The saga continues tournament fans – this weekend we find out if lightning can strike twice and I can manage another respectable run with what was supposed to be a silly meme list, or if reality is going to reassert itself and those of you reading my articles because you lust for elf death are going to get the payoff you’ve been waiting for. We’re heading to the Element Games Grand Slam (Eggs), another major, and as usual we’ll dive into some other lists that are going to be throwing down over the weekend to see what some of the best and brightest of the UK tournament scene have landed on.
As an early announcement – next week as well as covering how my event went I’ll be doing a post-mortem on the performance of some of the lists from both this event and the Alliance Open, which we looked at some lists from last week. I’ve already had some feedback from several of the players featured in that article, but would love to hear more from both them and (once Eggs is in the book) from anyone featured this week. If you want to contribute some thoughts on how your event went and anything you liked or didn’t like about your list, please do get in touch via contact@goonhammer.com, our Facebook Page or by saying hi in person at Eggs. Both myself and fellow editor Liam “Corrode” Royle should be nice and visible in Goonhammer shirts, and we always like to chat to people about the website and 40K in general!
As a final bit of pre-amble about the event, the format is:
- 2000pts
- ITC Champions Missions
- Using the Salamander and Imperial Fists FAQs that dropped yesterday.
The event is being run through Tabletop TO, and you can check out the full details and see the rest of the lists here.
My List
Oh No, He Back - Click to Expand+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ PLAYER NAME: James Grover
+ ARMY FACTION: Asuryani
+ TOTAL COMMAND POINTS: 9
+ TOTAL ARMY POINTS: 2000pts
+ POWER LEVEL: 116
+ ARMY FACTIONS USED: Asuryani, Craftworld Mara-Nai (Expert Crafters, Masterful Shots)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
== Battalion Detachment == Asuryani, Craftworld Mara-Nai (Expert Crafters, Masterful Shots)
[46PL, 745pts] 5CP
HQ: Yvraine (115) [6PL] [115pts]
HQ: Warlock Skyrunner (65), Twin Shuriken Catapult (2), Witchblade (0), Warlord [4PL] [67pts]
TR: 5 Dire Avengers (40), Exarch (0), 5 Avenger Shuriken catapults (15), Exarch Additional Avenger Shuriken Catapult (3), Exarch Power - Battle Fortune [3PL] [58pts]
TR: 5 Dire Avengers (40), Exarch (0), 5 Avenger Shuriken catapults (15), Exarch Power- Battle Fortune [3PL] [55pts]
TR: 8 Storm Guardians (48), 2 Chainswords (0), 6 Aeldari Blades (0) [3PL] [48pts]
DT: Wave Serpent (120), Twin Scatter Laser (12), Twin Shuriken Catapult (2) [9PL] [134pts]
DT: Wave Serpent (120), Twin Scatter Laser (12), Twin Shuriken Catapult (2) [9PL] [134pts]
DT: Wave Serpent (120), Twin Scatter Laser (12), Twin Shuriken Catapult (2) [9PL] [134pts]
== Supreme Command Detachment == Asuryani, Craftworld Mara-Nai (Expert Crafters, Masterful Shots)
[42PL, 723pts] 0CP (1 base, -1 Wraithhost)
Specialist Detachment: Vigilus Defiant - Wraithhost -1CP
HQ: Autarch Skyrunner (95), Laser Lance (8), Fusion Gun (14), Twin Shuriken Catapult (2), Banshee Mask (0) [6PL] [119pts]
HQ: Spiritseer (65) [3PL] [65pts]
HQ: Farseer (110), Witchblade (0) [6PL] [110pts]
Relic: Faolchu’s Wing
LOW: Wraithknight (315), 2 Heavy Wraithcannons (100), 2 Scatter Lasers (14) [27PL] [429pts]
== Air Wing Detachment == Asuryani, Craftworld Mara-Nai (Expert Crafters, Masterful Shots)
[28PL, 532pts] 1CP
FL: Hemlock Wraithfighter (200), Spirit Stones (10) [10PL] [210pts]
FL: Crimson Hunter Exarch (135), 2 Starcannons (26), Exarch Power - Hawkeye [9PL] [161pts]
FL: Crimson Hunter Exarch (135), 2 Starcannons (26), Exarch Power - Hawkeye [9PL] [161pts]
I don’t intend to dwell on this too long, as it’s unchanged from what I arrived at after Blood and Glory, and I covered my thoughts about it then.
