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I'm collecting two 850-pt armies, one for me and one for my opponent (90% of the time either my Dad or brother) so anyhoo, what is ya'lls opinion on a good, fun to paint, easy for beginners army vs. Space Marines in Cities of Death.

Sorry if this is obscure, it's 1:17 AM here and so I'm lucky to be spelling right

BTW I know my poll is missing some, I'm only listing the ones I find vaguely interesting.

Eldar dark reapers

CSM: Thousand Sons. They might lack anti-armor, but AP3 Bolters will hurt a Space Marine Army.

You aren't really going to find an army that is a straight up hard counter against another army. It will depend on if they play Mech shooty, gunline, Drop Podding or an in close army with a mix of shooting and assault (Salamanders).

What you will want is lots of Plasma and other AP 3 & AP 2 Weaponry. I think Tau packs a lot of punch in that regard, and their models are both cool looking and easy to paint.

eNvY wrote:You aren't really going to find an army that is a straight up hard counter against another army. It will depend on if they play Mech shooty, gunline, Drop Podding or an in close army with a mix of shooting and assault (Salamanders).

What you will want is lots of Plasma and other AP 3 & AP 2 Weaponry. I think Tau packs a lot of punch in that regard, and their models are both cool looking and easy to paint.

The playing style will be lots of short-ranged firefights and assaults backed by Dreadnoughts, so pretty flamer/melta heavy. It'll also be footslogging.

Tau look good, but easy to paint isn't really what I'm after. Painting is the absolute main aspect of the hobby for me, I often spend 1-2 hours on a single trooper, or more depending on the complexity of the paint scheme.

Looks like Eldar is winning atm, which is good because they always looked cool to me.

Eldar all the way. Not as forgiving as marines, but they can dish it out in handfulls and have a lot of anti marines options that will make it easier for your dad and brother. Plus, they are interesting to paint, it doesn’t need to be the same thing on every unit.

At 850 points Dark Eldar will be massively potent. You can take 5 or 6 skimmers with dark lances/plasma cannons, and the squads can also take dark lances.

Even in a cover-rich environment like Cities of Death, so much lance fire will really murder vehicles and marines alike.

Eldar or Orks.

Both are really flexible codexes with a lot of variety that it is almost impossible to outgrow.

Both have tons of awesome models

Both give marines a serious run for their money, especially if you make a list to kill marines

Orks

Hm. I would have chosen footslogging Imperial guard, but thats not on the list.
Normally IG get shot up really bad with no transports, but, in a city ruins board, thats much less of an issue
Also, I just love running little 10 man units, with Dutch Schaefer or Corporal Hicks and Sgt Apone lookalikes in them, around through city ruins. IG just really fits the atmosphere, IMO


From your list, I choose Orks!
Anyone new to the hobby will like shouting waaagh, their horde style really emphasises the eliteness of the marines, and they're not too serious to play (so you get fun games of chopping up marines, and acting heroic mowing down hordes of greenskins, rather than serious games focusing on who won/lost)




Edit: I forgot Apone. How could I do that!

I like CSM. Both for fluff value and variety.

Purge the Heretic!
Death to the false emperor!

Good vs Evil is always fun

Particularly any models with Nurgle influence, interesting to paint and are really tough on the battlefield.

A Sorceror with a Mark of Slaanesh is nice to throw marines around the place and make them easier for you to chew up!

I too picked CSM, as the tactics will be similar with MEQ armies, but one will have a distinctly different flavor. I personally would go Khorne, but I apparently just have an affinity for red.

A good army vs. SM is always CSM.
Take a winged lash DP,
two squads of Noise Marines in Rhinos with doom siren,
and add some Obliterators.

Eldar are all offense. At 800 points you cango on the cheap and blow them off the table.

3 Warwalkers with Scatter Lasers, 3X4 man jet bike squads, a farseer and some guardians.

The Warwalkers can get guided by the farseer and even terminators fall to that rate of fire, throw in a doom and the marines are liquidated.

If you have points something elite would be cool. Just don't let them rapid fire you.

I would go with Orks. You can pick up the Assault on Black Reach sets and get a lot of units for a good price. You will be able to split the costs with your friends and family if they are wanting the SM units in the set. Orks are also a lot of fun to play and are very forgiving to paint.

Orkses is the bestests!

Lord of Kaith wrote:BTW I know my poll is missing some, I'm only listing the ones I find vaguely interesting.

Which is unfortunate, as you're missing the army that's the best against space marines. With over a dozen units that can level a full-strength tac squad in a single turn, and with the ability to take 15 plasma guns per troops choice, the imperial guard is, hands down, the best marine-killing army.

Of that list, I'd say either ork or tyranid. Most marine players are idiots when it comes to using their small-arms, which means that most marine players are easily defeated by horde armies.

I play Salamanders, Space Wolves, and at one point BT. The only armies that ever give me pause are CSMs and Orks (not so much with the SW but they are a completely different beast). Lash, Oblits, Defilers, Plague Marines, Khorne Berzerkers, Slaanesh Princes, Nurgle Princes, Ork Hordes, Battlewagon Spam, 30 lootas the list of potential Marine headaches goes on and on and on and on...