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.

Hey!

I play casually with a friend of mine and he always seems to beat me when we do so I want to make an army that he'll at least struggle against.
I love the 40k fluff and I'm a big salamanders fan so I'd love to build a fluffy army for them, I'm not sure if that'll either help or hinder me though so I'm open to suggestions and if I have to move away from the fluff then so be it!

He plays both Tyranids and Necrons, He's got a big collection of both so I have just as much chance of facing a Monstrous Creature list as I do a horde list for the Nids and the Necrons tend to be an Elite/Vehicle list.
We play anywhere between 1500 - 2000 points at a time.
I was thinking:

HQ:

Vulkan He'stan: 190
Master of the Forge: 90

Elites:
Ironclad Dreadnought: 170
9 man Sternguard squad: 6 combi melta/2 melta guns, Drop Pod: 333 points
10 man sternguard squad: 4 combi melta/2 melta guns, Drop Pod: 335 points

Troops:
10 man tact squad: Melta gun/Multi melta, Drop Pod: 195 points
10 man tact squad: Melta gun/Multi melta, Drop Pod: 195 points
10 man tact squad: Flamer/Multi melta, Drop Pod: 200 points

Fast Attack:
1 Stormtalon: 110 points

Heavy Support:
1 Hunter: 70 points
1 Stormraven: 200 points

Total: 1998 points

Ok, so Vulkan will ride with one of the sternguards and ive included a stormraven because i already have one not doing much though i think to save points i should swap it for another stormtalon? I need the hunter for the AA but i also feel like I should have more flamer units? The general idea would be to Pod behind his list and take out vehicles/MC's with the melta but I think I'd be stuck with a horde list?

All help appreciated!

You have a ton of points tied up in that storm raven. Meaning, hq, elites and a dread. If someone else goes after that and blows up mid stream that's serious trouble. I prefer drop pod for that iron clad honestly.

I would replace the melta guns in the Sternguard with H.Flamers and stick some flamers in your tact squads. Depending on your play group you can take or leave dedicated AA like the Hunter or replace them with Stormtalons that way you can attack ground units if you need to.

I was torn with the stormraven so you think I should drop it for another stormtalon? If I put the dread on a pod that leaves me with about 55 points free
My friend usually fields flyers so I feel like I need the hunter but would 2 stormtalons be enough to handle any flyers? If so that'll give me about 125 points to put somewhere, any suggestions? Another dread?
And for the flamers, do you think replace both sternguard squads?

How come your ironclad is costing 170?
I always think the special issue ammo is worth more than an upgrade to heavy flamers but I always stick a flamer in my tac squads.
I'd maybe drop the master of the forge as well.

Oh crap, the ironclad is supposed to have a drop pod which is why he is 170

I saw a lot of lists with mast of the forge though?

I don't know mate - I always get beat so maybe don't listen to me. I get beat cause I love the salamanders more than winning.
Ironclad in a drop pod is something that has worked well for me though.
Master of the forge seems to work well if you need a cheap hq in a list full of tanks or hiding in a land raider repairing lost hull points but I'm not sure what he'll be doing here.

If you drop your master, 4 combi meltas from sternguard 1 and 2 from sternguard 2 - probably overkill anyway - you can afford a command squad with meltas and an apothercary or other options for vulkan.

Master of the forge is used to open up all your elite slots for sternguard or legion of the damned. He does that by allowing you to take dreadnoughts as a heavy support instead. Try working in a legion of the damned 5 man squad with melta, mm and combimelta they arrive by deep strike so no need for a drop pod and they benefit from Vulkans rule but not chapter tactics.