In brief:
- Expert Crafters was extremely good. More of that sort of thing.
- Masters of Concealment was very “meh”, as I found that my army wanted to blob up mid-board, so wasn’t getting huge benefits from it. Adding more killing power (in the form of Masterful Shots) felt like a better bet. It also makes the scatter lasers in the list substantially better in Marine world, as they’re largely irrelevant against power armour in cover otherwise.
- I’ve squeezed in a third Wave Serpent because I found myself wanting more defensive layers on my mid-board bubble, and I could make it fit.
I basically cannot possibly believe things are going to go as well this time, especially as (having gone through all 80 lists) the field is crunchy, but it should still be a blast to push a Wraithknight around the board for a weekend. Who knows, maybe they’ll get another buff in
I’m also super high on the Masterful Shots/Expert Crafters combo, and will be looking at it seriously once I limp, broken, towards more sensible lists. In a cunning segue, I’m not the only one who’s been lured in by the promise of extreme Aeldari damage output, and the first list we’ll be looking at aims to maximise the power of this combo.
Gaz Jones’s Asuryani
The Army
Army List - Click to ExpandPlayer: Gaz Jones
Craftworld Attribute: Asur Brotherhood – Expert Crafters, Masterful Shots
Warlord: Autarch
Warlord Trait: Fate’s Messenger
Warlord Relic: Faolchu’s Wing
Psychic Powers: Warlock Skyrunner #Smite/Destructor #Protect/Jinx
++ Spearhead Detachment +1CP (Aeldari - Craftworlds) [43 PL, 677pts] ++
+ HQ [4 PL, 77pts] +
Autarch [4 PL, 77pts]: Forceshield [6pts], Shuriken Pistol, Star Glaive [6pts]
+ Heavy Support [39 PL, 600pts] +
Support Weapons [9 PL, 120pts]: 3x Support Weapon [3 PL, 40pts]: Vibro Cannon [15pts]
Support Weapons [9 PL, 120pts]: 3x Support Weapon [3 PL, 40pts]: Vibro Cannon [15pts]
Support Weapons [9 PL, 120pts]: 3x Support Weapon [3 PL, 40pts]: Vibro Cannon [15pts]
War Walkers [4 PL, 80pts] : Aeldari Missile Launcher [20pts], Aeldari Missile Launcher [20pts]
War Walkers [4 PL, 80pts] : Aeldari Missile Launcher [20pts], Aeldari Missile Launcher [20pts]
War Walkers [4 PL, 80pts] : Aeldari Missile Launcher [20pts], Aeldari Missile Launcher [20pts]
++ Air Wing Detachment +1CP (Aeldari - Craftworlds) [27 PL, 483pts] ++
+ Flyer [27 PL, 483pts] +
Crimson Hunter Exarch [9 PL, 161pts]: Two Starcannons [26pts] #Hawkeye
Crimson Hunter Exarch [9 PL, 161pts]: Two Starcannons [26pts] #Hawkeye
Crimson Hunter Exarch [9 PL, 161pts]: Two Starcannons [26pts] #Hawkeye
++ Spearhead Detachment +1CP (Aeldari - Craftworlds) [55 PL, 838pts] ++
+ HQ [4 PL, 67pts] +
Warlock Skyrunner [4 PL, 67pts]: Shuriken Pistol, Twin Shuriken Catapult [2pts], Witchblade
+ Heavy Support [51 PL, 771pts] +
Falcon [9 PL, 132pts]: Aeldari Missile Launcher [20pts], Twin Shuriken Catapult [2pts]
Falcon [9 PL, 132pts]: Aeldari Missile Launcher [20pts], Twin Shuriken Catapult [2pts]
Falcon [9 PL, 132pts]: Aeldari Missile Launcher [20pts], Twin Shuriken Catapult [2pts]
Wraithlord [8 PL, 125pts]: 2x Aeldari Missile Launcher [40pts], Shuriken Catapult, Shuriken Catapult
Wraithlord [8 PL, 125pts]: 2x Aeldari Missile Launcher [40pts], Shuriken Catapult, Shuriken Catapult
Wraithlord [8 PL, 125pts]: 2x Aeldari Missile Launcher [40pts], Shuriken Catapult, Shuriken Catapult
Strengths
Gaz has been tinkering with lists in this vein since Phoenix Rising landed, putting up a top four finish with this list a few weeks ago and having a decent run at Blood and Glory. While my list benefits from the Expert Crafters/Masterful shots combo, this list leans into it as hard as possible, aiming to ensure that most models in the army are packing middling numbers of high powered shots, which is the sweet spot for Expert Crafters.
