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Hi guys, hope all is well with you. A friend and I just put this list together and wanted to run it by you all.

The Thoughts Behind This - people in our FLGS are still learning the 7th ed. They're still thinking in terms of 6th ed, over-reacting to the Unbound Armies, etc. So my friend and I wanted to design a list that is really for 7th ed rules, like:

- using Troops AND their Transports for more Objectives Secured
- taking more Vehicles as they're slightly tougher now
- using Drop Pods landing at Combat Speed so they can fire Deathwind Missiles

Here's the list thus far, it's not complete so that we can incorporate your feedback:

++ HQ ++

Librarian
65 points

++ ELITES ++

Dreadnought
Drop Pod w/ Deathwind Missile Launcher
150 points

Dreadnought
Drop Pod w/ Deathwind Missile Launcher
150 points

++ TROOPS ++

10 Marine Tactical Squad w/ Multi-Melta, Meltagun, Melta Bombs
Drop Pod
200 points

10 Marine Tactical Squad w/ Multi-Melta, Meltagun, Melta Bombs
Rhino w/ Storm Bolter
205 points

10 Marine Tactical Squad w/ Plasma Cannon, Flamer, Melta Bombs
Rhino w/ Storm Bolter
205 points

++ TOTAL POINTS SO FAR: 975 points ++

I'd like to discuss our thoughts on the strategy.

The Sequence - Drop the 2 Dreadnought Pods in the 1st turn to take out enemy vehicles. Meanwhile, the Rhinos move to objectives and deliver their Tactical Marines, usually split into Combat Squads. Finally, the last Drop Pod to take any leftover objective or reinforce one of the other Tactical Squads.

Here's why we're going with that general strategy:

Combined Arms Detachment - this is the heart of this list. While this looks like we're just following the 6th ed Force Organisation Chart out of habit, it's really for the CAD benefits to Troops for the Objective Secured Rule. That's why we took full 10 Marine Tactical Squads and Transports. By disembarking on an objective as split Combat Squads, each unit counts for 3 Objective Secured. For that reason, we even put Storm Bolters on the Rhinos, just a cheap addition to create something the opponent can't ignore, forcing him to divide his attention between all these Objective Secured things.

Dreadnoughts AND Drop Pods - There's a total of 3 Drop Pods to get 2 (50% rounded up) landing in the 1st turn. That'll be the Dreadnoughts to alpha strike, pop the enemy's vehicles, be all disruptive, be bullet sponges. Previously, our meta considered Drop Pods as just a delivery fee, a tax to get the Dreadnought all up in your opponent's zone, but with them landing at Combat Speed now, they are much more of an asset than before, firing Deathwind Missiles. So we think of the 300 points spent not as a cost for 2 Dreadnoughts, but an investment for a total of 4 useful vehicles.

Now we just had this conversation tonight and we're still figuring things out, thus we ask your advice please:

What Chapter Tactic would be best for something like this? We thought Iron Hands, but with so many bodies, Forgeworld's Red Scorpions look really good with their better FNP.

Are we overestimating the value of the Dropped Dreadnought alpha strike? The heart of this was really just Combat Squads + Transports as Objective Secured units, but it doesn't have to be in Drop Pods. We really thought of the 3 Drop Pod idea as an afterthought, but I could see us putting everyone in Rhinos and getting Ironclad Dreadnoughts to march alongside them.

Finally, what to do with that Librarian? He's just a lame duck. We're aiming for 1000 points, so we just kinda left him with his Force Staff in his hand.

We eagerly await your feedback. I'm not kidding, I got a bunch of basecoated Marines waiting for your advice on, say, Chapter Tactics, so I can paint them the appropriate colours. Thanks in advance.

Some thoughts on what you put forward:

Chapter Tactics:

Ironhands is a good choice for this list (and many others). It's a nice list if you can't really think what you want, and in general, will be strong. IWND is great if you have lots of vehicles.

The issue with this list, however, is that vehicles are MUCH better this edition. It is hard to wipe out heavier vehicles, even with melta. Jink, especially, renders many vehicles much harder to destroy. You can't rely on dreads popping important vehicles turn one, as reliably, this edition. As such, I find this list's anti-tank a little shaky. (I will say that I love the DWML this edition, esp. with dreads, though. Since it can fire on entry, and vehicles are a little harder to destroy, the drop pod becomes a lot more annoying to deal with). So sadly, those dreads just aren't the threat they used to be.

Sternguard w/melta and a drop pod can still reliably kill many vehicles early, but even then the target needs to be worth the cost.

That being said, drop pods are quite potent this edition, and marine drop pods are still quite a thing. At 1000 points, Ironclad dreads can be really potent, as Av13 is harder to kill. Dropping some in with a HF and melta (or two HFs against hordes) can threaten vehicles and infantry. They also work well with iron hands.

Personally, I think the razorback is another vehicle that has gotten tons better in this edition, particularly the TLAC and TLLC forms.

As well (though the cost is a little hard to float at this level), Hammernators in a LR/LRC have gotten much better this edition, as well. Land raiders are VERY hard to kill (esp. at low points value) with the reduced chance of explosions.

As for the Librarian, a base librarian isn't the worst thing. Psychic Shriek (or w/e the telepathy based power is called) isn't terrible, and it's worth rolling for a chance at invisibility. A lvl 2 psyker gives you a better chance, of course, but even a lvl 1 is okay.

At higher points values, captains and chaptermasters have gotten many cool toys, suddenly giving space marines one of the best, generic, HQ beatsticks. Just a thing to keep in mind.

Thanks for the feedback, really working with the ideas you put forth now.

While some of these ideas are for 1500 points and beyond, such as the Land Raider or Sternguard IMHO, I'm going to replace the regular Dreadnought with an Ironclad, probably going to do the single Drop Pod for this 1000 point level.

Going to revise this list in a bit. Probably sticking with Iron Hands now.