Tactica: Deathwing 5th Edition

[Russell's teapot]

Thinking about combi-weapons, I think RT is correct a combi-melta is a better choice. Certainly for a librarian who has a template anti-troop weapon already, but for most transports two plasma shots will do as well (Possibly better, 2 damage rolls? I expect it depends on the armour but most transports are low 11-12ish)

I was just putting it out there to be honest, I've never really thought about using a combi weapon (I can't find the points for a one-shot wonder), but there are definate uses for both plas and melta - it depends on your meta-game to be honest. As LeL states later, ignore the flamer for the librarian, but it could be useful on a chaplain in a squad with a heavy flamer...

I just want to also say I was into TH&SS before the recent vanilla buff. I have about 20 of them going back to 2nd ed and when (If) the dark angels ever get a half decent codex they are going to rock!

I feel suitably chastened I've only been playing DW for 2 years

Ah yea.. I sort of regret the vanilla Land Raider, but my plans for my 1750pts list is.. you guessed it, another Land Raider Crusader. When that time comes I can switch it to 2x LRC for my 1500pts list.

The Land Raider isn't a bad vehicle, and can be made to work, however, I've always found that it is so inferior to the LRC that I always find myself wishing I had a crusader rather than a LR when I field a LR - fighting ork tides does that to you! The crusader I find easier not to mess up, simply because I'm forced to keep it with my troops for the range - I'm a lazy & forgetful player - the easier I can make my life the better!

On your list - as you are only semi-shooting, it may be worth giving a member lightning claws for that added cc punch & wound allocation (I wouldn't give it to sarge as he's the bullet magnet!). Just a thought as I'm normally against mixing squads, but in a mixed army it might just work...

Good luck

[Grazzy]

I think the combimelta is a good use of spare points. We only really have storm bolters and extra armour for using up spare points and these are not great but a combi melta is nice to have.

[Lion El Jason]

I have to say, I do own a lot of regular LRs and they do see play so don't think you wasted money on it!

Some things you will really want to shoot, like wraithlords, high Init. monstrous creatures etc and lascannon really win at those.
You can kill them with a crusader but the lascannon are better IMO, its just that the crusader does so much other stuff that it's the go-to tank.

[Ork]

If you have points, the storm bolter on the crusader is good synergy. You can move 6 and fire all the weapons, using PotMS on one primary. 14 Bolter shots and 4 AC shots isn't too bad.

[dean]

If you have points, the storm bolter on the crusader is good synergy. You can move 6 and fire all the weapons, using PotMS on one primary. 14 Bolter shots and 4 AC shots isn't too bad.

Use the PotMS on the one main weapon with a twin linked re-roll.... Just sayin that BS 2 could use the help...

[Lion El Jason]

It's a good point. I keep using the PotMS on the MM on a crusader. Every time I think "I'm doing it wrong" but still do it again next turn...

Really looking forward to 6 years time, our new codex will have the new PotMS and we can BS4 a separate target again!

[Doompickle]

I would like to say hello and thank everyone for their insight and discussions for this fantastic army so far. I think I have read all the forums: inner circle, old deathwing tactica and this current tactica thread.

I started actually playing when 5th edition was released (got hooked on the original space hulk game and the deathwing) and since this is my first army I have found this tactica very useful and informative.

The current models I have in my collection so far are as follows:

HQ:
Belial, (Storm Bolter; Sword of Silence)
Interrogator-Chaplain w/ Terminator Armour
Librarian w/ Terminator Armour

Troops:
Squad 1 (w/ Apoth, Chain Fist; Assault Cannon; Banner)
Squad 2 (w/ Chain Fist; Assault Cannon)
Squad 3 (w/ Chain Fist; Assault Cannon)
Squad 4 (w/ Chain Fist; Heavy Flamer)
Squad 5 (w/ Lightning Claws x5; Cyclone Missile Launcher)
Squad 6 (w/ Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield x5; CMLauncher)
-I know the TH+SS are horrid but they came with the models .
The TH & SS’s are magnetized so I can switch out the weapons once I can get a few more storm bolters etc.

