Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hello everyone.

I find that I get extremely bored painting up lots of models at once so I want to focus on a force that has small, extremely elite units in it. Are there any ultra-elite army lists that a) have very few models and b) are actually viable in-game? I don't have to win any tournaments or anything, just have a decent army for casual play.

I'm thinking things like Loganwing, Dantewing, etc.

Tnks for any suggestions,

Aescarion

Sanguinary Guard does this really well. A 2000 point army has under 30 models typically.

Sanguinary Guard does this really well. A 2000 point army has under 30 models typically.

But sucks big time. Deathwing with the new FaQ are probably your best bet now for ultra elite.

I've got a fluffy Calgar + Pedro Sternguard, scout and Hammernator army that is 34 models at 2k and genrally tables most opponents. Aagainst Tournament builds it generally at least draws unless my dice desert me, but again with good dice it will generally table them.

Nidzilla is still semi viable. 6-9 Fexes a Tyrant or 2 and a bunch of Warriors would be a very low model count army, but would seriously struggle with fast mech or JotWW.

Are you hurried?
Could you wait 'til the new GK codex?

Otherwise, without quoting another time the FlingitNow advices and others I'll post my Logan's list:

HQ - Logan Grimnar. 275
TR - 4x WG Term. - 1x TH/SS - 2x FB/SS - 1x combi-melta/CF - Pod. 267 (<- Logan)
TR - 5x WG Term. - 1x TH/SS/CML - 3x WC/SS - 1x combi-melta/CF - Pod. 340
TR - 5x WG Term. - 1x TH/SS/CML - 3x WC/SS - 1x combi-melta/CF - Pod. 340
TR - 5x WG Term. - 2x TH/SS - 1x TH/SS/CML - 2x WC/SS. 325 (footsloggin' close to the Home obj. in defense)
HV - 5x Long Fangs - 4x ML - Drop Pod. 150
HV - 5x Long Fangs - 4x ML - Drop Pod. 150
1847

Ignoring Logan's special attacks:
- 3x CF;
- 6x TH;
- 2x FB;
- 8x WC;
- 16x SS;
- 3x combi-melta;
- 14x missiles in 1850, 19 in 2000 points.
- 5 pods to block LoS and passages.

Obviously you'll deploy all the Long Fangs immediately conserving their 2 pods in reserves. This will allow you to field immediately the 3 Logan+WGs pods in the enemy side. The forth WGs unit will just footslog close to your Home obj. looking for LoS or even waiting in reserves to enter in game by your table edge.

+
HV - 6x Long Fangs - 5x ML. 140
and the exchange of 2 WC for 2 FB. 10
1997 points

Not the perfect list and of course not the more competitive if in comparison of new full terminators (or almost) Deathwings and Black Templars but solid and playable vs almost all armies.

Thunderwolf cavalry squad led by a Lord and WGBL is 7 models for about 700 points maybe more, and very hard to kill.

I'd say either a sang guard list or a deathwing 1 both look cool i'm doing a sang guard list at the mo or wait for the daemon hunters codex

40K needs more Deathwing.

2x warboss 2x nob squad 2x battle waggon?
Or calgar, 3 tricked out honour units 2 tac squads all in drop pods?

Tanks are fast to paint (use a big brush!) and soak up a lot of points.

Why not go with lots of armor if painting is a painful issue for you?

Logan Grimnar
Lots of Terminator Wolf Guards with Storm Shields, Wolf Claws and Powerfirst or TH.

And as many choices of Long Fangs with ML or LC and troops of Thunder Wolf Calvary that has wolf claws and storm shields and...and St8-10 weapons or whatever else you can fit onto them with a variety of
wargear to abuse their wound allocations.

All jolly useful suggestions, thanks.

Would a Dante & Astaroth Sanguinary Guard/Death Company army be any good? I imagine it looking pretty awesome.

I hadn'teally considered a vehicle-based army. What lists are there apart from Imperial Guard? And how do IG 2 x Veteran squads + loads of tanks lists fare?

