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.

What would be the best way to play a terminator list in 7th? I realize they'll never be competitive as it stands (what with the insane amounts of ap2) but How would you optimize a terminator list?

My current list runs like this:

Fist of Medusa:
Armored Task Force:
3x Whirlwinds
Techmarine

Conclave:
4x LIbrarian terminators

1st company vets:
Assault terminators 5x
Catafracti 5x
Terminator Squad 10x

Iron Hnads C.A.D:
LIbrarian
Scout squad (cloaks)
Scout squad (cloaks)

3x Drop pods


Not a lot of dakka in the list, but since you don't have to roll to hit with Psy Shrek anymore the Librarians can clear groups well enough (once the -2ld takes effect). Drop pods can drop the assault terminators and librarians together on turn 1 so they can charge turn 2, after which the 3rd DP just sits on a point. Army wide 5+ fnp minimum with 2+ if Endurance is used. The last 10 man squad combat squads once it comes in from deep strike.

Scouts sit on points, combining the tech-marine cover saves and their cloaks.

12 individual units for board control (3 dp, 2 scout, 4 terminator, 3 tanks)

Again, this isn't competitive, just trying to get the best out of a an out of date unit.

Not sure why you have drop pods? Whirlwinds are ok but they usually let me down in most games the terminator list like you said will never be competitive but all you can do is drop them where they can get up close and personal quickly I play Deathwing (DA terminators) when I miss my old army and it's still fun but I have to drop in shoot all that I can to clear the area and than HOPE they weather the storm of blasts and shots usually my 10 man squad with Belial can have 5-6 terminators left after the firestorm. Than it's just hitting one target at a time. Hasn't worked for me 100% in a long time but good luck to yours!

Deathwing's command benefits are too good to give up. Having twenty of those beige gits pop in your face with TL shooting is just brutal, doubly so if they have Ravenwing to beacon them (which nobody leaves home without).

On the flipside, Terminators don't work due to low model count, being forced to cluster up during DS, the lack of mobility after DS, the lack of firepower outside a single Heavy Weapon, as well as the prevalence of AP2 in Grav Guns and Shuriken bullsh*t. Deathwing helps a little, to be sure, but still face most of hese same problems and ultimately prevents them from being too competitive unlike say Gravcents or Scarbikes.

In the end, the bottom line is to run them however you want to have a fun, flavourful time with your friends, but don't expect too much competitive time from them.

When building and playing terminator armies, it's important to remember you're paying for those power fists, so if they're not getting into assault you're not getting what you paid for. Shooting is just a bonus.

That Blood Angel formation that lets Terminators charge out of Deep Strike is prolly the best terminators.

 axisofentropy wrote:
When building and playing terminator armies, it's important to remember you're paying for those power fists, so if they're not getting into assault you're not getting what you paid for. Shooting is just a bonus.

That Blood Angel formation that lets Terminators charge out of Deep Strike is prolly the best terminators.

Not, it's not. There are no "best" terminators.

Personally I would say the Chaos Terminator Annihilation ForceFormation that allows a free shooting action during the movement phase immediately after Deep-Strike, coupled with the ability to take cheap combi-weapons on Chaos Termies, makes them better than their loyalist equivalents as a precise heavy-weapons alpha strike unit, since they can DS, drop 5 Heavy Flamers/Meltas or 10 Plasma shots, and will still be able to shoot again or run to spread out in the ensuing shooting phase, fixing two of the biggest problems Terminators have.