First thing:
I hate to be the party-pooper but
DW aren't gonna win you any tournaments. While I'll be the first one to tell you that they're fun to play and that they can win games they just don't bring enough bodies and mobility needed in a tournament setup.
With that out of the way there are things that you can do to make them more aggressive and to keep your opponent on the back-foot.
Those tips are given under the assumption that you're running a "pure" Deathwing list.
As you noticed yourself: Knights need a
LR to really make them worthwhile, they can be awesome but then again they can be a big letdown; and a lot of it depends on your opponent. If your opponent has squishier units (Tau, Eldar,
DE,
IG, etc...) or even
CSMs, they will shred through those units like butter. If you face a lot of
MCs or other
TEQs they're gonna struggle big time after their "beast mode" is spent.
In pure
DW list I usually don't run the Knights.
1) Use
DWA to its full extent.
Since mobility is a big issue you gotta make the most out of
DWA. I usually keep the
TDA libby with the
CML squads on the board while Belial and the shorter range weapons drop in as close as possible. Don't hesitate to
DS in area terrain or ruins to gain a cover save (ruins ideally, but area terrain with night fight can help too) if the enemy has AP2 weapons. Be aggressive with the
DWA, you're not gonna win big
GTs anyway, you might as well have fun and go "balls-to-the wall",
DS nice and close to allow that turn 2 assault power-fist fest.
2) Don't isolate yourself.
Termies will die quickly if they don't support each other. When you
DS, deploy the shortest range weapon first, then the next squad as close as possible, then Belial's squad last. Gang up on the weakest area of your enemy's deployment, not the strongest. Unlike sternguards, who can take out just about any target upon drop-podding,
DW termies don't have that potent of a shooty output, so
DS them on the weakest side, as a group so they can support each other (don't forget splitfire).
3) Heavy flamers are making a big comeback. Belial with a
HF squad can do a lot of damage on those units who rely on cover saves.
4) Don't go overboard with
TH/
SS models, since you don't have the mobility, you need the range. 1 per squad is usually fine if you place it carefully.
5) In a pure
DW list a command squad is a nice addition. I'd rather use them for a
CC deathstar over the Knights as they can also buff themselves (
DW banner) or the rest of the army (
FNP banner). This is the only unit where
TH/
SS are a must, combined with the champ and a banner they're gonna hurt.
6) This may be counter-intuitive and I guess debatable but I like to run
DW armies as double-
FOCs (2k+ obviously). I like to bring multiple
HQs to provide a bunch of separate threats and also models that can tank some wounds.
TDA libby in backfield casting Prescience on
CML units,
TDA chaplain + pimped out
TDA commander +
DW command squad for a
CC deathstar, Belial +
HF squad for precise
DWA barbequeing, and 4x 5-man
DW squads.
7) Last piece of advice, a single termie can win you the game!
What I mean by that is that they're quite resilient so even if you're down to 1
DW termie you gotta keep thinking strategically and not give up. He's still scoring, he's still fearless, and still can be useful. Run that lone guy across the board for linebreaker or go contest that last objective etc...
Hope this helps a bit. Have fun and don't give up on your termies!
Here's a link to a cool batrep I posted a while back, 1000pts pure
DW, I won all 3 games (one of which against
DE):
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/533953.page#5743060
