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Hi there,
it has been a long time since GW invented those "decurion" formations, and I'm curious to know if they are often used ? Did the players, who criticized those formations a lot at the beggining, eventually adopted it ?
Personnally yes when using my marines (but I never played 2 demi comp), not when playing my Imperial Guard.
So, share your experience with DakkaDakka !

With daemons the daemonic incursion is essential to controlling the warpstorm table, I can pump out a list of daemonettes for around 650 to 700 points too and not have too much of a problem. Its also fairly balanced and not too cheesy

Well, since the Ork faction's super formation has a 1200ish point investment requirement just to give you the good benefits......So yeah, I usually don't bother running a useless formation that forces me to squander points on useless units just to get a decent upgrade.

Mainly, no. I've used them before, but they're fairly limiting; I don't have enough foot Guardians to play the Craftworld Warhost without spamming jetbikes, the Space Marine meta-detachments don't let me use the 30k vehicles that make up most of my motor pool, and the Grey Knights don't have one.

Since the codex dropped it's been all Gladius, all the time.

I've experimented with army construction outside of it, and am particularly interested in the Pinion Demi-Company Formation, but I haven't fielded it yet.

It will be the same with my growing Eldar force, expanding outward from a Guardian Battlehost.

Only if it's convinent or if I expect super friends. 24 markerlights = 4 hits in your invisible blob. Woo suddenly bs 5 again on the whole army due to hunter contingent.

I consider a commander to ususally be a tax.

I don't think I've ever used a formation, actually...

Well, i use the Decurion in larger games. Its quite feared here. Recently, i battled 5000 pts Necrons vs 2x 2500 pts Tau and Mechanicus. My opponents were fabulizing about killing the Spyders. But due to terrain they couldnt. It was a pretty tough game (maelstrom Mission) and a draw at the end.

Never used a Decurion. IG don't get one, BT were faq'd to not be able to use gladius (because codex compliance means only you can use a strategy), and my Eldar army is too small.

I play a decurion-style detachment with only one of my armies. I generally bring a Guardian Stormhost Warhost with my Eldar, because I ended up buying a big lot that fit pretty well, so I planned my purchases around getting to that core formation. Other than that, no, my collections dating from around 5th don't fit into the structure and the rules aren't worth additional purchases (orks and guard) or the armies I play don't have decurion detachments even if I wanted them (Harlequins and Admech.)

Didn't have one with Sisters and I don't own a knight, so I'm not gonna be running the one for my Skitarii. I've literally never played one. That said, I wasn't a huge nay-sayer against it from the start. I found Decurion a bit strong, but it also gave Necron a bit of flavour. If just every codex had an equal one, which is what I was hoping, it would have been fine.

Nothing is equal in GW though. It's just made up on the spot with an attitude of "maybe this works?"

I pretty much always do, yes.

That doesn't mean I always use the "cheese" formations, as I can quite frequently just take Flayed Ones, Deathmarks, or use something such as a Deathbringer Flight or an Annihilation Nexus.

And of course if my opponent wants me to done it down further with a CAD, then I will.

Using a mix of a double Demi Company Gladius and a Sternhammer Strike force have been my two main ways to play at the moment. I love the benefits and I feel it fits SM structure the best out of all the factions.

No, but then my main army is Dark Eldar and we don't have one. Neither do Tyranids, Corsairs or Harlequins. My Craftowrld Eldar do and thanks to the Pale Courts Battlehost formation I can run pretty much anything other than Wraithguard in the core slot, just need some Wave Serpents before I field it.

I do, but I don't make it very strong, I use the Raven Guard one, and I do crazy things like giving Scouts sergeants thunder hammers. I wouldn't consider myself a power player by any stretch of the imagination.

I mainly use it for its fluffy outflanking aspects, and the fact I love to feel like special ops deep striking my Storm Raven full of Sternguard into the hot zone. 50% of the time they all die horribly but I love doing it anyway.

