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Iron Fathers,

I'm looking to start a thread specifically center on all things Iron Hands. What have you done to make them competitive, fluffy, and down right fun? We will discuss tactics on units, builds, deployment, and unit combinations. I would like this to be the one stop shop for all Iron Hands questions and advice! As always be friendly and helpful

Let's kick it off with ways to play in a semi competitive environment at 1500pts and below.

Mr Raynor

I play strictly 1850 which is perfect to fit in a Medusa Strike force.

My IH list basically focus on a semi-death star, Chapter Please don't bypass the language filter like this Reds8n with gorgon's chain and his command squad with SS/grav guns, a IH Libby conclave, and one techmarine on bike.

Basically everyone in the unit has at least a 3+++(FNP), while the CM has a 2+++ FNP to tank everything. The unit can sustain a lot of punishment even without any psychic buffs.

To give them HnR and scout, I allied in a DA CAD for Sammael and made him the warlord for the +3" charge/turboboost.

So far I have ran it three times and I found Smash Fether combined with Smashbane to work well.

Smashfether takes the Gorgans chain and Smashbane takes the Shield Eternal. Double smash bros chugging around the map with their command squads bonking people in the head with hammers backed by a beefy battle demi company and armored task force filled with predators.

Worked well so far.

Personally, I think the best option for them is the command option that lets you bring lots of other IC's and command squads. Rather than go for 1 supertough unit that has a 2+ FNP out front, you can get 3-4 smaller command squads with 3+ FNP throughout. Throw a captain or chaptermaster in the front of each with a stormshield and you've got lots of incredibly durable, fast, and hardhitting units.

I plan on using 3 vindicators for my core, but you could do well with the standard battle company, too.

The Battle Demi-Company...what units would you all run? The tacticals would be best in rhino or everyone with a drop pod?

I would go with Rhinos because their tactics dont really synergize all that well with alpha striking.

I'm currently working on how to use my 30k marines as a 40k force, and Iron Hands with Smashfether in a Command Squad in the IH Decurion + a librarius conclave seems like fun.

I'll give at least one marine unit a drop pod, in case my conclave rolls up Electrodisplacement, to throw make Smashfether do a John Cena-entry in my opponents face turn 1.

I had/have been using 3 quad heavy bolter rapiers -- I normally ally in a CAD here -- and have found that the captain, with the Gorgon's chain and the cata. termie armour makes them a very hard hitting unit.

His S & P lets them move and he can either tank or LOS as needs be.

I'm currently trying to decide which is the best way to run a more or less all armour space marine tank force.

I was planning on using the Fist of Medusa Strike Force but with the FAQ seeming to change how ability aura's work when embarked on vehicles I'm now thinking the Anvil Strike Force maybe a better bet.

What do others think of the two for heavy tank lists?

 reds8n wrote:
I had/have been using 3 quad heavy bolter rapiers -- I normally ally in a CAD here -- and have found that the captain, with the Gorgon's chain and the cata. termie armour makes them a very hard hitting unit.

His S & P lets them move and he can either tank or LOS as needs be.

They should be Quad Mortars instead. You'll thank me later.

Interesting tidbit to note: a Cataphractii terminator captain can reroll his invul save... so giving him the Gorgon's chain gives him 2+/3++(rerollable)/2+++ (in the detachment with a command squad). Considering he has EW as well and 3 wounds (at least for the first wound or two he tanks) he is just a beast.

I usually run drop-pod heavy lists, just because that's my preferred play style.

I take a Conclave, a Demi Company, and a Skyhammer Annihilation Force. Sprinkle the libby's around for IC bonuses (sadly no tiggy though, it has to remain IH according to the FAQ), and be sure to trick out a command squad for your captain. Add in a libby, take Librarius (reroll all saves is the preferred ability to roll, though Might of Heroes makes him a pretty good combat unit and Null Zone has come in handy quite a few times). Otherwise, fish for invis as per normal.

Give the command squad a champion and apothecary, stick them in a rhino with 2 melta (synergy with assaulting, but can double out a lot of units toughness which is good for countering other deathstar units such as wulfen or other marines with FNP) and any more special weapons can't shoot out the top hatch.

I also start with a bike squad and centurions on the board, so I don't get shot off before all my pods come in. A librarian in terminator armor is good for tanking wounds for the unit of Centurions, and if you position them close enough he can get the FNP bonus from another IC.

