Friday 1 May 2009

Warpstone Flux May Army List Contest

You may remember April's army list challenge was around the Alpha Legion, and you can read my entry here. I managed to finish second of four in the vote which wasn't too shabby (miles behind the Suneokun's excellent pre-Heresy list which won). May's challenge has gone up this morning, here's the rules:

Overview of the Challenge:
Your strike team is being deployed on a mission to take back technological marvels of the Dark Ages from a renegade planet. The planet has corrupted imperial guard elements and chaos space marines standing to oppose you. You don't know the exact make-up of the threat however. You will be deployed in a city environment (lots of buildings and cover available to both sides) via deep-striking or infiltration.

Rules:
(1) Design a 1500 point army from any codex to take on a numerically superior imperial guard and chaos space marine contingent (totalling 2000 points: 1000 points of Guard and chaos marines each) in a seize ground mission with 3 objectives in a city environment. Use a standard force organization chart.
(2) All members of your army must be able to deep-strike or infiltrate.
(3) If your chosen codex doesn't have troops or at least 1 HQ capable of deep-striking or infiltrating in the force organization chart (e.g. Chaos Space Marine troop selections have daemons that can deep strike, but they don't take up a slot in the force organization chart), you may ignore rule (2) for troops or HQ choices. Comment on how they will fit in with the army theme of the 100% deep-striking or infiltrating.
(4) Post your army lists as a comment to this posting.
(5) On May 14th 2009, I'll start a voting poll that will be open for 1 week to vote for what Warpstone Flux readers consider to be the "most effective army list that also best articulates the theme" (whatever readers interpret that to mean) out of all entrants.
(6) Winner will be tallied and announced on May 21st.


Interesting challenge. On the surface, it'll lend itself well to drop podding Space Marines, Death Wing, all Infiltrating IG from the new Codex, so I thought I'd do something a bit less obvious. Here's my entry:

Great challenge. For my entry I've used Codex: Witch Hunters, hope you like it.

Army background:
Inquisitor Lord Flavian was present on the world of Mordos IV investigating a suspected Slaaneshi pleasure cult amongst the world's nobility, revolving around unknown technological artefacts. Sensing they were close to being exposed, the cult revealed itself and it's influence spread far wider than Flavian had discovered. The planet rose up in revolt, and elements of the loathed Emporer's Children arrived anticipating the debauchery that was to come.

Flavian and his retinue struck as quickly as they could at the heart of the insurrection, located in the planetary capital. Arriving aboard his personal Chimera transport, the Flame of Terra, he sent part of his retinue forward to strike at the enemies leaders. Troops from his household guard were quickly summoned from Flavian's orbital battlebarge, the Emporer's Light, landing behind enemy lines and moving up to support the Inquisitor, anticipating a close range fight. Flavian's call for aid was answered by Canoness Katherine of the Order of the Bleeding Heart from thier nearby convent, who managed to arrive with her contingent of elite Seraphim in time. With thier lightning speed combined with orbital support, Flavian hopes to break the enemy.


The list:
HQ:
Inquisitor Lord Flavian, combi-flamer, auspex, rosarius, melta-bombs
3 Acolytes, combi-flamers, carapace armour
3 veteran guardsmen with flamers
Chimera "Flame of Terra", 2 heavy flamers, dozer blade
(246)

Canoness Katherine, jump pack, mantle of Ophelia, eviscerator
(105)

Elite:
3 Death Cult Assassins
(120)

Troops:

9 Inquisitorial Stroom Trooper and 1 Veteran, 2 melta-guns. Veteran has an auspex and combi-flamer
(142)
9 Inquisitorial Stroom Trooper and 1 Veteran, 2 melta-guns. Veteran has an auspex and combi-flamer
(142)
9 Inquisitorial Stroom Trooper and 1 Veteran, 2 flamers. Veteran has an auspex and combi-flamer
(132)
4 Inquisitorial Stroom Trooper and 1 Veteran, 2 flamers. Veteran has an auspex and combi-flamer
(82)

Fast Attack:

5 Seraphim with melta bombs, 2 inferno pistols
(160)
5 Seraphim with melta bombs, 2 inferno pistols
(160)

Heavy support:

Orbital strike: Lance Strike
(70)
Orbital strike: Lance Strike
(70)
Orbital strike: Lance Strike
(70)

Total: 1499

Let me explain some points:

Versatile: Units are armed to take on either armour or troops, as the enemy forces are unknown.
Cover: Attacking an entrenched enemy in cover, Flavian has deployed as many flamers as possible to root out insurrgents.
Jump packs: The Sisters will all enter play via Deep Strike.
Troops and Inquisitor: The Inquisitor is already planetside and so starts deployed, and has landed his troops at the first sign of the uprising.
Auspexes: The enemy deployment is unknown so troops are equipped with short range scanners (this is more fluff inspired than in-game useful).
Orbital Strikes: These are bombardments from Flavian's battle barge.


Can you do better? Head over to Warpstone Flux and have a go!

Edit: Should just point out that Death Cult Assassins can Infiltrate, fitting the brief :)

3 comments:

Itkovian said...

That's a nicely themed list, sir, well done!

The only problem I could possible see is that, apart from two units (or is it five? Do DCAs Deep Strike?), all the guys are on the board - but you did integrate it really well into the concept with logical reasons for this being so.

That said, maybe you should remove one of the trooper squads and give the other squads chimeras/rhinos? Much as I find the image of the Inquisitor charging off in his chimera with a whole bunch of winded stormtroopers stumbling along in his wake quite amusing, I'm not sure they would quite see the funny side of this...

Tigerstyle said...

Death Cult Assassins can Infiltrate so they're OK with the theme. The cannoness and seraphim are jump infantry and so can also deep strike.

I did think about about giving the IST's transports as well, but decided against it because of the cost (50 for a Rhino, 70 for a naked Chimera).

jabberjabber said...

Very impressive mate!
I really like the whole background story that goes alongside the list - very flavourful.