Ultramarines

Here are a few pics of a good friend of mine's army. I will add more later when I am not quite so tried.

Deployment-practice makes perfect

Deployment. Its almost hilarious to spend hours on creating the list, even more hours building your army, and even more time pondering on how to play the army. One little area, I rarely here people discussing is deployment.

In a recent game I played, I had set up my army since I had won the roll off, and the next 15 minutes was spent while my opponent set up, and re-set up his deployment against me. There must of been 3-4 variations he went through, finally settling on something very close to what he started with. It was highly annoying. Not annoying becuase of that fact that he was having a hard time, and working hard not to fail his player moral check with my army sitting across from him. It was annoying becuase it took so long that I took a bathroom break while he sat up. It was annoying becuase he obviously hadnt given as much effort into deployment as he had the rest of his army.

Then I thought to myself..... Crap, Ive never really sat down and figured out tactically how my army should be deployed. I simply went off of what I thought when I created the list. The annoyance of a hesitant set up and re-set up, allowed me to discover a weakeness in my own game.

There are so many variances on how you should set up, and what you play, that I will not break it down here. Suffice to say, I think you should practice it, diagram it out, and figure out several different options. Get it down so you dont have to think about variations you will need to do on the battlefield. Here are some things you should consider when figuring out your deployment.

1. Morale: Dont play your opponents game..... Big errors can be made here, and failing your personal moral check and hiding your army off in some corner is silly and isnt really how your going to win.

2. Opponent types:.... Here are a couple. Know how you will deploy against these.

a. Armies with Drop Pods... (1st round deepstrikers)

b. Reserve armies.. Whether outflankers, or deepstrikers

c. Scout armies

d. Infiltrators

e. Gun line armies

f. Assault armies

g. Horde

h. Mech

3. Terrain: (nothing worse than a horrible terrain set up ie.... either none, unbalanced, or way over terrained (like cityfight tables

The main point here is, Give your deployment some thought. If you cant, make sure you play a spam list so it dumbs it down a little for ya.

List Building 103

In the previous articles, we've discussed purpose (a units job), and cohesiveness (units working together/ combos). Together these two things make a good list, although most players will stop here. Identifying people that only analyze their lists with one or both of these is pretty easy. They are the armies that often fail to work. Assault squads that never make assault, close range shooting squads that never get close, and long range firepower that gets assaulted right off the bat, and never gets to fire or kill their targets.

Efficiency is looked at a couple ways. The first and more important, is how many rounds a game are they going to function. A unit that is able to fill their roll for 4-6 rounds in a game is impressive and efficient. While one that simple does its job for a single round or two is practically worthless.

Example. You have an awesome assault squad or two in your list. Their job is to assault enemy positions and wipe them out. However game after game, you know they will kill their targets if they can reach them, but they never seem to get into combat until round 3 or 4. This unit falls into 2-3 rounds of use on average. In a 5 round game, which is an inefficient units worst nightmare, the unit only gets 1-2 rounds of action. Obviously something needs to change, the unit is not very efficient game wise.

The next thing we look at is point efficiency. If the above squad is 400 points, only getting 1-3 rounds of use, we have a serious problem with this squad. Especially if in most games its not getting much use. At 100 points, it might be worth it, although their job might need to be altered, transport changed, etc....

So lets look at a unit that most people think is generally worthless, yet I have come to think just recently otherwise. Chosen in the Chaos codex. Coming from 3rd edition, I had two heavy options for 5 guys and could infiltrate like now. I was very dissapointed in how these squads were changed, being 1 single heavy weapon per 10 guys. Being Nightlords, my army was based on this unit, and being able to take 9 squads of them.

It took me awhile to figure out how to use these new units. Infiltrating a squad of 10 with 1 autocannon along with 4 plasma guns at just over 18 inches from your opponent opened up a new light for me. With your choice of terrain to jump into, youve now got 4+ cover saves for a squad that should be able to break light armor, or heavier armor if you side shots are available (predators, vindicators...). Take two of these squads to insure that you can set up on opposite flanks and guarentee some side armor shots. Then if you are charged or units dont reach you immediately, you simply lay down a hail of rapid fire plasma, an autocannon and 5 bolters. Give this squad Chaos Glory, and you are neigh unbreakable (leadership 10 with a re-roll). Not to mention the unit costs 230 pts, and will pull away shots from your more vaulable troop choices that can go and claim objectives.

