List Redo: Semi-Mech

CCS, 4 Melta, Chimera, Hull HF
PBS, 4 Extra, Chimera, Hull HF
Platoon 1:
PCS, 4 Flamer, Chimera, Hull HF
Infantry Squad, Lascannon, Flamer, Chimera, Hull HF
Infantry Squad, Lascannon, Chimera, Hull HF
Platoon 2:
PCS, 4 Flamer, Chimera, Hull HF
Infantry Squad, Comissar, Krak Grenades, Lascannon
Infantry Squad, Krak Grenades, Lascannon
Infantry Squad, Krak Grenades, Lascannon
Vendetta
Vendetta
Vendetta
Manticore
Manticore

1750

So the big change here is the removal of Hydras and the addition of a Vendetta.

Why did I change? I felt like there wasn't enough long range AP 2 weaponry. I could have gone with a Plasmacutioner, but that would have drastically cut down on my anti-transport ability. So instead, I took the Vendetta and added Lascannons to my infantry squads. This gives me 12 TL Lascannons (with Bring it Down!) and 2 normal ones. With this many las, I should be able to take out about a Tervigon or Tyrannofex and a half a turn, or 2-3 transports just from Las. It also helps against broadsides and lets me lock down opposing AV spam.

A Weird List

OK, so I promised something weird last time, so here it is:

CCS, 4 Melta, OotF, Astropath, Chimera, Hull HF
PBS, 3 Extra, Chimera, Hull HF
Vet squad, 3 Plasma, Chimera, Hull HF
Vet squad, 3 Plasma, Chimera, Hull HF
Vet squad, 3 Plasma, Chimera, Hull HF
Vendetta, HBs
Vendetta, HBs
Vendetta
Deathstrike
Deathstrike
Deathstrike

1750

WTF, right?

Well, with a 1/2 chance to launch a Deathstike turn 1 and a basically guaranteed launch turn 2, that huge S10 Ap1 blast can do something. Vendettas help open Rhinos and kill MCs, Deathstrikes do anti-whatever, Vets for Terms and MCs, and PBS to take things off the board.

On the CCS the OotF will hold down the amount of stuff shooting at Deathstrikes and the Astropath helps if I have to reserve up.

Guard Planning-Semi-Mech

OK, so let the Guard planning continue! One of the things that doesn't get talked about at all is semi-mech. Mech is king of 5th, true, but semi-mech is the secret god. It's in things like Lash/PM/Oblit (Oblit's aren't in transports), Seer Council (Jetlocks), and SW lists (LF and Twolves unmeched).

So, a list:

CCS, 4 Melta, Chimera, Hull HF
PBS, 3 Extra, Chimera, Hull HF
Platoon 1:
PCS, 4 Flamer, Chimera, Hull HF
Infantry Squad, Autocannon, Chimera, Hull HF
Infantry Squad, Autocannon, Chimera, Hull HF
Platoon 2:
PCS, 4 Flamer, Chimera, Hull HF
Infantry Squad, Comissar, Krak Grenades
Infantry Squad, Krak Grenades
Infantry Squad, Krak Grenades
Vendetta
Vendetta
3xHydra
Manticore
Manticore

1750

CCS, Hydras and Manticore as usual.

PBS for all kinds of goodness there.

Vendettas for the las.

Now for the different stuff.

PCS with 4 Flamer, Chimera: simple unit. Drive up, tank shock, jump out (if I had to go more than 6"), flambe. Repeat if possible. There will be situations where I'll want to put them in the Valks and outflank, but most of the time they'll go in their Chimeras.

Infantry Squad w/ Autocannon: another simple unit. Step 1: sit on an objective. Step 2: Blast light vehicles. It's not TL (in the Chimera-they can Bring It Down! outside, though) and it's only got 2 shots, but it's just there to hold and harass.

Infantry Squads on foot: blob attack! The now-infamous blob is here (and ready to take a FRFSRF!). Apart from the 90-odd shots of flashlight goodness the blob can output, it's a tarpit without equal. Nothing ruins a Hammernator squad's day like running into one of these, and Dreads and MC feel the same. Why do I have Kraks instead of PW? Well, if they get in with a Dread, PW won't help. With kraks, the blob can acually charge a Podnought or similar and take it down (slowly, but it's better than being there all game).

This list expands well to 1850 and 2000 as well. It's a contest between this and Mechvets. Next time, something weird just for the hell of it.

Guard Planning-Air Cav

So last time I gave you a mechvet build I'm thinking about. Here's my air-cav list.

CCS, Astropath, 3 Meltas, Flamer
Marbo
10 Veterans, 3 Flamer
10 Veterans, 3 Flamer
10 Veterans, 3 Melta
10 Veterans, 3 Melta
10 Veterans, 3 Melta
2 Vendettas
2 Vendettas
2 Valkyries, Multiple Rocket Pods
Manticore
Manticore

1750

CCS is there to do the usual. Astropath helps if I have to go second. Marbo's in there because I had 65 points left over, and he's the best surprise demo charge in the game.

Flamer vets are in there to clear objectives, Melta vets for 1st turn tank clearance.

Vendettas are great-a 3 Las platform for 130 pts. That's a skimmer. With a transport capacity. Only downside are the huge friggin models.

Valks are objective clearers and anti-horde. They can move 6" and still fire it all, which is great.

Manticores are in there because they go great with everything.

So now what?