The real standouts are the Vibro Cannons. These were our top pick to benefit from this trait in our own Phoenix Rising review and are monstrously good with it. Having nine separate units that have 1-3 good shots each is ideal with the re-rolls, and threatens to really drop the hammer on a single big target. They aren’t too bad if they have to split their fire in this configuration either, and their ability to stop units advancing can unpick the plans of some armies.
Quite a few of the other units we were hot on make it in here as well, with Falcons and Wraithlords, both pet units I’ve wanted to be good for ages, making an appearance. Way back in my review of Chapter Approved’s changes to Eldar last year I noted that Falcons looked really close to efficient after their discount, and it looks like from both this list and another we’ll have a quick look at later the shooting-focused traits in PR were enough to finally push them over the top.
Ultimately, what this list does in the aggregate is put down an absolutely withering hail of long ranged, high quality firepower, most of which is attached to at least moderately tough platforms. No non-character model in the list has a toughness <5, and while Vibro Cannons die pretty easy they’re spread over lots of small units, which tends to force opponents to overcommit and waste some firepower. Finally, it has some modest counter charge threat from the Wraithlords, and the Falcons are fast enough to go grab objectives in a pinch. Perhaps the most surprising thing about this list is the lack of a Farseer – but there’s some degree to which you simply don’t need one with all the wound re-roll you’re already packing. Not having to plan to defend a Farseer as they get into Doom range frees up the list to play with its range a bit more, and build highly defensive castles when needed. It also speaks to just how confident the list is in its alpha strike capabilities – if it goes first against a heavily mechanised list (and there are a lot) it’s going to pick up a tonne of units at speed!
Weaknesses
The question I’d have is how well this list can defend its castle against Genestealer Cults, White Scars and Orks (with a side order of Raven Guard as well). From my own experience I know full well that you can do a lot of deep strike screening with three planes, but I feel like the army might find itself up against it pretty hard in the Genestealer matchup in particular. There are a lot of large-based targets that can be easily wrapped here, and pretty much all will crumble when any wrapping unit worth its salt (except maybe Boyz vs a Wraithlord) attack on the Eldar turn. If an enemy managed to set up a rolling wrap it’s going to be game over, especially as the Vibro Cannons give up Kill More quite easily so the list can’t even fall back on that with 100% reliability.
Still, this list has a proven track record of success and is in the hands of a very experienced Eldar player, so is a definite contender. I’m also very happy to see a substantially increased chance of there being some Wraith units on the top tables!
Matt Smith’s Orks
The Army
Army List - Click to Expand++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Orks) [11 PL, -1CP, 258pts] ++
Clan Kultur: Deathskulls
Specialist Detachment [-1CP]: Dread Waaagh!
