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I've never written a Astra Militarum list before and only just started collecting scions so feedback and advise would be really appreciated.

Militarum Tempestus (613pts)
Tempestus Command Squad w/ 4x Hotshot Volley Guns
9 man Scion Squad w/ 2x Plasma Guns
5 man Scion Squad w/ 2x Melta Guns
Valkyrie w/ 2x Hell Strike Missiles + Multilaser
Valkyrie w/ 2x Hell Strike Missiles + Multilaser

Astra Militarum (287pts)
Company Command Squad w/ Master of Ordnance, Officer of the Fleet, Regimental Standard, Autocannon Team, 1x Sniper Rifle
Platoon Command Squad w/Autocannon Team
Infantry Squad w/ Autocannon Team
Infantry Squad w/ Autocannon Team

Fortifications (100pts)
Aegis Defence Line w/ Quad-gun

1000pts

I know people don't really like hellstrike missiles but they save points and I figured they could contribute to anti vehicle. The scions will all deepstrike or come in on Valkyries. The Astra Militarum just have to hold out for first turn. This plan could change depending on the opposing faction.

Even if your no expert on these armies but have an opinion please contribute, it all helps!

The biggest problem I'm seeing here is you only have one 5 man scion squad to deal out anti-tank.

Personally I'd drop the valkeries, the helstrikes are simply awful, 1 shot at bs3, only ap3 so cant kill vehicles and the ordnance rule means they force the ML and the other missile to snapfire if you fire them at the same time. Deep striking your scions is just as reliable an option IMHO.

I'd drop the 9 man scion squad to 5, kick the valkeries then put in a russ (something that can take out vehicles, a demolisher or kitted out vanquisher). If I could get a vendetta in there and drop the quad gun (these aren't great anymore as they can't shoot at non-flyers).

Your AM infantry are fine but I'd maybe drop the master of ordnance (too unreliable) and the sniper if I needed to save points.

Thanks for the reply Corinthius, I was a bit hesitant about throwing the vendettas in cause they're forge world and all that but it's been popping up more in my FLGS so I don't see why not.

Here's some adjustments, let me know what you think!

Militarum Tempestus (305pts)
Tempestus Command Squad w/ 4x Hotshot Volley Guns
5 man Scion Squad w/ 2x Melta Guns
5 man Scion Squad w/ 2x Melta Guns

Astra Militarum (645pts)
Company Command Squad w/ Officer of the Fleet, Regimental Standard, Autocannon Team
Platoon Command Squad w/Autocannon Team
Infantry Squad w/ Autocannon Team
Infantry Squad w/ Autocannon Team
Vendetta w/ Heavy Bolters
Vendetta w/ Heavy Bolters

Fortifications (50pts)
Aegis Defence Line

1000pts

I put the vendettas in the AM detachment cause some people aren't sure if MT are allowed them but my intention is for the scions to start in them. Swapped out the plasma for more melta as well which helps with points and vs vehicles.

Don't suppose anyone else would care to give their opinion on my list here? I'd really appreciate it

Taffy,

You might want to drop both vendetta's heavy bolters for two reasons:

1.) You'll be targeting armored or MC targets with your lascannons so your heavy bolters really won't be that useful (other than to help your lascannons survive a weapons destroyed result).

2.) Plus, for some reason, the Astra Militarum vendetta and valk heavy bolters cost twice as much as Militarum Tempestus valkyrie heavy bolters so that's another reason not to take them on your vendettas. I generally take heavy bolters on my MT valks, but they're just a bit too pricey for my AM vendettas.

You could use the points saved to add things like:
-a commie or priest for your platoon blob
-and/or voxes on your CCS and on 1 infantry squad
-and/or special weapons (flamers perhaps) for your platoon blob squads

Good luck! I'm sure you'll enjoy using the MT--I use a 15-trooper configuration very similar to yours except I use 4 meltas on my MT command squad rather than the volley guns. That twin-linking order that the MT leader gets is really fun to use!


