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Hello all - haven't posted in a while just wanted to get an idea of what people thought of my Iron Hands list and maybe what changes they would recommend.

I was building towards a full battle-company with free transports before to play with Red Scorpions but when people don't want to play against Forgeworld I try to stick to something inside the base game.

That said I do enjoy playing the newly buffed Smash-father and crew so - don't hate me.

Fist of Medusa Strike Force

Stormlance Demi-Company

HQ:
Chapter Master : Bike, Artificer Armor, LC / PF, Betrayers Bane , Gorgon's Chain
ELITES:
Command Squad : Bikes, 5x Grav Guns, 5x Storm Shield, 2x Melta Bombs, Apothecary
TROOPS
3 x Tactical Squads: Plasma Gun, Razorback w/ Las/Plas & Dozer Blades
Fast Attack:
Attack Bike w/ MM
HEAVY SUPPORT:
Devastator Squad: Bolters (lol..), Razorback w/ Las/Plas & Dozer Blades

Librarius Conclave
Librarian: Bike + Auspex
Librarian: Iron Stone
Librarian: Auspex

Raptor Wing
2x Storm Talons w/ Skyhammer Missiles & Assault Cannon
Land Speeder w/ 2x MM

Honored Ancients
Dreadnought w/ Missile Launcher & Assault Cannon

So the Bike Squad & Chapter Master go around dealing with the larger issues in the army using their 2D6 move after shooting to keep their distance when needed (or moving in closer) while the 3 Tactical Razorbacks drive around claiming objectives popping out of the transports to shoot at things and hopping back in. The Devastators drive around providing some bolter fire to back up either of the three tacticals while the attack bike tries to sneak around to pop something staying in cover as best as possible again using the 2D6 to Move Shoot Move. The landspeeder will do the same marking targets for the Storm Talons to take out. (I love that they are guaranteed to come in turn 2 - this is huge.) The librarians provide not only psychic support but Iron Hand's specific buffs to the tactical squads which I really love. Lastly the Dreadnought runs around providing support sticking close to one of the independent characters to POTM his weapons.

I think it provides a good amount of support, decent board coverage and mobility and with the IH tactics I get some very nice buffs in durability. I'm really digging the Storm-lance Demi as well.

So - what do you think?

If you play ITC you can't upgrade the captain to chapter master inside of demi-companies. Drop the betrayer's bane for an auspex, most of the relics are traps, AND if you play ITC you can only equip 1 per model.
Put 2-3 grav cannons on the devs and at least 1 on a tac squad. Drop the iron stone and the raptor wing to bring a cataphractii captain with the shield eternal, put him with the devs and put them in a pod, if you make him the warlord and roll lucky you can still get him to 3+FNP. You also need at least 1 more librarian. Storm talons...don't really do much in my experience, ap 4 or ap 4 rending just isn't good enough anymore.

Grav is the best thing space marines have(outside of the new crazy psychic powers) If you build a list that CAN take grav and then don't than you're going to have a hard time in most competitive environment. Remember, you can never charge a wraithknight or knight or Stormsurge with the smashfucker ball because you can't risk him being stomped out.

I dont think the command squad can take an apothecary and five gravshield guys. The apothecary can't take the guns or shield because he's no longer a veteran anymore once he becomes the apothecary.

Malathrim wrote:
I dont think the command squad can take an apothecary and five gravshield guys. The apothecary can't take the guns or shield because he's no longer a veteran anymore once he becomes the apothecary.

You can with the ITC rulings..

Thank you ERJAK that's very helpful - I've made those changes to an alternate list I'll have to try out both. I'll agree with you not taking Grav when available seems a miss-step for marines and the Cataphracti terminator captain (chapter master?) would give them the S&P to help as well as tank for them. I was thinking of running the forth librarian with this unit as the two independent characters would give eachother the +1 to FNP. Should he take the gorgon chain or leave it on the Captain in the bike squad?

Also I'll agree having 4 librarians would definitely be more effective - I shall try it out. Not sure what powers to run them on especially with the new ones. (I tried Geokenesis/Technomancy/Librarius last time I played)

Also as far as the ruling for the Apothecary I really am not sure I could see it either way but I generally try to stick to ITC ruling for the questionable things.

"bring a cataphractii captain with the shield eternal, put him with the devs and put them in a pod"

You can't bring pods with this group. Everybody has to start the game in a Rhino or Razorback. :(

Okay so I've done some tweaking and while I may not be able to take the Devastators in a drop-pod I think I have come up with a variation that works well (at-least in the Storm-lance) it's not meant to go to large tournaments but more to play in a semi-competitive local meta at the tournament level points value. (1850)

STORMLANCE
HQ:
Chapter Master(Artificer Armor, Gorgon Chain, PF/LC, Bike)
Command Squad x 5 (Bikes, 5 Storm Shields, 5 Grav Guns, Melta Bomb and Apothecary)
Devastator Squad (2 Grav Cannons, Rhino, Dozerblade)
Attack Bike Squad w/ Multi-melta
3 x Tactical Squads (Plasma Rifle, Lasplas Razorback)

LIBRARIUS CONCLAVE
Librarian: Epistolary, Bike, Auspex
Librarian(x3) Epistolary, Auspex

HONORED ANCIENTS
Contemptor Dreadnought: Kheres Pattern Assault Cannon

I think the dreadnought offers me some neat options as well as higher armor and combined with some of the buffs from Technomancy could be efficient. I feel I would roll on telepathy, geokinesis, technomancy and maybe librarius (I'm not sure for the last one, maybe divination) Otherwise primarily the same plan the Command/HQ squad goes around deleting things. The tactical/devastator squads work on capturing objectives with the Contemptor and Attack Bike roaming around to provide some support ducking into cover with the Stormlance's ability to let bikes move 2D6 after shooting (very nice..)

So far I really have been enjoying this formation.

Realistically you will roll 2-3 libbies on telepathy because you NEED invis if you go up against any significant D or STR 10. Trying to say, 'oh yeah this psyker gets these powers and this one gets these powers' is for eldar and chaos. Are the other 3 libbies not on bikes? because it's going to be a giant pain to use emyric channeling if they're not with the command squad. Also they become super fragile. you need at least 3 on bikes to get the most out of the formation. Other than that this looks like a really solid list and though I prefer the standard BC or the armoured task force to the stormlance, if you know how to use it correctly the SL will do work. Glad you;ve been having fun with it