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Yes, yet again.
I suffered yet another crushing defeat.
I was so frustrated being near-tabled in turn 3 by CSM (although his list IS brutal) I was on the verge of quitting the game.
Hours later I came up with a list where I cut some chaff, added more boys and reduced the toys. Kind of.



Some decisions may seem awkward, but there's reasons.

The RWCS: just kinky. Plus they add a much-needed firepower to my (preferably combat squadded) units of bikes. I wish I had more bolters though, like a LRR Crusader for the Terminators.
Librarian: Someone needs to protect the RWCS and the Banner from Ap3 Ignore Cover (which I face plenty).
Terminator Squad: Those guys mainly are here so I can feel "fluffy", plus their prime purpose is to cause a backfield threat. I usually face a Sonic Dreadnought (2 S8 Ap3 Ignore Cover blasts @ BS5), so I need something that can cause a single penetrating hit on that guy. Veterans with Melta's would be better, but I prefer some staying power (plus I don't own the vets yet and have some painting backlock to go for). I will eventually phase them out.
Mortis Dreadnoughts: as if that Sonic Dread wasn't enough, I face not one, but TWO Baledrakes. I need something to intercept/threaten them, otherwise my army evaporates.
Ravenwing Squads: Anti-AV "Deathstar", doubling as anti-horde duty. The Land Speeders might go for Double MM's, but I built them as Typhoons, so I'll give that a shot first. Also good against AV12 and cultist hordes.
Predator: Backfield-Sitter as added insurance against that Sonic Dread. I had ~30pts left and nothing basically to put them, so a LoG that gives my Skyfire, Interceptor and Tank Hunter for a TL LC against those fething Heldrakes seemed appropriate.

What I usually face:
2 Baledrakes
1 Sonic Dreadnought
1 Nurgle Bikesquad with Sorcerer Lvl 3 and Meltas
Maulerfiend
Forgefiend with Hades
Vindicator
Demon Prince with Wings and lvl 3, summoning Demonettes left and right
10 Noise Marines in a Rhino
2 min Squads of Cultists

Please don't let me play yet another game where I do nothing else than provide target practice for my opponent

Drop the predator and take a sicaran. I do like your mortis dreads! I normally just run with autocannons, but the las is nice if you can afford it.

I think you have gone a bit heavy on the bikes and only get two troop choices out if it. The two baledrakes are awesome at wiping out bikes and other things are quick enough to catch them (particularly thinking the maulerfiend).

Why not embrace the terminator of the dark angels. Take belial, a terminator unit (cyclone missiles) + a load of hammers. Support them with a single drop pod (with DW launcher) containing a dreadnought. Possibly another unit or terminators.

You can deepstrike belials unit without scatter in the first turn and you get the dreadnought in the first turn. The drop pods guidance thing keeps it safe. You use the pod to block LOS to the terminators. DW launcher to knock out some troops, dread to take out rear armour of maulerfiend, terminators take out rear armour of vindicator.

Take out what's going to mess up your bikes. Get their quick things to have to turn back or you will really sort them out when you can charge.

If you are facing here flyers then go for an ADL. This will work in conjunction with the deep strikers as it then gives the opponent a choice, take out the quad gun before the flyers arrive or take out belials chaps.

Then your bikes are there to co-ordinate attacks with the terminators. Belial and his bits will be around 500-600 points. Spend 400ptd on the ADL and crew for it (Termintor Captain to annoy the drakes) scouts etc. Then you have 1000pts on the bikes and speeders, dreads and predators.

Not enough bikes tbh.

If you are investing in a dakka banner you need to build more around it.

Baledrakes are much less of a threat to bikes now that they lost the 360 fire arc.

I would drop the terminators (without a landraider they are useless) and the predator your mortis dreads already do the same job), and use the points somewhere else.

I'd probably drop the speeders too, and use the points to get more bikes.

More bikes or a ravenwing command squad would be nice.

 Big Blind Bill wrote:
Not enough bikes tbh.
I would drop the terminators (without a landraider they are useless) and the predator your mortis dreads already do the same job), and use the points somewhere else.

Basically this. Terminators cost so many points. You may have to chose between being fluffy and winning.

Also your opponent has SO many vehicles consider some melta dudes in a drop pod.

it always comes down to the same, does it...
Even a single terminator squad is a sling around your foot.
There's got to be a way to play DA that is not JUST BIKES.

I'll get around to to even more boys before toys... Drop the termies for a Command Squad with 5 meltas or the like.
Need the models though first and need to work through my painting backlog.

Should I really drop the Predator though?
You've got to consider that they, if I go 2nd, only can snap shot if I want a Heldrake gone. Damn that interceptor change.
I really need to pen the Sonic Dread and the Vindicator... if they can't fire their blasts those things are basically worthless. And the bikes might, even with scout move, not be able to reach them due to LOS or backfield deployment.

I also got an alternate version of the list that basically trades the Landspeeders and the pred for a LRC for some Deathwing Knights. Makes use of the banner with basically the same firepower as the bikes and is less boring.

Let the bikes rule the ground and get some flyers to rule the sky. Ally in some vanilla spacemarines or as i want to do, get the flesh tearers detachement. Get two storm ravens or the stormwing formation. And ofc. A commsrelay.

Try look at my DA BA lidt. I actually like some deathwing to ude the locator beacons on the bikes. Maybe tale Knights instead of normal deathwing. Inner circle and Knights seems to svare the gak out of Chaos players. ;-)