Genestealer Cult List Analysis.

So, after 7 games with the Cult, what are my thoughts?

First, I really enjoy playing the army, it’s dynamic, tactical, and surprising. I’m sure as I play more games I’ll discover quirks and tricks that will just add to the tactical depth of the army. It’s exactly the sort of list I enjoy. However, it has some limitations in match ups, the complexity and high model count make it slow to play and. finally (and most importantly), I’ve not yet nailed the list.

Genestealer Cult's First Tournament

Last weekend was the GSC’s first tournament. I had a blast and went 3-2, which I was pleased with, particularly when you read about how I lost my first game…..!

The list I took was

The Cult's First Battle

So, for the first time in a long time I was at the non-club last night (which now seems to be a proper club with presidents treasurers and everything….none of which I have anything to do with I'm happy to say!), and played my first game with the Cult. A learning experience. But first, hobby update….

I have 20 Neophytes, 5 metamorphs and 5 Genestealers to finish (they are all “base coated and washed”) and then I’m done. God it’s been a slog, but nearly there. But onto my game.

Genestealer Cult Progress Report

Good grief but there are a lot of bodies in a Genestealer Cult army.

I’m trying to get my new army ready for a tournament at the end of November (ITC Scottish Open). I’ve completed 20 Metamorphs, and 10 Acolytes to a reasonable table top standard, and I’ve got another 15 Acolytes and 20 Neophytes to a basic “base coat and wash” standard. But I’ve still got 20 Genestealers, 20 Acolytes , 20 Neophytes a Patriarch, 2 Primi and 2 Magi that are grey plastic! At least they’re all built.

Genestealer Cult

Well ……. this hasn’t happened for a while. I find myself enthused by a new faction – Genestealers Cults (GSC).

The play style, and in particular the Cult Ambush rule has really taken my fancy. I’ve spent the last week pouring over the codex and reading everything I can online about GSC and I’m pretty sure I want to start this army. I wanted to run a horde, taking maximum advantage of the Cult Ambush  rule. The list I’m moving towards is a Cult Insurrection Detachment with a Brood Cycle formation, a Subterranean Uprising formation, and a GSC Combined Arms Detachment. Something like

So How Good are Frag Cannons?

I've pretty much nailed down my Raven Guard list, at least the first version of it. Its Core is a Talon Strike Force, with a Shadowstrike Kill Team auxiliary. I've gone for the Debi Company, rather than the Pinion for the Ob Sec.

In the Demi Company I'll run 3 tac squads in Pods with Melta/combi-melta, and a dev squad with 4 Grav Cannons. A captain in Cataphracti armour will tag along to give the Grav Cannons Slow and Purposeful. The Kill Team is 2 units of 5 bolter scouts, and 3 units of 7 Vanguard Vets with assorted Power weapons.

The unknown is the make up of the Aquilla Kill Team I want to take along.

Raven Guard List - Post FAQ

If you look back a few posts you’ll see I took a Raven Guard list to LVO and DM3. Both lists were based on a Talon Strike Force, with a Battle Demi Company and Shadowstrike Kill Team. The heavy lifters in both lists were 3 tooled up Vanguard Squads. This relied on the Vanguard’s ability to come in from reserve, any turn I chose (including turn one), and assault out of deep strike. The lists differed in the Vanguard’s delivery mechanism.

The key is landing the Vanguard without scatter so they don’t mishap and are in guaranteed charge range. As part of the formation, you need to take 2-4 units of scouts. If the Vanguard deep strike within 9” of 2 of scout units, they don’t scatter. In the LVO list I had 4 units of scouts in Land Speeders Storms. I infiltrated them, scouted them into position, and deep struck off the LSS’s hulls. However, the problem was, if I wasn’t going first, the scouts needed to survive a turn of fire before I could bring in the Vanguard. Given how fragile Scouts are (even in Land Speeders Storms), first turn was pretty important.

Drop Pod Battle Company

I’ve always enjoyed playing drop pod armies. There’s something dramatic about deploying nothing, and then swamping the board with pods. It can also be pretty tactical. Picking your targets and pod placement is crucial. However they have one major drawback.  Once you’re down and out your pod, the army if pretty static.

Back From the Dead

Yet again, rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated!!

After a dramatic start to the year (3 tournaments in 3 months Caledonian Uprising, LVO and Dark MIllenium 3), I hadn’t played a game of 40k until this weekend!! Real life has conspired against me, and the hobby has been on the back burner for some months – even to the extent that all my models, paints etc are packed away to the garage.

