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.

-----

My first thought was bikers. They have good shooting (the lord on bike can take the burning brand too) to do some damage the turn they arrive, then they have speed to match up with the Steed. They're not scoring, but can contest and hopefully wreak some havoc in the enemy backfield.

It's enough points that it's probably worth combining with an Aegis or Bastion with Comm Array, to get that re-roll on the Reserve, and make it nearly guaranteed to arrive on turn 2.

I too like Bikers, although a 20-man CSM squad (with or without Icon of Excess) is nice as well, as it forces your opponent's attention.

The most important thing with this model is that you make sure your list is designed to give you multiple options. There isn't one unit that I always run him with; mostly everyone can be used with his ability.

-----

I also feel like the Burning Brand of Skalathrax is the easiest choice you can make with your Steed Lord. With the changes to reserve rules (no assaulting), people aren't quite as wary as before about staying away from the edges. With the Brand, any unit partially within 24" of the board edge will suffer from that firepower.

This should also help with the target priority issue mentioned above.

Burning Brand seems like the best choice as you're able to hide behind cover and still wipe MEQ+ infantry causing problems for your opponent later in the game in terms of scoring, also you can run away really easily, so maybe a sorcerer on a steed for that extra fire power

Also, depending on how weak/vulnerable the units in his backfield are, you could potentially split the lord from the bikers the turn after arrival, to shoot/assault different things.

-----

Like I said above, it's not about "which unit is best, while I write my list." It's "which unit is best, for this game of the ones I've included in my list".

My rough drafts of a Steed list includes:

One unit of Chosen with Meltaguns/Plasma guns (still trying to decide which is best).
One 20 man blob of Slaanesh CSM with Icon.
One Bike squad with triple melta/MB.
A unit of Obliterators.
Cultist blob.
Termicide.
Spawn, which keep going in and out of the list as I fiddle around with things.

Also, I should note that I've included Huron as well, so I can infiltrate several of these units as well.

Then I look at my opponent. Am I going to need extra long range firepower from the first turn? Then Obliterators and Havocs have to be deployed.

Do I need to stifle movement early on in order to keep board control in my favor? Then my Cultists and CSM must Infiltrate.

Am I going to have room to drop in the deployment zone through Deep Strike? Then the Terminators should probably just Deep Strike.

This is why I keep saying Bikes are the best option all around. I can't think of too many situations, especially in my list, where having my Bikes start on the board is necessary. I always have the option of using someone else (like you said, getting into AC/TLMG/etc range is nice, as is getting a tough troop into the backfield), but when I don't need/want to use another unit, I can always fall back on the Bikes, or Spawn if they're in there instead.

CSM with CCW MoS IoE give em a pair of meltas for armour duties and taking out heavies like devs havocs HWS etc


Automatically Appended Next Post:
also a cultist blob with autoguns would be an excellent choice

I thought about this but was more impressed with bike and the +1 toughness. I suppose that the Sigil of Corruption could make up for this somewhat, but that's just more points.

But yeah, paired with a unit of bikers, this could be a tough option.

somerandomdude
If you've got Huron do you still need the Steed of Slaanesh or is it and the lord on it a bit of a points sink?

with bikers i think id rather turbo boost turn 1 and soak up firepower with the 4+ cover and feel no pain. then turn to melta gun a trasport and assualt the insides

I am building a Slaanesh Lord as well. I will need to rethink the burning brand as it may indeed be useful.

As for escorting, what is wrong with little old Spawn? 5 spawn should give the lord more than enough wounds to survive a round of shooting before he can get locked into combat.

For your chosen how about 2 plasma and 2 combi meltas, keep range but still pack the punch