This event is supposed to be a 60-player tournament, but due to the re-roll thing and higher amount of soft scoring, I don't anticipate this GT drawing many from the nationwide "competitive" group like Darkstar GT did. Who knows, I could be surprised and would be pleased to be proven wrong. We have a lot of 40k people around the area, but I don't think there are quite enough to fill out a 60-player event without players traveling in. We'll see. This time around, it looks like we'll have access to the scenarios on April 15th, a month in advance. Plenty of time to get some play-testing in and tweak my lists.
Which brings me to the point of this post, discussing and analyzing variations on my Darkstar GT list for this event. I really liked how the previous list played, and while I'll save you the analysis on that for now (its coming), just know that it performed extremely well. Well, if you don't count that Game Three scenario debacle. Nevertheless, the list itself has some efficiency issues that I didn't address the first time around. There were 90 points that were left over when I built that list. Because of the odd amount of points, there wasn't much I could do with them beyond adding a Typhoon or going the route I did with the Power of the Machine Spirit. I didn't want to field 4 Typhoons, because that would force me to have either two squadrons of two or three squadrons with one of them with two speeders. Not exactly how I roll. In addition, that would require the purchase of another Typhoon and I would like to refrain from getting another.
I also could have used another troop squad in a couple of my games. They weren't necessary to the success of my games, but it would have given me more tactical tools to play around with. Anyway, here it is.
HQ:
* Emperor's Champion w/ Black Sword, Bolt Pistol, Armor of Faith, and the Vow: "Accept Any Challenge, No Matter the Odds." [140]
Elites:
* Sword Brethren Terminators: 5 Terminators w/ 2 Cyclone Missile Launchers, 5 Storm Bolters, 5 Power Fists, and Tank-Hunters. [265]
* Sword Brethren Terminators: 5 Terminators w/ 2 Cyclone Missile Launchers, 5 Storm Bolters, 5 Power Fists, and Tank-Hunters. [265]
Troops:
* Crusader Squad: 5 Initiates w/ 3 Bolt Pistols and Close Combat Weapons, 1 Meltagun & 1 Bolt Pistol and Power Weapon. Mounted in a Rhino w/ Smoke Launchers. [153]
* Crusader Squad: 5 Initiates w/ 3 Bolt Pistols and Close Combat Weapons, 1 Meltagun & 1 Bolt Pistol and Power Weapon. Mounted in a Rhino w/ Smoke Launchers. [153]
* Crusader Squad: 5 Initiates w/ 3 Bolt Pistols and Close Combat Weapons, 1 Meltagun & 1 Bolt Pistol and Power Weapon. Mounted in a Rhino w/ Smoke Launchers. [153]
* Crusader Squad: 5 Initiates w/ 3 Bolters, 1 Plasmagun & 1 Lascannon. Mounted in a Razorback w/ Twin-Linked Lascannons. [191]
Fast Attack:
* Land Speeder Squadron: 1 Land Speeder w/ 1 Heavy Bolter and 1 Typhoon Missile Launcher. [70]
* Land Speeder Squadron: 1 Land Speeder w/ 1 Heavy Bolter and 1 Typhoon Missile Launcher. [70]
* Land Speeder Squadron: 1 Land Speeder w/ 1 Heavy Bolter and 1 Typhoon Missile Launcher. [70]
Heavy Support:
* Vindicator w/ Demolisher Cannon, Storm Bolter, Power of the Machine Spirit, and Extra Armor. [160]
* Vindicator w/ Demolisher Cannon, Storm Bolter, Power of the Machine Spirit, and Extra Armor. [160]
Total Points: [1850]
Regardless of opinion, the PotMS Razorbacks actually performed well in their roles for me at Darkstar GT. Exceedingly well. However, they are extremely expensive and limit my lists. The same criticism can be said for the PotMS Vindicators. Nevertheless, the Vindis saved my bacon several times over with their usefulness. They are actually more durable than they look, especially if you use the rest of your forces effectively. These things can take out large AV14 things, deal with terminators, or hordes of infantry. Sure one-gun syndrome is a fear, but that isn't the only thing this vehicle is good for. It has the armor to survive a full ram on an enemy vehicle, as well as acting in a support role (i.e. mobile cover, contesting objectives). Not only that, they can redeploy with remarkable ease. Our other "heavy" fire support options in the slot can't do that as effectively and mobility has critical in almost every tournament game I've played in.
Overall, I lost a little bit of my firepower when I dropped two TL-Lascannons (and gaining only a Lascannon in exchange) but it should still be more than sufficient against most opponents. Even against Timmah's list, under normal circumstances. When my opponent closes the distance, I also have a few meltaguns that I can employ. I can no longer blast my opponent off the board like some of my "gunline" lists, but I am better suited to dealing with a changing battlefield with this list.
More and more, I find that my lists have started to include more MSU. More specifically...I try to get as close to 4+2 as possible. I've found that having at least one troops unit held back for a home objective is immeasurably important. I would go so far to say that it has been needed in pretty much every 5th Edition game I've played. Sure there are risks to these troops (i.e. Wolf Scouts, but having something that is dedicated to camping your backline always gives you a measure of "protection" in games. You can freely advance forward, without having to leave an unit less suited to the task. Useful. ;)