Skywrath's descent into Chaos..

[Skywrath]

Far from the home of Caliban, all alone surrounded by the debris, the chaos god Tzeentch called my name, and I have answered! 

Fluffy intro aside, recently I decided to start a TS army, and would require your opinion on this list, and where would I begin expanding the army, competitively. I've proxied a TS army 2-3 times, but that is not enough to get a grasp on the peculiarities of the army. For this topic, I am looking for a bit of a debate on this list, as I feel I got most of the elements of a classical competitive TS list, with my own spin thrown into the mix, while remaining competitive. Here it is:

++ Battalion Detachment 0CP (Chaos - Thousand Sons) [100 PL, , 17 Cabal Points, 2,000pts] ++

+ Configuration +

Battle Size [6CP]: 3. Strike Force (101-200 Total PL / 1001-2000 Points) 

Cults of the Legion: Cult of Duplicity

Detachment Command Cost

Gametype: 4. Chapter Approved: War Zone Nephilim

+ HQ +

Ahriman [9 PL, 3 Cabal Points, 180pts]: 12. Glamour of Tzeentch, 21. Temporal Manipulation, 22. Weaver of Fates, Disc of Tzeentch

Exalted Sorcerer [9 PL, -1CP, 3 Cabal Points, 155pts]: 11. Tzeentch's Firestorm, 12. Twist of Fate, 23. Baleful Devolution, 4. Lord of Forbidden Lore, Athenaean Scrolls, Dilettante, Disc of Tzeentch, Inferno Bolt Pistol, Stratagem: Warlord Trait, Warlord

Infernal Master [5 PL, -2CP, 2 Cabal Points, 90pts]: 21. Presage, 3. Capering Imps, 6. Malefic Maelstrom, Egleighen's Orrery, High Acolytes, Master Misinformator, Stratagem: Relic

+ Troops +

Rubric Marines [6 PL, 2 Cabal Points, 110pts]: Icon of Flame
. Aspiring Sorcerer: 31. Empyric Guidance, Inferno Bolt Pistol
. 3x Rubric Marine w/ inferno boltgun: 3x Inferno boltgun
. Rubric Marine w/ soulreaper cannon: Soulreaper cannon

Rubric Marines [6 PL, 2 Cabal Points, 110pts]: Icon of Flame
. Aspiring Sorcerer: 31. Empyric Guidance, Inferno Bolt Pistol
. 3x Rubric Marine w/ inferno boltgun: 3x Inferno boltgun
. Rubric Marine w/ soulreaper cannon: Soulreaper cannon

Rubric Marines [6 PL, 2 Cabal Points, 117pts]: Icon of Flame
. Aspiring Sorcerer: 32. Pyric Flux, Inferno Bolt Pistol
. 4x Rubric Marine w/ warpflamer: 4x Warpflamer

Rubric Marines [6 PL, 2 Cabal Points, 117pts]: Icon of Flame
. Aspiring Sorcerer: 32. Pyric Flux, Inferno Bolt Pistol
. 4x Rubric Marine w/ warpflamer: 4x Warpflamer

+ Elites +

Chaos Contemptor Dreadnought [8 PL, -1CP, 165pts]: Hellforged cyclone missile launcher, 2x Hellforged heavy plasma cannon

Chaos Contemptor Dreadnought [8 PL, -1CP, 165pts]: Hellforged cyclone missile launcher, 2x Hellforged heavy plasma cannon

Scarab Occult Terminators [21 PL, 1 Cabal Points, 440pts]: 2x Hellfyre missile rack
. Scarab Occult Sorcerer: 23. Temporal Surge, Inferno combi-bolter, Rites of Coalescence
. 7x Terminator: 7x Inferno combi-bolter, 7x Prosperine khopesh
. Terminator w/ Heavy Weapon: Soulreaper cannon
. Terminator w/ Heavy Weapon: Soulreaper cannon