Round 1. Fire 6 str 7 shots BS4 into side armor/light armor/ MC's per chosen squad. 4 hits, 2 pens, 1 glance, 1 which doesnt pen vs armor 11. Very close to a statistical kill on armor, and probably getting kills, or stopping those transports where they sit. Something like this is definetly something the community has not worked into their lists, and yet is how they should be played. Efficient, handles multiple roles, and gives your other units a chance to shine, becuase they must be dealt with by opponents. All thats left is making them work within your army. A couple templates possibly from defilers, vindicators? to blow up those troops that get out of those blown up transports. Possibly Daemon Princes with lash, pulling them across the board to be assaulted or into rapid fire range?

Efficiency...... Dont leave home without it.

List building 102

Number two in a series of list building. Class 101 was pretty simple, making sure all your units had a job or purpose on the field of battle. This gets a little more complex that unit function. Once you actually have a list started, its time to see if the thing looks and feels cohesive. This can be quite difficult until you get some games under your belt.

The units should function well with each other. An example of this would be 3-4 infantry platoons with autocannons combined, and given orders to break light armor. Working in conjuction with them, would be artillery or leman russ's with large templates (even 2 hell hounds works here) to eliminate whatever comes out of that transport your other squad just blew up. One of the few times someone has actually done this to me..... was a few games back, and it was terrifying to see my untouched squad lose their transport, and then to lose every single man that survived the wreckage moments later. This is very effective at breaking your opponents morale.

There are lots of combinations, and units that work well together. I am not going to list them all out here becuase that is the fun of list building, discovering new and exciting ways to kill your opponent. It is one more thing that should be taken seriously into account when making your list. Having a cohesive army, will also bring about a balanced list, generally able to take on any armies that happen to come along for the fun. A well balanced, cohesive list are the most difficult to beat on the battlefield.

List building 101

Yesterday I was discussing unit efficency vs spam. The blog took on a listbuilding mentality, and I figured I would break it down. Here are the three things I thought you should consider for your lists and the units within them. I will break them down into a three articles.

101. Purpose
102. Cohesiveness
103. Efficiency

Class 101. Purpose. While this seems simple, people often forget about what their units are supposed to be doing, they do it without thinking of it, or they never even consider what the units job is. You should know and actively think about what the unit's job is.

This list is not inclusive, but gives you some ideas of what your units should be built for killing on the battlefield. Light armor, Heavy armor, infantry, hordes, objective holding, and objective contesting. There can be more, and some units can often fill multiple roles, that depends entirely on what you like to do on the battlefield.

Its simple, but take a good look at your list and what units are in it. Do they have a job to do? Can something else do this job better?

Unit Efficiency vs Spam

Mostly what we hear of is.... "This unit can do ____", "This combo can do_____". Unit efficiency is something we hear very little about. What we end up with, is alot of spam lists.

Spam lists..... 3-6 of the same unit type. They put out good units, multiply by alot, and you have a strong army. Im not against these lists, but what they are is... easy to play. I only have to really concern myself with a few type of units and maybe an hq and my heavies. This will make strong a strong list for 80% of the players. The others 10% just suck, and the last 10% are excellent generals and will move past the spam lists eventually for something that is more efficient. Spam lists are a great learning tool. However, some players will boast how good he is, has never lost, etc while using his army. These are the spam players. And they do good until they hit someone who knows how to make a list, make it efficent, and is a good general on the table.

Efficiency. First off several important things to list building.
1. Every unit really should have a job on the battlefield. This should be 40k 101, unfortunately its not.
2. Every unit once we figure out what they are supposed to do, must work cohesively with the other units.
3. Every unit must be efficient. What does this mean?

Efficiency means in 5-7 rounds of play, what is the unit able to do? If there is a heavy weapon in that rhino, but they move 3 rounds of the game towards objectives...... not efficient. (2-3 possible shots are taken...... a lascannon will hit 2 of those 3 times.... will penetrate a vehicle 1 out of 2 times, and it takes 3 penetrates to break a non open-topped vehicle). This is simplified, but what it shows us is that unless the heavy weapon is free, ie multi-melta or missle launcher, it was a waste of the points.

