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?

I was at a 5 round 100 person GT at the weekend and the list I took was this

Talon Strike Force

Battle Demi Company

Chaplin with relic Jump Pack

5 man Tac Squad, Melta Gun, Combi Melta, Drop Pod

5 man Tac Squad, Melta Gun, Combi Melta, Drop Pod

5 man Tac Squad, Melta Gun, Combi Melta, Drop Pod

5 man Dev Squad, Drop Pod

5 man assault Squad, 2 flamers, jumps packs

Shadowstrike Kill Team

5 man scout squad, combi melta, Land Speeder Storm, Multi Melta

5 man scout squad, combi melta, Land Speeder Storm, Multi Melta

5 man scout squad, combi melta, Land Speeder Storm, Multi Melta

5 man scout squad, combi melta, Land Speeder Storm, Multi Melta

Vanguard Veterans 1

Vet 1 Storm Shield

Vet 2 Storm Shield

Vet 3 bolt pistol, Chainsword

Vet 4  bolt pistol, Chainsword

Vet 5 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

Vet 6 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

Vet 7 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

Vanguard Veterans 2

Vet 1 Storm Shield

Vet 2 Storm Shield

Vet 3 bolt pistol, Chainsword

Vet 4  bolt pistol, Chainsword

Vet 5 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

Vet 6 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

Vet 7 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

Vanguard Veterans 3

Vet 1 Storm Shield

Vet 2 Storm Shield

Vet 3 bolt pistol, Chainsword

Vet 4  bolt pistol, Chainsword

Vet 5 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

Vet 6 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

Vet 7 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

I played guard in BA pods (win – 14 - 6), 5 Flying Hive Tyrants, 3 Molocs, and some Muclids (big loss 0 - 20), Ultra Marines super friends, death star (both my opponent and I were hating playing his army so we both gave up at the end of turn 3 and had a beer!), Eldar (win 20 - 0), and 3 Flying Hive Tyrants + dark elder (very narrow loss 9 - 11).

First up, I really enjoyed playing the army. It’s fast, flexible and “tricky”. However, it does have it’s limitations. For example – it has no answer to Hive Tyrants, other than to hide and go after ground units and maelstrom points. But no doubt it could be better.

Things that worked well

• ·    Deployment shenanigans. I can re roll the mission (does anybody know how they play this at the LVO?), deployment zone, and the roll for who goes first. I can come on from reserve on turn one on a 4+. At the weekend  I null deployed every game, infiltrating the scouts in their LSS. I can then bring down 2 pods automatically, rolling for the other 2 if I want to, and can choose to bring down the Vanguard (special rule – there is no need to roll for the VV I can choose to come in .. or not!). Very tricky for my opponent to counter.
• 
  
• ·         Scouts in LSS. Great little units (if only they were ObSec!). With the MM on the Storm, and a combi melta on the Sergeant, they threaten armour if I’m going first (knights beware – MM in one quadrant, disembarked combi in another). The jamming beacon (4d6 scatter if you deep strike within 12”) caught a couple of folk off guard, and in practice games the Cerebus launcher has blinded a necron death star, and a wolf star, making my VV much more potent. However, most importantly, they are really fast maelstrom grabbers. Finally, if a VV unit comes down within 9” of 2 of them, the VV don’t scatter. My only questions is – what’s better on the scouts – bolters or close combat weapons?
• 
  
• ·         Vanguard. I think these units are tooled out optimally (would welcome thoughts on that though). Two Storm Shields to take low AP attacks, and 2 naked to eat overwatch, and higher AP attacks, then 3 with the Lightening Claw, Power Fist combo (“only” 20pts for both, 5 for the LC and 15 for the PF…not bad!). However, the real beauty of this unit are its special rules. I can choose to bring them down (or keep them off) in any turn up to turn 4 when they must come in. In addition, they can assault after they deep strike, and if they DS within 9” of 2 scout squads, they  don’t scatter. However, while they do pack a punch, they are not really that hard. They bounce off most death stars if the star on “full power” – however, they can do significant damage, if you catch the deathstar without it’s psychic buffs (i.e. on turn one before they cast) and/or if they are blind from the Cerebus Launchers. In addition, Raven Guard chapter tactics work well with jump pack troops, allowing them to use their jump packs in both the movement and assault phases. That means you always have Hammer of Wrath attacks, on which you get to reroll wounds (again RG chapter tactics). Finally, if they come in turn 1, they have shrouded for that turn, and if it’s night fighting (which I roll on a 3+), stealth.
• 
  
