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So when my tax return comes in, I'm planning on getting the proper red HH book and the Cybernetica battlegroup bundle, but I'll have a bit more after that to spend so I was wondering if you find folks had some suggestions as to what I get beyond the bundle. I was thinking of the Taghmata Support Cadre, but I'm open to suggestions.

I'm going to hazard a guess, then, that your budget after getting the book and battlegroup will be ~£125 (~$152), so basing my suggestions off that:

£45 Macrotek Enginseer w/ Automata
The battlegroup only has one Magos to govern 5 robots; that'll bite you in the backside.
It's just another Magos chappie, but can be used as a Techpriest Auxilia unit for Elite slots, allowing you to repair the robots. Giving them a Cortex Controller expands your Cyberthurgy and control range;
If a robot is 12"+ away from a Cortex Controller has them subject to Programmed Behaviour, which basically means they go on autopilot if an enemy gets within 12" of said robot. Can be rather annoying.

£48 Domitar
A tough mélée threat, which should draw some fire away from your Castellax and Thanatar. Also very fun units to use, I find.

Last £25 odd could be used to get Tech Thralls (or other blob of infantry for use as proxy), which is "just" a mass of bodies typically used to Bubblewrap Thanatars, and camp objectives.
Or, you could get another Magos-y model, to get another robot shepherd on the table. Mo' Battlesmithing and all that.

Sounds pretty solid. The last little bit I might use as tech thralls. I was debating on getting the new Cawl model and using him as another Magos as well, plus cheaper to do so.

Legio cybernetica extends the cortex controller and cyberthurgy range to 24"

I might look into vorax and if you have some left over, and some Ursarax after to add some fun assault options to your army.

I like to use skitarii vangaurd or rangers as tech thralls to do double duty for 30k and 40k.

CaptainSomas wrote:
So when my tax return comes in, I'm planning on getting the proper red HH book and the Cybernetica battlegroup bundle, but I'll have a bit more after that to spend so I was wondering if you find folks had some suggestions as to what I get beyond the bundle. I was thinking of the Taghmata Support Cadre, but I'm open to suggestions.

Not to be a jerk, but the prior suggestions are pretty subpar.

Domitar is not good. The Macrotek isn't ideal, either. Better to run a Dominus paired up with some Darkfire Castellax to cover your backfield with 24" cybertheurgy. This means a babysitter for the Thanatar, too.

You get a Magos with the Battlegroup and your optimal Thanatar (the others are junk). The Multimelta Castellax aren't that useful as Armored Ceramite is very common, so Melta doesn't really have much of an advantage. This is made more apparent when you factor in the Darkfire Lances and how good they are.

The Thallax are decent and may benefit from a Jump Pack Magos to babysit them as they move up the field and give you Cortex Controller and Cybertheurgy range upfield for your Vultrax - which you will want. Badly. Like... a lot of them. They are very strong! I recommend at least two. Maybe 3-4 even.

Also, Scoria. He isn't out yet, but you can totally grab Cawl to count-as until he does. Scoria is a disgusting, brutal HQ that is downright mandatory.

If you want mobile, durable scoring units, I got to say that a 20-man Thrall in a Triaros is handy. The Conveyor has solid firepower, can ram hard as hell, is reasonably durable with its highish AV and Flare Shield. Kit the Thralls with RA and RoPT and they should do all right. I have been tinkering with the idea of Lachrimallus on a secondary Magos just as way to get back-up squads on the off chance the Thralls are wiped.

You may want to consider a Primaris-Lightning with Kraken, BSC and GTA just as a guaranteed means of stopping the nastier stuff - Flare Shield Spartan, Flare Shield Malcador, and Ionic-Flare Knights. Being able to drop them in a turn is handy.

And someone did say Vorax, which I can say fit a neat niche. If you have a FA slot open after taking Vulturax, a squad of 3-5 with Frags and Bio-Corrosive rounds can do some damage. Also can compliment the Jump Pack troops you may already be including.

Anyhow, just some thoughts.

So would I be better off just getting individual models instead of the bundle? I know I can get Cawl fairly easily, and use Skitarii as Tech thralls for a decently cheaper alternative.

CaptainSomas wrote:
So would I be better off just getting individual models instead of the bundle? I know I can get Cawl fairly easily, and use Skitarii as Tech thralls for a decently cheaper alternative.

Honestly, yes. The MM Castellax aren't that useful. And Thallax are generally optional in a LC list.

