2.5k Salamanders

[Mogsam]

I've recently decided to do my first loyalist legion. As I wanted something unusual that I don't see often, I've gone for a Salamanders host and loaded it up with several fast attack choices and a giant ram. I think it's a fairly solid start and it runs Covenant of Fire, so all the meltas are master crafted and the rhino's get their invuln saves. I've stayed away from dreads and fire drakes and gone for some simple tacticals and some jetbikes, all too unimportant to have been summoned to Istivaan for a reason!

 

Thoughts?

 

+ HQ +

 

Delegatus: Bolt Pistol, Dragonscale Storm Shield, Melta Bombs, Refractor field,

Scimitar Jetbike

 

+ Elites +

 

Terminator Squad.

2 x thunder hammer storm shields

1 x combi melta and chainfist

1 X chainfist and storm shield

Sarg w/artificer Chainfist and combi melta

 

+ Troops +

 

Tactical Squad, bolters, additional combat weapons, rhino, extra armour, multi melta

Sergeant w/Artificer Armour, Melta Bombs, Power Maul

 

Tactical Squad, bolters, additional combat weapons, rhino, extra armour, multi melta

Sergeant w/Artificer Armour, Melta Bombs, Power Axe

 

Tactical Squad, bolters, additional combat weapons, rhino, extra armour, multi melta

Sergeant w/Artificer Armour, Melta Bombs, Power Fist

 

Tactical Squad: Bolters, 9x Tactical Space Marines.

Sarg w/ Artificer Armour, Melta bomb,Combi-Meltagun (go in the Caestus)

 

Fast attack

 

Jetbike Sky Hunter Squadron

4x Heavy Bolter, 2x Plasma Cannon, Sarg

Additional Wargear: Melta Bombs

 

Jetbike Sky Hunter Squadron

4x Heavy Bolter, 2x Plasma Cannon, Sarg

Additional Wargear: Melta Bombs

 

Primaris-Lightning Strike Fighter: 4x Kraken Penetrator Heavy Missiles, Battle Servitor Control, Ground-tracking Auguries, Twin-linked Lascannon

 

+ Heavy Support +

 

Caestus Assault Ram, Legion

Two wing mounted: Missile Launcher

[The Scorpion]

I think "Covenant of Fire" does not allow Deep Strike, so be careful that your plans for jetbikes and flyers don't go kaput because of this.

[Churchill53]

Only issue I see is the terminators have no transport so gonna just be walking across the board, with the -1 to run and charge means could be awhile before they do anything. May be worth putting them in the ram and having the tact squad that was in it holding back field objective 

[Mogsam]

Ah, some errors on my part there and good point on the deep strike.

 

The terminators are actually in a anvillus, (which I accidently deleted during the tidy up of Battlescribe) so they can't be taken.

 

Jetbikes and the ram would have deployed on the board or from reserves, they have deep strike but don't have to use it. Surely covenant of fire doesn't deny that?

 

Obvious answer is to drop covenant of fire and this works as a normal non row army then I guess. Gives me 15 points from the delegatus to go back into giving him an actual weapon.

[Imren]

Scimitars are a very good and capable unit. But playing them to their strenth is to avoid close combat with them. They are fast, "ignores" terrain, carry heavy weapons and use them in a move and shoot manner, and are T5 2+, so what you want to do with them is to dance around enemy units at 25"+ and hose them down with heavy weapons fire. They will be what saves your ass when you face a WE army running at you. Its good and tempting to put your HQ on a jetbike för that sweet T5 and auto 2+, but then you rather run him alone rather than in the skyhunter/skyslayer squadron, otherwise they synergise bad together since the HQ wanting to be in close combat and the rest of the squad stay at arms lenght and use their heavy weapons.

 

Your four units of tacticals are a good choice and will give you advantages in objectives missions against opponents that just take their two "troops tax" units.

 

How about putting your terminators in the Caestus assault ram and change on the of the tacticals points to a plasma/flamer/melta support squad in the anvillus? This will improve your capability against infantry or vehicles and they still can hold objectives.

[Mogsam]

I have a sky hunter phalanx EC list and quickly learnt the value of cheap HQs on bikes. They may not fight in combat, but they're relatively safe and at only 130ish points, not a massive loss to the overall armies output. Being able to give him the shield gives him effectively a praetors survivability from incoming ST10 pie plates. He also adds his LD to the bike squad so they're less likely to run!

 

I had considered popping him in another squad, but the unit in the Anvillus is destined to die on turn 2 after bashing in the biggest threat and the rams unit needs to be cheap and unimportant. The magna melta is a big melta template and often a better option than the unit inside! Often his only addition to the army is to not die and give away that bonus VP.

 

The anvil terminator unit gets it as a dedicated transport, so I'd have to lose bikes or the lightning to get something else in it. I use this build alot in my EC and I've found 2 combi meltas tend to get the job done against the medusas etc and then the 2+ save forces people to deal with them head on. Distraction carnifex style.

 

Now that convenant is off the table, there's a good argument for dropping the poorly equipped tactical squad in the caestus and putting something better in it with the points, cutting points other places etc.