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So, here's the question. Now that I've built 3 Thunderbolts, how do I build an army around them? I mean, I realize that since their rules are from IA that they're overcosted, but considering they've got 2 TL Autocannons, 1 TL Lascannon, and can carry up to 4 HK missiles, they'll be most effective against vehicles. With no missiles or bombs, we're looking at 180 points each - a little more than the cost of a fully-loaded Demolisher. They also count as Heavy Support, so the way I'm looking at this is that they'll essentially take the slots and costs (plus a little more) that my Leman Russes would take.

Unfortunately, that's where the comparison breaks down as the use of a Thunderbolt is vastly different than the use of a Leman Russ. Thunderbolts are vehicle-killers (something that in a well-equipped IG army, your line squads can take care of very well) whereas your Russes are anti-infantry (something that line squads are less good at).

While I wish I could just run the Thunderbolts as Fast Attack instead of Heavy Support, it looks like that's where I'll have to get my anti-infantry strength from. Looks like I should be running a pack of Hellhounds (which even if I were using Russes, I'd still want to use).

At this point, I'm not concerned about points - I'm just wanting to figure out how I can use these models in an effective army.

While, of course, since I just built the Thunderbolts my initial reaction is to use all three of them, but should I just use one alongside two Russes or two along with a single Russ?

Any input is appreciated on the matter!

2-3 Hellhounds sound like a good idea, with plenty of heavy bolter fire support squads, and grenade launcher/heavy bolter infantry platoons. 2+ mounted or drop command/special squads with plasma would help with MEQ. Plasma seems a good choice here over melta despite the conventional wisdom, as you've got your anti-tank dialed and will need weight of fire against MEQ despite the risk. Otherwise they will punish your low-number infantry (too many vehicles to buy many footsloggers) quickly.

And I say use all three Thunderbolts, unless you're worried about tourney-setting whiners trashing your soft scores because they failed to bring anything useful for anti-aircraft. Land Raiders and Monoliths will still be tough to take out, but anything else should get popped quickly from side/rear.

I hope you've got Flight of the Valkyries and a boombox nady when you pull this one out.

Obviously you need lots of Valkyries and Drop Troops to bail out of them. Also, Drop Sentinels with Heavy Flamethrowers would be neat.

If not for the contention for slots, I'd suggest a FW Hydra Flak Tank for some more yummy autocannony goodness. Hellhounds sound like a good idea, you might also want to consider fielding heavy bolter or mortar teams for HQ heavy weapon squads.

Drop troops are thematic, but would they provide the needed amount of anti-troop firepower, vs. conventional ground troops?

Oh, screw it. You need Phantines with jetpacks and lots of flamers.

In the past, I had thought about Hydra Flak Tanks in part to continue the Air Base theme of the army, but yeah, they also eat up Heavy slots that are eaten up by Thunderbolts and Russes. I'm thinking a lot about heavy bolter teams (also very fluffy for the Tanith), but I'm wondering if autocannons would be better just for their sheer versatility. I've never heard anything good about mortars, some I'm pretty wary of them.

Savnock wrote:Oh, screw it. You need Phantines with jetpacks and lots of flamers.

ROTFL. Well, yeah. Can't say I haven't been tempted by it.

Valks and Drop Troops would be extremely thematic, but at this point I'm trying to find fewer things I needs to scratchbuild rather than more. It would be tremendously fun to build a full Phantine army, though. Drop Sentinels with heavy flamers would also be thematic, but they seem pretty fragile to me to be carrying something I need to get that close to use.

The problem that I see isn't T3 anti-infantry. I don't think that will be an issue. I think there's lots of ways I could solve that with flamers and good stuff like that, but I think without the Russes I'm in serious need of some anti-MEQ.

Here you go.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/208582.page

I support Stelek's list.

grats on getting thunderbolts, those things are dead sexy models.

If you are playing tanith, then the addition of gaunt in the list is not only competitive but totally awesome and fluffy.

The thunderbolts really work well with tanith too. They don't have armor support from their own regiment. And as "rangers" they are going to be way too far ahead of the lines to expect tank support to reach them in time.

I could see them performing force recon into enemy lines, and encountering a tank column or an infantry force with tank support. When Colonel Gaunt picks up a vox unit and says. "Contact, enemy armor, sector 2-3-bravo" you better believe that they are going to try to get support to him. Scrambling thunderbolts would probably be the easiest and fastest way to get him the support he needs.

The list that was provided then becomes totally fluffy and pretty damn hard to beat for many enemies.

Thanks, Stelek. I appreciate you taking a look at the issue.

Anytime.

How about D-99? I don't know how many stormtroopers you have, or if you have IA 4 (or is it 3?) but my understanding of the list is essentially that you can take your entire troops section as hardened veterans with the 'surgical enhancements' 'iron discipline' 'xeno fighters' and 'drop troops' doctrines. So your line squads would be a bunch of BS 4 IN 4 vets in 10 man squads with two plasma guns, a heavy bolter, a medic (in every squad!), and a bolt-pistol, power weapon wielding veteran sergeant. Each squad would cost a little less than ten naked marines.

Stelek's list, as you might expect, is more tactically sound, but this is a hell of a lot less painting, and it themes pretty nice. I mean, these are the most elite airborne guardsmen there are, pretty much. And I have to think that that many plasma guns (with the medic ignoring overheats) would really harm a lot of armies.

Hm, let me see what I can bang out here.

HQ 99

Veteran Officer, bolt pistol, power weapon, trademark item
4 Veterans, three flamers, one medic
(I don't really know anything about guard, but I the PW was a lot cheaper, and swings at Init 5, and I figured you would need a little horde help)

Troops 876

6x10 Hardened Veteran squads
(per squad) 2x plasma guns, 1x heavy bolter, 1 medic, 1 veteran sgt with bolt pistol and power weapon (again, I went with the pw for cost and to take advantage of the high initative)

Heavy Support 540

3x Thunderbolts, no pylons

Rounds out to 1515 I think. So, drop the power weapons from three of the veteran squads and you can run it as a 1.5k point list. Something tells me that twelve BS4 plasma guns and three aircraft in a 1500 point list might be difficult for some armies to beat.

As Stelek's list shows.....Autocannons rock!

Every IG list I ever made had 2 Fire-Support Squads all Autocannons and with the newest Codex Sharpshooters makes it even sweeter. The extra 12" and S7 really helps VS non-MEQ's Insta-kills.....just an added bonus.