Just for the looks - is this detachment worth it?

[HighMarshalAmp]

1 Exalted Sorcerer

5 Scarab Occult Terminators

10 Rubric Marines

 

And that's it. I love the looks of these guys, that's why I'm considering buying them in the first place, but my main squeeze are the non-Chaos Marines.

 

I don't have a TS Codex (yet?), so I can't exactly tell what they all do, but if all I wanted was to use these guys to fight like an Egyptian and, if anything, add more of them and no other Chaos units, would you say it would be worth something game-wise or would I just cripple my army to make it look cooler?

 

Also, incidentally, do Thousand Sons Psyker Hosts have something like Chapter Tactics?

[Raven1]

TS "Chapter Tactics" is +6"to psychic power ranges.

[MillionsSons]

that detachment worth like 600 points no ? Is your question about wether this is a good army list for a 600 point match play game ? Or I am missing something :)

[HighMarshalAmp]

that detachment worth like 600 points no ? Is your question about wether this is a good army list for a 600 point match play game ? Or I am missing something :)

Well, it's not even that specific.

 

Now these guys will have a different impact on a 600pt game than on a 1800pt game.

I'm just wondering if they can pull their weight - survive and dish out if they're the main force and help if they're just an addition.

 

It could as well be that they're overpriced dead weight in either scenario.

[Kite Senet]

I'd note first that you can't buy just one Exalted Sorcerer, as they only come in boxes of three.

 

I'm no pro, but what I've heard from the discussions here I get these impressions:

• Rubric Marines are pretty good, but are less exciting with the new codex than we hoped.
• Scarab Occult Terminators are okay, but I get the impression they aren't quite as good as Rubric Marines; their deepstriking ability is less valuable than it usually will be since T-Sons have a wealth of options, including Dark Matter Crystal, movement spells, and a webway strategem, for getting infantry where it needs to go.
• Exalted Sorcerers are generally outclassed by Ahriman and Daemon Princes. Even Terminator Sorcerers have their benefits due to their ability to deepstrike and to get +1 to psychic tests with Familars (and if you get SOTs then you can use some of the spare bits to convert the Termi-Sorcerer into a more T-Sons form, as demonstrated in the codex itself:
  
  
  
  
  
  Though you should be aware that that conversion uses a number of bits you'll only get one of in a SOT box, so if you're building the Scarab Occult Sorcerer then you won't have all the bits they used in that conversion.
  Personally, I play three Exalted Sorcerers in my army myself, but I'm also not playing competitively, so I can't say if it's hurting me too bad. I just don't like the Daemon Prince model, and you only get one Ahriman per army.

From what I've heard, the real juicy stuff in the new Thousand Sons codex is the Tzaangors. In a 2000 point list, I read the general vibe around the T-Sons forum as: Rubrics are "play a squad or two", SOTs are "maybe play one squad" and Exalted Sorcerers are "play Ahriman/DP/Termi-Sorcerer instead".

 

But again, I'm no pro player, and if any competitive player wishes to correct my perception of the common evaluation of power armoured T-Sons, I welcome you to do so.

[sneakybamsen]

Good on you that you like the looks of the models and feel like starting up a small army of them, but you might find the way they play disappointing, unless you know the legion well fluffwise. Shooting is fairly short ranged, but when it hits and wounds, it usually does damage due to the warp effects on our weapons (bolters, flamers and soulreaper cannons). Also TS are quite atuned to the warp, so psychic powers are the name of our game. If those two elements makes you think they are not well suited for your needs as an addon to an existing force, you might want to look elsewhere. If you can live with those elements and like them, then by all means go ahead.

 

This is not meant in a demeaning way by any means, it's just unclear to me at least how much you know of the legion, except that you like the models. I for instance think centurions look cool, but that never made me pick up a box, as they don't fit with my Dark Angels. I fell in love with the Thousand Sons during my HH "reading" (audiobooks), coolest legion fluffwise. That is the reason they are becoming my Army Secundus, not the looks or the rules. What I guess I'm trying to say is, if it's only the looks, you might be disappointed with the rules. My advice would be to read some fluff, and see where that leads you regarding the legion. A Thousand Sons is imho a good place to start.

 

Regards

[Re'Koleq't]

I love the Egyptian theme too. It looks rocking. Good taste sir.

 

I go character heavy (supreme command) as I enjoy the psychic shenanigans we can do! Ahri, DP and or exalteds. So much fun but expensive so not super competitive.

