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Good day,
I know it has been discussed so many times: it's hard to make Tempestus Scions works. You usually need lots of order, and even then, most of the time, other cheaper unit can achieve the same result.

Now that this is out of the way, I was trying to think about a funny list/tactic that could include that formation. With Ally it make more sense of course. But what do you ally? If you plan on arriving Turn 2 or 3 with the formation (the re-roll help to arrive turn 2, but you can never be sure), you need something bulky on the field. So I checked for other CAD or formation that could offer a solid and bulky ally to Airborne Assault Formation, which can substain 1 or 2 turn of shooting. 2 options came to me pretty quickly: Imperial Knight detachment, or Cohort Cybernita formation. The Cohort with hull mounted flamer, can walk up the board, soaking bullet. Then Airborne arrive with melta and AP3 volley gun, while Valyrie unload their missile.

What do you guys think? Is there better option out there? I really love the Scions model (but not the Tauros) so Airborne Assault is really interesting.

I'm building the same list myself. I just bought 5 Knight Titans, had to write basically a codex worth of fluff for the Knights and the Tempestus.

All the list's I've built have had two titans at max, but I haven't tried minmaxing the units, since I usually play to their versatility.
I'm building my squads around the fact that one can have flamers, plasma, melta, etc. and they can fly/deepstrike puts them right where they need to be.

I also have plans to pick up two squads of Legion of the Damned (since they're super durable) and draw fire from my troops while deepstriking and popping enemy armor.
Theres nothing generals hate more than watching their tanks explode, and most devote a lot of power to wipe out those forces.
I put that with the Taurox-P formation builds though, since otherwise my whole army would be in reserve.

The problem I'm finding thus far is that no matter what I do, I can't find a truly competitive answer when compared to other, full-fledged armies formations and units.

I guess its just one of those army lists that requires solid tactics and a little luck to play huh? :p

You also might consider Inquisition.
The build-a-bear workshop of 40K can fill a lot of the holes that are in any Imperial Army.

Personally, I'm using Elysian drop troops to support my Knights. They have a special rule that allow them to deep strike in on turn 1 similar to drop pod assault. They have a wider verity of weapons and units that can help support your main force. Like Tarantulas with TL lascannons. Basically deploy them on your table sitting on an objective with a camo net and lay down some suppressing fire. They also count toward your deep strike units if you put them in reserve.

There are several options. Skyhammer annihilation force is one, as are imperial artillery units (sabre weapons battery, medusa siege gun, kataphron destroyers, etc). The skyshield landing pad is a fantastic tool to use as it lets your models gain a 4+ invulnerable save, which can be increased further through sanctic daemonology.

Other solid options include:

-Blood angels scouts with a sanguinary priest and 4 iron hands librarians from a librarius conclave in a pod.

-Stormwolf with 14 blood claws, a skyshield pad, wolfpriest with stone of furious charge, rad grenade inquisitor

-Sentry guns

-Ravenwing support squadron

-Librarius conclave + ravenwing bikes + as many thunderwolves as you can fit

-Conclave + ogryns + skyshield

- =][= henchmen squad (crusaders) in a land raider or cheaper transport

-Iron hand reclusiam command squad on bikes with storm shields and an apothecary, chappy is rocking shield eternal (optional), add librarius conclave to taste.

I don't know if anything can sustain 1-2 turns of shooting, honestly.

There are a few methods of coping:
-- Extreme MSU (ie. Gladius)
-- Extreme defense (ie. Invisibility or FMCs, layered saves)
-- Null Deployment (ie. Skyhammer/Pods, GK Nemesis)
-- GMC/Superheavy spam (IK, WK)

Tempestus is actually better positioned than a lot of basic troops, as they can hide in reserve, arrive anywhere on the map and then shoot first. Their DT is as fast as a Wave Serpent!

The issue with the airborne formation is Valkyries are not very shooty, none of your troops or transports are Obsec, you lose your deployment flexibility, you don't get a second command squad, and it costs upwards of ~1000pts.

So if it were me, I would definitely null deploy and try to hide in assault immediately, or otherwise disrupt offense (3D6 pinning check anyone?). Skyhammer is probably your best bet, as everything else is going to be too expensive. Cohort looks a lot more fun though.

Nobody remembered about the "hide out of LOS" option? Take a cheap inquisitor with no upgrades and a bastion/bunker. Deploy the fortification in the corner of the table leaving just enough space at the very point of the corner for the inquisitor. Deploy the inquisitor behind the fortification so that LOS is blocked from every possible position on the table. Unless your opponent brought barrage weapons they can't attack your one model on the table, and you just wait until your real army arrives from reserve.

I've actually seen someone try something similar to that (there were about three or four carefully hidden models - It does work most of the time.

