Black Templars Defensive Drop Pods -- 7th Edition

9/6/2014

Time for an update to the new edition. The previous version was good, but now we have a lot of things out there that need to be addressed in the new edition. One of the largest weaknesses of the previous list was its lack of AA and one of the best units in the Space Marine codex is the Stormtalon Gunship. Time to make use of them.

HQ:
* Marshal w/ Primarch's Wrath and Artificer Armor. [130]
~ Command Squad (1x Apothecary, 4x Sword Brethren) w/ 2 Meltaguns and 2 Plasmaguns. Mounted in a Drop Pod. [200]

ELITES:
* Dreadnought w/ 1 Assault Cannon and 1 Heavy Flamer. Mounted in a Drop Pod. [165]
* Dreadnought w/ 1 Assault Cannon and 1 Heavy Flamer. Mounted in a Drop Pod. [165]
* Dreadnought w/ 1 Assault Cannon and 1 Heavy Flamer. Mounted in a Drop Pod. [165]

TROOPS:
* Tactical Squad (1x Sergeant, 4x Initiates) w/ Combi-Melta and Plasmagun. Mounted in Drop Pod. [130]
* Tactical Squad (1x Sergeant, 4x Initiates) w/ Combi-Melta and Plasmagun. Mounted in Drop Pod. [130]
* Tactical Squad (1x Sergeant, 4x Initiates) w/ Combi-Melta and Plasmagun. Mounted in Drop Pod. [130]
* Tactical Squad (1x Sergeant, 4x Initiates) w/ Combi-Melta and Plasmagun. Mounted in Drop Pod. [130]
* Tactical Squad (1x Sergeant, 4x Initiates) w/ Combi-Melta and Plasmagun. Mounted in Drop Pod. [130]

FAST ATTACK:
* Stormtalon Gunship w/ 1 TL-Assault Cannon and Skyhammer Missiles. [125]
* Stormtalon Gunship w/ 1 TL-Assault Cannon and Skyhammer Missiles. [125]
* Stormtalon Gunship w/ 1 TL-Assault Cannon and Skyhammer Missiles. [125]

Total: [1850]

8 Comments

greggles link

9/8/2014 03:17:56 am

Yay! A post!!!!

Maybe consider some sternguard instead of one of hte dreads? Of course that many dreads at once would provide quite a problem...but non TL assault cannons aren't particularly good. (but a group of sternguard with a psychollum inquisitor is! BS10 vs psykers!)

Marshal Laeroth (Admin) link

9/13/2014 10:11:47 am

Hehe. I've been out of the game for a little while and now that I'm back in a place that has 40k gamers, we'll get back to it. ;)

In my original list, there was Sternguard. I liked that version of the list and honestly, if I could afford it, I would keep them in the list. But I needed to get the Stormtalons in there. I'm OCD in this type of thing and fortunately, it translates well into gaming. Redundancy is kind of my thing. However, I'll look at some funsies in that respect. Maybe a compromise. I wanted to look at making use of an assassin, specifically, the Culexus.

Nathan

9/14/2014 02:54:18 pm

My heart loves this list. My wallet hates your guts.

9 drop pods and 3 Stormtalons? I love the concept but how would it play?

9/20/2014 04:00:08 am

Got my first game in with this list against a Eldar/DE Seer-counsel army. We randomized the Nova Open missions and we got "Gamblers and Inventors" (modified scouring objectives). Basically, there was a bunch of objectives on the board with differing values. lol.

What did I learn? Dreadnoughts don't kill many Wave Serpents with Assault Cannons. Nor do the Troops kill much. However, Stormtalons DO. They kill lots of things super well. My opponent managed to kill a single one. Presumably due to the fact that they needed to concentrate on killing 18 scoring units that landed pretty much on the objectives, securing the board early. I ended up winning pretty handily. My opponent simply could not kill enough to win.

The "defensive" style of the list ensured that the main damage dealers were the Command squad and the Stormtalons. I might have to address that, but due to the style of the list, its an acceptable weakness. Just like it was in the previous editions of the list. This list will suffer in KP missions, but the fact that Drop Pods score now...its grown in power.

9/21/2014 12:49:27 pm

On the drop pod costs. A guy at nova built all his drop pods about of paper. Nobody could tell they were done so well. It wasn't until he asked me to hand him one, that I realized and was utterly shocked. So a drop pod list, in a tournament setting, is possible without spending a ton of money.

That being said...there were quite a few drop pod lists...and although they are very strong, they have one...sharp weakness. The ork green tide.

The ork green tide has so many bodies at 1850 points, that it severely limits the ability of the drop pod list to come anywhere near the orks deployment zone. (we are talking 120+ bodies here, can cover the entire board). Additionally, without any units on the board during deployment, the orks are free to infiltrate large sections of their army, making it that the drop pod player is always facing the orks on their terms.

An easy solution to this, is to use an inquisitor with servo skulls, to at least prevent full infiltration across the table half.

9/22/2014 10:56:17 am

@ greggles

Did you play BT at Nova? And if you did, how did you do?

As for Ork green tide, that is one of the better matchups for this list actually. You'd have to revise your tactics slightly by deploying a few units on the board towards the middle to prevent such a huge infilitration, but that isn't the worst thing in the world. The problem with large armies is that you can prevent an advance quite easily with even just a few drop pods. They have to bunch up to move around them or assault your units. That is all win for us. This list wins by controlling your opponent's movement and making their decisions for them. I suppose I need to update my DDP tactica now that drop pods are now INSANELY good.

9/23/2014 12:18:31 am

Hey Laeroth,
No I didn't play BT there. I was merely an observer. Thinking of taking BT to the LVO though, as BT is much easier to transport then the ork army is :).

There was only a single BT player there. I didn't see too much of him.

If you deployed some units before the game, it would have worked...but I think you aren't realizing just how fast, or how large an ork green tide is. The ork player dictated where the drop pods landed, not the other way around. Of course there wasn't much in the way of green tides at NOVA...(just three armies really)...but man oh man...seeing it vs a drop pod list. It was a wipe for the drop pod player. He was basically tabled.

An ork green tide list can basically be in the enemies deployment zone turn 2.

http://www.feedyournerd.com/uploads/2/4/0/4/24044140/4142697_orig.jpg

Basically forced him to drop in front, then blew up the pods, and wiped the squads. After the initial drop, he was forced to roll to bring the rest in, and took them apart piecemeal.

The flyers were instantly torn out of the sky by the traktor kannons.

I think you really need some ranged support (a few thunderfires would be worth their weight in gold vs this type of list).

9/23/2014 12:21:41 am

Same army vs a mechanized force.
Turn 1
http://www.feedyournerd.com/uploads/2/4/0/4/24044140/3577883_orig.jpg

Turn 2
http://www.feedyournerd.com/uploads/2/4/0/4/24044140/953361_orig.jpg

Yes that is a multi-assault about three feet wide lol. Ork green tides really hose people, because everyone is going anti imperial knight now.

Black Templars Defensive Drop Pods -- 7th Edition

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