Email: BT 1750 Tournament List for Review

Email: 
Hi bro,

I chance about your site [Implausible Nature], very informative. Thanks!

I came up with a 1750 BT list for an upcoming tournament in Singapore (May), wondering if you are able to offer any advice.  I am especially undecided over items in red.

Idea 1 – Restore Tank Hunter trait for Cyclone Termis and Ven Dread.

Idea 2 – Remove Rhino from Troops and give Multi Melta or Lascannon instead.

Any access points can then be given to include a 3rd Land Speeder Typhoon.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

[HQ]
Emperor's Champion with Accept any Challenge no matter the odds
(sits in LRC together with assault termis)

[ELITE]
6x Assault Termis (3 LC / 3 THSS) with Furious Charge
Land Raider Crusader Transport
5x Termis with 2x Cyclone Missile Launcher
Dreadnought (Twin-linked Las, MIssile Launcher) with Venerable

[TROOP]
5x Initiate with Meltagun
Rhino with Extra Armor
5x Initiate with Meltagun
Rhino with Extra Armor

[FAST]
1x Land Speeder Typhoon
1x Land Speeder Typhoon

[HEAVY]
Predator Destructor with Autocannon and Las Sponsons
Predator Destructor with Autocannon and Las Sponsons

Reply:

Heya,

Thanks for emailing!  Glad you've found some use out of Implausible Nature.  :)

Now onto the list.  My initial thoughts are that its extremely fragile and not really focused.  There are several reasons for that.  First, you are taking the Assault Terminators as a rock-type unit to tear holes in your opponent.  It may or may not get the chance to do so because you're only packing one of those units.  It is quite easy to take a suicide melta unit and/or make use of movement blocking to neutralize your assault force.  Because that unit is essentially 1/3 of your list (when placing the EC in there), that is a problem to have.  You need that unit to get where its going, else limit the amount of points put into it.  Its also the only CC-oriented unit you have, which isn't too terrible a thing, but something to be mindful of.

Next, the troops units are a bit thin for 1750 points.  Two 5-man units in Rhinos are extremely easy to eliminate, unless you're not using them for their intended role:  using their melta.  You'll need more to be competitive in my opinion.  Another couple things I noticed about the list was the fact that you didn't put Tank Hunters on either the Dreadnought or the Terminators.  The only reason you'd likely take the Venerable would be to grant access to Tank Hunters, as rerolling damage results aren't that much of a boon...since it will usually prevent you from shooting anyway (which is the point of the Dreadnought).  And the dual-CML terminators really should have Tank Hunters too, as they make excellent use of the rule.

With all that being said, what do I think you should do?  A couple simple changes I think will work in your favor nicely and make the list perform better on the tabletop.

1) Drop the Venerable Dreadnought.  He doesn't provide much to the list by himself and we really need the points elsewhere.  You have plenty of firepower from the dual-CML Terminators, Typhoons, and Predators at 1750.  Plus the AT from the Troops, which we'll get to in a second.

2) Drop a TH/SS Terminator from the Assault Terminator squad.  You really don't need more than 5 (3 LC; 2 TH/SS).  You're just going way over the top on attacks at that point.  A 5-man unit will kill almost anything it charges, unless you're really unlucky (but with all the re-rolls, even that is doubtful).  This limits the points spent on such an unit, in the event that it gets stopped short of its goal or killed off.

3) The Land Raider Crusader needs some protection because its such a rock in your list.  The best way to ensure this is to make sure it has smoke launchers, which are missing from your list.  In addition, you may face an Eldar/Dark Eldar player, so Blessed Hull is an useful addition in a single raider list.

3) Instead of 2 Crusader squads with meltaguns in Rhinos, I suggest taking 3 "MM Bunker" Crusader squads instead.  If you're not familiar with the term, it means 5-man units with a flamer and a multi-melta.  These will advance to midfield, and threaten any vehicles that come close.  You could leave them in the Rhino to shoot if you want, but its probably better to jump them out after you get to the middle of the board (quite possible first turn) and put them in cover. 

The flamer is there for "drive-by" template action, which is particularly useful against horde armies...which is a huge weakness of your original list.  If you want, you can take meltaguns instead of the flamers so you have better AT punch, but you lose the AI that the flamers give you.  Depends on your local I guess.  Obviously, I prefer the flamer.  If you decide to do this, simply take the Blessed Hull off the LRC and add them in, as well as extra armor on two of the rhinos (one of them being the EC unit).

4) The Emperor's Champion will ride with one of the crusader squads to give them some punch if you need it.  Because your troops will be armed with BP/CCWs in addition to the MM and Flamer/Meltagun, they won't be terrible in close combat if you need them there.  That way you'll be able to clear off objectives if its required.

So here is how I'd suggest altering the list:

[HQ]
Emperor's Champion with ACC -- 140

[ELITE]
5x Assault Termis (3 LC / 2 THSS) with Furious Charge.  Mounted in a Land Raider Crusader with smoke launchers and blessed hull. -- 508
5x Termis with 2x Cyclone Missile Launcher and Tank Hunters -- 265

[TROOP]
5x Initiate with Multi-Melta, Flamer, 3x BP/CCWs.  Mounted in a Rhino with smoke launchers.  (EC goes here) -- 149
5x Initiate with Multi-Melta, Flamer, 3x BP/CCWs.  Mounted in a Rhino with smoke launchers. -- 149
5x Initiate with Multi-Melta, Flamer, 3x BP/CCWs.  Mounted in a Rhino with smoke launchers. -- 149

[FAST]
Land Speeder Typhoon -- 70
Land Speeder Typhoon -- 70

[HEAVY]
Predator Destructor with Autocannon and Las Sponsons -- 125
Predator Destructor with Autocannon and Las Sponsons -- 125

[TOTAL] -- 1750

So the list would work something like this.  Predators and CML-Terminators sit back in your deployment zone shooting away at enemy armor.  The Terminators would provide protection for the Predators in case something gets too close, but try to make sure they stay in cover.  The Typhoons would go wherever they have the best shots, obviously trying to make use of cover if its available.

The Assault Terminators would advance forward in their LRC, with the MM Bunkers closely behind (unless there is a home objective, in which case, keep one slightly back to hold that).  You might be somewhere close to mid-field at this point.  If so, try to have moved the Rhinos towards cover and drop the crusader squads out in that cover.  From here, they will be able to provide a threatening presence to the midfield that your opponent cannot ignore.  The EC squad can be used in CC if needed.  And obviously, you'd continue forward with the Assault Terminators, whacking down anything that comes too close.  :)

Hope this helps!