Deathwing 2k

Here is the current 2000 point list that I am running for my Deathwing. They rarely see the light of day due to their frustrating nature at higher points costs but, I honestly can say that they are fun! While they definitely have some serious flaws with regards to numbers on the field but this can be made less prevalent through the effective use of Deathwing Assault.

Deathwing Assault is literally the most useful rule if you are willing to play Deathwing in an aggressive manner, for far too long the internet community has been willing to ignore this. The consensus is to use Deathwing in some sort of foot blob that fires missiles from the back field or else to put them in land raiders. Both of these have some very considerable disadvantages within the current meta-game and so must be discounted as truly decent lists.

For far too long the current idea has been to hold back and to attempt to out shoot the opponent. With this in mind, it becomes clear that this is not the Deathwing’s best attribute. Deathwing, it must be remembered are an extremely low model count army, one in which the majority of units will have to operate in a similar manner at all times. With these disadvantages in mind the two biggest advantages are Deathwings ability to deal with elite infantry and their hardy 2+ save. When this is compounded by their use of mixed terminator squads and the upgrades that Belial can offer they then become a potent force.

Without further ado here is the list, at the end of the post I will expand on the way in which it is played.

Belial TH/SS

Apothecary upgrade

Interrogator Chaplain in Terminator armour

Deathwing terminator squad all TH/SS and cyclone missile launcher

Deathwing terminator squad all TH/SS

Deathwing terminator squad all lightening claws

Deathwing terminator squad 2 chain fists and assault cannon

Dreadnought with assault cannon in drop pod

Dreadnought with lascannon and heavy flamer in assault squad

Ravenwing attack squadron with 6 bikes sergeant with power sword

Ravenwing speeder with multi- melta

(13KP)

This list is all about the first turn and positioning. The Ravenwing bike squadrons combat squad and get as far up the table as they can with their scout move in order to allow the Deathwing to drop from their homers. And the land speeder operates as a distraction with its multi-melta presenting a threat so far up the table.

The first wave should consist of either all TH/SS terminators with Belial and apothecary if you are facing an extremely heavy fire or; if you think you can chance it, the lightening claw terminators with interrogator chaplain. These form a massive threat that must be dealt with by your opponent immediately.

This allows your bikes to reposition and move to hide within terrain within 12 of the original drop in order to add re-enforcements as the reserves become available and also provides a small tar pit unit for emergencies.

Taking down tanks is as usual your first priority, this will be reasonably easy from turn 2 onwards and so casualties must be expected in the initial wave. Expect to lose terminators, but also expect that once you get into contact the enemy will be unable to deal with all that strength 8. Running as a pack is vital in this regard and placing objectives close together will help. Use the TH/SS to give your squads with worse 5++ saves the 4++ cover save and  remember, due to their Fearlessness rule, be willing to take on opponents such as MCs if you think that in the long run you can take them.

This list is all about taking the initiative from your opponent. Make him play your game from this early stage and only the dice gods can get in your way.

That’s all floks!

Nort

Breaking 750 and is most always best?

  Okay, this is the deal; over on beastsofwar there was a discussion on the Imperial Guard forum about a tournament that one of us was playing which used an unusual force organization chart. Instead of the normal 1 HQ 2 troops there was only to be a maximum of 1 from all of the sections of the said codex you are using. This got me to thinking about the nature of the force organization chart and how it becomes so much more important at this small points value.

  As an IG player myself my two first immediate ideas for this type of game were horde guard which would maximize the number of units and their utility within such a small point value. My immediate ideas for the army looked something like this:

1 CCS with 4 flamers in a chimera

1 PCS with 3 melts in a chimera

2 infantry squads with grenade launchers in chimeras

3 scout sentinels with autocannon or a valk with pods or vendetta with bolters or even a bane wolf with multi melta (all come to around 140ish)

1 Leman Russ (with or without bolter sponson depending on how my final list worked out)

From this rough draught I was sure that the IG was going to be the best suited to a game at this level and the challenges that would face them. The chances of being tabled by the enemy they were most likely to be facing were very, very low as I would assume that they would be for the most part small contingents of space marines with 250ish points at their disposal being spent on a 10 man tactical squad in a rhino.

 But here folks is where it gets crazy! What if instead of playing to the maxim of attempting to get the greatest amount of quantity into the list I was to aim for quality?

 My case in point here is that of my beloved Deathwing (so much more beloved after the FAQ!) and the question of their viability within the limits of such a small points game. This due to the feeling that I get that; even at 2000 points my Deathwing have not quite yet reached their sweet spot.

With Deathwing squads being over 200 points each before they are even given the upgrades they need so badly to truly commence the smack down it seemed like an impossible task for me to truely be able to take this list at all. Then I remembered two very important things:

1. Beliel and the wording of his special rule
2. No one suspects a list like this

Beliel would allow me to field 2 squads of terminators, 1 as a Troop and the other as an elite. In addition to this I would have the element of surprise and also the advantage of playing against the style of army that is most likely to occur at this point level.(see the example C:SM army above) With this I decided to write rough list to show the power that such an army is capable of at this level.

Belial TH/SS

Squad 1 4 lightening claws, 1 TH/SS maybe the company banner upgrade depending on how it works out in the end

Squad 2 TH/SS, 3 lightening claws and a missile launcher

Ravenwing bikes 3x melta bombs

The idea of this is really simple, scout move the bikes, Deathwing assault a squad in to the weakest side of the enemy lines with Beliel in tow with the locator beacon and then get multi-charging!

This list is crazy you say! How could it ever work?

Simple, it is exactly what nobody is expecting at this level. Look at my IG army from the beginning of the post. Pretty solid right? Actually not at all, look again. This army has only 3 guns that pierce a 2+ and the chances of actually hitting with all three is low to say the least. Now look at the Deathwing, it is evil right?

I know that the main issue I have would be deployment and how to deal with how my enemy deploys. But with only 1 unit on the table (the bikes) this is no longer an issue. Their scout move defines exactly where my forces deploy a turn after his do either way.

AV14? The chances of that occurring are so low that it is not really an issue, just in case the bikes have melta bombs. A monolith you say? Good luck fitting that into 750 after your warriors and lord!

The weaknesses of this list are its numbers. At only 14 models every death is a great loss to the force, but hey, that’s how space marines are meant to be right?! If you focus on the mission and forget trying to kill stuff this army (is it even an army? Squad more like!) has it all with style and even a bit of fluff thrown in! (ARGH your HQ knows something! Where are the plans for the rebel base! Sorry, fallen, yeah, fallen he he he)

Deathwing (Dark Angel) FAQ:
http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m1620225a_Dark_Angels_Version_1_1.pdf

Nort

TL;DR: Shut it! The “meta” is for pussies! Mass is not always might!

New!!

Well I have just been smacked down on www.beastsofwar.com for not contributing while criticising other blogs so I think it is high time for me to do it for myself! Over the coming months I hope to focus on my army WIPs and battle reports.