Topic: 6th Edition Revamp - Tournament List Creation

[Serin / Grieva]

Been playing 6th edition a while now and there are a few things that I have always wanted to do but never had the models for and/or couldn't quite find the right balance for.

I want to make 1750 point Tournament list and I've hit that double wall of models and balance. Once I find the balance though I'll make the wallet plunge and convert myself some models. What am I talking about? Beastmasters, a lot of them.

Here's the list as I have it so far, and I'll outline my concerns and other units I am considering as I go along.

1750 point break down

First Point of call was my HQ, I wanted support, I wanted trickery, and I wanted it for cheap. Can't argue with the guy in 6th edition, Baron Sathonyx not only made the cut but from here on out makes the list viable. Winning the chance to go first 3/4 times alone makes him worth it but as a cheap support HQ he goes above and beyond his points value to help the cause. I'm going to stick him with some Beastmasters, so already I have in mind a large unit of beasts for him to go with.

Baron Sathonyx - XXX
5 Beastmasters
5 Khymerae
8 Razorwing Flocks - 240

I thought about a 5/10/6 combination instead but considered that "look out sir!" in combination with the multitude of wounds available means I'm better off (points and wounds) with the flocks. Things that I am worried about with this unit are Helldrakes and the variety of S6+ cover ignoring weapons, however when the mobility is considered and the sheer cost of the unit I honestly can't find a fault with them.

So that was the core of the list I wanted to build around this, and the first thoughts were to fill in the weaknesses of the beast masters with another unit, namely getting them fearless. I wanted to turn to the allies and I considered the phoenix lords, things like 2+ save from Baharroth, hit and run and fearless seemed like the perfect mirror to Sathonyx, this would mean I could duplicate the first unit for the following:

Baharroth - XXX
5 Beastmasters
5 Khymerae
8 Razorwing Flocks - 240

It was at this point that I stopped for a moment and thought about things: Will I need Psychic Defence? Should I be taking Eldrad? Or maybe a Farseer on Jetbike?

For a while I've been thinking about this and I have yet to come to an answer. If I go the Psychic powers route I can get Invisibility from the Telepathy tree, it not only makes one of the units get that +3 cover, but also removes some of the worries and concerns associated with the flocks once in combat, namely how easy they are to wound, making the enemy WS1 against them and miss out on snap shots is very tempting, the cost of this though means loosing Hit and Run on the second Beastmasters. At which point I could just take the plunge and go for a third unit of beastmasters and forget about allies. As you can see, its a real headache inducing choice. All said though I am definitely sure that if the list is going deep on the beasts, two units of them is my minimum, I wanted the army to hit so hard that turn two breaks the enemy lines and effectively ends the game for my opponent

We'll come back to this dilemma in the discussions you all can offer, for now I'll outline the rest of the list.

Onto the support elements! We have Sathonyx already and that means a rough 66% chance to get first turn after our opponent has their chance to seize. If our opponent is going mech we'll need to open those cans up, if we are facing the more and more frequent no-tank lists, then we're going to want to bring down the swarms of nids/orks/guard that will otherwise bog down our beastmasters that would love to multi-charge as many small units as possible.

I want to take considerations for the following units in the army and get some suggestions, be prepared for me to argue against things that I would consider to not fill in a slot because more often than not I find other suggestions that are perfectly viable stem from those discussions, you might however hit the nail on the head

Time for my options so far

Ravager, Tri-Lance (x2) - 210

Ravagers offer reliable anti-Tank/Air platforms and come in the very convenient cheap bracket of the Codex, If I take one though I would certainly take two. If we are giving Ravagers a mention it only seems fit to mention Trueborn, and they are a real swiss army knife unit in this addition:

3 Trueborn, 2 Dark Lances - 81

Dracon, Splinter Cannon
2 Trueborn, Splinter Cannon - 61

3 Trueborn, Haywire Grenades
+ Venom, Splinter Cannon Upgrade - 107

3 Trueborn, 2 Blasters
+ Venom, Splinter Cannon Upgrade - 131

I particularly like the Splinterborn unit, inexpensive and hassle free.

Time for Troops, And something that really complements Beasts is Wyches, and for me they can only be run in one of three ways in this addition

Hekatrix, Venom Blade
7 Wyches
+ Raider, Dark Lance - 155

5 Wyches, Haywire Grenades
+ Venom, Splinter Cannon Upgrade / Raider, Dark Lance - 120+

Hekatrix, Venom Blade, Haywire Grenades
13/14 Wyches, Haywire Grenades - 183+

And then there are the warriors, they can man a quad gun if need be, can be taken in large blobs and make an excellent group for a foot based farseer (let's say Eldrad) to sit in and cast from (all the while manning the quad gun).

Eldrad - XXX
20 Kabalite Warriors, 2 Splinter Cannons - 200
+ Aegis Defence Line, Quad-Gun - 100

I like them and I don't like them at the same time, iunno what it is but all at once I feel I should be taking a cheap troops choice, forgetting the Aegis and Anti Air and concentrating on ground targets for a second turn victory. For example considering Necron Air Force with enough Alpha you can win at the end of turn 1 if you can wipe your opponents forces, not going to happen I agree, after all I want two units of beasts at least and we can't create the ultimate alpha with just one force org.