+ Fast Attack +

Chaos Spawn [1 PL, 23pts]: Chaos Spawn

Chaos Spawn [1 PL, 23pts]: Chaos Spawn

+ Heavy Support +

Chaos Sicaran Battle Tank [10 PL, -1CP, 220pts]: Heavy bolter
. 2 lascannons: 2x Lascannon

+ Dedicated Transport +

Chaos Rhino [4 PL, 85pts]: Inferno combi-bolter

++ Total: [17 Cabal Points, 100 PL, 2,000pts] ++

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

Thoughts/Plan:

Secondaries: Mutate Landscape, Sorcerous Prowess, X (Third one depending on match-up)

Off the bat, I feel starting with 0CP is a risk. I would generate 2CP a turn through the use of the game-mechanics and through the cabalistic ritual, and would be playing this list defensively, until I get enough CP for the Phalanx + ensorcelled infusion strat. both of the soulreaper rubrics would be on the home objectives, ideally positioned to be there through the Empyric guidance psychic power. The other unit would be doing mutate landscape, alternating between T1 and T2 on the unit that doesn't have Empyric guidance on it. Both flamer units would be in the rhino, advancing to a midboard, and subsequently popping smoke, maybe with Glamour of Tzeentch on it for extra durability. Turn 2-3 anything that charges the rhino, I disembark, and just unleash a gout of unholy flame at whatever charges me. Once the point is clear, do the mutate secondary landscape in that quarter. The 10m Rubric Terminator squad would be on the board, being the anvil, with temporal surge, and Ahriman throwing most of the defensive buffs on it. There is an avenue of an action, I could aggressively double-move the terminators to a quarter not yet done with mutate landscape, with sorcerer on disc zipping up behind them and doing the action for early pressure and subsequent VP. The two contemptors with plasma cannons would be shooting at anything threatening the points (primarily ones with the rhino/flamer rubrics, or the unit marked with the pact/orrerry) or the terminator double move quarter if I do decide to pursue that avenue. Both Chaos Spawn will be advancing or reinforcing a point already contested, as a counter-punch unit, or as a secondary unit to do mutate landscape if needed. Which brings me to the last unit in this list.. the sicarian. The sicarian will always be buffed with presage/strength pact and the infusion strat to make his autocannons hit as hard as the plasma on the contemptors. Ideally he would be in the backlines to prevent any deepstriking shenanigans. This brings me to the thought process of including units.

Unit Inclusion Thought Process/Psychic Power thought process:

Ahriman: An auto-include. Main buffing unit due to his re-rolls if he fails a psychic test, backed up with Temporal Manipulation to heal a character or a rubric squad in a pinch. He will be mostly behind the terminator brick.

Exalted Sorcerer: The secondary form of damage output in this army through the combination of Twist of Fate and Tzeentch's Firestorm. Due to his scroll relic (which will probably be going on the Tzeentch's firestorm psychic power) he's there to counter-bomb anything that threatens a point in a pinch, as well as shutting of invulns so the contemptors/sicarian can destroy anything with their high AP weaponry.

Infernal Master: Presage to buff the sicarian for extra reliability with the two psychic powers to buff up the sicarian shooting if need be. When the sicarian dies, the presage will likely go on the terminators.

Soulreaper Rubrics x2 : Backline objective holders, doing the psychic action on whoever doesn't have the Empyric guidance on them.

Flamer Rubrics x2: Midfield objective holders, serving as a counter-punch unit when the rhino is destroyed. 

Plasma Contemptor Dreadnought x2: Due to Space Marines making a return and due to Armor of Contempt, I argue that plasma contemptors is superior to volkite contemptors, even in conjunction with the orrerry. If I run up against Terminators, the plasma would ensure that I kill 1-2 models per Contemptor reliably, and that's before the sicarian got a chance to shoot it, or the MW output. That, and if I do run up against a horde army list of 6+ models, I get the blast keyword, which would ensure I deal with them somewhat, while the terminators deal with the chaff. The other point is having the option to deal with vehicles at range due to the cyclone missile launcher and the 3D plasma (as most vehicles are T7, meaning I'd be wounding them on 3's!) is nice to have. Something a volkite weaponry armed Contemptor wouldn't be able to deal with. Now while a volkite weapon Contemptor would be able to deal with more horde, I feel I have enough between the soulreaper rubrics and the terminators in conjunction with the infernal fusillade strat.