Tallarn Commander

Would you suggest running the platoon as one big blob or seperate squads so i can shoot at different things?

Also what would you say to putting 4 ratlings in in place of the heavy bolters? They're pretty cool little guys, d'know what they're like on the table.

I was also considering an inquisitor, same points as a commissar, but better leadership, wounds and initiative, the option to be a psyker and can take all kinds of fun toys.

Updated this so hopefully it's looking better, didn't really know what to do with my last 40 points so got 4 snipers and 3 ratlings cause they're cheap.

Militarum Tempestus (305pts)
Tempestus Command Squad w/ 4x Hotshot Volley Guns
5 man Scion Squad w/ 2x Melta Guns
5 man Scion Squad w/ 2x Melta Guns

Astra Militarum (643pts)
Company Command Squad w/ Officer of the Fleet, Regimental Standard, Autocannon Team, Sniper
Platoon Command Squad w/Autocannon Team, Sniper
Infantry Squad w/ Autocannon Team, Sniper
Infantry Squad w/ Autocannon Team, Sniper
Vendetta
Vendetta
3 Ratling Snipers

Fortifications (50pts)
Aegis Defence Line

I've yet to find Ratlings to be effective. They're interesting, and to be honest, kind of fun to get a semi-mobile sniper unit but Sniper Rifles are incredibly hit and miss for me. I like to drop two in my Company Command Squad alongside a Veteran Lascannon Team just so they can sit behind my Aegis line and poke out at the enemy, but even with BS4 you hit on a 3 and then wound on a 4.

Added to that you need a 6 on the wound roll to get remotely anything resembling good AP or even scratch the paint on a vehicle. Precision shots can be helpful against infantry squads with particularly obnoxious special weapons, but otherwise I don't think they're worth taking. They're a very niche weapon and require your squads to stand still to be helpful.

In place of the ratlings I would probably nab a Commissar instead and run the two squads of infantry together with a single commissar. Stubborn Leadership 10 shouldn't be scoffed at, it turns Guardsmen that normally run at their own shadows into a nearly unbreakable line of bodies.

Also I find the Regimental Standard to be lackluster. The 12 inch bubble is smaller than you think and will likely only affect your CCS and *maybe* the heavy weapons from the other squads if you aren't moving them too much, but I generally wouldn't suggest to have my troops cluttered together like that. I'd use the points saved to grab a Lascannon team for your CCS rather than the Autocannon and add another sniper for that fourth Veteran. Use that BS4 to your advantage on a high strength LC that has a chance of blasting apart a vehicle at long range.

Other than that, I like it!

Is running the guardsman as a blob the way to go? Wouldn't that mean they'd all have to shoot the same thing and isn't that a bit of a waste?

Making the guardsmen into a blob does concentrate their fire, true, but as a general rule with Guardsmen shooting you want quantity over quality. Lasguns are a pitiful S 3 AP - and so you need an overwhelming number of shots to do significant damage.

By blobbing them up you concentrate your firepower into a single unit. This allows them to better benefit from orders, so you don't have to split those around and they can survive more attacks due to a greater weight of numbers without losing a significant portion of their shooting.

Not to mention if you aren't running a Commissar or Priest with them, a squad of Toughness 3 Armor 5+ Guardsmen with Leadership 8 (at best) is going to lose a morale check to shooting 33% of the time after only 3 casualties.

Blobbing them up just increases their effectiveness as a meat shield, distraction unit, and allows the sheer weight of las shots a better chance to overwhelm an opponent. I had a blob that was down to 15 men use First Rank Fire, Second Rank Fire on a Daemon Prince and take it out in one round of shooting.

Ok, I'm sold on the blobs would you say its better to run, a Priest, a Commissar or an Inquisitor? They're all the same 25 points standard, inquisitor seems to have the best stat line.

