Topic: 1500pt DH list - Inducted Space Marines. Includes a little fluff and explanation

[Major. Witham]

Whilst reading Eisenhorn on my holidays recently I got the itch to really put together an Inquisitional army. Alot of this stuff (the Inquisition stuff) I already own, and have just been waiting for the right amount of motivation to paint. The Space Marines are to be purchased.

HQ

Inquisitor Lord
(Psycannon, Power Weapon, Targeter, Terminator Armour)
3 x Gun Servitors
(Heavy Bolters)
1 x Sage
1 x Familiar
1 x Acolyte

210pts

Primarily the Inquisitor is there to allow me to take other units in the army. At 210pts hes a bit of an extravagance, but I expect he'll look very cool. Ive got one of the old Inquisitors in Terminator armour (the one with the beard and bionic leg), and I'll be outfitting him with Grey Knights Psycannon and Nemesis Force Sword arms. All in all he should pose a half decent anti-horde unit.

Fluff wise the Inquisitor will be a radical - Ive settled on the name of Augustus Rom for him

Elites

3 x Daemonhosts

255pts

Love them or hate them, theres no denying that these can be alot of fun to play with. There are probably more effective ways to spend 255pts, but few that will be quite as exhilerating/frustrating. They are a pre-requisite for the army as I want it to actually be faithful and fluffy, and the Daemonhosts fit into my Lords fluff as a radical

Eversor Assassin

95pts

Nothing really needs to be said about the Eversor - but I'll say it anyway. He's a close combat nightmare for just about any enemy he gets into contact with, and probably the best all round choice of assassin.

3 x Death cult Assassins

120pts

Primarily these are a fluff choice also, but they are also there tactically to support the Eversor. The play is to infiltrate all four models reasonably close to each other and give my opponant some real hard decisions to make as four independent characters come charging towards him

Fast Attack

Landspeeder Tornado
(Assault Cannon, Heavy Bolter)

80pts

Troops

8 x Storm Troops
(2 x Plasma Guns)

100pts

8 x Storm Troops
(2 x Plasma Guns)

100pts

8 x Space Marines
(Plasma Gun, Lascannon)

145pts

8 x Space Marines
(Plasma Gun, Lascannon)

145pts

The backbone of the army. Ive plenty of experience with Storm Troops, so I know their abilities and limitations well. The Marines will be painted in the colours of the Red Hunters Chapter (Red armour, yellow shoulder trim, their chapter mark is a skull with a black inquisitional 'I' on it).

The Storm Troops will be painted in the black and red of those shown in the DH codex. Fluff wise they will be my Lords pretorian Guard, and Ive settled on the collective name of 'The Black Brigade' for them - which sounds suitably Inquisitorial and intimidating to me.

Heavy Support

Predator
(Twin Linked Lascannon, Lascannon Sponsons)

145pts

Dreadnought
(Assault Cannon, Dreadnought Close Combat weapon)

105pts

Total = 1500pts

[Guildmage Aech]

Given the choices you're taking I don't have anything new to add to the army significantly, I'd want probably want a deep-striking-detection-chap in the lords retinue just because you can, and a second sage is always useful for mild extra accuracty until he dies (that wouldn't be a significant switch from the acolyte).
Be sure to stand them in cover obviously...

One thing I'd probably want is to put the dreadnought in a drop pod, as it makes him much more effective, points can probably be gained by switching the predator to heavy bolter sponsons which makes it more multi-role and mobile at some cost to anti-tank.
Of course, I don't know if you want to style the army as being supported by a starship that much...

[Major. Witham]

I'm considering dropping the two 8 man Marine squads for three 5 man squads with my choice of heavy weapon in each squad. One less troop, but one more scoring unit, more heavy weapons, and points left over. What do you think?

I would only get  second Sage if I had a Multi-Melta or Plasma Cannon in the squad. Its just not worth the points to re-roll a single heavy bolter or Psycannon shot.

[Inquisitor Malak]

I understand if you wanna model him in Terminator armour, but unless you are planning on DS'ing him, I would leave it off. Power armour looks just as cool, and is easier to justify (I have no doubt Terminator armour is rare outside the Astartes). I would also drop the Acolyte, power weapon and familiar.

Elite is awsome, I hadn't really considered using Eversors and Death Cult like that before. Might do something similiar myself, when I get bored with my Vindicare...

If you really want lascannons, and don't care about losing them to enemy assault troops, Inducted Infantry Platoons can add bulk and heavy weapons at the same time. Macharian Cross gives you way more tactical flexbility than Marines. And, you won't feel as bad when you lose them to enemy fire. They cost 40 points more than your Space Marine idea, but you get another lascannon and more than twice as many ablative wounds. They also look more synergistic with your Stormtroopers.