Scarab Occult Terminators: Do I need to explain why? ;p

Chaos Spawn x2: Cheap mid-field objective holders, or a light counter-punch unit for units threatening said points.

Sicarian Battle Tank: Alright, there is where the justifications happens. The range on autocannons/lascannons and the heavy bolter is what sell this model for me. 48" at S7, -2, 3 damage (see the above plasma contemptor argument) and S9, -4, D6 damage (with the leaks pointing at D3+ 6 damage). In conjunction with the infusion strat and the infernal master + 1 strength, the lascannons would be S10, AP5, D6 damage (meaning most units even with an AoC meta due to Twist of Fate) wouldn't even get an armor save against that. But the interesting kicker, is the fact that due to the same combo, the autocannons would become S8, -3, and 3D making wounding T4 marines on 3's, now wounding on 2's! On top of this, it's fast enough to be a screen in a turn, and have a sizeable enough footprint to deny deepstrike on the back points. In conjunction with the presage strat, this makes it a very reliable gunline platform, especially with the upcoming leaks changes (one of which that it would be T8). So it hits hard, hits reliably, all while staying out of range of enemy fire for at least 2 turns. 

Rhino: Brick to block counter-strike and as a transport mechanism for flamer rubrics.

 

With all this in mind, what do you think?

 

 

[Skywrath]

Any takers?

[Xenith]

Decent start! I think some of the optios could be more optimised, however if youre set on taking these units, take them! 

0CP will cripple you though with TS. Having to wait until T2 to be able to use anything is bad, as you say you're relying on lascannons, so you'll use 1CP on the invariable 1/2 on the damage roll you get in t1. 

Weaver is a bit wasted in your army due to AoC - it only gives you +1 save against AP-4 D2+ weapons, which generally won't be shooting troops. I prefer Ahriman as a psychic machine gun, but can see his uses as a buffer, though a very expensive one. I'd drop weaver and get twist of fate on him instead - the one short range, critical power that's needed to go off - then convert the other sorc to the psychic shooter. Get doombolt on him. This is our bread and butter, a flat 3 mortals and is maybe the best of all the spells. I would save the CP for forbidden lore and just use firestorm and doombolt. Rehati would be a better upgrade. Currently lore is wasted as he knows 4 but can cast 2. 

I think Misinformator is only useful if you risen rubricae a flamer squad up front, and choose to pull them back if you lose first turn. If you have it, the opponent will deploy as if they don't know what you're doing anyway, so it's kind of pointless. Just play with enough terrain and keep your dudes hidden. 

If you're buffing the sicaran with the infernal master, the there's no need for a 10 man SOT brick, split them into 2x5 and get another CaP and smite cast. 

The contemptors are a big CP sink that don't massively gain from being TS - especially with plasma, something TS can get elsewhere. Volkite is another matter, however if you really want that much plasma I'd swap these for flat 3D forgefiends that don't get hot . You save 2CP also and like 40pts also. 

Spawn cannot perform mutate - it's a psychic action and they're not psykers. Likewise, if you're mutating, you cannot empyric guidance or do the CP ritual, so you might need a rethink. Generally I'd be disembarking and advance+temporal surge a flamer squad 15" onto a midfield objective and mutate it T1 - I think the flamer squads benefit more from temporal than pyrric. 

One thing you haven't mentioned is facade, letting your units be wherever they need to. With your army, to the last will be the 2x scarabs and the Sicaran, not bad as you can facade the SOT sorcerer to safety if the unit dies.