Despite what people say, the Sanguinary Guard list is actually quite viable. I play said list and am having good luck with it. 2-1-1. My 2000 pt list has 42 models in it.

Dante

Libby
- JP BLance, Sword

2x Honor Guard
- JP 4x Meltas, 4x Flamers

5x Sternguard
- 3x Combimeltas, 2x Meltas (or just 5x combimeltas)
- Drop Pod

5 units of stock Sang Guard

15 pts to spend

1985

Reserve everything. The Sternguard come down first turn and dump the biggest tank in the enemy army. This squad dumped a Leman Rus squad of 1 battle tank and 1 demolisher, both with fixins. 500+ pt tank squad dead to a 185 pt sternguard squad. Everything else comes in with DoA. Your tactics may vary, but I like to drop everything nearby each other and overwhelm a flank. 3 squads of Sang Guard and an honor guard squad can make quick work of most things. Use dantes accurate rule to drop and HG next to a tank or a horde. 5 meltas drop most every tank, and 4 flamers put a serious dent in a horde.

Anyways, thats just what I've found while actually playing the Sanguinary Guard list, not just judging it on paper.

Deathwing is another viable option as well. I was thinking of making that army too, but Im not too keen on painting the bone white armor on 40ish terminators. Hope my advice helped.

Black templars

emperors champ accept any challenge
Marshal LC/SS termie armor 4 sword brethren termies 2x assault cannon all tankhunters

troops

5x marines in a rhino
5x marines in a rhino
5x marines in a rhino

elite
5x termies TH/SS furious charge
5x termies 2x cyclones p fists and stormbolters tankhunters
5x termies 2x cyclones p fists and stormbolters tankhunters

Fast attack
Typhoon (only 70 for templars)
10x assault marines storm shields p fist ( this is 265 for this unit, could substitute a land raider crusader for the exact same points)

should be exactly 2000 this is from memory

32 marine models and 4 vehicles if you go with a land raider, 42 marines and 3 vehicles otherwise. It should be noted that walking 3 termie squads up the field with 10 3 plus invun models hopping in front of them is fun if not stupid powerful. Marshal drops in with ass cannon doom whereever. Or if you would rather deepstrike as many as you want. Heck if the game allows even the assault could drop in.

This:


Wolf Lord, TWM, SS, WC, Runic armor, Saga of Majesty 250

Wolf Lord, TWM, SS, PF, Runic armor, Saga of the Beastslayer 230

Wolf Lord, TWM, SS, PF, Runic armor, Wolftooth necklace 225

Wolf Lord, TWM, SS, TH, Runic armor, Saga of the Bear 260

5 Grey Hunters, flamer 75
Rhino 35

5 Grey Hunters, flamer 75

4x Thunderwolf Cavalry, 1 w/ SS+PF, 1 w/ SS, 1 w/SS+meltabombs, 1 naked 320

6 Long Fangs, 5x ML 140

6 Long Fangs, 5x ML 140

= 1750

TW Deathstar for the win. At least it'd be easy to use too. Point deathstar press win button .

CSM can do pretty well. I had 17 models in a 1000 point list with this:

HQ- DP, MON, warptime, wings
Elites- x3 terminators(chainfists and combi-meltas for all)
Elites- x3 terminators(chainfists and combi-meltas for all)
Troops- x5 plague marines (x2 melta, fist, rhino with havoc)
Troops- x5 plague marines (x2 melta, fist, rhino with havoc)
Something else

CCS, 2 vet squads, 3 vendettas and 6 basilisks

That's 34 models and worth about 1500 points

333 Kairos Fateweaver
255 Bloodthirster, Blessing

200 4 Bloodcrushers, Fury, Icon, Instr
200 4 Bloodcrushers, Fury, Icon, Instr
190 6 Fiends, UM

100 5 Horrors, Bolt, Changeling
75 5 Plaguebearers
75 5 Plaguebearers

160 Daemon Prince, MoT, Bolt, Gaze
160 Daemon Prince, MoT, Bolt, Gaze

1748

33 models, 1750 points, sounds rather elite and quite viable.

