My suggestions will be geared towards:
1. Being mechanized – which you pretty much are already
2. Using a last turn grab – as opposed to “tabling”
3. Optimizing Raider Rush – # of squads that are rushing
If you are not embracing these qualities then my recommendations won’t mean much but perhaps it will still give you some ideas to play with.
Lelith, Wych Retinue (4 Wyches, 1 Succubus, Agoniser, 2 Blasters), Raider (Horrorfex)
Does the retinue have plasma grenades? I will presume you spent the points on Wych Weapons.
I liked Lelith in 4th edition and I think if you do take her then she has to take a retinue in order to take advantage of picking your one drug. In 5th, I tried her a few times and all I kept thinking about was that the retinue is a wasted scoring unit. With that nagging in the back of my mind, I no longer take Lelith and free the retinue so it can be scoring. Some of the other disadvantages of Lelith are:
She doesn’t come with plasma grenades so she will be striking at initiative “1” when she is charging into cover (this a good reason why her raider should have a horrorfex).
She doesn’t have the “wych dodge” ability stated in her description – almost a non-factor when she has the shadowfield but still.
She only gets the one drug effect she gets to choose for her retinue and I think that hurts her more than getting to pick it. I probably wouldn’t mind much but she is stuck with the agoniser and not getting 2 or 3 drugs to optimize her I think makes her weaker (although cheaper as a package deal, I would rather have the Archite).
And the fact that she has a retinue in the first place - I think of them as a "ball and chain" and a liability, I want them to single out my
HQ, Lelith or an Archite is no matter, good luck with that!
So I too would be fine with just 1
HQ choice but instead of Lelith I would prefer a punisher Archite that gets to ride solo in another wych squads raider. I wouldn't mind you dropping a raider squad for a Dracite but that is purely optional.
x4 Wych Squad (5 Wyches, 1 Succubus, Agoniser, 2 Blasters)
Raider (Horrorfex)
x1 Wych Squad (5 Wyches, 1 Succubus, Agoniser, 2 Blasters)
Raider
Again, the plasmas and wych weapons are needed – you probably just forgot to list them but if you had this list even in a “friendly” game it might raise an eyebrow.
I like the size and the blasters. I put horrorfexs on the raiders as I find that if the target doesn’t need a lance then why not pin them instead – just a preference of mine, I don’t mind not using the upgrade.
Now with a “rush” style list I have been sold on nightshields. All the raiders and ravagers get them and although I will still lose a skimmer or two on the opening turn I do find that they save at least one raider and I find the cost of all the nightshields are recovered by the second instance of a failed shot.
Also, with rushing in mind I usually have 3 or 4 squads going flat-out on the first turn towards the enemy. Each move should have the nightshields in mind when you place each skimmer in order to prevent small-arms fire and rapid firing. You can’t just simply move everything forward and expect the nightshields to magically work – some shots will get through but as I mentioned they usually save me one raider on the opening turn and then cause the opponent to “manage” his shots better.
Other than the nightshields, my only difference with the list is that I do use 6 troop choices and I usually pair them up to charge in tandem. The first turn is either going “flat-out” at the opponent or going flat-out to overload a flank. Focus the assaults and never let them charge alone – remember that it’s not the number of the wyches that wins the fight but rather the number of agonisers in the assault that will.
x3 Raider Squad (5 Warriors, Dark Lance)Raider
Not crazy about this kind of min/max squad - I do like the raiders but not the squad. When I do use raider squads in a wych cult list I usually use them as a distraction “in-your-face” sort of way. They are geared for shooting with little emphasis in
CC and are used as skirmishers that will usually not get off their ride. Typically, they either head for the nearest enemy unit like scouts or infiltrators and screen. My raider squads look like this:
6 warriors, blaster, splinter cannon and a sybarite with poison blades (or a rifle) and xenospasm. The blast weapon usually makes the opponent worry about this unit and I have no problem the opponent shooting at them rather than the wyches – I tend to find them to be more productive the more aggressive you get with them.
Warp Beast Squad (5 Warp Beasts)
Not a fan of beasts, they are a little too soft for my liking and they attract too much attention. I usually do not mind them being a “distraction” to draw fire but the squad is too small and fragile to soak up enough fire for their points. I would rather use these points for a small reaver jetbike squad with 2 blasters (you will need to find more points) as just like the beasts they attract fire but are a little more tougher and will have a better save all around.