+ HQ +
Big Mek W/ Shokk Attack Gun [4 PL, 84pts]: Big Killa Boss, Da Souped-up Shokka, Grot Oiler, Shokk Attack Gun, Warlord
Big Mek W/ Shokk Attack Gun [4 PL, 84pts]: Grot Oiler, Shokk Attack Gun
+ Troops +
Gretchin [1 PL, 30pts]. 10x Gretchin
Gretchin [1 PL, 30pts]. 10x Gretchin
Gretchin [1 PL, 30pts]. 10x Gretchin
++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Orks) [37 PL, 812pts] ++
Clan Kultur: Bad Moons
+ HQ +
Big Mek W/ Shokk Attack Gun [4 PL, 84pts]: Grot Oiler, Shokk Attack Gun
Weirdboy [3 PL, 62pts]
+ Troops +
Gretchin [2 PL, 36pts]. 12x Gretchin
Gretchin [1 PL, 30pts]. 10x Gretchin
Gretchin [1 PL, 30pts]. 10x Gretchin
+ Elites +
Tankbustas [13 PL, 315pts]: 6x Bomb Squig. Boss Nob: Rokkit Launcha. 14x Tankbusta: 14x Rokkit Launcha
+ Heavy Support +
Lootas [13 PL, 255pts]. 15x Loota
++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Orks) [50 PL, -1CP, 930pts] ++
Clan Kultur: Evil Sunz
+ HQ +
Warboss [4 PL, 78pts]: Attack Squig, Power Klaw, Shoota (Index)
Weirdboy [3 PL, 62pts]
+ Troops +
Gretchin [1 PL, 30pts]. 10x Gretchin
Gretchin [1 PL, 30pts]. 10x Gretchin
Gretchin [1 PL, 30pts]. 10x Gretchin
+ Elites +
Meganobz [20 PL, 350pts]. 10x Meganob W/Power Claw & Kustom Shoota
Meganobz [20 PL, 350pts]. 10x Meganob W/Power Claw & Kustom Shoota
++ Total: [98 PL, -1CP, 2,000pts]
Strengths
We talked last week about the difficult times Ork players find themselves in, with hordes of Boyz facing an uphill struggle to stay on the board against the nightmare rate of fire Marines pack. More players at Eggs are having a go at a more conventional route than at Alliance, and I’ll be interested to see how that goes, but there are also some innovations being tried and this list stood out as one of them.
Maxing out on shokk attack guns is fast becoming the norm, and including other shooty elements like the Lootas helps provide an alpha strike that takes advantage of the games where you get to go first, and I particularly like the split of Death Skulls/Bad Moons to layer as many different options to max out the SAGs as possible. However, the (heavily armoured) elephant in the room with this list is that invests over a third of its points into a gargantuan wrecking ball of 20 Meganobz. Almost certainly planning to come in via a Tellyporta (full squads of 10 are bang-on the 20pl limit to use it) and with the Evil Sunz trait and ‘Ere We Go maximising their charge potential, this presents a threat that pretty much every list has to respect, with even Centurions not really wanting to take a charge from these monsters.
The mere threat of a devastating Deep Strike forces other lists onto the defensive, which in turn can give the shooting elements more time to do their work, and 90 grots provides both buckets of CP to spend on shooting tricks and Tellyportas and a huge number of bodies to be fed into oncoming fire via Grot Shields, keeping shooty units safe, and hopefully letting at least some of them get a second round of fire.
Many lists are going to get put on the back foot by this army, and what I like about it is that if they stumble even slightly in trying to reassert control of the game it has the tools to knock them straight onto the ground and take over. It’s also got a very good story to tell against other armies that rely on deep strike, as the number of grots it’s packing means that it can quickly swarm a large swathe of the board. While I have one major concern with it, I basically really like what this army is doing and think it’s a very effective adaptation to the current metagame.