Here is the 3k list I am working on, just for reference:

HQ:
Anacharis Scoria
Xanathite Abeyant
[315]

Magos Dominus
Machinator Array, Augury Scanner, Meltabombs
[110]

Magos Dominus
Machinator Array, Augury Scanner, Meltabombs
[110]

Troops:
(2) Castellax Maniple (Scoria)
Frag, ETA
[250]

(3) Castellax
Frag, ETA
[375]

(2) Castellax Maniple (Dominus)
Darkfire Cannons, ETA
[280]

(2) Castellax Maniple (Dominus)
Darkfire Cannons, ETA
[280]

(20) Adescularis Covenant
Rite of Pure Thought, Revenant Alchemistry
Triaros Conveyor
Blessed Autosimulacra
[245]

(20) Adescularis Covenant
Rite of Pure Thought, Revenant Alchemistry
Triaros Conveyor
Blessed Autosimulacra
[245]

Fast Attack:
Vultarax Stratos-Automata Maniple
[175]

Vultarax Stratos-Automata Maniple
[175]

Vultarax Stratos-Automata Maniple
[175]

Heavy:
Thanatar Maniple
ETA
[265]

[3000]

Anacharis Scoria in a bodyguard of 3 Thanatars.

Because hilarious.

 Unit1126PLL wrote:
Anacharis Scoria in a bodyguard of 3 Thanatars.

Because hilarious.

Mind blown. Not 3 thanatars because basically your list will be 3 thanatars, skoria, and 4 castellax, but I never considered joining a thanatar with a Magos. The two compulsory maniples of Castellax kind of felt like a natural choice for the extra Domini.

Not so much for Skoria, since he wants to be up there rather than hanging towards the back throwing mortar shots, but for cheaper Magi that you just need for your backline cortex bubble, putting him with the Thantar vs. a pair of Castellax may be a good option.

As for Skoria, I think he's best joining a unit of Vorax if anything, because they give him scout and are probably the best target for Rite of the Beast other than Arlatax.

Otherwise, I'm tempted to forget about Patris Cybernetica, and stick him in a transport with some Myrmidons. He can actually tank for them, and if they are destroyers, they can give him Preferred Enemy (Everything!) to make him even more ridiculous.

I put Scoria with three Thanatar-Cynis; the shott-ranged bully Thanatars. And Rite of the Beast makes them faster.

Not fast enough, IMO, and they don't want to be in melee no matter what variant you are using.

By the way, both the Calix and the Cynis are in the running for the absolute worst unit in the army (Domitar is the other contestant).

That sounds like a really weak list with like half a dozen units and no real scoring to speak of unless you're playing something like 5000 points or whatever.

HandofMars wrote:
Not fast enough, IMO, and they don't want to be in melee no matter what variant you are using.

By the way, both the Calix and the Cynis are in the running for the absolute worst unit in the army (Domitar is the other contestant).

That sounds like a really weak list with like half a dozen units and no real scoring to speak of unless you're playing something like 5000 points or whatever.

What I run is 2 units of 4 castellax, 1 unit of Vorax, 1 unit of Thanatars, Scoria, 2 stock Magi Domini, and 3 Vultarax. I make a iron wall stretching across the board and walk forward.

I do lose games, so it's not indestructible, but I certainly don't have to worry about objectives (24 Mauler Bolt Cannon shots at BS5 and -1 cover every turn, plus assaulting if the enemy stands their ground on turn 3 or 4 usually clears them off) and then the Thanatar-Cynis with Scoria deathstar usually butchers whatever Primarch and friends show up after the Vultarax nuke their ride in one shot, lol. The Vorax are to get at irritating backfield units that I can't kill with my AP3 bullets, like if Tyrant Siege Terminators are just hanging out firing missiles or something. Most 2+ saves come to me though, which is delicious.

...what is that, like 4k?

 em_en_oh_pee wrote:
...what is that, like 4k?

3k.

870 for Thanatars with ETA. 315 for Scoria with abeyant. 960 for 8 Castellax with ETA. 150 for 2x Magos Dominus. 525 for vultarax, 180 for vorax.

Note that you do not win automatically by tabling the opponent, so if they can get a few objective points, you lose even if you kill everything.

HandofMars wrote:
Note that you do not win automatically by tabling the opponent, so if they can get a few objective points, you lose even if you kill everything.

BRB -Victory Conditions - Sudden Death Victory:
"If at the end of any game turn, one player has no models on the battlefield his opponent automatically wins"

Love the kind of army where it's try and wipe people instead of objective grabbing, fits LC perfectly!

It's actually considerably more powerful to table in 30k. In 40k they lose at the end of the game turn; the victory condition for tabling in 30k triggers the instant the enemy has no models on the table.