Have the skyhammer come in turn 1. Giving the devestator squads from this formation weapons with lots of shots, such as grav or Hbolter if you are short on points, helps ensure that your assault squads get to assault without worrying about overwatch. They are relentless the turn they come in, so take advantage of that with lots of shots to cause a wound.

I've had fun putting a cataphractii terminator captain with grav devastators for a lot of alpha strike capability.

 Tibs Ironblood wrote:
I would go with Rhinos because their tactics dont really synergize all that well with alpha striking.

Alpha striking and then surviving the return fire works decently enough. Espcially if you play where IWND applies to the pods (obsec pods on objectives that can regen are a pain.) Add in fact that Medusa Strikeforce has Skyhammer Anni they actually make a pretty good drop pod army.

So I'm having a rather difficult time cramming a 1500pt list out. I know I want the beefy command squad and captain because I know I'll run into some other rediculous death star unit. Besides that I don't really know what to put in the list? I've always wanted to run the full ten men squads for the choices in the Battle Demi Compny but hear it's not worth it :/

This is what I have so far...

Core
Battle Demi-Company – 1160pts
Captain “The Hound” – Bike, Gorgon Chain, AA, & PF – 200pts
• Techmarine – Servo-Harness & Bike – 110pts
Command Squad – Bikes, Apoth, Champ & +3 SS – 185pts
Tactical Squad – PG, Combi-P & Rhino – 130pts
Tactical Squad – PG, Combi-P & Rhino – 130pts
Tactical Squad – PG, Combi-P & Rhino – 130pts
Attack Bike – +1 Bike & +2 MM – 100pts
Devastator Squad – +2 Grav-cannon & Amp & Rhino – 175pts

Auxiliary
Honored Ancients – 140pts
Dreadnought – TL HF, +1 HF & Drop Pod – 140pts

Slayer-Fan123 wrote:

 reds8n wrote:
I had/have been using 3 quad heavy bolter rapiers -- I normally ally in a CAD here -- and have found that the captain, with the Gorgon's chain and the cata. termie armour makes them a very hard hitting unit.

His S & P lets them move and he can either tank or LOS as needs be.

They should be Quad Mortars instead. You'll thank me later.

Very tasty indeed, but also 20 points each more as well.

..do they have finalised rules anywhere or just the experimental ones on the FW site ?

It is 20 points for a weapon that is vastly superior against all targets. Yeah that's pretty worth it.

Rules are still experimental but are likely the final product.

Do you think at 1500pts that Rhinos are a viable mobile fire base?

 Malik_Raynor wrote:
Do you think at 1500pts that Rhinos are a viable mobile fire base?

Not quite sure what the question is here.

What is your definition of "viable mobile fire base"?

Can you shoot from it? Yes.
Can you move it? Yes.
Does it give more survival capability to the units inside it or behind it? Yes.
Is it points effective? For 35 points, I would say Yes.

So yes, Rhinos are viable mobile fire bases, at 1500 points or otherwise. As with anything, numerical superiority helps their odds of surviving.

Alright so I have another Tactica question. Is the Fist of Medusa (FoM) really that big of a deal for the +1 FNP? My tank (captain) will have a 3+ and my command squad a 4+ if I run a CAD instead of FoM. That is really the only special rule I'm interested in for the FoM due to the low point count games. Is it really that big of a game changer in the end?

yes the +FNP is godlike you can make a 2+/3++/2+++ chapter master its amazing. on top of that if oyu take libby conc then you can boost it to a rerollable 2+/2++/2+++ its amazing. plus the IC makes your IH marines a lot more survivable

 Malik_Raynor wrote:
Alright so I have another Tactica question. Is the Fist of Medusa (FoM) really that big of a deal for the +1 FNP? My tank (captain) will have a 3+ and my command squad a 4+ if I run a CAD instead of FoM. That is really the only special rule I'm interested in for the FoM due to the low point count games. Is it really that big of a game changer in the end?

The real thing to compare it to is the Gladius formation instead. Is FoM worth taking over a CAD? Oh yes. It definitely is. You still get objective secured with the demi-company, and FNP bonuses, along with an extra Warlord trait. However, the real competition is comparing it to the Gladius instead. Do you want the FNP bonus, or free transports? Which is worth more? That is where it gets hard to decide. It really depends on the format, and the meta, to make that decision.

It is really hard to beat a gladius in the amount of free-stuff you can get though. In my 1850 point list, I get around 400 free points worth of Razorbacks. That is game changing. If I am taking Iron Hands, they all get "It Will Not Die" too, making them pretty formidable. It is hard to judge whether the +1 bonus to FNP and the extra Warlord trait is worth 400 points.