At 850 I have real success with the ground attack formation, you get in their faces real quick and having things twin linked is good for plasma guns and meltas. I don't find vendettas reliable without a comms relay. I can't take the guard out without pask in a punisher, he's just to good. Inquisitors are good for servo skulls. Stick some jacktos in a bunker and they can plasma and multi all daylong, spam command squads with orders and full special weapons wrecks tanks and terminators

The choice of morale booster for your blobs really depends on what you plan to do with them. If you want to move them forward (maybe with flamers to blunt charges and hidden melta bombs in case of vehicles) I would suggest a priest. For 25 points they are incredible. Fearless, Zealot, a 4++ Save and his Battle Hymns (which unfortunately only work about 50% of the time) are a huge boost in effectiveness that turns even a 20 man blob into a force that cannot just be ignored. Imagine 20 guardsmen charging, re-rolling hits in that first round of combat, and with a successful hymn, getting to reroll their armor saves. It's pretty amazing. The only downside is you lose the ability to Go To Ground with a priest, which can be an issue if you face any significant shooting with better than AP5.

A Commissar is always a solid choice at 25 points. Stubborn LD10 with Summary Execution means that you will rarely fail a leadership test and even if you do your blob will stay right where you want it. You always have the option to upgrade to a power axe for 15 points, which gives you a little bit of bite if they find themselves in close combat. But the Commissar is better for a gunline/meat shield blob, not a CC blob. The downside here is he has no invul save, just a 5+ Flak Armor, which on a T3 model means he's frakked just as easily as a regular Guardsmen.

Inquisitors are fantastic! I usually run Astra Militarum alongside an Inquisitorial detachment and I have to say I'm in love with the Ordo Malleus Inquisitors. They have a range of powerful upgrades available that you can tailor to suit the gaps in your army's strengths and are Stubborn LD10 just like a Commissar to boot. Not to mention 3 wounds, BS4 WS4 and best of all Initiative 4! I really like Malleus Inquisitors in Terminator Armor with a Psycannon and the Psyker upgrade. That's 110 points all told, but you get some fire support with 4 Strength 7 Rending shots and a Psyker with either Divination or Telekinesis for some buffs or Pyromancy for some additional dakka.

Wow that's some awesome info. I'll probably be going with the commissar or inquisitor as my guys only really need to hold the line until the scions and vendettas show up.

I'll probably end up running the most recent list i put up possibly dropping the regimental standard and ratlings in place of one of the above.

I was thinking of maybe taking an Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor with a null rod since psykers are so popular in this edition and it would be an awesome screw you. The other suggestion i've seen online is taking a psyoculum in a squad with a master of ordnance.

Any thoughts on either of these? The MoO/psyoculum combo sounds awesome but the half the reason for taking the inquisitor is for the platoon's leadership so doesn't really work for me.

Null rod could be fun.

Honestly the main options I take for my Inquisitors are either a Terminator Malleus Inquisitor for the Psycannon/Psyker upgrade or an Ordo Xenos inquisitor as a ride-along in a close combat squad.

The Psychotroke grenades and Rad grenades that a Xenos inquisitor gets are crazy on the charge. Psychotroke have a bunch of hilarious and sometimes brutal effects on the enemy squad in close combat, and the rad grenades reduce enemy toughness by one. Both are very useful.

To be honest, if you go with an Inquisitor for your squad I would splurge for the Terminator Inquisitor with a Psycannon. For 110 points you get LD10, Stubborn, a Psyker for Divination buffs on the squad (imagine a squad of 20 lasguns, in range for rapid fire, with First Rank Fire Second Rank Fire, buffed up with prescience. That's a total of 60 Twin-Linked Lasgun shots! Added to the 4 S7 Rending shots from the Termie's Psycannon).

Otherwise, go with the Commissar. He gets you the same leadership/stubborn buff just in a much squishier package.

I can't really comment on Null Rod or the Psyocculum. Never really made use of them before in my games. Null Rod might be nice to protect your squad from any psychic dakka, but all in all a blob guard squad is a prime target for buff powers. And the Psyocculum is limited to shooting at psykers, and unless you're playing against Tzeentch or Grey Knights you aren't going to be running across too many psykers to make its points cost worth it in my mind.