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Author Topic: Forging an Iron Warriors warband  (Read 3358 times)

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Offline Gandr

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Forging an Iron Warriors warband
« on: June 18, 2016, 04:30:50 PM »
Hi all, as can be gathered from my previous thread I've currently got a viable 1000pts pure CSM list that I'm happy with. What I'd like to do now is expand it into a proper Iron Warriors themed warband over time.

I've never really created a themed (or even cohesive) army before, I usually set out collecting random units for an army to help me beat whatever meta is currently in local fashion at the time, which tends to result in a functional army but lacking some character or possible fluff value. Since this is a first foray for me I'd like some advice.

My current plan is to add to my current 1000pts  list over the summer (which already contains just about all of the CSM models I own), hopefully until it gets into the 1500-2000pts range. To make it Iron Warriors themed I'm going to try and stick to a few rules:

1. No psykers. In most of the fluff I've read most Iron Warriors have an aversion to psykers, even on their own side. They trust their weapons and little else.

2. Lots of weapons for siege warfare. This will usually mean maxing out my heavy support at all times with Obliterators, Vindicators and maybe Maulerfiends depending on how far my budget will stretch.

3. Take a Warpsmith at the earliest opportunity.

4. No marks or god specific units/wargear. Iron Warriors worship Chaos Undivided so these are right out (might make an exception for the BBoS since it's too good of a weapon for siege warfare not to include).

Is there anything you think I've overlooked here? Or do people have their own ways of creating thematic armies? Either way I'd really appreciate some feedback on this idea and thematic army-building as a whole.
« Last Edit: June 18, 2016, 04:35:16 PM by Gandr »
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Offline Aurics Pride

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Re: Forging an Iron Warriors warband
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2016, 06:35:07 PM »
I love a good themed list and the Iron Warriors have got to be my favourite of the Chaos legions!
To fight the true Iron Warriors way the list really isn't going to be particularly effective. Chaos Marines aren't really a great gun line army and that's really the way that Iron Warriors like to do their killing!

No matter what army I am going for when building a themed army these are the steps I take (I'll use my Raven Guard as examples)
  • Read lots of fluff!- Read up on as many sources as possible, for the Raven Guard that was Horus Heresy books and a couple of black library books set in the 41st Millenium. For Iron Warriors there isn't a huge amount but make sure you read up through their page on 40k Lexicanum.
  • Work out their favoured way of fighting/ favourite tactics- So for the Raven Guard it's stealthy/ Quick attacks with a lot of assault marines/ scouts etc. For the Iron Warriors it'll be pretty much big guns and lots of them with infantry hordes to soak up the firepower and then Elite Infantry to assault. This will be the base of your list.
  • Work out what units fit the bill- For the Raven Guard it's Assault Marines and Tactical Squads, Drop pods are popular but not really many if any vehicles. For the Iron Warriors you want to be looking at Vindicators, Defilers, Obliterators, Havocs, Predators, Land Raiders and if you can afford it maybe a Forge World Relic or two! Find the really fluffy units and then build your lists around them. My old Iron Warriors army had 4 Heavy Support choices which consisted of a Basilisk, A Vindicator and 2x Defilers, it was scary!
  • Playtest!- Learn the army, especially with an army like Iron Warriors for them to be effective you need to know what they are capable of and what their limits are, the more practice you get the better you'll be!
  • Have fun!- Themed lists often aren't the most powerful but they can be a lot of fun and certainly more rewarding especially if you get into Character (that'll be Grumpy and Broody with cold and calculating yet rather Homocidal tendencies for the Iron Warriors!)

You already seem to have a pretty good idea of how they work judging by the rules you have set yourself but keep reading up, to be honest some of the Iron Warriors lore is very good. Perturabo is a serious bad-ass!
Also don't be afraid to proxy things as long as you have opponents permission, try out new units etc to see how they do and how well they fit in with your battle plans.
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Offline Wyddr

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Re: Forging an Iron Warriors warband
« Reply #2 on: June 18, 2016, 09:51:49 PM »
The most effective weapons you can take in-theme are the various daemon engines.

Maulerfiends are simply fantastic, but work best in pairs. Very scary. Take the plasma cutters to stand reasonable odds to slice up Gargantuan creatures, assuming you can survive their initial attack. Nice team is one Maulerfiend with Tendrils to knock down the big-bad's attacks and one with plasma cutters to slice it up.