However, things have improved, and I’m getting back to playing with my toys again. Breaking news is I’m going to the LVO again in 2017. After this year I know I don’t want to sight see in Vegas (horrible place), and my hope that I would recover from jet lag by getting there early was plain silly. So next year it will be a flying visit – I fly in on the Thursday and out on the Monday. My gaming buddy isn’t joining me this year (he’s just back from the ETC, and feels that a trip to Vegas might just be a little OTT), but my brother is. So I’m going to fly half way around the world for 9 games of 40k, and to spend some time with my brother (who I only see a few times a year because he lives in the US). Sounds good to me!! 

But anyway, I played in a one day 20 man  RTT on Saturday. … and that’s really what this post’s about.

Raven Guard list

I’ve been thinking about the Vanguard Vets. Some comments suggested a reworking of their load out.

I’m not a “maths guy”, but I’ve done my best! The conclusion I’ve reached is that the load out I have is probably the most effective. I think it balances survivability, flexibility and efficiency reasonably well, while at the same time being pretty hard hitting. Other combinations (power mace, axes, melta bombs) just didn’t feel right. I have however made one change to the Vets, and some consequential changes to the rest of the list.

Further Raven Guard List Analysis

So I need to come to some sort of conclusion on the changes I plan to make on my list after the LVO and DM3. I also plan to reply to the really interesting comments by Jjpwyrm in this post.

As mentioned in my last post the main issues I found with the list were problems with flyers, problems with intercepting Tau, and fragility of the vanguard. I concluded that there was little I could do about flyers, adding in a grav centurion squad might work versus intercepting Tau, and trying to squeeze in 3 more Vanguard would allow me to combat squad one of the units creating a naked 5 man unit who could eat over watch.

So, after long hours with battle scribe, I’ve come up with a couple of options.

Raven Guard List

I think the list worked really well. Being able to get the alpha strike off reliably, whether I go first or second, and not needing to worry about getting seized on, is huge. All I sacrifice for it was 2 land speeder storms, and 2 Multi Meltas. Swapping out the Assault Squad for a bike squad is an improvement. Having a fast OB Sec unit is great, and with the Techmarine and the Chaplin, it’s no slouch in combat against anything short of a dedicated combat unit. And making the Techmarine the Warlord, give me a re-eoll on the Strategic Objective table, which is the only one worth taking with this list IMO.

Dark Millennium 3

I know, I know, 3 posts in as many days –what the hell’s going on – well, I’m loving playing 40k again!

Just back from another weekend Tourney – Dark Millennium 3, run by a good friend. This is the 3^rd year it’s run, and we had over 30 people at the weekend. Six gamers at 1,850pts, using the ETC missions and FAQ. A great weekend.

I took a variation of the list I used at the LVO.

LVO 2016 Games

The list I took was a variation of the Raven Guard List I played at Cally.

Talon Strike Force

Battel Demi-Company

Chaplin

Tac Squad, melta, combi melta, Drop Pod, Locator Beacon

Tac Squad, melta, combi melta, Drop Pod, Locator Beacon

Tac Squad, melta, combi melta, Drop Pod, Locator Beacon

Assault Squad, 2 flamers, Drop Pod, Locator Beacon

Dev Squad, Drop Pod, Locator Beacon

Shadowstrike Kill Team

5 Scouts, CCW, Land Speeder Storm, Multi Melta

5 Scouts, CCW, Land Speeder Storm, Multi Melta

5 Scouts, Bolters, Land Speeder Storm, Multi Melta

5 Scouts, Bolters, Land Speeder Storm, Multi Melta

7 Vanguard, 2 Storm Shields, 2 Bolt Pistol and CCW, 3 Power Fist + Lightening Claw

7 Vanguard, 2 Storm Shields, 2 Bolt Pistol and CCW, 3 Power Fist + Lightening Claw

7 Vanguard, 2 Storm Shields, 2 Bolt Pistol and CCW, 3 Power Fist + Lightening Claw

I’ve discussed the thinking behind the list in previous posts. The Vanguard can pull off a devastating alpha strike, and the deployment, and tactical flexibility it gives you is fantastic.

LVO 2016 Review

I’ve just about recovered from the Jet Lag caused by my trip to the LVO, so I thought I would post up a few thoughts. I’ll do it in three instalments – general review of the trip and the tournament, a (very) brief report on my games, and a list review.

Help with LVO List

Help!

In just over a week I fly to Vegas for the LVO ….. and I still haven’t’ decided on my list! Or rather I haven’t decided on the detail of the list. I know I’m taking Raven Guard, and I know I’m taking a Shadowstirke Kill Team. But what else?