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.

I've been having a tough time coming up with a TAC salamanders list that a) mostly fit the models I had and b) wasn't all drop pods. here's a stab in the dark that I mostly have models for:

Chapter Tactics:
salamanders

HQ:
captain on bike, artificer armor, primarch's wrath, melta bombs (155)
command squad on bikes with apothecary and 4 grav-guns (210)

librarian on bike, mastery level 2, force staff, melta bombs (115)
command squad on bikes with apothecary and 4 meltaguns (190)

Elites:
dread with 2 TL autocannons (120)

Troops:
10 man tac squad w/flamer, heavy bolter, combi-flamer and rhino (200)
10 man tac squad w/flamer, heavy bolter, combi-flamer and rhino (200)
10 man tac squad w/flamer, combi-flamer (155)

Fast Attack:
5 man assault squad, 2 flamers, drop pod (95)
attack bike w/multi melta (55)
stormtalon w/skyhammer missiles (125)

Heavy Support:
auto/las predator (115)
5 man devastator squad w/4 plasma cannons (130)

Fortifications:
ADL w/quad gun

this leaves me with 45 points to spread around. perhaps dropping a combi weapon and picking up a second attack bike w/MM would be wise. the gist of the list:

- captain & command squad run around melting 2+ and 3+ armor save targets
- librarian and his crew would run around popping av13/14 with some help from the attack bike(s)
- dread and predator focus on popping transports and other low AV targets
- assault marines are a cheap suicide alpha strike squad to neuter a juicy enemy infantry target (if there is one)
- quad gun (with either the dev squad or the tac squad that doesn't have transport manning it) and stormtalon deal with anti-air
- everyone else goes after infantry and objectives,

I'm not sure if I'm better off with the apothecaries or an extra special weapon in each command squad. I could do regular bike squads instead of command squads for fewer points, but with fewer special weapons (would also allow me to dump the librarian entirely). I'm leaning towards the command squads now just for the extra shots. I'm not sure about the captain, either. he's somewhat durable, but his shooting isn't going to do much against the unit's intended targets. I could dump the primarch's wrath, kit him up for CC and split him off from the command squad... ? I'd love to figure out how to fit vulkan in here, but he's just a really odd character. wants to be in CC, but backed up by a non-CC army :( anyway, feedback very much appreciated!

For Vulcan you could go one of two was
1)assualt squad in a drop pod
Cheapish and comes in turn one
2)vangaurd vet in drop pod
still comes in turn one but cost more and hits harder. also lets all his "Gaurds" have an invulne save

doesn't that make him a suicide unit, though? unless you have a pile of other drop pods to come in with him, his unit's going to be isolated on the turn they arrive. seems like you're giving away slay the warlord :(

I would drop the Primarch's Wrath and swap it for the Burning Blade.

It gives your Captain more umph in CC and allows you (as you mentioned) to split him off and go shred some units on his own if needed.

It also fits with the Salamander theme nicely

I would also try to fit just a bit more AA via a Stalker or some Flakks in case you face a multiple flyer list.

Cheers

Personally i would drop:

melta bombs from libby- with that command squad he doesn't need them
attack bike- again, you have plenty of anti tank going around
the heavy bolters from both tac squads- snap firing pretty much all the time if rhino moves or you get out of it. save the points.

that combined with the 45 spare nets you a second storm talon w/skyhammer. much better use of the points IMHO.

fair point about needing more AA and a second stormtalon would certainly do it. feels like that might leave me light on AT, though. at least, vs av13/14. I guess I'm just a bit traumatized because I had my first game against a land raider recently and couldn't scratch it with the 6 lascannons I had on the table

alright, had another think and decided that the command squads are just too expensive. here's a re-thought list:

HQ:
- vulkan (190)
- captain on bike w/artificer armor, relic blade, storm shield (170)

Elites:
- 9 man sternguard w/2 heavy flamers, combi-flamer on sarge, drop pod (238)

Troops:
- 5 man bike squad w/2 grav-guns and combi-grav on sarge (145)
- 4 man bike squad w/2 meltaguns and combi-melta on sarge + attack bike w/multi melta (169)
- 10 man tac squad w/flamer, combi-flamer on sarge, rhino (200)
- 10 man tac squad w/flamer, combi-flamer on sarge, rhino (200)

Fast Attack:
- 5 man assault squad w/2 flamers, melta bombs on sarge (100)
- land speeder w/heavy bolter and typhoon missile launcher (75)
- stormtalon w/skyhammer missiles

Heavy Support:
- auto/las predator (115)
- 8 man dev squad w/4 plasma cannons (172)

Fortifications:
ADL w/quad gun (100)

this comes out to 1999. vulkan goes in the drop pod with the sternguard, who will combat squad when they land. 1 heavy flamer goes with the sarge and his combi, the other heavy flamer goes with vulkan . makes me slightly nervous as I feel like I'm giving away slay the warlord, but whatever units they land on top of are going to have a very bad day. hopefully it's an even trade. biker captain is mostly just there to open up bikes as troops. he'll probably roll around solo and be a durable annoyance unit. grav-gun bikes go after TEQ or MEQ if there's no 2+ on the board. melta bikes go after av13/14. both tac squads advance in rhinos to claim midfield objectives. the predator and land speeder go after transports and other av12. the devs man the qaud gun and melt infantry. stormtalon is anti-air, of course. I'm honestly not sure about the assault squad. counter charge/annoyance unit, I guess. I might drop them for a 5-man tac squad to squat on a backfield objective and/or man the quad gun so I can park my devs somewhere less likely to be visited by a heldrake.

it's a bit weak in anti-air, but I've never come across more than a single heldrake in my meta. I feel like I have anti-tank covered pretty well with all the melta and vulkan's master-crafted rule. between plasma and grav, anything in 2+ armor should have a bad day. I'm not sure about hordes, but hopefully the flamers and heavy bolters cover that. it feels a bit light on troops since I usually run 3 full tac squads, but the bikes are scoring so that gives me some flexibility (if they live long enough). on a side note, it's awfully tempting to drop the ADL entirely and either pick up a stalker or a second stormtalon.

thoughts?

Wasting the combi-flamer on all the Sergeants w/Vulkan (redundant w/MC). Why not combi melta or combi plasma?

Doubt you'll make the points back plopping Vulkan in their backfield. But like you said, bad day for them for sure.

You have a good mix of anti hoard/tank. Looks challenging to play against and versatile. I'm pretty inexperienced though.

the tac squads are going to be hunting infantry rather than tanks, so combi-melta felt inappropriate. combi-plasma might be worth considering, though, if I swap the squad's flamer for a plasmagun. I'm a big fan of matching the combi to the squad's weapons

you don't have to make vulkan the warlord. you just may. you can still make the captain your warlord.

fair point. still, it's a lot of points to hand over to my opponent since even the bikes won't be able to get there to support for at least a turn. I wonder if I'd be better off running that unit in a rhino and putting the assault marines in a pod instead for a cheap 1st turn suicide unit.