What are Thousand Sons hoping for from Chapter Approved?

[WarriorFish]

I've figured out the new purpose of Sorcerers: to let me fit a Battalion of Rubrics into 500pts :lol:

[BolterZorro]

Is a pure TS army viable after CA, even with daemon princes and or armoured machineries (defiles, fiends etc...)? And with magnus?

[WarriorFish]

On the surface I'd say yes; while others got point drops too not all codices did, and with the expense of Rubrics et al before the savings are relatively more important and further reaching. Daemon Princes are very good for Tzeentch so they'd already be in lists The daemon engines got some tasty point drops, in particular the Maulerfiend as Sons are short on CC. So at the least an improvement but I'll let those with more experience give deeper analysis

[Marshlands]

I'd have said pure TS was the strongest single chaos book pre chapter approved, due to psychic flexibility and supremacy + tzaangors. Now it just has more viable options, enough to even build a decent brigade now

[Panzer]

Also important to note that while others got lots of points drops as well it doesn't necessarily mean they got much stronger since those points drops are mostly for units that were overcosted. For example for super competetive T'au lists not much changed but for fluffy T'au lists with Crisis and such a lot changed and they can basically take a few Crisis units more than before.

The casual meta definitely got shaken up quite a bit and it'll be interesting to see where each faction will stand after a few weeks/months of testing.

[Sonoftherubric21]

Is a pure TS army viable after CA, even with daemon princes and or armoured machineries (defiles, fiends etc...)? And with magnus?

 

My personal goal for my Thousand Sons is drowning my opponent in dust and Inferno Shells.  

 

Translation: I take Rubrics and Engines ad nauseam. My lists tend to work pretty well  

[Prot]

For me I have expanded something I’ve always wanted more of in my Thousand Sons lists.... Daemon Engines. I always felt it fit from a lot of angles but even in a semi competitive setting it’s been very hard to pull off.

 

I just had a game with 2 Defilers and a hades Fiend. While the Hades fiend could still easily be replaced, it didn’t hurt so much to take it and the Defilers were great. A ton of fun.

[BolterZorro]

 

Is a pure TS army viable after CA, even with daemon princes and or armoured machineries (defiles, fiends etc...)? And with magnus?

 

My personal goal for my Thousand Sons is drowning my opponent in dust and Inferno Shells.  

 

Translation: I take Rubrics and Engines ad nauseam. My lists tend to work pretty well  

 

Idon't like to mix with tzangor. I like th idea of rubic/scarab/engines/wizards + eventually dameon princes and magnus. Could you share please an example of your list?

[Skerr]

Son, I would like to see and hear how your updated lists are doing.

 

You have always talked up the Deamon Engines and they only got more viable, have you had a chance to experiment? I think i read a few days ago you were going to do 50 ru rubrics?

[Prot]

I'm giving another shot at a list with dual Defilers again. This time they will flank my Soul Burner Petard Decimator. Should be good times!

[Sonoftherubric21]

Son, I would like to see and hear how your updated lists are doing.

 

You have always talked up the Deamon Engines and they only got more viable, have you had a chance to experiment? I think i read a few days ago you were going to do 50 ru rubrics?

 

Definitely!!! Since Rubrics came down in CA I have only had 3 games though. 

 

Its a very solid change. My 2000 point list dropped right around 200 points. Allowing for either an additional dread, or engine, or another unit of Rubrics. 

 

I always thought the daemon engines were solid choices, now even more so. The Thousand Sons codex especially runs them so well.  Given the mauler, forge, and defiler all shot down in cost drastically my opinion is that they are viable as bodyguard units for Rubric squads, able to engage quite a few different unit types and hold their own.  The Innate invul save, solid wound profile, and combined with our buffs/Daemonforge strategem means that we have ways of making them very sturdy and dangerous. The defiler especially hits like a freight train. 

 

Obviously, it does have an opportunity cost for resources but most strategies often do. I have not had the pleasure of my 50 man Rubric list yet, my max has been 40 so far lol but it worked out pretty well for the games I tried it. ru-brick with 20 (no flamers) with 2 reapers backed up by 3 engines + 2 helbrutes or sometimes a Mutalith. Two other squads of Rubrics in rhinos with some flamers, or on foot with maybe 2 flamers in a squad (nix the rhinos) to take care of closer-ranging units that may want to close the gap to the Brick.  When I do a build of rubrics + engines I take Ahriman and a single Daemon Prince. The prince can often dig a squad of rubrics out of a dangerous situation in melee with certain opponents. Third option for the HQ (if points allow) is usually an Exalted on disc with duel swords for Seers-bane. 

 

My meta of usual opponents is Space Wolves, Orks (boy spam upwards of 120 per game), Dark eldar with lots of kabalites and some of the big gribbly monsters, craftworld with lots of wraiths of various types, ad mech, and Death Guard. As well as two other marine players. 

 

So there's a fair amount of decent armor save units in my meta that inferno bolters shred and thus helps me with taking as many Rubrics as I do. When doing my list in particular the Dark Matter Crystal is an *ABSOLUTE* requirement. Disengaging rubrics is the best way to handle melee units followed by plugging them full of inferno bolts. 

 

The only questionable unit in my list is the forgefiend. Given that for 10 points cheaper you can get a duel butcher cannon contemptor that hits more accurately its a debate. The forgefiend has some advantages over the contemptor but also some disadvantages, so its a debate I often go back and forth on. Over time the Forgefiend has just been so good to me that I really like using them. Grindy shooting mixed with decent multi-wound damage. 

[Raven1]

I havent look at Defilers at all and im looking at them now. As far as forgefiends are concerned if you have access to FW a dual butcher cannon contemptor or hellforged Leviathan is certainly better for the points.

[Prot]

I don’t own many Forgeworld units and I’ve had my soul burner Decimator for a long time and recently decided to paint him as Thousand Sons just because of theme and appearance. But if I could get my hands on one I’d definitely go with a butcher Cannon dreadnought as well.

Luckily I do have two Soul Grinders I use as twin Defilers ( I like the model a but better). Now after a few more games I can say they really help me in my meta against extremely aggressive opponents. They give my Termies and Tubrics some valuable breathing room.

I will add that I have proxied a dual fisted, Soulburner Contemptor and he is quite impressive too.

I have als proxied the hades fiend a few times since the CA2 and it’s just an iconic unit. Unfortunately it competes with my Forgeworld Sicaran with dual lascannons for the same spot and I really need those lascannons as they are the only ones in my list. (Accelerator Cannon isn’t half bad either. ).

[Sonoftherubric21]

That's fair prot. Sicarans are great in general even for a relatively high point cost. 

 

Hades fiend is cool but has very distinct limitations. The contemptors just kind of work on their own lol.