Implausible Nature
  • Home
    • Links and Contact Page
    • Site Index
    • Site Primer >
      • Casual vs Competitive Players -- Healing the Divide
      • Laeroth's Take On Building Fluffy Armies
  • Laeroth's Blog
  • The Njesta Crusade
    • Black Templars Army Lists
    • Njesta Crusade Fluff >
      • Black Templars Background Literature
  • Black Templars 101
    • BT 101: Where to Start >
      • BT 101: Unit Analysis
      • BT 101: Building Low-Point BT Armies
      • BT 101: Commonly Used Abbreviations
    • BT 101: Building an 9th Edition List >
      • BT 101: Building A Competitive 9th Edition List
      • BT 101: Building Another Competitive 9th Edition List
    • BT 101: Assembling Your Crusade
    • BT 101: Playing With Your New Army >
      • BT 101: Tactics
      • BT 101: Duality
    • BT 101: The Conclusion
  • Painting and Modeling
    • Black Templars Gallery
    • How To Paint Black Templars

Scaling down to 1500 points

4/24/2012

2 Comments

 
I'm not going to lie, there is no love between me and games below 1750 points...at least in the competitive sense.  Players can argue semantics if they so desire, but it is my opinion that the game is best played at 1750-2000 points.  Its the sweet spot where you can build balanced lists in nearly every codex, but doesn't give any particular advantage to a specific army (i.e. Dark Eldar/Imperial Guard in low point games).  At this level, you can take tactical choices in your army and actually build synergy between your units, but not to the amount of stupid 2500 points can become.  And on the other side of the spectrum, going lower than 1750 points pretty much forces limitations on your list that most armies are hard pressed to cover.  That makes the games much more lopsided and Paper-Rock-Scissors like, as games can simply come down to random chance.  If your opponent can defeat your weakness, then the game is going to be short.  Or your "deathstar" unit is simply unstoppable, because your opponent didn't have enough points to build enough counters into his list.  The game simply is not as fun to me at this level.

So what is my point?  I build my lists for 2000 points, and on occasion 1850, as that is what most tournaments demand here in the States.  These lists work at their designated points level.  While I'm happy to take requests for scaling down my lists to lower points levels (i.e. 1500), the lists do not work as they should.  Too much is being sacrificed and the list loses its synergy.  Thus, any low/mid-point range list based off one of my 2000 point armies, have no guarantees of success.  It is better to build a new list from scratch, as even a few hundred points can change the whole philosophy of an army.  Just remember that when/if you ask me to scale my lists down.  Don't expect miracles.  :D
2 Comments
Algesan link
4/25/2012 12:32:14 am

I agree that the game works "best" in the 2000 point range because you can build good balanced lists there. I also agree that the FOC "breaks" at the 2500-3000 point level (IOW, you would do better buying two detachments than trying to buy some filler in a stray FOC slot).). I also agree that as the points levels shrink, it becomes harder and harder to build a multiple redundant list. OTOH, that is part of the challenge.

The way I build lists mainly works around either building up from 500 points or building down from 2000. Odd? Well, yes, but I want my lists to be as scalable as possible and it helps me think that way.

Having more points does provide more buffering against streaky dice, but it by all means does not prevent streaky dice from swinging a game. Generally that means it takes more (un)lucky rolls to make the dice more dominant than skill, but not always, depending on the list...;).

It also appears to me that older codices have an issue with lower point levels when they "stray" from the more cost efficient effective lists. Black Templar mech lists are a perfect example, because all of our Rhino body vehicles are overpriced and take up too great a percentage of the list to work as well at lower point levels.

Reply
Greg
4/26/2012 05:40:47 am

We play almost exclusively at 1500 points locally. The reason being is the length of games is significantly shortened. Thus instead of just being able to play a few games, we can get in 3-4 in the same time frame. This allows everyone to play against more armies, and try new lists out against a large variety.

Also when we have even numbers, we like to do team battles, as it's grand fun. Team battles at 2k points take an entire day...

I feel the BT's scale quite well at 1500 points, and feel they are quite strong at that point level.

I usually run a mech or Drop pod list.

Mech list:
Emp champ, AAK

crusader squad, 7/2 neophytes, CCW, PW, MG, rhino
crusader squad 8/2 neophytes, CCW, PW, MG, rhino
crusader squad 8/2 neophytes, CCW, PW, MG, rhino

Ven dread, TL-las, missile, tank hunter.
Predator 2 las, autocannon
Vindicator, POMS, Armor, DB, EA
Land speeder typhoon
Land speeder typhoon

(1498)

DP list
Marshal, TA, SS, LC
Emp Champ, AAK

3x Dreadnoughts, Assault cannon, hvy flamer, armor, drop pod

Crusader 8/2, PF/MG drop pod
crusader 7/2 PW/MG drop pod
crusader 7/2 PW/MG drop pod

3x land speeder typhoons.



Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Laeroth's Blog

    This blog is devoted to the Black Templars chapter and the tactics, list building, and general musing associated with them.  Readers will see occasional posts from Marshal Laeroth.

    Check out the Implausible Nature YouTube Channel!

    Follow me on Twitter!

    Like what you see and want to help support Implausible Nature?  Click the link below and donate!

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    December 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    November 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    September 2014
    May 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009