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.

Destroyer Cult (Primary Detachment):

Destroyer Lord w/ Voidreaper
3 Destroyers
3 Destroyers
3 Destroyers

Very simple list. The Destroyers shoot marines, the Destroyer Lord assaults anything that looks mean. How do you guys think it will fare? Obviously other than removing the Voidreaper and putting on a different piece of wargear there isn't much I can change.

I think it looks good, as long as you stay out of combat you should be able to kill all his guys pretty easily with the gauss blasters. If he brings a transport, you'll have to get your d-lord into combat with it, and you'll most likely shred it in one or two turns. Do you have any idea what list you might face?

Anrakyr-the-Traveller wrote:
I think it looks good, as long as you stay out of combat you should be able to kill all his guys pretty easily with the gauss blasters. If he brings a transport, you'll have to get your d-lord into combat with it, and you'll most likely shred it in one or two turns. Do you have any idea what list you might face?

Not especially - my opponent is very used to older editions of the rules so a Combined Arms Detachment is almost certain. If I had to guess... Either the cheapest HQ, 10 scouts and a techmarine, or maybe HQ, 10+ Tac Marines and a Dreadnought, something like that. He's not a fan of hiding in Rhinos, so that's not a big worry for me. I say Techmarine and scouts because I have a feeling he might want to infiltrate the scouts with camo cloaks into a building and fortify it with the techmarine (if that's possible at 500 points, I have no idea). A 2+ cover save would, however, be rather devastating to the plan, but with the Gauss ability to glance on a 6, I could potentially destroy any building he hides in.

Yeah a 2+ cover save would be pretty devastating, unfortunately I don't think there is a way to counter it besides tomb blades or a C'tan shard. However, the other list you mentioned (dreadnought + tacticals) should be really easy for you to beat.

Scarey Nerd wrote:

Anrakyr-the-Traveller wrote:
I think it looks good, as long as you stay out of combat you should be able to kill all his guys pretty easily with the gauss blasters. If he brings a transport, you'll have to get your d-lord into combat with it, and you'll most likely shred it in one or two turns. Do you have any idea what list you might face?

Not especially - my opponent is very used to older editions of the rules so a Combined Arms Detachment is almost certain. If I had to guess... Either the cheapest HQ, 10 scouts and a techmarine, or maybe HQ, 10+ Tac Marines and a Dreadnought, something like that. He's not a fan of hiding in Rhinos, so that's not a big worry for me. I say Techmarine and scouts because I have a feeling he might want to infiltrate the scouts with camo cloaks into a building and fortify it with the techmarine (if that's possible at 500 points, I have no idea). A 2+ cover save would, however, be rather devastating to the plan, but with the Gauss ability to glance on a 6, I could potentially destroy any building he hides in.

Only you can not destroy Ruins since they are terrain. (unless a rule specifically says you can, like the Canoptek Swarm from the Warzone: Damnos book)
You can only destroy Buildings that they pay and place on the field as part of the army. Which a techmarine can not bolster anyway.

Now that I look at it, this matchup looks interesting. I assume scouts will have sniper rifles, meaning they are wounding on 4s instead of 5s for bolters. They also have rending, so a decent chance to focus down your destroyer lord in one or two turns. The 2+ cover save means your ap3 will be wasted as well.

On the other hand, they will have to turtle in ruins or they will be wiped in one turn. My question is: what melee weapons do the techmarine/cheap hq have?. I assume they don't get the cover save in cc since it comes from ruins. If the scouts get locked by destroyers, they will never win (I assume they will be hitting on 4s, wounding on 5s or maybe 6s followed by 3+ 5+++). If you are playing with objectives, just spread out and camp on the objectives. If he splits up his force, charge his scouts with a unit of destroyers and lock them up for the rest of the game, and focus down the rest of his guys. If the techmarine or hq is with them, throw in the destroyer lord too to clean them up. I haven't played marines in a long time though, a more experienced player could probably give you better advice.

To be honest, if they turtle in ruins then there is no list I could make at this point level that could really deal with them, even if I wasn't restricting myself to Destroyers. That said, if they do that, Destroyers can move at, what, 13" a turn on average if they still shoot? 16" if they run? In theory they could quickly close a gap and assault into the building.
@Draco765, I said building rather than ruin for a reason, as we have buildings made from sprues that we use, so that's what he'd be hiding in, not Basilicas or Manufactorums or anything like that. All buildings are fair game for destroying, not just fortifications (or if they're not, then that's how we'll be playing it in the mission anyway, since it just makes more sense than "Oh, that wooden shack was here already, let's not touch it, best not upset the neighbours")

EDIT: While I think of it, would there be any merit in the idea of downgrading the Voidreaper to a Warscythe and upgrading one of the Destroyers to a Heavy Destroyer as a Just In Case measure against a vehicle/building/stubborn HQ?

Changing voidreaper to a warscythe and taking an hgc sounds good at this points level. If your opponent takes the scouts and tech marines though, I don't think it would be worth it because of the cover save.

Unfortunately I won't know what he takes until it's too late - our rule is that you each make your points list to the points limit, okay-ing any Forgeworld stuff in advance, but you don't show each other a) unless they ask, and b) until the game is going to start, otherwise you change your list based on theirs and then they change theirs based on yours, blah blah blah

If you know there's going to be buildings to destroy then a heavy destroyer would be a nice thing to add over a void reaper upgrade. In melee, warscythe or void reaper should do just fine against marines.