Weaknesses
So, that concern. The single biggest problem this list has is that it can only use Grot Shields once. With that in mind, I’d be really worried about packing both Tankbustas and Lootas, as if it ends up going second there’s a very high chance that one of those units is going in the bin. Things only get worse if there are Eliminators and Sniper Scouts around (narrator: there were) as at that point the Big Meks are threatened too, and lose ~half their damage output if they’re forced to move before firing. The upside of having so many Grots is that if you only have one key unit to screen you can basically guarantee keeping it alive turn one. Here, having the second big unit opens up the army for the opponent to actually deal a meaningful blow turn one. I did wonder if the plan might be to deep strike the Tankbustas as well but they add up to too many points with the two Nobz units. I’d have wondered about either cutting down the unit so that it was small enough to join the tellyporta club, or cashing them in entirely for, perhaps, a big squad of Kommandos in the Evil Sunz detachment, doubling down even further on the deep strike board control threat.
As a lesser concern, planes shooting from multiple angles might get around the Grots, but there are enough of them that I’m a bit less worried about that.
However, either option would have compromised on the availability of first turn shooting, and it may be that the calculation is similar to where I landed with the Wraithknight – when you get turn 1 in the current meta you want it to be biiiig, so lean into it. I like this as a direction for Orks, and hope it blasts some unsuspecting players off the board in quick succession.
Beth Taylor’s Imperium
The Army
Army List - Click to Expand++ Spearhead Detachment +1CP (Imperium - Adeptus Mechanicus) [21 PL, 1CP, 388pts] ++
+ No Force Org Slot +
Detachment CP [1CP]
Forge World Choice. Forge World: Stygies VIII
+ HQ +
Daedalosus [3 PL, 50pts]
+ Heavy Support +
Skorpius Disintegrator [6 PL, 111pts]: Belleros Energy Cannon, 3x Cognis Heavy Stubber
Skorpius Disintegrator [6 PL, 111pts]: Belleros Energy Cannon, 3x Cognis Heavy Stubber
Skorpius Disintegrator [6 PL, 116pts]: 3x Cognis Heavy Stubber, Ferrumite Cannon
++ Spearhead Detachment +1CP (Imperium - Adeptus Custodes) [52 PL, 1CP, 959pts] ++
+ No Force Org Slot +
Detachment CP [1CP]
+ HQ +
Captain-General Trajann Valoris [10 PL, 185pts]
+ Elites +
Vexillus Praetor [6 PL, 114pts]: Misericordia, Vexilla Magnifica
+ Heavy Support +
Caladius Grav-tank [12 PL, 220pts]: Twin Illiastus Accelerator Cannon, Twin Lastrum Bolt Cannon
Caladius Grav-tank [12 PL, 220pts]: Twin Illiastus Accelerator Cannon, Twin Lastrum Bolt Cannon
Caladius Grav-tank [12 PL, 220pts]: Twin Illiastus Accelerator Cannon, Twin Lastrum Bolt Cannon
++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Imperium - Astra Militarum) [47 PL, 7CP, 650pts] ++
+ No Force Org Slot +
Battle-forged CP [3CP]
Detachment CP [5CP]
Regimental Doctrine: Regiment: Vostroyan
Vigilus Defiant [-1CP]: Emperor's Fist Tank Company
+ HQ +
Tank Commander [12 PL, 170pts]: Emperor's Fist, Heavy Bolter, Turret-mounted Demolisher Siege Cannon
Tank Commander [12 PL, 170pts]: Emperor's Fist, Heavy Bolter, Turret-mounted Demolisher Siege Cannon
Tank Commander [12 PL, 170pts]: Emperor's Fist, Heavy Bolter, Turret-mounted Punisher Gatling Cannon
+ Troops +
Infantry Squad [3 PL, 40pts]. 9x Guardsman. Sergeant: Laspistol
Infantry Squad [3 PL, 40pts]. 9x Guardsman. Sergeant: Laspistol
Infantry Squad [3 PL, 40pts]. 9x Guardsman. Sergeant: Laspistol
+ Elites +
Platoon Commander [2 PL, 20pts]: laspistol, Warlord
++ Total: [120 PL, 9CP, 1,997pts] ++
Strengths
Speaking of “blasting straight off the board”.