Stormtroopers; I dunno, when I play defensive with dual plasma I generally either get assaulted and slaughtered, or I am out of range for much of the game. A 5-man assault squad with meltagun and plasma gun, packed into a heavy flamer Chimera with smokes+extra armour, can form a powerful spearhead unit. Backed up with lascannon fire, you should be able to punch a hole in the enemy lines. 

If you take Imperial Guard in Troops, you get access a Sentinel squad and a Leman Russ. I would argue they can be more effective than your current FA+HS selections. Leman Russ with hull-heavy bolter is cheap and can lay down powerful blasts, Sentinels with autocannons can support your Stormtrooper assault with anti-infantry dakka from long range.

So, after all that, here is what you might be have (you can always go with Marines if you feel it suits you better).

HQ

Inquisitor Lord, psycannon
3 x heavy bolter servitors
Sage, Mystic
(166 points)

Elite

Eversor Assassin
(95 points)

3 x Deathcult Assassins
(120 points)

Troops

(2) Junior Officer, Macharian Cross
4 x Guardsmen, lascannon
3 x Infantry squads with lascannon
(255 points each)

(2) 5 x IST's, meltagun, plasma gun
Chimera, heavy flamer, extra armour, smokes
(158 points each)

Fast Attack

3 x Sentinels with autocannons
(150 points)

Heavy Support

Leman Russ, battle cannon, hull-heavy bolter
(145 points)

Total; 1,502 points

[Major. Witham]

Thanks for the reply and the ideas, but this list is back to being a Witchhunters one for the second time! It really will be a witchhunters list now because Ive purchased and painted most of the stuff, although many of the units are interchangable with Daemonhunters.

Dont fancy inducted Guard due to the fact that Ive been playing with a Guard army for some time now and fancy something that looks different.

Anyway, heres the new list:

HQ

Inquisitor Lord
(Bolt Pistol, Power Weapon, Divine Pronouncement)
3 x Crusaders
3 x Familiars
2 x Acolytes

Mounted In:

Rhino
(Smoke Launchers, Extra Armour)

228pts

Some people criticise close combat Inquisitors, however first of all this is one of the units Ive painted and it looks too cool not to play with, and secondly Ive actually had some success with this configuration. Divine Pronouncement is great for forcing enemy units to flee off the table, and the squad can make a decent dent in medium powered units such as Marine Tac squads.

1 x Priest

40pts

Chosen simply to facilitate other units

Elites

6 x Arco-Flagellants

210pts

Yeah, theyre risky to use - but so much fun! I figure that these would actually make the ideal counter-assault units. The implant injectors means that activating them early and footslogging them accross the field is a big risk, but keep them safe and hidden until the opponant gets to you and they could be a nasty suprise! A units of these could easily own a Marine assault or Terminator squad, Eldar Aspect Warriors, Nid horde, Ork mob, Khorne Beserkers, or so many of the other strong close combat units availible to other armies.

3 x Death Cult Assassins

120pts

I used to be really down on these guys - I wondered what the point was. I used them for the first time this week and now i wonder no more!

Death Cults are frail, but their ability to infiltrate, high skill, power weapon attacks and status as independent characters gives them good ability to tie up the right kinds of armies for turns at a time. Against Hordes such as Gaunts or Orks, or even Imperial Guard I imagine they would get swamped, but against high cost/low number units like Marines they can be a class act.

Incidentaly, one of my Death Cults took out a Necron Destroyer Lord this week. The Necron charged me, but i struck first with three attacks, and needing 6's to wound promptly rolled two of them. I finished him off the next turn.

Eversor Assassin

95pts

He's the daddy really. Ive used him on his own in the past with great success, but plan on having him supported by the Death Cults in future

Troops

7 x Storm Troopers
(2 x Plasma Guns)

90pts

7 x Storm Troopers
(2 x Plasma Guns)

90pts

5 x Storm Troopers
(2 x Meltas)

Mounted in:

Rhino
(Smoke Launchers, Extra Armour)

128pts

Storm Troops because they look cool, I dont want SOB's, and because i know what I'm doing with them. The Priest will go with the mechanized squad

5 x Marines
(Lascannon)

90pts

5 x Marines
(Lascannon)

Marines for anti-tank and to add a little more flavour and variety to the army.

90pts

Heavy Support

1 x Penitant Engine

80pts

1 x Penitant Engine

80pts

Predator
(Twin-Linked Lascannon, Lascannon Sponsons)

145pts