I'd love there to be a fluffy nid one for me to use with similar hive mind options like the endless swarm formation. I like the super detachments on the whole when they aren't too powerful, I'd like GW to keep them and tweak them to make them more fluffy and characterful. It would be very easy to push different levels of play. CADs could be tightened for tournament play balancing the game (if GW would release HQs and troops for all the factions such as harlequins and admech etc or TOs would have to make exceptions or house rules all over the place which seems unfair), formations and super detachments could be super fluffy and still remain semi balanced for casual and narrative play. And then you could have apocalypse above that, and even a skirmish level with the release of kill team that's rumoured to be coming up.

I voted “no” but it’s close.

I don’t like fielding bare bones, MSU squads. So when I field a demi-co, it costs around 1,000 points. So for smaller games, it’s a bit unwieldy if I want anything else.

I like the gladius, and do use it for larger games. But not the full company list, as I’m not a fan of that playstyle.

 Nevelon wrote:
I voted “no” but it’s close.

I don’t like fielding bare bones, MSU squads. So when I field a demi-co, it costs around 1,000 points. So for smaller games, it’s a bit unwieldy if I want anything else.

I like the gladius, and do use it for larger games. But not the full company list, as I’m not a fan of that playstyle.

I've never really gone for the full on hard as nails ultramarine list, maybe I should try it, I think I might have enough transports now actually to do a Gladius. Is it fun, or is it as dull as some make out? I've been thinking of trying out the White Scar one where you can jump back in the transports as that looks like a fun one to try. I'm more about the fun than the power really.

My main group and I largely avoid all formations, actually. We don't like the Full-Throttle power shift 40k has undergone, and only use formations where appropriate. For example, my Harlequins only have a single base build when fielding them without a formation, since there's no Harlequin HQ unit a CAD or Allied detachment isn't possible. My past two games I've used both the Hero's Path and Cast of Players formations to get some minimal stuff in.

Even then, the Hero's Path is a lot of bonuses, though for two of the 3 models the inability to join units is a serious enough weakness that it feels a bit more balanced.

Pretty much we only use formations if they feel balanced. If something's just "extra oomph for lulz" we give warning that it's our intention to bring it so our opponent has a chance to beef up their list too.

as a Tau player, I use one anytime I'm over 1850 usually. But honestly separate formations with individual bonuses can yield greater results. Hunter Contingent was fun for a while, then rage table flippers ruined it. Dawnblade was fun for a while till same results. Now I just run riptide wing, Optimized Stealth Cadre, and a CAD with a stormsurge and 6 individual suits. Let them say a contingent is why they lost the game now!

In my games vs harder opponents (Tau or Eldar), the Decurion certainly helps to keep the Necrons alive and kicking. Without it, I felt that my Necrons would have been dead in round 4 or so.

 redleger wrote:
as a Tau player, I use one anytime I'm over 1850 usually. But honestly separate formations with individual bonuses can yield greater results. Hunter Contingent was fun for a while, then rage table flippers ruined it. Dawnblade was fun for a while till same results. Now I just run riptide wing, Optimized Stealth Cadre, and a CAD with a stormsurge and 6 individual suits. Let them say a contingent is why they lost the game now!

No, a Stormsurge and Riptide wing is why they lost the game.

Must be nice to play an army that gets better when you don't use formations.

I have played against tau using my CSM and I want to disagree with you, but I can't.

 General Kroll wrote:

 Nevelon wrote:
I voted “no” but it’s close.

I don’t like fielding bare bones, MSU squads. So when I field a demi-co, it costs around 1,000 points. So for smaller games, it’s a bit unwieldy if I want anything else.

I like the gladius, and do use it for larger games. But not the full company list, as I’m not a fan of that playstyle.

I've never really gone for the full on hard as nails ultramarine list, maybe I should try it, I think I might have enough transports now actually to do a Gladius. Is it fun, or is it as dull as some make out? I've been thinking of trying out the White Scar one where you can jump back in the transports as that looks like a fun one to try. I'm more about the fun than the power really.

I honestly don’t know, I’ve never put the 2xDemi-co gladius with the free transports down on the table. It’s not a play style that appeals to me. If I wanted to play a “I’ve got more bodies then you have bullets” list, I’d play guard. Fun is subjective though, and some people do enjoy it.

