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I am starting a 30k SW army but need to know what basic units I should purchase just to get started. Already own the Calth box, so I would like to know what basics to add. I know i need the Legion Astartes book, but i wiuld like to know what vehicles and othwr basic units to pick up tl make a good game. Thank you.

Sacarian Tank or 3.

Sicaran is likely everyone's #1 choice. Then a Laser Destroyer Vindicator. Then a Spartan Tank. As far as units, Seeker Squads do work and Outrider Jetbikes are friggin scary. There's enough Ignores Cover in 30k though that it's not like modern Dark Angels or Scatbikes level of untouchable.

But it all depends on what Rite of War you're going for. Sometimes, these units aren't even allowed in armies.

Deathstorm drop pod. Pricey in points with the krak missile option, but 5 pairs of separately targeting S8 AP3 is a real pain.

3 Sicarans per detachment I guess.

I'm going to go against the grain and suggest that three Sicarans are not necessarily the best idea. Pick what best supports your army.

Well I don't even know how to play 30k but I really want to learn since I love the heresy. I am thinking on picking up a sicaran at the moment but want to make sure that is the best idea, should I pick the Legion book before the tank and other units? I am really not even sure where to begin or what play style this game is at. I heard it's much different then 40k. Thanks for responding!

Another calth box won't hurt ;-)

Rhino's are always viable choices even in 30k. Heavy weapons troops are taken in slightly greater numbers as well. Also, tactical support squads use the same type of one particular weapons system (such as a squad with all melta or flamer or plasma). So those could all be viable choices other than big tanks and other vehicles.

As I always say in these threads, these should be part of your early purchases:



While 3 Sicaran's would be nice as they are excellent tanks, would that be 3 Sicarans or 3 Sicaran Venators? Though you've only got 3 slots and Deredeo's are excellent. As is the new Leviathan Dreadnought (3 per slot allowed if you walk them). Fire Raptors are brutal too. The Vindicator Laser Destroyer is nasty as well. The Whirlwind Scorpius scrags marines nicely. Perhaps you'd like 3 predators per Heavy Support slot as that's a valid choice, but which option?

From that short statement, you can see there's a lot of choice in the books. Enough to make you all giddy like a child at Christmas (look at all those toys!). Get the books before you dive in headfirst buying all and sundry as buying something that doesn't fit your end theme is expensive. Pretty much all options in 30k are usable and nothing is generally underpowered. Overcosted, maybe (Justaerin!). So, asking for best units pretty much includes the entire book!

Saying that, do you have a theme (Rite of War) in mind? Air assault? Drop Pods? Close Combat? Armoured Fist? We can direct you down certain paths if you looking to go for a theme.

I say no to three Sicarans. You might end up using a RoW that only allows one heavy slot or no ground vehicles at all. There are several of these RoWs out there. Get the books and then figure out what you want to play.

You have far too many options for us to simply say go buy X. What happens if you read the book and decide to run an all terminator and aircraft army, Betrayal wont help you much. Even the Contemptor in the box set is poorly armed in my opinion this requiring you to buy the arms you need from FW.

Yeah, you need to look at the books. There are pages and pages of vehicle options.

The Sicarans are awesome. The Vindicator Laser Destroyer is awesome. Being able to take 3 (or more) units of 1-3 Basilisks or Medusas to drown your enemy in barrage fire from behind total cover while Nuncio-voxesdraw LoS, also awesome. Alot of vehicle choices depends on how you build your army, and how you're allowed to build your army due to legion-restrictions or Rite of War restrictions. Its worth it to get the core army rules if you want to play 30k (see red Crusade Army List book).

One sicaran will do for now. Spartan is a good buy. In all honesty what you really should do is get another BaC box.

Then grab come alternative hq choices, some despoilers, jetbikes

Why not get a "core" army finished first, then go into the broken units

maybe an assault squad, termi squas, or more tacticals would be good since you don't know what the space wolf rules are going to be? Honestly, it seems to me like HH is less competative, and has more "fluff" driven armies.

In short: go safe untill you have a plan/know what your legion rules will be, stick with the very basics.

A BoC box doesn't help unless he plans on using those figs. He might find he prefers RG and wants to go scout heavy and wont end up using any of the figs from the box. Why waste $150 or $300 before figuring out what he wants to actually play with.

Col. Dash wrote:
A BoC box doesn't help unless he plans on using those figs. He might find he prefers RG and wants to go scout heavy and wont end up using any of the figs from the box. Why waste $150 or $300 before figuring out what he wants to actually play with.

