Iron Hands for ZM - 750pts

[Droz_64]

To start up a new Legion, I'm considering Iron Hands. I'm planning to have the setting be Mars, with them fighting in the Martian Civil War in the catacombs/vaults. They're supposed to be an archeotech expedition that got trapped when the Schism started, so they're well-equipped, but not large in numbers. I'll add more to the force over time, but they're mainly a hobby project. Here's the list:

 

HQ - Centurion - 175pts

- Forge Lord

- Plasma Pistol

- Thunder Hammer

- MC Bolter

- Cortex Controller

- Servo Arm

- Melta Bombs

- Cyber Familiar

- Artificer Armor

 

Elites - Apothecarion Detachment - 80pts

- 1 Apothecary

- Artificer Armor

- Cyber Familiar

- Power Sword

 

Troops - Breacher Siege Squad - 300pts

- 2 Meltaguns

- Vexilla

- Power Fist

- Melta Bombs (Sgt only)

- Breaching Charge

- Cyber Familiar

- Artificer Armor

 

Heavy Support - Thallax Cohort - 195pts

- 3x Melta Bombs

- 3x Heavy Chainblade

- Destructor

- Multi Melta

 

Any changes you'd suggest? I'm going for fun more than competitiveness.

[Droz_64]

I've made another version with a Contemptor instead of Thallax. It's also cheaper money-wise, as I have the Contemptor already built. 

 

 

++  Zone Mortalis - Combatant (Legiones Astartes: Age of Darkness Army List) [745pts] ++

 

+ Elites +

 

Apothecarion Detachment [70pts]

. Apothecary, Legion: Artificer Armour, Cyber-familiar

. . Chainsword or Combat Blade: Combat Blade

 

Contemptor Dreadnought Talon [230pts]

. Contemptor Dreadnought, Legion: Blessed Autosimulacra, Extra Armour, Havoc Launcher, Kheres Pattern Assault Cannon

. . Dreadnought Chainfist: Twin-linked Bolter

 

+ HQ +

 

Forge Lord [155pts]: Artificer Armour, Melta Bombs, On Foot, Plasma Pistol, Refractor Field

. Consul

. . Forge Lord: Cyber-familiar, Servo Arm

. Thunder Hammer: Thunder Hammer

 

+ Troops +

 

Breacher Siege Squad, Legion [290pts]: 9x Breacher Siege Space Marines, Legion

. Additional Wargear: 2x Flamer, Vexilla, Legion

. Breacher Siege Sergeant, Legion: Artificer Armour, Breacher Charge, Cyber-familiar, Melta Bombs, Power Fist

 

+ Allegiance +

 

Legion and Allegiance:   X: Iron Hands, Loyalist

 

Rite of War

 

++ Total: [745pts] ++

 

Created with BattleScribe

[Varyn]

I appreciate that the list is for hobby and fluff rather than competitive play, my only concern is that you only have 1 unit and a dreadnought in the second list, this might make it tricky in objective based games and you might not enjoy the games as much.

 

I would recommend dropping a few items (looking at the second list) and trying to get another unit in, to give you some more modelling/painting opportunities and variation in your force:

 

if you drop the 2 flamers, cyber familiar, breaching charge, power fist, artificer armour and vexilla from the breachers, that brings them down to 250

drop the plasma pistol and melta bombs on the forge lord, that makes him 135

blessed autosimulacra, havoc launcher and extra armour can be dropped to make the contemptor 190

for the apothecary, dropping the cyber familiar and artificer armour, and giving him a power sword, makes him 55 points

 

that gives you 120 points left over, you can get 5 veterans with 2 combi weapons (combi-plasma is a solid choice), which won't be game changing but will give you another unit which you can potentially outflank (stalkers tactics) and if you expand to more points you can spend a bit more on the unit 

 

hopefully that gives you some ideas

 

look forward to seeing some pictures!

[Mogsam]

I would concur, multiple units are really required for ZM and they shouldn't get too big.

[Cadmus Tyro]

IMHO, contemptors are a liability in ZM due to reactionary fire. You are one meltagun shot away from losing a large proportion of your force, which is a distinct possibility when charging infantry.

 

In your second list, the Forge lord is not really adding much to your list in terms of utility, you may as well not upgrade him and save the 35 points for something else.

 

Breachers add a little more to a ZM list, tacticals are usually frustratingly ineffective. One consideration would be to take a Delagatus instead of a Forge lord and use the ZM rite of war, this increases the breachers survivability a little.

 

I actually think thallax will be more fun for you to play than a contemptor. They are fairly tough at 750pts and can use their boost move after shooting, thus moving them out of LoS for both return fire and charges (as you need LoS to make a charge). This is pretty massive in ZM.

 

How about this:

 

HQ - Forge Lord (thunder hammer, artificer armour, cortex controller, rad grenades) 135

 

Troops - x10 breachers (x2 melta guns, artificer armour, power glove) 280

 

Heavy support - x3 Thallax (melta bombs, plasma fusil) 165

 

That leaves you 170 points to spend on another unit (or drop the rad grenades for 180 points). I would strongly suggest another scoring unit, seekers/veterans/support squad with flamers or volkite chargers. If you do take a contemptor, go for a Cortus, they are much cheaper.

 

Hope that helps

 

Cadmus

[Spiritual Liege]

 

Troops - x10 breachers (x2 melta guns, artificer armour, power glove) 280

 

 

YOU FORGOT THE POWER GLOVE!

 

Memeing aside, some solid advice in the comments. You are spending too much points on wargear, especially on that Contemptor if you decide to keep it in. Cutting some and adding another unit would probably be the best course of action,

[Cadmus Tyro]

 

Troops - x10 breachers (x2 melta guns, artificer armour, power glove) 280

 

YOU FORGOT THE POWER GLOVE!

 

Memeing aside, some solid advice in the comments. You are spending too much points on wargear, especially on that Contemptor if you decide to keep it in. Cutting some and adding another unit would probably be the best course of action,

Lol, actually I forgot that breachers went down in cost in the last book, which gives you 25pts to play with:

 

Breachers x10 (200), Melta guns (30), artificer (10), power glove (15)- 255pts