Made it onto the Finnish ETC team

Sorry for the lack of content, really busy with school atm. However, a brief announcement. I managed to make it onto the Finnish ETC team for 2012. We are still considering what army I'll be bringing and I won't be able to discuss that here (they are very strict on what I'm allowed to say on the blog :D), but since this was already announced on the Finnish WH Forums, Sotavasara, I might as well put it up here.

40k Fallacy: Armour Saturation FTW?

Something interesting to think about. Often what you read on the net is that "mech is king" and "transports=5th edition". However, I feel that this is not always true and that the game might even be shifting away from that (not referring to 6th ed.). I think that people are not buying transports because they provide resilience to the infantry inside and mobility is not actually necessary to win games of 40k in 5th edition.

Let's take a look at two lists, Tony K's Space Wolves and a SOB list:

Njal
Wolfscouts
4x8(+1) Grey Hunters in Rhinos
2x5 Grey Hunters in LasPlas Razorbacks
3x5 Long Fangs with Missile Launchers

St. Celestine
Uriah Jacobus
6 DCA, 3 Crusaders in Rhino
3x10 Battle Sisters in Rhinos
3x5 Dominions in MM Immolators
3x Excorcists

Which list is generally regarded as the better one? SOBs are generally regarded as the worst 5th ed. "codex" (although Tyranids have their own problems). On the other hand, Mr. Kopach has slaughtered everybody who's opposed him in Adepticon 2011, Nova 2010 and 2011 and at ETC 2011. Tony's list has 6 vehicles, That SOB list has 10 (3 predator hulls). Surely, that SOB list does a better job of armour saturation? I mean, won't Tony's rhinos just get picked off meanwhile that SOB list overwhelms its opponent with hulls? It was originally from this comparison that I came to think about this thing. Now let's look at my latest Venom Spam list:

Baron
Haemonculus
3x4 blasterborn in venoms
3 wracks in venom with trophies
15 hellions
4x5 warriors with blasters in venoms with trophies
3x ravagers

Why does this list spam transport vehicles? Sure, it allows me to better get my blasters into range, but that isn't the real reason. I could utilise other ways to get my stuff into range, or play dark lances. KPs go up a hell of a lot, so there are in fact negative drawbacks. It's because those transports bring guns. You see, transport vehicles are generally cheap (and low armoured), but if they come with guns, they are essentially gunboats. Tanks are resilient in 5th edition and the armour value of that vehicle has less effect in our current meta. In cover, it isn't such a big difference, and with melta (still the most trusted antitank gun) it really doesn't matter what your armour value is.

Thus, we spam transports because they give us more guns. From this, we can come to realise why that SOB list is not good. Those Rhinos, although adding saturation, don't bring guns. So in essence, they aren't as significant. Tanks still bring you there marginally faster, but people know how to play against tanks now, and rhino rush isn't that cool anymore. Atleast not when you've spammed it like that. Ofcourse, SOBs also pay way too much for their troops, with min 10 man (and 70 euro) troop squads. That just reinforces the point, cardboard boxes aren't that crucial thing that would make tyranids or daemons OP.

That's also why Tony's list only features 6 vehicles. It's all he needs. His list is all about lasting until the end of the game with his large hunter squads and wrecking face with njal. Rhinos help this, and lend him mobility. The lasplas add firesupport. He doesn't need 10+ vehicles.

I'm not sure how clear I was with my points, but basically this is what I'm saying: You don't just spam rhinos because they add armour saturation and transports. It would be similar to spamming drop pods, those points add up. You spam razorbacks or venoms, because you get more firepower. If you aren't spamming gunboats, then don't bother spamming over 10 tanks, stick with just as many as you need.

Space Wolf Dreadnought

Painted this bad boy for my space wolves, as an alternative for lone wolves (I have a second dread undercoated). I decided to use the furioso dread for this one and the venerable dread for the second one, because the BA blood talons are very similar to the DCCWs on the old SW ven. dread model. The second wip dread also got talons for his DCCW hand. The weapon system is a counts as twin-linked autocannon (although it only has one barrel). I decided to pick this setup because the twin-linked autocannon is a nice and diverse weapon (including a good range) and I wanted to keep the DCCW for counter assault/tarpitting duty. I played a game with the Dreads against Miika. He has a blog of his own, and here is the link to a battle report he put up of our game (I lost btw).

