Countering Marine Mech Lists

[Always check the Shadows]

Today i had a crisis of faith in the 1st.

 

I had two games against a close friend and his Iron Hands list. In the first game i was tabled turn 3 and the second i had 5 models left after turn 2. His list was Ferrios, Termie Librarian, 2 Lieutenants, 2 Intercessor squads, Scout Snipers, Hellblasters, Inceptors, 2 Repulsor Executioners (Plasma) and a Leviathan with 2 Storm Cannons

 

I know the Iron Hands are top tier at the moment and we will get better when PA4 comes out but what are we supposed to do against Mech Marines?

 

In the first turn of the second game i went first but still lost a Dark Talon, Nephilim, Venerable Dread, 5 man scout squad, 4 of 6 Black Knights, 5 of 6 bikes, and 1 of 5 Hellblasters! 858 points in a blink!

 

My list was not optimal, not enough anti-vehicle shooting, but without using similar heavy hitters i can't see obvious counters.

[Chaplain Elijah]

This is my tactic against Iron Hands :

 

Edited December 28, 2019 by Elijah

[Always check the Shadows]

This is my tactic against Iron Hands :

 

I managed not to but was tempted. 

[Deadman Wade]

Currently - the is no way to win against IH player who knows what he's doing. At the moment EVERYTHING in C:SM is stronger than what we have, from regular bolters to stratagems and special rules. Power gap is so big that you'll need all your luck and even then it's going to be very hard. And Iron Hands are the strongest C:SM chapter by far.

The best anti-vehicle now is either devastators with overcharged plasma cannons and Weapons from the Dark Age (they benefit the most from Grim Resolve), las predators or eliminators with lascannons, but it's still weak and will lose to IH gunline.

We'll have to wait til PA4 to see if anything changes, but personally, I find it better to refuse to play against cheese lists, as I have better things to do.

Edited December 28, 2019 by Deadman Wade

[Chaplain Elijah]

 las predators or eliminators with lascannons

 

Contemptor with Quad Lascannon can do a better work if you don't mind FW.

[Deadman Wade]

 

 las predators or eliminators with lascannons

 

Contemptor with Quad Lascannon can do a better work if you don't mind FW.

 

Maybe, FW is usually banned in my area, so I forgot about them)

[Chaplain Elijah]

 

 

 las predators or eliminators with lascannons

 

Contemptor with Quad Lascannon can do a better work if you don't mind FW.

 

Maybe, FW is usually banned in my area, so I forgot about them)

 

 

Fair enough but if the OP faced a IH Leviathan (shame on your opponent to do that) he could play a LC Contemptor against him.

[Berzul]

Yesterday I played a 1500 point game vs Blood Angels, that were:

 

Mephiston

Libby dread

Libby dread

Death company dread

Ven dread

Ven dread

Fire raptor

15 scouts

 

Got tabled halfway through turn 2.

 

I cannot even imagine how I would deal with IH, considering the power gap between armies.

 

At the same time, I once played against a 1000 point IH list that was a lot of intercessors and a dread. That list I managed to survive against.

 

I think they key element is the mech of it all.

[Always check the Shadows]

I might add, that i the second game i managed to get my Dark Talon in range to shoot Ferros off the board, 24 bolter shots and 3 rift cannon shots equated to 1 damage getting through. How is he only 110 points?

[Interrogator Stobz]

I deal with it by playing AT ;) just saying :D

Not really helpful, back to the Cells for me...

[Berzul]

I deal with it by playing AT ;) just saying :D

Not really helpful, back to the Cells for me...

I mean, yeah. If you come with a list tailored for it, things become easier.

[Interrogator Stobz]

And I always would, and to help the OP he should too; I run quad Las Contemptor and quad Las Mortis dreads a lot, well did, I barely play the main game now as mentioned.

It's not so much tailored it's being able to deal with the various types of armies out there. Those units don't do horde control so other units are needed for that, to me taking them is part of an all comers list.

Edited December 28, 2019 by Interrogator Stobz

[Berzul]

That os very true. You should have a list that can take on any enemy, regardless of what they bring to the table.

[G8Keeper]

Most of those units aren't exactly amazing in assault, though any Primaris are no slouches. You've got to be looking to shut down shooting somehow there. Sadly we don't have too much that can get in there early. Drop podding company vets with a character with the reroll charges trait maybe, or those black Knights. The Leviathan is especially vulnerable to this.

 

You did the right thing trying to snipe Ferrios, he is nails though. Another option would have been to go for whoever had the iron stone relic, whilst not as powerful as pre faq nerf it's still seen in most IH armies.

 

Basically you've got to erode your opponents ability to both shoot and repair.

Edited December 29, 2019 by G8Keeper

[aura_enchanted]

Or you turn the shoot and repair against him with a rhino primaris and land raider excelsior, you want to really bore an IH to death, mimic his list but take these instead, it will cost as much as his ferrios + repulsor and he will ultimately be forced to commit to meleeing it to death if he wants to kill it, or ignoring it and if he chooses to ignore it you have him and pound his mechanized machines to paste with our superior melee infantry.

 

Hands of iron he may have, but men of paper he has brought to fight you once you've squared away his tank and leviathan with problems of their own to deal with.

 

And grav cannons happen to be really good at killing space marines, what a shock but it appears the Excelsior boasts one

Edited December 29, 2019 by aura_enchanted

[eternal_warrior12]

Stalker bolt rifles and heavy hellblasters kill them just fine. Azreal and dark shroud bubble to keep alive and utilize LOS blocking terrain to maximum benefit and pray. IH are a very scary faction at the moment.

 

Oh and vengeance launcher whirlwinds to start chipping away biggest threat (usually their hellblasters or devastators) from relative safety is good.