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I'm not sure I have been making my armies right. I win against Elitist armies (Orks with lots of nobs, SM, SW, BA) but it is a narrow win (I usually keep objectives in mind better that my opponents I think). So I was wondering If I could get some help making a competitive list for a tournament coming us soon.

This is what I have:

Hq
Captains/Chapter master with almost any layout.
Librarian in Terminator Armor
Chaplain in Terminator Armor
1Command Squad (Company Champion and Apothecary)
Elite
Dreadnought (Multi-melta and CCW)
5 Terminators
10 Assault Terminators w/TH and SS
5 Terminators w/LC
10 Stern Guard
Troops
50+marines w/Bolters
1 Lascannon Marine
1 Plasma Cannon Marine
1heavy Bolter Marine
6 Missile Launcher Marines
1 Sgt. w/Powerfist and bolter
1 Sgt. w/Powerfist and Combi-Melta
1 Sgt. w/power weapon and bolt pistol
and Several other Sgt. with different layouts (I have 5 unbuilt marines and plenty of bits and can make a Sgt. of a different layout if needed as well)
Fast Attack
10 Bolter Scouts (one could be a Telion Counts-as because of the modified bolter I gave him)
8 Sniper Scouts
2 Heavy Bolter Scouts
1 Missile Launcher Scout
12 Assault Marines (two Plasma pistols and 9 bolt pistol and a Sgt. with powerfist and plasma pistol)
Heavy Support
1 Land Raider
1 Land Raider Redeemer
1 Predator Annihilator
1 Predator Destructor
List of Transport Tanks
1 Razorback w/Heavy Bolter
2 Rhinos

I Plan on buying another Dreadnought soon as well.

So I'm not asking you to Build the List for me but help with making a competitive list. For Example after Looking at what I have you could say: A mechanized army would work well because... your words here.

I do not want to read a post that tells me to pretty much go out and buy a new army, adding a couple of Drop pods would be okay or a unit or two is fine but if you ask me to buy a new army I will probably ignore you (no offence but I cant afford to go out and spend that kind of cash).

Another thing I'm not a fan of is Special Characters (I feel like I'm copping out when I buy a Special Character because I like having a unique army) unless I convert them or the Model is to hard to convert, so if you ask me to take one please explain why.

YOur input will be appreciated. I need some insider help with this.

Dakka Dakka is the place BTW and if your lurking sign up and start posting

Edit: Forgot to mention points my bad. Its escalation starting at 1500, then 1750 then 2000, and lastly a two on two 2500 point dukem' out. (the winner is the winner of the 2000 point and a special prize to the winning team of the 2500 each player game).

I run a list that is the following:


*************** 1 HQ ***************
Space Marine Librarian
- Terminator Armour - Storm shield - - - > 140 Points
-Avenger, Null Zone
OR
Space Marine Captain
-Artificer Armour, Relic Blade, Storm Bolter – 133 Points
*************** 2 Elite ***************
Sternguard Veterans 5 Veterans - 2 x Combi-Plasma - 2 x Heavy Bolter
+ - Razorback - Twin Linked Heavy Bolter +Dozer Blade - - - > 190 Points
Assault Terminators 5 Terminators – 2x Storm Shield, 3x Lightning Claws
+ - Land Raider - Multimelta - - - > 460 Points
*************** 3 Troops ***************
Tactical Squad 10 Space Marines
- Melta - Rocket Launcher - 1 x Power Weapon
+ - Rhino + Dozer Blade - - - > 230 Points
Tactical Squad 10 Space Marines
- Plasma rifle – Plasma Cannon – Power Fist
+ - Rhino + Dozer Blade - - - > 250 Points
5 Scouts +Sergeant:
- 1 x Combi-Melta - 1 x Power Fist
- - - > 110 Points
*************** 1 Heavy Support ***************
Predator – Autocannon - 2 Lascannons
- - - > 120 Points

Total: 1500


It does pretty well against all-comers list, but you might have problems with Mech Spam and Green Tide armies. Im thinking of Adding a Land Speeder sicne they are very versatile.

I would go mechanized. You have 3 rhinos (Yes, I see that one is a razorback. Pop the turret and collar off and fit the rhino doors on and a storm bolter. Not a hard or irreversable conversion.) So your tactical squads/sternguard squad can be mobile. You can take two autocannon/LC predators, a land raider full of ATs, then another squad of ATs with a dedicated transport when the points get high enough. Your dreads can be used as fire support following along behind it if needs be.