Y I K E S.
Beth returns to one of these articles for the second time with another horrendous Imperial concoction. Striking out from pure Ad Mech this time, Beth’s list brings together some of the most efficient shooting from three different Imperial factions. Caladius Grav Tanks caught a big nerf when the Forge World rules were finalised, but are still extremely deadly against a lot of important targets, and in particular still do a good number on Marine and Eldar lists. In addition, they are very mobile and very long ranged, which can be a major advantage against at least some of the Imperium lists, and are difficult for Raven Guard Centurions to charge out of Deep Strike, especially with a well positioned Tanglefoot throwing banner bearer, helping against another popular choice. Trajann further charges them up while providing a pretty decent counter-charge threat that Knight-style armies have to be at least somewhat wary of, something the list otherwise lacks.
The Ad Mech contingent isn’t complicated, it’s just three of the most efficient vehicles in the game. Were Marines not currently at the forefront of everyone’s concerns more attention would probably be payed to how truly ludicrous the cost on the Skorpius Disintegrator is, but as it is they’re still managing to sneak under the radar for some people. The addition of Daedolosus makes them even better than they already were, and as a whole this detachment punches above its cost to a frankly absurd degree.
Finally – Tank Commanders. We were very hot on Vostroyan demolisher cannons in our FAQ roundup and everyone I’ve spoken to that has tested them has concurred. It probably speaks to just how good they are that despite having an Emperor’s Fist detachment Beth hasn’t bothered bringing a Battle Cannon commander to carry the relic, and if that doesn’t make anyone who’s played against it sit up and pay attention I really don’t know what will. I suspect this is probably because demolisher cannons are actively filling a gap in this list – they provide some shooting that’s >S8 to help take on enemy Knights and Repulsors with minimal support. The third Russ packs a Punisher Cannon, because exciting as the Demolisher is these are still among the best-in-breed at taking out hordes for Imperium, and having at least one is usually correct. This detachment also provides some much needed CP and screening via the Infantry Squads, and squeezes in a single Platoon Commander to keep one squad on the move and run Uncle Kurov’s Down-home Organic CP Farm. In matchups with no single key target they’ll presumably also have Grand Strategist, but if there’s something that really needs a rapid volley of Demolisher shots to the face expect to see Old Grudges used.
Philosophically this ends up pretty similar to Gaz’s list, and shows off a trend that seems to be pretty common across the Marine-heavy metagame – minimise the level of exposure you have to the anti-infantry firepower they pack in spades, and make sure you’re bringing durable threats (usually vehicles) that can give them a bloody nose with the first turn or hit back hard on the second. I like this list a lot and think it’s probably the best example of the style I’ve seen.
Weaknesses
I think this list is probably the strongest of the three we’ve considered for taking on Marines, as being able to layer the Caladius tanks in as a “second line” of deep strike charge defence helps massively against Raven Guard and White Scars. While Fists vs this is probably coming down to the first turn, it has the firepower to compete with the shootier Marine lists and a better story to tell against the melee ones than many. The same applies to other armies that lean on melee – this should certainly be able to hold them off long enough for its shooting to get the job done, and the Caladiuses can quickly seize objective control once it’s over.
Ironically, I wonder if its weaker matchup ends up being some of the old style Eldar plane lists. Caladius tanks obviously eat these up but the same is true in reverse, and their nerf to S7 and flat D2 has made them substantially worse at taking down Wave Serpents. If a couple Caladius die turn one I think this just outright loses a war of attrition against shooty Eldar lists, as they’re way less bothered about the wall of high toughness than Marine plane spam lists are. Fortunately, not too many people are still bringing those but we’ve just got time to take a look at one example.
Quick hits
Tony Chew’s Asuryani
Army List - Click to ExpandPLAYER: ANTHONY CHEW
ARMY FACTION: Craftworlds
TOTAL COMMAND POINTS: 6
TOTAL ARMY POINTS: 1997
TOTAL POWER LEVEL: 124
ARMY FACTIONS: Craftworld Eldar (Chû and Chü)
TOTAL REINFORCEMENT POINTS: 3
= Flyer Wing, +1CP, Craftworld Chü: Expert Crafters/Masters of Concealment =
FL1: Crimson Hunter Exarch (135), 2 Starcannons [26], Hawkeye Exarch Power [161pts][9PL]
FL2: Crimson Hunter Exarch (135), 2 Starcannons [26], Hawkeye Exarch Power [161pts][9PL]
FL3: Crimson Hunter Exarch (135), 2 Starcannons [26], Hawkeye Exarch Power [161pts][9PL]
FL4: Crimson Hunter (120), Pulse laser (0), 2 Bright Lances [40] [160pts][8PL]
= Flyer Wing, +1CP, Craftworld Chü: Expert Crafters/Masters of Concealment =
FL5: Nightwing (76) with twin bright lances (40), twin shuriken cannons (17) and a Crystal Targeting Matrix (5) [138pts][8PL]
FL6: Nightwing (76) with twin bright lances (40), twin shuriken cannons (17) and a Crystal Targeting Matrix (5) [138pts][8PL]
FL7: Nightwing (76) with twin bright lances (40), twin shuriken cannons (17) and a Crystal Targeting Matrix (5) [138pts][8PL]
= Spearhead, +1CP, Craftworld Chû: Expert Crafters/Masterful Shots =
HQ1: Farseer Skyrunner (130), twin shuriken catapult (2) [132pts][7PL]
POWERS: Smite, Guide, Doom
HQ2: Warlock Skyrunner (65) twin shuriken catapult (2) [67pts][7PL]
POWERS: Protect/Jinx, Smite
WARLORD: Seer of the Shifting Vector, Phoenix Gem Relic (free)
HS1: Falcon (110), Pulse Laser (0), Starcannon (13), twin shuriken catapult (2), Crystal Targeting Matrix (5) [130pts][9PL]
HS2: Falcon (110), Pulse Laser (0), Starcannon (13), twin shuriken catapult (2), Crystal Targeting Matrix (5) [130pts][9PL]
HS3: Falcon (110), Pulse Laser (0), Starcannon (13), twin shuriken catapult (2), Crystal Targeting Matrix (5) [130pts][9PL]
HS4: Nightspinner (110) with twin shuriken catapults (2), CTM (5) [117pts][8PL]
HS5: Nightspinner (110) with twin shuriken catapults (2), CTM (5) [117pts][8PL]
HS6: Nightspinner (110) with twin shuriken catapults (2), CTM (5) [117pts][8PL]
This is a prime example of the kind of shooty Eldar lists I’m talking about. You really do have to take a moment after looking at this and marvel at just how many high powered shots have squeezed into this, a lot attached to units that are a nightmare to take down.
I wasn’t finding Masters of Concealment working super well for me but that’s largely because of how the list I was using played – here the slightly reduced defences it provides for planes hanging back compared to Alaitoc is more than paid for (in my estimation) by the power boost of Expert Crafters. Meanwhile, the “ground” forces are ready to ruin the day of many a Space Marine, with the cover-ignoring Night Spinners a particularly brutal highlight. Crystal Targeting Matrices on all the tanks help keep the list mobile as well, allowing it to use its range and move to engage infantry.
This is absolutely why Aeldari players cannot have nice things.