My other concern is that this is another
CC unit that is not really needed – when you got a list full of wyches then why bother? The wyches are faster, shoot better and are scoring – use these points for a shooting unit that will balance the list (something like that jetbike squad I mentioned).
2x Ravager (3 Dark Lances)
As you mentioned above – the list is geared for crowd control with the wyches so why bother competing for the same targets? Use the lances to pop long range threats and to pop transports so the wyches can assault them going into the 2nd and 3rd turn. Most often these ravagers are my MVP’s and I rarely run out of targets for them. Even on the 5th turn I tend to have one of these still floating and as far as I am concerned they can contest an objective 27” away and are more resilient than an empty raider.
So the “synergy” here is very strong – they make better snipers, they pop armor,
mc’s and
HQ’s like nobody’s business and they do not compete (as they fill a need) with the rest of the list. I like them with nightshields and on the first turn when there are 4 wych raiders heading for the opponent the lance are ravagers are usually left alone.
1xRavager (3 Disentegrators)
This is fine but I can easily do without but I have found this unit useful in games versus marines. I usually use this unit to target the far-out-of-reach squads that my wyches either can’t make it to or the target just isn’t worth sending 2 wych squads after. The part I have to watch out for is the chance of the blasts scattering onto my wyches – often times I have to shoot in sustained mode because there might be wyches just too close to the target.
I will be honest, however, I have played without this unit and have gone with 3 ravagers with 3 lances each and I did not find I needed the disintegrators. If you are facing a lot of “mechanized” lists then the lances become invaluable and for an extremely cheap price they fill the role of anti-armor beautifully. If they were like “meltas” I can see the overkill but the nature of the Lance and my bad luck with the squads with only 2 lances is so bad that I can count on 3 lances in doing something useful (hence my dislike for squads with only 1 lance in them).
A generic outline of my Wych Cult list would be:
Archite – dedicated infantry killer
6 scoring wych squads – infantry and armor killer
Raider squad – infantry and armor skirmisher (can be jetbikes)
3 Ravagers – dedicated armor killer (mostly)
The design is balanced and each has an easy role to fulfill. I do prefer moving 2nd in a turn but will not pass it up if it’s a “Dawn of War” mission. I do use “reserves” freely but I am careful not to put too many into reserves as it tends to make the rush weak and easier for the opponent to stop me. Often times, I will put a ravager or a raider of wyches into reserves but not much more than that and it does depend on the mission, the opponent and terrain setup. My turns look like this:
1st turn the wyches and Archite are advancing or maneuvering for a 2nd or 3rd turn charge, the ravagers are targeting the long range threats first and transports second. Any wych raiders that crash in the shooting phase are usually sent to an objective at this point and I find that the enemy is focusing on the advancing wyches, not the walking ones.
2nd turn the Ravagers are targeting the loaded transports first and long range threats second while the wyches and Archite should be close to their intended target for a charge or are still trying to crack the transports with their blasters so they can charge their escaping passengers. Often times I am using the wyches blasters to crack the transports first and then use the ravagers “just in case” the wyches fail – they must get into
CC!
3rd turn the wyches should all be in assault, the ravagers are still working on long range threats, transports,
MC’s and super
HQ’s. Empty raiders are maneuvered back to either take pot shots with the ravagers or are pinning counter charging units. At this point, the empty raiders stop being disposable and are now starting to be calculated into contesting the heavily held objectives.
4th turn the assaults will start to resolve themselves and any survivors are either moving towards a objective or towards their empty raider. Ravagers are drifting (they have been moving <6” per turn) towards any enemy held objectives that should be 27” away.
5th turn the some wyches may still be in close combat and the Archite should be used as a “spoiler”. Remaining wyches free of combat should be embarking onto an empty raider and moving 12” to claim a free objective while the empty raiders are used to “flat-out” to an objective to contest. I usually save the Ravagers for the 6th turn contesting job when the empty raiders run out or get neutralized in the 5th.
Just my thoughts on the matter, sometimes you can imagine the list design better if you can run the methodology of your play in your head.
and I wouldn't change anything. The only question left to answer is whether it is more effective at tabling an opponent than a Kabal, but that's what actually playing is for.
Ravagers, like most units, have to pick a single target.