Until that's changed, null deploy doesn't work either in 30k for this reason.

 Vulkan_He'stan wrote:

HandofMars wrote:
Note that you do not win automatically by tabling the opponent, so if they can get a few objective points, you lose even if you kill everything.

BRB -Victory Conditions - Sudden Death Victory:
"If at the end of any game turn, one player has no models on the battlefield his opponent automatically wins"

Love the kind of army where it's try and wipe people instead of objective grabbing, fits LC perfectly!

Now that amuses me, since I think it was HandofMars who wouldn't shut up about that condition in another thread.

Also, @Unit1126PLL

I would never be comfortable with an army that must table an enemy to win - that strategy is not usually viable. Plus, that is a rather colossal waste of points in those Thanatars, I would rather take some Thralls in Triaros. Otherwise, our lists are pretty similar because LC isn't exactly keen on diversity!

Are you doing one unit of three Vulturax or a unit of two and a unit of one? Any why only a unit of two Vorax (assuming that is what you have as a trio is about 240)?

 em_en_oh_pee wrote:

 Vulkan_He'stan wrote:

HandofMars wrote:
Note that you do not win automatically by tabling the opponent, so if they can get a few objective points, you lose even if you kill everything.

BRB -Victory Conditions - Sudden Death Victory:
"If at the end of any game turn, one player has no models on the battlefield his opponent automatically wins"

Love the kind of army where it's try and wipe people instead of objective grabbing, fits LC perfectly!

Now that amuses me, since I think it was HandofMars who wouldn't shut up about that condition in another thread.

Also, @Unit1126PLL

I would never be comfortable with an army that must table an enemy to win - that strategy is not usually viable. Plus, that is a rather colossal waste of points in those Thanatars, I would rather take some Thralls in Triaros. Otherwise, our lists are pretty similar because LC isn't exactly keen on diversity!

Are you doing one unit of three Vulturax or a unit of two and a unit of one? Any why only a unit of two Vorax (assuming that is what you have as a trio is about 240)?

I won't take anything without a Cybernetica Cortex or cortex controller for fluff reasons.

It is a unit of 3 Vultarax. I use 3 vorax with no upgrades (they are 60 pts each).


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also I am not sure if it should be priced into the model or not, but the Thanatars have a psychological effect on the opponent that I have found is more useful than any stat or wargear. If you put three Thanatars on the table guarding Scoria, for 12 Str8 AP2 blasts before charging, people panic. They are also usually faster than my opponent's army given Rite of the Beast, since the Vultarax have basically made people stop riding in tanks near me after they killed a Stormlord in one shooting phase by themselves.

I still wouldn't want to drop that many points in them, but I also have no reason not to take the Thralls.

No upgrades on the Vorax? Weird. BCS seem like a no brainer! Really gives them some umph.

And yea, I expect Vulturax to get a rules tweak when they are released in whatever book they come out in. They are just so gross.

BCS drops their range to 15", but even if it didn't, I am using them to mostly pester the enemy's back line. Doing damage with them is secondary to being disruptive - they don't need BCS to be disruptive.

Edit: As for the Vultarax, well, I hope they don't nerf them too bad. Pure Cybernetica needs some good antitank for once.

Not super enamored with the poison rounds either. Not an enormous difference needing 5s to wound vs 4s against Marines, while shooting at fellow monstrous creature automata is not as effective as you'd like due to the forced reroll. I'd get frags before poison rounds, and maybe not even that now that Vorax don't evaporate from krak grenades.

 em_en_oh_pee wrote:

 Vulkan_He'stan wrote:

HandofMars wrote:
Note that you do not win automatically by tabling the opponent, so if they can get a few objective points, you lose even if you kill everything.

BRB -Victory Conditions - Sudden Death Victory:
"If at the end of any game turn, one player has no models on the battlefield his opponent automatically wins"

Love the kind of army where it's try and wipe people instead of objective grabbing, fits LC perfectly!

Now that amuses me, since I think it was HandofMars who wouldn't shut up about that condition in another thread.

You're right, I did harp on it quite a bit. This was a test and I'm glad at least some folks were listening despite your incessant whining.

GENERAL IN THREAD WARNING:

There are very few rules here, but we must insist that they be followed - especially Rule #1.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/core/forum_rules.jsp

Well, I hope that was not directed at me.

At any rate, since I am limited by my fluff to units with cortex controllers or cortexes anyways, I could bring a tech-priest macrotek with cortex controller and then a few Enginseer tech-priest auxilia to score.