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Hey everyone!
So i have been tossing up ideas for an iron hands list for a long while now and think i have settled on a list that i like. Unfortunately, as you can tell by the title of this post, its not perfect yet. It just feels like it is missing something...
I really wanted to fit in a command squad on bikes to go with the captain and grav centurions instead of regular devestators, but i just couldnt find a way to fit them in.
So have a look and tell me what you think!

2000 points Iron hands Fist Of Medusa Strike Force

Armoured task force

Techmarine - 140
-bike
-servo harness
-iron stone

Predator - 115
-Auto cannon
-Las cannons

Vindicator - 120

Vindicator - 120

Thunderfire cannon - 100

Storm wing

Storm talon - 115
-skyhammer missile launchers

Storm talon - 115
-skyhammer missile launchers

Storm raven - 230
-Assault cannons
-Twin linked multi melta
-hurricane bolters


Battle demi company

Captain - 90

Tactical squad - 125
-5 troops
-drop pod
-multi melta
-combi melta

Tactical squad -140
-5 troops
-razorback
-plasma gun

Tactical squad -140
-5 troops
-razor back
-grav gun

Assault squad - 70
-5 troops

Devestators - 135
-missile launchers X3
-las cannon

Iron clad dreadnought - 145
-Built in heavy flamer
-Built in heavy flamer
-Seismic hammer

Techmarine - 100
-servo harness
-servitor

The iron clad will be dropped off by the storm raven, and the second techmarine will be inside the storm raven healing it and the storm talons.

Okay to just to keep in mind, the fist of medusa strike force gives all my vehicles within 12'' of an independent character power of the machine spirit and gives my troops +1 to FNP within 12'' of an independent character.

Any opinions anyone?

You can't heal the Storm Talons. The Techmarine needs to be in base-to-base with them, so if they fly, he'll only be healing the Stormraven.

Also, if you can find the space for a third Vindicator, Linebreaker Bombardment is tasty.

I love air dropping ironclad dreadnoughts with double heavy flamers. It's sooo satisfying... Here's some thoughts I have:

- Techmarine on bike: I'm not sure you need the bike considering you can simply have him ride shotgun in one of the razorbacks.
- Storm Talon: Not too big a deal, but if you could find points to upgrade these to typhoons, I think it'd be worth it since AP3 krak missiles have a better shot punching armor 3 MC's and GC's and frag missiles synergize well with the assault cannons for dealing with infantry.
- Stormraven: I'd drop hurricane bolters. I never find them to be useful against the targets I fired my stormraven at.
- The captain feels like such a filler unit without any upgrades. I think if you're going to have filler, maybe throw in a chaplain instead so that he can offer some support buffs to the squad he's attached to. Otherwise, I'd say find a way to squeeze centurions to ride into the stormraven instead of the devastators, give the captain Gorgon's chain and other items, and turn him into a beat stick while riding with the centurions.
- Tactical Squads: I've never been a huge fan of mixing weapons per squad although it is pretty fluffy. At min squads, I prefer to run them with grav cannons and nothing else.
- Assault squad is totally filler and I don't see how they're going to really contribute without any upgrades. Giving them flamers and loading them in the stormraven might be an idea, although I would prefer land speeders or bikes.
- 2nd Techmarine: I'm not sure if you're allowed to take this one? How did you add a second techpriest?

Good point with the storm talons! I had forgotten about that!

The techmarine on the bike was going to ride along side the vindicators and predator and heal them up.

The captain and the assault squads really are just fillers at the moment, i had to include them to have the demi compnay. Wasnt sure really what else to do with them.

I love the idea of the captain with the gorgons gains and the centurions, but i just couldnt find the points to fit that in. Any ideas of how i could?

The second techmarine is allowed throught the scions of the forge rule i think it is. Because i took a HQ (captain) i am allowed to bring three techmarines that dont take up a force org slot.

Lose assault squad and take Landspeeders instead?

Thats actually a pretty good idea

There's a formation that lets models hop out, shoot, then in the shooting phase reembark (this may be what you have) absolutely amazing for iron hands.

A friend of mine has played DEDICATED to Iron Hands for near a decade now, and the ATF (armoured task force) with whirlwind/laspred + triple vindi + vindi w/ nocover relic from IA2 to be absolutely brutal, it takes the attention of the board! He gives the sole vindi blades so ignores cover, its hilarious seeing this thing move 12" through any terrain untouched to land a pieplate that ignores cover w/ 10/2 stats bahaha
I've become very fond of it

- Tech on bike is only good if you can throw him in more bikes.
- Drop the Storm wing, too unreliable. I own 3 storm wings and I find it is FAR to devastating to miss a reserve roll with that much firepower being held back
- Using the free pts from the Storm wing, take the Cpt and make him SmshFker in a command squad all on bikes with gorgons chain, ect ect
- Take the anti air defence - 2x Stalkers 1x hunter (very very good in todays DP meta)
- Technomancy libby-clave with the left over points. 3x man. Take geo and techno.
- Upgrade the R-backs to have the plasma las since their chassis was free.
- Think tactics. Bolster terrain that the stalkers and hunters will sit in
- Proper geomancy moves on shifting worldscape can provide a firebase or a mobile assault platform for turn 1 defence or offense
- Consider finding more melta to deal with knights. You would lose badly to a household

why take battle company at all if using atf? just take skyhammer or strikeforce command or a bunch of dreads. only take battle demi if using it as core, otherwise obsec and 1 doctrine not worth taxes. For previous posters transports are NOT free in this particular detachment.

