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I normally play Deathwing ... its been doing ok so far, my normal matchups are orkz, eldar (have not played the new dex), dark eldar, nids, and tau.

However last game I played was against tau with the new dex .... and I literally had to start playing for a draw at the end of turn 3, and luckily pulled the draw with the game ending at turn 5 with two terminators left on the board. It was a great game all around but at the end of turn 3 I had lost over half my terminators and my hitting power. I did roll pretty horrible turn 3-5 for my hit / wound rolls but that is just the game

My list normally looks something like this

Dark Angel’s Deathwing 1500 Point Loadout

Belial (Terminator Armor, Storm Bolter & Sword of Silence) – 190 {Attached to the 10 man Deathwing Unit}
Deathwing Command Squad (5 Deathwing Terminators, Standard of Fortitude, 1 Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield, Cyclone Missile Launcher) – 335 {Deployed using Deathwing Asssault}

10 Deathwing Terminators (Deathwing Terminator Sergeant with Storm Bolter & Power Sword, 9 Deathwing Terminators, 1 Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield, 2 Plasma Cannons) – 475
5 Deathwing Terminators (Deathwing Terminator Sergeant with Storm Bolter & Power Sword, 4 Deathwing Terminators, 1 Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield, Cyclone Missile Launcher) – 250
5 Deathwing Terminators (Deathwing Terminator Sergeant with Storm Bolter & Power Sword, 4 Deathwing Terminators, 1 Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield, Cyclone Missile Launcher) – 250

= 1500

It is really fun to play so far ... but almost getting shot off the table made me want to look at swapping some things out to make it more competitive.

I normally Deathwing Assault Belial and the 10 Man Squad into a sweet spot to get the most of their twin-linking. I was thinking about dropping the command squad or cut the 10 man in half and adding in something. I want to keep the list majority deathwing.


The Tau Army was made up of .... if I remember right - not sure about specific unit upgrades

Crisis Suit HQ with 2 drones
Crisis Suit Team with 3 suits
Crisis Suit Team with 3 suits
Pathfinder Team - max unit
Pathfinder Team - max unit
Fire Warrior Team - max unit, carbines
Fire Warrior Team - max unit, pulse rifles
Stealth Suit Team - max unit
Hammerhead with Long Strike
2 Broadsides

Any thoughts on things to add that would make the list more competitive against tau ?

I was thinking a Dread with MM / DCCW with HF in a drop pod to hit when the belial group does - maybe some tactical marines for extra bodies or scouts - really i'm up for any suggestions.

I play both armies and I know what you mean.

Deathwing, IMO, are always going to have a rough go against Tau. You just don't have enough models on the table, which means your opponent can focus thier attention on one unit at a time. Add in the fact they can add thier firepower in overwatch and it gets worse. Playing a 1500 game with Deathwing is also kind of a challenge.

My suggestion is maybe not to change your army, but get as close as possible as soon as possible. The only time I've had trouble against Deathwing with my Tau was when I had a Land Raider to contend with. I take missile broadsides and no hammerhead, so the only things I had to pop the land raider were my overcharges nova on my Riptide and some fusion blasters that I had a hard time getting there. But at 1500, you're kind of limited.

One thought would be do a black wing, white wing army. Take Asriel to keep your troop choices and take some bikes that can get close quickly, let you not scatter with homers and give you jink saves. It increases your chances of survival. I could see Deathing wing assaulting in turn two, while maybe keeping one Deathwing group on the ground running. This will make your opponent have to chose between the bikes or the deathwing at thier turn. The deathwing would have thier 2+,3++ and your bikes, if they turbo boost, would have T5 3+ with a 4+ cover save. Sure, the pathfinders can negate your cover, but you might be able to position them in a way to not have to worry about it.

I know its not a pure Deathwing idea, but its a thought.

I need a Clarifiction.
Are your Squads with One SS/TH Combo or 9x SS/TH?

Thanks for the feedback, I really just dont have the funds to add in ravenwing right now .... I am a battle force away from finishing my 1500 necrons, eventually I do want to add in some ravenwing but atm its just not happening.

Model Wise I Currently Own

The deathwing listed ... I can add in 2 more squads with assault cannons (or swap them all to assault cannons - most of mine are from the DV bits)
1 TDA Libby
2 Dreadnoughts - MM / DCCW with HF
1 Drop Pod
1 Land Raider Crusader / Redeemers - magnets are win
4 Tactical Squads - sergeant with bolter, plasma gun, plasma cannon (it isnt a issue to proxy the heavy weapon with my local scene - DV bits also)
1 Tactical Command Squad - all bolters, banner bearer
2 PA libbys
1 chapter master / company master / azreal stand in (DV Balthasar model .... could work for az with the lion helm on, same wargear loadout)
5 space marine scouts with sniper rifles & camo cloaks

against the tau list the only thing that can really touch AV 14 is the hammerhead and broadsides .... if I took a Dread in a Pod with MM to turn 1 deal with the hammer head and drop belial and 5-10 guys to deal with the broadsides a land raider could be pretty clutch

Anyone have any thoughts with whats listed that could work?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
My bad ... ya its 1 TH / SS per Squad for the 2+/3+ plasma soak

Basicaly what spaztacus said. That and remeber that you are dealing with a small Model Count.
My Dice go so bad thet my battlecry is "OH GOD PLEASE LET ME ROLL AVERAGE!"
The number of games that ended with me having 2-3 Wolf Guard intact I have lost count of so all I can say keep on trying. The List looks good, I would do things a little difrent, but It still a good list.

Were you able to remove his markerlights? If you were not able to or had trouble with the FWs then you should think about putting HF on the belial squad instead of plasma. The TL HF on no scatter DS termies are pretty crazy for removing 4+ sv or worse units.

Additionally if you are pro FW then the hyperios platforms are excellent for adding cheap AA and anti-AV and adding units so you can DS more of your DW if you choose to. (you can make them cheap from a washer, picture hanger, and CML).

BTW how is the TH/SS doing for you at 1 per squad? Do you put them 2nd or 3rd in line to conserve them from torrent of fire?

I loathe Deathwing for that one reason - Modelcount.

If I make you roll 30 saves at 2+.... and you have 5 models... your'e going to have a Baaaaaad day.

60 Marines. 6 Meltas. 6 LC. Go away, you silly Tau.

I had terribad rolls against the pathfinders .... one squad I got down to 2 units right as I deep struck in (while split firing the other plasma cannon on two broadsides putting a wound on each) and it stayed in play until the last few turns taking shots, the other squad I shot everything from the three 5 man squads one turn and they still had 3-4 alive, and those last ones stayed up until the last few turns.

at the end I had killed the broadsides, both path finders, 1 fire warrior, and the other fire warrior squad was low ... he still had the crisis suits / hammer head / stealth suits up though

Sounds to me like you could use some form of barrage or ignores cover to get rid of the pesky markerlights. Once markerlights are gone the tau shooting is a bit less scary.

Think what I may do is add in a few 3 man ravenwing squads

Ravenwing Bikers (Sergeant, 2 Ravenwing Bikers, 2 Melta Guns) - 100

2-3 squads would be pretty clutch for homing beacons ... and anti-armor, picked up a ravenwing battleforce and made a pack of swiftclaws for my spacewolves but hadn't gotten around to painting them yet .... so now I have 1-2 squads of ravenwing.


how durable for the first round do you guys thing a 3 man squad of ravenwing would be? ... with scout moves I could make sure if I am not going first that they are behind terrain or atleast in cover ... and if I do go first 4 terminator squads twin-linked the first turn is a pretty big punch.