite of War for free and without any of the draw backs.

 

 

3,000pts, SoH, Traitors.

 

Orbital Assault.

 

Horus: 500pts.

 

Centurion - Chaplain: 110pts.

Artificer armour, power axe, melta-bomb, boarding shield.

 

5 Justaerin: 295pts.

2x lightning claws (single claws), 3x chainfists.

 

10 Veterans: 325pts.

machine Killers, 7x combi-meltas, 2x melta guns. Sergeant: artificer armour, combi-melta, power axe. Legion Drop Pod.

 

10 Veterans: 325pts.

Marksmen, 7x combi-plasma, 2x plasma guns. Sergeant: artificer armour, combi-plasma, power axe. Legion Drop Pod.

 

10 Veterans: 335pts.

Marksmen, 2x power weapons (axes?), vexilla, 2x flamers. Sergeant: artificer armour, powerfist. Dreadclaw Drop Pod.

 

10 Veterans: 335pts.

Marksmen, 2x power weapons (axes?), vexilla, 2x flamers. Sergeant: artificer armour, powerfist. Dreadclaw Drop Pod.

 

2 Javelin Attack Speeders: 130pts.

2x multi-meltas, cyclone missile launchers.

 

Kharybdis Assault Claw: 235pts.

 

Leviathan Siege Dreadnought: 410pts.

Siege drill, Cyclonic melta lance, phosphex discharger. Dreadnought Drop Pod.

 

Horus and the Chaplain join the Justaerin in the Kharybdis. I know you said that you didn't like 'deathstars' but the Justaerin unit is only 5 strong, so it's not a full blown deathstar. If you bring the Kharybdis down turn 1 then they should be able to get a turn 2 charge. They could target vehicles with their chainfist and World-Breaker or go after high value infantry targets that have had their transports destroyed by the Machine Killer Legion Vets.

 

The melta-vets are there to destroy vehicles. With the 'Death Dealers' special rule their meltas will be shooting at BS5.

 

The plasma-vets are there to destroy elite infantry/mechanicum monsters. Death Dealers won't help to limit the collateral damage from over-heating plasma guns, but it will increase the number of hits.

 

The Marksmen vets are infantry killers. They have four attacks each on the charge and with a couple of power weapons in the unit they will hit relatively hard. The flamers will get sniper from the Marksmen special rule which is really nice, and sniper boltguns are actually not too bad agains high toughness targets such as Mechanicum monsters and Quad Mortar Squads (thanks to always wounding on a 4+).

 

The Javelins are another tank hunter unit. They can deep strike and outflank so they can usually get into the side and rear arcs of vehicles and with the 'Strafing Run' special rule they will be hitting on 2+ thanks to BS5.

 

The Leviathan is a beast. I've given him a Melta-lance so that he can pop some vehicles that would threaten your infantry or destroy transports so that your infantry will be able to assault the occupants. You could give him a the Grav-flux Bombard if you wanted to, it cost the same as the lance, so easy to swap.

 

 

 

So...

 

So first off, the Sons of Horus do this sort of list better than most thanks to the fact that,

 

1. Horus seizes initiative on a 4+. So you can get that alpha strike in if you need to.
2. SoH get to re-roll 1s on reserve rolls. Great for the second wave of Drop Pods and the Javelins.
3. certain SoH units can take Dreadclaws as dedicated transports (and they're 15pts cheaper than the regular unit entry).
4. Horus/Maloghurst make Veterans Troops.

 

 

Against an assault heavy army I'd bring the Leviathan, Kharybdis (Horus, Chaplain, and Justaerin), and a squad of the Marksmen vets in on turn 1. The vets and the Horus et al stay in their drop pods ready for a turn 2 assault and hopefully the Leviathan will be able to destroy anything that poses a serious threat to the pods (Deredeo, Archus etc.). Turn 2 the two combi-weapon squads come in. Hopefully the melta-vets will be able to crack a transport so that Horus et al can assault the contents. Alternatively if there is already a good target for Horus to assault they could combine with the plasma-vets to crack a transport and annihilate the occupants.

 

Against a shooty army I'd bring in the Leviathan, the melta-vets, and either the Kharybdis or the plasma-vets. Between them the melta-vets and the Leviathan should be able to handle Knights and Super Heavies. The plasma-vets are primarily designed to kill elite infantry, but if your opponent has a squadron on light/medium tanks (Predators, Vindicators, Legion Artillery etc.) the plasma-vets will make a mess of them if they can target the side or rear armour (and don't forget that they're BS5 when within 12 inches of the target).

