Pure Infantry - Scions

[jarms48]

Okay, we've been hearing a lot about pure infantry over the last few months. I've played enough of it to know that it can certainly be better for the objective game. The only real disadvantage is the time required to actually setup and play the list.

 

I've tried several different methods just Guard infantry, Guard infantry and Death Riders (using Roughrider proxies), Guard infantry and Scions, Death Riders and Scions. Each had their own pros and cons, but I wanted to try something different. Something I haven't seen anyone else do yet in 9th edition and that's pure infantry Scions. 

 

Here's my general idea:

 

Battalion One (0 CP) Lambdan Lions:

 

HQ: 95 Points.

- Tempestor Prime: 

Warlord, Keys to the Armoury, The Tactical Auto-Reliquary Of Tyberius, Tempestus Command Rod

- Primaris Psyker: 

Psychic Barrier, Psychic Maelstrom

 

Troops: 540 Points.

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

 

Subtotal: 635 Points

 

Battalion Two (3 CP) Lambdan Lions:

 

HQ: 95 Points.

- Tempestor Prime:

Tempestus Command Rod

- Primaris Psyker: 

Nightshroud, Psychic Maelstrom

 

Troops: 540 Points.

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

 

Subtotal: 635 Points.

 

Battalion Three (3 CP) Lambdan Lions:

 

HQ: 90 Points.

- Tempestor Prime:

Tempestus Command Rod

- Aradia Madellan: 

Psychic Augment

 

Troops: 540 Points.

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

- Militarum Tempestus Scions:

9x Scions, 1x Tempestor 

 

Elites: 97 Points.

- Commissar

- Wyrdvane Psykers

Gaze of the Emperor

- Wyrdvane Psykers

Gaze of the Emperor

- Wyrdvane Psykers

Gaze of the Emperor

 

Subtotal: 727 Points.

 

Total: 1997 Points

 

Compared to your typical pure Guard infantry Scions offer a surprising amount of flexibility. Such as:

- 4+ saves across the board. With 3+ saves when in cover, Take Cover or Psychic Barrier, or +1 saves with all of them. 

- Those S3 ranged attacks can be buffed to S4 and/or given +1 to wound. Making them more reliable. You also get your reroll wound order against Vehicles and Monsters. 

- That second Warlord trait can be nice. 

- The Grenadiers stratagem on Krak grenades could be interesting (see below for better use).

- Unquestioning Obedience is simply better than anything Commissars can do, or other Guard morale stratagems.

- At the moment those Tempestors get free plasma pistols. So that's 18 plasma pistols across this list. 

 

Lions Only:

- With Lions your basic ranged attacks are AP-3 and you're AP-1 in melee (so you basically get Lords Approval without the Officer requirement). 

- With Lions you get AP-2 Krak grenades, meaning there could be some utility to use Grenadiers on bigger threats or AP-1 Frag grenades on horde units.

- They get that handy mortal wounds stratagem. 

 

Iotan Dragons:

Their warlord trait and relic is pretty weak but...

- 24 inch Hot-shot lasguns is just nice. Especially with 18 squads of them. 

- They can aerial drop in rapid fire range with their Hot-shot lasguns now. Couple this with an aerial dropped Prime and First Rank Fire, Second Rank Fire! 

 

I would personally still choose Lions every time. 

 

 

 

[sairence]

I've been toying with the idea as well, it has some pretty interesting options.

 

What I ended up settling on is HS-Volley squads from the Lions for the backfield. They have extra AP, Wl-trait etc and a strat to do MW with hotshot weapons, which pairs well with 4 HS Volleyguns in a squad. I usually find the extra AP wasted on Plasma and Melta.

 

Iotan Gorgonnes for the drop, because nothing says die heretic than 4 Meltaguns deepstriking in Melta-range. If I want to go all out I bring a Prime, a big Meltasquad and a Plasma-Command squad to drop normally. The extra hits on 6s are also nice and the WL-trait is just trolly against psychic armies.

 

What I found is that you definitely need something beefy in the midfield though, or you'll get overrun. Bullgryns can be great for this, Deathriders can also do it if you want to bring another detachment. And you can never go wrong with some Inquisitors for psychic support.

 

The main constraint will be that you can only bring 3 TPs. And I wouldn't just rely on massed Lasguns. The strength of Scions is in the absurd amount of special weapons they can bring to bear.

Edited April 23, 2021 by sairence

[Commisar Necros]

I agree with Sairence about the specialization. You can do decent against marines and such, but if someone rolls in with tanks or walkers they're more durable than you are killy. The psykers can help by adding in some mortal wounds, but some meltas and plasma hidden in those squads would be huge. Maybe ditch a squad in each battalion and kit everyone with some specialties, plasma in the back melta in the front. The pistols will help, but i wouldnt rely on em. Having played wolves its nice to have, but isn't going to be game changing.