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 am working on a Renegades and Heretics list to try out and I am trying to decide between a Soul Grinder and a Rapier Laser Battery. Here's the rest of the 2000pt list:

List is based around a Bastion with 2 ADL's and a Quad Gun to form a gunline. Think gun box with artillery wings.
Everything here is Covenant Tzeentch for BS 2 snapfire, using the autocannons as backup AA.

-Renegade Command Squad- Heretic Magus, Autocannon, Command Vox, sitting in a Bastion with a Quad gun. 4 scrubs to man the HB.
-Infantry Squad- x10, Autocannon, Militia Training, Chaos Sigil behind an ADL
-Infantry Squad- x10, Autocannon, Militia Training, Chaos Sigil behind an ADL
-Platoon Command-x10, Autocannon, Militia Training, Chaos Sigil, Command Vox, behind the Bastion bubble wrapping the Grinder (maybe).

-Enforcer-Combat Drugs, Melta Bombs
-Mutant Rabble- x15, Champion, Shotguns, Covenant of Khorne (these guys run up with the scorpion to tarpit or make you waste ammo on their bodies before the avalanche of attacks accidentally kills one thing).

No covenant:
-3 Laser Rapier Batteries- Militia Training (On top battlements or behind ADL)
-2 Medusa Siege Guns- Breacher Shells (Behind other ADL)

Allies:
-Herald of Tzeentch- ML2 (Summon, Prescience)
-11 Pink Horrors (Summon)

Hammer:
-Greater Brass Scorpion

Nurgle Ginder with phlegm or additional Rapier Battery with Militia Training + 110 pts.

My dilemma is that I can take a Soul Grinder of Nurgle with Phlem, park him behind the Bastion, bubble wrap with the platoon command, and let him be a back field deterrent and hock loogies on people. Or I can drop the Soul Grinder, throw in 3 more laser rapiers, and then boost the herald to ML3 and spend another 80 or so points on more bodies, krak grenades, and maybe a special weapon or two.

I think the rapier laser battery is a better choice by the numbers, but having a Soul Grinder hanging around my gun line will allow me to play much more aggressively with the Scorpion, which I think may have a better result overall than forcing him to hang back and play range to protect the artillery from deep strike and flanks. The Soul Grinder also has some AA help, but I don't see that being all that helpful behind 4 AC, 4 HB, all hitting on 5's and a Quadgun.

Which do you see working better, more Str 9 TL shooting and bigger better bubble wrap, or a little less strength/bodies for some backfield protection?

I would take the Soul Grinder certainly, your Brass Scorpion is very lonely and needs a friend

I would also go for the Soul Grinder, even though I absolutely love the Rapiers.

Is the Enforcer able to join the Mutant Rabble? I thought it was only infantry squads, but my IA books aren't at hand so I might be mistaken.

You're putting a lot of points into fortifications. I would go for a single bunker, perhaps with an Escape hatch for some flexibility. I suppose this might be the desired theme of your list, but if you can reliably fit two defense lines and a bastion without inhibiting your Brass Scorpion, I think you might be playing with too little terrain.

Depending on what opponents you tend to face, a Slaanesh grinder with the Torrent flamer might synergize better with your brass scorpion as a rushed attack walker. You lose some long-range, but you already have a pretty large gunline.

I would actually like to recommend more infantry rather than either option. Brass scorpions are trivially easy to kill if you allow melta or plasma to DS behind them. A nice wave of infantry could fill in that space behind the brass scorpion.