Well, the Tyranid info keeps piling in-and what it seems to be showing is that Nids will ultimately be a mid-level codex. I guess no-mech armies can't work in 5th after all.

So that being the case, it's off to Guard we go. Now what I desperately want to do for Guard is to use all historical models and make an army themed on the modern US Army. Unfortunately, if I ever want to play in GW sanctioned events, I couldn't use the models. So that's out, unfortunately.

Well, on to lists:

CCS, 4 Melta, Chimera, Hull HF
CCS, 4 Melta, Chimera, Hull HF
PBS, 2 Extra Psykers, Chimera, Hull HF
Vets, 3 Plasma, Chimera, Hull HF
Vets, 3 Plasma, Chimera, Hull HF
Vets, 3 Plasma, Chimera, Hull HF
Banewolf, Hull HF, Smoke
Banewolf, Hull HF, Smoke
3 Hydras
Manticore
Manticore

1750

Pretty much your bog standard Mechvets list and basically a copy-paste of what Shep brought to WWShootout. At this points level, this is the definitive version of the build-I can't improve on this in any way (read-it all tweaks back to this).

CSSs are for close-up anti-heavy-armor and orders (last turn Move, Move, Move onto objectives, plasmavet Bring It Down!).

PBS is a great option IMO. Are there games where it'll just sit and Soulstorm? Yes, but a S6 blast that ignores MEQ armor half the time has its uses. And then there are the games where Weaken Resolve will work. WR screws Nob Bikerz and TWolves into the ground, is a great way to dislodge hard-to-kill firebase units like Oblit squads, and helps prevent charges.

Plasmavets. Why Plasmavets? Well, do you really need 9 more meltas in here? No. Between the CCSs and Manticores, Raiders won't stick around for long. Plasmavets are also great against the crop of bandwagon nid players that'll emerge, and since BA are next, plasma>melta against a jump infantry list (if they keep it that way and don't have them riding something dumb like giant bleeding angel ghost vampires). Plasma also works well against Twolves and Termies. It can also do anti-AV 12 pretty well. 3 S7 shots at 24" isn't bad to kill Rhinos.

Banewolves are awesome. Move 12" and drop 2 templates, one of which wounds on 2s and ignores MEQ armor? Awesome.

Hydras are the most efficient autocannon platforms in the game. 12 TL autocannon shots is basically a guarenteed kill on whatever light tank you target, and they can do anti-MC and anti-horde in a pinch. I left HBolters on because they synergize better with the Hydra's role. If you're way in the back and lose your autocannons, do you want to drive all the way up to midfield to roast something? I didn't think so.

Manticores-well, what's not to love about D3 S10 blasts? Anti-everything, really, from Twolves to horde to heavy armor. The only thing they don't do great is terminators, which they can still manage by piling on wounds.

Guest Posts

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C:CSM's Place In the Metagame

OK, first off, yes, I know that it's been a monthish. I've been enjoying my winter break by not doing anything besides sitting on my ass and playing with my 360.

So I thought I'd come back with something decently cool, an article about Codex: Chaos Space Marines' place in the current metagame.

Once upon a 4th edition, CSM were the shit. Lash was stomping everyone, PMs were unkillable, and Oblits were dropping Plasma Cannon templates on all those walking Marines. So what changed? On the surface, not much. CSM still place very highly in tournaments.

Well, I don't think that this is going to last much longer. CSM are slipping in the meta, and here are the reasons why.

1) Lack of good builds: if you run into CSM at a competetive tournament, it's almost definitely Lash. And compared to Lash, the other builds are somewhat gimped in an all-comers environment. Chaoszilla and Raider Rush both have problems with Mech, and guess what rules 5th? Books like Guard, Wolves, and even Marines have multiple high level builds, and Nids look like they will.

2) Dependency on Psychic Powers: in either Lash or Warptime, CSM relies on a DP's psychic power to be a real force multiplier. This worked when Psyhoods and RoW were everything that countered them. Now with things like Deathleaper's LD reducing ability and SuperSWHoods, even getting the power off is tricky. And the powers we have are one-dimensional and weak compared to some of the newer ones (looking at you, Murderous Hurricane/PBS).

3) No Psychic Defense: so any tourney army is used to having to muddle through enemy psychic defense to get its powers off. And then it runs into CSM. No psychic defense-none. So things like PBS's, Rune Priests, and GoI libbys can just go nuts on CSM.

4) Dependance on DPs: DPs are the only viable CSM HQ, and this was good when no one could kill a DP in a turn with aanything less than their entire army. And now we have IG that can toss a DP back into the Warp with a Plasmavet squad or two, SWs that can kill it with one Long Fang squad, and soon Nids with enough poison attacks that every DP will fail saves fast. Loyalists have Typhoon squadrons, Orks have lootas, etc.

5) Inability to open transports fast enough: and this is where CSM really takes it up the ass. 3 Oblit squads should open about 1.5 transports/turn. This was good enough, back when people didn't field 10+ things with an armor value on a regular basis. Termicide's good for one each, but Oblits do less and less each turn.

6) Relative weakening of troops: With GHnters and Vets having knocked CSM out of the "Best Troops" slot and Tyranids able to take 20 Gaunts and manufacture the rest (all with poison and FNP), the dominance of CSM troops is over.

So like Tau, CSM will soon be forced to sit back and wait for a new codex. In January, I'm going to be shelving mine and doing some Nids or Guard. I'll be keeping up with CSM, however, and I'm still going to be commenting on them/writing about them if something piques my interest.