We can also give consideration to a single unit of Wracks for the baron to hop from and take the pain token. Even if they are going to die quickly, its an inexpensive feel no pain boost that the beasts would love to have. I've been considering Trueborn units in very small numbers I'm doubtful they would last longer than three wracks. Going first will be the defence against first blood, and as Dark Eldar if we aren't going first we've probably lost first blood anyway

3 Wracks - 30

Okay so I've got a mismatch of a number of units going on here, I've considered troops and elites and I've scratched a little on heavy support. I want to go back to heavy support because the pain token grabbing is done better by one particular unit, the Cronos of course. A unit name almost unheard of in 5th edition, in 6th its not the worst idea out there, the down side is that its range is questionable and I don't feel that we'll have the time or resources for a webway portal. Let it be said I'm considering it, IF there is enough need to justify it.

Cronos Parasite Engine, Spirit Vortex - 100

Where Cronos goes Talos follows?

Talos Pain Engine, Twin-Linked Splinter Cannon, Twin-Linked Liquifier Gun - 105
or
Talos Pain Engine, Twin-Linked Haywire Blaster, Twin-Linked Liquifier Gun - 110

The second Talos option I would consider came with Haywire Blasters, this is an awkward matter because if I'm taking that I would most certainly have at least four Haywire blaster wielding Scourges. This would force me to take two units of five with Haywires, not appropriate considering we can only have three Fast Attack slots in our main. That said maybe just a unit of 5 would be suitable.

5 Scourges, 2 Haywire Blasters - 130


As I mentioned before though a third beastmaster unit would be an option, certainly not as big as the other two, but considering just this as a points filler and flexible/mobile unit option you can't argue with it too much:

Beastmaster
2 Razorwing Flocks - 42

Okay enough considerations now here is where I have got up to on the list so far:

Option 1: B..B..Beasts! with Vehicles (Baron. Baharroth. Beasts)

Baron Sathonyx - XXX
5 Beastmasters
5 Khymerae
8 Razorwing Flocks - 240

Baharroth - XXX (note given Power Spear) (Warlord)
5 Beastmasters
5 Khymerae
8 Razorwing Flocks - 240

Dracon, Splinter Cannon
2 Trueborn, Splinter Cannon - 61

3 Guardian Jetbikes - 66

3 Guardian Jetbikes - 66

5 Wyches, Haywire Grenades
+ Raider, Dark Lance - 120

5 Wyches, Haywire Grenades
+ Raider, Dark Lance - 120

Hekatrix, Venom Blade
8 Wyches
+ Raider, Dark Lance - 165

Hekatrix, Venom Blade
7 Wyches
+ Raider, Dark Lance - 155

Ravager, Tri-Lance - 105

Ravager, Tri-Lance - 105

___________________ _____________
1748

Option Two: B..B..Beasts! without vehicles

Baron Sathonyx - XXX
5 Beastmasters
5 Khymerae
8 Razorwing Flocks - 240

Baharroth - XXX (note given Power Spear) (Warlord)
5 Beastmasters
5 Khymerae
8 Razorwing Flocks - 240

Dracon, Splinter Cannon
2 Trueborn, Splinter Cannon - 61

3 Trueborn, 2 Dark Lances - 86

3 Trueborn, 2 Dark Lances - 86

3 Guardian Jetbikes - 66

3 Guardian Jetbikes - 66

Sybarite, Splinter Cannon
20 Warriors, Splinter Cannon - 210

11 Warriors, Splinter Cannon - 100

Hekatrix, Venom Blade, Haywire Grenades, Phantasm Grenade Launcher
12 Wyches, Haywire Grenades - 181

Aegis Defence Line, Quad Gun - 100
___________________ _______________
1750


Okay, so I admit that both might need some work. That is where 40konline comes in, because all the considerations I've highlighted will have some great options that I have over looked or some tactics that I've never seen before. Iunno weird things.... like Mandrakes as a cover screen.... yeah maybe not but you know what I mean.

Gimme your thoughts and what the list might need and what you might replace.

[Plastikente]

Dracon, Splinter Cannon
2 Trueborn, Splinter Cannon - 61

The Dracon can't take a Splinter Cannon, only the Trueborn can.  They have the same BS, but it cuts out the possibility of precision shot shenanigans.

I would stick with the vehicles version - Warriors and Wyches on foot don't last long, although perhaps the two large packs of beasts hurtling towards the enemy will draw fire away from them.  Apart from that, I've never used beasts, and I don't really play tournaments, so I've not really got much guidance for your list.

[Serin / Grieva]

Dracon, Splinter Cannon
2 Trueborn, Splinter Cannon - 61

The Dracon can't take a Splinter Cannon, only the Trueborn can.  They have the same BS, but it cuts out the possibility of precision shot shenanigans.

Might want to check your codex, a 1 Trueborn may be upgraded to dracon status, at no point does it include the statement "if he hasn't been....blah blah." So you take a Trueborn, give him a splinter cannon then upgrade him, perfectly legal option.

In the foot list the wyches/warriors play a defensive roll guarding objectives for the 2/3 turns that they need to, and will move out where opportunity befits them. I am slightly edging towards the raiders but they are such death traps that in this style of list I am left unsure.

[Koval, Master Verispex]

Might want to check your codex, a 1 Trueborn may be upgraded to dracon status, at no point does it include the statement "if he hasn't been....blah blah." So you take a Trueborn, give him a splinter cannon then upgrade him, perfectly legal option.

The Codex rather clearly specifies to whom you can give the splinter cannon -- it says "Kabalite Trueborn", not "Dracon" or "model". So that Dracon isn't allowed to have a splinter cannon, because he's a Dracon, not a Trueborn.

The distinction between "any model" and "specific model" is present in rather a lot of Codices.