You have a possible telion counts as, I would, post 1500 try to fit him in with 3 other sniper scouts and a ML scout.

My current 1500 list you can almost make with your models:

Librarian (Nothing. Vanilla. 100 points of null zone and avenger goodness.)
5 TH/SS terminators in a DT Land raider (vanilla except for extra armor)
1x TLLC Dreadnought
2x tac squads with powerfists, meltaguns, missile launchers and rhinos.
3 MM/HF landspeeders (These are all stars. You also have none. I would suggest that If you buy anything, it should probably be these.)
One autocannon/lascannon predator

For the step to 1750 I would add another land raider. At 2000 I would add a 5 man TH/SS squad to go in it and upgrade the land raider with extra armor. At 2500 I would add in the telion squad, And then either another pair of tactical squads setup like the above, or a 10 man sternguard squad w/ 2 lascannons in a rhino. Or some sort of mix-n-match.

Having a death star of TH/SS Termies in a LR is way too costly at 1500. It's almost 1/3 of your total points in a single unit (32% to be specific) without upgrades. You have too much of a gamble with getting the LR delivering the Termies, and you also move slow at 12". The earliest you'll probably get an assault is about turn 3, assuming that you move the full 12" per turn. All of your opponents meltas will also focus on the LR as well.

Take a list here that I'll be running:

HQ:
Librarian; Null Zone and The Avenger - 100 Points

Troops:

Tac Squad, ML and Flamer; Rhino - 205 Points
Tac Squad, ML and Flamer; Rhino - 205 Points
Tac Squad, ML and Flamer; Rhino - 205 Points

Elites:
Dreadnought with 2x TL Autocannons - 125 points
5 Sternguard with Rhino, 3 with Combi Meltas, 2 with Combi Flamers - 185 points


Fast Attack:
Land Speeder with Multi-Melta and Heavy Flamer - 70 points
Land Speeder with Multi-Melta and Heavy Flamer - 70 points
Land Speeder with Multi-Melta and Heavy Flamer - 70 points


Heavy Support:
Predator with AC, HB sponsons - 85 points
Predator with AC, HB sponsons - 85 points
Predator with AC, HB sponsons - 85 points

1490 points

Things you should NOT do:

- Put Sternguard in a Drop Pod unless you like throwing away 185 points.

- Give Sternguard a Razorback. Having firing points is absolutely invaluable. If you want the Sternguard to shoot, you'd have to disembark them, and you will be in 'the zone'. 'The Zone' is in assault range, which also coincides with Rapid Fire range. As Vanilla Marines, you want to be OUT of the zone as much as possible, unless you are TH/SS Termies.

- Give Predators Las sponsons. For 12.5 points each, you get Heavy bolter sponsons, which is an absolute huge bargain. I know I will catch flak for saying this, but it is absolute dead wrong to make Preds transport hunters. Why? Rifleman Dreads do it better, albeit they cost 5 points more, but they dish out 4 S7 TL shots and are a mobile platform for Autocannons.

- Give Tac squads Power Fists. Read Combat Tactics. Then read it again. And again. In fact, don't give the Sarge anything beyond BP/CCW or Bolter.

- Field a LR that's not a Crusader. The Phobos pattern (Vanilla LR) has such a terribad weapon loadout. The Crusader however, can hold 16 models and fire all weapons moving 6" (Hurricane Bolters are defensive weapons!) if you find the need to do so, in addition to the POTMS Multi-Melta pintle shot (which you always take).

Now, to build a list without spending money.

I don't think you really can as you're missing Land Speeders (one of the best units in the entire book), another Predator, and another Rhino.

The latter list is actually quite good. It offers flexibility and mobility and is hard to take down.
On the other hand, the lists including an LR transporting Assault Termies are too small at the 1500 pt level.
Its not that hard these days to immobilize or destroy the LR and a few foot-slogging Termies.

A few questions. Can you alter the weapons on the dread and razorback?

Dread is currently tooled for close up work, so if you keep him maybe you need to consider drop-pods.

HB seems a bit of a waste on a razorback. Strip it off for a rhino or go for a bigger weapon.

What colour have you painted them? Would you consider a Blood Angels list? Deep strike those Land Raiders ...