 

Throw in rubrics and a large tzaangor squad with some enlightened and it's a fun list. I don't use SoTs as my character heavy list won't fit them in!

 

For competitive lists drop some characters take some heavy support and definitely some cultists. Prob two units would be golden. Use the tzaangors aggressively, cultists obj sitting and Sons as required between the two.

 

Best of luck to you. Keep us posted. :)

[MillionsSons]

 

that detachment worth like 600 points no ? Is your question about wether this is a good army list for a 600 point match play game ? Or I am missing something

Well, it's not even that specific.

 

Now these guys will have a different impact on a 600pt game than on a 1800pt game.

I'm just wondering if they can pull their weight - survive and dish out if they're the main force and help if they're just an addition.

 

It could as well be that they're overpriced dead weight in either scenario.

 

 

Ah ok :)

My view is that the SOB are just good at tanking, but they wont be destroying anything. They only have 1D and no AP (or just -1...). So they can kill a 5-man space marine squad. But they wont kill a big target (warlord, daemon prince, primarch, tank, etc...). Even a blop of cheap troops they will end up overwhelmed. All the 30-model blop nowadays they all have 40/60 attacks per fight phases etc...

 

Rubrics full flamers units can destroy anything with proper buff I'm pretty fan of it these days :D

[Quixus]

Rubrics full flamers units can destroy anything with proper buff I'm pretty fan of it these days

The problem is getting them in range. Flamers only have 8" and the best you can do is 9" from the target. So you need a) a CP to deep strike them and a deep striking sorcerer(exalted with Disc/TDA) to cast warp time.

[sneakybamsen]

Or go the more casual route of 9 flamers in a rhino. If your opponent doesn't nuke the rhino fast, he'll feel the burn. When they disembark from a rhino they can go within 9" of an enemy.

[MillionsSons]

 

Rubrics full flamers units can destroy anything with proper buff I'm pretty fan of it these days

The problem is getting them in range. Flamers only have 8" and the best you can do is 9" from the target. So you need a) a CP to deep strike them and a deep striking sorcerer(exalted with Disc/TDA) to cast warp time.

 

 

Or go the more casual route of 9 flamers in a rhino. If your opponent doesn't nuke the rhino fast, he'll feel the burn. When they disembark from a rhino they can go within 9" of an enemy.

 

Yeah keep Warp time and dark crystal for tzaangor bomb or put the flamer in Rhino :)

[HighMarshalAmp]

After thorough deliberation (aka realizing that my main list is an Elite based one that's missing some of what it now seems Rubrics do), I've decided to go for it.

I mean, I knew the fluff 5 mins after I first saw these guys last year and love it still.

 

It seems though that I should maybe go for a Battalion Detachment - but should I go 3x5 or at least one full 10 man squad for the Soulreaper?

[Quixus]

If you want the soul reaper, take Scarab Occult Terminators instead. They are tougher and have better melee for only a couple of points more (if you take the Hellfyre Missile Rack as well). Plus they do not need CPs to deep strike.

[Zodd1888]

I've been a big fan of the 9 in a Rhino.

[Xenith]

If you like the models, get them!

[Skerr]

If your reaction to the minis and lore was that postive and strong then you might be a friendly non competitive player in which case go for it.

 

I seem notice that most folks who read the dex first are competitive, they want to glean details, math and theory hammering before making an informed purchase for an army base. The people they play will be bringing top units so they dont spend money on style, more efficiency and you have to research to do that.

 

Most folks fall somewhere in between though all options and reasons for their preference are valid.

[HighMarshalAmp]

If your reaction to the minis and lore was that postive and strong then you might be a friendly non competitive player in which case go for it.

 

I seem notice that most folks who read the dex first are competitive, they want to glean details, math and theory hammering before making an informed purchase for an army base. The people they play will be bringing top units so they dont spend money on style, more efficiency and you have to research to do that.

 

Most folks fall somewhere in between though all options and reasons for their preference are valid.

I fall somewhere in between as well - the mimis were the ones which drew me towards 40k in the first place, that's why their looks alone were reason enough for me to consider them.

But I was too competitive (or stingy ) to just go ahead and get the codex + 3 boxes of minis for fear they'd underperform spectacularly alongside the rest of my army.

 

But as it stands, I'll get the codex and find me some nice turquoise paint...