True, but even raven guard use the stuff in the box, and it's good to have a "just in case" core to your army before you dive into the theme. He mentioned wanting to go space wolves, which to me, means tactical squads w/ additional CCWs, bikes, and assault marrines. However, it's all up to him.

My next purchase (after 1.5 boxes of calth) is going to be the 2 red books and probably a drop pod to convert to a dreadclaw. However I have a pretty good idea of how I'm going to be building my army. As said even calth can't be completely utilised unless you know what you need from the box. Are you going to tool your Terminators for CC or shooty? How about the marines are they going to be veteran squads with 2 heavys per squad?

I think you need to have at least a direction for the calth box to be built, you can't go too wrong building them as you want however it may not be optimal down the track.

What is this "Right of War"? I have ordered a book and sicaran tank for now and I already own 10 MKIII marines, a extra 5 justaerin terminators, with 1 extra Comtemptor/2 fists. I was looking to building my wolves towards more of a close combat army. Any other suggestions as I now wait for my red book? How different are the Legions rules with one another, do I have to pick a already existent Legions rules to play until my wolves come out or are there basic rules?

For unlisted legions you get to use vanilla legion units and add either stubborn or furious charge to your army (1 only, applies to everything that has legion astrates special rule)

Google is your friend for RoW etc, a few wikis will be helpful

What are the differences in game play between 40k and 30k? I will be reading up here on RoW.

in case you aren't sure what to do with the BaC minis here is what I'm running from the BaC set for my wolves

HQ
chaplain with crozius and plasma pistol 115pts
praetor with cataphractii armor, combi bolter, chain fist 150pts (RoW making the vet tacs and termies troops)

Elites
contemptor dread with kheres assault cannon 190pts
5 man cataphractii terminator squad 4 with power fists, 1 with chain fist, 1 with heavy flamer. sergeant has a grenade harness. 255pts
3x 10 man veteran tac squads with missile launcher and suspensor web, plasma gun. sergeant has artificer armor, combi weapon and power fist 275pts per sqaud.

this works out at 1535pts.
and I'm thinking of adding an iron halo for the praetor/artificer armor for the chaplain and a bolter for the chaplain to bring the points up to just under 1550.

hope this helps

 Greyguy13 wrote:
What are the differences in game play between 40k and 30k? I will be reading up here on RoW.

No Unbound. Stricter rules for how many points when a Lord of War can be taken, and what percentage of your army can be made up of a Lord of War. For Marines, "Rites of War", lower leadership, and lack "And They Shall Know No Fear".

Both games use 40k Rules, so in essence they are the same game. It may be helpful to just consider all the Army Lists in the Horus Heresy as though they are a bunch of different Codices.

Thank you that list does help a bit indeed. So I will still need a Space Wolves codex from 40k to use in the Heresy?

 Greyguy13 wrote:
Thank you that list does help a bit indeed. So I will still need a Space Wolves codex from 40k to use in the Heresy?

No, Currently for space wolves you only need the Legiones Astartes Crusade Army List book
SW are rumoured to be released in the next black HH book

Ok noticed that you starting Space Wolves, which is an interesting choice.

Dunno if anyone mentioned that the rules for the Wolves haven't been released yet, so your army is going to be pretty vanilla to start.

First off you need the crusade army red book. That will help you start.

Someone mentioned Rites of War, they are pseudo formations, they don't give you free stuff but do give certain units benefits, but they can limit what you bring.

For starting your army I would add the following...

Another Calth box, tactical squads in 30k can be taken in squads of twenty, so those 60 guys from both boxes can be built out in several different ways and allows you to run a full ten man squad of terminators...

The crusade army red good

The apothecary pack from Forge World. Apothecaries can be bought in groups of three as a single choice
And then farmed out to different units. You get two of them in the pack...

A standard Sicaran
A deimos rhino
And finally a Spartan Assault vehicle.

Between those extras and the stuff in the two Calth boxes you should be able to get 2000 points on the table pretty easily.

Leman Russ is going to be a badass, good work on picking the Rout as your legion.

Greyguy13 wrote:Thank you that list does help a bit indeed. So I will still need a Space Wolves codex from 40k to use in the Heresy?

no problem, glad to help out another son of russ

valace2 wrote:
Between those extras and the stuff in the two Calth boxes you should be able to get 2000 points on the table pretty easily.

one box of BaC nets you about 1500 points what you mentioned will come closer to 4000 points if you use it most/all of it in a game

Well I almost have everything you mentioned valace2. I will be buying some rhinos next month unfortunately. I have been thinking about getting another B@c box but I kind of want to get other MK armour instead of just the IV. Anything else I may need yo play effectively?