Barnyard brawl

[Archadeus]

Hey guys, it's time for the tournament. We finally got an event close enough to venture to. So far I can tell the meta is very diverse, DA, drukari, BA and custodes are my biggest worry atm. If anyone has some thoughts on advanced tactics against these armies feel free to share.

[Skywrath]

I can give you pointers regarding Custodes and Dark Angels - what worries you?

[Archadeus]

Custodes strats, bikers and just generally being what grey knights want to be. Haven't played against them either so not sure how to approach the matchup. Same with dark angels, transterms are insane, auto 6 advancing bikes that get an invuln. They also have -1 dmg and free secondaries. Trying to figure how out how I want to deploy, how much in space and target priority.

[Skywrath]

Custodes strats, bikers and just generally being what grey knights want to be. Haven't played against them either so not sure how to approach the matchup. Same with dark angels, transterms are insane, auto 6 advancing bikes that get an invuln. They also have -1 dmg and free secondaries. Trying to figure how out how I want to deploy, how much in space and target priority.

 

Custodes weakness lies in MW - as a GK you can spam MW through the tide, and you can bet the Custodes player will be crying at the end of your game. For that reason, taking a BC is very much a good idea. Just smite them at a distance, using GOI to get out of their melee. A 10m Paladin Brick works equally as well if you are up against nasty 3+ invuln guard squads, or allarus/aquillon custodians. Screen them well enough, if the Custodian player runs Dread Host, you have a 3D6 charge coming your way, discarding the lowest result.  That stratagem can be used on up-to 3 units. Getting into melee with them, is also no bueno as a GK - well until we get our wounds. 

 

Other things off note:

 

1. Emperor's Auspice - turns off your re-rolls against the unit he picks. That applies to all kinds of re-rolls, hits, wounds, etc etc. Of course, you aren't that reliant on re-rolls, unless you run purgation squads with Edict Imperator/Ethereal Manipulation, but definitely worth keeping at the end of your mind.
2. If he's on the marker (and all of his units outside of vehicles have obsec!) he can interrupt you for 1CP. But he has to be 3" away from the marker to use it and always fights first.
3. Fraternity of Heroes - 1CP strategem, which means anyone within 3" can heroically intervene as if he was a character. Obviously for that reason don't get into melee with Custodes, unless you are absolutely sure you can beat their 4+ invulns either due to WD or volume of attacks. Oh, and all their attacks is -3AP, with D3 damage, so that in itself should tell you whether getting into melee is a good idea. Hint: It's not, and oh, he'll be running his Custodes in a blob, if he's a decent player.
4. Swooping Dive - 3CP strat that makes his bikes do a charge at the start (??) of the charge phase (assuming they are within 12" of the unit being charged), and they ALWAYS fight first, regardless of rules. Pretty much, keep away from the bikes (if he runs them) at all costs as well.
5. 1CP strat that on a 4+ that psychic power has no effect.
6. 1CP strat that allows the custodian to take a psychic deny test, giving him +1 to his result. Not that it matters, as a GK you have many ways to get up to +3 if you so wish. Just bait that strategem out, and do your important psychic tests after you bait that strat. Same story with point n5. 
7. Probably worth mentioning - he has a 1CP strat that makes his terminators ignore -1 and -2AP. The other thing is Superior Fire patterns - it doubles the amount of shots for his RAPID FIRE weapons (make sure you remember that). So i.e stormbolters, but as they are Custodians everything is better (i.e. 4 shots, S5, -1AP, 1D stormbolters each with that strat). He could also probably do that with Venatari - that also hurts equally as much.  

That's pretty much it for Custodes. Keep them at a distance, screen well, and smite them. Run a Paladin Deathbomb into them if you wish, and play Objectives. Their weakness is board presence and psychic abilities, all of which you have in plenty. Never get into melee with them, period. You are a brick that drops behind the terrain, but so are they. If you keep all of this in mind, you should be fine.

 

Dark Angels - will respond later today on them.

Edited April 26, 2021 by Brother Lunkhead

[Archadeus]

Yeah dark angels were the real issue. 20 terminators with trans and half with stormsheilds killed my output. Mortals were the only wounds I could do and even that wasn't enough. The ravenwing fell over like paper but deathwing knights made up for that.

[Archadeus]

But hey you're right not all bad drukari and necrons are easy. Bring down the beast is insane. And around here they play the -1 to hit in shadows. Not my style but They play the 8th loophole.

[Archadeus]

But hey you're right not all bad drukari and necrons are easy. Bring down the beast is insane. And around here they play the -1 to hit in shadows. Not my style but They play the 8th loophole.