So, I got to try out the latest codex today. It. Was. AWESOME! It hands-down spanks the life out of the Blood Angels codex. I can play a better beat-down list with Vanilla Marines than the BA's can. The fun part, for me, will be using my existing models as things that can actually damage my opponents. Such fun!
Anyhow, I tried making a couple of Gladius armies and I couldn't make it work. It forces me to use too many models I don't want, and the auxiliary choices are way too limiting to then allow me to take the one-or-two-of's that I want... so I'm rocking a CAD for the moment. I kept making a BD-C and winding up trying to squeeze points for a CAD so I could take the unit or two that I really wanted.
Something to note of my local meta... sit'n'shoot is dead. It's all moving, all the time. Move 12" and still fully functional is ideal. Something that sits, is something that... defecates in your oatmeal. Is what it is. To quote the wonderful Johnny Cash, "I really don't like it, but I guess things happen that way."
Anyhow, my list. We played the Scouring and wound up with an objective in each 2' square section of the board. *shrug* I went second.
White Scars tactics, because they work very well for assault focused lists, even without many bikes.
255 - Chapter Master Smash-Face: Power Fist, Artificer, Shield Eternal, Bike [Dude tanks like a real life tank would handle being hit with a baseball bat. Then blasts the dude with the bat with a cannon. Awesome! Ate 7 Battle Cannon Wounds, 7 Avenger Cannon Wounds, 2 Krak Missile wounds, a Stubber wound, and 3 Heavy Flamer wounds in one round. Lost 2 wounds. Good rolling, but still! Saved the bike squad's bacon.]
110- Chaplain: Meltabombs, Jump Pack [Joined Assault Squad, that hunkered down on a 4pt objective the whole game. Oh well, 4 VP is worth it!]
90 - Tactical Squad [5]: Plasmagun
80 - Razorback: TL Assault Cannon, Dozer Blade [Moved around in cover, firing away. Dozer Blades are crucial to getting a "safe" cover save.]
105 - Tactical Squad [5]: Flamer, Vet Sergeant, Power Sword, Meltabombs
80 - Razorback: TL Lascannon, Dozer Blade [Scooted forwards to an objective, then moved around in cover, firing away. Dozer Blades... yeah. Good. I probably should have switched the Razors around between the units.]
260 - Assault Squad [10]: 2x Flamers, 2x Eviscerators, Vet Sergeant, Power Sword, Meltabombs. [I love this unit! Good against anything. Fast. Choppy. Perfect fit for the Chaplain. I should have Combat Squadded them, sending a Flamer, Ev, and Serg to one, and a Flamer, Ev, and Chappy to another. They wound up doing nothing, as they were supposed to be a flanking squad that wound up on top of the 4 point objective in the Scouring. So technically they were winning the game, but no damage output.]
170 - Bike Squad [5]: 2x Grav Guns, Vet Sergeant, PFist [With Smash-Face in the lead, I could probably skip the sarge in favour of another bike, or a handful of points elsewhere. As it turns out, in the game I undervalued Artificer, so wound up being 10 points over... this would be where I trim first, I think. That said, he and Smash-Face dealt 5 HP to a Knight, a lucky "explode" gave me 3 HP, so then again...]
115 - Storm Talon: TL AsCa and Sky Hammer missiles [Just pure, vicious, anti-air. Sooooo good for the points.]
105 - Dreadnaught: Plasma Cannon [Moved up with advancing Razorback. Useful gun, fantastic beat-stick. Has base attacks equal to two Hammernators. Gets another on the charge, and then has a HoW hit. The model I always want to use is finally awesome!]
105 - Dreadnaught: TL Autocannon
35 - Drop Pod: [The distraction Carnifex. Dropped down behind an ADL manned by scouts, just out of reach of a Knight. Enjoys splatting Scouts like proverbial flies, because the distraction couldn't be dealt with in time. Dreadnaughts are my new best friend. Like your buddy that's always awkward, finally learning some social skills, he's coming to the party!]
So it was pretty one sided... mostly because he was trying out a shiggles list on account of him beating me like I owed him money for the last few months. Ah... the pity list. Well pity no more, my friend! I'm very excited about this codex, and am looking forward to talking about it. Hiatus be damned!
Hit and Run is broken. Disgustingly broken. You can move anywhere, do anything. Combat you don't want to be in? Run away, and then shoot the bastards. Combat you want to be in? Run away, shoot the bastards, then charge back in! You can leverage all kinds of nearby shooting units to effectively increase your beat-stickery. You can pin a unit in place while a slower shooty unit gets into position, then *poof* you're out of combat, they're in LOS, you get to shoot them, and then beat them down again. It's gross. If White Scars had nothing else, I'd probably take them as a Beat-Down tactic of choice.
I'm still looking at the others, but they seem to be the stand-outs for Blood Angel style, assault-preferring lists.