Elite:
Venerable Dreadnought (Twin Linked Lascannon; Missile Launcher)
Venerable Dreadnought (Twin Linked Lascannon; Missile Launcher)
Venerable Dreadnought (Multi-Melta) + Drop Pod

Heavy Support:
Land Raider
Land Raider Crusader
Land Raider Crusader (or normal land raider or helios)

I have pictures at: http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...kle/Deathwing/ and will try and put a few at the bottom here. Any comments would be helpful as I am still getting into the hobby.

I have been working on a 2000pt list and wondered what you guys thought of this list:

HQ:
Belial, (Storm Bolter; Sword of Silence)
Interrogator-Chaplain

Troops:
Squad 1 (w/ Apoth; Assault Cannon)
Squad 2 (w/ L Claws x4; TH & SS)
Squad 3 (w/ L Claws; TH & SS; H.Flamer; Chain Fist)
Squad 4 (w/ Chain Fist; Assault Cannon)

Heavy Support:
Land Raider Crusader
Land Raider Crusader (Hunter Killer Missile)
Land Raider

Anything you would switch out of this list?

My thoughts on the list is that the 2 assault oriented squads are in the crusaders and the TH+SS are there to suck up any inv saves, +4 is still better than +5/+6, and might let him attack if he gets his turn, if not he is the heroic marine that saves the rest of the squad from certain death haha.

Thanks in advance!

[Russell's teapot]

Anything you would switch out of this list?

No.

There you are, welcome to the thread!

I'm a bit up in the air as to whether the mixed assault/ shooting army can work (remember the mantra), but I have no experience. My head says do either one or the other (I prefer shooting), but both could work...

[Lion El Jason]

I think I have read all the forums: inner circle, old deathwing tactica and this current tactica thread.

Wait...what?

That must have taken ages!

I started actually playing when 5th edition was released

And done nothing since then but read our threads!

Seriously though, welcome to the community!

Your list looks good, as RT says most of us seem to go all assault or all shooty, the closest I get to a mixed force is not being able to afford a third LR at 1500 points and having a shooty unit footslogging to back up my 2 assault LR units, but I can't see why a mixed list shouldn't do fine. The only suggestion I can think of (Not improvement but worth a try) is librarian instead of Chaplain.
Unless your regular opponents are giving you trouble in assault, the chaplain is overkill for a LC unit and not adding too much beyond the wounds to a shooty unit. The librarian is a better absorber of wounds and also adds a bit to assault and has a template weapon.

Anything else is just picky and tuning but since you asked...
In a shooty squad have the chain fist on a different model to the heavy weapon (In assault squads they go on the same model).
To be ultra picky its best to have 2 Chain Fists on SB models in a shooty unit

The TH&SS are not great tbh and you lose anti infantry effectivness by having them. In the squad with the HF I'd have 4 LCs with it. Use the other as a "Heavy assault squad" if you need them include 2 TH&SS or just consider having SB/PF (Or SB/CF if you have them) for when you need those PF attacks.

This way you have a great Anti infantry unit with 4LCs and another unit thats almost as good and can also handle dreads and tanks easier. If you keep the TH&SS this unit will also take on MCs for you, sadly you'll lose both TH&SS when you do so against most MCs but lightning claws will finish them off.

BTW I especially like the banner! Did you freehand that?

[Lion El Jason]

I just changed computers to a shiny new laptop... In doing so I found a lot of old DW pics from my and others collections.
You can see how old they are from the weapon choices in the squads... aah the days of all DW squads being the same:
Sgt: SB/PS
2x Lightning Claw
2x Assault Cannon/ Chain Fist.
At the time there was no reason to include anything else!

Seeing doompickles army there I thought I'd share some

I really don't know warseers rules on too many pics so I PM'd a mod. If they can leave these up for a while I'd be happy to delete them later after people get a chance to see them if there's a problem.

Also clearly these images have been posted before but if anyone has an issue with me posting their army I can take them down too.

[Lion El Jason]

These are mine though all these pics are old as I said... I now use an army of almost entirely the new plastics so I've replaced all the models in that army pic!

Once I've got these space hulk terminators converted and painted I'll take some pics of my new stuff.

Of note, the librarian is an old RT model (I didn't paint it btw, the best painter I've ever known did Though I have to confess I never understood why the purity seal is purple...) which was supposed to represent two-heads-talking.