Forgefiends are stellar ranged support. Always take the Hades Cannons, and take them stock (no upgrades). A trifle pricey, but the firepower they lay down is impressive.

Heldrakes are phenomenal anti-MEQ weapons with the Baleflamer, and are one of the toughest flyers to take down, period.

Defilers are jack-of-all-trades units, and are bit pricey because of it. I've never really regretted taking mine--they've always performed well for me--but there are more effective choices out there.

Offline Irisado

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Re: Forging an Iron Warriors warband
« Reply #3 on: June 19, 2016, 05:41:26 AM »
It seems to me that you've got the right approach sorted for Iron Warriors.  Looking to blast their opponents to pieces from a distance using big guns before sending in Chaos Space Marines and Terminators to finish the job is their standard way of approaching a battle, so adding more fire support units to your army would definitely be fitting.

I agree with Wyddr that adding Daemon Engines of some kind would be the best way to go about doing this.  While the Defiler isn't the best of the units he discussed, it's my favourite.  Two of them lobbing barrage into the air always used to be very entertaining when I played, and I doubt that much has changed on that score.  Maulerfiends and Forgefiends are more reliable choices though, so it depends on exactly what you're looking for.
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Offline furryblueelf

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Re: Forging an Iron Warriors warband
« Reply #4 on: June 19, 2016, 04:51:35 PM »
I applaud your conviction and thought.
Personally, nothing says Iron Warriors more to me than the Typhon Heavy Siege Tank from ForgeWorld.

Offline Wyddr

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Re: Forging an Iron Warriors warband
« Reply #5 on: June 19, 2016, 07:23:09 PM »
I applaud your conviction and thought.
Personally, nothing says Iron Warriors more to me than the Typhon Heavy Siege Tank from ForgeWorld.

If you're in the market for ForgeWorld stuff, then +1 to this. Lots of cool, IW-like stuff there. All of it costs an arm and a leg, though.

Offline Gandr

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Re: Forging an Iron Warriors warband
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2016, 07:57:58 PM »
I applaud your conviction and thought.
Personally, nothing says Iron Warriors more to me than the Typhon Heavy Siege Tank from ForgeWorld.

If you're in the market for ForgeWorld stuff, then +1 to this. Lots of cool, IW-like stuff there. All of it costs an arm and a leg, though.

I googled this and I have to say that is one sexy looking (gun)beast. Then I saw the price for the Isstvan rulebooks and died a little inside...  :'(

Fortunately such an undertaking is a bit above me at the moment (this upstart Warsmith is still getting his unruly Daemon Engines in order  ;D)

Thanks for all of the encouraging comments by the way, I don't meet a lot of enthusiasts for fluffy armies in my neck of the woods. Truthfully, I'm quite hyped about this army because all of my previous armies I've collected have been sliding towards competitive for whatever race I picked (even the bad ones like 'Nids) simply because I was always in it to win. But without much thought for backstories or fluff I've realised the game gets really boring.

Hopefully I can have a lot more fun with this idea. I've got a couple of planned lists in the works and I'm jotting down notes for that Bat rep I promised.

Watch this space  ;)
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Offline The Black Dahlia Murder

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Re: Forging an Iron Warriors warband
« Reply #7 on: July 29, 2016, 03:17:09 AM »
Could run an Imperial Guard Balislk as an ally. Back in the day, in the 3rd ed chaos codex, iron warriors could take them. In storm of iron, the iron warriors use a bunch of earth shaker guns.

Offline Aurics Pride

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Re: Forging an Iron Warriors warband
« Reply #8 on: August 1, 2016, 01:42:18 PM »
Could run an Imperial Guard Balislk as an ally. Back in the day, in the 3rd ed chaos codex, iron warriors could take them. In storm of iron, the iron warriors use a bunch of earth shaker guns.

This is a good idea, might be worth looking an allied guard/renegades army. There is a lot of fluff backing up the Iron Warriors use of Allies as Cannon fodder, you could always paint up the Artillery as Iron Warriors and use the guardsmen as conscripts etc.
I loved the old rules for the Iron Warriors where I could have 4 Heavy Support Choices and take a Basilisk, Vindicator and two Defilers! They were a lot of fun and played really fluffy.
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Offline The Black Dahlia Murder

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Re: Forging an Iron Warriors warband
« Reply #9 on: August 3, 2016, 10:34:03 AM »
Biggest problem is the "come the apocalypse" allied rule you need to watch out for. That can screw you up big time if you keep guard and chaos to close together.

 


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