If you want even fewer models but are willing to downgrade some in viability you could ditch one squad of Crushers or the Fiends and add a third DP with Wings, MoN, CoF and Touch...

Cilithan

Aescarion wrote:All jolly useful suggestions, thanks.

Would a Dante & Astaroth Sanguinary Guard/Death Company army be any good? I imagine it looking pretty awesome.

I hadn'teally considered a vehicle-based army. What lists are there apart from Imperial Guard? And how do IG 2 x Veteran squads + loads of tanks lists fare?

IG tank lines can be gross. Their pretty common for a reason.

C:SM can also put together a list with a few dreads, a few preads, some RB/rhinos, and a landraider with termies. Its a solid list but not a 'broken one'. This means people will enjoy playing with you -- a nice bonus. I run a list like this, with the RB/Rhinos subbed out for bike troops.

If you love tanks (and who doesn't) I like the idea of AV 13 spam you can do with BA. 3 Baal predators + 3 vindicators + Razorbacks/Land Raiders = lots of armor. BA pay more for them, but the fact that their vehicles are fast is a huge boon. The LC/PG razorback can deliver a lot of shots when it moves 6" and the target is 12" away. If I were building an army today, thats what I would use.

HQ - Dante
HQ - Sanguinor

EL - 3 Priests, 3 Jump Packs, 3 Power weapons

TR - 5 Sanguinary Guard, 2 infernus pistols, powerfist
TR - 5 Sanguinary Guard, 2 infernus pistols, powerfist
TR - 5 Sanguinary Guard, 2 plasma pistols
TR - 5 Sanguinary Guard, 2 plasma pistols
TR - 5 assault marines, meltagun, Sarge w/ power weapon, infernus pistol

FA - Land speeder tornado, assault cannon, hvy bolter
FA - Land speeder tornado, assualt cannon, multi melta

DS everything & you could paint it in a weekend

Ooo, I'm loving the armoured BA idea. I must tinker with a couple of lists. The troops choices would be small units in the Razorbacks, right?

All good suggestions everyone, many thanks.

FlingitNow wrote:TW Deathstar for the win. At least it'd be easy to use too. Point deathstar press win button .

Or get Lash of Submissioned back every turn and do absolutely nothing the whole game.

Psyker Battle Squads also tend to pwn these units. In the interest of being totally obnoxious, heavy mechanized lists (Rhino Rush / Razorspam / Chimera Spam) can also just keep tank shocking until the whole unit fails the morale test, then just escort them off the board.

I don't know man, I'm really not that impressed by the TWC deathstar.

PBS is its worst opposition. Then you just split the lords off. Same against lash. Gives him more targets. Not an easy matchup by any means though (PBS rapes most deathstars)

Those rhinos will be tank shocking for a while against rerollable ld 10.

My favorite is Space Wolves Thunderwolf lists.
and
Super mean monster mash Chaos Space Marine lists

Space Wolves highlights: 2-4 HQs, 1-2 squads of thunderwolf calvary, get a couple long fangs, then whatever troop choice you want. Most likely under 30 models

Chaos Space Marine highlights: Take x2 Daemon Princes, x1 Greater Daemon, x2 Chaos Dreads (DCCW+ML), x2 Defilers, a normal CSM squad (for champion), then 1 maybe 2 nurgle squads. Make sure your Greater Daemon doesn't run out of a sacrifice and you're looking at A LOT of mech + MC wounds.

Those are just my favorite two. I've seen a 18 model thunderwolf list win a tournament (1750 pts)

What about a BA Dreadnought list?

th3eviltwin wrote:What about a BA Dreadnought list?

IMO BA dread lists (6+ dreads) only work as a podding army, MAYBE they could be built into a razorspam army, but I see a pod list working better.