• ·         Tac Squads. Having the one tactical doctrine from the Demi – Company, really makes the melta effective on the tac squads. Again, knights and Gladius beware.

Things that weren’t so good.

• ·         Missing charges on the VV. Without precision deep strike from the scouts, the VV are much less threatening. Risky deep strikes are all very well if it’s a 3 man crisis unit worth 150pts, that only needs to be within 18” of its target, but deep striking 234pts of VV, trying to get within “safe” charge range, is pretty nerve wracking. Being able to reroll charges helps, but without the scouts, it far from optimal.
• ·         Combi meltas on the Scouts. I’m not convinced these are worth it. Contrast them to the combi on the tac squads. The reroll granted by the tac doctrine makes that combi much more valuable. Too “hit of miss”!!
• ·         Vulnerable to Intercept. I have not yet played intercepting Tau with this list. I doubt it would go well! My plan is to go first (!), roll night fighting, and try and deep strike the VV into cover for a 2+ save. It’s not ideal, and if they have the new drone formation with intercepting marker lights it’s pretty pointless, but it’s something!
• ·         Vulnerable to flyers. Can’t really do anything about this. Just need to play the mission I guess.

So, the changes I’m thinking about are taking the combi-melta’s off the scouts, giving the assault squad a drop pod and a couple of flamers, and then giving all the pods locator beacons.

My thinking is that the locator beacons give the VVs something else to deep strike off without scatter. It’s particularly good going second, where you bring 3 pods in first turn and the VV in turn 2, deep striking off the pods. The only concern is that you limit the assault squad’s mobility after it comes in, but I still have the scouts in the LSS.

So list would become

Talon Strike Force

Battle Demi Company

Chaplin

5 man Tac Squad, Melta Gun, Combi Melta, Drop Pod, Locator Beacon

5 man Tac Squad, Melta Gun, Combi Melta, Drop Pod, Locator Beacon

5 man Tac Squad, Melta Gun, Combi Melta, Drop Pod, Locator Beacon

5 man Dev Squad, Drop Pod

5 man assault Squad, 2 flamers, Drop Pod, Locator Beacon

Shadowstrike Kill Team

5 man scout squad, Land Speeder Storm, Multi Melta

5 man scout squad, Land Speeder Storm, Multi Melta

5 man scout squad, Land Speeder Storm, Multi Melta

5 man scout squad, Land Speeder Storm, Multi Melta

Vanguard Veterans 1

Vet 1 Storm Shield

Vet 2 Storm Shield

Vet 3 bolt pistol, Chainsword

Vet 4  bolt pistol, Chainsword

Vet 5 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

Vet 6 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

Vet 7 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

Vanguard Veterans 2

Vet 1 Storm Shield

Vet 2 Storm Shield

Vet 3 bolt pistol, Chainsword

Vet 4  bolt pistol, Chainsword

Vet 5 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

Vet 6 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

Vet 7 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

Vanguard Veterans 3

Vet 1 Storm Shield

Vet 2 Storm Shield

Vet 3 bolt pistol, Chainsword

Vet 4  bolt pistol, Chainsword

Vet 5 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

Vet 6 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

Vet 7 Power Fist, Lightening Claw

Thoughts? In particular

• ·         Should I keep the combi melta’s on the scouts? Are they a good swap for locator beacons?
• ·         Should scouts have bolters or close combat weapons?
• ·         Drop Pod or jump packs on the Assault Squad? Allows me to guarantee 3 pods turn one, but it means I lose a mobile ObSec assault squad.

EYIG