Sweet Spot

[Paulochromis]

Pretty sure consensus is that an all Deathwing Terminator/Deathwing Knights (=100%DW/0%RW) is NOT viable.

Whereas the inverse is probably just about okay (with mandatory troops). Problem is I love the terminators!

Without access to Land Raiders, where is the DW vs RW sweet spot at 2000 points?

How many 5-man units of terminators/knights (led by Belial and/or TDA Librarian) can I field, supported by RW flyers/skimmers?

Dreadnoughts and Predators might be other possible "fillers".

[Berzul]

I think that, at 2000 points, you can either go with a 5-man squad to deliver some support to a vanguard formation, or a 10-man squad to do a real push against the enemy.

 

More than that becomes too expensive.

 

My favourite configurations include:

 

1) A 5-man Deathwing Knight Squad with either Hunt the Fallen or a Warlord Interrogator Chaplain in TDA to give them a rerroll on the charge. You can use them with an Ancient as well, to hunt a key enemy character and its retinue.

 

2) A 10-man Terminator Squad with 4 hammers, Claw Sgt., and 2 Missiles. Split them up in teams of 5, for DW Assault with the rsnged team, Hunt the Fallen (or a well positioned Wrlord) for the melee team.

 

3) 2 deathwing squads with an apothecary and a Ven Dread to march up the board as a front line human wall

[Interrogator Stobz]

I'd just go the ten man all shooty squad with Deathwing Assault. Sprinkle with Belial, Ancient or other Character Buff as you like.

 

Then Max the RW stuff for the mobility that DW lack.

[Interrogator Stobz]

If you drop pod a twin Storm Cannon Leviathan with them, you will feel very cool, but that lot will cut into the more efficient RW allocation.

[Paulochromis]

Wow, so Deathwing is even more lowly rated than I imagined. How the mighty are fallen.

I will have to go back to the drawing board.

[STTAB]

Maybe worth investigating a stormraven to move 6 terminators and a dread if you are taking a Darkshroud for your ravening anyway. Even at -2 to hit it can still be taken out turn 1 and your dudes are stuck foot slogging.

[FarFromSam]

One 5 man squad, of any build, puts the psychological effect of deep strikers on your opponent. It's also cheap enough that it doesn't pull too many points away from effective units. My personal favorite is assault cannon, th/ss, and 3 fists.

 

Now, if you're open to more... creative solutions, I've found custodian guard

Provides what I like about DW with rules that work. They have a stratagem that lets you deep strike, 2+ 4++, hit on twos with 3 attacks like elite units should. 3 t5 wounds lets them stay on the table long enough to have an impact.

 

I love the models, so I painted up 10 from the prospero box, but sometimes my buddy let's me proxy DW as them just for looks and it plays right.

 

Okay, well, I'll see my self to chamber 42 now.

[Berzul]

If you want to go with a cheap 5-man squad to threaten the enemy backline and add some preassure, you could just go with stock option DW terminators. 192 points, I belive? 5 storm bolters will put out 20 shots in close range to take out small heavy weapon teams, and 4 power fists can do some damage to vehicles if they get up close. Or, if anything else fails, the team will force backlines to reposition to avoid a charge, so they will fire less effectively.