One problem when discussing the gladius is that it’s basically two different things. There is the basic one, with a single demi-co and and aux, that just gives the doctrines. Then there is the full company gladius, with the free transports. You don’t hear many complaints about the first one; it’s the free transports that bring out the venom.

For about half the games I play with my Ultramarines I will use a Gladius. Mainly just Demi Company and 1st Company Task force. Have never done double Demi Company however (only having 2 Rhino's/Razorbacks and 3 Drop pods has a bit to do with it), But I just really like the fact that a Gladius gives me 6 Doctrines to use with my Ultramarines.

Otherwise I normally stick to a CAD.

My main army however is Tyranids, who do not have a Gladius style detatchment so usually just play a CAD + Formation (and no I dont just mucolid troops and flyrant spam, only own 1 flyrant). My meta is fairly casual however so dont really need the "netlist" kind of armies.

I swap between the Champions of Fenris supplement Company of the Great Wolf, Ironwolves, Firehowlers and Drakeslayers. I don't have enough Drop Pods to play the Blackmanes and the Deathwolves formation is more restrictive than helpful.

Tyranids don't get...well...anything but the only time they really see the board these days is when I'm introducing groups to 40k. People think they've got talent after using my Space Wolves to brutalise my Tyranids.

 Nevelon wrote:

 General Kroll wrote:

 Nevelon wrote:
I voted “no” but it’s close.

I don’t like fielding bare bones, MSU squads. So when I field a demi-co, it costs around 1,000 points. So for smaller games, it’s a bit unwieldy if I want anything else.

I like the gladius, and do use it for larger games. But not the full company list, as I’m not a fan of that playstyle.

I've never really gone for the full on hard as nails ultramarine list, maybe I should try it, I think I might have enough transports now actually to do a Gladius. Is it fun, or is it as dull as some make out? I've been thinking of trying out the White Scar one where you can jump back in the transports as that looks like a fun one to try. I'm more about the fun than the power really.

I honestly don’t know, I’ve never put the 2xDemi-co gladius with the free transports down on the table. It’s not a play style that appeals to me. If I wanted to play a “I’ve got more bodies then you have bullets” list, I’d play guard. Fun is subjective though, and some people do enjoy it.

One problem when discussing the gladius is that it’s basically two different things. There is the basic one, with a single demi-co and and aux, that just gives the doctrines. Then there is the full company gladius, with the free transports. You don’t hear many complaints about the first one; it’s the free transports that bring out the venom.

Yeah I can imagine it clogging up the board quite a bit too to be honest. I do like the sound of playing all those doctrines cards though, maybe I will try that in my next game for a change from the RG tactics and a chance to throw some rerolls around. Like you say using the single Demi company and an auxiliary is likely the more fun option and allows for much more variety of models. Would also give me a chance to try out a Librarius which isn't an option in the Raven guard detachment.

Tau and Daemons/CSM player

My Tau army is pretty outdated using mostly respecced3rd edition models with the exception of some converted marker drones and a a couple of Riptides that occasionally make the table. It was originally designed around CAD, and doesn't fit into any of the new formations that well.

My Daemons army is much larger and more varied, however, the Daemons formations are all massive and clunky. The smallest require 30 or so models of a very restrictive selection of unit types (or vehicles)- I simply don't have that many copies of the same models. Instead I tend to run CAD with CSM allies at times to allow me to field a variety of models (rather than just spamming Screamers and Flesh Hounds).

I always use it. Not for an advantage (mainly because I really take the full company, and lack enough transports to make it work) but because it's fluffy as hell.

I take full squads of every unit too - no MSU for me.

I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've actually used the KDK Blood Host detachment. The taxes for my core and Heldrake just aren't worth it to me, I'd rather cram in more useful units at the expense of the +1 BT every turn. I'll run Gorepack every so often alongside a CAD, and if I'm feeling cheeky I'll use the Khorne's Hellstorm with the raptors, warp talons, and Heldrake, but that's really it. Also, I like using Bloodcrushers and that Terminator tax in the Blood Host kinda turns me off as well.

No, but not by choice. My codex doesn't have one.