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I've been playing casually for a while at low points levels (<1250) and I'm about to enter my first competitive environment. The local store is hosting an escalation league with the point values of 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000. The rules are pretty standard. Wargear can change. Squad sizes can increase but never decrease. At 500 points no 2+, vehicles, or template/blast weapons.

500
Ordo Malleus Inq, psyker, hellrifle 70
GKSS x10 w/2 psycannons 220
GKSS x10 w/1 psycannon 210
1000
Ordo Malleus Inq, psyker, TDA, psycannon 110
GKSS x10 w/2 psycannons 220
GKSS x10 w/1 psycannon 210
Terminator Squad x5 w/ psycannon 225
DK HI + PT 235
1500
Ordo Malleus Inq, psyker, TDA, psycannon 110
GKSS x10 w/2 psycannons, psybolt ammo 240
GKSS x10 w/2 psycannons, psybolt ammo 240
Terminator Squad x5 w/ psycannon 225
DK HI + PT, Greatsword 260
Interceptor squad x10 w/2 psycannons, psybolt ammo
Total: 1375 for the 1500 point list. This is where i keep stumbling.

My only auto include is my DK. They've always made their points back for me. I would also like the interceptors to stay. I really want to include draigo and paladins for the 2000 point list but I can't trim anything out and replace it once we bump up into the 2k bracket. In my experience (which is limited) my paladins have always performed FAR better than my terminators both in staying power and just plain wrecking power. I usually include a smal group of around 2-4 to DS in a list and they have never failed to perform good rampages around my opponents backfield. I thought about including them in the list instead of the terminators but then I'd only have 20 PA troops for objectives. Also I have to include the Inquisitor in every list because he's the only HQ I can take for the 500 point game. Well, there is Valeria or whatever but.. no.. just... no.
Right now I have
about 13 terminators with various weapons. some magnetized
30 PAGKs, 10 of which are unassembled (in case I go interceptors)
a DK
I would really like to try and utilise the models that I have as this hobby is dang expensive! However I am very open to suggestions. On that note I am not interested in buying a storm chicken. Too bulky and expensive to lug around. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 korghan wrote:

500
Ordo Malleus Inq, psyker, hellrifle 70
GKSS x10 w/2 psycannons 220
GKSS x10 w/1 psycannon 210

I would drop the hellrifle for a second Psycannon.

1000
Ordo Malleus Inq, psyker, TDA, psycannon 110
GKSS x10 w/2 psycannons 220
GKSS x10 w/1 psycannon 210
Terminator Squad x5 w/ psycannon 225
DK HI + PT 235

Ah I see, then you can't drop the psycanon for this list either...
This looks really good, and there is little wiggle room here.

1500
Ordo Malleus Inq, psyker, TDA, psycannon 110
GKSS x10 w/2 psycannons, psybolt ammo 240
GKSS x10 w/2 psycannons, psybolt ammo 240
Terminator Squad x5 w/ psycannon 225
DK HI + PT, Greatsword 260
Interceptor squad x10 w/2 psycannons, psybolt ammo
Total: 1375 for the 1500 point list. This is where i keep stumbling.

Can you find a way to fit a Grand master into this list? Then you could use Grand Strategy to have scoring Interceptors and knights.

Then if you want to include paladins, they can be made scoring with strategy as well.

Ok revision time. I'll probably keep 500 and 1000 and alter 1500. I'll worry about 2k when I get off work.

Draigo 275
Inq bare 25
GKSS (10) w/2 psycannons 220
GKSS (10) w/2 psycannons 220
Terminator squad (5) w/psycannon 225
DK w/PT HI 235
Interceptors (10) w/2 psycannons+psybolt ammo 300
1500 exactly. I thought about draigo as I know there will be at least 3 riptide sporting tau and I thought his SS and eternal warrior might be helpful. Or do you think a stock GM would be better? For 2k I was planning on adding a group of paladins with psycannons and kitting out my remaining units. Thoughts?

Shameless bump.

Draigo is really good when you can have a unit of 10 paladins to protect. With only 500 points to add to get to 2K you are not going to be able to get 10 paladins.


With the GM you are still going to get scoring paladins. and you are going to save about 100 points. Could you use those 100 points to upgrade the Terminators to Paladins in your 1500 list? Maybe also keep the psyker upgrade on the inquisitor?


Draigo and his SS are very nice for Paladins, but due to the price, he works best for a "ALL IN" 10 paladin deathstar style build, rather than just a few paladins on the side, sort of build you have going.

Its really expensive, but I've been liking Interceptors with Incinerators especially now that many people are using gunline Tau. With the 30 inch shunt they get you can wind yourself up for being in their face turn one and if they're bunched up on an objective even better.

@svendrex you're probably right. I wish I could upgrade the terminators to paladins but since it is an escalation league I can't change what units I bring from bracket to bracket.

OMI w/TDA, psycannon and psyker 110
GK GM-stock 175
Terminator Squad (5) w/psycannon 225
Strike Squad w/x2 psycannon 220
Strike Squad w/x2 psycannon 220
DK w/ PT HI 235
Interceptor Squad w/x2 psycannon, psybolt 300
Total: 1485

2k
Same as above with the following additions.
Add psybolts to both strike squads. +40
Add a great sword to the DK +25
A paladin Squad (5) w/x2 psycannon +315
That comes to 1865. I'm not really sure what else to add without having to buy a bunch more models.

And I considered incinerators on the interceptors but I felt psycannons would be better for a TAC list.

You could just take Draigo in 500 for the laughs...add something like 2 paladins and 5 strikers with a psycannon?

Or keep the inquisitor cheap through and through and start making the elite paladins come in at 1000...sometimes you have to play one hard round in escalation to make the other 3 easier.

 ductvader wrote:
You could just take Draigo in 500 for the laughs...add something like 2 paladins and 5 strikers with a psycannon?

Or keep the inquisitor cheap through and through and start making the elite paladins come in at 1000...sometimes you have to play one hard round in escalation to make the other 3 easier.

I actually really wanted to! Don't get me wrong prescience psycannons are amazing but I really wanted to go a bit of a different route. Unfortunately the rules for the 500 point games states no 2+ saves. I brought up that I only have 1 HQ (well the 3 inq variants) that doesn't have a 2+ save but they were pretty adamant about it. The main reason I wanted to include the group of paladins was to use them as the anvil while the DK, the interceptors, and any other deepstriking units could be the hammer. Maybe use psychic communion to make the DSers come in when I have my shunters in place then shoot them into the enemies backfield while the paladins march up the field. I'll have to think on it some more. Do you think I should just cut the terminators out of the 1000 point list and insert the paladin group?

If you want to do it...thats the best point to.

As for the inquisitor...trying to save points for everything else generally means a xeno inquisitor...focusing on plasma syphon, grenades, psyker, or a combination.

Plasma syphon rocks with GKs...and new tau means its going to see an uptick in gameplay.