The Land Raider internals are suffering a great deal from the flash and lighting used (I am not a professional) and the green is actually much darker than it looks. I do like those 2 marines though, I was particularly happy with the way they turned out in my first painted LR.

The flash helped out a bit on the "Action pic" which was taken during a game at my local club... You cant see much past the scenery so I called it a searchlight All those plague marines died to the crusader fire that turn

[Bob Hunk]

Also clearly these images have been posted before but if anyone has an issue with me posting their army I can take them down too.

Ah, it's always nice to see other people's Deathwing armies. I really must finish mine at some point, currently I own enough Terminators to field 70% of the company, although not all are assembled and painted yet. I hope to get to 100% one day.

I suddenly feel inspired to field them again (I've been distracted by other projects recently), how's this for a 1500 points list focused on shooting and manoeuvre?

HQ

White Eagle, Captain of the Deathwing
- Master of the Deathwing (130), Terminator Armour, Storm Bolter, Sword of Silence (0)
(130)

TROOPS

Squad Stalking Lion, Deathwing Terminator Squad
- Deathwing Terminator Squad, Assault Cannon, 1 Chainfist, 1 pair of Lightning Claws, Apothecary, Standard Bearer
(305)

Squad Four Deaths, Deathwing Terminator Squad
- Deathwing Terminator Squad, Assault Cannon, 1 Chainfist, 1 pair of Lightning Claws
(250)

Squad Killing Blade, Deathwing Terminator Squad
- Deathwing Terminator Squad, Assault Cannon, 1 Chainfist, 1 pair of Lightning Claws
(250)

HEAVY SUPPORT

Spirit of Caliban, Land Raider
(250)

First to War, Land Raider
(250)

TOTAL (1435)

[cowie165]

Ok, let's take a break from tactica for a bit. Time for the important questions:

What's your preferred Deathwing colour??

For me, I really dig the white/light grey schemes. Not a huge fan of the straight bleached bone.

What about you guys?

[Grazzy]

For me it is red and bleached bone - I use my own chapter. I like the contrast between them.

I really lik some of the more traditional schemes though, the well highlighted bone termies look sick.

[Bob Hunk]

The white/light grey schemes will always be my preference.

[Lion El Jason]

Bob Hunk: List looks fine, perfect for wound allocation too.
Only thing I would change would be to swap a LR for a LRC, possibly both of them.

You aren't short of AT with all the assault cannon and chain fists/ power fists so I think the TLLCs are going to be less useful than the bolters on a crusader, and of course the crusader still has a multi melta and assault cannon for AT too.

[Lion El Jason]

My own are all Codex: Dark Angels colours. Using the bone and dark green with black gives a very gothic looking body of troops perfect for Dark Angels.

I do like the all black colour scheme, either pre-heresy or successor chapter.

[Russell's teapot]

Bob, I love your army - mmmmmm Second Ed Terminator Captain, drooooooool

I play a sucessor chapter (I'm not patient enought to paint bone). Mine are black arms & legs, with a white body & head. They are called the Honey Badgers, after the scariest creature on earth!

With regard to your list - the banner/apothecary squad looks a little pricy for my taste, but the army looks fairly sound (I'm not a proponent of mixed squads, but 1 storm bolter per squad shouldn't make or break the army).

I'm with LeL on the Crusaders though (It means your character can actually get to the fight too!)

[Lion El Jason]

I also really love the old Terminator captain. Quality equipment list back in the day. In RT he had Storm Bolter, Power Sword, Power Fist with built in Grenade Launcher and Digital Weapons!
The face was surprisingly well sculpted, especially for the time it was released (IIRC...1988) I recall the eyes on that model being the easiest I've painted so far.

I've had literally a dozen different versions of that model over the years and it's a bit sad that currently he's not getting used in any form.

[SabrX]

For me it is red and bleached bone - I use my own chapter. I like the contrast between them.

I really lik some of the more traditional schemes though, the well highlighted bone termies look sick.

I also go for red and bleached bone. I'm going for a Spartan theme and eventually, each of my Termies will have red tabards.

I may even consider switching out all the power swords with Grey Knight Nemesis Force Weapons (GW's generosity to sell them separately )