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Hi all,

Have a tournament coming upwhich has been set at 900 points, I suspect to give players a bit of pressure in list building. I've not had an awful number of games under my belt in 8th Edition, but have come up with the following Battalion list:
 
HQ

Librarian
-Bolt Pistol
-Force Sword

Lieutenant
-Bolt Pistol
-2x Chainswords

Troops

Tactical Squad
-Combi-Plasma Gun
-Plasma Gun

Tactical Squad
-Combi-Plasma Gun
-Plasma Gun

Tactical Squad
-Combi-Plasma Gun
-Plasma Gun

Heavy Support

Devastator Squad
-Armorium Cherub
-Heavy Bolter
-3x Lascannons


Dedicated Transport

Razorback
-Twin Assault Cannon

Razorback
-Twin Assault Cannon

Razorback
-Twin Assault Cannon
 
List clocks in at 899 points.
 
Obviously the Devastator Squad will do the heavy anti-tank lifting with their Lascannons and some mortal wounds when the opportunity presents itself with the Hellfire Shells Stratagem on the Heavy Bolter. I am also considering whether Missile Launchers may be a better choice for flexibility, especially given the lower points limit where I may not need the better AP and Strength of Lascannons? Anti-infantry will come from the Razorbacks, with the Tactical Squads doing double duty where needed with Boltguns and Plasma Guns.
 
Any thoughts or suggestions, or complete unit or list alternatives? Thank you very much!

Well Mr Shine,

First up 900points is a weird points limit to be playing, but here's my thoughts?

I'd start by losing the battalion in favour of a smaller detachment. 3 troops is a heavy tax on 900points of stuff? Maybe a spearhead would serve you better?

I'm envisioning splitting the lascannons from your existing devastator squad across the 3 existing tactical squads, removing the plasma guns and making them devastator squads with a combi plasma sgt. this means that the expensive heavy weapons will be firing on the Sgts signum 2+, re-rolling if you substitute the librarian for a captain? The combi-plasmas want to stay in case the squads moving or you face TEQs.

Alternatively consider running black templars tactics instead of ultras, and make those tactical squads crusader squads, allowing you to put both a split lascannon, plasma gun and Combi plasma in each unit. This will reduce your deployment drops by 1 to increase odds of you getting the first volley, and also stop all your anti-armour being taken out in one burst of fire.

The triple assault cannon razorbacks are a strong choice, as you say they'll shred infantry...

All i got for now, DM me if you need anything else?
GamerGuy

Scouts. Save points on your troops slots. Give the sarge a stormbolter and a guy a heavy bolter for more output.

Libby's aren't great, a captain works better for getting those rerolls.

Two razors are probably enough. Do you have a Stormtalon? Works like a razor that's harder to hit/more mobility, in terms of damage output.

After changing to scouts and dropping a razor, you ought to have enough points to get some plasma bikes, vanguard or hellblasters in there.

Just some ideas.

Hey folks, sorry for the delay in returning to look at this!

GamerGuy wrote:Well Mr Shine,

First up 900points is a weird points limit to be playing, but here's my thoughts?

It is indeed! I think the idea is to keep it fast and force players to make difficult choices in list building, which I can vouch for so far...

I'd start by losing the battalion in favour of a smaller detachment. 3 troops is a heavy tax on 900points of stuff? Maybe a spearhead would serve you better?

I'm envisioning splitting the lascannons from your existing devastator squad across the 3 existing tactical squads, removing the plasma guns and making them devastator squads with a combi plasma sgt. this means that the expensive heavy weapons will be firing on the Sgts signum 2+, re-rolling if you substitute the librarian for a captain? The combi-plasmas want to stay in case the squads moving or you face TEQs.

Alternatively consider running black templars tactics instead of ultras, and make those tactical squads crusader squads, allowing you to put both a split lascannon, plasma gun and Combi plasma in each unit. This will reduce your deployment drops by 1 to increase odds of you getting the first volley, and also stop all your anti-armour being taken out in one burst of fire.

The triple assault cannon razorbacks are a strong choice, as you say they'll shred infantry...

All i got for now, DM me if you need anything else?
GamerGuy

This was quite helpful in making me think of an alternative. I do think the Battalion is a bit of a tax, though I have been very happy with the performance of both my Tactical Squads and Librarian. One thought I did have was to swap the Lieutenant for a barebones Captain and replace a Tactical Squad with a unit of Sniper Scouts with Camo Cloaks. This would also solve the possible issue of having either a Tactical or Devastator Squad as sitting ducks with the others bunkered in the Razorbacks while letting me have both Captain and Librarian.

Alternatively, going with your suggestion I'd probably take a Heavy Bolter, Missile Launcher and Lascannon for the single heavy weapon in each Devastator Squad, with Armorium Cherubs and then add a Stormtalon with Lascannons, and Storm Bolters to the Razorbacks. That would lose me two Command Points, a Psychic Phase and re-rolls to Wound, but would gain me a Missile Launcher, another Twin Assault Cannon, once a game re-loads on the Devastators, three Storm Bolters and re-rolls to Hit.

Flood wrote:Scouts. Save points on your troops slots. Give the sarge a stormbolter and a guy a heavy bolter for more output.

Libby's aren't great, a captain works better for getting those rerolls.

Two razors are probably enough. Do you have a Stormtalon? Works like a razor that's harder to hit/more mobility, in terms of damage output.

After changing to scouts and dropping a razor, you ought to have enough points to get some plasma bikes, vanguard or hellblasters in there.

Just some ideas.

Thanks for the input! As above, I've thought if I take the Battalion I could swap in Scouts for a Tactical squad to get both Librarian and Captain, though recognise that's very pricey in a 900-point list and probably not worthwhile. Unfortunately I don't have the models for too many Scouts and I don't recall whether I have any heavy weapons for them. I do have a Stormtalon which I'd include in a Spearhead as above. I am starting to lean away from the Battalion option...