 

 

It's a pretty elite army, but I think that that fits the Sons of Horus, especially when the Warmaster is also present. If you don't like the Kharybdis you could get rid of it and just deep strike Horus and the Justaerin, but they will be a lot more vulnerable as they have to face a turn of enemy shooting before they can assault. I'd probably spend some of the points from the Kharybdis on some more Justaerin to cover the casualties that they inevitably suffer if they don't have a transport.

 

 

Anyway, they're just some ideas and I don't actually play Sons of Horus, so maybe someone else could chime in with some ideas.

 

:tu:

[Caillum]

^ I play against SoH, and this is all very good advice. :)

 

Maloghurst is a really great option when starting a force like this, as he’s a cheap-ish HQ that brings Vets as Troops. Good conversion opportunities for him too!

[The_Stray_Idea]

@Kizzdougs that’s possibly some of the most well rounded advice. Thanks so much. That list is a great template to work from. I won’t carbon copy it but really helped make sense of all the options a available to me. You have unfortunately forced my bank to deliver Horus to me now. I hope your happy with yourself.

[Kizzdougs]

@Kizzdougs that’s possibly some of the most well rounded advice. Thanks so much. That list is a great template to work from. I won’t carbon copy it but really helped make sense of all the options a available to me. You have unfortunately forced my bank to deliver Horus to me now. I hope your happy with yourself.

No worries bro! The Sons of Horus have some great options, so it was fun to write up the list (definitely more fun than trying to write a list for my Emperor's Children :P ).

 

I look forward to seeing you paint up some SoH, especially the Warmaster himself :tu:

[Spiritual Liege]

Just a thought, is the Kharybdis required? Sure it brings Horus and friends on table turn 1 but Horus already has a good deep strike and pays points for that ability, why waste another 235 points for a delivery method when they already have one?

 

I don't play them either and this is probably bull:cuss but just my thoughts

[Kizzdougs]

Just a thought, is the Kharybdis required? Sure it brings Horus and friends on table turn 1 but Horus already has a good deep strike and pays points for that ability, why waste another 235 points for a delivery method when they already have one?

 

I don't play them either and this is probably bull:cuss but just my thoughts

Yeah, you could definitely leave the Kharybdis at home if you wanted to, but I think its a good pick because:

 

1. Drop Pod Assault: Like you said, the Kharybdis can come in on turn 1 to set up a turn 2 assault. If Horus and the Justaerin Teleport in the best they can hope for is a turn 3 assault. Obviously this is a big advantage for an assault focussed unit.
2. Manoeuvrability: The Kharybdis operates as either a Flyer or a Fast Skimmer, which is excellent. This gives Horus and his unit a lot more manoeuvrability than they would have on foot. If they Teleport in then they're only going to be moving 6 inches a turn for the rest of the game, so a clever opponent will be able to move away from them and avoid them, especially if you're facing a fast opponent such as the White Scars. Because you can't assault on the turn that you Deep Strike an opponent with a manoeuvrability advantage might be able to move far enough away that you won't be able to make an assault in the next turn, which brings us to...
3. Survivability: The Kharybdis has 5 Hull Points and can jink, which is pretty decent (even better if it's Night Fight on the first turn). It can also deploy out of range of some interceptors and then use its manoeuvrability to move into position for a turn 2 asseault. Turn 1: comes in somewhere safe using Drop Pod Assault and Inertial Guidance and then moves flat out 18 inches in the shooting phase to get into position. Turn 2: the Kharybdis moves 6 inches, Horus and the boys disembark and move up to 6 inches and assault 2D6 inches. Even if you can't avoid interceptor the unit is still safer inside the jinking Kharybdis. Also, because the Justaerin are wearing Cataphractii Armour they can't run, which means that they are going to be nicely bunched up for for any templates (Vindicators, Typhons, Plasma-cannonades, Plasma Cannons, Medusas, Grav-Flux Bombards etc. will all make a mess of them) if they Teleport in. The Kharybdis can also transport other units after if has disembarked the Justaerin and Horus or it could embark them again in the lat game if the unit is in danger of being destroyed. Also if one of the Veteran Squads has their Anvillus Destroyed then the Kharybdis can come and pick them up, either to protect the unit from enemy fire or to get them to where they need to be.

The Kharybdis also comes with 5x 24 inch, Strength 6,  AP5, heavy 2, twin-linked, pinning, shots than can all fire at seperate targets and it can also use its Heat Blast special rule.

 

If you decided to drop the Kharybdis I'd spend the points saved on more Justaerin as you'll need the extra numbers to cover the loses that you will inevitably suffer when they Teleport in. I'd also equip them with combi-weapons so that they can have an impact as soon as they come in :tu: