CSM General Tactica and Target Priority

So general CSM tactica is a very broad topic that I'd like to use as a starting point for my tactic articles.  CSM's aren't known for their codex diversity, however, and generally speaking there is only a few competitive choices/lists that seem to be the streamline method of running these guys. 

I'll be going over a very brief synapses of what I believe to be the best choice in each category, further detail will be provided in individual unit breakdown tacticas.

HQ -

Daemon Prince seems to definetly be the best option here, they are cheap, very fast with wings (a must have upgrade, not even an option!), durable, great damage and can provide some of the best utility if built properly. 

The only two ways I build this guys is Warptime/Mark of Nurgle or Mark of Slaanesh/Lash of Submission.

Warptime/Mark of Nurgle is going to provide a more durable and offensive "in your face" build thats going to allow the DP to provide great support in an offensive capacity.  If your plague marines get tied up in CC and they need to be bailed out, your DP can get into combat and lay down 5 wounds very easily be re-rolling to-hit and wounds.  He also attacks at a high initiative and will often destroy many enemy models before they get a chance to strike back potentially saving a unit from many deaths.  The extra toughness will help keep away mass bolter fire, but he can still be very vulnerable to heavy weapons.  With this build I like to keep my DP inbetween my back firing line of oblits and my front line of rhinos/troops/plagues.  I try to keep him out of LOS behind buildings or in cover behind a rhino and being in the middle of my two lines lets him support either one equally well.

Mark of Slaanesh/Lash Daemon Princes have great utility while sacrifing a little killyness and toughness, they are also 20 points cheaper which can make a big difference, especially if running 2. 

It should also be mentioned that lash princes are very competitive and are not recommended for friendly games.  The game can become very fustrating when you make good tactical descisions, only to have your unit pulled out of cover and obliterated by a plasma cannon or a unit pulled off an objective on the last turn to lose you the game.  So basically, running lash princes will piss off your friends!

Lash of Submission is truly a unique and very powerful tool in your arsenal allowing you the ability to hug units together for blasts, pull units from cover or off objectives and push those pesky and slow TH/SS terminators away so you can continue to pelt them with shots.  The utility of this power is vast, but it must be used wisely.  Typically you want to avoid rushing your DP out there lashing everything in sight, especially in the early first two turns, if you over-expose him early he will get blown off the board before he comes to fruition.  Wait for great opportunities, be wise with you movement and placement/cover and be patient, your opponents will over commit to get in range to shoot him and may make mistakes, let them do this!!

Other HQ Options just don't compare to the all-powerful Daemon Prince.  He is a unique entry in our codex being the only monstrous creature and can fill a roll that no other HQ can fill.  He can pop tanks, kill stuff and has great utility/support. 

Elites:

My favored choice for the elite slot is the typical 3x Terminators with 3x Combi-meltas, known as the termicide unit.  Deep strike them behind enemy lines to pop tanks, just make sure you get them within 6" or you won't get the extra d6 armor pen.  I usually put them a little closer to my target, it gives a hgiher chance of a mishap, but for only 105 points it's worth the risk to get within 6" for that 2d6 pen. 

I usually invest very little in the elite slot, leaving the majority of my points in HQ, Troops and Heavy Support, even with my 'Ard Boyz 2500 point list I only had 210 pnts in Elites (less than 10%). 

Troops:

Troop choices for me comes down to Khorne Beserkers of Plague Marines. We have a defensive shooty option and an aggressive assaulty option.

For Plague Marines I like to run a champion with a powerfist, 2 plasma guns and a rhino.  Powerfist works great on plague marines because if they get locked into combat, they have good survivability and the powerfist can really make the difference between winning or losing.  Many people run meltaguns over the plasma, but I cannot stress enough how amazing the plasma gun is. You get the option for 2 shots at 12" range, and you max out at 24" range for 1 shot.  With the melta gun you can only do 1 shot at 12" range.  Plasma guns excel at taking out troops, even those Pesky TH/SS Termies and can even take out transports and light vehicles fairly reliably.  In my last game, 1 unit of plagues took out a dreadnought, a rhino and a landspeeder over the course of the game. 

With Khorne Beserkers I run champion w/ Powerfist and a rhino w/ Extra Armor.  Pretty straight forward tactics here, pop out and lay down some damage.  I generally don't run these guys, but they are a great assault unit.

Heavy Support:

Obliterators are the only thing I run in this slot. I usually try to deploy all my oblits in tall buildings first then assorted cover second.  I fire away with lascannons to pop vehicles and plasma cannons for troops.  If anything gets close I switch to other weapons when needed.  I never deepstrike them, you want these guys blasting away every turn from turn 1 and they are too expensive to risk a deepstrike misshap. 

Fast Attack:

I personally skip this section, but I can see the value in melta bike squads.  Fairly straight forward tactic, generally want to use their speed to flank on the outside and get the melta shots on some vehicles. 

So I run a shooty/defensive army that focuses on taking out targets 1 by 1 and securing objectives.  I apply pressure with my oblits and try to force my opponent into making mistakes.  I slowly advance my front line (Plague marines in Rhinos) toward objectives and keep my daemon princes behind my plague marines to support them. I also try to keep the daemon princes close enough to oblits to be able to save them from any outflankers or deepstrikes that try to hit it from behind. 

For target priority, I generally try to go for large vehicle threats first, anything that can put forth lots of high str long range shots.  Second priority would be transports followed by low ap/high str shot units.  That being said, this is usually all negated by the rule of "Shoot what you can see".  More important than following priority is focus firing and destroying what you shoot at.  In many occasions though, it can be just as good to stun/shake many different vehicles in a turn to give you that much needed respite from return fire.  If a game is kill points and its coming down the turn 5, I generally try to prioritize targets I know I can kill, and avoid squads with large numbers that I think will survive.  It is also important to focus units that are on objectives, contesting your objectives or units that have the potential to get to objectives. 

One of the keys to victory, I've found, is smart movement/placement.  I've won countless games by deploying in an advantageous way, keeping my units in cover, out/in LOS when needed and making smart moves.  I've also made many bad moves that have caused problems for me.  Before you move a unit, make sure you have the LOS you will need, ensure you will have good cover if needed, make sure your not putting them in assault range unless you are baiting.  Always be aware of where you opponent can move/shoot/assault, knowing their limitations will allow you to make smarter decisions and severly hamper their ability lay down the pain. 

Thats all for today, stay tuned for more focused tactica to come on individual units and focused strategies to bring your opponent to their knees. :)

'Ard Boyz Round 3 CSM Vrs Dark Angels: Deathwing

  So I don't have my opponents list for this round either.  My list can be found here...

http://the40kway.blogspot.com/2011/08/2012-ard-boyz-list.html

  He was basically running a ton of terminators with a large variety of weapons.  TH/SS, lightning claws, bolts, auto-cannons etc..  He also had 3 dreadnoughts and had lots of Missile Launcher shots amongst other things.  He formed a pretty strong gun line and his plan was to blast away.

  So he won the roll, went first and plopped a large unit of termies in the dead center of the map with both of his HQ's in it.  He put another unit of termies in a building next to that in the center of the map with heavy cover. 

He thought he was going to hinder my deployment since it was Dawn of War, I would have to deploy 18" away from his units. Instead I held my entire army off the board and brought them all up on my turn.  So his turn 1 he didn't do anything except move units on the board and pushed them up.  He had no idea where I was going to pop out of so he just held fast in the center of the board. 

On my turn 1, I moved everything on the board except my two termies who would later deepstrike in.  It was night fighting so I put all 9 oblits in the center around assorted amounts of cover and blasted his large termie HQ unit.  I got a few kills, but was slightly hindered by the night fighting.  I formed a strong gunline, as did he and we blasted away at each other over the following rounds. 

Round 2-4 was lots of shooting. I moved my plague marines up to absorb some damage off my oblits and get in those killer plasma gun shots.  He destroyed several rhinos, but the plague marines were able to easily hop into cover and continue laying down the pain. 

Round 4-5 He had two squads of bikes come in on my left table edge and start popping shots at my DP.  The DP flew over there managing to take out both squads, but was at 1 remaining wound after the exchange.  He was finished off by some terminators that were fleeing from my center line. 

  My other DP was on the right side of the map trying to work down the 3 Dreadnoughts, with the help of my 2 termicide units (1 of which misshaped and died) and a few oblits shooting from the backfield.  Despite an overwhelming # of attacks, I didn't manage to kill (only disable) any dreadnoughts and that DP died as well. 

The game ended with a major victory in my favor giving me 18 points for a total of 55. 

First place had 58 points and 3rd place had 52 points.  Overall a great tournament! Can't wait to play in the semi-finals so get ready for some awesome battle reports complete with lists, pictures and more! I'll actually be prepared to gather all that up in preparation for the site. 

Is Kantor worth it?

Ok folks, I had THAT game this past Saturday.

What game you ask?

The game where I noticed (after paying $20 to model a SM:Commander so I can make my own Ultramarine version of) Pedro Kantor that he is overrated. Useful? Sure. If the army is BUILT around him a la 2-3 10 man Sternguard units. Here’s the list I ran. The list below is what Josh ran from what I can remember.

HQ

Kantor
Libby (termie) Null Zone, Avenger
Elites

Termies 2LC/3TH/SS
Lanraider Crusader
Multi Melta
Extra Armor

Sternguard (9)
Rhino

Dreadnought TL Autocannons 2

Troops
Tac Squad
Rhino/ Multi Melta

Tac Squad (5)
Laz/Plas Rhino

Fast Attack
Landspeeder MM/HF

Landspeeder MM/HF

Heavy Support
Predator
Autocannon/Laz Sponsons

Predator
Autocannon/HB Sponsons

Devastator Squad
4 Missile Launchers

HQ Double Daemon Prince (Warp Time)

Troops 4 sets of Plague 7 Strong with Plasma on everything he could find all in Rhinos.

HS 3x3x2 Obliterators

So we got Annihilation with 3 objectives as secondary. Deployment: Spearhead.

Josh won and decided to go first. He set up his Oblits in cover via gunline per normal with the Rhinos outfront with the DPs humping cover or Rhino.

My deployment… I threw a curveball at him. I deployed the Devs in cover and the 2 predators with Kantor and Sternguard behind the predator that was out of site. I then reserved the rest of the army.

First turn, he had two targets, the devs squad in cover or the Predator through cover. BTW, Josh is the LUCKIEST SOB I’ve ever played against. He destroyed the predator he could see on the first opening shot by rolling 4,6,6. REALLY?! F YOU IN THE A. Anyways…

My turn, I remembered to use orbital bombardment which waffled.

The rest of the game was the closest match we have ever had. He won 5-3 on KPs because I made a mistake at the end and rushed a DP with 2 members left of the combat squad (I am stupid) and waffled every attack roll on the terminators AGAIN. Jeez termies… HIT SOMETHING why don’t you. Also, I though HQs were always worth 2 points in standard KP missions (can someone clarify this?) If so, that made the score 5-4 and had I not thrown those 2 guys to wolves and had instead backed up with them it would have been 4-4.

Objectives were mine 2-contested. I waffled and let him say he had the middle objective but he was 4 inches out from it not 3.

For the entirety of the game… the sternguard had to camp an objective with Kantor sitting with his thumb in his A. Anyways… 2 HQ with Libby and special Character is basically worthless in an all comers list. For 175 points, I can get another Dakka Pred 85 + 2 attack Bikes 100 with dropping some upgrades. So think about it this way, Kantor with thumb in his A camping with sternguard that should be aggressively shooting things or take a Tank and two more tank poppers. Kantor my friends, is NOT worth it.

Luckily, his army are magnetized and the model will make an very nice Sgt with Combi/Melta :D

'Ard Boyz Rnd 2 Bat Rep CSM Vs Blood Angels

So round 2 went well for me, very well.  I won the roll and decided to go first so I could pick the good table quarter that had a two tier tall tower.  The opposite corner just so happened to be very limited on terrain with a big bulky hill that really limited his deployment.  I set up 6 oblits on the tower and 3 more in cover nearby.  Put my rhinos out front, DP's stayed out of LOS and my noise marines sat in cover at the base of the tower. 

I don't actually have my round 2 opponents list, but he was running a footslogging jump pack BA troop list with no vehicles or dreadnoughts.  Lots of deepstrikers and jump infantry. 

Round 1 I turned up the heat and laid down some pain, with assorted lascannon, plasma cannon and a blastmaster shot I took out 4-5 mEQs and shook him up a bit.  He was clearly concerned by his positioning and my heavily fortified tower and he had no clue what to do, stating "I have no clue what to do".  So he flew a unit of 10 guys towards me to try and get to my oblits in cover.  I don't think he was thinking clearly because he put them in the middle of nowhere. Needless to say that unit was completely destroyed in the following round.

Round 2-3 So I destroy about 12 more guys as he continues to deepstrike guys, not around me, but in midfield in cover.  They came in 1 by 1 and slowly got picked off.   By the end of round 3, I had destroyed over 20 guys and had only lost 1 obliterator and 2 plague marines to do plasma over-heats. I had a very significant lead and he was still positioned terribly.

Round 4-5 I continued to blast away entire groups of units with plasma cannons and deepstriked 2 squads of termicides in his back field(which were promptly destroyed by his HQ unit, which worked in my favor because he split his army more and the melta termicides were almost useless since he had zero vehicles to explode.)  I started moving my plagues and daemon princes in position to gain control of the objectives.  I ended the game holding 3/5 objectives including the center, my own and the one to my right.  My opponent held zero objectives give me 7 points to his zero resulting in a massacre and a cool 22 points for 37 total.  At this point I was in around 1-3rd place.  More to come! Round 3 versus Dark Angels: Deathwing! My toughest match!!

'Ard Boyz Rnd 1 Bat Rep CSM Vs Eldar

So round 1 I played against Eldar, here is his list. And my list is here http://the40kway.blogspot.com/2011/08/2012-ard-boyz-list.html

HQ
Eldrad
Autarch
  -Warp Jump Generator
  -Fusion Gun
  -Power Weapon
  -Mandiblasters

Elites
10x Striking Scorpions
 -Exarch W/ Biting Blade, Stalker & Shadowstrike
 -Wave Serpent W/ Twin Scatter Lasers, Shuriken Cannon & Spirit Stones
5x Fire Dragons
 -Wave Serpent W/ Scatter Lasers & Spirit Stones
5x Fire Dragons
 -Wave Serpent W/ Scatter Lasers & Spirit Stones

Troops
 5x Dire Avengers
 5x Dire Avengers
 10x Guardians
  -Scatter Laser
  -Wave Serpent w/ Bright Lance & Shuriken Cannon
 10x Guardians
  -Scatter Laser
  -Wave Serpent w/ Bright Lance & Shuriken Cannon

Fast Attack
 Vyper
 - Scatter Laser
 10x Warp Spiders
 -Exarch W/ Powerblade, Dual Deathspinners & Withdraw

Heavy Support
 Night Spinner
 -Spirit Stones
Falcon
 -Scatter Laser, Holo-Fields, Spirit Stones & Shuriken Cannon
Falcon
 -Scatter Laser, Holo-Fields, Spirit Stones & Shuriken Cannon

So the battle went ok, I made several mistakes in this one that cost me a higher victory.  I won the dice roll and let him go first.  Since round 1 was night fighting, I wanted to be the first person to be able to shoot once the sun came up.  Not much happened round 1 except some moving into position etc. I put my traitor in a rhino with 1 of my plague squads. 

Round 2 went ok, I had all 9 oblits sit back deployed in cover and blasted away 9 lascannon shots most of the game.  I found it difficult to destroy his vehicles with the holo-fields and my str9 lascannon getting reduced to str8. I moved all my rhinos up, popped smoke on all of them and moved my DP's up behind them.

Round 3/4 the action really started with vehicled destroyed results on both sides. He destroyed my rhino with the traitor in it and his warpspiders came in on the same side nearby.  He was able to tie up that plague unit in melee and eventually on the next round singled out my traitor and killed it.  His Fire warriors killed another rhino then they died to some plasma shots and my DP jumped in and killed his Fire warrior unit.  My other Dp was on the opposite side of the field battling 2 units in transports that scooted around the side to get to my oblits. Both my DP's died, they got shot up.  Unfortunetly, the assaults they were in on turn 3, they won handedly and were sitting ducks. I put my DP's out there too early which took fire off my other stuff, but they could have done a lot more damage if I played them a little differently. 

Round 5-7 yes, we went for 7 rounds... 7 long agonizing rounds.  By the time round 5 came along, most of his board was whiped out, he just had like 3-4 skimmers zooming around running away from everything and popping shots off. I couldn't get to his traitor because the vehicle was so fast and despite hitting it with tons of lascannon shots, never could stun or immobilize it. Got tons of weapon destroyed results though ARGH!  The battle ended with a Minor Victory in my favor and I got 15 points.  Was a good warm-up match for me and I made a lot of mistakes, but despite losing my traitor and not killing his, I still got the win because I destroyed almost his entire army (2200 points worth) and he only killed about 1200 of mine.

Round 2 coming up soon! CSM Vrs Blood Angels!! It was a massacre... literally.

Attack Bikes

So these little bad boys look stupid don't they. I mean seriously... a side car? Anyways, I don't care for the model but they have some spiffy utility.

First, I keep reading these ARE the platform for multi-meltas. You can put MMs on several units in Codex: Space Marines.

Dreadnoughts come with them for about 105 depending on what you get else on them and don't forget the Drop Pod for 35 points if you plan on popping in armor early in the game. Plus, if dropped, don't expect to see your friend again this game.

Tac Squads can take them for free if at 10 man strength and the make a great "don't bring your vehicle near my objective" but that's about the end of the use in a tac squad.

Devastator Squads? what? Four of them and can't move and fire with that craptastic 24" range? Pass on that one.

Certain vehicles get MM but as an accessory not the main purpose of any vehicle save...

The Landspeeder!

So here is my dilemma... LandSpeeders or Attack Bikes?

Bikes have wounds (2) where Landspeeders have AV(10 Open Topped). Both will go down faster than Nvvyn on Bourbon Street give the opportunity.

So what about speed? Both are capable of 12" movement and fire.

The Landspeeder can equip the MM with an optional Heavy Flamer/Assault Cannon/Typhoon

Missile Launcher.

The Attack Bike gets a Heavy Bolter or MM.

Moving over 12" gives the Attack Bike a 3+ cover while conveying a 4+ to the Landspeeder.

However, the Landspeeder is a skimmer and go OVER terrain while the Attack Bike can hide behind it or even behind a Rhino.

I'm getting a squad of 3 Attack Bikes and I already have 2 Landspeeders, I will let everyone know what I think of them after a few games.

Can anyone say which they prefer and why?

Kelmar Intro

Hey guys,

I'm Kelmar and I play at the FLGS with Nyvvn. I hate to say that I started collecting Space Marine stuff nearly a year ago but this crap is expensive for me.

When I started looking to get into Warhammer 40k tabletop, I had only played Dawn of War and read Eisenhorn. I started collecting Ultramarines just to see if I could make them look like they did on the box. After watching several tutorials on YouTube, (Let me preface real quick by saying that I have painted D&D minis for quite some time before) I was ready to paint a full combat squad.

The horror you say? Ultramarines you say? Didn't I know about the Ultramarine hate and the smurf jokes? For God's sake, everyone hates Matt Ward!

In short, no I did not. I knew none of this. However, now that I do I still don't care. Ultramarines are MY army. Let me tell you, no one down here has Ultras and everyone stops to talk to me about them. I am still learning the codex in and outs and I am not much of a net lister nor do I play fluffy armies... I float along enjoying the hobby and the game.

Next up tho! My review on Landspeeders Vs Attack Bikes!