ERJAK wrote:
why take battle company at all if using atf? just take skyhammer or strikeforce command or a bunch of dreads. only take battle demi if using it as core, otherwise obsec and 1 doctrine not worth taxes. For previous posters transports are NOT free in this particular detachment.

Totally agree with this. Your warlord also needs to be in the FoM in order to get the extra trait, and if your Techmarine is the warlord he's out on his own on a bike which could lead to Slay the Warlord for your opponent.

Basically the Battle Demi doesn't benefit from these boosts unless they are close to your ICs, of which you only have three. There's no real reason to put your ICs with the Tactical Squads and the Assault Squad is just tax - there's no real unit crying out for the FNP boost.

To take full advantage of the FoM benefits, I'd definitely run the Command Bike Squad you mentioned, especially since the Apothecary can grant 3+ FNP for your Warlord. You could then run your ATF for the tanks, and then get the Demi-Company for most of the rest of the stuff you wanted (I cut the Thunderfire Cannon and Ironclad.) Here's an example; in this one, the Grav Centurions ride with the bikeless Techmarine (for a FNP boost) inside the Stormraven, so they can land where they're needed and keep the bird fixed up. Your other Techmarine on the bike can roll with the Captain's Command Squad and help fix up the tanks.

++ Space Marines: Codex (2015) (SM IH Fist of Medusa Strike Force) (1934pts) ++

Chapter Tactics [Iron Hands]

+ Core (1514pts) +

'Armoured Task Force (440pts)
····Predators
········Predator [Autocannon, Lascannon]
····Techmarine [Bolt Pistol, Power Axe, Servo-arm, Space Marine Bike]
····Vindicators [Vindicator]
····Vindicators [Vindicator]

'Battle Demi Company * (1074pts)
····Captain
········Captain
············Power Armour [Bolt Pistol, Space Marine Bike, The Gorgon's Chain, Thunder Hammer]
····Centurion Devastator Squad
········Centurion [Grav-cannon and Grav-amp, Hurricane Bolter]
········Centurion [Grav-cannon and Grav-amp, Hurricane Bolter]
········Centurion Sergeant [Grav-cannon and Grav-amp, Hurricane Bolter]
····Command Squad [Apothecary, Mount on Space Marine Bikes]
········Veteran [Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Storm Shield]
········Veteran [Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Storm Shield]
········Veteran [Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Storm Shield]
········Veteran [Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Storm Shield]
····Land Speeders
········Land Speeder [Multi-melta]
····Tactical Squad [Flamer, Rhino, 6x Space Marines]
········Space Marine Sergeant [Bolt Pistol, Boltgun]
····Tactical Squad [Flamer, Rhino, 6x Space Marines]
········Space Marine Sergeant [Bolt Pistol, Boltgun]
····Tactical Squad [Flamer, Rhino, 6x Space Marines]
········Space Marine Sergeant [Bolt Pistol, Boltgun]

+ Auxiliary (420pts) +

'Storm Wing (420pts)
····Stormraven Gunship [Twin-linked Assault Cannon, Twin-linked Multi-melta]
····Stormtalon Gunship [Twin-linked Heavy Bolter]
····Stormtalon Gunship [Twin-linked Heavy Bolter]

+ No Battle Role (HQ) (65pts) +

Techmarine (65pts) [Bolt Pistol, Power Axe, Servo-arm]

Created with BattleScribe (http://www.battlescribe.net)

Problems with this list, to me, are that you're lacking anti-tank (could put the Tac Squads in Drop Pods with Melta/Combi-Melta if you can find the points), the Stormtalons are a tax because there's no other way to bring a Stormraven, and your Command Squad deathstar lacks punch (though it is pretty tough.) You're also paying for a Land Speeder and 3 Tactical Squads as tax and none of them are really going to benefit from the FoM rules. The biggest problem with Grav Centurions for me is their lack of range, which means they need a transport, except they can only take Land Raiders and none of the formations besides a CAD let them get a ride otherwise.