Mike Porter’s Imperial Fists
Army List - Click to Expand+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Player: Mike Porter
+ REPORTED ARMY FACTION: Imperial Fists
+ TOTAL COMMAND POINTS: 10 (13-1-2)
+ TOTAL ARMY POINTS: 2000
+ POWER LEVEL: 110
+ ARMY FACTIONS USED: Adeptus Astartes
+ TOTAL REINFORCEMENT POINTS: 0
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
== Battalion Detachment == Adeptus Astartes, Imperial Fists [72PL, 1268pts] 5 CP
Specialist Detachment: Siegebreaker Cohort (-1 CP)
HQ: Chaplain (72), Jump Pack (18), Litany of Hate (0), Canticle of Hate (0) [5PL] 90pts
HQ: Primaris Captain (78) Power sword (4), master-crafted auto bolt rifle (4) [5PL] 86pts
WARLORD: INDOMITABLE (SPECIALIST DETACHMENT)
RELIC: VOX ESPIRITUM
CHAPTER MASTER (-2 CP)
TR: 10 Intercessors (170), Sergeant (0), Stalker bolt rifles (0), Thunder Hammer (16) [10 PL] 176 pts
TR: 10 Intercessors (170), Sergeant (0), Stalker bolt rifles (0), Thunder Hammer (16) [10 PL] 176 pts
TR: 10 Intercessors (170), Sergeant (0), Stalker bolt rifles (0), Thunder Hammer (16) [10 PL] 176 pts
HS: 5 Centurion Devastators (200) sergeant (0), 10 heavy bolters (100) 5 hurricane bolters (50) [24PL] 350pts
HS: Thunderfire Cannon (55), Techmarine gunner (37) [4PL] 92pts
HS: Thunderfire Cannon (55), Techmarine gunner (37) [4PL] 92pts
== Battalion Detachment == Adeptus Astartes, Imperial Fists [38PL, 732pts] 5 CP
HQ: Captain in Phobos Armour (93), master-crafted instigator bolt carbine (6) [5PL] 99pts
HQ: Primaris Lieutenant (65), master-crafted auto bolt rifle (4) [4PL] 69pts
TR: 10 Intercessors (170), Sergeant (0), Stalker bolt rifles (0), Thunder Hammer (16) [10 PL] 176 pts
TR: 10 Intercessors (170), Sergeant (0), Stalker bolt rifles (0), Thunder Hammer (16) [10 PL] 176 pts
TR: 5 Infiltrators (110) sergeant (0) infiltrator comms array (10) [5PL] 120pts
HS: 3 Eliminators (54) sergeant (0) 3 camo cloaks (9) 3 bolt sniper rifles (9) [4PL] 72pts
ARMY REINFORCEMENT POINTS: 0
ARMY REINFORCEMENT FACTION: NONE
This got more topical overnight – I picked out the lists for this and formatted this article on Monday and wrote it on Tuesday after the FAQ dropped. This list was intended to show off roughly where Imperial Fists were at (stalker rifles everywhere, Centurions) and while it still does that it also highlights that the nerfs in the FAQ were pretty hefty. The TOs are working with affected players to revise their lists so this is going to change (and I’ll put the updated version of this in here for comparison once it’s submitted) but it makes a good case study.
The Vigilus version of Indomitable, now tragically departed, was really good for stalker spam lists (and honestly kind of just Fists in general) and there are quite a few more angles to attack this list now its infantry horde doesn’t have cover in the open. Meanwhile, no longer being able to crank them up to doing Mortal Wounds on a 4+ makes the Centurion blob a vastly more reasonable prospect – they’re still good, but no longer melt literally any VEHICLE they’re pointed at ever.
It says a lot for how good this plan is that it’s still great even after all that. 50 Primaris bodies all armed with weapons that will chew through elite infantry or most large targets with equal ease backed up by the absurd anti-horde of the Centurions and Thunderfires is a tough prospect to put down. It’s not even super vulnerable to getting wrapped, because any Genestealer Cultist unit that tries is going to find itself taking massive casualties from Intercessors just punching them out, especially as I assume in that matchup Mike will consider cycling to Assault Doctrine to further improve the deadliness of Marine fists.
Marines remain the army to beat, and this is a great example in the hands of a great player, so expect to see it perform.
Wrap Up
Will the Marines take down yet another major? Week on week you can see that adaptation to their presence in the metagame, so maybe this time someone will break their stranglehold – check back in next week to find out. Meanwhile, you can reach us at contact@goonhammer.com or via our Facebook Page if you have any feedback or questions.
