Thoughts on 40k League So far, Or Time for a new plan.

I played my third league game against Eldar again, although a different player. I forgot my camera so no battle report but it was purge the Alien and my army was thoroughly purged. So far in the league my results have been 5-1, 3-0 and 10-1 all losses. The three armies were Dark Eldar and two Regular Eldar. The things going for my army was a 5 toughness, feel no pain and fearless. The Dark Eldar basically ignored the toughness with their poisoned weapons and an abundance of Dark lances. The new Eldar are just bad news. The two Eldar armies I played were almost clones, both had a farseer, a warp spider squad, and two wave serpents carrying their troops. One had Wraithguard as troops the other Dire Avengers. The Eldar can put out so much shooting even having a 3+ armor save and a 5+ feel no pain can't shake off all the wounds. I have been running five Plague marines in a squad,so losing a couple models a turn, leaves them wiped out by the end game. The two rhino borne squads have given my opponent first blood in all three games I have played so far. I went into the league with a style army playing mono Nurgle Death Guard list and that isn't working. The Plague Marines are great but after a talk with my last opponent I have to agree with that they are too expensive for low points games. We are going up to 1250 points for rounds five through eight and I plan to change up my list.

I will give a review of the units and evaluate them so far.

Starting with the Nurgle Chaos Lord in Terminator armor and paired lightning claws. Against the Dark Eldar he was the star of the game. He made it into assault, tossed his blight grenade and survived the game with one wound. Against the Eldar I dropped him in and he was gunned down before doing any thong. I dig the model but I might have to go with some thing different.

The three Combi Plasma terminator squad with power axes. Suicide troops at best but every game they dropped in and fired off their plasma shots. They made it into assault against the Dark Eldar but were gunned down by both Eldar players. I like them but I don't roll good enough to rely on a one time salvo of plasma shots to get the job done and then they are alone and hanging out in the breeze. I want deep strike ability in the army but might have to get it somewhere else.

The Plague Marines, no complaints. The only problem is the five model squads are too small and the rhinos giving up first blood every game. Two options, go big or go home. Drop the rhinos and go with a twenty plague marine squad and just run into their guns, hoping to get a half dozen into assault or drop them and go with regular chaos marines or cultists, still undecided.

The Nurgle Obliterators, no complaints. I fielded them as units of one model and I will probably go with units of at least two next round. When I deep struck them in to get something just one model isn't enough to guarantee a kill shot.

Now how to make the army more competitive.

Thought one is When in doubt, Helldrake it out. A Helldrake or three seems to be the competitive crutch I am missing from my army. I don't have surplus hobby funds to buy three so I will probably scratch build a few. Will I get them done for the league who knows.

To Plague Marine or not? For the price of a Plague Marine squad in a rhino I can put 35 cultists with two flamers on the table. If I put a Chaos Lord or Dark Apostle into them they will be fearless. So a Chaos Lord with thirty five extra wounds to run into the enemy guns.

That is what 150 catachans looks like. It is 192 points for thirty five cultists with two flamers, 32 lasguns and a champ with auto pistol ccw. Add in a sorcerer Chaos lord with Prescience so twin linked all around. Then I went on to, if I am going to break from the mono Nurgle theme then why not 35 cultists with three flamers and the rest ccw and auto pistols and then take the mark of Khorne. Two base attacks each and plus two for charging so four attacks each times thirty two would be 128 attacks plus nine more from the three flamer armed cultists would be 137 attacks on the charge for 235 points. Now take two of those for 470 points.
Add a Khorne Chaos Lord and a Khorne Dark Apostle so both squads will be fearless.

Add a four Nurgle Obliterators to give some long range fire and a chaos bike squad to give me a little mobility.
It isn't a subtle list. I would have to outfit the Lord and Dark Apostle to take on vehicles and monstrous creatures but if half the squad makes it to assault they will still throw 50 or so attacks and provide the characters a hell of a cheering section in a challenge.

Just a few thoughts

ColKG