1850pts. Space Wolves list

Hi guys,
looks like there aren't any tournaments in my neighbourhood in the near future, so I probably need to start thinking about my Adepticon list. GKs are an absolute no. I wouldn't play Grey Knights at any Finnish tournament, so neither am I gonna play them in the US. Currently I'm thinking DE or SW. DE is more rock paper scissors, but I'm more of a DE player. SW are more flexible and interesting to play with, although I would probably need to start winning games with my wolves before going to adepticon :D .

Runepriest with jaws of the world wolf, living lightning @ 100pts.

Lone Wolf with TDA, powerfist, stormshield @ 80pts.

Lone Wolf with TDA, powerfist, stormshield @ 80pts.

5 Wolfguard with 4x combimelta and power fist, 1x cyclone @ 235pts.

10 Grey Hunters with flamer, melta, banner @ 160pts.

7 Grey Hunters with melta, banner @ 120pts.
Drop Pod @ 35pts.

7 Grey Hunters with melta, banner @ 120pts.
Rhino @ 35pts.

7 Grey Hunters with melta, banner @ 120pts.
Rhino @ 35pts.

5 Grey Hunters with flamer @ 75pts.

6 Long Fangs with 5 missiles @ 140pts.
Razorback with twin-linked lascannon @ 75pts.

6 Long Fangs with 5 missiles @ 140pts.
Rhino @ 35pts.

Land Raider Redeemer with multimelta, extra armour @ 265pts.

Total @ 1850pts.

1850 "Bourbon Alphastrike" Venomspam list

The biggest problems I've had with venomspam is opponents that have a small enough footprint to refused flank. This dilutes my alphastrike and most likely will cause my army to arrive in waves. It's debatable how much better the lanceborn are for this (remember that they only have ~3" of extra effective range and can't deploy sideways out in the open in deployment, or redeploy as effectively). However, it did prompt me to count a list that uses Lady Malys.

Not tried out yet, Lady Malys is an ok combat character, with psydefence for the squad she joins, but more importantly with the possibility to redeploy d3 units (like Eldrad). Suddenly, getting stuff in your opponent's face is not as big an issue. To maximize the use of her redeployment, the Baron seems like the smart choice. However, without access to Haemonculi (and thus troops wracks) taking hellions doesn't seem optimal to me. Thus, this list has none. I've talked about this before, but the baron is just fine without any squad at the start of the game. He jumps up and joins a disembarked squad on t1 (providing stealth and ld, absorbing shots if in trueborn) and shoots off on t2. Can slingshot wyches, go attack tanks and small infantry units, or tie up walkers and HnR out later.

Very similar to the kind of list I used to run (4 warriors and 2 wyches in venoms) but with one less lance (+ without any heatlances), and Malys. Malys is epensive, and that is my main concern. However, I do see this list as more balanced then previous ones. Alphastriking DE work great as long as your opponent lets it work. With a refused flank (and some stuff in reserve) things can turn sour real fast for the DE. Malys should make this easier. Deploy one trueborn venom in the centre, and one on each flank. If you roll a 1-2, move that trueborn squad that is on the wrong flank, if you roll more, look for optimal firing lanes for you ravagers (which originally are deployed in the centre), get the centre trueborns into better range if necessary or look to add vehicle saturation with warrior venoms.

Lady Malys @ 130pts.

Baron Santhonyx @ 105pts.

4 Trueborn with 4 blasters @ 108pts.
Venom with extra splinter cannon @ 65pts.

4 Trueborn with 4 blasters @ 108pts.
Venom with extra splinter cannon @ 65pts.

4 Trueborn with 4 blasters @ 108pts.
Venom with extra splinter cannon @ 65pts.

5 Warriors with blaster @ 60pts.
Venom with extra splinter cannon @ 65pts.

5 Warriors with blaster @ 60pts.
Venom with extra splinter cannon @ 65pts.

5 Warriors with blaster @ 60pts.
Venom with extra splinter cannon @ 65pts.

5 Warriors with blaster @ 60pts.
Venom with extra splinter cannon @ 65pts.

5 Wyches with haywire grenades, hekatrix with venom blade @ 75pts.
Venom with extra splinter cannon @ 65pts.

5 Wyches with haywire grenades, hekatrix with venom blade @ 75pts.
Venom with extra splinter cannon @ 65pts.

Ravager @ 105pts.

Ravager @ 105pts.

Ravager @ 105pts.

Total @ 1849pts.

Is this "the list". Dunno. Probably not. 25 dark light weapons, the ability to redeploy and +1 to go first. Sure it seems pretty nice. Wyches+ 2 characters for extra options (and those wyches are a lifesaver against mech guard heavy support).