So since mathhammer is only a tool we use to help us figure out what is efficient (takes 3 pens to break a tank on avg), every unit we must be determine its purpose, how it works with other units, and if its efficient. This means assault weapons are used more than just along for the ride. Assault units are in hand to hand more than just driving around, and finally that heavy weapons are firing throughout most of the game.

Watch out for those good generals with a list that isnt spam. They know how to use what they have, its cohesive, efficient and might just break your spam list and make you cry like a little baby.

Playing warhammer 40k in 5th edition

Warhammer in 5th edition has changed drastically since 3rd edition. I somehow completely missed 4th edition so the change was quite drastic for myself. For one, the number of units we now see in a normal game of 40k at 1750 or 1500 pts is much much lower than what we were used to fielding back 10 years ago. Squads now, for example tactical squads, must be 10 marines in order to get their single lascannon. Here is what we have...

3rd Edition Tactical squad 5 man w/lascannon = 90 pts
5th Edition Tactical squad 10man w/ lascannon=180pts

I understand this is simplified... w/o transports special weapons etc. but it gets the point across. So in general we would see alot of armies that had 5-6 troop choices in 3rd and the same in 5th now. See what that does to your points? Its not saying that 1500 is now like fielding 2500 points. Its closer to 1500 points is now 2000 pts, becuase there is approximately a 500 point increase in the cost of troop choices.

The rest of everything point wise remains the same. Predators are about the same, Land Raiders as well. Transports have gone down in price dramatically, but that mostly doesnt change the overall effect of what I am discussing...(although its important).

So now we have troops being much more important that before. (they are scoring units). They also get to be protected by cheaper transports, new cover saves, all very cool. The main thing, is now, they are almost entirely protected by 10 men. Meaning you marines out there, you get 8 wounds before your sergeant or your heavy weapon get it.

So here it is....1500pt games are part of the 40k and will also always be. They are not the tactical games or same games that we were playing 10 years ago. They would equate to about a 1000pt or 1250pt game of back then. The problem with games like those, is we rely upon the luck of the dice far too much. Raising the point cost of the game to 1850+ and now we have a good game with some backbone, decent number of units, and the dice gods dont dominate everygame. (3rd ed...... "Hey look I go first, should we just call it a victory for me, or do you want to watch the slaughter?"

I prefer 2000+ myself. Here tactics get employed, and the dice gods dont rule the game. (1500 pts its mostly 'the list' and one or two squads that dominate most games. rock paper scissors. Do I still play the low 1500pt games or even lower? Of course. A random pick up game though.... Dont ask me for 1500 pts cuase I wont do it.

Imperial Guard Army

Here is my most current army. It is the Imperial Guard with my two inquisitors. The army is built mostly with cadians, becuase they are easy to work with.

Notice the artillery with with Hyrda Autocannon support. I have made these so that all my heavy artillery pieces can slide in and out of the hulls. Allowing me playing options with hydras, basilisks, collosses, deathstrike, etc options.

One the troop side, lots of veterans, with one unit of catachan devils (harker) made from goliaths, one platoon and loads of chimeras. I have more, but they are not painted yet.

The psyker battle squads are made from empire flagilents with custom guns, mostly german world war two guns. HQ is a company command squad, and an Inquisitor Lord. There are a couple assassins down there as well. A culexus and callidus assassin. The two default leman russes I've had for a long time. Unless I can figure out how they can become really effective, they will no longer see a battlefield.

Other than that, I am working on more options, and my ard boyz lists for may 15th. So more models will be completed for that. 1 more platoon, more chimeras, etc.

Starting something fun.

Well, I often get tired of reading others blogs about this or that, or listening to rants that make no sense of anything. So here is my 2 cents. I have no mission statement, dont really care if anyone reads this blog. Its not about you. Its about me, and my 40k obession that has been going on for quite some time, and needs a place to vent, post, talk rules, etc. I have no patience for stupid posters here. You might be mentioned in this blog, either becuase you were a fun opponent, annoying to play against, or whatever other reason I have. (I will not use your name, so dont incriminate yourself) Please dont waste my time, and if you do check in here to read what is said, I will try not to waste yours.

Look for more to come. Articles about list building, tactics, dice, where to play, and everything else related to warhammer 40k.