Swordbearers 2K

[The Woodsman]

Ok so as promised in various other threads, here's my take on a full Swordbearers list (ft. my beloved Land Raiders). The Land Raiders themselves kind of speak against it being "competitive", but I think it could do well and actually give even top-tier armies something to chew on if played right. Plus it is going to look so cool on the tabletop (especially once I receive/convert/paint my GMDK... stay tuned!). Here's the list, I'll break down tactics/thoughts after:

 

 

++ Patrol Detachment 0CP (Imperium - Grey Knights) ++

 

+ Configuration +

 

Battle Size: 3. Strike Force (101-200 Total PL / 1001-2000 Points) 

 

Brotherhood: Swordbearers

 

Detachment Command Cost

 

+ Stratagems +

 

Armoury of Titan: 1 Additional Relic

 

+ HQ +

 

Grand Master in Nemesis Dreadknight: 1: Gate of Infinity, 2: Empyric Amplification, 3: Unyielding Anvil, Brotherhood Psyker Power, Dreadfist, Gatling Psilencer, Grand Master Chapter, Heavy Psycannon, Nemesis Greatsword, Servant of the Throne, Sigil of Exigence, Warlord

 

+ Troops +

 

Strike Squad: Brotherhood Psyker Power, Frag & Krak grenades, Psyk-out Grenade

4x Grey Knight (Halberd): 4x Nemesis Force Halberd, 4x Storm Bolter

Grey Knight Justicar: Storm Bolter

Nemesis Force Sword: Nemesis Force Sword

 

Strike Squad: Brotherhood Psyker Power, Frag & Krak grenades, Psyk-out Grenade

4x Grey Knight (Halberd): 4x Nemesis Force Halberd, 4x Storm Bolter

Grey Knight Justicar: Storm Bolter

Nemesis Force Sword: Nemesis Force Sword

 

+ Fast Attack +

 

Interceptor Squad: Brotherhood Psyker Power, Frag & Krak grenades, Psyk-out Grenade

4x Interceptor (Falchions): 8x Nemesis Falchion, 4x Storm Bolter

Interceptor Justicar: Frag & Krak grenades, Psyk-out Grenade, Storm Bolter

Nemesis Warding Stave: Nemesis Warding Stave

 

Interceptor Squad: Brotherhood Psyker Power, Frag & Krak grenades, Psyk-out Grenade

4x Interceptor (Falchions): 8x Nemesis Falchion, 4x Storm Bolter

Interceptor Justicar: Frag & Krak grenades, Psyk-out Grenade, Storm Bolter

Nemesis Falchions: 2x Nemesis Falchion

 

+ Heavy Support +

 

Nemesis Dreadknight: Dreadfist, Gatling Psilencer, Heavy Psycannon, Nemesis Greatsword

 

Nemesis Dreadknight: Dreadfist, Dreadknight teleporter, Heavy Incinerator, Heavy Psycannon, Nemesis Greatsword

 

++ Patrol Detachment -2CP (Imperium - Grey Knights) ++

 

+ Configuration +

 

Brotherhood: Swordbearers

 

Detachment Command Cost

 

+ HQ +

 

Brotherhood Librarian: 3: Sanctuary, 5: Warp Shaping, Brotherhood Psyker Power, Crux Terminatus, Frag & Krak grenades, Gem of Inoktu, Psyk-out Grenade

Nemesis Force Sword: Nemesis Force Sword

 

Brotherhood Techmarine: 1: Gate of Infinity, Aetheric Conduit, Boltgun, Brotherhood Psyker Power, Frag & Krak grenades, Power axe, Psyk-out Grenade, Rites of Protection, Shield of Humanity

Servo Arms: Flamer, Plasma cutter, 2x Servo-arm

 

+ Troops +

 

Strike Squad: Brotherhood Psyker Power, Frag & Krak grenades, Psyk-out Grenade

4x Grey Knight (Halberd): 4x Nemesis Force Halberd, 4x Storm Bolter

Grey Knight Justicar: Storm Bolter

Nemesis Force Sword: Nemesis Force Sword

 

+ Fast Attack +

 

Interceptor Squad: Brotherhood Psyker Power, Frag & Krak grenades, Psyk-out Grenade

4x Interceptor (Falchions): 8x Nemesis Falchion, 4x Storm Bolter

Interceptor Justicar: Frag & Krak grenades, Psyk-out Grenade, Storm Bolter

Nemesis Force Sword: Nemesis Force Sword

 

+ Heavy Support +

 

Land Raider: Twin Heavy Bolter, 2x Twin Lascannon

 

Land Raider: Twin Heavy Bolter, 2x Twin Lascannon

 

Created with BattleScribe (https://battlescribe.net)

 

Ok so two Patrols because of the 4 Heavy slots... kind of sucky to lose out on 2CP off the bat but no choice really if I want to go down this route. Both Swordbearers so the Power/Strats/WL Trait stack. 

 

Main Tactics

 

The idea is that with all those armored targets, and both Land Raiders sitting on a 4++ thanks to Sanctuary and Rites, most opponents will be hard pressed to actually take them down in a meaningful way. Even Drukhari Raider spam, with its Black Heart re-rolls, is gonna be curbed by those invul saves and T8 tanks. Between the Techmarine and various powers and strats, the Land Raiders should be hitting and wounding most stuff on 2s, and therefore remain efficient despite not being Core and losing out on re-rolls - they should also have a good shot at remaining functionnal between the Conduit and Purity of the Machine Spirit. The DK guns deal with light armor and elite infantry, while the Lascannons *theoretically* deal with heavier armor/monsters before the DKs smash into combat. The only thing I can't fix is the swingy d6 damage. However, I'm hoping that when everything goes off and those tanks are hitting/wounding on 2s with -3 AP, the average Damage should be pretty good.