Here's what I might do instead:

++ Space Marines: Codex (2015) (SM IH Fist of Medusa Strike Force) (1345pts) ++

Chapter Tactics [Iron Hands]

+ Core (675pts) +

'Armoured Task Force (675pts)
····Predators
········Predator [Autocannon, Lascannon]
····Predators
········Predator [Autocannon, Lascannon]
····Techmarine [Bolt Pistol, Power Axe, Servo-arm, Space Marine Bike]
····Vindicators [Vindicator, Vindicator, Vindicator]

+ Command (555pts) +

'Strike Force Command (555pts)
····Captain
········Chapter Master
············Artificer Armour [Lightning Claw, Power Fist, Space Marine Bike, The Gorgon's Chain]
····Command Squad [Apothecary, Mount on Space Marine Bikes]
········Veteran [Grav-gun, Lightning Claw, Storm Shield]
········Veteran [Grav-gun, Lightning Claw, Storm Shield]
········Veteran [Grav-gun, Lightning Claw, Storm Shield]
········Veteran [Grav-gun, Lightning Claw, Storm Shield]

+ Auxiliary (115pts) +

'Honoured Ancients (115pts)
····Dreadnoughts
········Dreadnought [Twin-linked Lascannon]
············Power Fist [Storm Bolter]

++ Space Marines: Codex (2015) (Combined Arms Detachment) (655pts) ++

Chapter Tactics [Iron Hands]

+ HQ (95pts) +

Librarian (95pts) [Mastery Level 2]
····Power Armour [Auspex, Bolt Pistol, Force Sword]

+ Elites (145pts) +

Mark V Mortis Pattern Dreadnought (145pts) [2x Twin-linked Lascannon]

+ Troops (140pts) +

Scout Squad (70pts) [Camo Cloaks, 4x Scouts, 4x Sniper Rifle]
····Scout Sergeant [Bolt Pistol, Sniper Rifle]

Scout Squad (70pts) [Camo Cloaks, 4x Scouts, 4x Sniper Rifle]
····Scout Sergeant [Bolt Pistol, Sniper Rifle]

+ Fast Attack (35pts) +

Drop Pod (35pts) [Storm Bolter]

+ Heavy Support (240pts) +

Centurion Devastator Squad (240pts)
····Centurion [Grav-cannon and Grav-amp, Hurricane Bolter]
····Centurion [Grav-cannon and Grav-amp, Hurricane Bolter]
····Centurion Sergeant [Grav-cannon and Grav-amp, Hurricane Bolter]

Created with BattleScribe (http://www.battlescribe.net)

This gives you all the stuff you wanted (besides the fliers and Thunderfire) and packages in the Grav Centurions (with a pod and a Librarian for buffs, though no FNP boost), a couple of Scout Squads with Obj. Sec. for really cheap tax and to milk the ability to Bolster cover with their Cloaks. You also get your Chapter Master/Command Squad deathstar with your Techmarine on a bike to fix up your tanks, plus some Anti-Air in the form of the Mortis, some more anti-tank with the Mortis, the other Dreadnought, and a second Predator, plus a third Vindicator for pie-plate goodness. I didn't include the Ironclad because it can't assault out of a Drop Pod, so I'd guess it's pretty weak without a Stormraven. A ton of grav shots, powerful assault bike squad, big tank army, looks pretty perfect for IH to me.

Wow, thanks everyone for all the amazing replies!
Especially you inquisitor Alcyon for the snazzy looking lists!
I feel like i will be more likely to run a slight variation of one of these lists, they both look amazing to me!

Soul grinder, i do agree with the storm wing being kinda unreliable, but i just love both the fliers and the with special rule to avoid interceptor i consider this formation even better, with several player in my group being tau players!

You're very welcome, Avlax! BattleScribe is awesome

Having given the Fist of Medusa Detachment a bunch of thought, I just don't think there's really ever a reason to run it with a Battle Demi-Co or even a Stormlance (though that could be cool.) The PotMS buff only affects tanks, leading you to take an ATF, and the FNP buff only really helps close combat units/'stars which can be taken as Command Squads in a Strike Force Command. Only real reason for a Demi-Co is Obj. Sec which you can get in a CAD.

With this logic (Iron Hands in full effect!) I would only take those types of units; you could expand beyond the ATF and Strike Force Command into a 1st Company Task Force or Strike Force Ultra (why can't Techmarines have Terminator Armor ) since those'll both benefit from the FNP bump. It is frustrating that the ATF's requirement for 3 selections won't let you get Squad buffs without picking at least 5 tanks, but there you go.

Beyond that, makes sense to take a CAD allowing you to use Forgeworld for cheaper anti-air, a Librarian without a Conclave, a Grav Centurion Squad with pod if you wanted, other rad and fluffy Forgeworld stuff like the Vindicator Tank Destroyer, Sicaran, etc. etc. My current plan is to run a Formation Detachment of Raven Guard as a Shadowstrike Kill Team since I don't want to convert a ton of bikers into a Grav deathstar.

Heres another list i thought up, without fliers or centurions, what do you think of this one?

FoMSF

Armoured task force

Predator -140
Lascannons
Lascannons

Predator -140
Lascannons
Lascannons

Vindicator -120
Vindicator -120
Vindicator -120

Techmarine -125
Bike
Iron stone

Thunderfire cannon -100

Strike force command

Command squad -345
5 members
bikes
grav guns
lightning claws
apothecary

Captain -175
bike
artificer armour
gorgons chain

CAD
Legion sicaran battle tank -195
lascannons
armoured ceramite

Librarian -85
bike

Tactical squad -140
grav gun
razorback

Tactical squad -140
missile launcher
razorback

scout squad -65
camo cloaks