But you also need to consider what you can take as an auxilary for the Fists of Medusa Strike Force. You can take a Skyhammer Annihilation Force as an auxilary. Just max out those devastator squads and load them up with multi meltas or heavy bolters. Combat squad the devs when they come in and pin 4 units a turn. I rocked a Tau player with two squads of three missile sides, a riptide wing, and a stormsurge because he underestimated the potential of those units. It made it very easy for my "death star- lite" to multi assault 3 units turn 2. To add insult to injury, I added a cataphractii terminator captain to my Demi Company Grav Devs and dropped them behind a huge line of sight blocking terrain in the middle of the board. I nuked a Riptide a turn.

So I think GW did the Iron Hands Techmarines justice.

If you take Iron Hands, Servo-harness, and Armored Task Force then you can repair on a 2+. That is really significant when you have Power of the Machine Spirit a Vindicators moving 12" then firing Linebreaker Bombardment!

Also, came up in my game the other days...my opponent said I couldn't repair my demolisher cannon and then fire it in the same turn of the repair. I looked in both books and nothing is preventing me from firing a repaired weapon in the same turn. Thoughts?

 Malik_Raynor wrote:
So I think GW did the Iron Hands Techmarines justice.

If you take Iron Hands, Servo-harness, and Armored Task Force then you can repair on a 2+. That is really significant when you have Power of the Machine Spirit a Vindicators moving 12" then firing Linebreaker Bombardment!

Also, came up in my game the other days...my opponent said I couldn't repair my demolisher cannon and then fire it in the same turn of the repair. I looked in both books and nothing is preventing me from firing a repaired weapon in the same turn. Thoughts?

Pretty sure that your opponent was just sour grapes about it. Repairs happen at the beginning of the player turn, shooting occurs in the shooting phase. No reason to not be able to use it.

No repairs actually happen in the shooting phase now :/. Changes the outcome?

I don't think it would... you would just not be able to shoot that unit at all until the techmarine did the repairs first. For example, you wouldn't be able to shoot the stormbolter on the vindicator, roll for repair, and then shoot the cannon. It would have to be done Techmarine first, then Vindicator.

I agree but he made roll first to determine if we could play it the way I wanted too. He said the book didn't say I could and then I countered that with it doesn't say I can't. I rolled and blew his warp spiders back to Eldar land lol.

I believe the repair rule states that when you repair something it takes effect instantly. That means that as of that very moment the weapon is now repaired and if you choose to then shoot the Vinidcator after it was repaired you should be 100% able to shoot the cannon.

 Malik_Raynor wrote:
I agree but he made roll first to determine if we could play it the way I wanted too. He said the book didn't say I could and then I countered that with it doesn't say I can't. I rolled and blew his warp spiders back to Eldar land lol.

If he is an Eldar player than he shouldn't have been complaining lol.

1500 Point Iron Hands Anvil Strike Force. I took the three whirlwinds so their templates get ignores cover and shred. Should wipe out most objective holders / markerlights in cover / jinking bikes. If the points were to be upped I would add devastators with only two heavy weapons in a rhino. This makes them a pseudo Razorback with better weapon options while more survivable. Thoughts?

Anvil Strike Force
Armoured Task Force
Techmarine
Servo-Harness
Bike
Iron Stone
Predator Squadron
Predator
TL-Lascannon
Lascannon Sponsons
Predator
TL-Lascannon
Lascannon Sponsons
Predator
TL-Lascannon
Lascannon Sponsons
Predator Squadron
Predator
TL-Lascannon
Lascannon Sponsons
Predator Squadron
Predator
TL-Lascannon
Lascannon Sponsons
Whirlwind Squadron
Whirlwind
Whirlwind
Whirlwind
Techmarine
Bike
Servo-Harness
Techmarine
Bike
Servo-Harness
Mechanized Infantry
Assault Squad
Flamer
Flamer
Combi-Flamer
Razorback
Heavy Flamer
Mechanized Infantry
Assault Squad
Flamer
Flamer
Combi-Flamer
Razorback
Heavy Flamer
Air Defence Force
Stalker
Hunter
Hunter


All vehicles ignore effects of Crew Stunned and Crew Shaken
Both Techmarines pass BotO on +3
Armoured Task Force Techmarine passes on a +2 with his own vehicles
Vehicles and Techmarines get it will not die
With Iron Stone this is passed on a +4