 

Unsure as of yet if/how I'll Deep Strike the DKs, since I do want to flood the board with those high-armored, high-wound count and invul-protected targets, and between the Sigil, TP Shunt and Gate I should manage to get them up the field pretty quick. 

 

The rest speaks for itself - MSU Strikes/Interceptors for fast-moving, Deep Striking units that can rack up Purifying Ritual pretty quickly (could easily do 4+ on Turn 1 and fairly confidently on Turn 2, meaning I'd only need to do 1 a Turn for the rest of the game to max it out). Besides being good for Secondary/Objective, the new profiles should allow them to really take the hurt to my opponent, plus give me lots of Smite potential. 

 

Target priority is of course anti-tank, the power armored units can score early, even if I start to run out Turn 3-4, if those DKs have survived I can still score objectives thanks to Undying Anvil.

 

Secondary Objectives

 

As mentionned above, I'd mostly always go for Purifying Ritual, as its a pretty easy one to score early and it really plays well into swamping the Primary objectives anyways with the units destined to do it. 

 

Other than that, I've been fond of Banners lately, but seeing as you can't do two actions a turn it would probably only play against the Ritual. Engage is always going to be an option, while depending on the mission Domination could really work well with said Ritual, though I'm unsure if it would be that rewarding late game. 

 

To sum, I think Ritual and Engage would be my go-to in almost every circumstance, the third will depend on the opponent. I've gotten pretty good at Assassination when my opponent has enough Characters for it to be worthwhile, and Grind them Down could be good if I can protect the Strikes/Interceptors efficiently. 

 

Tides

 

So bit of an odd one, the changes with the Codex have made Shadows the prime option in most scenarios, though funilly enough in this list most stuff will be aiming to be within 12" pretty quickly (except for the tanks but then they don't get, do they). Still, probably start in Shadows, swap to Escaltion if I wan't a +1 to Wound on multiple targets, and Convergence when my units get into combat. Alternatively say against combat armies I could hold back in Convergence and use that extra range on the DKs. I don't really ever see me using Celerity, though it could be useful for early objective grabbing, though 12'', TP Shunt and Gate should do alright without it. Even then, the average on an advance roll is 3-4, so I don't know that its even that useful, and its not a huge bonus to a charge anyways. Funnily enough I think that even against demons, there are enough re-rolls/hit and wound buffs throughout the Codex that Convergence will still be a better pick than Banishment... but I could be wrong. 

 

Strats

 

Psychic Onslaught, Marked for Death, Psychic Chanelling and Powerful Adept are probably going toget the most use, to make the most out of DK guns and make sure key powers go off. Other than that, Death from the Warp/Haloed in Soulfire could be really good if Deep Striking (-1 to Hit/3++/Sigil on a Deep Striking GMDK... yes please!), while Thunderous Stride, Mental Focus and TP Shunt having good potential depending on the situation. Other than that, as a faction (still!) strapped for CP, I think being convservative with those CP and learning when to actually turn those stratagems on is going to be one of the keys to success. 

 

Wargear (almost done.)

 

All the infantry is equipped as is mainly because that's how they are modelled and painted. I do have 5 primed Interceptors that I could swap to Swords (which I might do), but I'm not keen to snap off painted weapons from the other Interceptors. Falchions aren't great, but could be handy against hordes, though Orks have got me thinking. I do think Halberds are a good choice, wounding most hordes on 2s, especially with a Hammerhand re-roll, is pretty strong even against stuff like AdMech that can ignore -1/-2 AP stuff. The S6 is really nice against Death Guard too, especially if Amplification is on the target unit. The Swords on the Justicars is mainly again because they are the old models and that's how they come, but having those 4 -3 attacks will actually help against those units that do ignore -1 and -2 AP. The Incinerator on the DK is also because that's how he's modelled. I could swap it to a Psilencer as it is only primed for the moment, but I do like the versatility... again against T5 Orks, that 2d6, autohitting S6 -1 buisiness is gonna be sweet. Only limiter is the range but there are ways to get it into range very reliably. I could simply always keep him in DS and have him come down where I need him, plus he has the TP so worst-case scenario I can spend the 2CP to get him there. 

 

Ok so long breakdown of the list, but I've tweaking it for a couple of days and was pretty excited to share my thoughts. C&C always welcome, let me know what you guys think!

[yowsaman]

i'd take sword or halberds on those smaller squads of interceptors. 

 

i think they will do much more damage then the falcions. Falcions are good in the rapier brother hood with that add. attack from the psychic power and in bigg blob of 10. but in small squads of 5 i think the swords and halberds will be a far better choice. 

 

would love to know how the land raiders fair in a comp. matchup with that 4++ against drukhari and ad mec.

[The Woodsman]

Yeah I'd like to go full swords on the Interceptors, already have a bunch of Halberds in the list and could use the -3 AP. Gonna have to figure out if/how I can snap off the falchions without breaking the model/ruining the paintjob. 

 

I'll let you know when I can! My LGS hosts bi-monthly 40K tournaments, not the most top tier stuff but should be a good indicator!