That said, when he took it to an actual event, with the (inevitable) luck of the draw he came up against an astra militarum army that could basically be described as "an artillery company with some cheerleaders".

One hailstorm of mortar and earthshaker rounds later....


As long as you're just trying to survive, not necessarily contribute too much, then 'regular' guard can provide a durable board presence for not too many points. Either a platoon or 'forward sentries' veterans, especially supported by one of the Imperium's many cheap telepaths (astropath advisors, primaris psykers, inquisitors, henchmen psykers) can give you many warm bodies with a not bad cover save, or a number of cheap squads that can rack up a 2+ or 3+ cover save pretty easily.

20x Sisters might be better, there is so much existing Ignores Cover out there that hits at AP4/AP5.

They also get an Invul save and bargain HQs, which is neat. With some cheap Psyker support they could be very tough to remove.

 Peregrine wrote:
Take a cheap inquisitor with no upgrades and a bastion/bunker.

This is a good thought. I have a couple of questions though, centered around skyhammer/pods. If the building gets destroyed (grav/melta spam) will the inquisitor become visible/bolter-able? If not, can the pod-ers land/jump onto the bunker and assault/shoot the inquisitor? Going in the bunker is a no-go I assume simply because there are lots of ways to get hit with s6 building damage results.

The thing is with Scions: The formation kinda suck lol. The Taurox one isn't bad, but I really ain't a fan of the models. The airborne is too pricey, and don't offer much before T2 or T3.

The only effective way I saw Scions run, is in multiple cad, with as much command squad as regular squad, supported by knights or inquisition.

If you are still wanting to do airborne assault style army. I strongly recommend the Elysian drop troops. Basically the same as scions, but different orders and wargear you can use. Company command squad can take a ground scanner. You can either use it in two ways. One force your opponent to roll to see if they can infiltrate their units. Two, you can select a unit with 12" and on a 4+ they can re-roll to hit with their shooting attack. If you have vox between the command squad and the vet squad its unlimited range. The vet squads have access to heavy flamers. I use a small detachment, company command and 2 vet squads. Company command is in a Valkyrie with ground scanner and locator beacon. They get to deep strike in on T1. Then on T2 you move the Valkryie where you want a vet squad to come in and they don't scatter. My Vet squads have 2 meltaguns and heavy flamer. Either you are punkin' a vehicle or doing some serious damage to a unit.

the biggest problem is that the tempestus arent an army unto themselves much like terminators. they require other things around them to help them fight. tempestus are amongst the undisputed masters of getting in the enmies hair. their ants designed to arrive at the picnic, make you spill your drink and then try and haul off with the cold cut reuben sammiches. they arent really designed to work as a unit that can clear a battlefield. so regardless how you slice it the tempestus cant win a war on their own and i feel that in todays meta they arent good to be taking in bulk. they just dont put in the work they need too on the table.

at the end of the day your paying 15p more for deepstriking marine scouts with lasrifles and thats a bit of a joke to be fielding when you can run scout companys with telion and land speeder storms, and bikes, and regular marine field assets to modify their combat effectiveness and overcome their shortcomings and as a result be a much better force.

if you want tempestus by all means take them but their inferior in every way to other units that do the whole coming out of nowehere and getting in your hair thing much much better.

Ether wrote:
If the building gets destroyed (grav/melta spam) will the inquisitor become visible/bolter-able?

The bunker is destroyed, but (IIRC) it remains on the table. Since the game uses TLOS the inquisitor will not be visible and can't be shot or charged. Units can move onto the top of the fortification to gain LOS, but they can't do it before your real army arrives from reserve.

How many points are you planning on playing, I didn't see that discussed above at all.

I built up a list a while ago as I have a platoon and am working on a ground force and then to have enough valks to switch and try the flyer one. But essentially for just over1k points you get 4 valks with multiple rocket pods and a lascannon on each. Then there is are 2 units with10 man squads and 2 melta each. One unit with 10guys and 2 plasma the command squad has 4 volley guns. The commissar rides with one of the 10 man squads.

As an ally that you want to survive until turn 2-3 I would recommend blob guard. Get 2 blobs with lascannons or autocannons. 3-4 infantry squads a piece. With priest of commissar. I usually equip melta bombs to deal with monstrous creatures or walkers.

Throw down an aegis line and if you need to go to ground if you don't have a priest in the unit.

Then have a company command squad. This way you can shoot some orders around and use the get back in the fight in case they go to ground.

Having more bodies makes it really hard for your opponent to wipe you off the board.

The when the scions come on grab what objective your can and kill the things that will give you your points to win. Play the objectives and it could be a pretty decent list.

Add some wyverns to the guard to keep hordes and assault units at bay from charging the blob.

Add some psykers to the army to try and twinlinked the blobs as well.

30man conscript unit with a priest is a really good counter charge unit. And is dirt cheap.